Hope & Faith

After suffering 5 concussions, ongoing brain issues, and persistent dizziness that left 4-5 doctors at a loss for how to treat him—along with mounting medical bills—desperation drove him to the healing rooms. It was there that he accepted Jesus, marking a turning point after 30 years of walking away from the church. Hope and peace returned. Later, Marcus Smith witnessed a miraculous healing and said, "I want that!" Discover how, even when we drift away from God, His love and belief in us never falter. Learn how the impossible becomes possible through the transformative power of faith and divine intervention.

Enjoy this selection of inspirational recordings by James Kilbane taken from a number of his different gospel albums. James is an Irish country and gospel singer. Divine Love: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/divine-love-clean-4 The Songs of Faith Collection: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/the-songs-of-faith-collection-clean Heart to Heart: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/heart-to-heart-clean River of Grace: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/river-of-grace-clean Glory and Grace: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/glory-and-grace-clean Life’s Miracle: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/lifes-miracle-clean Mary. The Lord’s servant: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/mary-the-lords-servant-clean The Family Collection: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/the-family-collection-clean Gravel & Grace: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/gravel-and-grace-songs-of-faith-life-and-hope-clean The Christmas Collection: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/the-christmas-collection-clean I Believe: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/i-believe-1 You’ll Never Walk Alone: https://symphony.to/james-kilbane/youll-never-walk-alone-1 #countrymusic #inspirationalmusic #motivationalmusic #countrygospelmusic

The question that kickstarted the recording: "What moment or event in my life first made me realize the importance of my relationship with Jesus, and how has that relationship shaped who I am today?"

In this episode of Your Daily Bible Verse, host Jennifer Slattery sits down with Bible study writer Kathy Howard to explore how to cultivate healthier and more fulfilling relationships through faith. Discover how deepening our trust in Christ can transform our connections, combat spiritual opposition, and lead to lasting peace. Episode Highlights: Reflecting on God’s mercy to deepen our trust The impact of our trust in Christ on offering ourselves fully Receiving God’s guidance for navigating difficult relationships How yielding to Christ diminishes the devil's influence Resource Mentioned: Find Kathy Howard here: https://www.kathyhoward.org/ Deep Rooted: Growing through the Book of Romans by Kathy Howard Join the Conversation: How has trusting God transformed your relationships? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Subscribe for More: If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to our channel for more insights on faith, relationships, and spiritual growth! 🔔 Hit the notification bell to stay updated on new episodes!

The daughter of actor Charlie Sheen celebrated her recent baptism and praised her Savior, Jesus Christ. The young woman, Lola Sheen, recognized the big step in her faith with a heartfelt and powerful post on social media. Watch the video of her beautiful baptism.

Baptism is a big, momentous occasion in one’s walk with the Lord. It’s an outward act of what has already taken place in your heart. It’s a move that shows and lets others know that Christ has come into your life and cleansed your heart from sin. It is an act that shows that you have turned away from sin and the old way of living and have chosen to follow Christ.

Lola Sheen, the daughter of actors Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, has signaled her faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The young woman posted a video of her baptism on social media.

In the video, Lola waits patiently, kneeling in a baptismal pool. A few moments into the video, a man, likely the church’s pastor, stands near the pool and begins talking to the young woman, gesturing and smiling as he does so.

Finally, the big moment arrives; Lola covers her nose and is dipped into the water, much to the delight of the congregation who were on hand to view the beautiful ceremony. What a wonderful sight!

In a caption accompanying several pictures of herself being baptized, Lola shares how Christ loved her, accepted her and changed her life, cleansing her heart from sin when she was at her lowest.

“When I was in my deepest depression, there was a moment where I realized I hit rock bottom,” she writes. “I felt so lost and hopeless, and was just doing my best to make it to the next day. I just accepted my life was going to be like that forever, and thought I would never genuinely laugh again. Until, I met not only my Savior but my best friend, Jesus.”

Later in the post, she mentions how Christ loved her even when she felt she deserved none.

“I began to trust Jesus with my life, when He chose me when no one else did, and loved me when I didn’t feel worthy of love,” Lola writes. “He gave me a light, when I couldn’t find my own and rescued me from the darkness.”

She ends her beautiful, heartfelt post by writing, “I am forever saved by His grace, through Faith. I thank you Jesus for everything, I love you, and I hope you are proud of me.”

Mark 16:16 “He who has faith and is given baptism will get salvation; but he who has not faith will be judged.”

A Walmart employee was recognized for helping a mom during a challenging, trying moment. He saw a mother needing help, and instead of simply watching and judging her, he showed her kindness and love. Watch the video to learn how the caring and empathetic man’s small act of kindness made a big difference.

Without question, children are some of the biggest and best blessings we can experience in life. They add so much joy and love, positively changing your life in every way imaginable. However, as every parent will wholeheartedly agree, not every moment with their children is a walk in the park or even enjoyable.

As the clip posted on YouTube mentions, a mother was in Walmart when she experienced one of these less-than-enjoyable parenting moments. She was in the popular retailer when her child, who has autism, had a meltdown. She had difficulty calming her son down, leaving her feeling embarrassed and overwhelmed. But in that moment, someone—Justin—stepped in and lent that mother a helping, loving hand.

So moved by what Justin did for her in that moment, the mother contacted a television station to alert them to his act of kindness. She wrote that he went “above and beyond” and was calm and supportive. She ended her letter about Justin by saying, “his kindness and support meant the world to me during this very challenging moment.”

Justin remembered the situation involving the mother and her son. As the father of a child with autism himself, he had an idea of what she was going through and how she must have felt at that time. He shared that after helping with her son, he gave her a hug and some sweet words of encouragement, telling her that despite how she might be feeling, she was a good mother.

The clip shows how a small act of kindness can make a world of difference to someone who is struggling or in need.

Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.”

Rych Dorcie struggled with short-term memory loss, making it difficult for him to retain information, such as remembering the content of a book he had just read. One day, while playing a game in a parking lot, he heard a voice urging him to help someone with a flat tire. Initially reluctant, he eventually listened to the voice and stopped to assist. Little did he know that this seemingly small act of kindness would have a profound and unexpected impact on his life, leading to significant positive changes.

Full Video ON YOUTUBE! https://youtu.be/abT4KchteBs?si=Zfk7Rk2_klVHAXPT From Nambia to California: A Journey of Faith and Resilience In the heart of Oslo, Norway, a young woman named Emilia found herself stranded without a travel visa. She had left her home in Namibia, hoping to return to her family, but a series of unfortunate events had left her stranded and penniless. With no money for a plane ticket or even a place to stay, Emilia was sent back to the USA. She was hungry, and she missed her family dearly. She began to believe that God would provide her with a way to return home to Namibia and back to the USA. But how is that even possible. This show is a gamechanger in faith. #faithjourney #endurance #god #bethelmusic #bethel #Namibia #jesus LOVE YOUR LIFE MINISTRIES https://www.barbtv.org/ BARBTV:https://www.youtube.com/@lylministries

Why do so many hate the idea of the Rapture? Who planted seeds of doubt? Only the Holy Bible, can be trusted as the TRUE authority on this essential doctrine. Anyone who's read Revelation, knows.... you do NOT want to be left behind... ~ UpTalk

A young woman shared some profound advice that is a helpful reminder whenever navigating one of life’s many storms. Her words are about something simple but powerful that we all need to remember to do in times of crisis. Watch the video to hear what she has to say about enduring a difficulty, and the one thing we can all do that is likely to make a big difference.

We live in a hectic, chaotic world. People are constantly moving, going from this appointment to that meeting to this practice. It may seem that stopping and catching your breath is entirely out of the question because we’re in such a time crunch.

Now, in addition to all that chaos, add smartphones, which makes things like social media within our grasp 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those apps and platforms are likely to do nothing but lead to even more anxiety and pressure. Living in such a frenzied, hurried state does not give your mind and body much time to relax and recuperate.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Taylor Alesia reminds everyone about the importance of taking and finding rest. She calls it one of the best weapons Christians have when dealing with and navigating storms and valleys.

“So many Christians minimize the weight of this, and it’s something that we need to do weekly, guys,” she said. “Whether you’re in a storm or not, this can’t be underestimated, and it’s the power of rest.”

She adds that finding rest may look different for some people. Perhaps it’s about getting completely away from social media for 24 hours or avoiding people for a time.

Her advice is spot-on. The Lord knew and understood the power and necessity of rest, so He established the Sabbath – one day a week on which we are to rest, worship and concentrate on God.

According to her YouTube page, Taylor aims to use her “platform only for the glory of God.” She adds that she hopes her channel will “encourage and build up the next generation to be bold for Jesus.”

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

In an interview with Joe Rogan, Mel Gibson discussed Jesus, forgiveness, and mercy. The award-winning actor and filmmaker also talked about his views on the afterlife and why he is a person of faith with the popular podcast host.

Human beings are flawed, imperfect and fallen creatures. The Bible, in Romans, makes our fallen, sinful nature completely clear when it says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” We’re all sinners and in need of forgiveness, grace and mercy.

However, it’s because of those flaws, stumbles and imperfections that Mel is a believer and a person of faith. In a clip posted on YouTube, he tells Joe that when confronting his problems and imperfections, he came to the point where he understood he was unable to change himself.

“And I mean, I don’t think it’s any secret that I am flawed in the fact that I am by nature born an alcoholic, right?” he said. “I did drugs, I did alcohol and there was nothing that could stop me from doing that. Nothing. So, I was really kind of on, you’re on a downhill run. So, I regard the fact that I was able to appeal to something greater than myself to help me and actually stop me from doing that. I think that’s a miracle.”

Later in the clip, Mel mentions what he regards as the best thing about being a Christian and a person of faith: human beings do not have to continue living in sin.

“And the beauty of believing is that, even for your transgressions, you can be forgiven, and you can be redeemed,” he said.

Before the clip ends, Mel adds that Jesus Christ came to Earth and showed everyone how to obtain forgiveness and eternal life.

“I believe that God sent His Son down to tell us, ‘OK, I’m going to ransom you people from your fallen nature, and I’ll give you a roadmap on how to do it,’” he said.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him.”

A woman addicted to drugs, contemplating suicide and facing jail time finds hope and life in Jesus Christ. She shared her powerful testimony about Christ’s life-changing and life-giving love, forgiveness and grace. Watch this video to hear how Christ’s love and mercy saved and completely turned a woman’s life around.

The world is a lost, cruel and broken place that is inhabited by many hurt and struggling people. Those individuals are searching for something, anything, to make the heartache and pain cease. Sadly, for many people, the hurt and pain may get so bad that they see no other alternative than suicide, taking their own lives.

In a video posted on YouTube, Cristina Baker explains how she was in such a situation. She, who was trying to “numb and escape the pain” of her past, started using “every kind of drug I could,” she said. She continued using drugs, and then, one evening, she was pulled over by a police officer. Cristina had a large amount of drugs in her vehicle at the time of the traffic stop. She was arrested.

After posting bail and getting out of jail, this did not solve Cristina’s problem. She was still dealing with incredible pain and hurt from her past, so she made plans to take her own life. But God had other plans for Cristina.

"So, I’m sitting at my desk, and at the very moment I'm contemplating taking my life, this man taps me on the shoulder and says to me, ‘I have a word from the Lord for you,’” she said. “How could he have known what I was just contemplating in that moment?”

Cristina adds that this mysterious messenger starts reading from the book of Jeremiah, specifically Jeremiah 29:11. After reading that verse, which mentions God’s plans for our lives, to give us hope and a future, he asked her a critical question. Did she want to accept Christ as her personal Lord and Savior? She did and felt instantaneous relief and comfort.

“The boulders I had been carrying around for 20-plus years of my life, it was like somebody came and picked it up off of my shoulders,” she said. “The chains were broken instantly.”

Even though Cristina had turned her life over to Christ, going to jail was still a real possibility for her. However, God had another miracle in store.

After she spoke to the district attorney, Cristina’s lawyer received a yellow piece of paper. It was an order of dismissal. The charges had been dropped, and she was free to go.

“I was guilty,” she said. “Everything that happened that night I was guilty of, but yet He came in and wiped it clean and I walked as a free woman, and that’s what the cross has done for you and I. We, through the cross and the blood of Jesus and the power of His blood, have been forgiven of all our sins – past, present and future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts I think toward you, said the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

A pastor shared how God used his weakness to bless and help someone in need. His personal experience demonstrates the power of God and how His strength shines through our weaknesses. Watch the short but moving clip about how even weakness is a strength when God is involved.

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. Thanks to Google, we can look up any fact, figure or question in seconds and get the answer. The ability and potential to learn and acquire knowledge on basically any topic imaginable are all around us.

However, no matter how much time we spend on Google, we’ll never have all the answers. Human beings are limited in what they can do and do not and will never know everything. This is also true for pastors.

In a clip posted on YouTube, pastor Andrew Greer shares that he felt out of place in particular conversations early in his ministry. He mentions one particular conversation for which he spent so much time preparing, hoping to provide this man with the correct answers.

When the moment arrived, most of the pastor’s preparation went out of the window. He did not have answers or solutions to what the man was dealing with or going through at the time. Instead of offering advice and solutions, he spent most of the conversation just listening.

But then something happened.

“He told me afterward what he was most grateful for,” the pastor recalled. “He told me, ‘Dude, thanks so much for listening. You just let me talk.’ He goes, ‘Most people want to give me answers. They just want to, like, kind of fix it.’ He’s like, ‘It was really nice to just be able to talk.’”

It was a powerful example of what God is capable of, even in our weakness. He can use our weakness as a strength to bring glory to His name.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble.’ Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me.”

One man traded his golden years for parenthood in a beautiful adoption story. Emilio initially thought his time parenting small children was over, but he made a surprising and heartwarming decision. Check out the short but sweet video of how Emilio became the adoptive father of a 3-year-old girl.

All children deserve loving and caring homes. They want to be somewhere where they feel safe, secure and have peace of mind. Sadly, though, many children do not have this, having been born into less-than-ideal situations and circumstances. Many children have never experienced love, safety, security and peace.

Foster care and adoption are of the utmost importance, offering children a chance, some hope and a future. Emilio, a retiree and father of three grown children who recently moved to Florida to enjoy his golden years, completely changed course and is now the adoptive father of Kiana, an adorable little girl.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Emilio admits that Kiana was only supposed to be with him for a month. However, things quickly changed.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine giving her back at this point,” Emilio said.

Kiana is over the moon about being adopted and having Emilio as her father.

“When I first got adopted, it was so amazing,” she said. “It’s like, really, I love him so much, like so much, like so much, like so very much.”

While choking up, Emilio explains that in the time Kiana has been with him, he has seen a dramatic change in her personality and demeanor.

“And I’m about to tear up because,” Emilio said before Kiana interrupted him.

“I was like so scared and shy,” Kiana says

“She was, you know, in a really bad space,” he said.

Emilio could have sat back, taken things easy, and enjoyed his retirement. But instead of doing that, he is giving a young woman a much-needed safe and happy home full of love and happiness.

Matthew 9:37 “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.’”

A loving and selfless daycare worker gave part of her liver to one of her former students. The woman stepped up in a big way and helped to provide a 5-year-old young man with a second chance. Check out this unbelievably touching and moving story about kindness and love.

Educators are a special and influential group of people. They are in vital, crucial positions. Every single day, they touch and influence young lives. What they say and do in the classroom will impact generations to come.

Yes, teachers are there to impart knowledge on subjects such as reading, geography, history and mathematics. But in addition to the facts and figures they share with the youngsters in their class, they are also in a position to demonstrate love and kindness to those little ones.

Teachers regularly give of their time and talent to help their students. A clip posted on YouTube tells of a daycare worker who literally gave of herself to save a former student of hers.

Ezra, a sweet young man who, because of complications at birth, needed a liver transplant. To try and find a living donor for her adopted son, Ezra’s mother turned to social media. She posted a message on Facebook informing everyone about the massive need.

Carissa Fisher, Ezra’s former daycare teacher, saw the social media post and got to work trying to determine if she was a match. As the clip mentions, she was a perfect match. Soon enough, both went under the knife, with Carissa giving 5-year-old Ezra a part of her liver.

Carissa said the decision to give a part of her liver to the youngster wasn’t a hard one to make.

“I guess, for me, it wasn’t really a decision,” she said. “It was something I kind of knew I was going to do. I mean, how could you say ‘No’ to them?”

What an unbelievable act of love.

Hebrews 13:16 “But go on doing good and giving to others, because God is well-pleased with such offerings.”

An inspiring young woman has overcome multiple life-threatening health issues. Enduring one of the horrifying ordeals and scary situations she has had to face would be too much for most people. Check out the video about this resilient and persistent young woman who cannot wait to begin helping others despite everything she has gone through.

Life is rarely, if ever, a fair experience. We all have problems and unpleasant circumstances we’re presented with at one time or another. These situations are typically painful, can be devastating and often result in grief and sorrow. However, we all know individuals who, for whatever reason, seem to be given what appears to be more than their fair share of difficulties and struggles.

Caroline Laubach, a Pennsylvania college student, is someone who has faced several massive, frightening health problems. According to a video posted on YouTube, Caroline, who is disabled, was experiencing enormous pain, making it difficult to breathe. It turned out that the young woman, at just 18 years old, was experiencing liver, kidney and heart failure.

She badly needed a heart transplant, but then, days before she would go under the knife, something else started to go wrong. She suffered a spinal stroke reportedly caused by a machine pumping blood to her back that restricted her airflow.

At that point, Caroline said doctors told her family to start making final arrangements.

Thankfully, Caroline was able to receive a much-needed new heart. But her health struggles did not stop there.

She was later diagnosed with cancer.

“It was on my left tonsil. It was on lymph nodes next to my heart. It was in my upper GI, lower GI and my bladder wall,” Caroline said.

According to the YouTube clip, this incredibly strong and inspiring young woman who had already been through so much managed to defeat cancer not once but twice. Now, she is not letting anything stop her from fulfilling her dreams and goals. She is pursuing a degree in nutrition and an occupational doctorate.

“I can’t wait to just start helping other people,” she said.

Philippians 4:13 “I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength.”

A pastor discussed finding and experiencing peace during the storm. He talked about how it is somehow possible to have peace through some of life’s most difficult situations and the only source of that inexplicable peace. Watch the video to hear the preacher’s powerful and moving thoughts about having peace during the storm.

Life is not always a fun experience full of roses, rainbows and nonstop laughter. In fact, it will be quite the opposite on many more occasions than we’d like to admit or think about. There will be many trying, difficult times during our time on Earth. Those instances will test our faith, perhaps even stretching it to its limit and beyond.

However, even when we’re hurting and experiencing intense grief and uncertainty, peace is still possible. In a clip posted on YouTube, one pastor highlighted a verse in the New Testament from the book of John about having peace during hardships.

“This is what it says in the book of John 14:27 it says, ‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.’ Isn’t that true? ‘So don’t be troubled or afraid.’”

Next, he takes that verse about the peace that surpasses all understanding and applies it to our lives and experiences.

“See, the people who go through difficult situations and still have peace that they’re getting from God, it’s because it’s not contingent on the situation,” he says.

Finally, the pastor highlights a young woman who suffered a horrible, devastating injury that left her paralyzed, making her life immensely more complicated. He then mentions everything that she went on to accomplish following her injury and demonstrates how she found peace amid her struggles.

“All of this was done by this dear woman, who by society’s terms should have no peace, and yet she had peace beyond understanding,” he said. “That same God and that same peace is offered to all of us today.”

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Russell Brands shares how God is the only one who can transform addicts’ lives. The actor, author and podcast host shared insight into how God’s transformative power is the only thing that will help those struggling with addiction. Watch the video to hear what Russell says about people with an addiction and God.

The world is broken and lost, full of people who are hurting and struggling. Sadly, some people have been gripped and entrapped by addiction, having their lives overtaken by those powerful habits and cravings. Whether drugs, alcohol or something else entirely, addictions can and will destroy lives.

However, in a clip posted on YouTube, Russell states there is hope for someone struggling with addiction. Having dealt with substance abuse problems himself, he explains how God is the only one who can change an addict’s life.

Speaking from experience, Russell knows the feelings and thoughts going through someone’s mind who is struggling with addiction.

“Every addict feels that they are dirty and that they are worthless and that they are broken,” he said. “Every addict I’ve spoken to feels like, ‘If you knew me, really, you would not like me. You would not; you wouldn’t be able to love me.’ Every alcoholic, addict I know does not trust people. ‘In a very deep level, I do not trust you. You will let me down. You will break me and betray me.’”

Later in the clip, he adds that there is only one solution and answer for someone in such a terrible, horrible state.

“And If when I’ve, even now thinking about that and feeling that the only thing that could relieve us of our dilemma is God,” Russell said. “God can and will if He is sought.”

The Bible mentions that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We’re all sinners. None of us deserves His love, mercy, grace and forgiveness, but He continually offers them freely to all who call upon His name.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble.’ Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me.”