Forgivin' Livin' Daily Podcast
Our podcasts are 5-8 minutes in length. We create these messages using one or two brief verses from the Bible that come from a devotional book. Our purpose is to help you hear the grace of Jesus in these verses so that your life may find its grounding in Christ alone. It is this grounding in grace that makes forgivin’ livin’ your way of freedom.
08/19/2025
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00(Irishcast) All Things Being Made New (Isa 51v6 1 Corth 13v10) (Heaven)
What can we expect Heaven to be like? We have had many different representations of this promise, but what does it mean for you? One of the more important images that has helped me understand this glorious new beginning comes from Isaiah 11:9. “They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” My old friend John August Swanson created this painting of this peaceable kingdom where violence no longer exists because finally the separation (sin) that keeps us away from God will end. Our life in Him will overflow with holy relationships not hostile ones. Take time today to consider what your LORD is preparing for you.
08/18/2025
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00(Baycast) Going Forward With God (Isaiah 12:4; Matt 28:19 20) (Hope)
The ministry of Bay Lake Fellowship is directly connected to the challenge God gives us to go. As you listen to these familiar words of Isaiah and Jesus, know that the call that is changing the ministry on Church Island in Bay Lake is the same call our Lord has for you. Where is Jesus inviting you to go as you follow Him? If we can be partners with you in praying for your calling from our Lord, please contact us by email, joso@groundupgrace.com or call us (763) 260-1067. We can be your “go to” partners in prayer. The photo was taken right after we created the podcast yesterday. Included are Mark and Barbie Huggenvik, Sonja and Johan and Roscoe (the dog who belongs to Barbie’s sister, Diane).
08/17/2025
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00(Sundaycast) Christ Empowers You In Your Suffering (Psalm 90:10; Phil 3:10) (Suffering)
The Old Testament verses for Friday and Sunday have an interesting connection: old people praising God. So all of us 70 year olds and older, we can praise God all life long in our troubles and away from them. Don’t let your age or weaknesses keep you from praising your Lord. This is our calling. And remember whether have said many times: religion isn’t a crutch…it’s better, it’s a wheelchair.
08/16/2025
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00(Hudsoncast) Sin And Temptation In Narnia And Today’s Texts (Genesis 4:7; Matthew 27:3 4) (Repentance)
Joining the story of “The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe” with the passages from today’s texts helps us connect the biblical texts with the familiar story of sin and redemption in Lewis’ story. How do we understand the power of sin crouching at our door and what does it mean for us to find the help in Christ to overcome the power that lurks so closely? We know that forgiveness in Christ melts the icy cold winter that our guilt and resentment creates in our lives. But we also know that the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us with new desires that take away the power that sin has in the world. We know from our theme verse in Romans 6;14 that when we are under grace sin cannot rule our lives as it does when the law controls us. So keep your hearts and minds on the grace that is in Jesus Christ.
08/15/2025
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00Praise Into Old Age (Psalm 63:4; Acts 3:9)
It’s not for children anymore! God calls all of us to bless Him as long as we live. One way to do this is to lift up your hands and call out His name. This way of praising God may not be comfortable for you but there is freedom in worshipping God with your mind, your spirit and your body. Many years ago I heard that the African definition of a white person is someone who can “sing without dancing.” Today there may be a way for you to express this way of praising your God. Look for an opportunity from God to bless His name today.
08/14/2025
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00(Carmelcast) Forgiving Makes Every Morning New (Numbers 14:20; Mark 11:25) (Forgiveness)
Forgiveness creates a new day in our lives and in our relationship to those we forgive. Today our Mount Carmel friends share the power of Forgivin’ Livin’ in the texts and in the way we relate to the people we work with especially as a teacher with school children. Where will God give you the opportunity to forgive someone today? You are the first one to reap the benefit of this kind of giving. Jesus says it to us in His sermon on the plain, “Forgive and you will be forgiven…the measure you give out will be the measure given back to you” (Luke 6:37-38). So discover today where our Lord wants you to experience what it is to be “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23).
08/13/2025
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12God’s Faithfulness Is Our Shield (Psalm 91:4; John 3:21) (Trust)
The cover image for “Daily Texts 2026” comes from Herrnhut, Germany, the home of the “Daily Texts” and the place where the Moravian Church began. August 13, 1727 is a special day in the history of this church since an outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened during a special service of Holy Communion. The result of this revival was a willingness to love others with the love that they had received from God. This love shaped their ministry around the world for the next 100 years. What you don’t know is what is behind this revival. You will hear some of it described in today’s podcast. But you can read about it online under the Moravian revival of 1727 or in the Revival Library.
08/12/2025
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00(Irishcast) The Lord Lives (Psalm 18v46 Luke 24v46)
Our Messiah who is raised from the dead is Jesus. And Jesus gets the last laugh on death. The Grim Reaper does its best to undermine all our hope with its power to bring life to an end. But death has lost it sting. Christ, the Messiah, has been raised. And because He lives, we will live also. “Tears may linger for a nightfall, but joy comes in the morning”(Ps 30:5). So you and I get to express our joy in laughter because death’s reign will soon come to an end and life will be forever. (Painting of The Laughing Jesus is by Richard Caemmerer)
08/11/2025
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00(Carmelcast) Calling On Our Lord’s Name (Joel 2:32; Luke 21:8) (Guidance)
The photo is from the Table Talk presentation in Edmore, ND on Sunday morning. Sonja and I do these presentations in churches to help people listen to the Luther story and then to talk about what Forgivin’ Livin’ means in their daily lives. The participants sit around tables, eat a little food, and talk with one other person about forgiveness after we have finished our part of the table talk message. We break the message into three sections. The photo is taken durning the third message where Martin Luther is telling the story of how the Holy Spirit broke through for him one night in his room. The listeners in Edmore talked freely with other people after the 90 minute time was completed. If you are interested in having a “Table Talk” event at your church let us know and we will find a time to come to your community. The “Table Talk” takes about 90 minutes and involves the listeners in talking with one other person at their table. It usually works best at another time of the week than Sunday morning although the one we did yesterday was excellent.
08/10/2025
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00(Sundaycast) Blessed By God In Both Good And Bad (Numbers 6:24; Matt 28:20) (Trust)
Our Father’s promise to be with us for better and for worse is expressed by His only Begotten Son in these words in Matthew 28. Jesus reveals what God our Father is really like. Our Father does not change the realities we have to face like disease, hardship, difficulties, rejection and finally death. But God our Father is with us in them. As this lesser known verse from the hymn “Children of the Heavenly Father” declares. We trust God’s presence in our pain. Our Father God does not forsake us. Our God goes through these times with us. And that is our blessing. “Emmanuel,” God with us now and to the close of the age. So have no fear little flock, in the Kingdom of God your Father is giving you, your King is with you.