FRESH Official Podcast

Berni Dymet
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity

FRESH is a Daily Devotional taking you deeper into God's Word + closer to Jesus. Each devotion will have a powerful Scripture verse, together with some words of inspiration, hope and encouragement. It's all about helping you hear from God so that you can live in a rich, dynamic, powerful relationship with Jesus. God's Word. Fresh, for you, each day.

  1. 1h ago

    Small in My Hands, Mighty in His

    As crazy ideas go, Jesus' idea of feeding a crowd of five thousand with two small fish and five loaves of bread is right up there … wouldn't you agree? I mean … what was He thinking? Gladys Aylward had little formal education, almost no money, and so, was rejected by countless missionary societies. But with barely enough for a one-way train ticket she set out alone to China, trusting God to use what she had. Over the years, God multiplied her small "offering" into extraordinary influence: she established an inn to share the gospel, became a trusted advisor to a Chinese mandarin, reformed cruel prison practices, and during the Japanese invasion led over 100 orphaned children on a perilous hundred-mile journey to safety. What had begun with a handful of resources, in God's hands became a lifeline for countless lives. Confronted by Jesus' crazy idea of feeding the five thousand … John 6:7-9 Philip answered, "We would all have to work a month to buy enough bread for each person here to have only a little piece!" Another follower there was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Andrew said, "Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish. But that is not enough for so many people." But Jesus blessed those meagre morsels … feeding the whole crowd, with twelve baskets of leftovers to spare. From that miracle onward, in the lives of countless of His followers – ordinary people like Gladys – God has made it clear: It's not your job to feed the five thousand. Your job is to bring the five loaves and two fish. When you give God what's in your hands, He can turn a ticket and a trembling heart into a miracle that echoes for generations. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min

  2. 1d ago

    Comfort or Courage?

    We each tend to have a somewhat malleable relationship with the notion of justice. When we're on the receiving end of an injustice, man, we want justice done! But what about when others suffer an injustice? Then how much do we really care? Many global industries, from fast fashion to electronics, are linked to forced labour, child exploitation, and trafficking. If we truly care about justice for others, then it's not only about avoiding their products but actively advocating for change—writing to companies, supporting ethical brands, raising awareness. The challenge is immense, overwhelming, inconvenient, costly. Choosing justice for those people means paying more, changing habits, risking backlash from those who prefer comfort over confrontation. As you ponder that, drink this in: Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good. Treat people fairly. Punish those who hurt others. Speak up for the widows and orphans. Argue their cases for them in court. German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who courageously opposed Hitler, paying with his life, once said: "Your 'yes' to God requires your 'no' to all injustice, to all evil, to all lies, to all oppression and violation of the weak and poor." Thinking about that from your position of relative safety and privilege, what do you, really? Because that sort of justice costs more than money—it costs comfort. But seriously, isn't this the price of walking in step with God's heart? Perhaps it's time for us to value justice for others as highly as we do for ourselves. Speak up for the widows and orphans. Argue their cases for them in court. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min

  3. 2d ago

    Wisdom Digs Deep

    Life's full of problems and yet, given the world we live in today, perhaps we've become all too accustomed to finding instant solutions. So, when you're faced with a problem that you just can't seem to get through, what do you do? During the early 20th century, much of physics was dominated by Newtonian assumptions. Many accepted them as unquestionable "facts," but Albert Einstein trained his mind to think beyond the surface, asking deeper questions about space, time, and light. His famous Theory of Relativity unveiled realities that had always been there, that had always been true, but had remained hidden. Einstein's genius was not in memorising what others knew but in seeking what lay beneath, exposing truth as it really is. That's great in physics, but this idea of going deeper … well, it's even more important when we come to the real issues we face in life. Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. (NIV) Discerning people aren't content with what everyone else knows or takes for granted. They go below the surface, digging deeper to get to the real issues. Think about that sticky relationship you're involved in right now, or whatever conundrum currently confronts you, a problem that you haven't quite been able to work your way through yet. In this insta-world in which we live, we're always looking for quick fixes, easy answers. But sometimes you need to go deeper to get to the heart of the matter. Knowledge is there for those willing to search—it's God's glory to conceal a matter, and our glory to search it out. Pray into it. Dig into it. God will reveal it. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min

  4. 3d ago

    The Good Take the Long Road

    Opportunities for taking shortcuts abound in this life. We can choose, multiple times every day, either to take the easy route out of expediency, or the longer one to do what's right; to cave in to evil, or to struggle through for good. I wonder, when was the last time you cut corners; when you caved to something less than good? In the first century BC, amidst the chaos of the late Roman Republic, political alliances shifted like sand. Many senators backed whoever promised them wealth or survival, but Marcus Tullius Cicero sought instead to judge matters through the lens of justice and the common good. During the Catiline Conspiracy, when Lucius Sergius Catilina plotted to overthrow the government, some urged a swift execution of all suspected conspirators—no trial, no evidence weighed. But Cicero resisted the mob's rush to judgment, pressing for clear proof before condemning anyone. His measured approach exposed the true leaders of the plot while sparing the innocent, demonstrating that wisdom discerns not just between right and wrong, but between what merely seems expedient and what is truly just. Hebrews 5:13-14 Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby and is not able to understand much about living right. But solid food is for people who have grown up. From their experience they have learned to see the difference between good and evil. True wisdom, godly wisdom, refuses the shortcut of expedience, choosing instead the harder road of goodness, justice and kindness based on God's truth. The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil. Be prepared to take the longer road. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min

  5. 4d ago

    Stop Making Excuses

    Our capacity for denial of the obvious is amazing. We can be presented with irrefutable evidence that something exists and yet, based on our experience, our particular worldview, our version of the truth, still deny that which is as plain as day. I recently met a man who, with every fibre of his being, believes that the world is flat. I mean, he was absolutely genuine. Wow! But did you know that there are also people who … wait for this … don't believe in the existence of God? I know, now you think I'm the crazy one. Because, in point of fact, the vast majority of the human race doesn't believe in God. No, the universe wasn't 'created', it just happened, and life simply … evolved. Former American President Ronald Reagan once said, "I have long been unable to understand the atheist in this world of so much beauty. And I've had an unholy desire to invite some atheists to dinner and serve the most fabulous gourmet meal that's ever been concocted and, after dinner, ask them if they believe there's a cook." The Apostle Paul put it like this: Romans 1:20 There are things about God that people cannot see—his eternal power and all that makes him God. But since the beginning of the world, those things have been easy for people to understand. They are made clear in what God has made. So people have no excuse for the evil they do. Look around. From the bee sitting on the flower in your garden to the peak of Mount Everest, it's obvious. So we have no excuse for the evil we do. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min

  6. 5d ago

    Heaven's Delight

    The word "pleasure" can have both positive and negative connotations depending on the sort of pleasure we're talking about. But have you ever wondered whether God takes pleasure in anything, and if so, in what? There's a verse that, each time I read it, completely blows my mind. Here it is: Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. (ESV) How do you unpack that? How do you make sense of the fact that the God who created the whole universe takes pleasure in His people – fallible human beings like you and me who've made so many mistakes in our lives; who've dishonoured Him, turned our backs on Him … so many times in our lives. Imagine a guy gets fired—it's his own fault, too many no-shows. Weeks later, his old boss calls. "We're short-staffed. Want your job back?" No lecture, no probation—just a fresh start. He hangs up, stunned, grinning like a kid. That, to me, is this verse in real life: God delighting in the humble, lifting them when they least deserve it. And let me tell you, that expression, "takes pleasure in", is a really strong one in the Hebrew language in which that was originally written. It speaks of deep pleasure, acceptance and favour, not reluctant tolerance. God's love for you and me is active and joyful. And it's not in our human strength, or status or self-reliance, but in those who walk humbly with Him. So when you're perhaps feeling a bit down on yourself, know this: that heaven's applause is already yours, and He adorns you with His salvation. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min

  7. 6d ago

    Fire Can't Touch Forever

    To a lesser or greater degree, those who profess a faith in Jesus Christ will invariably suffer. For some, that may merely involve scorn or ridicule. But for countless others down through the centuries, it's cost them their lives. In the 16th Century, Anne Askew, a young English poet and Protestant reformer, was arrested and tortured for rejecting Catholicism. Offered freedom if she recanted she refused, answering her interrogators with clarity and even wit. Despite the brutal treatment, she spoke of her joy in Christ and her certainty of a heavenly reward. As she was burned at the stake, eyewitnesses recorded her praying aloud and quoting Scripture until her voice was silenced by the flames. She lived—and died—with the unshakable assurance that God's promise outweighed any earthly suffering. Said Jesus to His followers: Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. (NRSV) Over the last few days, we've chatted about fearless faith and bold belief. Too many of Christ's followers today have become all too shy about their faith, hiding their light under a bushel for fear of recrimination. Why, when Jesus, in the face of persecution, called us blessed? When the world turns up the heat, remember—no fire on earth can burn away the reward that awaits you, so rejoice in that day, leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min

  8. Jun 18

    Bold Belief

    At the core of your being, let me ask you, what do you believe? Do you believe in the power of the Good News of Jesus to save you from your sin? Or is that a difficult, even impossible thing for you to believe? What … do you … believe? If all that feels a tad "in your face", I get it. And yet, I make no apology for it. Because sometimes I feel the need to be direct in cutting through the clutter, in slicing through the opaque veil of worldly self-interest that casts itself so readily over the human heart. Sometimes we need to be jolted out of our complacency, shocked into action. Life puddles along. The concerns of life fill our minds. And we forget, all too easily, that there's a powerful truth set before each one of us by God Himself - that He sent Jesus to save us from our sin; that by faith in Him and Him alone, we can be saved; that if we reject the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will spend eternity separated from God in that place we call hell. For that reason, like the Apostle Paul back in the 1st Century AD … Romans 1:16-17 … I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith." (NRSV) Your faith in Christ alone is what can save you, what will save you. With all my heart, I urge you today to believe. Believe in Jesus. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

    3 min
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About

FRESH is a Daily Devotional taking you deeper into God's Word + closer to Jesus. Each devotion will have a powerful Scripture verse, together with some words of inspiration, hope and encouragement. It's all about helping you hear from God so that you can live in a rich, dynamic, powerful relationship with Jesus. God's Word. Fresh, for you, each day.

Information

  • Creator
    Berni Dymet
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Christianityworks
  • Show Website
    FRESH Official Podcast