This is the Day Rejoice

Her womb was empty, but so were her arms.

At 40 weeks and three days pregnant, Allie and her husband, Jeramy, went to the hospital expecting to meet their healthy firstborn child. Instead, a doctor took Allie's hand and told them the words no parent ever wants to hear: their baby was gone.

The young couple faced the devastating reality of infant loss, empty arms, a nursery prepared for a baby who would never come home, and the question every grieving heart asks: Why?

But their story is not ultimately about death. It is...

Abortion: That was the answer one couple chose recently when they discovered their preborn baby tested positive for Down syndrome. They made their choice proudly, sharing it publicly on social media.

Thirteen years ago, a woman gave birth to her second-born son, who also has Down syndrome. Today, we get to hear about what a joyful blessing that child has been. Join Elizabeth and Monika in this special episode as we praise our good Lord - who does not make mistakes!

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Idleness is self-focus - seeking to please and serve ourselves. We are called to be diligent and to live quiet, simple lives that glorify and honor God. We are not to be busybodies in our actions or our words, for that is a sign of idleness. Instead, we are to work diligently where God has placed us.

We do this so that we represent Christ well to the unbelievers around us and so that others do not have to carry our burdens or pick up our slack. We need to work faithfully and diligently where God has...

Nobody enjoys correction, but it's necessary for growth in Christ. Join Elizabeth Giles and Monika Walker as they consider how to give and receive admonishment/correction, in light of   Psalm 141:5. 

David doesn't want even a trace of wickedness to cling to him. He sees wickedness all around him, and his heart is deeply concerned that he not follow that path. He welcomes and even asks for admonishment so that his life may be righteous and holy. He recognizes that God's standard is holiness and that he falls far short of it. He says that admonishment is both a...

Our older episodes might be a little cringy (to our own ears at least!) but the Word of God holds true, regardless. Since Elizabeth is STILL silent with a terrible case of laryngitis, Monika brings it back to this encouraging teaching through Psalm 118:1-4. 

God's hesed love is merciful, given freely, even when we are in the most pathetic state. WAY better than a box of chocolates - it never runs out and you always know what you're going to : steadfast love.

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When this is the day discouragement, frustration, sadness, anger, loneliness, jealousy, bi...

Have you ever been in the midst of pain, and someone's words to you caused more hurt, instead of help? We are called to season our words with grace, as Colossians 4:6 instructs, so that we know how to respond to each person. What we say, and how we say it, truly matters. It has the power to heal or to hurt. We speak Scripture to encourage others, but we must use it appropriately, as Ephesians 4:29 teaches, tailoring our words to fit the situation. When unsure of how to respond in a conversation, it's wise to pray for guidance. And...

Have you ever wondered about the stories behind some of the beautiful hymnals we sing? Join us for this fun and informative episode as Elizabeth and Monika share the background of two beloved classics: *Great Is Thy Faithfulness* and *Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing*. This short and sweet hymn study will deepen your appreciation and understanding of the lyrics you use to praise the Lord.

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What if one of the most influential things you ever do is happening right now in the daily work of raising your children? In this episode, we take a clear and practical look at Proverbs 22:6 and what it means to train children up in the way they should go. Solomon wrote Proverbs to teach his children, reminding us that parents are the primary disciplers, while grandparents, church leaders, and mentors come alongside to reinforce truth. We discuss how children are shaped and imprinted over time through consistent teaching, godly example, correction, and a steady diet of God's Word. This...

 Prayer is another principle of "one anothering" in Scripture. We often think of prayer as simply getting on our knees to ask God for something. But this word for prayer means more than that - it means to seek, ask, beg, or implore. 

The prayer described in this passage is fervent and continuous, actively bringing about change. The person seeking the Lord is a righteous man who loves God, knows he is a sinner, and believes in the work of Christ on the cross, following Him faithfully. The powerful prayer of this righteous man is very effective. Ja...

Understanding what hospitality means in hosting is so important. Not because we need to be women who know how to whip up a gorgeous charcuterie tray and have the right conversational layout in our living rooms, but because of the very opposite - we are commanded to be hospitable, and we should be able to do that well within our homes.

One meaning, many applications. Today we're going to zoom in on the application of hospitality in hosting.

1 Peter 4:9 - Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Romans 12:13b  - Seek to show hospitality.

Do you ever use words without really knowing what they mean? Do you speak "Christianese"? It's important to study the historical and cultural background of words so we can interpret them correctly and understand what we're truly saying.

Yet, like the imperfect and sometimes careless people we are, we often use words based on their connotations rather than their true meanings. Today, we're going to look at four words that many of us have spoken - and certainly sung - to better understand their full significance. Our hope is that the next time we use them, they...

Hanging scripture on your walls is a wonderful thing to do. But we have to be veeeery careful about which scriptures we hang, as many of the Bible verses that make it to print, are taken so out of context, that it would be foolish to hang them on our walls! Today we look at one of those verses in one of our favorite series, Hobby Lobby Signs. 

I bet you've seen this classic sign, plenty of times:  
Deut 28:6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go...

We can control what we think. It's hard, and we often tell ourselves, "I can't help it," but we can help it. We cannot dwell on sinful thoughts and meditate on Christ at the same time. So we discipline ourselves, exercise self-control, and choose to dwell on the gospel and on Christ instead.

Paul gives us specific principles for doing this. We have the Spirit to guide our thinking. We have the truth of God Himself and our Savior, Christ. We have Scripture to help us think rightly. Take your thoughts captive to the truth of Christ...

Patient endurance - that is steadfastness. You can't grow steadfastness without trials. In the Bible, we see God use suffering to teach and test Job, and Job remained steadfast and grew in his faith and understanding of the greatness of God. We can too. As Christians, we MUST. 

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When this is the day the trial proves painful, prolonged, and unexpected - even when it feels profoundly unfair, and even when it is merely a small, first-world problem - stand firm in Christ.

Remain steadfast. Ask God to stir in you a deep desire t...

Paulette's vibrancy faded - laughter gone, simple tasks exhausting, the world distant. What looked like deepening depression was a large benign brain tumor silently pressing for years. Through mystery, misdiagnosis, Rob's steadfast care, devoted family, two brain surgeries, surgical error, infection, a car accident, reconstructive procedures, and even titanium discs turned into earrings, God's good and sovereign hand guided every step.

Through it all, Paulette and Rob Hasting remained steadfast in the Lord. Paulette's personality and joy returned after surgery. Today they embrace their new normal - vision challenges, a hollow forehead, annual scans - with gratitude...

Fun family traditions, incorrect nativity scenes, sneaky Elf on the Shelf antics, confusion about Santa Claus, the evil King Herod, and trying to spot the Star of Bethlehem again - all this and more in this special Christmas episode with Elizabeth Giles and Monika Walker. Join us as we briefly look at these major Christmas themes, through a biblical lens.

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Resources:

Visit our shop for super one-of-a-kind designs that promote gospel centered conversations. From unique shirts to gorgeous wall prints, collectible coffee mugs and more!

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This Is The Day...

God, through Christ, covered all our offenses against Him, and there are many! Why would we think we could or should do differently? It was His glory to do so, and the same is true for us. To cover another's offense is to love them as Christ loves us.

1 Corinthians 13:7 says that love "bears all things, believes all things [assumes the best], hopes all things, endures all things." The opposite of this is repeating the offense to others or rehearsing it in our minds, stirring up our emotions. That causes division between friends! That is not how...

We must never, ever grumble.

Grumbling starts with what we dislike or reject. We nurse it, replay it, let it spin in our minds - fueling argument and rebellion. That only breeds more sin.

Because of the gospel, believers have zero excuse to grumble—none.

Paul tells the Philippians: in light of the gospel, work out your salvation without grumbling or disputing. Stay faithful. Shine brightly in a crooked, dark world.

The contrast between believers and the world should be stark.

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When this is the day you se...

Honoring your parents doesn't stop when you turn eighteen. Obedience may end, but honor lasts a lifetime. We are called to honor both our father and our mother - and that includes your husband's parents - your mother-in-law and father-in-law. Your husband is commanded to do the same. Together, you are to work to honor your parents.

But what if they aren't believers, or if they are difficult to honor? Romans reminds us that, as much as it depends on us, we should live at peace with everyone. That includes challenging in-laws, if you have them. In...

Reformation Day can be a fun alternative OR addition to the commercial holiday, Halloween. Hand out gospel tracks and candy bars, share the gospel with the parents of trick-or-treaters, and refresh your memory about Reformation Day, giving praise to God for how he has orchestrated events to bring the faithful church to where it is today. 

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When this is the day you are considering whether celebrating Halloween should be "celebrated" by your family or not, do yourself a great favor and read this article by Pastor Travis Allen, which examins on the this subject, the i...

Paul was wrongly accused of seeking to please men, but it was the Judaizers who compromised the Gospel out of fear of man. Paul feared God, not people, and boldly upheld the truth of salvation by faith in Christ alone. Elizabeth Giles and Monika Walker explore how the fear of man distorts truth - and how we're called to live to please God, instead of man.

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When this is the day you find yourself convicted by your sinful fear of man, take heart. We are not without hope. We are not slaves to sin—we ar...

Christians are called not merely to hear the Word of God but to live it out faithfully, as James declares: "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). The Scriptures pierce the depths of the human heart, exposing our true motives while judging our thoughts, rebuking our sins, encouraging our spirits, and exhorting us toward righteous living and unwavering faith.

To fully grasp this transformative truth, we must rely on faithful translations that honor the original intent. Modern distortions and manipulations can subtly alter meanings, paving the way for misleading doctrines that stray...

When we're weak and turn to a worldly system for comfort and strength instead of to Christ, we're not boasting in our weakness, as Paul did, but rather in our own cunning and strength.

Self-care is the world's solution to most of women's problems, but it's not biblical - not the way it's promoted by the world. So what's a girl to do? Join Elizabeth and Monika as they filter self-care, through a biblical lens. 

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When this is the day you need some self-care, go for it. But first, get on your knees i...

When the world feels overwhelmingly dark and chaotic, one of the best things we can do is turn our focus to the one unchanging Maker of heaven and earth - our holy Lord God. Join Elizabeth and Monika as they explore four attributes of God, thinking deeply about what these characteristics truly mean, so we can rightly meditate on His sovereignty, mercy, providence, and lovingkindness.

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When this is the day your trials abound - when this is the day you're filled with great sorrow, worry, anxiety, or fear - meditate on the lovingkindness of God...

Lying, rooted in hatred, is the opposite of love. It destroys trust and unity within the body of Christ.

As those who have died to sin, believers are called to speak the truth in love. Truth-telling isn't just about honesty - it's an act of love that builds up others. Lying tears down, but truth in love builds up.

Join Elizabeth and Monika as they filter the sin of lying through a biblical lens, considering what lying is, how to put it off, and how to put on a righteous habit in it's stead. 

"I used to say to my mom that some vessels are made for honorable use and some for dishonorable use. Maybe I'm just meant to go to Hell." - Bryce De La Rosa, prior to salvation.

Once known by his prison number, Bryce went from attending youth group to attending state-mandated rehab. Little did he know, the Lord was at work, drawing the rebellious sinner to himself. 

Meanwhile, his future wife found herself on the same trajectory. Addiction, identity theft, computer fraud and a baby on the way, Genevieve has no thoughts about the God w...

Taking scripture out of context is exactly what the world wants. How many times have we quoted a verse  - trying to encourage ourselves or someone else - only to use it incorrectly?

In this new series, Hobby Lobby Signs, we'll take a closer look at the scriptures most commonly taken out of context - and learn what they really mean.

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When this is the day you feel the urge to hang scripture on your wall or share a verse on social media, make sure it's not taken out of context. If there's a...

A random assortment of subjects, including a few listener questions, whether coffee should be allowed in the sanctuary, cats vs dogs, and tips on modeling prayer to your children. Monika and Eliazabeth also chat about when the Lord brought them to saving faith, and a few other subjects in this fun episode.

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When this is the day you have breath in your lungs, praise the Lord, If you know you are saved by grace through faith, praise the Lord. If you don't know with certainty that you belong to Christ, then please listen today, and...

 We must rehearse the character of God in our minds constantly. We must think on his attributes. That is the good, holy, excellent things we should have our minds on. But it reeeeeeally helps if you know the ACTUAL meaning of these attributes. Having that deeper understanding, will give you such a deeper comfort.

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When this is the day  you feel hopeless and discouraged, you must remember that God is powerful. Perhaps you're feeling discouraged about your own sin, or the sin of your husband or children, or you're watching loved ones reject the Lord or...

Infertility is one of life's greatest trials, and brings great sorrow to those who walk that road. When we remember that God is perfectly sovereign over all things, we can find peace in blaming God - but not in a negative way. The peace comes from acknowledging that God is God, and we are not, and we can rest in the fact that he is sovereign, he's in control, and he is good and faithful. So that must be enough. That IS enough.

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When this is the day you question WHY you haven't been able...

Wisdom is an attribute of God.  Because we want to cultivate wisdom in our homes, the Word of God must be central there. We strive to keep wisdom before our own eyes - but what about our children? Has the iPad or a kiddie show played babysitter in your home?

The world works hard to make wisdom vanish from our sight and that of our children, replacing it with cheap entertainment. How do we teach, guide, and model for our children, that the true treasure we should be seeking, far outshines the little dopamine hits they get f...

Freedom! But freedom for what? Freedom to bring glory to God and benefit others?
Or freedom to do as you please, under the guise of Christian Liberty. 

Galatians 5:13 says - For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

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When this is the day you wonder if you can or should do something under the name of Christian liberty, ask yourself this - is it building up? If it's not, don't do it. Christian liberty is p...

To be unforgiving and a believer IS mutually exclusive. It's not compatible. If you're a believer, you must be a forgiver. As you have been forgiven, so must you forgive. 

This isn't a controversial opinion. This is pretty standard stuff that we think most believers agree with. 

But when you examine your heart - is it true? Or.. do you have a heart of unforgiveness? Which is really, a heart of bitterness. Do you hold onto slights? Do you get offended and let that offense - whether real or perceived - shape your opinions of th...

First, set the mood: Dim the lights, cue the emotional beats, and start the smoke machine. Add in a few strobe lights and the scene is set for a rock concert - no wait, I mean for church! Ah, the pragmatic churches will do anything to get you in the door. It's a numbers game for them, which means full throttle marketing, a motivational TED Talk, and just a few Bible verses sprinkled in. 
One of the chief offenders, setting up churches all over the nation, is the ARC - The Association of Related Churches. Join Elizabeth Giles a...

How do we become a believer who is a slave to money? It doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen even for lack of financial education or econmic understanding. It doesn't happen for lack of budget or even because you bought a nice car or a big fancy house. 

It happens because of sin in our hearts, growing and taking root. Discontentment. Lack of thankfulness. Laziness. Greed. Selfishness. Lack of trust in God. Putting our trust in the temporal - in the earthly, instead of in Christ. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus established the st...

Sanctification is becoming more like Christ, but it isn't something we can do on our own.  We are sinners by nature, so sanctification starts with humility. We must have a heart that longs to obey God, and slowly, over times, we will grow more and more like the one we were created in the image of. There isn't a nook in our souls that we want to keep for ourselves.  What does sanctification look like in the lives of first world women? Join Elizabeth and Monika and they dicuss the dotrine of sanctification.

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When this is...

Idol factories. An idol is ANYTHING - aaaaanything - that captures our hearts, our time, our attention, our minds, more than God. It can even be a GOOD thing! That's what makes us so prone to churning out little idols in our hearts and minds. Fear, safety, health, finances, relationships, friendships, work, hobbies, family, the idols just keep on coming, and before we've even considered it a sin, we've already committed treason against a righteous and holy God. Rack, Shack and Benny had the right idea - bowing only to Christ. Join us as we learn from them today.<...

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. Anger is the same, yet we try to sweep away the sin by giving it other names. Righteous anger nearly always gives way to sinful anger, within seconds. Anger is the result of sinful desires, ruling our hearts. What are we to do with the feeling? How do we contain it, eradicate it, mortify it? Meditation and yoga? The world has tons of advice in managing it, but the Bible tells us to "put to death the practices of the body" so that...

Nobody likes being bossed around, especially a wife! Those pesky little scriptures in James and Colossians that tell wives to submit to their husbands are outdated and meant to roll your eyes at and ignore. At least, that's what our culture tells us. And even wives who faithfully adhere to the accuracy and sufficiency of scripture can struggle with the command to submit to a sinful husband, even more so if their husband is unsaved or unkind.

Join Elizabeth and Monika as they explore the often challenging, but always righteous command, of submitting to one's own husband. 

The Star of Bethlehem, wisemen ruining nativity scenes, Santa Claus, and that nasty Herod the Great: Elizabeth and Monika answer listener questions about Christmas and chat about just a few of the traditions that have gone awry, biblical tradition in historical accounts, and other holly jolly related points. 

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When this is the day… you want to encourage your child to believe in Santa Claus, consider how they will distinguish between the truth of an unseen God and the fiction of a god-like Santa Claus with similar attributes. The fact is, you can't encourage a lie as...