HealingStrong's Around the Word
Join us around the table with friends who love the Lord and want to dig deeper into God's Word. Hosted by Cheryl Collins and joined by friends of HealingStrong, this podcast is sure to peak your interest in learning more about God's Word, as discussions on each podcast are short, bite-sized morsels that help to go deeper and enjoy God's Word. Cheryl and the podcast team will discuss stories that build trust in God through the history of Joseph, Esther, Jehoshaphat, Daniel, Nehemiah, the Disciples, and of course, Jesus! These episodes encourage our faith in overcoming our fear, and who doesn't need strengthened faith?
Episodes
59 episodes
UPDATES: A Holiday Pause, Resources, and January Expectations
We are taking a brief holiday pause, then come back to listen in January for a new series on Daniel. Listen in as we share some updates across HealingStrong and what resources we have for you over this break season. Listeners get re...
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Episode 59
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6:08
Episode 58 - The Esther Series: Courage in Crisis (Esther 10 NIV)
The story of Esther demonstrates God's sovereignty as He works behind the scenes, using ordinary people for extraordinary purposes to fulfill His redemptive plan.• Mordecai is elevated to second in command under King Xerxes, paralleling...
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Episode 58
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13:14
Episode 57 - The Esther Series: The Tables Turn in a Divine Reversal (Esther 9:1-32 NIV)
The tables turn dramatically for the Jewish people as what was meant to be their day of destruction becomes their day of victory and deliverance through Queen Esther and Mordecai's influence in the Persian court.• God turned what enemie...
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Episode 57
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14:00
Episode 56 - The Esther Series: Turning the Tide Against Destruction (Esther 8:1-17 NIV)
We explore Esther chapter 8, where divine providence unfolds as Mordecai rises to power and the Jewish people gain the right to defend themselves against annihilation.• Haman's estate is given to Esther, who then appoints Mordecai to ma...
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Episode 56
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13:33
Episode 55 - The Esther Series: Courage in the Face of Annihilation (Esther 7 NIV)
Queen Esther displays remarkable courage as she reveals Haman's genocidal plot against the Jews during a second banquet with King Xerxes. The king's furious reaction and Haman's desperate attempts to save his life lead to a dramatic conclusion ...
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Episode 55
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12:24
Episode 54 - The Esther Series: Divine Insomnia (Esther 6 NIV)
God orchestrates a remarkable reversal of fortunes as King Xerxes' insomnia leads to Haman being forced to honor his enemy Mordecai through the streets of the city.• The king's sleepless night leads him to read chronicles recording Mord...
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Episode 54
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16:10
Episode 53 - The Esther Series: The Danger of Obsession (Esther 5:9-14 NIV)
The story of Haman and Mordecai in Esther 5:9-14 reveals how pride destroys joy while faith builds strength in difficult circumstances. We explore how Haman's obsession with one small slight poisoned his perspective despite his many blessings.<...
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Episode 53
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11:07
Episode 52 - The Esther Series: Prayer, Preparation, and Providence (Esther 5:1-8 NIV)
Queen Esther demonstrates remarkable courage and wisdom as she approaches King Xerxes after three days of fasting, risking her life to save her people. Her strategic approach reveals how God works behind the scenes, orchestrating divine timing ...
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Episode 52
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14:00
Episode 51 - The Esther Series: Faith in the Face of Danger (Esther 4:12-17 NIV )
We explore the inspiring story of Queen Esther as she faces a life-or-death decision that will determine the fate of the Jewish people in Persia.• Reading from Esther chapter 4:12-17, where Mordecai challenges Esther to approach the kin...
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Episode 51
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11:33
Episode 50 - The Esther Series: Between Duty and Death (Esther 4:1-11 NIV)
We delve into a crucial turning point in the Book of Esther where Mordecai discovers Haman's plot to annihilate the Jewish people and urgently communicates with Queen Esther through palace intermediaries to intervene.• Mordecai publicly...
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Episode 50
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10:19
Episode 49 - The Esther Series: Haman's Plot - Genocide and God's Providence (Esther 3:7-15 NIV)
We explore Esther 3:7-15, where Haman convinces King Xerxes to issue an edict for the destruction of all Jews in the Persian Empire, setting the stage for one of the Bible's greatest rescue stories.• Haman's manipulation of King Xerxes ...
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Episode 49
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10:57
Episode 48 - The Esther Series: The Feud Between Mordecai and Haman (Esther 3:1-6 NIV)
We explore Esther 3:1-6, examining the ancient conflict between Mordecai and Haman that threatens to escalate into genocide against the Jews throughout the Persian Empire.• Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman despite the king's command, op...
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Episode 48
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12:20
Episode 47 - The Esther Series: Divine Timing in Everyday Lives (Esther 2:19-23 NIV)
We explore the extraordinary ways God uses ordinary people within the story of Mordecai discovering a plot to assassinate King Xerxes in Esther 2:19-23. This remarkable biblical account reveals how regular people become part of God's extraordin...
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Episode 47
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8:06
Episode 46 - The Esther Series: Jewish Orphan Girl to Queen of Persia (Esther 2:15-18 NIV)
We explore Esther's journey from orphan to queen through her encounter with King Xerxes, highlighting how her humility and God's favor positioned her for a greater purpose. The passage reveals how Esther's wise decision to seek counsel from tho...
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Episode 46
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7:59
Episode 45 - The Esther Series: Broken Systems to Accomplish His Perfect Will (Esther 2:1-14 NIV)
God works through flawed cultural contexts to bring about His perfect will, as evidenced in the story of Esther where a young orphaned Jewish girl finds unexpected favor in a Persian king's court. • Discussion of how God uses worldly sy...
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Episode 45
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15:56
Episode 44 - The Esther Series: Power Dynamics in Biblical Marriages (Esther 1:13-22 NIV)
We explore the beginning of Esther's story, where Queen Vashti refuses King Xerxes' command and his advisors suggest removing her from her position to prevent widespread disrespect from women throughout the kingdom.• King Xerxes consult...
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Episode 44
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12:12
Episode 43 - The Esther Series: Royal Pride and Defiance (Esther 1:1-12 NIV)
We dive into the dramatic opening of Esther, where King Xerxes throws an extravagant 180-day party to display his wealth and power before Queen Vashti's defiant refusal sets the stage for a royal crisis. This colorful introduction reveals the P...
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Episode 43
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11:18
Episode 42 - The Esther Series: For Such a Time as This (Esther 4:12-14 NIV)
We explore the powerful message from Esther 4:12-14 about trusting God's presence even when we can't see Him working. Our discussion centers on how God orchestrates circumstances behind the scenes and uses imperfect people to accomplish His div...
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Episode 42
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8:56
Episode 41 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Lessons from the Battle (Romans 6:23, John 3:16, Romans 10:10 NIV)
We wrap up our 20-day study of Jehoshaphat, exploring how this ancient king's story offers powerful lessons for modern believers facing their own battles. Throughout this journey, we've discovered timeless wisdom about turning immediately to Go...
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Episode 20
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9:16
Episode 40 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV)
We explore the armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18, connecting these spiritual warfare principles with the story of Jehoshaphat and examining how proper spiritual preparation equips us to face life's battles.• Understanding that our str...
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Episode 19
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10:56
Episode 39 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Oops I Did It Again (2 Chronicles 20:31-37, 21:1 NIV)
We explore King Jehoshaphat's disappointing final chapter and what it teaches us about our own tendency to return to unwise alliances after spiritual victories. Even biblical heroes like Jehoshaphat experienced cycles of obedience and drift, sh...
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Episode 18
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7:32
Episode 38 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Valley of Praise (2 Chronicles 20:26-30 NIV)
Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah celebrate their miraculous victory by gathering in the Valley of Beracah (Blessing) to praise God after witnessing their enemies destroy themselves while they simply sang praises.• Three enemy armies ...
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Episode 17
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5:35
Episode 37 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Singing into Battle (2 Chronicles 20:22-25 NIV)
We explore the supernatural power of praise through the incredible victory story in 2 Chronicles 20, where singing and worship became God's chosen method to defeat overwhelming enemy forces.• God set ambushes against Israel's enemies wh...
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Episode 16
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6:50
Episode 36 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Worship Before Victory (2 Chronicles 20:18-21 NIV)
King Jehoshaphat's story teaches us to praise God for victory before we see it, demonstrated by his radical military strategy of placing worshippers at the front of his army. His example shows us how to respond to adversity with faith-filled wo...
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Episode 15
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8:04
Episode 35 - The Jehoshaphat Series: Standing Firm in Faith (2 Chronicles 20:13-17 NIV)
Ancient biblical wisdom offers profound guidance for our modern battles when Jehoshaphat learns that God will fight for him while he simply stands firm in faith.• God's message to Jehoshaphat: "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of...
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Episode 14
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6:56