Download Media

Show Advanced Filter
Search results: 1927 matches Found
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

Do You Wake Up Ready?
The distinction between Christianity and the world should grow clearer as wickedness grows.   ~~~   Even though sin and Satan and death have been done away with for the believer, it still taunts, it still mocks, it still defies, and it still challenges us to come and fight—it taunts God’s way of parenting, it taunts God’s prescription for marriage, it mocks God’s word concerning holiness, manhood, womanhood. And we often times fight against sin in our own strength, with worldly weapons. Weapons of pragmatism,, popularity, and people-pleasing. Listen to 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience… What are our weapons? Our weapons are truth and discipline. The sharpening of our minds with God’s truth and the strengthening of our will by God’s Spirit. And we can go into battle because Christ, who is Truth and Righteousness, has gone before, because He lives in us. The day we as a church decide to know and live upon the truth of God’s word, in the power of the Spirit, is the day we draw out our weapons for battle. Has it occurred to you that in this day of extreme radicalism and immorality, the distinction between the people of the church and the people of the world should be getting clearer and clearer? But does it seem like that is happening? Why not? Because we either are not who we say we are, OR we are not fighting, OR we are fighting with the wrong weapons. Saul’s coat of arms will not fit the fighting Christian. TRUTH AND DISCIPLINE will. And always be ready to fight. David, when he woke up that morning, had no idea he would be facing Goliath that afternoon, but He was willing and ready.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Jan 04, 2024
Show Day by Day
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

A Man Who Stands Between
Jesus fought our battles on our behalf and defeated the enemy we could not.   ~~~   The Bible is compilation of 66 books and letters that make up on grand narrative, one book, one story. And in that one grand narrative, there is one hero. Everything before that hero arrives on the scene is meant to either foreshadow, point towards, or get us ready for that hero. That Hero is Jesus Christ. David is a precursor, a giant foreshadowing figure of Jesus Christ. And one of the problems we run into when we remove the David and Goliath story from context is that we can easily insert ourselves into the wrong character and we become the David facing off against the big bad giant. But we can’t forget the context. David has been chosen by God to be His King for His people. David has been anointed by God, and the Holy Spirit of God has rushed upon Him to empower Him. You have not been anointed as King over God’s people. But Christ has. And the Holy Spirit rushed upon Christ, and empowered Christ. And just as David rushed down into the valley of Elah to face Israel’s enemy, so too, but in a greater way, did Jesus rush to the hill of Golgotha to face man’s greatest enemy of sin and death and Satan. Jesus is the believer’s great champion, the man to stand between! He stands between us and death. You need a person to stand between you and death. Your sin has assured that there will be death to pay, hell to pay. And if you are apart from Christ, if you have not Christ as your Savior, as your man between, then you sit there condemned today with no hope. And you will be defeated. You will die. You will face judgment, and you will be given over to eternal death. But listen, there is a man! There is a man who has done the fighting on behalf of people who call out to Him. And what God is calling on you to do today is to put down your weapons, your idols, your pride, your sin, and turn and trust in what Christ has already done. He has already defeated the Goliath of sin. Just like David ran to Goliath, after nailing him with the slingshot, he then cut off his head, so too did Christ stomp Satan, crushing His head, delivering him over to final death. We need to know that in this story, we are the Israelite army. And we have no business heading out to fight against Goliath, but we do have a champion, a man who stands between, who has already fought the Goliath of sin and shame and death, and where David lopped the head off of Goliath, Jesus crushed the head of Satan in the resurrection.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Jan 03, 2024
Show Day by Day
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

A God-Ordained Shouting Match
God’s plans succeed not based on our own ability but upon His arsenal.   ~~~   It’s a new year, and we are right in the middle of our study of 1 Samuel, and we are talking about one of the most famous scenes in all the Bible—David versus Goliath. We now move to the consequence of David having heard Goliath. They stand at opposite sides, facing one another. Goliath begins to shout first, not believing that Israel has treated him so disrespectfully as to send out a smooth-faced boy. But that doesn’t keep Goliath from his intentions, and that is to slay David and let the buzzards pluck and pull at his intestines. David matches him shout for shout. But pay careful attention as to why all of this is taking place: vs. 46 “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, THAT ALL THE EARTH MAY KNOW THAT THERE IS A GOD IN ISRAEL, AND THAT ALL THIS ASSEMBLY MAY KNOW THAT THE LORD SAVES NOT WITH SWORD AND SPEAR. FOR THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S AND HE WILL GIVE YOU INTO OUR HAND.”   So catch this. David is willing to face Goliath, who easily outmatches David in every physical metric you can think of, because David is convinced of God’s honor and worth and faithfulness, and David knows God is committed to His being known and glorified in all the earth. This story is not here so as to motivate you to face and fight your own personal giants. We were not created to be the hero here. This is a story about God’s plans for His global glory to spread and his people prevail according to His own arsenal in order to shame all those who would come against him with such arrogance, and HIM providing the man to do just that. God’s plan for His global glory and His people will prevail according to His own arsenal, which is the church making and sending disciples to all the nations.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Jan 02, 2024
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Hacks

Day By Day Hacks
There are various study plans to help new readers learn how to properly read the Bible.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Jan 01, 2024
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

The Grief Was Just As Real
Though heartache remains, we have a lasting hope in Jesus Christ.   ~~~   Sin is real. Its consequences are real and brutal. It leaves scars and causes pain and suffering, for us and others. Suffering is real. Pain is real. We need no reminder of that. But we find a reminder inserted into this Christmas story. Not many people talk about it, or preach it, because they don’t want to taint the Christmas story. But I would submit to you that we need this part of the story now, more than ever. Matthew tells us that Herod, with unbridled brutality, and loss of all self-control, sent a slaughter squad to Bethlehem to kill all baby boys two years old and younger. Bethlehem was a small town. But it doesn’t really matter. They were still slaughtered. And I am sure that the pain and screams were just as real, and just as loud 2000 years ago as they would be if it happened this weekend. But even before then, there was another scenario, another event that Matthew mentions. It took place in Jeremiah 31, where the nation of Israel had been conquered, and families and tribes were being led to a city called Ramah. That city served as a weigh station of sorts before families were separated from one another and sent into exile. Children were ripped from mother’s arms. Father’s were torn away from their families as they said their last goodbyes. And in their eyes, all hope was gone; hope was lost; hope was shattered. Life held out no purpose, no joy. The suffering was real; and it was deep. But if we go to Jeremiah 31, we will find, not only these words of grief, but we will also find words of hope and comfort. “I will turn your mourning into joy, I will comfort you and give you gladness for sorrow…Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears…they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future.” What is the hope promised to those people in Jeremiah 31 that can heal that type of suffering? What is the hope promised to the desperate mothers in Bethlehem on that bitter night? Matthew does not deny the pain and the heartache, but he beckons us to the promise of redemption. The redemption that is found only in Christ, the one who not escaped that slaughter so he could carry a cross and be executed for man’s sin. The sin of all believers. So suffering gives way to glory. Death and defeat give way to resurrected, overcoming, everlasting life that is secured for us by Christ.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 29, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

Christmas Can Be Painful
God’s ultimate demonstration of love for us, in delivering us miraculously, is seen in Jesus.   ~~~   Christmas is not, will not be, the happiest season for everyone this year. For some this year it might be the first Christmas without a loved one. For some, Christmas is a reminder of poverty, or an abusive husband, or an alcoholic father, or a cold-hearted mother. It’s the reminder of a prodigal child who is yet to return home. It is a reminder of poor decisions made in the past with the consequences of loneliness during seasons like this. For some of you, Christmas is a painful reminder of sin and shame in your life. You may not have a family to gather with because of sinful choices you made in the past, and you wonder of you it is even possible to be delivered from stain and shame of sin. The truth is that at one time or another, we have all been chained in the prison of sin. If you will remember, the wise men have just met Jesus as a baby child, worshiped him, and headed back home. They were supposed to go back to a King named Herod and inform him of where the baby born King of the Jews was located, but they were redirected by God. And God, here in our text, directs Joseph, the baby’s father, to take Jesus and the family into Egypt in order to keep the baby protected from Herod’s evil scheme. And then the Holy Spirit through Matthew says in 2:15, “This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.” This is seems strange. What is going on here? The quote is taken from an OT prophet named Hosea. But why did Hosea mention this? In order to know that answer, we need to know the context of Hosea. Hosea is the true story of a man who marries a woman who will not be faithful to him. She abandons her husband, along with her children, in order to pursue the lifestyle of a prostitute. And after years of this lifestyle, she ends up in a brothel of sorts, on the auction block. And to her surprise, who is in the audience but her husband, Hosea, who is the highest bidder, purchases his own wife out of slavery, takes her home and loves her unconditionally. God puts this true account into motion to demonstrate to his children, Israel, his unfading love for them. They are the unfaithful wife, and God is the compassionate, patient husband who will not abandon his people. And to remind them of his unconditional love, Hosea speaks for God and says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” God is reminding His people that he has been faithful to them from the beginning. When they were imprisoned, under the rule of a cruel leader, when they were prisoners in chains, God miraculously delivered them. Egypt was a picture of the world system, the prison of sin, that no matter how hard they tried, they could not break free from those shackles. It was going to take a miracle to deliver them, and that is just what God did. And He called them out of Egypt. But all of that served as a picture, Matthew says. There was a greater fulfillment hidden in that reality that can now be seen in Jesus. There is a new and greater exodus that will occur, and it will be led by Jesus. He is the one who can set you free from the shackles of sin. God’s ultimate demonstration of love for us, in delivering us miraculously, is seen in Jesus.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 28, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

A Shepherd Who Rules And Walks
Jesus does not rule from a distance, but walks with us as both Shepherd and King.   ~~~   Despite what Christmas legend tells us, we really don’t know that much about the wise men. We know they were from the east, and that they were called “wise men” or magi, and they studied the stars. We don’t know if they were kings, like some assume. We don’t know if there were three. The bible indicates that they did not show up at the manger, but rather, some time later at Mary and Joseph’s house. But what we do know is that they were on a desperate search to see this one who was born King of the Jews so that they could worship him (vs. 2). Matthew tells in 2:9-10 “After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly and with great joy.” So why were they rejoicing? They were rejoicing over the fact that they knew, by God’s providence and sovereignty, that they were about to be in the presence of THE KING of the Jews, the true king. They were overjoyed at the thought of worshiping the King. Their search was not in vain. This is sincere adoration. Adoration and worship is not turned off and on. It is not flipped on like a switch when you walk through the church doors. Adoration and worship is something that stays stirred up and bubbling, and when an opportunity is given to worship, you get excited about it. True worship responds to the greatness of Jesus, because He is always worthy. Worship is not about us feeling like worshiping, it is about us recognizing who is worthy of worship. Not only were these men overjoyed at the prospect of worshiping Christ, but when they arrived, they bowed down to him, and eagerly gave to Him appropriate gifts. Giving was simply an extension of their worship. It was part of their worship. The wise men relinquish self rule, and give to him from the riches of their life to inaugurate his rule in their life. You also need to know that when you pursue Christ in sincere adoration and worship, you will run into those who outright rebel against him, and those who are educated about Jesus, but apathetic. You need to know that on the front end. You need to know, that if you are a true believer, sincere worshiper and follower of Christ, you will be raising your children to be hated by the world. You will be leading your family into this minefield. But that is the great thing about having a shepherd king—while He is ruling over us, He is walking with us.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 27, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

Educated Apathy
Those who are religious but indifferent have experienced no change from Christ in their lives.   ~~~   Outright rebellion is one way to respond to King Jesus. That is what we saw in King Herod the other day. But we see a second, more subtle way to respond, and we find this response in the chief priests and scribes—Educated Apathy. Listen to Matthew 2:3 “When Herod the king heard this (the news of the newborn king)…he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet.” They religiously educated were gathered up by Herod, and quickly and accurately gave Herod an answer to his question. They knew a Messiah was coming. They were anticipating Him. They knew he was to be born in Bethlehem just 5 miles south of Jerusalem. They directed Herod to the passage in the OT, Micah, so that he could be assured of this. But did they respond to the Magi’s search? Were they at all concerned or anxious about the birth of the King of the Jews, the long-awaited Messiah? It didn’t seem so. What they know of God, they disregard. Educated Apathy. Jesus confronts the kingdom of their knowledge, their intellect, but they are too blind by their own self-righteousness to see the Savior of the World. It is enough to them that they have knowledge. Jesus would say about his very group later on, “You search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” In other words, you think that since you know the word of God, then that earns you a special pass, and yet you pass over the central message of the word. I can’t help but wonder if this is where many people are these days. They are content with their own self-righteousness; they are content with serving the Jesus they have created and fabricated in their minds; with treating Jesus as a buffet line that they pick and choose which parts of him you want, completely indifferent to the reality of Jesus as King and Lord. These men were content to study the scripture, go to church at the prescribed times, say daily prayers, but have none of it impact their souls. They were indifferent. Jesus made no real identifiable difference in their life. And what we see is that educated apathy, when it doesn’t respond to the call of Christ, leads to calls for execution. By the end of Matthew, chief priests and scribes are the ones mocking the King of the Jews, and stirring people up, shouting “Crucify Him!” You see, Christmas time is another reminder, not that a baby was born, but that a King was sent to the earth, and his kingdom confronts and challenges every other kingdom.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 26, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Hacks

Day By Day Hacks
Beginning a Bible study routine requires structure and planning, even for teenagers.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 25, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

How Far Will You Go?
God’s Kingship challenges all others, and we must submit to Him and relinquish control of our lives.   ~~~ To what lengths do you go to protect your way of life? If someone challenged you or confronted sin in your life, how defensive would you become? How fiercely would you guard your sin? You see, lots of people are fine with the idea of a savior until it comes to their submission to him as king. At that point, they will do all they can to protect their own kingdom. Look with me at Matthew 2 Matthew 2:2 “Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is he who has been born the king of the Jew? When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him” Someone once said of Herod that it was better to be a pig in Herod’s kingdom than his son. Herod was a fiercely jealous and suspicious man who would do anything to protect his own control, authority, sense of pride and power. So obsessed with himself that he killed his own brother-in-law, mother-in-law, his wife, and his three sons because he saw them as threats to his kingdom. So Herod gathers up the wise men who have come into the city, and notice what he asks, “At what time did you see this star?” In other words, how long ago did you see this star that prompted your journey? What was he doing? He was determining the present day age of this one born king of the Jews. We can understand why Herod would want to know where Jesus was born. Maybe he wants to worship him too? At least that is what he tells the wise men. But why is he concerned about Jesus’ age? When you read verse 16, it all makes sense. He wanted to know the child’s age so he would know whom to kill to insure that this child king would be killed as well. Herod was a man who killed in order to keep His kingdom and his throne intact. Jesus is a king who dies to keep His throne. Well you might not be as cold-blooded as Herod, but do you see what is going on? Herod’s kingdom is being challenged, and he does everything he can to protect his rule. And the question is, when Jesus challenges and confronts the way you live your life, through the Holy Spirit or through His word, what lengths do you go through to retain your rule? Some of you sneer and shake your fist at God and say, “I am the captain of my own fate.” You respect Christmas, but you do not relinquish control. People are all for the message of a Savior until the time comes for submission. All of us are born with this Herod complex. You see, Christmas time is another reminder, not that a baby was born, but that a King was sent to the earth, and his kingdom confronts and challenges every other kingdom. Who is truly your king, and in whose kingdom do you live?
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 22, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

Broken Branches On The Family Tree
Salvation, redemption, restoration is not from man, it is not from within, it is from God.   ~~~ In all of my classes through bible college and seminary, and in all the preaching books I have read, capturing the audience’s attention was a crucial aspect of the introduction. Use a startling fact or a provocative statement or a funny story. Something engaging, heartwarming. Draw the audience in immediately. Apparently someone forgot to tell Matthew about this little rule of communication because he begins his gospel with a long, long genealogy. This genealogy is one, long astonishing fact. It links Jesus with the beloved King David of the Jews, and Father Abraham, father of the Jewish nation. And in Jewish culture, lineage was a big deal. You had to be able to prove your lineage in order to show that you could live in certain places since the land was divided up, at one time, according to tribes. And you certainly had to prove your lineage if you claimed to be a priest or a King. And that is exactly what Jesus claimed, and it was what Matthew had set out to prove. So his lineage needed to be proven in order for Jewish people who weren’t around to hear him teach and see his miracles, to consider him credible. When we look at the beginning of this genealogy we read the first two names of Abraham and Isaac. And what is incredible about these two names is that Abraham was so old when Isaac was born, that he and his wife should have been dead. In fact, the author of Hebrews says that Abraham was as good as dead. That is how old he was. He should not have been able to produce children, but he did! Why? Because God is faithful to his promises. And so from the beginning, we see that this kingdom is going to be a supernatural kingdom. That this promise is dependent on God doing something. So what we have here in the first parts of Matthew 1 is Matthew saying that Jesus is a legitimate King, in the line of Abraham and David, two pillars of the Jewish nation. And that His kingdom is supernatural. God was faithful to keep his unbelievable promise. God fulfills his promise of sending a revolutionary king and kingdom to save His people because they are people in need! And your name could be listed right along with them; your heritage; your family tree is just like this; this lineage is just a small snapshot of all of human history. So what do we learn from this genealogy? Israel had no reason to be proud of itself. Salvation, redemption, restoration is not from man, it is not from within, it is from God. David, the great King of Israel, who stole another man’s wife, and had the husband put to death, receives forgiveness, grace, and mercy from the hand of God. No one is able to save himself. All, even the best on the list, stood in dire need of redemption by the blood of the promised One.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 21, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

Pursue.
Everything we pursue in life will fail us, except for God.   ~~~ What would you say is one of your life’s greatest pursuits? If we don’t take time to think about this, to plan our lives around pursuits, then what usually happens is that life just kind of drifts. We drift in our jobs, with no real aim or purpose. We drift in our relationships. We drift from one week to the next, one season to the next, with no real advancement, growth, or change in our lives. So I think it is important to have goals, bucket lists, and pursuits. They give us something for which to wake up. They keep us going. Do you have a pursuit? And if you do, what are you doing to reach it? Are you planning, studying, saving, sacrificing,? What are you doing to actually pursue? “Pursue” is an action word, it’s movement, it’s energy being exerted. And does God give us any direction in His word as to what are worthy pursuits, what are primary and essential pursuits? Part of the Christmas story, one little scene in it, shows us what is worthy of pursuing, or rather, who is worthy of pursuing. Matthew 2:1-3 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew is the only one to record for us this story of the magi. Matthew spends very little ink on the actual birth narrative of Jesus Christ, but he spends considerable amount of ink and paper on the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, one event being the wise men coming to the home of the Christ child. When we read this section of scripture we notice that geography comes up quite a bit, in particular, the city of Bethlehem. We see that this city is mentioned in verse 1,2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 16. So the place is an important element of the message that Matthew is trying to communicate. The primary reason Matthew keeps bringing up the place of Jesus’ birth is to show his readers, mainly Jewish readers who were familiar with the Hebrew scriptures and prophecies, that the place of His birth fulfilled scripture. In fact, the whole of Matthew’s gospel aims to show how Jesus fulfills ancient Hebrew prophecy. Matthew quotes from the OT more than any other NT author. In this gospel he says 13 time “this took place to fulfill the scripture,” all of them but one refer directly to Jesus. What is the likelihood that all of these prophecies would be fulfilled by one man? It is not a big deal that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. But to be born in Bethlehem at a time when there was no rightful Jewish king, to be taken to Egypt, to be raised in Nazareth, to heal diseases, to enter Jerusalem on a donkey proclaiming his Kingship, to be betrayed, to be crucified, and many others, now that is amazing. The chances, the probability of those things being fulfilled in one man, are astronomical. So was it just chance, coincidence that Jesus was born in Bethlehem? Absolutely not. God stacked the odds so much against himself so that when He did make everything happen according to scripture, we couldn’t help but see that God is a faithful God who always keeps His promises, no matter what the circumstances may look like, and that knowing His Son is worth the pursuit. Everything you pursue in this life will, at some point in time, fail you. Whether it is a spouse, a bank account, a child, a position. It will not be able to fulfill all of its promises. Only God can do that. So why wouldn’t you pursue Him?
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 20, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

Tough Men, Sore Afraid
Although the circumstances of our life may not change, our perspective and worship can.   ~~~   Luke 2:8-11 “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behodl, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, who is Christ the Lord.” One of the main factors in Luke’s report about the angels showing up to the shepherds is fear. The shepherds were very, very scared. But fear is not new to the Christmas story. Do you remember when the angel Gabriel showed up in Zechariah’s life? Zechariah was scared and the angel said, “Fear not.” When Gabriel showed up to Mary, she was greatly troubled and Gabriel told her, “Do not be afraid.” So why are all these people afraid? You may think that is a silly question to ask. “Clif, an angel just showed up in front of them. Of course they were afraid.” This is true, but I think the answer lies deeper than that. Now let’s get our understanding of shepherds straight so that we can better understand how odd it was that they were fearful. I believe our perception of the shepherds is somewhat unbalanced. What do you picture when you think of a shepherd? Is it a young boy in a bathrobe with a belt around his waist and head? Is it some guy that sits out in lush green fields strumming his harp, contemplating scripture? Well, some of that may be true, but we have to remember that these guys also fought off wolves and bears and anything else that came out to attack the defenseless sheep. These guys were tough. Some resources even indicate that shepherds were a rowdy and wild group of guys. These guys were hard working, blue-collar men. So I don’t think a person just appearing would be enough reason to make them “sore afraid.” I am sure many of them had had wild animals sneak up on them. So someone appearing out of nowhere, although it may startle them, I don’t think it would have paralyzed them with a great fear. But notice what surrounded them. It was the very glory of God. It wasn’t the moonlight or the sunlight. What enveloped them was the very radiance and brilliance of God—the light of heaven. And that is why they had a great fear. They were in the presence of God Why does being in the presence of God’s glory make us fearful? The reason it makes them fearful is because Romans 3:23 is true Romans 3:23—“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The manifest presence of God creates fear in us because at that moment we are aware of our utter depravity and God’s absolute holiness. And that night, the shepherds were frozen in fear because they came to edge of the gulf that separates them from God, and they realized it was far too deep and far too wide for them to ever cross. The angel didn’t say, “You guys have nothing to worry about. You’ve done more good than bad. You’ve had good intentions.” The angel didn’t say, “If you guys would shape up and just try a little harder…” The angel told them that the prophesied Messiah was born and that He is a Savior. The shepherds! A Savior was born for the shepherds! The forgotten, the outcasts, the despised, the sinners, the dirty, the lonely, the fearful—a Savior was born for them! The reason that the shepherds did not have to live in fear anymore was because a Savior had been born who would conquer and overcome their sin! What was their response? It was worship! Look at what happens in verse 20—“And the shepherds returned, glorifying God and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.” But I want you to notice the context of which the shepherds’ worship is given. They receive the news; they go see the promised Savior, and as they are returning to the same dirty sheep, to the same low-paying job, to the same cultural labels, they are praising God. They truly understood that God had provided for their deepest need, being saved from their sin, and they worshiped, right back in their same context. Theirs wasn’t a health and wealth gospel that they believed in. It was a good news of great joy, that was for all people.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 19, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Hacks

Day By Day Hacks
Reading the Bible provides instruction and wisdom about our own lives in a way fiction does not.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 18, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

Searching For Significance
Our significance is found in God’s salvation.   ~~~   Zechariah is an old man without a son; without a boy to pass down the family name and legacy, to teach how to hunt or throw a spiral, or change a flat. But one day Gabriel, an angel, shows up and announces to him that his elderly wife will become pregnant. Two shocking things: an angel speaks to him, and the promise the angel makes. Zechariah finds that hard to believe, and as a result of his unbelief, Gabriel makes him mute. So for the pass nine months Zechariah has not been able to speak. He is trapped basically in his own mind with his thoughts. And as soon as he is liberated to talk, he begins to speak. But what is of special interest is about whom Zechariah speaks. We would expect him to go on and one about His new baby boy! That’s what I did when my kids were born, But who does Zechariah begin singing about? Is it his newborn son? NO! It is Jesus! Why? Because his son, John the Baptist, has no real significance outside of Jesus and His work. And I love this lyric Zechariah speaks: “He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…that we should be saved from our enemies!” Doesn’t that just fill your heart with Christmas cheer?! Well, what is he talking about when he speaks of raising up a horn? Is Jesus like a trumpet that blasts forth His message. Well, Jesus is like that, but that is not what Zechariah has in mind. The answer lies in the fact that just like the Israelites, the chosen people of God, had enemies, we too have enemies. And because we are sinners with a rebellious heart, we have been separated from God, we are really enemies to ourselves, and we choose the advice and company of our enemies. And those enemies want to maintain the separation that exists between man and God. God created the world and everything in it, including you and me. And all of creation finds its meaning and purpose in life in Him—who we are, what we are supposed to be doing on earth, how we are supposed to relate to one another—all of those life-questions find their answer and content in God. But Satan, an enemy of God who wanted to destroy all that God had created, convinced the first people, Adam and Eve, to turn their back on God and to find their significance in themselves. God had told them not to eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the garden, but they rebelled against God’s love and rule, and chose to eat the fruit, thereby breaking their communion with God and exalting themselves in their minds to a god-like position. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your sins have made a separation between you and your God.” They essentially said, “God, we don’t want to find our significance in you. We want to find it in ourselves. We will determine what makes us significant.” And so they ate the fruit of the tree. And ever since that day, people have been attempting to find their significance in themselves or in created things, and they have been coming up empty, frustrated, depressed, lonely, angry, jaded, and on a constant search for significance. You might try to find your ultimate significance in your husband. His love for you, his concern for you, his attention brings you ultimate significance. But your husband was not created for you to find ultimate significance in. Rather, marriage is a picture and the husband is to picture for us how Christ loves the church. But your husband is not Jesus. He is going to mess up. Or we gain our significance in our jobs. Our lives become defined by our job titles and our significance and security is wrapped in our careers. But our careers are not meant to serve in that capacity. Work is a picture. It is to remind us that we are producers and servers in God’s kingdom. For some you find your significance in what label you wear. And so your clothes are what make you feel special and significant, and if you can’t have a certain brand of clothes, a certain style of shoe or name brand handbag, then you feel less than and would rather just stay home. But clothes are not meant to bring us significance, but even they are a picture. They are a picture, reminding us of the fact that our shame and guilt needs to be covered, and God is the one who sacrificed in order to do just that. But instead of finding significance in a redeeming God, we find it in designer jeans. If your ultimate significance is found in the picture and not the reality, then you are reflecting the world’s worldview. And this is why marketers advertise in the way they do. They want you to believe that a pack of Marlboro cigarettes makes you a real, rugged man. They want you to believe that real motherhood is that you can successfully juggle career, home, family, and appearance, so long as you use their special product. They are selling significance, and we are buying it, and ending up frustrated, depressed, insecure because none of those things were designed to bring ultimate significance. Those are things the enemy uses against you to keep you separated from God. You have enemies. You are one to yourself because you want to be your own king. And you are searching for that which makes you significant, and other enemies are feeding you lies. And since we have real enemies who want to keep us in our sin and separated from God, we need a real Savior who has the power to overcome our sin, deliver us from sin, and reconcile us to God. And that is exactly what Jesus did. Just like John the Baptist’s significance was directly tied to what God was doing in order to bring about redemption for mankind, so too is our significance found in God’s salvation. And when we find our significance in God’s salvation, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the door opens for us to see and get involved in God’s story.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 15, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

His Power Highlights His Mercy
God’s gift is personal to all those who recognize their sinfulness and turn to Him in faith.   ~~~   In order to live a life that magnifies the Lord, our worship must be God-centered. We see this in Mary’s song. Worship is a response to the truth of who God is. It is a response to His attributes. Luke 1:46b-50 “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” Did you notice what prompted Mary’s song? Mary is singing because, she says, the Lord has “looked upon her humble estate.” The word for “look” means to look attentively with the implication of personal care. She is responding to the fact that God has seen her humble estate and saved her from it. Now when she says, “humble estate,” she is not referring to her disposition of humility, or her kindness. She is talking about her nothingness and unworthiness, her insignificance. He has saved me from the nothingness that I am. He has saved me from my ruin. Clif, how do you know this is what she is talking about? Well, look at how she contrasts herself with God. She is humble, poor, weak, unworthy, but God is mighty and strong and “holy is His name.” Do you see this? Here is a God who is all powerful yet He is still merciful. His power highlights his mercy. And Mary understands this. She knows the gulf that exists between her and God. She knows Job 26 that says we have only seen the outskirts of His power and have only heard Him whisper, and yet in all that power and strength and authority and sovereignty He stills does great things “for me.” But she goes on from there. It is not only personal to Mary, it is available to all those who fear Him. In other words, all those who recognize who God is and who they are in light of who God is, who turn to God in repentance and faith. And he does this through His Son, Jesus. God’s mercy is available through Jesus. And He will save all who fear Him rightly. We have reason to echo Mary—My soul magnifies the Lord. Magnify the Lord! The sky is not telling the story of the hottest sports team. Magnify the Lord! The sun is not radiating the glory of the latest blockbuster movie! Magnify the Lord! The earth is not shouting about your fame. Magnify the Lord!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 14, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

An Oldie But A Goodie
To have greater worship, we must renew our minds and remind ourselves of who God is.   ~~~   In Luke’s gospel, an angel has announced to Elizabeth and Zechariah that they would have a son who would prepare the way for this King. His name would be John the Baptist. The same angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary and told her that she would have a son and his name would be Jesus. When Mary learns about her supernatural pregnancy, and also the pregnancy of her relative Elizabeth, she loads up and makes the 100+ mile journey to see Elizabeth. When Mary walks through the door Elizabeth erupts into a song celebrating the fact that God was fulfilling His promise. After Elizabeth gets through singing, Mary takes a turn and she sings a song, found in Luke 1:46-55. And through her song I think we can learn what it means to worship and magnify the Lord. One of the things we notice, we see that her mind and heart were filled with God’s word. Within Mary’s song, we see the fingerprints of several passages of OT scripture. Luke 1:50 Psalm 103:17 “The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him…” Luke 1:51 Psalm 89:10 “you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.” Luke 1:52 2 Samuel 22:28 “You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.” Luke 1:53 Psalm 107:9 “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” We see that young Mary’s life was filled with scripture. You get this sense that once Elizabeth expressed praise for what God was doing and accomplishing, Mary caught on and this song of praise just flew out of her mouth. But here is the thing I want us to take away. Mary didn’t sit down with a Bible concordance and compose this song. She didn’t spend hours crafting the lyrics of her praise song. This was an overflow of truth from her heart. Mary didn’t just have scripture memorized. What God said in His word was the hope of her life. She lived and trusted the scripture. She knew what the OT taught about God and His promises, faithfulness and power, and she believed them. Do you wonder why our worship of God is often times half-hearted? Why it’s not intense and full and vibrant? I sometimes think it’s because we only know a little bit of what God says about Himself. We only believe a little bit because we only know a little bit. And it’s not because we are unable to comprehend the greatness of who He is, but rather, we are unwilling. We are undisciplined. But when we are renewing our minds with God’s word, He will receive the worship due Him from us. I’m praying that this Christmas you can say with Mary, “My soul magnifies the LORD.”
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 13, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

The First Christmas Song
Our celebration of Christmas should be focused on God and others, not ourselves.   ~~~   Christmas time is here! Happiness and Cheer! How many of you have been playing Christmas music since before October? We know who you are! You love Christmas music! And why not!? Christmas songs are some of the best out there. But do you know there are some Christmas songs in our Bible, embedded within the Christmas story? Yep. People have been singing Christmas songs even before Jesus was born. The first song that is belted out comes from the lips of Elizabeth. She is the relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. And Elizabeth’s husband was visited by an angel and was told that he and his wife, who had never been able to get pregnant, would have a son. This son would be great before the Lord, in the spirit of Elijah, he would prepare God’s people for the promised one. Now all of this takes place after about 400 years of silence. God had spoken through the prophets in the OT, but then he stopped. Silence. And then God subtly steps on the scene again, fulfilling His promise in the way He said He would. So can you imagine the astonishment, the hysteria, the wonder that takes place in Elizabeth’s and Mary’s mind and heart? And what we are about to read is most likely a report from Mary’s lips. Luke visits Mary and says, “Mary, we haven’t heard from you. Can you walk me through that amazing time?” Mary says, “Pull up a seat, Luke.” Luke 1:39-45 “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there wold be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Our text tells us that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Spirit, then began exclaiming. And when we look at the lyrics of her expression, we are going to see that it centers on Jesus. Notice these things: “Blessed are you among women” because of the baby in your womb—Jesus “When the sound of your greeting came, the baby in my womb leaped for joy”—because the Christ-child, in utero had come into the room “Mother of my LORD…” not Mary my niece. Elizabeth’s role in the plan of redemption, bearing the last OT prophet, the forerunner of Christ, did not overshadow the most important part of the promise and plan. How often do we let our own little kingdoms and ministries become more important in our own minds than the kingdom of God itself? When our focus is on ourselves, our skills, our desires, our gifting then we don’t offer Spirit-filled rejoicings; we give self-filled whimperings. But when we focus on Jesus, on the gospel, then the Holy Spirit produces His characteristics within us, and it produces worship! This time of year provides a lot of opportunity to get distracted, to focus on yourself, or even to focus on others without focusing on Christ. I pray that this season you will be filled with the Spirit who will focus you on the Savior.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 12, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Hacks

Day By Day Hacks
Teenagers can have quiet time as well as adults can, and parents should model it for them.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 11, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

He’s Gonna Do What?
The primary task of Jesus coming to the earth was to deliver his people from their sin.   ~~~   Matthew 1:20-21 “As he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, don to fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus…” Wouldn’t you have loved to been a fly on the wall when Joseph and Mary sat down for the first time after Joseph’s dream? “Mary, you’re not going to believe what happened to me last night!” And as they listen to each other’s story, because Mary had received an angelic visitor as well, their eyes grow big and fill with tears as they realize what is unfolding in their very lives. “Mary, we have to name him Jesus, because he is going to be a savior.” Would he command thousands of soldiers in order to rescue the Jews from the Romans? Would he be a political revolutionary? Just how would he be a savior? Now don’t miss the significance of the words that come next. He will save his people from their sins. Those last three words “from their sins,” would send shockwaves through that original audience. They had longed for hundreds of years for a Savior. They were anxiously awaiting someone to rise up and deliver them from the clutches and oppression of the Romans. You see, in their minds, what they needed to be saved from was something always outside of themselves. Other people’s evil; other people’s oppression upon them. But this Jesus would save them from themselves. He would save them from their sins. And knowing that purpose of Jesus gave them pause, and should give us pause as well. It should give us pause because we are much like the Jews in thinking that the problem with our lives exists outside of us. If this house was better, if they would stop that, or fix that, if I had these friends, if she would just do this, if I could just purchase that, then I would be happy and rescued and all of life would be great. But you know that’s not true because you have been chasing those things all of your life. You have tried the change of the exterior, but it does not quiet the soul. The primary task of Jesus coming to the earth was to deliver his people from the bondage of their sin. He will save his people from their sin. We need a Savior who can cure us from the curse of sin, who can deliver us from the wages of sin, who can deliver us from the power of sin, who can save us from sin, and that someone is not you. Jesus saves His people from their sins because Jesus takes the consequences of His people’s sins upon Himself. He is sacrificed on their behalf; He receives the punishment that they deserve. And it is an acceptable sacrifice because Jesus was pure and perfect, and had no sin of his own. And this is the transaction that takes place—when a person confesses their sinfulness, admits their guilt, and receives by faith the work of Jesus’ death and resurrection, then they are saved from their sins. Jesus’ death for sin becomes effectual for them. They will not face the eternal consequences of their sins. Those sins were judged and punished in Jesus Christ. They are saved, pulled from the prison of sin, and released to walk and live with God in the new life granted to them by God.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 08, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

Hope On The Rise
God works out His will even in the midst of our pain.   ~~~   Matthew 1:1 “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Matthew starts the genealogy by calling Jesus the son of David, which spoke of the divine promise of a royal lineage, a kingdom that would be established forever and ever, but also as the son of Abraham, which identified Jesus as the chosen one through whom all the nations would be blessed. And then we have the actual lineage, which is mixed with all sorts of characters, and of particular interest are five women that are listed: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, “the wife of Uriah” (Bathsheba), and Mary. The women who are listed show us that God kept his redemptive purposes alive, even through incredible hardship, impossible circumstances, and sinful scenarios. Tamar was taken advantage of; Rahab was a prostitute, Ruth was a widow, the wife of Uriah was an adulterer; and then there is sweet, unsuspecting Mary. This is not fate or chance that this line of families produced Jesus Christ, but rather the providence of God. God was at work each step of the way making sure the lineage continued to the next generation, in the face of poverty, barrenness, loneliness, sinfulness, and even in the case of virginity. But then we immediately come to the story of the birth of Christ, and in particular, Joseph’s part of the saga. Here is Joseph, this man who has come across the love of his life, the one whom he will marry. They have already had a betrothal celebration, declaring to the community their intentions of marriage. But then something happens. Perhaps a friend knocks on Joseph’s door late one night, and, not wanting to but knowing he had to, tells Joseph what he has heard about Mary. She is pregnant. You can imagine the flood of emotions that overwhelmed Joseph, because he knew the reality and purity of their relationship. This was not his baby. How could she do this to me? How could she value me so little and embarrass me in the community so greatly? There was no option for Joseph. Justice must be served, and it must be served swiftly. But it didn’t have to be loudly. So he decided to divorce his wife, but without fanfare. He would spare Mary that. But on the eve before this were to happen, Joseph gets a visit from an angel, and the angel reveals two immensely important pieces of information. One, Mary’s pregnancy is a divine pregnancy. Two, this baby would called Jesus because he would save his people from their sins. He must not divorce. He must take her, keep her as his wife. What is it that changes Joseph’s mind? What is it that dispels the fears, the concerns? What is it that makes it worth enduring the scandal of it all? An angel comes and tells all that is going on and how God is in the middle of it all. Now Joseph has hope and a purpose even in the midst of criticism, name-calling, dirty looks, that he would surely receive. God was providentially working something out that was greater than Joseph. Joseph was just one piece in the tapestry of redemption that God was weaving together. All of us know hard times. Some of you know hard times and heart break better than others. We know pain, sadness, loneliness, and the salty taste of tears that come streaming down our cheeks. But there is good news right here in this part of the Christmas story. Matthew wants his readers to know that God has been working out His plan of redemption since the beginning of time, even in the midst of hard, insurmountable odds. He is a providential God who can be trusted to work out His plan for His glory and our joy. Listen, if you are in pain or heartache right now, or are confused about your situation in life, I can almost guarantee that you will not get a visit from an angel tonight explaining all the providential things God is doing in your life right now, like Joseph did. The point of the text is not to make us hope for some angelic encounter, but rather to help us see that God is working out His will, for His glory and your joy, even in the midst of your pain. He can be trusted. And when you see Him as a providential God, then Hope is on the rise in your heart.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 07, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

How Are You Preparing?
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should also anticipate His second coming.   ~~~   The nation of Israel lived in pretty dire circumstances and darkness in the 8th century during the time of a prophet named Isaiah. Their security was taken away; they had a sense of confusion. People were turning away from God. In their minds they weren’t altogether rejecting Him, just simply not following him. Kings of the land were oppressive. The rich were cruel and heartless. Widows and orphans and the poor had no where to turn for relief. The nation of Assyria, the dominant world power of the time, was marching into the northern kingdom of Israel and carrying fathers and mothers and children by the droves into slavery. The southern kingdom had a ruler who was being advised by God himself to take certain actions, yet that king, Ahaz, refused to do so because of his pride. So the Israelite nation experienced spiritual decay, family stress, national compromise, political corruption. It was a time of darkness—deep darkness. The Jewish people had sown unbelief, and they were reaping the whirlwind of it. This is what Isaiah saw when he looked over the landscape of his day. Yet, on this dark and gloomy canvas, God paints for His people a radiant picture of the coming salvation in His Son. He gives them a Hope. He gives them a place to put their faith. He gives them a person of security. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The mercy of God, under no obligation, was extended to them in not giving them what they deserved; and the grace of God, under no obligation, flooded forth like a beaming light in the night sky with the gift of salvation found in the promise of His Son. Do you think the people were eager for the Son to come? Not all of them were, but all of us should be eager for the Son to return, and we should be making preparations for the Son’s return. How many of you, right now, are making preparations for a son or daughter coming home from college; how many of you are making preparations for a big family get together for Christmas? Even more so should we be making preparations for God’s Son to return and take us home! As you celebrate Christmas, and tell your children and grandchildren the story of God’s Son coming to the earth to be born in manger, don’t forget to tell them that He died on a cross to redeem people. And then, don’t forget to tell them that He is returning to gather up all of His brothers and sisters to take them to the home He has prepared.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 06, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Video

What Are You Anticipating?
Celebrating the birth of Jesus should be real and exciting for believers.   ~~~   This time of year is marked with anticipation and waiting. Everywhere we turn, we can’t wait for something to happen. Kids can’t wait to get out of school for the holidays, adults can’t wait to get off of work. Parents can’t wait to give their presents to their children to see their eyes light up and children can’t wait to open them. We anticipate the weather turning colder so we can throw some logs on the fire and enjoy some hot chocolate. We anticipate the arrival of hunting season. We anticipate the arrival of reduced prices for the shopping season. And of course, at some point during this season, we will all probably wait in a long check out line. And all of this chaos and busyness can so cloud our Christmas season that we forget or neglect to anticipate and long for Christ. To make sure that does not happen in our live, we have advent. The word “advent” simply means the coming, the arrival, or the dawning. So Christmas Advent is the celebration of the first arrival of the Christ child. This is when we celebrate and rejoice that God sent His son to the earth to redeem us from the curse of sin. And one way that we celebrate Advent is by looking back into the OT to see how the people of God in the OT were to anticipate the promised Savior. We have one of those promises in Micah 5 Micah 5:2-5 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin os from of old, from ancient days…And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.” The text tells us that the city of Bethlehem would be the hometown of this ruler of Israel. Bethlehem was not going to show up on many maps. It was small; it was insignificant; it was overwhelmingly normal. And yet Micah declares that it will be this tiny city that will be the starting point for this anticipated Savior. Why would God do this? One reason God does this is because Bethlehem is the place where David was born, and it was prophesied that the Messiah would be from the lineage of David. But that is not entirely what Micah is going after in this verse. Micah is trying to paint a picture for us to see that something extravagant will come from something insignificant. God chooses to use something unsuspecting and small, obscure and out of the way, to be the commencement of the biggest revolution in history ever. But Why? Why does God choose something small? He chooses something as unexpected as Bethlehem so that no one can boast. He doesn’t choose Jerusalem or Athens or Greece or Paris or New York. No one can say, “Well of course it was Bethlehem. That place is replete with great leaders. Of course Bethlehem, it has the best of teachers and schools to raise up a great young man. Of course Bethlehem, look at all that has been accomplished there!” God goes out of the way to help us see that he does not need our efforts, accomplishments or help in order to bring himself glory. He plans a census and orchestrates a virgin birth and books up a hotel so that no one can say, “Look at what I helped bring about!” He said that the Messiah would come in the line of David, but he waits until that lineage has lost influence and uses a lowly peasant girl, from the line of David, so that no family member can say, “Look at what we accomplished!” Instead, we are left to say, “How great is our God.” So he promises to bring forth a Messiah, the Shepherd King, in an unexpected, unsuspected way to bring glory to himself. And Shouldn’t the New Testament Christian’s anticipation be even brighter and greater and filled with more joy because we know what Christ is like and we have experienced His presence in a very real way. The Old Testament saints had clues to the mystery and they rejoiced over that, but the mystery has been unveiled to us! So I am praying that this Christmas builds your anticipation for the return of this Shepherd King, who will one day wipe away every tear from our eyes.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 05, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Hacks

Day By Day Hacks
Advent is a celebration of the coming of Christ and looking forward to His second coming.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 04, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

The Purpose Of Tests And Trials
All tests and trials are important and should lead us closer to God.   ~~~   1 Samuel 17:32 informs us that the shepherd boy David is standing before King Saul, volunteering himself to go and fight the Goliath. And notice the reasoning that David gives for his willingness and even eagerness to face off with the behemoth. The text says that David, in his days of keeping sheep, has encountered lions and bears, striking them and grabbing them by the beard and killing them, rescuing sheep from their very jaws. And those animals were only acting in line with their nature an according to the food chain. But Goliath is defying the armies of the living God. And at this point in the story, we often times think that this information about the bears and the lions is given to us to let us know that God gives us different tests in order to prepare us for bigger trials in our lives. Sometimes we have to face lions and bears before we are ready for a Goliath. But that is simply not how David views this. David says nothing about his own preparedness. But listen to what he does say: vs. 37 “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” What David is appealing to is not his preparedness but to God’s faithfulness. God delivered me from the bear; he delivered me from the lion; he WILL deliver me from the Philistine. This is not about David’s ability but rather God’s allegiance. God was preparing David’s heart, not his hands, to trust Him time and time again. Do you get that? All tests and trials that we face are important ones, and all tests and trials that we face should lead us to lean in to the faithfulness of God, not our own ability. Trusting in our own ability is what gets us into trouble, or what causes us great fear when we run into something that is greater than our own ability. David is not boasting because he knows how to snap necks with the best of them. David is so ever confident not in the strength of his hands to wrestle Goliath, or in his ability to be a sharp-shooter. He is confident in God. David is simply willing to be the courageous vessel that steps in front of Goliath. Are you willing to trust the faithfulness of God?
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Dec 01, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

First Words Are Important Words
Rather than be motivated by earthly gain, we should remember who we are to God.   ~~~   1 Samuel 17:24-27 How will the men react to Goliath’s request for a man to fight with him? Well, they react like they have the previous 40 days. They run and hide, just like their chosen one, Saul. They are broken to pieces once again, emotionally, mentally, spiritually… 40 days of being shattered and fearful! I don’t want to read too much into this, but the fact that Goliath has done this for 40 days, I think may be significant. 40 is a number of testing and trial, and at this point, Israel’s army, King Saul, has failed the test. And this is just another reason why Saul has been rejected by God as a suitable King. And the Israelite soldiers are talking among themselves about the incentive that is offered to the man, to the champion who would dare set foot against Goliath. It’s as if David is so consumed with Goliath’s blasphemy that he doesn’t hear what the men are saying, and he asked them what they have just been talking about, but he adds a caveat. He says, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the army of the living God? Finally, a God-centered, theological hope is expressed, a God-centered worldview is finally articulated, and this is what sets David apart. David sees reality and life and the battle before him in terms of who God is, and not in terms of who Goliath is. These are the first words that are put on David’s lips by the narrator. So far to this point, he has not spoken in the narrative, but his first words are big ones, they are the first God-words brought into the text. God’s honor and strength and purposes and covenant have not been a factor up until this point. They haven’t concerned Saul or anyone else as far as we know, so no one else has spoken of God, until now. David is the one who sets the scene of the battle correctly. “Men, this Goliath is not coming against just us. He is not just defying us as men. This man who stands outside the covenant is mocking and ridiculing and belittling the Living God and the chosen people of God. How can you just sit there? Isn’t the honor of God incentive enough to go and fight?” You see, David is not really interested in the earthly incentives at this point. He is simply confused how no one from the LORD of Hosts’ army has not gone out to fight yet. But they hadn’t because they had forgotten who they were, until now. And church, don’t forget who you are! We are the bride of Christ!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Nov 30, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

And David Heard Him
We should pay attention when we hear someone speaking against God and His people.   ~~~   This is, perhaps, my favorite section of the story of David and Goliath because of four little words we come across. So let’s get the picture. David has risen early and hurried to the army camp. He quickly throws down on the ground what he brought on near the man who is watching over the baggage, and he sprints to the ranks where his brothers were. He wanted to get an update, perhaps a story or two of some epic battle or valiant sword-fighting. And in mid conversation with them, the echo of Goliath’s vile voice is heard booming up the mountain, “I DEFY ISRAEL AND ISRAEL’S GOD! IF YOUR GOD IS REAL AND POWERFUL, LET HIM PROVE IT BY SENDING OUT ONE OF YOU!” And this is my favorite part…this is where the needle scratches off the record… where the director calls for a zoomed in shot on David’s face, because the text says, “AND DAVID HEARD HIM.” This is the turning point in the whole story! Goliath has stomped out and bellowed across the valley, up the mountain, blaspheming Israel and Israel’s God, mocking God, taunting the men. “Is there not a man in all of Israel? Is there not a champion in all of Israel? What kind of God do you serve if there is no champion?” And this went on and on and on, but this time his message landed on new ears— David heard him. Without looking ahead, what do you think happens next? Tune in tomorrow and find out!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Nov 29, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

How Quickly We Forget!
God provides hope and deliverance from unlikely places.   ~~~   In 1 Samuel 17:12-18 we are taken to a new scene, a dramatically different one, and we are introduced to David, an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah. And you have to wonder, why this re-introduction of David’s family lineage? The last time we read of an Ephrathite from Bethlehem was back in Ruth 1, when we read of Elimelech, who led his family away from Bethlehem, away from God’s presence, away from faith in God. Are we going to see the same thing happen? Is this another person who is going to run away when the times are hard and the situation is bleak? The story doesn’t it appear to be very promising. Jesse is an old man, three of his sons already in Saul’s army, and David is youngest and he is just a shepherd and errand boy. In other words, he doesn’t inspire much hope at this point. All he can do is watch sheep, carry cheese, and bring back some keepsake from his brothers to assure their father that they were still alive. But we can be very quick to forget can’t we? You see, we have been let in on a little secret that no one else really knows about except Jesse and his other sons, and that is that David has been anointed King by the prophet Samuel. And we actually know even a little more than Jesse and his sons, because we know that God has said, “The LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” And so far, what we have been presented in Goliath is all physical; all outward appearance. And all we know of David is that he is the youngest, the smallest, the insignificant keeper of the sheep, while his brothers are off at war. Isn’t funny and sad all at the same time how quickly we forget God’s word? His ways? Or how little we trust them? But we are about to discover why David is a man after God’s own will, choosing.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Nov 28, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day Hacks

Day By Day Hacks
We can find time to fit Bible study in even during busy seasons like the holidays.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Nov 27, 2023
Show Day by Day
Day by Day - 1 Samuel

You’re No Daisy!
Those who seem strongest are not always the best choice.   ~~~   King Saul stood head and shoulders above every man in Israel. He was the standout! But now another has stepped on the scene, and all the Israelites were “dismayed.” That word, “dismayed” means, broken, shattered. And the Israelites were “terrified,” which means “exceedingly afraid.” Why? Why were they shattered and abundantly terrified? Because everyone in the Israelite army, including Saul, knew deep down that their champion was no champion at all, and now they were all in a serious predicament. In the words of Doc Holliday, Saul was no daisy. At this point in the story, the air is thick with tension. Our eyes are to be wide with hushed anticipation as we await Saul’s next move. But that is not what we get. The story is interrupted to tell us about this son of Jesse who beebops on to the scene. So the story of Saul versus Goliath will have to wait until we can get through this distraction with David. And so will you!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
Aired on Nov 24, 2023
Show Day by Day