Excel Still More

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Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: jon@cunninghamfinancialgroup.com

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer

Email: Tcain@embracehomeloans.com

Phone: 813-380-8487
What if the hardest part of Start, Stop, Continue is simply learning to stop? Not only from sinful or harmful things, but from good, useful, ordinary things that can quietly crowd out what matters most.

In this episode, we begin in Leviticus 23, where God deliberately built Sabbath rest, remembrance, and interruption into Israel’s life. We then move into the New Testament and the example of Jesus, who regularly withdrew from crowds, activity, and demands in order to pray and be with the Father.

From there, we consider insights from Dr. Arthur Brooks on technology, meaning, and the danger of becoming “deskilled in the deepest mysteries of life.” Our phones have nearly eliminated boredom, silence, and reflection. So how do we get some of that back?

The answer may be surprisingly simple: TIME. ZONES. FASTS.

Set times when the phone is off limits. Create places where it does not go. Practice regular periods of separation.

The goal is not to hate technology. It is to refuse to be mastered by it, to make room for faith and relationships, and to recover the ability to be still, think deeply, and know God.

The J.O.Y.ful Life - Solving a Massive Amount of People Problems Oct 05, 2026

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BRAND NEW - Daily Seek Ye First Journal
Finding Jesus First - OT Bible Series
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Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: jon@cunninghamfinancialgroup.com

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer

Email: Tcain@embracehomeloans.com

Phone: 813-380-8487
A surprising number of the problems we face are preventable. We spend too much time thinking about ourselves, too much energy thinking negatively about other people, and too much of today looking backward at yesterday. Before long, we are discouraged, distracted, frustrated, and stuck.

There is a better way to begin each day: J.O.Y.

Jesus first. Others second. Yourself third.

When you start every morning by putting Jesus first, you remember who you belong to and what matters most. When you turn your attention toward others, you begin looking for ways to encourage, serve, forgive, and help instead of criticizing and comparing. And when you put yourself in the proper place, you discover that humility does not diminish your life. It gives your life direction.

That order produces three things we desperately need: humility, hope, and purpose. Humility keeps us from making everything about ourselves. Hope keeps the past from controlling the future. Purpose gives us something meaningful to pursue today.

From there, every day becomes an opportunity to make simple adjustments: start what helps, stop what hurts, and continue what is already working.

You cannot change yesterday, and you cannot control everyone around you. But you can decide how you will begin today. Start with Jesus. Think about others. Put yourself in the right place. Then move forward with humility, hope, and purpose.

Choose J.O.Y. every morning, and give yourself a better chance to live a better day.

Start With Why (2026) - Sequencing Life, Relationships, and Faith Sep 28, 2026

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GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, DEUTERONOMY: JESUS BOOKS (Book on Amazon)
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Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: jon@cunninghamfinancialgroup.com

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer

Email: Tcain@embracehomeloans.com

Phone: 813-380-8487

Simon Sinek’s Start With Why challenges us to begin with the deeper purpose behind what we do. That principle has powerful applications for faith and relationships. In the Christian life, the sequence matters: Grace, Faith, Life. We begin with what God has done for us. His grace produces faith, and genuine faith shapes the way we live. Too often, we start with behavior and work backward. But when we understand the “why,” everything changes. In this episode, we explore how starting with grace can deepen our faith, strengthen our relationships, and produce a life that flows naturally from gratitude, purpose, and love.

Stages of Growth: Little Children to Young Men to Fathers Sep 21, 2026

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GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS: JESUS BOOKS (Book on Amazon)
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Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: jon@cunninghamfinancialgroup.com

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer

Email: Tcain@embracehomeloans.com

Phone: 813-380-8487

Stages of Growth

What does spiritual maturity actually look like?

In 1 John 2:12–24, John speaks to little children, young men, and fathers—a beautiful picture of stages of growth in the Christian life. We begin as little children, overwhelmed with gratitude that our sins are forgiven and that we belong to God. As we grow, that gratitude develops into the strength of young men—a life of sacrificial service, overcoming the evil one and giving ourselves fully to the work of God.

But maturity takes us even deeper. Like fathers who have “known Him who is from the beginning,” we learn to rest in something greater than what God has done for us or even what we can do for Him: simply knowing God Himself.

We never leave gratitude behind. We never outgrow service. We carry both with us as we mature into a deeper relationship with the eternal God.

Grateful for what He has done.
Committed to what we can do for Him.
Growing to simply know Him.

That is the journey of spiritual growth.

Praying to Jesus - Exploring His Praise in the Psalms Sep 14, 2026

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NEW GENESIS: A JESUS BOOK (Book on Amazon)
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Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: jon@cunninghamfinancialgroup.com

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer

Email: Tcain@embracehomeloans.com

Phone: 813-380-8487
Top 5 Arguments AGAINST Praying to Jesus:
1) Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father.

2) Jesus Himself prayed to the Father

3) The apostles normally addressed prayers to God/the Father.

4) Jesus is specifically described as our mediator/intercessor.

5) "In Jesus' Name" naturally suggests praying to God through Jesus.

Top 5 Arguments FOR Praying to Jesus:

1) Stephen directly addressed Jesus while dying.

2) Paul apparently prayed directly to Jesus about the thorn in the flesh.

3) Revelation ends with a direct request to Jesus.

4) Early Christians are described as people who "call upon" Jesus' name.

5) Psalm 45 / Hebrews 1 provides an intriguing example of praising Jesus.

Job's So-Called Friends - How to Remain Helpful and Compassionate Sep 07, 2026

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Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: jon@cunninghamfinancialgroup.com

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer

Email: Tcain@embracehomeloans.com

Phone: 813-380-8487

Job's Friends Did Some Things Right:

1. They Showed Up

2. They Entered Into His Grief

3. They Sat In Silence

4. They Believed Strongly In God

5. They Spoke What They Believed

Eliphas was influenced by Experience

Bildad by Tradition. Zophar by Certainty.

So, they made some prideful mistakes:

1. They assumed they knew why Job was suffering

2. They turned principles into absolute truths

3. They stopped listening

4. Their accusations became harsher

5. They lacked compassion

6. They spoke for God without understanding God

Don't Thank God... Yet. Making Your Prayer Life More About God Aug 31, 2026

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Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: jon@cunninghamfinancialgroup.com

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer

Email: Tcain@embracehomeloans.com

Phone: 813-380-8487
Key Passages: Psalm 148; Exodus 15; Matthew 6

Of course we should thank God. Scripture is filled with thanksgiving, and gratitude ought to be a constant part of the Christian heart. We should thank Him for His blessings, His grace, His provision, His forgiveness, and the countless ways He works in our lives.

But before I thank God for what He has done, I want to remember who God is.

There is something powerful about approaching God without beginning with ourselves. Before I get to what He has given me, what I need from Him, or what I hope He will do, I simply praise Him. He is holy. He is righteous. He is eternal. He is Creator. He is King. He is worthy.

Praise says, “God, You deserve my worship whether You give me anything else or not.” It glorifies Him not first for His gifts, but for His Deity and identity. “Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised” (Psalm 145:3).

So yes, thank God. Thank Him often. Bring your requests to Him. Tell Him what you need. But maybe before any of that, spend some time simply telling God how great He is.

Praise His name. Honor His glory. Worship Him from the heart. Thank Him—but praise Him first.

Back to School - Rocking the Fall Schedule in Step with God Aug 24, 2026

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3 things to remember as you get back into the routine of Fall:

- God goes with you wherever you are.

- God gives you what you need for today.

- God will use ordinary events to do extraordinary things.

3 questions to ask yourself or discuss with your family:

- What will get your best effort this coming Fall season?

- What will your kids remember when they look back on this time?

- Are we teaching achievement or faithfulness? What matters most?

3 simple things you can do:

- Pray as a family before setting out on any new day or adventure.

- Steal a moment from the world each day to commune with or serve God.

- Select a Fruit of the Spirit, pray about it, and feature it for a period of time.

Being Before Doing - How Identity Shapes Covenant Faithfulness Aug 17, 2026

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