1786 results for tag: Greg Albrecht

Five Kinds of Prayer

How many ways are there to talk with God? For Christians, prayer is a vital link with God. Knowing a bit more about prayer can help enhance your relationship with God. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0048.mp3

Learning to Pray

How much do you know about prayer? Prayer is something that most Americans say they do, yet many do not fully understand what prayer is all about. In this two part series Greg offers seven guidelines to help you in your prayer life. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0047.mp3

Reforming Grace – by Greg Albrecht

For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."—Isaiah 57:15 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.—Matthew 23:12   Over 490 years ago, on the day now known as Halloween—October 31, 1517—a young Roman Catholic priest named Martin Luther posted 95 theses, or statements, on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. These 95 issues were a summary of what this ...

Reflections Along the Jesus Way

October 8, 2023 - Quote for the Day: “Remember the Old Testament prophets?  They were a lonely bunch.  They were always outnumbered by the false prophets – who always seemed to enjoy greater success and credibility.  The false prophets had huge followings, somewhat like mega-church pastors. I didn’t say all mega-church pastors are false prophets, but of course some might be!  When it comes to the true gospel, size doesn’t matter. British writer George Bernard Shaw once commented on the silliness of establishing truth by numbers.  At the time the population of Great Britain was about fifty million people.  ...

The Challenges of Aging

Our North American culture is centered on youth, and that fact doesn't bother us so long as we're young. What role is left for us when we age? Are we useless, obsolete, washed up? Greg shares some tips to help us age gracefully. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0046.mp3

For those Who Are a Little Banged Up – Greg Albrecht

A Little Banged Up: In the Academy Award nominated movie “Seabiscuit” the phrase “You don’t throw away a whole life just because he’s banged up a little” initially refers to a horse no one wanted. Seabiscuit was a feisty, hard to handle, undersized and overlooked thoroughbred race horse with a temper—a horse with an attitude—a horse who only seemed to eat and sleep too much. No owner wanted to risk investing in such a horse. The movie tells us about Tom Smith, a trainer who specialized in rehabilitating injured and abused horses who was hired to work for Charles Howard, played by Jeff Bridges, who was beginning to acquire a ...

Reflections Along the Jesus Way

October 5, 2023 - Quote for the Day: “Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 that our paycheck for everything that we do, good and bad, is death.  But in the same breath, in the same verse, he tells us that the good news is that eternal life is free of charge.”  Originally published in: Bad News Religion ------------------------------------- Help Us Help Others - Give Now

Where Have All the Parents Gone?

If you awakened after sleeping for 100 years, you'd think someone had declared war on families. In the U.S. 30% of all children are born out of wedlock and 15% of all children are being raised by single women. Greg urges all of us to stop the chain of dysfunction in our families. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0045.mp3

Marriage: Till Death Do Us Part

"Marriage." For some this one word describes a lifelong dream. And yet for others, it brings to mind pain, hurt and sorrow. The health and vitality of our marriages says a great deal about the society in which we live. Greg gives 4 keys for a successful marriage. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0044.mp3

Reflections Along the Jesus Way

October 3, 2023 - Quote for the Day: “Have you ever just wished that someone would believe you? Have you ever been so depressed that you could only hope that someone – at least your parent or sibling or friend or spouse – would believe you?  That’s what God always does for you and me.  He always believes us.”  Originally published in: Spiritual Soup for the Hungry Soul, Volume 3 ------------------------------------- Help Us Help Others - Give Now

Characteristics of Strong Families

The traditional family as it has been known is in danger of extinction. Our families -- at the very bedrock of our culture -- are broken, isolated and desperately in need of new life and hope. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0043.mp3

The King Has Landed

Our world has been invaded! We are living in enemy-occupied territory! But the good news is the rightful King has landed -- in disguise -- and he is calling on all of us to be part of his kingdom!

Reflections Along the Jesus Way

October 1, 2023 - Quote for the Day “When I was in the second grade, my mother attempted (with little success) to attract some of my attention away from playing baseball to playing the piano.  During my years of enforced piano lessons I became aware of (and later in awe of) the musical genius of Johann Sebastian Bach – often known as JSB. After my baseball and piano playing days were over, I learned of a superscript/subscript Bach placed on almost all his compositions – ‘SCG’ (Soli Deo Gloria) – Latin for ‘to God alone be the glory.’  While my attempts to play the piano always fell short of doing justice to the ...

News or Good News? – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from October 2023 “If some great catastrophe is not announced every morning, we feel a certain void. ‘Nothing in the paper today,’ we sigh.”  Paul Valery, French poet, 1871-1945 Long before the advent of cable news, with its 24-hour news cycle – long before our frantic and frenzied culture where “news” is immediately reported (never mind the factual details, because networks and “news” sources want to say “you heard it here first”) Paul Valery commented on the oh-so-human tendency to love hearing and reading the horrifying and the sensational.  “If it bleeds, it leads” was ...

The Titles and Attributes of Jesus

Who is he? What is he like? Could you describe him? Most people have heard his name -- but the vast majority of people -- even many Christians -- are not aware of Jesus' attributes.

Reflections Along the Jesus Way

September 28, 2023 - Quote for the Day: “Narcissus is a character in Greek mythology celebrated for his exceptional beauty.  Early in his life Narcissus did not know how truly beautiful he was until the day he saw his own reflection in the waters of a spring, and seeing his own image he fell in love with himself.  Based on this mythological character, the word ‘narcissism’ began to be used about 200 years ago to describe an excessive degree of self-centeredness and selfishness.  Like Narcissus, we are intrigued and mesmerized by our own images in this 21st century Western world.  We’ve peered into the mirror of ...

7 Deadly Sins – Envy and Laziness

Concluding a 3-part series on the Seven Deadly Sins, Greg deals with envy — our feeling of resentment over someone else’s possessions, and a desire to have them for ourselves, and laziness — the refusal to work hard. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0042.mp3

7 Deadly Sins – Gluttony, Lust and Anger

Continuing a 3-part series on the Seven Deadly Sins, Greg confronts gluttony — obsession with food and drink, lust — unrestrained sexual craving, and anger — the feeling of hostility and wrath we experience when things don’t go our way. https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0041.mp3

How Free is Free Will? – by Greg Albrecht

How Free is Free Will How much choice does any individual human actually have? We speak of "free will"—but how much of a choice to accept God's grace does anyone have, given the brainwashing and propaganda to which they are subjected? How much of a choice to accept God's grace does a young boy in a radicalized Muslim school have? How much of a choice to accept God's grace does someone have who is ensnared by some ultra fundamentalist church, where performance-based religion rules?   Being in Christ is a divine invitation to an eternal relationship, open to everyone. But being in Christ is not an automatic, divinely ...

Reflections Along the Jesus Way

September 26, 2023 - Quote for the Day: “Our spiritual transformation is not a process where we sit and watch.  God does not force us to grow.  We must consent to our growth.  We consent initially, when we are spiritually re-born.  We consent on a daily basis, as we yield to our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Lord of our lives.  As we consent to him we grow, and with growth comes growing pains.  God mercifully and carefully and gradually changes us.  He challenges us.  He works with us, teaching us and slowly and inexorably making us his very own handiwork (Ephesians 2:10).  Our spiritual transforma...