Christian Natural Health

Bob Gardner is the Founder of The Freedom Specialist, a body-based approach to happiness, health, and well-being. Bob is also the author of the book Built for Freedom and host of the podcast Alive and Free. As a Transformational Specialist, Bob’s aim is to share his unique tools with the world to empower everyone to find happiness, health, and well-being on autopilot. For the past 15 years, Bob has been incorporating multiple tools and knowledge gained from his years of experience in martial arts, breathwork, functional psychology, deep tissue release, and numerous other healing modalities to help thousands of people permanently put an end to their depression, anxiety & addiction by identifying and healing what's at the core of these issues. To learn more about Bob and The Freedom Specialist, see www.thefreedomspecialist.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week's podcast comes from this blog post on Chromotherapy. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's meditation is on Jeremiah 1:11-12 and Isa 55:10-11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Connie McReynolds is a licensed psychologist and certified rehabilitation counselor with more than 30 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation counseling and psychology. She is the founder of neurofeedback clinics in southern California, working with children and adults to reduce or eliminate conditions of ADHD, anxiety, anger, depression, chronic pain, learning problems, and trauma. She recently published the book "Solving the ADHD Riddle: The Real Cause and Lasting Solutions to Your Child’s Struggle to Learn" To learn more about Dr McReynolds, see www.conniemcreynolds.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Join us as we outline the 4 main concepts of the mind in this special bonus episode of "Therapy + Theology". T+T host Carley speaks to the profound message of Romans 12 and explores the transformative journey of renewing our minds. Key Discussion Points: Understanding Romans 12: Unpack the profound message of Romans 12, where Paul urges believers not to conform to the world's patterns. Neuroscience Insights: Drawing from neuroscience and clinical expertise, investigate the intricate connection between our brains, bodies, and the formation of our minds. Integration of Mind and Body: Discover how understanding the mind-body connection can deepen our spiritual journey and enhance our relationships. Biblical Perspectives: Learn how scriptural principles align with scientific discoveries to provide a comprehensive understanding of human nature. Stay tuned for more thought-provoking discussions at the intersection of faith and wellness with Therapy + Theology. Subscribe now on Spotify or Apple. To find more podcasts like this go to Lifeaudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Russell Witte is a Professor of Medical Imaging, Optical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. Dr. Witte's Experimental Ultrasound and Neural Imaging Laboratory (EUNIL) devises cutting-edge imaging technology, integrating light, ultrasound and microwaves to diagnose and treat diseases ranging from tendinopathies and arrhythmias to breast cancer. By integrating different forms of energy, special effects are created that enable ultrasound imaging of optical absorption deep in tissue, mapping current source densities in the beating heart, and elasticity imaging of human muscle and tendon for quantifying tissue mechanical properties. Dr. Witte's research further extends into nanotechnology and smart contrast agents, which have applications to functional brain imaging, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Dr. Witte works closely with collaborators in the Colleges of Engineering, Optical Sciences and Medicine, as well as industry, to develop cutting-edge imaging technologies that potentially improve patient care. To contact Dr Witte: [email protected] 1) "Russ' Favorite links to government + peer-reviewed studies on Microwaves + Health + Safety":https://bit.ly/Russ5GLinks2) "Sample References Describing Adverse Biological Effects of Low-level Microwave Radiation "https://tinyurl.com/yc23ravs3) Updated review of 3000 peer-reviewed studies from a panel of scientific experts regarding "low-intensity microwave/electromagnetic radiation" and recommendations for rationale for biologically-based exposure standards.https://bioinitiative.org/4) "Hidden Dangers of 4G/5G Microwave Technology.” May 27, 2021 [15 min] (my shortest presentation on health effects of low-level microwave radiation)https://youtu.be/0y8ixJFQDjoDownload slides: https://bit.ly/Witte_052721_Slides5) 13-page letter sent to the City of Tucson demanding an moratorium on the deployment of 5G Cell Towers. The city did not respond to this letter or a followup letter sent in July 2020.https://tinyurl.com/3pacba4k Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr Christie Fleetwood earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, in 1988. After practicing as a retail pharmacist in the greater Richmond area for a decade, she attended Bastyr University, earning a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine in 2004. Because of her unique education and training, she effectively branded herself as “medically bilingual”. Her current passions and projects include renovating her crazy-cool house in unlicensed Virginia—where she ADORES practicing vitalist naturopathic medicine, riding her new touring bicycle, motorcycling with her husband and adult sons, eating great food, listening to great music, chasing her favorite band…. Oh! And for those who’ve been asking for her Book, the first one is underway: The Cardiovascular SYSTEM, combining both “Diseases of the Drugs” and the “Disease Reversal/Deprescribing” portions! “The Disease Reversal Project”, as a website and a podcast has already been published (currently on Spotify)! To learn more about Naturopathic Medical Institute or to help with their vision, visit naturopathicmedicineinstitute.org Or, you can reach out to [email protected] or to Dr Fleetwood directly at: [email protected] Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post of the same title. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Mark Walker's story is one of humble beginnings and extraordinary success. Raised in Spokane, Washington, he pursued his education at the University of Washington before embarking on a remarkable entrepreneurial journey. In 1980, Mark founded Walker's Furniture with a clear purpose: to build a successful business that could make a positive impact on society and advance the kingdom of God. What started as a modest venture has since flourished into a thriving enterprise, with thirteen furniture stores and over 200 employees. With annual retail sales exceeding $70 million, Mark's business acumen and dedication to his vision have made Walker's Furniture a pillar of the community. Beyond his professional endeavors, Mark finds fulfillment in his role as a devoted husband to Pam, a loving father to two daughters, and a proud grandfather to seven grandchildren. Together, Mark and Pam are passionate about supporting ministries that are making a difference, both locally and globally. As a sought-after speaker, Mark shares his insights on partnering with God in life and business at conferences across the nation and around the world. To learn more about Mark or to get a copy of his book, The Multiplication Factor, see restore7.org or you can pick up a copy on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Multiplication-Factor-Truths-Partnering-Business/dp/1957616458/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N5L8KUCSRF3L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PwOpiII7ijiXYZjXzoqrxQ.Q1fCSDXRBYz6gjhatyI4mzPaI_RfoKN8J1Swk-dkyLI&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+multiplication+factor+mark+walker+book&qid=1711743395&sprefix=The+Multiplication+Factor%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Russell Witte is a Professor of Medical Imaging, Optical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. Dr. Witte's Experimental Ultrasound and Neural Imaging Laboratory (EUNIL) devises cutting-edge imaging technology, integrating light, ultrasound and microwaves to diagnose and treat diseases ranging from tendinopathies and arrhythmias to breast cancer. By integrating different forms of energy, special effects are created that enable ultrasound imaging of optical absorption deep in tissue, mapping current source densities in the beating heart, and elasticity imaging of human muscle and tendon for quantifying tissue mechanical properties. Dr. Witte's research further extends into nanotechnology and smart contrast agents, which have applications to functional brain imaging, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Dr. Witte works closely with collaborators in the Colleges of Engineering, Optical Sciences and Medicine, as well as industry, to develop cutting-edge imaging technologies that potentially improve patient care. To find antennas in your area if you're in Tucson, see safetechtucson.com Dr Witte mentions Aman Jabbi - find a presentation on this subject by him here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL_JQjjkOMY To contact Dr Witte: [email protected] Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We all have disappointments in life - things our hearts were set on that just didn’t pan out. God does promise to give us the desires of our hearts if we’re following Him (Ps 37:4), but He doesn’t promise to give them to us on our time table, or through the avenues we choose. His way is always best in the end, but that doesn’t make the immediate disappointments hurt any less. Then there are those times when bad things happen to us that God had no part of. These are the things that God specifically lists as a curse in the Old Testament - things like disease, death, destruction, destitution, and the like (Deuteronomy 28:15-38). They are listed as part of the curse of the law - but Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law, so God doesn’t do these things. When these things happen now, it is because there is an enemy who “prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8-9), or because the world itself is fallen and waiting for redemption (Rom 8:20-22), or because of the free will of sinful people (Ps 37) - either our own or that of others who hurt us. There are usually only a few ways that most people handle disappointments and sorrow: 1) they lie to themselves and pretend they never wanted (that thing) very much in the first place; 2) they run away, keeping themselves otherwise occupied so that they never feel the loss (and this includes addictions of all forms); 3) they get really mad, either at God or fate or whatever they blame; or 4) they grieve. The last one is the only path to true healing. Lying to Yourself (Denial) This is the “sour grapes” approach... “Well, fine, I never wanted it that much anyway!” It seems to work on the surface for awhile... the problem with this is simply that, well, it’s a lie. Pretending you feel one way when in fact you feel another way entirely is suppression. And the thing suppressed doesn’t go away... it gets buried deeper. It’s like getting a splinter in your foot, and instead of having it removed, you shove it down inside the flesh so you can’t see it anymore, and just learn to walk with a limp. This is often where emotional handicaps (such as depression) come from. We are injured and isolated, and we don’t see that there’s anything we can do except learn to live with it - the “stiff upper lip” approach. We move beyond blaming our needs to a denial of our needs. There’s something we’re not admitting to ourselves, and the depression is a symptom of it. It’s trying to remind us that we need to enter the healing process. The solution, of course, is to submit to having your foot cut open so that the splinter can be extracted and the cut can heal. Jesus says in Mark 8, If you try to preserve the things you want in life (by pretending everything is okay when it isn’t) then you will lose them. But if you willingly lay them down for the sake of the Kingdom, then they'll be given to you. As long as the splinter is still there, coping and “getting by” is the best you can ever do. But that isn’t God’s best for you. In “The Law of Happiness,” Dr Henry Cloud writes, “...grief allows you to let go of what you cannot have in order to make room in your heart for what you can have. Those who don’t feel safe enough to grieve find themselves holding on to lost hopes and relationships. Then it’s difficult for them to seek out new attachments, since the ghosts of the past still occupy their emotional life”. Jesus promises that when we let go, the exchange he offers is beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3). Running Away (and Addictions) An addiction is anything that we run to in order to escape from unpleasant thoughts or emotions. (That’s usually how all the physiologic addictions start, too.) The obvious ones are substances, food, sex, gambling, shopping, and work (or busyness in general). We can also be addicted to a person (that’s called codependence). We can compulsively fill our lives with noise so that silence never has the opportunity to ask its uncomfortable questions. We can park ourselves in front of the TV every night after work to escape from all the problems we don’t know how to solve. Distraction techniques are very popular. These approaches all have one thing in common: they help us to avoid our pain, but they don’t heal it. Because of that, they all enslave us sooner or later. But when Jesus first announced his ministry, he said it like this: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor” (Isa 61:1-2). He came to heal, not just to offer a band-aid. He came to set the captives free. Once a hurt has been grieved and released, there’s no longer any need to run from it, and the necessity for addictive distractions goes away. Anger at God I tried this one. My dad died when I was fifteen. I didn’t stop believing in God (I’d studied t

Dave Stetzer has been an electrician by training, education and experience for over 30 years. He joined the United States Air Force, attended electronics school at Keesler Air Force Base—at the time, the world’s #1 electronics school, and was given top-secret military clearance, as much of the electronic equipment he worked on was, and still remains, highly classified. In 1975, Dave founded Stetzer Electric, Inc, specializing in power control in industry, municipalities, and motor control centers, focusing his attention on power quality analysis and troubleshooting. This led to the founding of Stetzer Consulting, LLC and the development of the STETZERiZER (Graham-Stetzer) Filter and Microsurge Meter in conjunction with the late Professor Martin Graham. Dave has been an Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Member since 2000. For his extensive and exemplary work and research, Dave was nominated for, and now holds IEEE Senior Member status. To learn more about Dave, see stetzerelectric.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The scripture says a lot about seeking the Lord and getting wisdom from Him on the direction He wants you to go. But what about that most dreaded in-between stage, when you’re praying for wisdom and getting nothing, and no doors seem to be opening, and you feel unsettled - like you know your time in a particular circumstance or life stage is short, but you have not yet been released? In a word, what about waiting? The Fruit of the Spirit Patience is a fruit of the Spirit... but it comes as a result of a process. Paul lists the “fruit” that we bear when we’re walking with God’s spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). Peter gives a similar list, but he doesn’t call them fruit. His list looks like this (2 Peter 1:5-7): Add to your faith, goodness. This makes sense, because without faith we can’t even become God’s kids. So you have to start with that - faith is the seed that produces the fruit of goodness. In the Old Testament, God started by giving the Israelites the Law. They didn’t understand why they were doing what they were doing, but the Law produced “goodness” - meaning they weren’t killing each other and cheating on their spouses, and that sort of thing. And to goodness, knowledge. God didn’t want them to stop there, though. He wanted the Israelites to know Him, not just to obey a set of rules. God wanted them to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Goodness therefore leads to knowledge - knowledge of the Lord. And to knowledge, self-control. Now that we know what God asks us to do, and we know God himself, we need the ability to control ourselves in order to do what He is asking of us... but we don’t have the ability to control ourselves unless He gives it to us (remember Paul talking about how he used to continually do what he did not want to do, Rom 7:15-20? Instead, we get the fruit of self-control by getting to know the Holy Spirit (which is why Peter lists it after knowledge.) So knowledge is the seed that produces the fruit of self-control. And to self-control, PERSEVERANCE. We may have learned to subjugate the desires of the moment for the longer-term goal, but what happens when the longer-term goal looks REALLY far away, like it’s never going to happen? That’s why we need perseverance. The word implies a struggle: it’s suffering without quitting. It’s hard, but we stick it out. The writer of Hebrews says, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (10:36). And to perseverance, godliness. Notice that the corresponding fruit to perseverance is patience. While the word perseverance implies a struggle, the word patience implies rest. You’re not struggling anymore. You know that God is going to come through. Perseverance is the seed, and eventually it bears the fruit of patience. Once you’ve got that, once you’re in rest, you become godly. This was one of the key traits that set Jesus apart: when the storm blew up, while the rest of the disciples were freaking out, He was sleeping in the boat. He’d said they were going to get to the other side, and He knew they were going to - he didn’t have to persevere through the storm anymore. He was in rest. He was godly. And to godliness, brotherly kindness. Paul lists kindness after godliness. Now that you’re in rest, you’re not so worried about meeting your own needs anymore; you know God’s got you covered, and you can wait peacefully for Him to come through. Now you have energy to spare, and you can use it to see and joyfully meet the desires and needs of those around you. (The fruit of kindness is joy, because it feels pretty great to help others.) And to brotherly kindness, love. This is the ultimate destination - to sow love into the lives of others, as we have received it from God. (“Freely you have received; freely give,” Matt 10:8.) What this tells me is that we can’t just pray for patience and get it, in the same way that you can’t just pray for a Ph.D. and get it without putting in the necessary time and effort. It happens as a result of a process - that’s how God set it up. We have to first believe God, then follow after Him, then get to know Him, and then we gain His power to control ourselves and persevere, even in the face of hardship or long delays. Once we learn how to do this, we bear the fruit of patience. That’s when we can “sleep in the boat,” as it were. We’re not worried about the circumstances - now we can “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7), because we know it’s gonna work out just fine in the end. David: Waiting for Deliverance David was anointed to be king when he was 17. Then the current king, Saul, got (understandably) jealous, and tried to kill him... so David was on the run for thirteen years. Almost anybody else would have given up long before that... but David had this principle down. He knew God would come through if he waited for God to act. And God always did. Ps

Sally K. Norton, MPH is a distinguished expert in dietary oxalates with 35 years of health education and research experience. She holds a nutrition degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her path to becoming a leading expert on dietary oxalate includes a prior career working at prestigious medical schools in medical education and public health research. Sally championed a five-year, National Institute of Health-funded program at the UNC Medical School that educated students and faculty about holistic, alternative, and integrative healing. Her personal healing experience inspired years of research, culminating in the release of her groundbreaking book, Toxic Superfoods, which was released in January 2023 and is available everywhere books are sold. You can pick up a copy of Toxic Superfoods here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593139585?tag=randohouseinc7986-20 Learn more about Sally at https://sallyknorton.com/ or you can find her on YouTube as SallyKNorton Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Your words have tremendous power to influence the course of your life. Jesus teaches it this way. In Matthew 15, the Pharisees are arguing with Jesus because he and his disciples eat food that is considered “unclean” by Jewish law. Jesus explains to them, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean’... But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’” (Matt 15:11-19). Jesus has connected three things here: thoughts, words, and actions. They go in that order: your thoughts are seeds, and they get planted in the “soil” of your heart. They don’t necessarily change the environment right away, but when that seed has been planted, it will germinate, and will spring up and become a tree, which will eventually bear fruit. So you’d better be careful what you’re planting. Round and Round We Go When I was in my early 20s, I realized my life was on a merry-go-round. I was living essentially the same story over and over again. The names and details might change, but the characters and circumstances were basically consistent. I wrestled with this for years; I had an intuitive sense that it was a spiritual principle somehow (because everyone’s story seemed to repeat itself, not just mine!), but I could not for the life of me figure out why. I was 25 when I finally understood (and wondered why it had taken me so long, because it seemed so blatantly obvious in retrospect). In all of those iterations of the same story, there was only one common denominator: me. I realized that my beliefs were essentially, “My life will always be this way. I will never get out of this cycle. I will always repeat this pattern.” I bitterly said something to this effect every time I told my tale of woe to a sympathetic friend. I wrote about it every day in my journal. I prayed about it every day to God - but despite the biblical promises that God had something better for me, I never actually believed what God said my future held. Instead, I told Him that my future would be exactly the same as my past. I gained a twisted sense of satisfaction by complaining, little knowing that my words were actually prophetic. I was planting seeds, and those seeds were bearing fruit - unfortunately, the fruit they bore was exactly the same fruit I was already harvesting in my life. Instead of recognizing this and changing what I planted, I’d cut open that fruit, pull out the seeds, and plant them right back in the soil of my heart. For years. Jesus compares the Word of God to a seed in the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:1-23). When it falls on good soil and isn’t choked out by the cares of this life and deceitfulness of wealth, Jesus said that seed will germinate, sprout and bear fruit - thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold. But this process is indifferent: your heart will grow whatever you plant in it, whether the seed is good or bad. “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit... For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:33-34; Luke 6:43-45). Guard Your Heart The first five books of the Bible contain extremely detailed laws that the Jews had to abide by in order to be “right” with God. The Pharisees had even added hundreds of additional laws of their own by the time Jesus showed up. But their laws were all about external actions. Jesus’ laws went much deeper - his dealt not just with wrong actions, but with the wrong thinking that eventually produced wrong actions (Matt 5). Jesus said it’s not enough to not commit murder - don’t even think about murder. It’s not enough not to commit adultery - don’t even look at a woman lustfully. What’s he saying? Guard your heart. He knows that the heart will grow whatever you plant in it. The thought will eventually produce the words, and the words will eventually produce the actions. Because the heart grows whatever you plant in it, before anything else you have to start with Solomon’s famous advice: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov 4:23). So be vigilant about what you plant in your heart. Solomon talks about this a lot: “Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart” (Prov 7:1-3). “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction” (Prov 16:23). “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out” (Prov 18:15). “Apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips” (Prov 22:17-18). “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7). Guard Your Mouth If your thinking is right, then your speaking will be right automatically. But what if both your thinki

Rafaele Joudry has dedicated her life to helping people overcome auditory problems and enhance their lives through better brain performance. She was guided to introduce her mother to Sound Therapy, which proved life-changing for fatigue, insomnia, sound sensitivity and difficulty hearing in social situations. As a result, Rafaele and her mother developed the self help Sound Therapy program which helped thousands of people to find relief for tinnitus, dizziness, anxiety and sleeplessness. As a world leader in self help Sound Therapy, Rafaele has enabled individuals from all walks of life to benefit from unique discoveries about how the ears can enhance the performance of the entire nervous system. She has authored three best selling books, and helped many thousands of listeners to improve communication, learning, focus, sleep, creativity and brain performance. To contact Sound Therapy International go to www.mysoundtherapy.com/podcast Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

David Bahnsen is the founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm with offices in multiple states, managing $4.5 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. He is consistently named as one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times. He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and Fox Business, and is a regular contributor to National Review. He hosts the popular weekly podcast, Capital Record, dedicated to a defense of free enterprise and capital markets. He is the author of several best-selling books. Today he’s here to talk about his upcoming book, “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life.” To learn more about David, see fulltimebook.com or bahnsen.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kim Shapira M.S., R.D. is a celebrity dietitian, nutritional therapist, and author, with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Tulane University and a Master’s degree in Human Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition from Boston University. Kim has spent over 25 years helping people lose weight and keep it off (with a giant emphasis on keeping it off), both in her private Los Angeles practice, in hospitals, sports clinics, addiction centers and universities. When she's not helping her clients take back their relationship with food, she is a wife and mother of three children and three pups. Kim often appears as a guest expert for Yahoo!, Just Jenny, Sky News, Vanity Fair, Pop Sugar, Podcasts, and will be happy to pop in and be a guest speaker for your book clubs. To learn more about Kim, you can find her on any social media platform, at kimshapiramethod.com or you can check out her book, "This Is What You're Really Hungry For," here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Peggy Ployhar is the SPED Homeschool Founder & CEO, an organization that empowers families to home educate diverse learners. She is also the owner of Eternal Aerial Arts where she teaches aerial arts classes and coaches a student performance team. Peggy is a speaker, aerial performer, podcaster, author, breast cancer survivor, and 19-year retired homeschool veteran. She and her husband Doug live in League City, TX and enjoy paddle boarding, hiking, and camping in their classic Airstream. To learn more about Peggy, go to www.spedhomeschool.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Paul Harding is the owner of Total EMF Solutions in Tucson, AZ. Total EMF Solutions started as a personal journey and a fight for his life. He experienced a complete breakdown in his sleep after a smart meter was installed on his bedroom wall in the beginning of 2011. After further research he found that smart meters produced frequencies on the home wiring and electric field correlated with those that are used to open the sodium and potassium ion channels. His symptoms began to abate once he started sleeping in an area with very low levels of exposure. Once he found relief, his focus in life became studying the source of the problem. To learn more about Paul, see www.totalemfsolutions.com If you are on the east coast, Paul mentioned contacting Dave Stetzer: https://www.stetzerelectric.com/about/ To find out if there are cell phone towers in your area, see: https://www.antennasearch.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Mike Van Thielen is a bestselling author on optimizing productivity and focus, a sought after speaker, and an entrepreneur who has owned several anti-aging clinics in central and northeast Florida. He was the CEO of an innovative stem cell clinic, treating top athletes including NFL players and heavyweight boxing champions. He is also a treating physician for Boston Neuro Pain and Psych Centers, helping tens of thousands of patients with chronic pain and mental health conditions. To learn more about Dr Mike, see biohackingunlimited.com You can also find his latest book, The Izod Method, here: https://www.amazon.com/IZOD-MethodTM-Superpower-Productivity-Stress-Free/dp/B0BR9GJLK1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3K1QAJUQD4G4G&keywords=The+Izod+Method&qid=1702672674&sprefix=the+izod+method%2Caps%2C221&sr=8-1 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Brant Hansen is a bestselling author, syndicated radio host and advocate for healing children with correctable disabilities through CURE International Children's Hospitals. His award-winning radio show, The Brant Hansen Show, airs on top stations in the U.S. and Canada. His podcast, The Brant and Sherri Oddcast, has been downloaded more than 15 million times. He has been named "Personality of the Year" multiple times by Christian Music Broadcasters and is called "Christian music's most beloved radio personality" by Christian Voice Magazine. Brant writes about varied topics related to faith, including masculinity in his book, The Men We Need, and forgiveness in Unoffendable, about which he was recently interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America. Brant’s new book, ‘Life is Hard, God is Good, Let’s Dance’, releases January 16. For Brant's book, see here; https://www.amazon.com/Life-Hard-Good-Lets-Dance-ebook/dp/B0BYYXTNQ2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1702662446&sr=8-1 For more about CURE, go to cure.org To learn more about Brant, go to: branthansen.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sonia Gomez at Abundant Acres.com is focused on helping families design regenerative food systems, family compounds, and profit centers on their property to live healthy, happy, and free. Sonia Gomez has advocated for alternative health, has been a voice for freedom, and a community leader in alternative health education for the past 12 years. Recovering from a serious life-altering accident, Sonia discovered the secrets to eliminating synthetic medications and holistically rebuilding her health. Food was the first, and most important medicine. When Sonia isn't chasing rainbows and telling jokes, she is a wife and mom passionate about projects that are good for people and the planet. To learn more about Sonia, see http://soniagomez.tv and to learn more about Abundant Acres, see abundantacres.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

So far in this series, we've looked at prayers for ourselves, for which we must find the scriptures to stand on, we must have faith, and we must maintain our primary focus on the Lord. But how does this apply when we are praying for other people? We can't make others do or believe anything. God won't violate our free will, and we can't violate the free will of others in prayer, either. So how does this work?It depends upon the context. The default position is that we should be praying for all people at all times (1 Tim 2:1-6, Eph 6:18), as well as for the cities we live in (Jer 29:7). Just as for ourselves, this gives God "legal" entry into the affairs of men, so that He can intervene and do what He wants to do on the earth. The Old Testament priestly blessing was, “'The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace’” (Numbers 6:23-27). This was what God wanted to do for the children of Israel, and the priests were to invoke this, to give Him permission on earth to do it. In the New Testament, Jesus made this explicit in Matthew 16:19, and also in Matthew 18:18, when he said to his disciples, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The spiritual realm is the greater reality compared to the physical. Paul tells us that "we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:18). We are to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7), using our position of authority in heavenly places through Jesus to change what we see here and conform it to the will of the Father in prayer. Some examples of effective prayer of one individual for others in scripture: In Job 42, God told Job to pray for his friends, so that God could forgive their sin rather than punish them for it (Job 42:8). Clearly this was already God's will, but God still told him to pray for it. In Numbers 11, the Israelites disobeyed God and triggered the 'cursing' side of the covenant laid out in the Torah, and consolidated in Deuteronomy 28. But when the people cried out to Moses, and Moses interceded to God for them, the curse stopped (Numbers 11:1-2). God needed a man to ask Him. In a similar story, Miriam disobeyed God and triggered the 'curse,' (which now no longer applies to us, thanks to Jesus!), and Moses had to pray for her to be healed as well (Numbers 12:13). Moses also interceded for the Israelites after the incident of the golden calf (Ex 32:31-32), so that they would not be destroyed. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail, even before Peter denied him. Because of this, Jesus was confident that Peter would return to the disciples even after he'd stumbled (Luke 22:32). The faith involved was still Peter's, but somehow Jesus' prayer enabled Peter's faith to be revived. Paul believed that the prayers of his parishioners would occasion his deliverance, favor, and open doors of opportunity for him that might otherwise have been shut without them (Phil 1:19, 1:22, 2 Cor 1:11). Samuel the prophet acknowledged that it was actually a sin to fail to pray for his people. 1Sa 12:23 "Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way." We pray for others, as individuals, for the same reason that we pray for ourselves: so that God can do what He wants to do on the earth. How does the prayer of agreement fit into this? Jesus said in Matthew 18:19: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." Why do we need anybody else to agree with us; can't we simply ask and receive all on our own? I don't totally understand how this works, but I think it's similar to what Solomon said in Ecc 4:12: "a threefold cord is not quickly broken," or to the story of Aaron and Hur physically holding up Moses' arms when he got tired, to ensure that the Israelites achieved victory in battle (Ex 17:8-16). It's why we need the body of Christ to come around us, to bear one anothers' (crushing) burdens, even though we should each carry our own (light) loads (Gal 6:2, 5). It's very possible for one person alone to grow heartsick rather than patient in a long wait (Prov 13:12); that's why we need others to "hold up our arms" in prayer and encouragement. When our own faith is strong, perhaps (this is my speculation), the prayer of agreement is less necessary. It's when we are losing strength or growing heartsick, that the prayer of agreement becomes important. This may be why James tells us that if we're sick, we should ask the elders of the church to anoint us with oil (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) and pray over us, to receive healing (James 5:14). The ass

Dr Jacob Teitelbaum is a board certified internist and nationally known expert in the fields of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sleep and pain. He has authored numerous books including the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic! (now in its 4th edition). He is the lead author of numerous studies on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and one study on effective treatment of autism using NAET. He also developed the popular free smartphone app “Cures A-Z.” Dr. T lives in Kona, Hawaii. To learn more about Dr T, you can email him at [email protected] or see vitality101.com or endfatigue.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ed Welch (MDiv and PhD) is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. Ed has been counseling for over forty years and has written numerous books on the topics of depression, fear and addictions. Most recently, he was a major contributor to the new Life Counsel Bible from Holman Bibles and New Growth Press. To learn more about Ed, see ccef.org For the Life Counsel Bible, see here: https://lifecounselbible.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A final caveat in scripture to this is that we must have our priorities straight. Jesus said in His sermon on the Mount, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt 6:33). Jesus repeated the same concept in His last instructions to the disciples: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit" (John 15:7-8). The precondition is that we must be seeking first the Kingdom, and abiding in Him. That way, the things we're asking for in prayer will be God's will for us, and they also won't be more important to us than He is. Any good thing can become toxic, if it becomes an obsession. (This is the foundation of all addictions--all of them take something originally intended to be a blessing, and twist it into a tyrant which ultimately enslaves us. Money is to be shared for good works and kingdom purposes, 1 Tim 6:18; but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, 1 Tim 6:10. Wine is a blessing to gladden men's hearts, Psalm 104:15, but drunkenness is warned against, Gal 5:21. Etc.) So in the same way, even if something is promised in scripture, it's unhealthy to fixate on that to the point that it becomes an obsession that enslaves us. Also, such a state is essentially synonymous with fear that we won't get the thing we so desperately want--and "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). This is important when it comes to receiving what we ask for in prayer, because "faith works through love" (Gal 5:6). The opposite of fear is both faith and love, which go together. If we shift our focus from the thing we're begging to receive to the perfect love of the Father, peace comes, and our priorities will straighten themselves out, with no direct effort from us. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr Gerald Pollack maintains an active laboratory at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of WATER: A Multidisciplinary Research Journal; Executive Director of the Institute for Venture Science; co-founder of 4th-Phase Inc.; and founder of the Annual Conference on the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology of Water. He has received numerous honors including: the Prigogine Medal for Thermodynamics; the University of Washington Annual Faculty Lecturer; the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award; and the 1st Emoto Peace Prize. He is recognized internationally as an accomplished speaker and author. To learn more about Dr Pollack, visit his website at https://www.pollacklab.org or you can pick up a copy of "The Fourth Phase of Water" here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Another caveat in scripture is that we must ask in faith (Matthew 21:22 and Mark 11:24) without wavering (James 1:5-7). But how do you make yourself believe something? Isn't that kind of like trying to make yourself fall asleep when you're awake at 3 am: the harder you try, the more elusive it becomes? The Bible addresses this question with the biblical concept of hope. Hope is to faith what a seed is to a plant. If you plant that seed in good soil, and you don't dig it up before it can germinate, and you water it and cultivate it and give it plenty of sunlight, eventually a plant will result. Hope is the positive side of imagination (more on how the Bible says you can get this to work in your favor in the podcast, The Power of Imagination https://www.drlaurendeville.com/the-power-of-imagination/). Another reason why some of us might struggle with believing we receive when we pray has to do with a sense of unworthiness. 1 John 3:19-23 tells us, "And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us." The concept here is that, while our consciences serve a good purpose, they are not infallible. It's possible for our hearts to condemn us falsely, which is why John says, "God is greater than our hearts." His word tells us that Jesus bore all our condemnation (Romans 8:1), and gave us His righteousness in exchange. We are now in right standing with God, and we can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). But if we don't believe that we are in right standing with God, if our conscience condemns us, it will shipwreck our faith (1 Timothy 1:19). We won't come boldly to the throne of grace. That's why we have to renew our minds with what God says about us, so that our consciences will no longer contradict the truth of who we are and what we have in Christ (Hebrews 10:22). At the end of Jesus' ministry, He said, "In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete," John 16:23-24. I know of two scriptural ways to interpret the idea of asking the Father in Jesus' name. One is the concept that, because we are in Christ and we are joint heirs with Him, everything that is His has now become ours (Eph 1:17-19). It's as if He's given us His "power of attorney": when we make a request of the Father, to God, it's just as if Jesus Himself had asked. We already have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Eph 1:3, 17-19). That's like having money in the bank; it might all be there waiting for you, but you can't access it unless you make a withdrawal. It's Jesus' account, but we can use His name, and thus gain access to everything that's His. He gave us permission to do that. He told us to do that. It has nothing to do with how good or holy we are, and everything to do with how good and holy He is. The other way to think about praying in Jesus' name is to consider the meanings of all of the various names of God. Throughout the Old Testament, whenever God revealed a new aspect of His character, He received, or He gave Himself, a new name. These included Jehovah Nissi (the Lord My Banner), Jehovah Rapha (the Lord that Heals), Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord my Righteousness), Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who Provides), and many more. Since Jesus is One with the Father and only did what He saw His father doing (John 5:19, 5:30, 8:28, 12:49), we can infer that the Father's names apply to Jesus, as well--so anything that is in one of His names is ours. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Brad & Starla Walker have 8 kids and live on their 15 acre homestead in Southern Indiana, just outside of Louisville, KY. There they garden, raise livestock, homeschool their children, and operate their family business, Abby’s Elderberry. They have personally experienced the benefits of elderberry for years and jumped at the opportunity to take ownership of Abby’s in late 2022. Since that time, they have shipped their products to 48 states and have about 20 retail locations to date. To check out Abby's, see https://abbyselderberry.com/ You can also follow Brad and Starla's podcast, The Fruitful Family Podcast on any podcast player or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9WSfaFiQDqIGO27mq1yYIg Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Part 1: Why Pray? We live in a fallen world where bad, evil things happen -- and they are not God's fault (more on how this fits in with the concept of biblical sovereignty in the podcast called "Why Bad Things Happen from a Biblical Perspective": https://www.drlaurendeville.com/why-bad-things-happen-from-a-biblical-perspective/). The bottom line is that we are now in enemy-occupied territory. Jesus conquered the enemy when He rose from the dead, taking the keys of Hades with Him (Rev 1:18), but He hasn't yet taken possession of the earth He won back, because "He is not slow concerning His promises, as some count slowness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (1 Peter 3:9). So it's still the case that because God gave the earth to men, He cannot legally intervene Himself without a man on the inside. He needs a human to invite Him to intervene, just like a landlord can't just enter a property he's leased to someone else without an explicit invitation. Yet God wants us to bring His kingdom and His will on earth. This is why Jesus included "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" in His template prayer when the disciples asked him to teach them to pray (Matt 6:9-13). Prayer is the only way God can intervene on earth legally. That is why prayer is so important. How and What to Pray Jesus' model prayer teaches us the components and structure of a good prayer. It gives us the principles. "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name" -- so we start with praise, with how big and awesome God is, before we ever say anything about our problem (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/effects-of-praise/). "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This is the very next broad-strokes recommendation: prayer is about letting God do what He wants to do in the earth, but He needs us to partner with Him in order to do it. "Give us this day our daily bread." This is the specifics of the above as they pertain to you. Later in that same chapter, Jesus made the point that if you keep your focus on His kingdom, He'll just take care of these little details of what you need anyway (Matt 6:33). "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." I think Jesus included the request of forgiveness because He was still teaching the disciples at the tail end of the Old Covenant. We don't have to pray this part anymore--Jesus died for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). But we are still to forgive others their sins against us (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/how-to-forgive-pastor-david-peterson/). "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Putting this together with what James says in James 1:13-15, God doesn't tempt us, but when we are tempted, it's our own desires that entice and lead us away to sin and death. Paul also tells us that when this happens, God will make a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13). But it's up to us to take it (James 4:7), with God's help. "For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." This template prayer starts and ends with praise (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/effects-of-praise/), because that is the attitude of faith--focusing on how big and magnificent God is, rather than on the size of our problems. Later in His ministry, Jesus clarified, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them" (Mark 11:23-24). That's the key to powerful, effective prayer--believe first, and then receive. Scripture qualifies this promise elsewhere--you can't "name and claim" just anything in prayer using this verse. James tells us that if we ask and we do not receive, it might be because "you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). John tells us, "And this is the confidence we have in Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we asked of Him," (1 John 5:14-15). Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The scriptures with the promise for what you are believing for are your seeds (Matt 13:18-23). They tell you what God wants for you, for those you love, and for the world around you. Your part is to hear that word, and ask and believe God for it. In so doing, you're planting it in your heart. Then, you have to make sure that little seed is well-tended and cared for, and isn't choked out by "the cares of the world or the deceitfulness of riches." If you "keep it in the midst of your heart," then it will become "life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh" (Prov 4:22). If you can find the promise in

Dr Jacob Teitelbaum is a board certified internist and nationally known expert in the fields of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sleep and pain. He has authored numerous books including the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic! (now in its 4th edition). He is the lead author of numerous studies on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and one study on effective treatment of autism using NAET. He also developed the popular free smartphone app "Cures A-Z." Dr. T lives in Kona, Hawaii. To learn more about Dr T, you can email him at [email protected] or see vitality101.com or endfatigue.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

His love is everlasting. Isaiah 49:15-16: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" Isaiah 54:10: "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you." Jer 31:3 "The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Psalm 136:26: "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Deut 7:9: "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” Psalm 36:7: "How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 52:8: "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” 2 Thess 3:5: "May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” Psalm 63:3 "Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” Psalm 103:8, 11, 17 "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love… For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him… from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him.” Psalm 48:9 "We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.” Lamentations 3:22-23: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6 "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” Psalm 36:5 "Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” 2 Chronicles 6:14: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.” Psalm 86:15: "But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” 2 Thess 2:16: "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." Nothing can separate us from His love because the Holy Spirit is the one who pours it into us and He will manifest himself to us. Romans 5:5: "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 8:37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John 14:21 "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” He knows us intimately. Psalm 139:1-18: "Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thought from far away. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, Lord, You know it all.You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it. Where can I go from Your Spirit Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.If I take up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me,And Your right hand will take hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You When I was made in secret, And skillfully formed in the depths of the earth;Your eyes have seen my formless substance; And in Your book were written All the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outn

Dr Ardeshir Mehran is a psychologist, behavioral researcher, business leader, and leadership coach with a doctorate and masters from Columbia University. He is a keynote speaker, a marathon runner, and the author of the book, “You Are Not Depressed; You Are Unfinished.” For thirty years, he has been on a quest to pinpoint what depression and anxiety actually are, why they persist, and why executives and high archivers have such high levels of depression and anxiety. His science-based work shows how to “use” depression and anxiety to live a soaring life instead of allowing them to use you. He lives in The Bay Area/San Francisco with his family. To learn more about Dr Mehran, see www.humanworkstudio.com You can get his book, “You Are Not Depressed; You Are Unfinished," here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we think of meditation, a lot of us think of chanting and things affiliated with other religions--but at its core, that's not what it is. Meditation can simply be calming the mind by disciplined focus on some external stimulus, like your breath, your heart, or the ambient sounds around you... and if your mind is scattered and flitting from topic to topic, there is certainly great physiologic value in this, as it will get you out of "fight or flight" and into the parasympathetic "rest and digest" state. Also, if your mind is too loud, it makes it all but impossible for you to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit--so quieting your mind through this form of meditation is valuable for that reason as well. Biblically, though, meditation is more than just quieting your "monkey brain." That just gets you back to neutral. Rather, biblical meditation involves focused thought upon an idea long enough for you to get a picture in your mind of what you're contemplating. We all do this all the time; it's just a matter of what we're thinking about. Andrew Wommack likes to say that if you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Worry is meditation upon something negative. Paul tells us what we should be meditating on in Philippians 4:8: "whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." The reason this is so important is because scripture tells us that our thoughts determine what we believe, just like planting seeds will determine what kind of harvest we get. Proverbs 23:7 says, "for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." We can act contrary to what we truly believe for a short period of time, but what we think in our hearts is who we really are, and it will come out eventually. This is why Jesus said that the most important parable He ever taught was the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3-23). In the parable, the "seed" is the Word of God, and soil is the hearts of the listeners. It's the state of the soil which determines how well that seed will grow and produce a harvest. There are other possible seeds besides God's word, though--in the parable, there were thorns and tares in one type of soil, too. Jesus later defines these for us as "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches" (Matt 13:22), which can choke the Word such that it becomes unfruitful. Those sound like typical sources of worry to me. Think of thoughts in general--any type of thought--as a potential seed that can eventually bear a harvest if you plant it and cultivate it (or meditate upon it until you can see it in your mind). A stray thought here or there can't do this any more than a seed can without the right environment for it to grow--which is why we're told in scripture to take our thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5). Think of this like weeding the 'garden' of your heart. If you don't want the harvest, then pluck up the plant before it can bear fruit--or, better yet, avoid exposing yourself to the seed in the first place, if you can control it. This isn't always possible, but we can choose what we watch, what we listen to, what kind of church we go to (one that preaches faith or unbelief), and what kind of people we spend time with. "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33)--so if you surround yourself with people who are negative, complaining, undisciplined, or any other negative character trait, most likely it'll rub off on you eventually. Those people influence how you think, and unwittingly this plants "seeds" in your heart that will eventually bear a harvest, if they are allowed to do so. It takes discipline to control our imaginations, of course. Just like the Second Law of Thermodynamics describes entropy in the universe (which means that left to themselves, all systems go from order to disorder), so the tremendous power available in our minds will accomplish nothing if we don't focus it appropriately. Worse, if we use our imaginations for an actively destructive purpose like worrying, we might end up with exactly what we're essentially "believing" for. A medical example of this is the placebo versus the nocebo effect: about 30% of people (probably those who are most "suggest-able") in clinical trials will typically get better even if they're given a sugar pill rather than the actual medication being tested, because they believe it will help them. Their minds make it work. The nocebo is the same principle in reverse: if you believe something will make you worse, it very well might, even if the substance itself is neutral. This is the whole concept behind affirmations, or positive confessions: say something long or often enough, and eventually it'll sink down into your subconscious mind, and you'll start to believe it--even if you don't at first. Not what we superficially say, but what we truly believe, determin

Jack Dell’Accio, CEO & Founder of Essentia, has been focused on analyzing sleep for over 20 years! Of most importance to Jack is the impact of restorative sleep in terms of recovery from disease, prevention of disease, longevity, and performance. Jack has worked with some of the world's top athletes to optimize their recovery and performance. Through the years, he has worked directly with health gurus, professional athletes and teams in the NBA, NFL, MLS, and over 25% of active NHL players on creating healthy sleep performance. Essentia’s organic mattress has been recognized by several internationally renowned organizations including the Mayo Clinic’s Well Living Lab. Essentia has been named the #1 foam mattress by Consumer Reports for 7 consecutive years. Now, Jack is proud to present the results of a double-blind sleep study of professional athletes which proves Essentia can extend the time spent in REM and Deep Sleep cycles by 20% to 60%! To learn more about Jack and Essentia, see myessentia.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Nate Birner graduated from Michigan Lutheran Seminary in 2003, and has been fitness coaching since 2005. He left the church entirely for most of his career in fitness. Multiple (and sometimes traumatic) injuries and surgeries slowly revealed to Nate that he had made fitness into an idol in his life. Now he has a more balanced approach to health and fitness, and owns a strength training gym in Cedar Park TX called Fit Goal Culture. Nate is using his new book, "God's Fingerprint on Fitness,” to encourage Christians struggling with their health and weight to take steps towards fitness, and to encourage fitness enthusiasts and coaches to lead their clients to take steps toward a deeper relationship with God. To learn more about Nate, see natebirner.com, where you can also download the first chapter of the book. You can also follow him @natebirner on Instagram. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Afton L. Hassett is an Associate Professor and Director of Pain and Opioid Research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. She is a principal investigator at the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center who has over $14M of research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Viewed as a leader in the field of chronic pain and resilience, she recently gave the Keynote address at the 2023 Pain Consortium Symposium on Advances in Pain Research for the NIH. While studying established treatments for chronic pain and developing new approaches is her passion, her frustration is that exciting research discoveries rarely make it to the people who could benefit the most. Thus, Afton’s mission was to write Chronic Pain Reset to bring evidence-based strategies from research and academic medical settings directly to people who live with chronic pain with the hope that they will gain new tools to lead more rewarding lives with less pain. To learn more about Dr Hassett, see aftonhassett.com You ca get her book, Chronic Pain Reset, here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How to deal with stressful situations: pray and then let God's peace rule: Pray and thank God for the answer in advance, and you will have peace: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 Col 3:15: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." 2 Thess 3:16: "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." Fearing circumstances is not from God: 2 Tim 1:7: "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid (give us a spirit of fear), but gives us power, love and self-discipline." If you are weary, let God refresh you: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Hope, faith, and trust which comes from love are antidotes to fear: Believe you have it before you pray: Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." When you understand His perfect love, you will trust: 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." Luke 1:37: "For no word from God will ever fail." Psalm 56:3: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." Isaiah 40:31: "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." John 14:1 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 God delivers from fear and rescues from the trouble that besets you: Psalm 55:22: "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." If you trust, you will flourish no matter the circumstances: Jeremiah 17:7-8: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Heb 13:5-6: 'God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”' Psalm 34:4: "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:17: "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Isaiah 35:4: "say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”" Psalm 23:4-6: "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." Psalm 94:19 "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." God will meet your needs as you seek Him: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" Matthew 6:25 "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" Luke 12:24 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at

Today's podcast comes from this blog post, How to Stimulate Autophagy to Live Longer and Healthier Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kelly Needham is a servant of Jesus Christ, a student of the Bible and COO of her home, where she lives with her husband, Jimmy, and their five children. She is the author of Friendish: Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion (Thomas Nelson, 2019) and has been a contributing author to many other books, including Faithful (David C. Cook, 2021) and Beautifully Distinct (Good Book Company, 2020). She has served on staff at multiple churches, serving in youth, college and women's ministry. Kelly currently co-leads a women’s teaching program, training women to accurately handle the word of truth and co-hosts a podcast, Clearly with Jimmy and Kelly Needham. Whether writing or speaking, Kelly’s aim is to convince as many people as possible that nothing compares to knowing Jesus. You can find Kelly's books, podcast, and learn more about her at jimmyandkelly.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Alan Bauman is an accomplished hair restoration physician, known for his expertise in treating hair loss and his pioneering work in the field. His state-of-the-art "Hair Hospital" in downtown Boca Raton, FL, covers 12,000 square feet and is recognized worldwide for its advanced hair restoration technologies. His dedication to the field of hair restoration has earned him many accolades throughout his career. He is one of approximately 200 physicians worldwide to have achieved certification from the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS). He has pioneered numerous technologies in the field of hair restoration. Dr. Bauman's expertise has made him a highly sought-after speaker and guest expert. He has been featured in hundreds of news stories in the media. Dr. Bauman has also been recognized for his contributions to the field of healthcare, receiving the 2022 "Lifetime Achievement Award in Hair Restoration" and being named one of "10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America" by Forbes. To learn more about Dr Bauman or for a consultation, visit baumanmedical.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 That's a command for all of us, but some of us find it easier to do than others. I do a lot of neurotransmitter testing in my practice: urine testing for brain signaling chemicals, including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, GABA, glycine, and glutamate. I used to simply feed the appropriate pathways with the precursors if they were low, and feed the enzymes for metabolism if one was too high, to try to balance things out. I still do that to an extent, but I've also started to recognize patterns. Sometimes a neurotransmitter test can suggest to me that someone is low in some of the cofactors (vitamins or minerals) for certain pathways. Other times, it can suggest that there's a common genetic predisposition to metabolizing neurotransmitters in a particular way. I also used to do a lot more genetic testing than I currently do (for a variety of reasons, though it can still be useful). Sometimes the genetics can tell me that someone will tend to make an excessive amount of a particular neurotransmitter, or that they don't tend to make enough of it, or that they tend to break it down really fast, or break it down really slowly. That can help inform what I see on neurotransmitter testing, and how I might go about trying to maintain balance, once we've achieved it. There are certain personality types, as well as patterns of thinking, that go along with patterns of neurotransmitters. Serotonin and dopamine tend to be an especially striking see-saw. Those with high (but not too high) serotonin tend to be very laid back and in the moment. Those with high (but not too high) dopamine tend to be very driven, always checking off their to-do list, and then moving straight on to the next thing. Too much of either one, or too little of either one, can lead to a particular type of anxiety or depression. Those with excessively high (but more often excessively low) norepinephrine or epinephrine (together known as adrenaline) tend to be jumpy, and constantly in fight-or flight mode. Usually I see this pattern in people who have been stressed out for a long time. Some of these patterns can be explained by the genetics, but it's also true that neurotransmitters and thoughts are a "chicken-or-egg" scenario: which comes first? We all are familiar with the downward spiral of negative thinking: the more you do it, the harder it is to stop. I think this is why Paul told us to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ," (2 Cor 10:5), and then to think on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Phil 4:8. We do have a choice--but our habitual thinking makes this easier or harder to do. A few years ago I read a fascinating book called "The Molecule of More" by Daniel Lieberman. It fleshed out not so much the acute imbalances, but the personality types that go with certain patterns. Lieberman categorizes norepinephrine, along with serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, as “here and now,” or H&N neurotransmitters, meaning they help with enjoyment of the moment and satisfaction in one’s actual, current experience. By contrast, the neurotransmitter dopamine is all about novelty and desire (it is the "Molecule of More," as in always wanting more). The moment that a pleasure is no longer unexpected, or a goal is achieved, dopamine is quenched. The enjoyment associated with expected pleasures or enjoying what one already possesses requires the H&N neurotransmitters–and certain kinds of people are predisposed more toward one over the other. The highest achievers in history tended to be very dopamine dominant, with all its attendant benefits and pitfalls. They are constantly driven, and usually obsessed with achievement and efficiency–but this also means they are rarely “happy”, where happiness is defined by satisfaction with what they actually have. Many of them are more susceptible to affairs and divorce, because for them, it’s more about the thrill of the chase than the actual relationship. They often care for humanity in the abstract, but have little patience with individual people. But on the plus side, they also are quite resilient to adversity and change, since novelty produces the dopamine spike they crave. On the flip side, those more predisposed genetically to the H&N neurotransmitters tend to be happier and more content, and to have stronger interpersonal relationships, but far less driven to achievement, and less resilient to the stress of change. Lieberman doesn't argue that either is "better" than the other per se; each has their own strengths and weaknesses (and he also makes the fascinating argument that one's political leanings can often be affiliated with certain patterns of neurochemistry, too). If you tend toward the H&N neuro

Dr Jacob Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted integrative, pain and fibromyalgia medical authorities in the world. He is the author of the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic!, Pain Free, 1,2,3!, The Complete Guide to Beating Sugar Addiction, Real Cause Real Cure, The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution, Diabetes Is Optional and the popular free Smart Phone app Cures A-Z. He is the lead author of 8 studies on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and a study on effective treatment of autism using NAET. Dr. Teitelbaum appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and FoxNewsHealth. Learn more at: Vitality101.com endfatigue.com You can get Dr Teitelbaum's personalized analysis at energyanalysisprogram.com You can contact Dr Teitelbaum for information sheets on various conditions at [email protected] Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The biggest obstacle to faith for a lot of people is this: “If God is all powerful, then why does He cause (or allow) bad things to happen?” There's something fundamental that we must establish before we ever address this question directly: God is good, all the time (James 1:16-17). We know this, at least in part, by what Jesus did. Jesus said that he who has seen him has seen the Father (John 14:8-9), and Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38, Matt 15:30, Matt 4:23-24, Matt 8:16, Matt 9:35, Matt 10:1, Matt 12:15, Matt 15:30, Luke 4:40, Luke 10:9). He never refused healing to anyone who came to Him. He never harmed anyone "for their own good," or put a disease on anyone "to teach them something" or "to discipline them." Not once. In fact, He actively worked against all sickness and disease, to destroy the devil's work (1 John 3:8). He is the same today as He was when He was on earth (Hebrews 13:8). God the Father doesn't change either (Malachi 3:6). We know of God's character from His names in the Old Testament. He is Jehovah Nissi (The Lord my Banner - Ex 17:15). He is Jehovah-Raah (The Lord my Shepherd, or My Friend - Gen 48:15, Psalm 23:1, 80:1, Ez 34:11-15). He is Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals, Ex 15:26). He is Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There - He has not abandoned you: Eze 48:35). He is Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness, Jer 23:6, 33:16). He is Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord who Sanctifies You: Ex 31:13, Lev 20:8). He is Jehovah Jireh (The Lord will Provide, Gen 22:14). He is Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace, Judges 6:24). He is Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts, 1 Sam 1:3, Ps 24:9-10, 84:3, Isa 6:5). Many other scriptures establish His goodness. He is ONLY good. (1 John 1:5, Psalm 84:11-12; Psalm 146:6-10; Psalm 107:9, Psalm 31:19, 1 Tim 4:4-5, Eph 1:3, Romans 8:28, Ps 103:2-5, Ps 145:16-19). God doesn’t do bad things to His children. Yet He’s powerful enough that for those who trust in Him, He can take even terrible circumstances that were not part of His plan, and bring good out of them.“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Those who know their scriptures well may point out Old Testament passages that sound like God, in fact, did do evil things. One example is in 2 Sam 24:1, when it says the Lord moved David (in pride) to count the number of his subjects... and then condemned David's sin in having done so (2 Sam 24:10) and punished him severely for it. Yet the exact same story appears in 1 Chron 21:1, where it says Satan moved David to number Israel. This is a very rare glimpse into what was happening in the spiritual realm in the Old Testament, where there is almost no doctrine of Satan. The primary exception to this is at the beginning of the book of Job; otherwise Satan is only mentioned by name here, and in Zechariah 3:1-2. (He is mentioned in Genesis 3 as "the serpent," of course, and also as Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28 as well.) The Old Testament had almost no doctrine of Satan because the people had no authority over him under the Mosaic covenant. What good would it do to learn that you have a bloodthirsty enemy, but there is nothing you can do to protect yourself from him? Because of this, in the Old Testament, anything supernatural, good or bad, was attributed to God, whether God was the instigator or not. The New Testament (and the revelation in Job 1:6-12) shows that this is not the case; there is a spiritual war going on, and we have an adversary who hates us. (For more on how God's dealings with man changed with different covenants, see my Blood Covenant biblical retellings duology: Blood Covenant Origins and Blood Covenant Fulfilled.) So if God doesn't cause bad things to happen, why do they happen? Evil comes about as a result of one of or a combination of three things -- 1) Satan, the enemy of God and therefore of us, who would like nothing better than to see us destroyed:“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).1 Peter 5:8 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 2) A fallen world that will be redeemed one day, but isn’t yet: “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom 8:20-21). and 3) people who are sinners, and either aren’t yet saved or aren’t yet perfected:“There is no one righteous [apart from God], not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Rom 3:10-11). But if God is truly sovereign, or all-powerful, even if He doesn't cause bad things to happen, doesn't He at least allow them, for H

Dr. Erik Korem has always been driven by a relentless pursuit of high performance. As time progressed, that drive became a purpose — to improve the lives of others in ways they didn’t know were possible. Whether fueling the performance of NCAA athletes or the U.S. Dept. of Defense, implementing one of the NFL's first sports science programs, or coaching Olympic gold medalists, his desire to leave people and places better than he found them is unwavering. Now, as Founder and CEO of AIM7, he’s employing his unique expertise as an applied performance scientist to unleash the true power of wearables in a way that tangibly improves the lives of others. Their proven algorithms analyze users' health data and provide custom recommendations for enhancing the mind, body, and recovery process. Leveraging the science of adaptive capacity, Erik and his team are unlocking a new level of human performance for anyone with a wearable device. To learn more about Erik, you can find him on Instagram and YouTube @ErikKorem Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sam Black is a renowned author and expert in the field of pornography recovery. As the Director of Recovery Education at Covenant Eyes, he brings a wealth of experience to his work, having joined the organization in 2007 after a distinguished 18-year career as an award-winning journalist. Sam is the author of two groundbreaking books: "The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong About Pornography and How to Fix It" and "The Porn Circuit: Understand Your Brain and Break Porn Habits." He has also edited 16 other books on the impact of pornography and regularly speaks at parenting, leadership and men's events across the country. Sam's deep knowledge and compassionate approach have helped countless individuals and families find healing and hope. To learn more about Sam, see thehealingchurch.com, or go to the app store and download the Victory App for content! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There is a bit of a debate amongst believers regarding how to reconcile scripture with scientific claims about the age of the earth. Many assume that the evidence that the earth is millions of years old is water-tight, and therefore we only have three options: find a way to fit millions of years into the Bible somewhere, reject clear scientific evidence, or reject the Bible entirely. Those who do try to cram millions of years into scripture have to do it somewhere in Genesis 1. I've heard this done in two ways. One is the gap theory, which places millions of years in between Genesis 1:1, when God created the heavens and the earth, and Genesis 1:2, when the earth was without form and void. The idea is that earth was created once, destroyed, and then remade in between the verses. There's a fascinating book called "The Invisible War" by Donald Barnhouse that makes this claim fairly compellingly -- but so far as I can tell, even if one were to subscribe to this idea, the earth was still remade in Genesis 1:2--at which point the clock should start over. This won't "solve" the biblical young earth problem. The other possibility uses 2 Peter 3:8, which says that "a day to the Lord is as a thousand years," to extrapolate that a day is also to the Lord as millions of years. Therefore, the six days of creation were actually millions of years apiece. There are a number of philosophical problems with this. In certain places, scripture is poetic and should be interpreted as such. Psalm 91, for instance, says that "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge" (91:4). This is obvious poetry, meant to evoke the image and feeling that God protects us the way a mother hen protects her chicks. It would be absurd to think this means that God has literal feathers. Many of the psalms employ similar poetic imagery, as do many of the prophetic books, Song of Songs, etc. These should be interpreted as poetry, and not as literal historical books. But Genesis is written like an historical book. Genesis 1 is about as clear as it could possibly be that we're talking about six literal days. After each day the scripture says, "so the evening and the morning were the (blank) day," to illustrate that we are talking about 24 hours. Also, Genesis says after each day, "And God saw that it was good." Death is not good; death is the result of sin (Romans 6:23). Sin didn't happen until Genesis 3. If each of the six days of creation was actually millions of years, do we suppose that no creatures died during that entire time? And if death did enter before Adam and Eve ever sinned, then how was creation pronounced "good"? Romans 8:19-22 tells us that even creation groans under the weight of corruption--it too must ultimately be redeemed. When did it become corrupted, if not by sin in Genesis 3? Finally, if Genesis 1 is really a metaphorical abstraction representing millions of years of evolutionary change, what other apparently historical scriptures can be allegorized? Was there really a flood? How about a real resurrection? In short, what can you trust? The Bible is either true or it's not. If the Bible is literally trustworthy, what do we do with all the evidence that "proves" the earth is millions of years old? Does "science" actually prove this? Carbon-14 dating is the best known dating method that most people think of in conjunction with this question. The most common isotope of carbon is C-12, but all carbon-based life forms start out with a certain, albeit very small, amount of the C-14 isotope in life. C-14 is radioactive, which means over time (after death) it decays via beta decay, in which one of its neutrons becomes a proton, turning it into nitrogen. The half life of C-14 decay is only 5700 years, give or take 30 years in either direction. That means it takes roughly 5700 years for half the amount of C-14 that started out in organic material to decay into nitrogen--so you can't use C-14 dating for anything older than 100,000 years. Past that point, there shouldn't be any C-14 left. And yet, some dinosaur bones have been found to still contain C-14 (https://www.icr.org/article/radiocarbon-dinosaur-other-fossils). How is this possible, if they are supposed to be millions of years old? Those who defend the evolutionary time scale will claim that the C-14 must have crept in via contamination. Yet there are even more remarkable findings in dinosaur bones than C-14. Many still contain intact biomolecules (here's a comprehensive list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eXtKzjWP2B1FMDVrsJ_992ITFK8H3LXfPFNM1ll-Yiw/edit#gid=0). These include hemoglobin and blood residue (https://www.icr.org/article/a-80-million-year-old-mosasaur-fossil), retinal tissue, and skin (https://www.icr.org/article/original-tissue-fossils-creations-silent). Ages at a greater timescale than 50-100K years are determined via radiometric dating of igneous rocks (those formed by volcanic eruption), often using potassium-40, which deca

Steve Wiideman is the CEO of Wiideman Consulting Company. Specializing in SEO Strategy, Steve likes to organize search into specific disciplines broken down by business model. For natural search, Steve believes in only three fundamental requirements: Relevancy, Visibility and User Behavior. For local search, Data, Landing Page, Citation and Reputation are the keys to success. While serving as an adjunct professor at UCSD and CSUF, Steve is also building the Academy of Search, while volunteering time to help improve transparency and industry standards as an agency trainer. At the forefront of SEO, Steve has a front-row seat to how AI is changing the landscape of various industries. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Let's grant for the moment that somehow, the fully functional and the irreducibly complex genetic code necessary for a single eukaryotic, or even prokaryotic cell, came into existence by happenstance (or by panspermia, perhaps, or by an infinite number of parallel universes -- pick your deus ex machina mechanism). Even with a "cheat" like this, could the evolutionary process take it from there? Spontaneous genetic point mutations, in which one of the four DNA base pairs is swapped for another, do occur from time to time, at a rate of around 1.1×10−8 (https://academic.oup.com/genetics/article/156/1/297/6051861?login=false) per base pair per generation (that's one in 100 million). However the vast majority of these are either negative or neutral. They're typically neutral if they occur in the non-coding segment of DNA, which is not used as blueprints for proteins. (We're still not entirely sure what the purpose is of all this non-coding DNA. There was a time when all of it was thought to be "junk," or leftovers from previous evolutionary steps. Now we know that at least some of it serves a purpose: of regulation, saying when a given sequence should or shouldn't be transcribed, where the coding gene begins and ends, binding sites for the transcription mechanism to begin, kind of like the coupling component of a zipper, and things like that. Telomeres, the caps on our chromosomes now known to be one of the determining factors of biological age, are also part of non-coding DNA. Other segments of it protect the structure of the chromosomes so that they maintain their integrity during cell replication. No doubt more purposes will be understood in time, but I seriously doubt any of it will turn out to be "junk"). Negative DNA mutations in coding sequences is one of the mechanisms by which cancer occurs. These can be either "nonsense" or "missense" mutations. Nonsense mutations are when a point mutation forms what's called a "stop" codon (where a codon is a set of three base pairs, forming a "word" of sorts.) Rather that continuing to code for a protein, the stop codon in the middle of the sequence would simply prematurely truncate the protein code entirely. Missense mutations occur when a point mutation switches one codon to another... like turning "cat" into "bat" or "rat," with an entirely different meaning. Each codon calls for a different amino acid, so such a mutation may substitute a different one with different chemical properties, which (if those properties are different enough) might contribute to different stereochemistry, or folding of that protein once made. The stereochemistry largely determines the protein's function, so it might be thus altered (and nearly always for the worse)... though there are are redundancies, such that multiple codons call for the same amino acids (there are only twenty amino acids, after all). So it's possible the mutation might be "silent" even if in a coding sequence of DNA, in this case. Environmental factors known to increase DNA mutation rates include things like ionizing radiation (UV, x-ray, gamma ray, etc), and various carcinogenic chemicals. If these mutations occur in germ cells, they can be passed on to progeny, assuming that the mutation isn't rapidly fatal before it can be passed on. In some cases, the resulting "disease" may confer a survival advantage in a given environment--for example, sickle cell anemia, a point mutation that changes the shape of red blood cells. It does indeed cause severe disease, but it also happens to protect against malaria, endemic in Africa. This is probably why sickle cell is far more common in Africa that in other parts of the world. But it's quite a stretch to say that was a "positive" mutation. Sickle cell anemia manifests with recurrent hemolytic crises, in which red blood cells burst, leading to severe low levels in the bloodstream (which means not enough oxygen for the tissues). Red blood cells can also get stuck in small vessels, leading to clots, spleen and liver enlargement, etc. Sure, the mutation happens to have a survival benefit in Africa, but "positive," the way a sudden functioning eye might be? I don't think so. And that's the thing: we can't point to a single known unequivocally positive DNA mutation. The most we can do is identify some "bad" ones that happen to have a silver lining in a particular environment. From there, evolutionists extrapolate (tremendously!) that in the distant past, many such mutations must have occurred--even though we have no evidence that they did, and all evidence we do have seems to suggest otherwise. I've seen some sources that speculate that positive mutations occur about 1/1000 times per generation, though the paper, "The population genetics of mutations: good, bad, and indifferent" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871823/) makes the point that this is an exceedingly difficult number to quantify, because how one mutation might interact with another, let alone how multiple