Wisdom for the Heart

Stephen Davey will help you learn to know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life as he teaches verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Stephen is the president of Wisdom International, which provides radio broadcasts, digital content, and print resources designed to make disciples of all nations and edify followers of Jesus Christ.

  1. 11h ago

    One Nation Under Greed (Exodus 20:17)

    Share a comment Your life can feel perfectly content until one moment of comparison flips the switch: their car, their house, their promotion, their marriage, their lifestyle. We take that familiar spark of jealousy and follow it to its source, because the Bible names it with uncomfortable clarity: covetousness, a greed-shaped “passion for possessing” that pulls our attention into “I, me, mine” and quietly trains us to live for more. We walk through the Tenth Commandment in Exodus 20 and show why “You shall not covet” is not mainly about what your hands do, but what your heart rehearses in secret. From there, we move into Luke 12 where Jesus warns us to be on guard against every form of greed and tells the parable of the rich fool. The problem is not that the man has wealth; it is that he forgets his neighbor, ignores his mortality, and lives as if God is not part of the equation. The result is a life stocked with goods but starved of meaning. Then we connect the dots people often miss: anxiety and worry can be downstream of materialism. Jesus’ words about ravens and lilies become a diagnostic test for our priorities. What matters more to us right now, getting more financially or growing spiritually? What concerns us most, having money we can manage or having God manage us? If you want practical spiritual growth, deeper faith, and a healthier relationship with money and possessions, this conversation offers a direct path. Subscribe for more, share this with someone caught in the comparison trap, and leave a review. What is one area where you feel the pull to want what someone else has? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    One Nation Under Greed (Exodus 20:17)
  2. 1d ago

    Cosmetics for the Tongue! (Exodus 20:16)

    Share a comment We’ve all done it: we walk into prayer or worship with our hands metaphorically behind our backs, clinging to something we refuse to surrender. That’s not just a private struggle, it’s a truth problem and Scripture treats it with surprising seriousness. When we “regard iniquity” and keep pretending, God isn’t impressed by the performance. He waits for repentance and real honesty. From there we open Exodus 20:16, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” and we push it past the courtroom into everyday life. We talk about the regulation of speech in the Bible, why Leviticus links this command to slander, and how the tongue can mend a marriage or tear it apart. We also name nine common “lies of the tongue,” including lies told from fear, for profit, through silence, by exaggeration, and the most dangerous kind: lying to God while acting spiritual. We also dig into why lies do so much damage: they expose hypocrisy (James), they fracture friendships (Proverbs), they block unity in the church (Colossians), and they invite God’s wrath. Then we turn practical with “cosmetics for the tongue” and everyday phrases that carry grace: “please,” “thank you,” “I appreciate you,” “I’m sorry,” “I forgive you,” and “I’m praying for you,” spoken with sincerity and love. If you care about biblical truth, Christian communication, healthy relationships, and a church culture with real unity, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reset in their words, and leave a review with the phrase you want to practice this week. Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Cosmetics for the Tongue! (Exodus 20:16)
  3. 4d ago

    A Thief in the Light (Exodus 20:15)

    Share a comment The eighth commandment sounds like it belongs in a courtroom, but Scripture aims it straight at the heart. We start with the chilling honesty of Acts 5, where Ananias and Sapphira try to look generous while hiding the truth, and the whole church feels the fallout. That scene sets the tone for a bigger question we all have to face: can we look like people of light while practicing hidden forms of stealing?  From Exodus 20:15 we track three Bible categories that expand “theft” far beyond cash. We talk about deceit as misrepresentation for unjust gain, how Romans 1 treats deception as a symptom of a God-rejecting culture, and why the church can’t afford to normalize it. Then we turn to false teaching, using 2 Corinthians 11 and Jeremiah 23 to sharpen discernment: when someone claims “God told me” while sidestepping the Word of God, they’re not offering extra insight, they’re stealing authority and attention that belong to the Lord. We also confront self-deception from James 1, where hearing without obeying becomes a quiet way to rob ourselves of integrity and growth.  The conversation gets uncomfortably practical with “defrauding” in daily relationships: wages owed for honest work, care owed to parents, intimacy owed within marriage, and even the way believers handle disputes. We close by naming theft that hides in plain sight, stealing worship from God, time from our families, and spiritual gifts from our church community, and we end with Ephesians 4’s simple reset: stop stealing, work honestly, and learn to share. If this challenged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    A Thief in the Light (Exodus 20:15)
  4. 5d ago

    Caging the Beast Within (Exodus 20:14)

    Share a comment A culture can’t stay free for long when it loses restraint, and restraint doesn’t last when revelation gets dismissed. We start with Proverbs 29:18 and follow the logic all the way into daily life: when the authority of Scripture is replaced by public opinion, soft theology, endless Christian hot takes, or the false comfort of “nothing happened, so it must be fine,” moral clarity collapses. And once moral clarity collapses, the church doesn’t just lose its message, it loses credibility. From there we get painfully specific about sexual sin and moral purity. The command “You shall not commit adultery” isn’t treated as a narrow rule for “other people.” We talk about how temptation grows: the capability in the flesh, the private creation in the mind, the moment your senses get hooked, and the way unchecked desire starts steering your future. Proverbs makes the costs concrete, not theoretical: immorality steals from a spouse or future spouse, it dulls judgment until smart people act foolishly, and it can hollow out character from the inside. We also leave room for hope that isn’t vague. Forgiveness is real, cleansing is complete, and change is possible when we stop renaming sin and start confessing it. We close with a workable framework for lasting victory: decide to abstain, build discipline through God’s Word and wise boundaries, and depend on the Holy Spirit day by day. If you want biblical teaching on moral purity, sexual ethics, and the authority of Scripture that actually connects to real pressure, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Caging the Beast Within (Exodus 20:14)
  5. 6d ago

    The Industry of Death (Exodus 20:13)

    Share a comment A physician is quoted describing the mental split it takes to reassure one patient about a fetal heartbeat and then walk into the next room to frame a completed abortion as “good news.” That single contrast sets the tone for a hard, values-first conversation about abortion ethics, moral language, and what it means when society treats personhood as negotiable. We move from that opening tension into a direct overview of abortion by trimester, then widen out to the bigger questions people avoid: what does “choice” mean if it depends on denying what the fetus is, and what happens when the church speaks with mixed voices on an issue it claims scripture addresses. Along the way we challenge common arguments about “unwanted children” and other familiar justifications, and we ask what genuine compassion looks like when pregnancy is the result of trauma or when disability enters the picture. From there, we trace the worldview underneath the debate: autonomy without accountability, sexual freedom without consequence, and material incentives that can quietly shape public messaging. Finally, we lay out the biblical case for life beginning at conception, emphasize the womb as purposeful design, and end where the conversation gets personal, with the Great Commission and a blunt call to make disciples rather than outsource responsibility to politics alone. If this pushed your thinking or sharpened your convictions, subscribe, share it with a friend who disagrees, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What question do you want us to wrestle with next? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    The Industry of Death (Exodus 20:13)
  6. Jul 28

    A Parent's Bill of Rights (Exodus 20:12)

    Share a comment Your kid is not growing up in a vacuum. They’re being coached every day by peers, media, and a culture that often celebrates disobedience, and we think that reality should change how we lead at home. We start with sobering statistics about teens and ask the uncomfortable question: if we refuse to shape values, who exactly do we think will step in and do it well? From there, we anchor the conversation in Luke 2:52 and pull out four needs every child has that parents are meant to nurture: wisdom to tell right from wrong and safe from dangerous, maturity that doesn’t get rushed by outside pressure, favor with God through spiritual formation at home, and favor with people through learning responsibility and unselfishness. These aren’t abstract ideals, they’re daily parenting decisions about friends, boundaries, media, and what a “safe” childhood looks like now. We also walk through Ephesians 6 on obedience and authority, then Exodus 20:12 on honoring parents as a lifelong command. That leads to a practical and emotional finish: honor includes responsibility when parents need help and reverence that treats their counsel as weighty. If you’ve been waiting to say what matters, the closing story will hit hard. If this helped you rethink Christian parenting, family values, and raising teens with clarity, subscribe, share this with a parent who needs it, and leave a review. What’s one value you want your home to be known for? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    A Parent's Bill of Rights (Exodus 20:12)
  7. Jul 27

    Sunday . . . Holy Day or Holiday (Exodus 20:8-11)

    Share a comment If your week is ruled by deadlines, ambition, and the quiet fear of falling behind, you already know how easy it is to turn productivity into identity. We name that pressure out loud and challenge the story our culture tells: you are not significant because of what you produce or what you accomplish. We argue for a different center of gravity, a Christian identity grounded in who you are in Christ Jesus, and we explain why a weekly rhythm of rest is not weakness but wisdom. We walk through the warning signs of workaholism, from unchanging schedules to an inability to say no, and we connect that pace to the way our bodies and souls eventually revolt. Then we open the Bible to Exodus 20 and the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” showing how God bakes a maintenance schedule into human life. God does not rest because he is tired; he rests to set an example for finite people who live like they are omnipotent. We also tackle a common question with clear Scripture: why do Christians worship on Sunday instead of Saturday? We trace the Sabbath as a covenant sign for Israel (Ezekiel 20), the setting aside of that sign amid rebellion (Hosea 2), and the New Testament pattern of the Lord’s Day shaped by the resurrection, Pentecost, and early church practice (Acts 20:7). From there, we get practical: what a set-apart day looks like, why rest must include physical, emotional, and spiritual change, and how worship strengthens, cleanses, refocuses, and encourages a busy congregation. If you want a biblical approach to Sabbath rest, Sunday worship, spiritual renewal, and church community that actually changes your Monday, listen through and take one concrete step this week. Subscribe, share this with a friend who is running on fumes, and leave a review with the boundary you’re going to practice. Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Sunday . . . Holy Day or Holiday (Exodus 20:8-11)
  8. Jul 24

    Posting Guards . . . Seasoning Words (Exodus 20:7)

    Share a comment Some words are so familiar we stop hearing them, until we realize they’ve been shaping us the whole time. We take on the vocabulary of our homes, our friends, our stress, our screens and then we wonder why our faith feels thin when life gets loud. Today we slow down and look straight at the Third Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” and why it speaks to far more than profanity. We talk about why God’s name is never just a label. In the Bible, a name carries character, reputation, and identity, so dragging God’s name into anger, jokes, manipulation, or casual slang is a spiritual issue, not a manners issue. Stephen Davey breaks down three major misuses: profanity (using God’s name in the wrong context), hypocrisy (using His name for the wrong reason), and insincerity (using His name with the wrong attitude). Along the way, we confront the subtle danger of spiritual-sounding shortcuts like “God told me” or “God led me” when they’re used to win an argument or bypass wise counsel. You’ll walk away with clear next steps for Christian living and discipleship: build a habit of reverent speech, ask God to “post a guard” at your mouth, and remember that we represent Jesus Christ as His ambassadors. If you need prayer, we’d be honored to pray for you, and if you want to grow steadily in Scripture, we’ll point you to tools that help. Subscribe to Wisdom for the Heart, share this with a friend who cares about faith in real life, and leave a review so more people can find biblical teaching that changes how we live and speak. What’s one phrase you want to remove from your vocabulary starting today? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Posting Guards . . . Seasoning Words (Exodus 20:7)
4.8
out of 5
263 Ratings

About

Stephen Davey will help you learn to know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life as he teaches verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Stephen is the president of Wisdom International, which provides radio broadcasts, digital content, and print resources designed to make disciples of all nations and edify followers of Jesus Christ.

More From Wisdom International

You Might Also Like