“What Does It Mean to Walk By the Spirit?”

Paul, in writing to the Galatians, found himself re-explaining the gospel of grace; that is, Christ had freed them from the requirements of the law. Why then, should they return to keeping the law so that they could become “more righteous.” That was the problem. They weren’t becoming more righteous by observing the law. Instead, they were tearing each other down by trying to (wrongfully) be put under the law again.

Galatians 5:13-15 says, “For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” As Christians, we are not mindless robots controlled by God. He gives us freedom in our Christian lives; however, we have the opportunity to serve Him as His children by walking in His ways instead of gratifying the “desires” of our flesh. God has made a better way, and that way is walking by His Spirit.

So, what does it mean to “walk by the Spirit” and what does that look like? Paul goes on in the book of Galatians to name some “fruits” that will present themselves if we yield to the Spirit’s leading in our lives. Let’s first talk about what it means to “walk” by the Spirit, and then we will continue our series by looking individually at each fruit.

The word Paul uses here for “walk” conveys the idea of one’s conduct. In other words, do I live out my day-to-day actions by the Spirit? Colossians 2:6 says, “Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him.” Just as salvation requires a change of heart and mind, agreeing with Christ that we need Him as our Savior from our own personal sins, it also requires that same idea of submitting to Christ’s idea for what our lives should look like. We are to, as Colossians 1:10 states, “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” So, how might I live by the Spirit’s leading? I desire to please him, seek to produce a character that is like Him, and continue to know Him - all by His working within me and not my own strength.

As Romans 6:4 mentions, just as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead, we too can “walk in the newness of life.”



Abigail Zander is a wife, mom, and volunteer at Key Radio. She loves getting together for "mom's bible study" and thrifting with her friends. 

It only takes one look around at the current events of our culture for us to ask, “Is there any hope for humanity?” World hunger, mass shootings, and even unkind neighbors all point to the problem that all of mankind exhibits. Because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), we as humans experience the effects of a fallen world. However, there is an answer to the hopelessness! The Bible mentions that God offers hope to us in 1 Peter 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” Notice this hope is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; that is, all those who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection for the payment of their own personal sins have been given new, born-again life in Christ. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

So, what does this hope in Christ mean for us who believe in Him yet are still dealing with the aching downfalls of humanity? Although we do not yet experience a world in which there are no more “tears, death, mourning, crying or pain,” Romans 8:23-24 says that “…the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth (the suffering effects of sin) until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption of sons, the redemption of our bodies.”  
Are you waiting eagerly for the inheritance of hope that God has promised to you, believer? And, if you are not sure of where you stand in your status with God today, would you consider trading the hopelessness around you for the lifegiving promise that Christ offers to you today?


Abigail Zander is a new volunteer at Key Radio who enjoys learning about different aspects of ministry. In her spare time, Abbie enjoys teaching piano lessons and thrifting with friends. She resides in Payson, Utah with her husband, Sam, and daughter.

By Clara Prince, Key Radio intern

This is the last part of a series discussing, Who Is Jesus?
Read part 1 - The Ultimate Question,
          part 2 - Flawless Character,
          part 3 - His Revolutionary Ministry,
          part 4 - Bold Words,
          part 5 - Absolutely Dead,
          part 6 - The Resurrection

What do you believe about Jesus? And how has that affected your life?

One of C.S. Lewis’ most well-known quotes states, “'I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ This is the one thing we must not say.” Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the Messiah, but if what He said is a lie then He cannot be a great moral teacher because great moral teachers do not lie; it would be against their morals. Therefore you cannot accept Jesus as a great moral teacher but not His claim to be God.

If you are going to study the man Jesus of Nazareth, you must study His entire self: His character, ministry, words, death, and resurrection. If someone were to draw a conclusion of your identity, you would not want them to only examine a single aspect of your life. You would want them to look at the entirety of your identity: your character, beliefs, profession, achievements, words, etcetera. So why wouldn’t we do the same when drawing a conclusion about Jesus? In the book, Know What You Believe, it states, “‘What we believe about God,’ said the late A.W. Tozer, ‘is the most important thing about us.’ Our belief or lack of it inevitably translates itself into our actions, our attitudes, and our views of the world.” (Little, pg 34).

Have you put in the effort to know Jesus? I encourage you to read my entire blog series, studying who Jesus is, if you haven’t already. I encourage you to open your bible and read for yourself what Jesus has done. In the book of Matthew, Jesus asks His disciples, “‘But what about you? Who do you say that I am?’” (Matthew 16:15, NIV). Your faith is your own journey. How are you going to answer?

Clara Prince is a high school intern at Key Radio and has been a volunteer since 2018. She currently resides in Provo, Utah and enjoys being on the Timpview Marching Band Drumline.

By Clara Prince, Key Radio intern

This is part 6 of a series discussing, Who Is Jesus?
Read part 1 - The Ultimate Question,
          part 2 - Flawless Character,
          part 3 - His Revolutionary Ministry,
          part 4 - Bold Words,
          part 5 - Absolutely Dead

Death is a scary thing we all must face one day. Jesus experienced torture and crucifixion - the cruelest form of torture and death executed by Romans. To learn about the pain He went through is heart-breaking and hard to process. However, His death was not the end.
The story of the Resurrection is the miracle of Jesus rising from the dead three days after His crucifixion, leaving an empty tomb behind and appearing to hundreds of eyewitnesses. We know that Jesus’ death is historical, but is His resurrection historical? In The Truth Project, Habermas describes the three pieces of evidence of the Resurrection: Eyewitnesses, Early, and Empty Tomb.
To begin, in The Truth Project, Lee Strobel states, “I think one of the greatest bits of evidence for the Resurrection is the changed lives of His disciples.” When Jesus was arrested by the Romans, the disciples fled and went into hiding because they would've been tortured and killed as well. But after Jesus made His appearances to His disciples, within months they began proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus. This dramatic change in behavior in the disciples is extremely strange because they were imprisoned, persecuted, and killed for these proclamations yet continued, whereas before the Resurrection, they ran away to avoid prison and death. The apostle Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14). The disciples believed Jesus was the Messiah. They recorded that Jesus appeared to them and over 500 people after His death, spoke with them, ate with them, taught them, and let people touch Him. He was alive in every possible form according to not only the disciples but to hundreds of people.
The next main evidence for the Resurrection is early. What this means is the disciples began preaching the miracle of Jesus' resurrection within months of the event. This was so early within the occurrence of the event, there was no time for a legend/myth to be formed.
And lastly, the empty tomb is an extremely significant piece of evidence for the Resurrection. Three days after Jesus' death, the women went to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body. However, when they arrived, the tomb was empty with his linen clothing neatly folded (Mark 16). N.T. Wright states in his book, The Resurrection of the Son of God, “Over against this, I shall argue that the resurrection of Jesus, whatever it was, can and must be seen as at least a historical problem.” (Wright, pg 12).

There are six main theories against the Resurrection of Jesus: the twin theory, the hallucination theory, the wrong tomb theory, the disciples stole the body argument, the inconsistency argument, and the legend theory.
The twin theory claims that Jesus did die but He had a twin who made all the appearances after His death. This raises several issues. For example, where had the twin been for the past 33 years? There is no historical evidence of Jesus having a twin, only a brother named James. Secondly, it is documented that Jesus appeared to His disciples and they touched the piercings in His wrists, feet, and side. Jesus' twin would have had to pierce himself in those areas as Jesus was - who would give that sacrifice to preach a lie? Thirdly, Jesus' disciples spent three entire years with Him; would they not have eventually recognized that this twin wasn’t Jesus? Not to mention, wouldn’t His mother surely recognize the difference between them?
Let’s continue. The hallucination theory states that Jesus' appearances were in fact hallucinations. However, hallucinations are usually an individual event. So many people having the same hallucination at the same time is impossible. This theory also doesn’t explain the empty tomb, which leads us to the next theory.
The wrong tomb theory argues that the disciples visited the wrong tomb. However, this is also highly unlikely because too many people would have made the same mistake. Mary, the women, the soldiers, the disciples, etc. all would’ve had to visit the wrong tomb.
To continue, the possibility that the disciples stole the body also has become an argument. When Jesus was arrested, the disciples fled into hiding because they were so afraid they would be arrested as well. If the disciples displayed this fear when Jesus was arrested, why would they then be courageous enough to pass the Roman guards and steal Jesus' body? This theory is inconsistent with the disciples' previous actions, not to mention they would've been caught and arrested by the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb.
Next, the inconsistency argument claims that because there are inconsistencies between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John's records, we can't be sure that Jesus was resurrected. Yes, there are “inconsistencies” with the accounts of the Resurrection, however, the inconsistencies lie only with the details of the women and angels. Tackett explains in The Truth Project, “There is no inconsistency in the story of the death, burial, empty tomb, or post-death appearances of Jesus.” Del Tackett then explains, “If someone were to stand by this argument it would be parallel to saying, there were x number of witnesses to Lincoln's assassination. And these witnesses aren't saying the exact same thing so therefore Lincoln wasn't assassinated.” The inconsistency in the four gospels is simply proof that everyone sees situations differently and there are going to be slightly different stories.
Lastly, the legend theory states that Jesus' resurrection is simply a myth and the story of His death has just been embellished over the years. However, “a legend requires at least two full generations before it can begin to be formed.” (Tackett). But the early creed (1 Corinthians 15) was written within months of the Resurrection and the disciples began preaching Jesus' resurrection early after the event. There was no time for a legend to develop. Assessing the six main theories arguing against Jesus' resurrection, none of them are evidence-based nor are they practical explanations.

As mentioned earlier, one of the greatest bits of evidence of the Resurrection is the changed lives of Jesus' disciples (Strobel). Greg Koukl, Christian apologist, further evaluates the evidence for the Resurrection by asking the question, “How many people will die for a lie when they know it's a lie?” The Resurrection ultimately proves that Jesus is who He said He was - the Messiah. J. Warner Wallace, American homicide detective and Christian apologist, states in Forensic Faith, “The authority of Jesus is grounded in more than the strength of an idea; it’s established by the verifiability of an event. When Jesus rose from the dead, He established His authority as God.” (Wallace, pg 35).
Jesus lived the life I could never live and died the death I deserve. He hung on that cross in my place, and He has forgiven my sins. I don’t have to be afraid of death anymore because Jesus overcame death and I can overcome the death of my sin through Him. I can trust Jesus that I’m going to be okay no matter what happens.

Clara Prince is a high school intern at Key Radio and has been a volunteer since 2018. She currently resides in Provo, Utah and enjoys being on the Timpview Marching Band Drumline.

By Clara Prince, Key Radio intern

This is part 5 of a series discussing, Who Is Jesus?
Read part 1 - The Ultimate Question,
          part 2 - Flawless Character,
          part 3 - His Revolutionary Ministry,
          part 4 - Bold Words

The death of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most profound moments in all of history: Gary Habermas, American historian and New Testament scholar, states in The Truth Project, “Even atheist scholars recognize the death and crucifixion of Christ as being historical.” Jesus was killed by crucifixion - the cruelest form of torture and death executed by Romans. It was their job to extract maximum suffering and absolute death.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus experienced a beating called flogging, where a soldier would strike the victim more than 39 times using a whip of braided leather with sharp bits of bone and metal balls. These lashes would result in deep bruises, contusions, and deep cuts in the flesh (The Case For Christ, Metherall, M.D., PH.D., pg 195). This would at the least result in extreme blood loss, but people have been known to die from flogging alone, before even being crucified. “This does four things. First, the heart races to try to pump blood that isn't there; second, the blood pressure drops, causing fainting or collapse; third, the kidneys stop producing urine to maintain what volume is left; and fourth, the person becomes very thirsty as the body craves fluids to replace the lost blood volume.” (Metherall, pg 196).
This can be seen in the four gospel accounts: Jesus collapses while carrying the cross up to Calvary and He says, “I thirst.” (John 19:28, NIV). Not only was He flogged but He was severely humiliated with a crown of thorns pressed on His head.

Crucifixion is a form of death that is executed slowly and painfully, where Jesus' wrists and feet were nailed to the cross with spikes five to seven inches long.

Metherall states, “It's important to understand that the nail would go through… the largest nerve going out to the hand, and it would be crushed by the nail that was being pounded in.” He goes on to say that the pain was absolutely unbearable. “In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating. Literally, excruciating means ‘out of the cross’. Think of that: they needed to create a new word, because there was nothing in the language that could describe the intense anguish caused during the crucifixion.’” (Metherall, pg 198).

The causes of Jesus' death would be asphyxiation, respiratory acidosis, cardiac arrest, and as a result of extreme blood loss – he would ultimately succumb to heart failure. To confirm His death, a Roman soldier stabbed a spear into His side, “The spear apparently went through the right lung and into the heart, so when the spear was pulled out, some fluid - the pericardial effusion and the pleural effusion - came out. This would have the appearance of a clear fluid, like water, followed by a large volume of blood, as the eyewitness John described in his gospel.” (Metherall, pg 199).

All experts and historians agree that Jesus undoubtedly died on the cross, however, there are outlying theories arguing against Jesus’ death to explain His appearances after the cross. The main theory arguing against Jesus’ death is the swoon theory: Jesus did not die on the cross but only fainted and between the time He was put in the tomb and Sunday morning, He revived. This theory is not backed up by medical and historical evidence. Romans were professional executors and they wouldn’t risk Jesus surviving. Additionally, Jesus was buried in a tomb with a stone sealing the entrance. If Jesus did survive, He would have been in extremely poor condition and He would not have had the strength to move the rock to escape the tomb. He was stretched on the cross and as a result, His arms were pulled out of their sockets; there is no way He could have moved the rock alone. Also, His feet were pierced with nails and He would not have been able to walk. Furthermore, it is documented that Roman soldiers were standing guard outside the tomb. It is impossible that Jesus survived, removed His linen clothing, moved the rock, and escaped the guards’ notice.

Finally, we know that Jesus made several appearances to His disciples and others after His death. Jesus’ disciples would not have believed Him to be the Messiah in that pathetic condition; they would not have proclaimed Him to be the Son of God and the conqueror of death. They would not have been inspired to proclaim this message that we would someday be resurrected like Christ, or be willing to die for that message. This theory, in addition to other outlying theories, have no evidence-based foundation; it is impossible Jesus could have survived His torture and crucifixion. There is no doubt, Jesus was dead.

Clara Prince is a high school intern at Key Radio and has been a volunteer since 2018. She currently resides in Provo, Utah and enjoys being on the Timpview Marching Band Drumline.

By Clara Prince, Key Radio intern

This is part 4 of a series discussing, Who Is Jesus?
Read part 1 - The Ultimate Question,
          part 2 - Flawless Character,
          part 3 - His Revolutionary Ministry

I’m doing an internship at Key Radio through Timpview High School, right now. Before the school year started, my internship class would practice answering interview questions. One of the questions I dreaded answering the most was, “How would you describe yourself?” I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of talking about myself. What would you say about yourself? If someone were to draw a conclusion of you, you would not want them to only examine your grades in school or how well you played in high school sports. You would want them to look at the entirety of your identity, including what you say about yourself. So why wouldn’t we do the same when trying to draw a conclusion about Jesus?
What did Jesus say about Himself? Jesus forgave sins, led a sinless life, accepted worship, taught and spoke with divine authority, claimed a divine relationship with the Father, and claimed divine titles - conveying Jesus claimed He was God (Tackett, The Truth Project).
In Jewish law, only God could forgive sins, and throughout Jesus’ ministry He publicly forgave sinful people. Luke 7:44-49 (NIV) says,
“He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’”
To forgive sin is an attribute of God that Jesus possessed. This upset the Pharisees because they believed Jesus was not God and He was committing blasphemy.
Jesus also accepted worship, implying that He was worthy of worship. This is interesting. People don’t usually like to be worshiped because we know that we are only human. Because Jesus accepted worship, we can infer the opposite about Him; He is God.
Additionally, Jesus had an extraordinary character; He was sinless. Jesus’ disciples spent 24 hours with Him, every day for three years. His disciples knew Jesus extremely well and they declared that He was without sin. On Focus on the Family’s Truth Project, Lee Strobel said, “I can’t think of another human being whose reputation was actually enhanced, the closer that you peered into their life.” Paul the apostle describes Jesus in Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) as “a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet did not sin.” Those who knew Jesus closely, called Him the Messiah.
Jesus also taught and spoke with divine authority. No one had taught like Jesus before; He claimed He was “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6, NIV). To support His teachings and His authority, Jesus performed miracles including His resurrection. Del Tackett states in The Truth Project, “Jesus is either Almighty God or He is arrogant beyond belief.” 
Jesus also claimed a divine relationship with the Father, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32, NIV). No one has a divine relationship with God except Jesus. He manifested divine attributes. We have already discussed two of these attributes: to forgive sin and to be worshiped.
He also claimed to be God, Lord, Messiah. For example, in John 4 when Jesus visited the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, they discussed the coming of the Christ. John 4:25-26 reads, “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you-I am he.’”
We can only conclude one of three things based on what Jesus said about Himself: Jesus was delusional (He thought He was God, but He really wasn’t), Jesus was a deceiver (He knew He wasn’t God, but He let people worship Him), or Jesus really is God. Friend, Jesus really is God.

Clara Prince is a high school intern at Key Radio and has been a volunteer since 2018. She currently resides in Provo, Utah and enjoys being on the Timpview Marching Band Drumline.

By Clara Prince, Key Radio intern

This is part 3 of a series discussing, Who Is Jesus?
Read part 1 and 2 - The Ultimate Question, Flawless Character

Jesus’ ministry took place during the last three years of His life, in which so much occurred. As John 21:25 (NIV) says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” Can you imagine filling more books than the world has room for, with everything you did the last three years? These last two months, I’ve been writing essays for college applications and I’m describing who I am through the activities I’ve participated in. For example, I’m on the drumline in my high school marching band which has strengthened me as a leader and musician. I value succeeding in something hard with my friends. These colleges are looking at my identity and values to see if I would be a good fit for their school. Similarly, studying Jesus’ ministry will help us examine His core values, beliefs, and purpose.
Jesus healed all kinds of sicknesses and diseases, even raised the dead. In the New Testament the awakening of a dead man - the raising of Lazarus - is a well-known story that can be found in John 11:1-44. Something striking in this account, is that Jesus wept with Lazarus’ sisters.
“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (John 11:32-36, NIV)
Jesus cared about Lazarus and shared the emotions Mary and Martha were experiencing. Spending time to care about people was a significant part of His ministry. Verse 33 says that Jesus was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” Jesus was troubled by death’s destruction and that it is a reality humanity must face. However, He had bigger plans for Lazarus and his family.
Another detail to notice is Jesus waited until the fourth day to raise Lazarus (verse 39).
“When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” (John 11:4-7, NIV)
Jews believed that one’s spirit lingered around its dead body for three days before it leaves and the body remains lifeless. Jesus waited because He wanted to reveal He could overcome anything. He wanted to reveal the truth about Himself – that He is the Messiah. John 11:25 says, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’” The primary purpose of His ministry was to demonstrate that He was who He said He was, and it was so influential that people believed He was the Messiah, for whom they had been waiting for 400 years.
It is inspiring to read about Jesus’ ministry and how much He cared about others. His ministry was about loving others and showing the world who He is. Jesus asked us to love God and love others and even though it’s hard, I am trying to put God and others before myself.

Clara Prince is a high school intern at Key Radio and has been a volunteer since 2018. She currently resides in Provo, Utah and enjoys being on the Timpview Marching Band Drumline.

By Clara Prince, Key Radio intern

This is part 2 of a series discussing, Who Is Jesus? 
Read part 1 - The Ultimate Question 

If I were to ask you to describe your best friend, what would you tell me? When asked about someone’s identity, their character is one of the first things we think of. How do they treat you? How do they interact with others? When discovering Jesus’ identity, a great place to start is with character as well. Jesus of Nazareth was a man who lived approximately two thousand years ago, and was described with many adjectives: sinless, kind, humble, courageous, caring, compassionate, truthful, wise, loving, merciful, etc. - the list goes on.

His character can be seen through how He interacted with other people in the New Testament. I use the New Testament as my primary source because it is a historically accurate account of Jesus’ actions. One of the stories of Jesus that stands out to me the most takes place in the temple courts, where Jesus was teaching. A group of Pharisees interrupted, bringing in a woman who had committed adultery.

In Jewish law (the law of Moses) it was customary to stone a woman who had committed adultery, but the Pharisees wanted to know what punishment Jesus thought she should receive. However, when the Pharisees showed hate and pride, Jesus showed mercy and forgiveness. John 8:7-11 (NIV) says:

“'Let any of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'” Again Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, sir,' she said. 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'”

This specific story in the New Testament demonstrates Jesus’ character in several ways. First, it shows how Jesus reacts to interruptions. John 8:2-3 describes Jesus teaching a group of people in the temple courts when the Pharisees interrupted him. I don’t know about you, but I tend to get frustrated when people interrupt me. I find it rude and impolite. However, Jesus welcomed the question and used it as an opportunity to teach and change this woman’s life.
This woman could have been killed but Jesus used her brokenness as an opportunity to show God’s love.

This account also demonstrates how Jesus treats people with kindness. He did not condemn the woman because she was “unclean and sinful.” Jesus told her to go and sin no more and she was given another chance. Jesus loved everyone and He loved the sinners when no one else would.

One of the reasons I love Jesus so much is because He loves me even though I am broken. He knows my story and He forgave my sins when He died on the cross.
God forgives me every day for all the mistakes I make. I get to wake up every morning with peace, knowing that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…” (Lamentations 3:22-23). There are endless stories of how well Jesus treated others in the New Testament and how well He treated His disciples.

Clara Prince is a high school intern at Key Radio and has been a volunteer since 2018. She currently resides in Provo, Utah and enjoys being on the Timpview Marching Band Drumline.

SPACE, SHATNER, AND SURRENDER

My heart hurts for William Shatner.  

Back in 2021, the nonagenarian was given the most thrilling opportunity to explore the “Final Frontier.” But in an article published by Variety ⁱ , he lamented that he was shocked to discover that instead of awe, wonder, and elation, he felt intense grief.  

Shatner vulnerably admitted, “It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered. The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness.”

According to the article, this is known as the “Overview Effect,” coined by Author Frank White in 1987. “Essentially, when someone travels to space and views Earth from orbit, a sense of the planet’s fragility takes hold in an ineffable, instinctive manner,” Shatner explained.

Personally, outer space has always stirred in me a sense of dread.  If God weren’t omnipresent, I could very well believe that outer space would be the one place that God wasn’t.  But the more I thought about it, the more I was struck by the tenderness and kindness of God. How God created the universe and all that is in it, and then crafted a planet so beautifully, so intimately, that man could thrive, and grow, and glorify his Creator.  To be rocketed away from such a favored environment would be akin to being cast out of God’s loving presence.  No wonder Mr. Shatner’s heart was troubled!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” So states psalmist King David (Psalm 19:1).  Mr. Shatner received a precious gift in witnessing God’s glory from a different point in space than the rest of us, and it made him grieve profoundly to think that this beautiful blue planet was planted in such harsh environment.  The fragility of earth was almost devastating to him.  

But ever the optimist, Mr. Shatner stated that he does have hope: “…we have one gift that other species perhaps do not: we are aware—not only of our insignificance, but the grandeur around us that makes us insignificant. That allows us perhaps a chance to rededicate ourselves to our planet, to each other, to life and love all around us. If we seize that chance.”

Besides the obvious and tragic humanistic worldview, there is a glaring problem – man is sinful, and for as many times throughout epochs of man trying to change himself and change others, he simply cannot.  Man is slave to sin, and therefore the only thing we will continue to love is ourselves, at the cost of the planet, others, life, and the nebulous “love all around us.”

The truth and the power to change is beyond every human being’s grasp, save the redemptive work of Jesus.  The truth frees us from grief and propels us to worship the Truth-giver.
So consider the truth of God:

1. The earth isn’t the pinnacle of God’s creation – humans are, you and I included. (Gen. 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.)
2. The earth is being destroyed by man’s sin, not our carbon footprint. (Rom. 8:21-22 …that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.)
3. Jesus is Creator-God and even though the earth looks fragile, it’s being held together by our All-Powerful God! (Col. 1:17 ESV And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.)
4. We have a choice to rebel against God, or to fall on our knees in humble submission to him.  If we do the latter, he promises to make us new! (2 Cor. 5:17 ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.)
5. Jesus will return to make all things new – including the earth. (Rev. 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…)

Like I said, I feel sad for Mr. Shatner. He sees the earth but doesn’t understand the loving hand of its Creator.  He feels grief but doesn’t understand the hope of Jesus who will make all things new. He feels hopeful in man’s awareness of insignificance but doesn’t understand that there is absolutely no hope for humankind save for Christ himself.  My prayer, for you dear reader as well as for Mr. Shatner, is that you actually take Mr. Shatner’s advice – seize the chance! Today is the day to fix your eyes on Jesus, surrender to him and worship him, not his creation.  Then, only then, will you be ready (and eager) to see your Maker face to face, in the Final Frontier.

Heather Zander is the Program Director, resident barista, and morning show host for Key Radio.  She resides in Provo, Utah with her husband Mike.

By Clara Prince, Key Radio intern

When you hear the name Jesus, what comes to mind? I know several people who believe He is simply a myth - a legend. I also have friends who believe He existed but was no more than a good man. And many believe Him to be the Messiah - the Son of the living God. There are many views of Jesus in our world today, but it is your own conclusion that matters, and it must be concluded based on evidence. Del Tackett, Creator of Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project, states, “People create a picture of who Jesus is. And sometimes they don’t like Jesus because they’ve got the picture wrong.” Then what’s the right picture?

Last year, my junior year of high school, I was given the English assignment to write a research paper on any topic I wanted. I decided to dive into the question, Who is Jesus? I discovered the evidence-based truth of Jesus looking at His character, ministry, death, and resurrection. Another aspect of Jesus I researched was what was said about Him by those who knew Him and what Jesus said about Himself. In the book of Matthew, Jesus asks His disciples, “‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say that I am?’” (Matthew 16:15, NIV).

This is a question we all must answer for ourselves, and our conclusion will influence the way we live our lives. Your faith-walk isn’t something you inherit from your parents. My faith is my own journey and what I believe is based on the evidence of Christ’s resurrection. I’m a Christian because I have chosen to put my trust and faith in Christ alone. Jesus paid the ultimate price for my sins. He lived the life I could never live and died the death I deserve. He is my best friend, and He is my Lord and Savior. Six years ago, I decided to live my life for Jesus because He died for mine.

Gross Contempt for a Precious Treasure
 
In a distant land long ago, a nation of people lost an irreplaceable chest which belonged to the king. It was shameful, really.  Instead of appealing to the king for his favor and protection before engaging in battle against their enemy, the people decided to use the king’s royal chest as a good luck charm of sorts.  The enemy quickly defeated the unprotected masses and stole the valued treasure.

The people were embarrassed and humiliated and knew their king was greatly displeased.
Then one fateful day, the enemy who was in great distress over the strange curse the chest seemed to unleash upon them, hastily and covertly returned it to the people. When the king’s people discovered it, they shouted and laughed. The king was going to be so happy for its safe return!  They broke out their musical instruments.  They sang! They danced! They jumped and cheered.  But they weren’t careful with the treasure they so joyfully recovered.

The treasure was unceremoniously carried on an old farm cart, pulled by two clumsy, foul-smelling oxen.  Caught up in the revelry, no one thought to avoid potholes. As a result, the treasure tipped this way and that, and was woefully jostled about.

The king was appalled at the unbridled disregard of the chest’s value, and even more disgusted with the people’s lack of respect for their king. Had they not learned anything? He severely punished the foolish and ungrateful people, not because of the mishandling of the treasure, but because of their gross contempt for king and kingdom.

True story, friend. You can read about this in 1 Samuel 4 and 5, and 2 Samuel 6 if you like. There are several applications we can make in our own lives. One application is this – there is only one way to truly please God. We can sing all the right songs, read all the right books, say all the right things, help all the right people and donate to all the right charities and causes, and none of it – none of it – will please God. Does that shock you?

The only way to please God is to first turn to His true Treasure – Jesus. Repent of your sins, and in great humility of mind, believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).  Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus. (Acts 4:12) The only path to the Father is through Jesus (John 14:6).  Jesus alone is our treasure, and it is treasonous and rebellious to deny Christ and his redemptive work on the cross.

And incidentally, Jesus isn’t our treasure only, but he is also our King.  Are you mishandling such a treasure as the salvation that is offered to you?  Are you demonstrating gross contempt for the King who loves you to the point of death – even death on a cross?  Repent.  Be saved.  Love and treasure your Lord and King.

Most Americans do not know that Utah celebrates two independence days. (Imagine the fireworks!) The first is the Fourth of July, but the second is the 24th of July.  It was July 24th of 1847 that Brigham Young and his followers reached the Great Salt Lake Basin and pronounced that it was essentially the promised land for the Mormons.  Young, who himself was very ill with “mountain fever,” looked across the valley and said, “It is enough. This is the right place.”

This makes me consider our plight in life. We’re always seeking a promised land of sorts, free from pain, discomfort, drama, sorrow and so on, and we never seem to find that rest. God’s Word, the Bible, makes it clear that outside of Jesus, we have no hope whatsoever for the peace our weary souls long for.

I even submit that Heaven is not our objective.  As wonderful as it will be, our objective is actually a person – Jesus Himself.  He is our rest. He is our comfort.  He is our hope.  

Jesus is our Lord and our God.

We can say all this with great confidence because Jesus made a way for us to enjoy peace with God. Our selfishness, pride, jealously, malice, all our sins made us only worthy of God’s wrath.  But Jesus, God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, justified us by his grace by redeeming us – literally paying the penalty we owed – so that we can have true freedom.  “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and [all who believe] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by this blood to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:22, 23-25a emphasis mine)

The truth is this – there is no rest outside of Jesus. America can’t give us peace. Not even the Great Salt Lake Basin. Jesus must be the object of our affection, our “promised land.” Only Jesus is enough. The right place is in Jesus. Our home – our true home – is in Christ. Alone.

WHEN GOD GETS YOUR ATTENTION

I was stunned.  In my pursuit to check social media messages, my news feed flashed a post announcing the death of a high school friend.  It wasn’t necessarily a surprise - Jason struggled with poor health, in part caused by rough living.  I guess I was just taken off guard.

Jason reached out a couple years ago, and I soon learned that he was a believer in Jesus.  God had used Jason’s circumstances to get his attention, and today, Jason is absent from his broken, beat up body, but present with our glorious Lord. As a child of God myself, this is truly comforting.

On a recent morning show, we discussed 1 Kings 17, where the prophet Elijah said to King Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”  Surely a drought would get the attention of the Israelite nation, and they would turn back to the One True God!

But what Is God doing to get your attention?  Is it the beauty of his creation that causes you to worship spontaneously? Or is it a tragedy that leaves you powerless and dependent on God’s strength?  Either way, when God does get your attention, “take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Ex. 3:5) Lean into the Lord, and learn of His sovereignty, goodness, and grace.  Remember that this world is not your home – that through Jesus, you can have life everlasting, free from pain, sin, hurt, and disappointment. Trust in the all-sufficient work of Jesus. He is able and willing to forgive you of your sins so that your joy may be overflowing.

If God’s vying for your attention, don’t push him away.  Submit to the Lord’s call on your life and enjoy Him now and forever.

 Just like Jason did.

I realize that the title might make our beloved grammar-guards' hair curl (sorry) but I have my reasons.  The last few weeks on the morning show, we've been discussing Jesus' last words during that whole gruesome day.  He asserted that he was God - the Great I Am.  During his illegal trials he stated that all he preached was out in the open - no secrets.  He proclaimed truth. He warned the daughters of Jerusalem. He forgave sin, and interceded on our behalf.  He assured the thief crucified next to him that his eternal destiny is secure in Jesus.  He cared for his mother.  Oh, and there's more!  

Why do we gloss over this? Do we forget the torture Jesus endured?  Do we forget that Jesus endured God's wrath - yes, his WRATH - that you and I deserve?  

Let's not forget.  Not this Friday.  Let's make Good Friday one of constant commemoration.  In 2017 The Gospel Coalition posted an article written by Russ Ramsey. In it, Mr. Ramsey suggests setting alarms throughout the day, so that you can follow the events of Good Friday, even as you go about work, family life, or other activities.  I think it's a great idea.  And as the day progresses, pray.  Thank God for his lovingkindness toward you.  Remember that Jesus did, in fact, pay it all, and all to him and him alone do you owe your life.  

Finally, remember that grace is unmerited favor, but the cost of our salvation was incomparable.  Jesus freely gives us his grace and salvation because he alone bore our sins. Please don't reject him.  If you do not know Jesus, place your faith and trust in Him today.

This Friday, set aside time to remember.  Consider setting your alarms, as Mr. Ramsey suggested.  Let's make Good Friday a most worshipful day!

Easter or Ressurection Sunday is coming up quickly, and I always feel a little blue because we don't make much of it like we do Christmas.  But maybe it's for the best, in that we aren't distracted by the blinky lights and holiday hulabaloo (although I do love the blinkies and the 'baloos!)

In prepping for morning show topics, I tripped across this little devotional book, "The Cross in Four Words" written by Kevin DeYoung, Richard Coekin, and Yannick Christos-Wahab.  Huge blessing.  One of the many good quotes that stood out was written by DeYong, "Don't think that God's love is just a RESULT of the cross.  God's love is WHAT LED TO THE CROSS." (emphasis mine).  

Friend, do you know how loved you are? You are precious, created to love God and delight in him forever. Your sin and mine disqualifies us from that love.  What's worse, we deserve punishment, not delight.  Judgment, not mercy.  Death, not life.

But God is rich in both justice and mercy, and it was for this reason - and his love - that Jesus voluntarily, willingly, and unwaveringly plowed his way to the cross. Our infinite God, paid our infinite sin debt, so that we can live with him for all infinity.  

Friend - consider the cross.  I mean, really consider it.  Jesus said, "Repent and believe..." (Mark 1:16).  So DO it! Do it TODAY!  Enjoy the love of Christ, and look to the cross and remember. Remember his love, his sacrifice, his victory, his mercy, and his peace that he freely gives today. All this and more.  

Because He chose the cross.

All this week on the morning show, we've been considering the villains of the Bible - not your run-of-the-mill king or queen, (although Jezebel was discussed) but those who "led from behind" by scheming and using their influence in attempts to thwart the will of God. (Although I'm not certain that they saw it quite that way at the time!)

Today, we discussed Sanballat from the book of Nehemiah, and I was struck by the similarities between his tactics and those we all experience today.  In a nutshell, things escalated like this:

• Nehemiah seeks the welfare of Israel - Sanballat gets angry (Neh. 2:10)
• Nehemiah starts plans to rebuild the city walls - Sanballat jeers and discourages, and even suggests that Nehemiah is rebelling against the king (Neh. 2:19) 
• Work begins on the wall - Sanballat is angry, jeers, and attempts to discourage the workers by pointing out how meaningless it all is, and that they have no hope of succeeding  (Neh. 4:1-3) (Gaslighting anyone?)
• The wall is built and only the gates and doors are needed - Sanballat tries to harm or even to kill the leader of the effort, maligns his name, and lies about their motives.  That doesn't work, so they hire a guy who lies in an effort to scare them.  (Neh. 6)

Do you see these tactics?  anger. discouragement. attacks on their reputation. lies about their motives. threats on their lives. And with each step, Sanballat recruits more and more people to join in the attack.

If you've read the account, you know that Sanballat and his crew fail miserably and the wall and city is rebuilt.  But keep reading.  The attacks don't stop just because the the job is finished.  Nehemiah's enemy then tries to attack from the inside.

My point? Stay alert, friend.  Yes, Christian, we have peace with God. Yes, Christian, we have victory over sin and death.  But until Jesus returns there is still an enemy who will use every one of these tactics to discourage you from standing firm and doing the works that God prepared for you. (Eph 2:10) Be like Nehemiah and pray without ceasing. Take up the whole armor of God. Go to church so that you may urge one another to good deeds. And above all, trust God, for he is mighty to save!