Family Shield

What is loneliness, and how does it relate to isolation? What causes loneliness? What changes can we make in our lives to help recover from it? How can we help support those who are lonely or isolated? When do we need to seek counseling, and why can we find comfort knowing the Lord walks with us through each and every trial? His word comforts us. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Join us today as I interview Jeannine Liebmann. She is a counselor and consultant for H&H Health Associates in St Louis.

Most Christians know they should share their faith with those who do not yet know Jesus. But learning how to witness effectively can be challenging after all, we are broken, sinful people just like the people we strive to witness to. How can we recognize the lost people the Lord puts in our life? Why is prayer so important? And how do we know if someone we are witnessing to needs to hear the law or the gospel? When do we share the law. and when do we share the gospel? My guest today is Reverend Dr. Mark Wood. He serves in the LCMS office of National Mission as the Director of the Witness and Outreach Ministry. He's also the author of Connected to Christ: Witnessing in Everyday Life.

Who is the third person of the Trinity and what does the Holy Spirit do? God's Word tells us that when we have faith in Jesus we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and he comforts us in our trials. The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of a person--He speaks, forgives, comforts, intercedes, councils, and brings us faith. He also teaches us all things. Through him Christ Jesus gives spiritual gifts to believers. What a joy and comfort to know that the Holy Spirit lives in us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? Paul tells us that when we are too weak or depressed to pray the Holy Spirit intercedes for us to the Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit helps us witness for Christ. He gives us the words we need. He helps us glorify the Son of God and He fills us with his Word so we can speak boldly of Christ. So why do we need to learn about the Holy Spirit? Family Shield Ministries is in the process of expanding its mentoring missionary services. Through our mentoring process with those who do not know Christ, we utilize our Bible studies and podcasts as we equip people for Christ. We have many Bible studies and podcasts, like Learning About God and His Word. It's All About Jesus, but we realized we did not have a podcast that teaches about the Holy Spirit. So today we want to talk about the third person of the Trinity. My guest is Chad Bird. He's a Scholar in Residence at 1517 and has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. He holds master's degrees from Concordia Seminary and Hebrew Union College and has authored numerous books. Chad and his wife Stacy live in the Texas hill country.

Reading the Old Testament can seem like exploring an old, mysterious mansion, packed with all sorts of strange rooms. The creation room vast and sublime, the exodus room with hardhearted pharoahs and dried up seas. The war room, with bloody swords and crumbling walls. The tabernacle room, with smoking altars and dark inner sanctums. What does this odd and ancient world have to do with us, who are modern followers of Jesus? As it turns out, everything! Every chapter in the Old Testament, in a variety of ways, tells the story that culminates in Jesus our Savior. What Christians today call the Old Testament is what Jesus and the earliest Believers called the Scriptures. This was their Bible. From its pages they taught about the Messiah--His divine nature, His priestly work, and his ministry of salvation. My guest today is Chad Bird. We’ll discuss his book, The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament. Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. He holds Master's Degrees from Concordia Seminary and Hebrew Union College. Chad has authored numerous books and speaks at conferences and congregations. Chad and his wife Stacy live in the Texas Hill Country.

Whether you’ve prayed the Lord's Prayer 1000 times, or you’re not quite familiar with every word, Our Way Home invites you on an incredible, vivid journey through the Lord's Prayer where you can discover the power, the beauty, and the depth of the world's most famous prayer. Dr. Daniel Paavola surrounds each petition of the Lord's Prayer with captivating imagery and storytelling that will animate your praying, making it a prayer you will live out every day, in every situation, and in every circumstance. You will come to the door of your Father's house and knock with confidence because you have the words to say; our Father. Daniel Paavola is a professor and pastor with the gifts of storytelling, motorcycle riding, and Model T restoring. He is a professor of theology at Concordia University in Wisconsin and he's the author of Our Way Home: A Journey Through the Lord's Prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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 minds in Christ Jesus." We all experience anxiety at times. What causes anxiety? Why should we learn our triggers or red flags? How do we learn to cope with anxiety? What does God's word say about it, and when should we see a professional counselor? Join us today as we talk about anxiety and learn ways to cope when our anxious hearts get overwhelmed. My guest is Cheryl Thompson. She's a Christian counselor at Concord Counseling in St. Louis, Missouri.

Witnessing to those who are not Christians is not always easy, but all Christians are called to be His witnesses. Just as Christ shared God’s love in a myriad of ways, so can we. Consider some of the ways you might share your faith with unbelievers or those who have fallen away from the church or the faith. Start by building a relationship with those you come in contact with on a regular basis, then wait on the Lord to open doors and give you the words to speak of His love.

How do we cross the chasm that separates us from God? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s a Biblical fact, we cannot save ourselves through our own good works. Jesus saves us; our good works do not. Yet many in today’s world think their good works can save them. Mormons believe this, as well as many other people; even some Christians. Today my guest is Rev. Jon Leach, the president of Truth in Love Ministry. We’ll talk today about one of their new books: Crossing the Chasm: Helping Mormons Discover the Bridge to God, and some practical tips for talking with Mormons and others who think their good works are necessary for salvation.

Why are fathers important to their children? What are joys and challenges of fathers? Statistics tell us that children with involved fathers are more confident, better able to deal with frustration, better able to gain independence, and their own identity. More likely to mature into compassionate adults, more likely to have a higher self-esteem, more sociable, more secure, and less likely to show signs of depression. Yes fathers are important and they are part of God's plan for the family. Today I'll visit with Dave Powell, the production director of Family Vision Media. We’ll learn about his family and talk with him about being a father, and we'll talk with his son Jackson.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Family Shield Ministries as a nonprofit organization. Our theme for the year is “Families Trust Him.”  How have you trusted God in good times and in bad? Trusting the Lord in good times usually isn’t too difficult. But trusting Him when things are challenging can be difficult. Join us today as we hear from several people we’ve worked with through the years. They’ll share how they stayed close to the Lord and continued to trust Him. Our prayer is that this program will encourage you in your faith and help you continue to trust God in all circumstances. This program was recorded in 2014.