A Few Minutes with God

Does your soul hunger for God? Do you feel that something is missing in your life? Are you unsettled? In this episode of A Few Minutes with God Podcast, we discover what it means to hunger for God and how you can feel your soul! Hunger For God Episode 44 Thanks to the sponsor, Eden’s Table. The choices we make each day are something we don’t think much about, we just do them. We are creatures of habit, I wake up each morning and expect to drink a cup of coffee, and sit for a few minutes as I wake up. We do things out of habit more so than actually thinking about it — and habits are formed with routine. We do the things that don’t affect our salvation either way — whether I drink a cup of coffee or not has nothing to do with how I feel about my relationship with God. But, if we take the time to think and contemplate life, often we feel that something is missing. That could be one of the reasons we keep our lives so busy–so we don’t have to think. Because if we do, we may find we are unsatisfied with an element of our lives. Why? Man was created to know, love, and serve God, but how do we love someone we do not know? Unless we spend time with God each day and allow Him to be the Lord of our lives, we will always feel unsettled… that there has to be more, and seek after pleasure in places that will leave us empty! When we think about hunger for God we think of food and drink. John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” If we come to Him… it is an invitation, and we know it is more than food and drink that our Lord offers up but the offer of everlasting life… we will never thirst. It is a call of eternity with God! John 7:37-38 “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” Jesus is the living water, he came not only to feed the hungry as he did with the miracle of the loaves and fishes but to feed more than our bodies, to feed our souls. Our hunger for God goes beyond the physical which is why we seem unsettled when we are out of sorts with God. Ask yourself these questions: Have I spent time today with God in prayer? Have I listened to God today in quiet? Have I read from the Holy Bible? Have I journaled anything that comes to mind? Am I open to God’s leading in my life? Our soul thirsts for God in the everyday matters in our life, in our decisions in our feelings of despair and dismay. Psalm 42:2 “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?” Our soul thirsts for God whether we realize it or not, and we seek after something we can’t attain unless we understand this very fact — our love of God is sustained in prayer and when we feel out of sorts we should pray. Psalm 63:1 “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” This journey is similar to when people talk about a “desert” experience. Being in the desert paints a picture of being lost and without water and something that would be harsh, yet this is similar to the state of our souls when we yearn for God and find ourselves lost in the desert of our own making due to our free will – those choices may seem right at the time but they leave us feeling empty. Self Reflection: How do I spend the majority of my time? What do I do daily that brings me joy? Is this joy short lived? Is there a purpose to my day? Do I feel happy when I head to bed at night? What are some things you can do differently each day to focus more on the end result – life everlasting with God than the here and now? There are always life circumstances that are important, work, family getting food on the table, what appears to be the simple and mundane can be done with joy if you have God in your life. Each day, each breath we take we can praise and give thanks to the Lord we serve. Hungering for God means filling our souls with every good thing, in the things we watch on TV, the internet, read, or listen to… are we putting things into our body that will help us grow toward love of God or things that will hinder our progress? When we seek after God all the things that previously seemed so important seem so little in comparison. It’s like the lady who loved her hair, it was her best asset — yet, when she found out she had cancer and would lose her hair, she happily shaved it off in an effort to combat the horrible feeling of losing it in pieces. Her battle with cancer was successful and when her hair grew back, more beautiful than before she didn’t even care that much. Why? Because she realized the preciousness of life and what appeared so important before was now a minor. If we change our priorities in life and put God first we can satiate the hunger! We will then grow closer to God and strive to live a life that is pleasing to Him. The things that were a priority become a footnote – many things still need to be accomplished daily but with God at the head, it all seems to work out for the better. Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. By hungering for God we also hunger for righteousness and happily, that is so much more satisfying! Let’s pray! I praise you and thank you Lord that any effort we place into seeking a deeper relationship with You is always rewarded so much more than we can imagine. I thank you for putting that hunger for God into my soul — for inviting me to seek you in a greater way! I ask you to help me make you a number one priority in my life, to help me to wake up early enough to pray each day, to help me to think of you last before I go to sleep at night, to help me to see all the ways you help me and are there for me each day. Help me to know you and love you more each day! Lord I ask you for the following intention in my life …. I thank you ahead of time for answered prayer, and I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen. The post Hunger For God: How To Feed Your Soul appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Have you wondered if the Shroud of Turin is real? And why “Turin”? What does this have to do with the burial cloth reported to have covered our beloved Savior? In this podcast, your host, Felice Gerwitz, shares a personal experience. Shroud of Turin: What the Cloth Still Says About Jesus ~ Episode 378 The Shroud of Turin continues to speak powerfully about Jesus. Recently I visited the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando. What I experienced there—and what my grandchildren experienced—went far beyond any documentary or article I had seen before. A Personal Encounter with the Shroud of Turin We entered a quiet room, watched a short video on the history and testing of the Shroud of Turin, and then stood before the displays. The atmosphere was hushed. People spoke in whispers. It felt as if we were standing before the crucified Christ Himself. The size of the nails, the replica of the Roman flagrum, and especially the helmet-style crown of thorns left a lasting impression. The crown was not a simple circlet. It covered the top of the head and forehead. A life-sized replica of the Shroud of Turin image and its photographic negative revealed the face with startling clarity. There was even a metal panel on which the actual Shroud of Turin had rested—a second-class relic for those who accept its authenticity. Ordinary means cannot explain the image itself, and that is the true mystery. It appears formed by energy from a body that was upright, hair hanging straight rather than spread out. Infrared studies show three-dimensional information. These details point beyond burial to the moment of the Resurrection. Who Is the Man of the Shroud of Turin? The wounds visible on the Shroud of Turin match the Gospel accounts with precision: scourge marks, nail wounds through the wrists, the side wound, and the injuries from a full crown of thorns. (Turin, Italy, is where the Shroud resides.) Isaiah 53:5 declares, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.” John 19:40–42 and John 20:5–7 describe the burial in linen cloths and the discovery of the empty tomb. The Shroud of Turin invites us to hold the wounds, the burial, and the empty tomb together in humility and wonder. The Divine Mercy Image and the Face on the Shroud of Turin The first Divine Mercy image, painted in 1934 by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski under the direction of St. Faustina, bears a striking resemblance to the face on the Shroud of Turin. Neither the artist nor Sister Faustina had detailed knowledge of the Shroud at that time. The parallel continues to draw the attention of many who see the same merciful Savior in both images. This was something I didn’t know! An Invitation for Seekers and Believers The Shroud is an invitation to remember what the Savior of the world did for us! The Man of the Shroud of Turin, the Suffering Servant, the Risen Lord. Whether you come as a longtime believer or a seeker, the cloth still points to Him. Spend a few minutes with God this week reflecting on the wounds that healed us and the empty tomb that gives us hope. For More Study: National Shroud of Turin Exhibit: https://www.nationalshroudofturinexhibit.org/ Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe: https://www.maryqueen.org/ Related Episodes from A Few Minutes with God Podcast Finding Joy On The Road To Calvary Examination of Conscience The Cost of Following Jesus Christian Strength Spiritual Grace From God The post Shroud of Turin appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

The Kingdom of God can seem far away, and when we hear “The first shall be last,” this can be discouraging. In this episode of A Few Minutes with God, host Felice Gerwitz shares hopeful news: “The first shall be last” is a call to a joyful heart, not a threat hanging over those who already love the Lord. The First Shall Be Last And How To Avoid This Happening To You ~ Episode 377 A landowner hires workers at dawn for a denarius, the usual daily wage. He returns through the day, even at the eleventh hour — and hires more. When evening comes, every laborer receives the same pay. The first workers grumble. The landowner has not cheated them. He has kept his word, and he is free to be generous. How Does Matthew 19 Prepare Us for This Parable? This teaching is already echoing in Matthew 19:16-30. A rich man had kept God’s laws from his youth. He came to Jesus wanting eternal life. When he was asked to sell everything for the Kingdom, he turned away sad. He had followed so much — and still could not let go. Jesus said: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24, RSV-CE) The disciples wondered who then could be saved. Jesus answered: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26, RSV-CE) And He closed that scene with the same refrain that frames the vineyard: “But many that are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30, RSV-CE) Do we need to worry? No. The rich man trusted what he already had. The first laborers trusted what they had already done. In both places Jesus shows the same mercy: the Kingdom is God’s gift. What is impossible with men is possible with God. What Is the Parable of the Laborers About? This Gospel is about the Kingdom, not about keeping score. The vineyard is the Lord’s field. The denarius is eternal life, not a paycheck we calculate by the hour. The first workers can stand for those called early who then resent latecomers — tax collectors, sinners, and those the first group never expected to see as equals. The hours of the day can also be the seasons of a life: childhood, youth, the years of strength, and even old age. St. Gregory the Great taught that the landowner keeps going out because God never tires of calling. St. Augustine and others remind us that the wage is the same because the gift is the same: God Himself. The Good Thief received the same promise as those who followed for years. The last workers were not lazy. No one had hired them. If they did not work, they did not eat. God has an abundance to give. He is just, and He is generous. “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:15-16, RSV-CE) The Good News If You Already Believe You do not need to fear that a lifetime of faith will be wasted because God is kind to someone who comes later. Heaven is a gift, not a contest. The years you have already spent with the Lord are themselves a blessing. When a sinner finds Christ, heaven rejoices. We are invited to rejoice too. Five Encouragements from This Episode Joyous: Be joyous knowing you are on the right path. Surround yourself with like-minded Christians who can encourage you. Listen to more podcasts like this one that can encourage and help you on your journey. Rest in this: the same Lord who called you is still calling others — and His generosity has not run out. Thank God that heaven is a gift, not a contest. Your years with Him are already a blessing. You are a believer. You are headed toward the Lord, who waits with an open heart. Spend a few minutes with God today, and ask Him to fill you with His joy — joy over your own calling, and joy over every soul He welcomes home. Related Episodes from A Few Minutes with God Unworthy of God — Mercy for the heart that feels it has no claim on His love. God’s Love Is Sufficient — Grace is enough when we cannot earn what we need. Living on Purpose: God’s Plan for Everyday Life — Ordinary days in the vineyard still matter. Christian Example — A life that lifts others up. Called to Be Saints — Embracing Holiness in Everyday Life — Holiness walked out one faithful hour at a time. The post The First Shall Be Last appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

What does it mean to dream big when the dream isn’t about money, status, or followers — but about God? In this episode, Felice Gerwitz takes a phrase she’s heard in a hundred marketing seminars and author workshops and holds it up to Scripture. Dreaming big in faith, she explains, isn’t chasing a bigger house or a million-dollar book deal. It’s giving God permission to work in your life beyond anything you could manufacture on your own. Felice shares the story of a young homeschool mom who had received one word from the Lord for the year: say yes to really good opportunities. When Felice invited her to start a podcast, she said yes on the spot — no overthinking, no talking herself out of it. That single yes became a living picture of what faith in action looks like. She’s also honest about her own resistance. This very episode sat written but unrecorded for over a month while the two that follow it got produced — a small, familiar example of how easily we stall on the thing God has put in front of us, and how often we mistake the enemy’s obstacles for our own good reasons. From there, Felice walks through a simple, practical starting point: a comfortable chair, an open Bible, a journal, and ten to thirty uninterrupted minutes. She offers a short prayer to begin with and three honest questions to bring to the Lord: What have I been ignoring? Where have I settled for safe instead of faithful? What is one small, concrete step I could take this week? Along the way she looks at the ordinary people Scripture is full of — Abraham, who left everything familiar; Joseph, who endured betrayal, slavery, and prison before God used him to save nations; and Mary, a young, poor girl who answered an angel with “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.” None of them started with a big plan. They started with trust. Felice also names the lies that shrink our dreams — I’m too old, I’m too young, I don’t have the education, someone else is already doing it better, what if I fail and look foolish — and reminds listeners that Moses stuttered, Gideon hid, David was overlooked, and the disciples were fishermen and tax collectors. Their limitations were exactly what made God’s power unmistakable. She closes with the joy she’s found in a project she once thought impossible: revamping more than twenty of her own curriculum books. The mountain hasn’t moved, but the work is getting done — and she describes a peace, vigor, and confirmation she can’t explain apart from the Lord. If you’ve been waiting for a dramatic sign or a sudden burst of courage, consider this your gentle invitation to begin today. You don’t need to see the whole path. You only need to take the next faithful step with the light you have. In This Episode You’ll Hear Why dreaming big in faith is nothing like what the world calls success The young mom whose one-word prayer — say yes — changed her year Felice’s honest confession about the episode that sat unrecorded for a month How “being realistic” can quietly become a disguise for fear A simple four-part starting point: a chair, a Bible, a journal, and 30 minutes The prayer to pray before you begin, and three honest questions to ask the Lord Abraham, Joseph, and Mary — ordinary people who simply said yes The lies that shrink our dreams, and why our limitations showcase God’s strength Why clarity usually comes after the first step of obedience, not before it What resistance looks like when you start leaning into a God-sized dream Felice’s own “impossible” project — and the joy she never expected to find in it Start Here: Four Steps to Dreaming Big with God Find a comfortable chair Take out your Bible Keep a journal beside you Give it 10–30 minutes of undivided time Pray first: Lord, help me to do what You want me to do. Help me to always be in Your will. Help me to hear Your gentle voice, and help me with the gift and blessing of discernment. Then ask: Lord, what have You placed on my heart that I’ve been ignoring or minimizing? Where have I settled for safe instead of faithful? What would it look like to take one small, concrete step this week? Scripture “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” — Luke 1:38 Memorable Quotes “Dreaming big gives the Lord permission in our life to allow Him to work in a way that is beyond our expectations and beyond anything we could do on our own.” — Felice Gerwitz “Being real is useful… but it can also be a tool of the enemy. It can be a convenient disguise. And it can disguise fear.” — Felice Gerwitz “Clarity usually comes after the first step of obedience, not before it. Waiting for perfect understanding can become a form of delayed obedience.” — Felice Gerwitz “If I had known in my 30s that it would be 20 years down the road, I might have lost heart. But I know now that things happen in God’s perfect time.” — Felice Gerwitz Connect A Few Minutes with God is part of the Ultimate Christian Podcast Network. Show notes: AFewMinutesWithGodPodcast.com Listen on your favorite podcast app — and if this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more listeners can find it. Mentioned: Choosing God Daily: Faith in Action The post Dream Bigger Than Your Excuses appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Overcome Daily Struggles Episode 52 Is it time to overcome daily struggles? Does it seem that there is always a new daily struggle to overcome? Sometimes the pile gets overwhelming and then we fall under the strain. In this episode of A Few Minutes With God Podcast, we’ll discuss scripture verses that will help as well as the hope that is in store for those who believe. When I think about ways to overcome daily struggles I remember a book I read years ago I read a book to the kids Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It was published in 1972 and even won a series of literary prizes for children’s literature. The reason? It resounded with the old and young alike. We always have to deal with everyday life and some days are harder than others. Each day we struggle. Each day we fall, each day we do things we are not proud of doing. How do we stand up under the crushing weight that is on our shoulders? It is not easy. Overcome Daily Struggles I thought that this was the week that would do me in! There was no way I could overcome my daily struggles. This week has been one of the hardest weeks. Actually the last two weeks. I’ve had ups and downs in my life in dealing with situations out of my control. And I truly think those are the hardest. Those are the ones where we have to throw up our hands and ask the Lord to help us. Recently one of my children was waiting for room assignments in a college dorm and instead of the private room she requested she’ll be sharing one big room with two other girls. She also had a hard time signing up for classes as a transfer upperclassman. Things happen, they are stressful but we make do. My other son twisted his ankle while training, and he is playing a college sport on scholarship – so the stress is that he would heal in time to keep training. Then two days later another son fell off a ladder at work and had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. One daily struggle then another, then another. We sometimes wonder when it will stop? The enemy likes nothing better than to kick us when we are down. To remind us of all the bad things happening in our lives while glossing over all the good that comes out of our struggles. Realize that when we struggle we can suffer real pain. It can come first in the sense of worry, anxiety, stress, tears, anger and then translate into physical ailments such as a stomach ache, headaches, or restlessness and insomnia. Anxiety can lead to depression and yet there is hope. Scriptures Show Us How To Overcome Daily Struggles Things will get better. One reason? Because we are promised this in scripture. We have to look no further than the book of Job. Job 14: 14 “If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes. A change will come. It can come in the form of others praying with us, understanding our needs and standing up for us in times when we need help. It can come in the form of relief — a change in the situation and a need that comes from the struggle. Sometimes we become so self-sufficient, we are our own worse enemies. We don’t want to ask for help because we don’t want anyone to know what we are going through. Just ask. Friends are there for you in so many different ways! Trials and struggles can help us to grow stronger. We know that if the Lord denied the cross there would be no resurrection. James 1:2 states -Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials… That is a hard verse to read if you are in the midst of struggling. Joy in the midst of trials? Only with God’s grace and only with the help of Almighty God. What does Ephesians say about ways to overcome daily struggles? Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Our struggles and our daily walk is not done alone. Remember, you are not invincible and you don’t have to carry the burden yourself. If you are on social media on Facebook I have a page for prayers – you can post them here and I will get a notification to pray. You don’t have to be specific – just saying, “I need prayers,” is good enough. A community of believers can be helpful in times when your struggle. Recently when my son had to go to the hospital after a fall at work I messaged and posted on several private groups asking people to pray. The prayers came pouring in. He was released from the hospital and all was fine – but of course, before we knew if everything was going to be alright it was filed under the classification of “Oh no!” and the stress level was high! Psalm 34:18 states The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Thank-you Lord for being close to us when we are broken-hearted. For making crooked lines straight. For helping us in knowing that You hear our prayers. Psalm 23:4 — Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. No matter what you are going through, no matter how horrible or how sad, the “valley of the shadow of death” in our lives we are told to fear no evil because God is with us and He will comfort us. That my friends is the real key. Understanding that we don’t walk alone. Let’s Pray for help for help to Overcome Daily Struggles: Jesus, we trust in you – we trust in your providence for us each and every day. We ask you to bless and keep us safe, for our loved ones to be surrounded by your love and your protection. We ask that you help us daily to know that you are there and that you hear our prayers. Please Lord hear us as we pray for these intentions… and thank you Lord ahead of time for hearing us! In Jesus Name, Amen. The post Overcome Daily Struggles appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.