Hope Today 033 - Who can you encourage today?

A program of word and music featuring an eclectic mix of christian music and teaching by Pastor Tom Cullen and Brian Evans.  Mac Wigfield starts the program with southern gospel classics.

Produced at Straight Path Studio in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada.

Christian Artists featured are:

McKameys

4 His Glory

Greenes

Rese Vassell-Bowen

Masters Four

Rhonda Lehman

Andrae Crouch

Bob Bennett

Evie Tornquist

Carolyn Arends

Passion & Kristian Stanfill

Thank you for listening to HOPE TODAY. This is a program developed at Light & Life Programming, a registered charity. We are listener supported. If you would like to help with this ministry, donations can be made through our website at www.lightnlife.ca.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:08

This is Hope Today. Thank you for tuning in this time for another inspirational program of joy and faith. The question of our program is, who can you encourage today? During the moments ahead, Pastor Tom Collins will provide answers to help us understand how we can be a blessing to those around us each day. But for the first part, let's just relax and enjoy the wonderful music brought to us by Mac Wigfield.

SPEAKER_06 0:39

Well, good morning, welcome to Southern Gospel Music on Hope Today. Let's begin with a song of testimony. Hear the McCainys. There's joy in the journey.

SPEAKER_05 0:58

As I walk in the path of life. Oh what joy it can be based with my savior by my side There are trials that I often face Jesus is my saving grace. He's my strong and he's my joy and in his presence I will rejoice. There's joy in the change, joy. Stay there, that's your joy that's joy. As I live in a world that's wag my heart yes to say my Jesus is being surface only.

SPEAKER_06 3:40

Does that song encourage you? Well, maybe you should encourage someone else. What could you do? How about prayer for a start? Here's for his glory.

SPEAKER_07 3:58

I saw an old friend at the market, standing in the checkout line. She began to share her story, and then I told her mine. It was clear we both knew heartache. So before I turned to go, we made a simple promise that would lighten both us.

SPEAKER_05 4:35

You pray for me, and together we'll touch heaven from our peace. When we agree, I'll pray for you. You pray for me.

SPEAKER_07 5:08

What a privilege and an honor to know that God is there And to have his full attention Any turn anywhere And sometimes when we're talking The conversation turns to you as your name needs our mention God lets my spirit to You for me And together we'll touch weaven from our peace Everything can happen you've done when we are praying for you You pray for me and I'll pray for you You pray for me For his glory group just uh from next door in Douglas, New Brunswick.

SPEAKER_06 6:42

Well here's a song by the Greens, a song inspired by uh, interestingly enough, a tract that was written by a missionary in Algeria back quite some time ago now. In that tract, one of the things that she says is this turn your soul's vision to Jesus and look and look at him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from him. Sound familiar? Hear the greens.

SPEAKER_12 7:10

Oh so are you weary and truble? No light in the darkness you see.

SPEAKER_05 7:28

There's light for a look at the same life more and free upon Jesus. And prospective in the light of his glory and praise his word shall not fail you. He crust leave him, all will be with a world that his deal salvation upon Jesus, and the feel will prosper in the light of his glory and wish and the side will prospect in the light of his glory and this is of today, and our question of the day is who can you encourage?

SPEAKER_00 10:11

The New Testament Book of Hebrews says that we are to encourage one another. The Greek word means to come alongside and to give help. We live in a time when this is very important. We need to be encouraging one another. Who can you encourage? Here is Varice Vassal Bowen with Forever Praise. We may ask the question why? Well, Hebrews chapter ten suggests that encouragement is a natural response to what God has done for us in Christ. Because of Jesus Christ and death and resurrection, we have our sin forgiveness. We can give thanks for Barnabas. Without him, we would never have heard from Paul, who wrote so much of the New Testament and was an instrument through which God was able to work. It was because Barnabas believed in Paul that he was introduced to the other disciples and encouraged to keep on in his Christian work. Who can you encourage today? You'll make a difference in their life as you love God and love others, as the Master's four singer.

SPEAKER_02 16:33

Loving God, loving each other, making music with my friends, loving God, loving each other, and the story never.

SPEAKER_11 18:21

Build steeples out of stone, fill books with explanations of a way.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

But if we stop and listen and break a little bread, we would hear the master say loving, loving each other, making music with my friends loving, loving each other, and must loving loving each other, making music with my friends. Loving God, loving each other, and the stone.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

As we've been talking about encouraging one another today, you may ask the question, why do I need to encourage another? And Scripture replies that we need to encourage one another because every one of you is a priceless original. You do know that, don't you? Not one person listening today is worthless. Scripture makes this plain again and again. We're told from the very beginning of creation that we're made in the image of God. We've been made a little more than the angels and crowned with glory and honor. We need to look at each other. That is what we are. We are God. If we treat works of stone and paint created by human hands with more respect than we do one another, who has been created by God, the master designer. We encourage one another because each one is a priceless original loved by God. Won't you join with Rhonda Lehman in singing a great prayer? Make me a blessing.

SPEAKER_05 21:48

Carry the sunshine where darkness is right, making the sorrow in a land. Make me a blind. Make me bless out of my blessing. Make me Jesus shine. Make me a blessing. Oh, save me up. I pray. Make me blasting to someone to do. Give it was given to you in your name. Love is the master love to you. Be to the helpers. A helper indeed. And to your mission be true. Make me a blessing. Oh Savior, I pray. Make me bless. Make me blessing. Make me blessing. Savior of someone to do. Make me blessing. Oh Jesus. I pray.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

There's been times I felt so all alone. But in my lonely hours, Jesus let me know that I was his own. These words could be the testimony of many of us, as it was for the author Andre Crouch. Born in 1942, a twin with his sister and lifelong friend Sandra, he grew up in church. His father was a minister. At the age of 11, Andre began playing the piano largely by ear and was encouraged by the congregation to play for the church services. It was the start of his musical career. He became a gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer, and pastor. The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power. My tribute. And soon and very soon are some of the many songs written by Andre that are still used in our churches and recorded by Christian artists today. He formed a gospel group called The Disciples in the late 60s and 70s and produced music for choirs. He composed music that was used in movies and giving him an Oscar nomination. He received several Grammy and Dub Awards. His music helped to bring contemporary Christian music into the church. His story of musical influence could go on at length. He passed away in January 2015. In his song Through It All, he concludes, For if I'd never had a problem, I'd never know what faith in God could do. Listen now to Andre Crouch with Through It All.

SPEAKER_04 27:14

But in every situation, I've gave me the situation. So let me strong. But there were times and I felt so all alone. But in my lonely house, yet things precious lonely.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Think of the difference you can make by encouraging another person. My dad was a very successful businessman who built a gardening business to include restaurants and a famous show garden in Whitby. And so I was always astonished when he told me of how he failed grade three and had such a hard time in school. Apparently, he was a very poor speller and reader, and whenever he was asked to read aloud in elementary school, he would break out into a nervous stutter. Each teacher would try to correct him in the same way with detentions, sarcasm, and the crack of a ruler on his hand. He hated learning as a result, and he was held back for a year. But then he was promoted to the class of Miss Randall. And she used a different approach. A smile of encouragement. His problems didn't disappear, but his attitude began to change. Leonard needs to do more homework. Leonard is a poor speller. Leonard cannot even read a simple sentence. Can you imagine his delight when he read at the bottom of his report card Leonard is a good and willing student? To his dying day, my father credited that grade five teacher for turning his life around. He gave himself to school 100% after that. School was no longer boring or dull. We all need a person like Miss Randall, who will focus on our strength, not our mistakes, praise our good qualities, and will stand by us when we fail. You can be that person today. Reach out to someone and give them a call, text them, or message them, but let them know that they're of worth and you're thinking of it. Your encouragement will make a world of difference in another person's life. It's a Christ-like service. Bob Bennett sings the truth with Unto the Least of E.

SPEAKER_12 31:31

It's cold and windy on these streets tonight. Meals to be eaten, beds to fight, hearts are warming down. You must give your love unto these of me. Love with held is a love that disappears. They do not care, cause they cannot be what Jesus said. What you do for them, you also do for me. You must give.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

How are we to encourage one another? We read in Hebrews 10 that we're to consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. That suggests that we're to encourage one another thoughtfully. Let's think about the need for encouragement and go out of our way to offer it. So many of us live life with no awareness of what's going on around us or what other people may be thinking. And Scripture is calling us to stop and consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deed. Not only thoughtfully, but we need to encourage one another intentionally. Go out of your way to encourage another. Write a note, give a call, drop off a meal, let your encouragement be intentional. And we need to encourage one another sincerely. There's nothing worse than encouragement that is insincere. Let your encouragement grow out of your relationship with Christ. So we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all encouragement, who encourages us in all our troubles, so that we can encourage those in any trouble with the encouragement we ourselves have received from God. When offered sincerely, the word of God brings strength to the weak and refreshment to the faint-hearted. I know all this to be true. Not because I'm a great encourager, but because when I went through a time of illness, it was the encouragement of many of you listening today who helped me journey through it with hope. You made a difference in my life. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 37:07

You would have just one more day to separate the word. One more day, and time may be no longer. One day late for me to show you. One day late for you to listen. Oh when he comes. One more day, and time may be no longer.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

We're asking the question on hope today. Who can you encourage? There's a great need for encouragement in our culture right now. People are facing difficulties and hardships like never before. Think of the difference you could make in a person's life by giving them a call and letting them know that they are cared for by you and by God. Here is Carolyn Ahrens with What Love Looks Like.

SPEAKER_09 38:48

Down by the shore. Every day, blind man, the winds are not blind anymore. Everybody's talking. How can that be? A little butt, a gentle touch.

SPEAKER_05 39:08

Now he can see that we're just gonna get a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

At each meeting, one of them would read a story or an essay he had written and submit it to the group for their criticism. Everyone was very forthright and frank. So much so that the group called itself the Stranglers. Interestingly, a group of brilliant girls with real literary talent was formed at the same time, and it was called the Wranglers. They too read their manuscripts aloud to one another, but the criticism was much gentler. In fact, there was almost none at all. The Wranglers went out of their way to look for good things to say, to encourage, and to build up the writers rather than tear them down. The results came about twenty years later when the alumni started to review their careers. Of all the wonderful talent in the Stranglers, not one of them had made it in the literary world. But out of the Wranglers, there had come half a dozen successful writers, some getting national recognition like Marjorie Rawlings, who wrote the yearly. Was it a coincidence? I don't think so. Their name, the Stranglers, foreshadowed the result. Criticism and discouragement strangled creativity and stifled growth. Encouragement builds another object, and an Sincerely building one another up during these difficult times. And what better encouragement could you receive than hearing that you are loved by God? Passion and Christian Stanfield exalt the King of Glory.

SPEAKER_05 44:36

Oh don't lose heart, oh my soul, oh my soul, don't give up, there is hope there is always hope And there is peace in the storm, in the storm No don't forget, he is Lord, he is Lord of all There is a pen of boy There is a God's face Won't small am I free of this big throw in the case of praise There is a line It's just a pen of coy So eyes Stay there on Stay on There's one Only one will I have got Look Lift your eyes Lift your eyes look There is the king of glory There is the guy who stays One who strong and mighty Free arm is in his best Oh being the gates of heaven Lift up the shower praise There is the light glory Jesus the King of glory Snow Like you sends by mountains shade and the sound of just one name over Jesus bow Mountain shade and the sound just one day over Jesus As we wrap up another program we hope that you have been blessed and encouraged.

SPEAKER_01 47:15

We would love to hear from you. You can reach us by email at listener at hope today-lp.ca Hope Today is produced at Straight Path Studios and is brought to you by your friends. We hope you will join us again next time. Until then, may God be an encouragement to you and reveal to you his love and blessing.