For today’s Praise Thursday, Mike and Abby shared Scripture and encouragement in looking forward to Valentine’s Day!
Abby talked about Romans 12:9-10— “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” This verse has a focus on how we can treat other people like they are family, and care for them as such. Valentine’s Day does not just have to be about spending time with your significant other– it can also be a time to focus on how we treat others and how we can show them some love!
Mike went through 1 Corinthians 13:4, which outlines the biblical definition of love– “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant,” which can be difficult to put into practice. Let us be intentional in our actions of love, humbling ourselves towards those around us and also being patient with ourselves.
Shout out to today’s winners!
Jerry from Fredericktown wins a Valentine’s Gift Basket from Alyssa’s Vintage Decor, and
Jessica from Howard wins a gift certificate for a dozen carnations from Flowers for You!
We did not have a winner for today’s Name That Tune, which means…. next week will be worth TWO gift cards to Watt’s Restaurant in Utica.
For today’s Praise Thursday, Mike and Abby praised God for the beautiful sunshine outside, and shared some Scripture from Psalm.
Mike talked about Psalm 46:11: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” If we build our lives on the foundation of worldly comforts, those walls can eventually come crumbling down. God is a secure, mighty foundation to build upon– He will never fail us!
Abby shared Psalm 84:10, which says, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Being a part of God’s family and looking ahead to our heavenly home is 1,000 times better than anything the world could offer. He provides us with His light and protection eternally, so why would we want to be anywhere else?
For today’s Praise Thursday, Mike shared Galatians 1:23-24, which emphasized the miraculous change in Paul’s life– “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” Through this miracle worked in him, God was glorified. Mike explained how the goal of our lives should be to glorify Him through our own stories.
Abby talked about the passage that MVNU’s new VP of Spiritual life, Rev. Dave Mills, shared in Monday’s chapel service. 1 Corinthians 12:17-20 asks, “If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” Everyone has a special place and purpose within God’s community, and we all work together to make the entire body function!
Congratulations to Maude from Mount Vernon for calling in with the right answer– Getting Started by Jeremy Camp! She wins a $5 gift card to Watt’s Restaurant.
Which artist suffered from scoliosis before undergoing surgery in their teen years? The answer is Katy Nichole! Shout out to Asher for knowing our Winter Jam trivia question and winning two passes to the concert.
Today on the show I talked about how you can still give to Food For The Hungry until 12/31/23. I also talked about people who won our Grand Prizes for Christmas Gift Exchange. Congratulations to all who won! I shared a devotional from Our Daily Bread. And of course we did our Name That Tune feature where one person had a chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant.
Here is the devotional that I read today from Our Daily Bread: “Troubled Souls, Honest Prayers.” You can find the link here.
I Thank God by Housefires/ JWLKRS Worship.
Congratulations to Rebecca of Lima who guessed the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant.
Today Abby and I shared praises about one of the greatest themes of Christmas, Immanuel, “God with Us.”
The word Immanuel means, as we learn in Matthew 1:23, “God with us.” The coming of the Christ child fulfilled what Isaiah wrote in chapter 7, verse 14: “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
In his book Hidden Christmas, Pastor Timothy Keller shares that for centuries, the Jewish religious leaders and scholars had known that prophecy, but did not think that it should be taken literally. They thought it was simply predicting the coming or arrival of some great leader through whose work, God would be present with his people.
However, Matthew writes that this promise is greater than anyone imagined! It did not come true figuratively, but literally. Jesus Christ is “God with us” because the human life in Mary’s womb was a miracle performed by God himself. Then Jesus, with his life, his claims and his resurrection, convinced his closest followers that he was not just a prophet telling them how to find God, but God himself coming to find us.
Keller writes that this claim, that Jesus is God, gives us the greatest possible hope. Why? Because it means this world is not all that there is…it means that there is life and love after death and it means that evil and suffering will one day end.
And it is not just hope for the world, but hope for you and me personally. A God who was only holy would have not come to us in Jesus. He would have just demanded that we pull ourselves together and be moral and holy enough to be worthy of relationship with him. But our God is fully holy and fully human – so he doesn’t send someone else – he comes himself! Jesus is one of us – and that should give us all hope!
Today’s winners:
Brad from Bellville – Hillsong United Limited Edition White Album (yes, it’s vinyl) David from Mount Vernon – Who Knew? book bundle pack
We played “One More Sleep ‘Til Christmas” from the Muppets. Congratulations to Asher from Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
More Christmas Fun Facts, too!
‘Jingle Bells’ was originally a Thanksgiving song.
“Jingle Bells” was written by James Lord Piermont in 1857 for his church’s Thanksgiving concert. However, over the years, it became more closely associated with Christmas and is now one of the most popular holiday songs!
‘The Grinch’ is the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time.
The 2018 computer-animated film brought in $512,858,819 worldwide. The runner-up? Home Alone, the Christmas classic from 1990.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was a box-office flop.
Believe it or not, the enduring Christmas classic initially bombed at the box office. It wasn’t until 1974, when its copyright expired and television networks could air it for free, that it cemented its place as one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.
Today on the show I shared a devotional from Our Daily Bread. We also mentioned how tomorrow is Food For The Hungry Drive Day! We are so excited to be able to broadcast this event! You can find the event on https://portal.stretchinternet.com/mvnuadmin/. This link will take you right to the page where the broadcast will be streamed. Also, don’t forget to listen on 90.9 FM, WNZR as we will be having special interviews with different people involved with Food For The Hungry. We hope that you will listen in!
Here is my devotional from Our Daily Bread titled, “Appetite For Distraction.” You can find the link here.
Congratulations to Bonnie of Mount Vernon for guessing the correct answer which was Ryan Ellis’ song Heart of the Father. She wins TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant!
Today we shared a devotional from author Katara Patton that encourages us to take on the humble attitude of Jesus – you might even say he is the original ‘Undercover Boss.’ Check out ‘Putting on Humility’ by clicking here!
We want to praise God for you! Your partnership in prayer and support just moved our Lifeline 2023 total up AGAIN! We are at a pledge total of $86,508. Thank you!
CASTING CROWNS TICKET WINNER: Joshua from Mansfield GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET WINNER: stumper! We’ll bring it back tomorrow.
Today I was encouraged by a note I saw posted on Instagram – a literal note posted by a coffee shop at their counter. It refers to the two voices you might be listening to…
Today Josiah shared this devotional from Our Daily Bread, If you would like to read more please click here
Have you ever done something in anger you later regretted? When my son was wrestling with drug addiction, I said some harsh things in reaction to his choices. My anger only discouraged him more. But eventually he encountered believers who spoke life and hope to him, and in time he was set free.
Even someone as exemplary in faith as Moses did something he later regretted. When the people of Israel were in the desert and water was scarce, they complained bitterly. So God gave Moses and Aaron specific instructions: “Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water” (Numbers 20:8). But Moses reacted in anger, giving himself and Aaron credit for the miracle instead of God: “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (v. 10). Then he disobeyed God directly and “raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff” (v. 11).
Even though water flowed, there were tragic consequences. Neither Moses nor Aaron was allowed to enter the land God promised His people. But He was still merciful, allowing Moses to see it from afar (27:12–13).
As with Moses, God still mercifully meets us in the desert of our disobedience to Him. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He kindly offers us forgiveness and hope. No matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, if we turn to Him, He’ll lead us into life.
Zoe shared a devotional from Our Daily Bread as well called Purple Shawl, if you would like to read more you can read it here
While serving as my mom’s live-in caregiver at a cancer center hundreds of miles away from my home, I asked people to pray for us. As the months passed, isolation and loneliness sapped my strength. How could I care for my mom if I gave in to my physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion?
One day, a friend sent me an unexpected care package. Jodi had crocheted a purple prayer shawl, a warm reminder that we had people praying for us daily. Whenever I wrapped the soft yarn around my shoulders, I felt God hugging me with the prayers of His people. Years later, He still uses that purple shawl to comfort me and strengthen my resolve.
The apostle Paul affirmed the importance and spirit-refreshing power of praying for others. Through his passionate request for prayerful support and encouragement during his travels, Paul demonstrated how those who pray for others become partners in ministry (Romans 15:30). Offering specific requests, the apostle not only showed his dependence on the support of fellow believers but his trust that God powerfully answers prayer (vv. 31–33).
We’ll all experience days when we feel alone. But Paul shows us how to ask for prayer as we pray for others. When we’re wrapped in the intercessory prayers of God’s people, we can experience God’s strength and comfort no matter where life takes us.
Who has God used to encourage you through intercessory prayer? Who can you pray for today?
Congrats to our winner of Name That Tune, Joanna of Pickerington!
Driving Notes 