The basic message of the Bible from the beginning is the offer of a life with God. This was true in the garden with Adam and Eve, it was true with Abraham, it was true with Moses, with Ruth, with Joseph, with Jacob, and on and on. And it doesn’t stop there. He is present with you, right now.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

In today’s video, we’re joined by Pastor Steve Clifford to talk about this concept and how it’s played out in his own life. Steve talks about how “whatever happens” has been an anchoring concept for him as he’s walked through loss and transition. He works not to manufacture shining, but to simply live with confidence that God is shaping his life. Operating this way is a daily choice to trust that God is present. Together, we can do the same by acknowledging our life’s goodness isn’t determined by our circumstances… but by the One we serve.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

In today’s devo, John talks about Jerry Hawthorne, a beloved teacher and mentor, and how he described Paul’s teaching on joy as more than a mood; it is a worldview. True joy is not about forcing a smile or pretending everything is fine. It is a peace-filled posture toward life that accepts both hardship and blessing with trust in God’s presence. This joy stands as “defiant nevertheless,” an attitude that refuses to let sorrow, fear, or loss have the final word.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

The way of reconciliation is one Jesus exemplified in his life and love. In today’s devo, John talks about a story of feuding families in Ireland who literally “chanced their arm” through a cathedral door as a picture of the courage it takes to risk vulnerability for the sake of peace. Reconciliation is not about proving who is right or wrong, it’s about remembering the shared humanity of the other person and choosing love over pride.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

In today’s devo John talks about how this shift in perception is at the core of the Good Samaritan story. Two religious leaders saw a problem when they looked at a man beaten by robbers, but the Samaritan saw a person in need. He thought differently, felt compassion, and acted with mercy. Today, we are invited to “put on new glasses,” not artificial intelligence but Heavenly intelligence. By asking God to help us see others as He does, we can shine as lights in a world that desperately needs His love.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

The way of Jesus is the way of service. Chasing status is a hollow pursuit that Jesus turned on it’s head. Though equal with God, Jesus took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2). He invites us to follow this same course of service, shining not by demanding to be seen but by giving ourselves away in love. To “shine like stars” is not about fame, wealth, or applause; it is about reflecting the humble, sacrificial light of Christ in our daily lives.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

Today, John asks two simple but life-shaping questions: What am I learning? and What am I teaching? We often think of learning as classes, books, and information, but the most important learning is about how to live: how to love, how to know Christ, how to shine in the ordinary moments of our day.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

Today is our day to shine, and where better to shine than the world of politics? John is joined in today’s video by Michael Wear. He’s the CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life and author of The Spirit of Our Politics. In this conversation, Michael reminds us that politics isn’t just a stage where others act and we observe; in a democracy, we are participants. When people of faith treat politics like a place where ‘shining’ doesn’t apply, Michael suggests, we leave behind an opening for darkness that quickly fills the space. The thing about hate and contempt is that the moment we think we’re using them, they’re using us.

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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

00:00 — Why our world and politics need shining today
01:00 — Michael Wear: The Spirit of Our Politics explained
02:00 — Why our politics is sick with dark passions
03:46 — Why we are not just spectators but participants
05:08 — Why politics needs light, not darkness
06:06 — Do everything without grumbling — even in politics
07:14 — What Paul meant by “our citizenship is in heaven”
08:40 — How Roman citizenship helps explain Paul’s words
09:57 — Why salvation does not come from Caesar or politics
10:56 — Isaiah’s vision: swords into plowshares
13:25 — Taking off the old self with its practices
15:14 — Why hatred is not a viable source of belonging
17:09 — How anger and contempt end up using us
18:09 — Why we must confront the spirit of violence in us
19:20 — How to hold on to hope in political life
21:36 — Dallas Willard’s phrase: “Don’t give them hell, give them heaven”