Wisdom for the Heart

Wisdom International
Wisdom International
  • 4.8 (263)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Semiweekly

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. 6h ago

    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)

  2. 1d ago

    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)

  3. 4d ago

    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. 5d ago

    No Props, Please! (Exodus 20, Romans 1)

    Share a comment If you think idolatry is only about ancient statues, this message will challenge you in the most personal way. We open with the sobering logic of Romans 1: when people stop honoring God and stop giving thanks, they don’t become neutral, they replace him. That replacement starts in the mind, settles into the heart, and eventually shows up in a life that looks “free” but is actually unaccountable and out of control. From there, we turn to Exodus 20 and the Second Commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol.” We talk about why this command is a natural next step after “no other gods,” and why God cares not only that we worship, but that we worship rightly. Along the way, we explore the generational weight of role modeling in worship, God’s surprising instructions about altars, and the warning against letting the vehicle of worship become the object of worship. No props, no spotlight, no distractions, just God as the center. We also dig into two subtle traps: worshiping the true God in the wrong form (the golden calf, the bronze serpent that became a relic) and worshiping the true God with the wrong attitude. If we show up to be entertained, or we try to “flip the switch” on Sunday after a week of self-focus, something is off. The episode closes with a clear New Testament aim: guard your heart from idols and give Jesus Christ first place in everything. Subscribe for more Bible teaching that connects to real life, share this with a friend who’s wrestling with distractions in worship, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What “prop” most easily steals your attention from God? 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

    No Props, Please! (Exodus 20, Romans 1)

  5. 6d ago

    Ten Commandments and the 21st Century (Exodus 20:1-6)

    Share a comment Ever notice how easily “God” turns into a supporting character in our story? We open Exodus 20 by slowing down at the starting line, where God names Himself, asserts His authority, and reminds Israel that He redeemed them from slavery. That context changes everything: the Ten Commandments are not dusty relics or cultural leftovers. They reveal God’s holiness, confront our favorite excuses, and push us toward the only One who fulfills the law perfectly, Jesus Christ. We unpack why God gives the law in the first place: to display His glory, to expose human sin with uncomfortable clarity, and to provide a standard for godly living. Along the way we talk about what the law cannot do, it cannot justify you, cannot produce righteousness, and cannot give real peace. If you’ve ever been intimidated by the “moral” person who seems fine without Christ, we explain why appearances can’t heal the conscience, and why the gospel is not an upgrade but a rescue. Then we camp on the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” and show why it functions as the foundation for the other nine. We also challenge five common distortions that derail faith: God as an eager bellhop, a stern teacher, an impersonal scientist, a doting grandfather, or a Mr. Fixit we use when life breaks. If you’re wrestling with honesty, coveting, or contentment, we connect those struggles to where allegiance truly sits. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest “false view” you’ve caught in your own thinking. 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

    Ten Commandments and the 21st Century (Exodus 20:1-6)

  6. Jul 21

    The Sinai Summit (Exodus 19)

    Share a comment Smoke rolls over the mountain, lightning splits the sky, and a trumpet blast grows louder until it feels impossible to ignore. That’s the scene at Mount Sinai and it’s also the doorway into a question that hits home fast: what does it really look like to meet with God, not casually, but with reverence that changes us? We walk through Exodus 19 to see why the Sinai summit happens in the first place. God starts with a review of grace, carrying His people like an eagle, then calls for a real response of obedience and faithfulness within the Mosaic covenant. Along the way we unpack what it means to belong to God instead of treating Him like someone who exists to serve our plans. The covenant language reveals identity and purpose: God’s treasured possession, a kingdom of priests who represent Him and intercede for others, and a holy nation set apart for His name. From there we get very practical about “summit meetings” with God today: choosing a quiet place, coming with a prepared mind, and cultivating a teachable heart that doesn’t just hear Scripture but listens and obeys. We also name the common blockers that keep Bible study inconsistent motivation, priority, technique, and apathy and connect it to daily battles with temptation, including how Jesus answered temptation with Deuteronomy. We end by holding two truths together: God is approachable through Jesus Christ, and God is still holy enough to produce awe and trembling. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with someone who needs a reset in their walk with God, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What would you change this week to make time for a real summit meeting with God? 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 Sinai Summit (Exodus 19)

  7. Jul 20

    Meekness . . . Synonym for Moses (Selected Scriptures)

    Share a comment Getting slapped in public is the kind of moment that reveals what is really in us. Stephen Davy opens with a story from his teen years: a stranger strikes his father, and instead of striking back, his father answers with calm control. That single response becomes a window into a biblical word most of us misunderstand, because meekness is not weakness. It is strength under control, guided by a heart submitted to the Holy Spirit. We step away from Exodus for a focused look at the one quality Scripture uniquely highlights in only two men: Moses and Jesus Christ. Walking through key passages in Galatians 5, Colossians 3, Psalms 25, and 1 Peter 3, we trace meekness as both fruit and virtue, something God calls “precious” and something we intentionally “put on” as we mature. Then we watch it play out in real life: Moses facing family criticism in Numbers 12 without self-defense, and Jesus inviting the weary to His yoke in Matthew 11 with gentle authority that brings true spiritual rest. The second half turns into a practical meekness test for everyday relationships: how we correct people who oppose us (2 Timothy 2), live with an unbelieving spouse (1 Peter 3), speak to skeptics with gentleness and reverence, receive hard truth from Scripture (James 1), restore someone caught in sin (Galatians 6), protect church unity (Ephesians 4), and respond to an antagonistic culture with consideration (Titus 3). If you want a Christian perspective on conflict resolution, spiritual maturity, and Christlike character, this teaching will recalibrate your tone and your instincts. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs calmer courage, and leave a review so more listeners can find Wisdom for the Heart. 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

    Meekness . . . Synonym for Moses (Selected Scriptures)

  8. Jul 17

    Burnout (Exodus 18)

    Share a comment Running on empty can look like faithfulness until it starts breaking you and the people you’re trying to serve. We open Exodus 18 and sit in the dust outside Moses’ tent as the line grows longer, the days get heavier, and leadership becomes a one-man bottleneck. Then Jethro shows up, not just with a reunion and kind words, but with the rare mix every leader needs: encouragement, worship, and the courage to say what no one else will. We talk about burnout in ministry and everyday leadership, why “there’s a need, so I can’t say no” quietly becomes a trap, and how doing everything yourself doesn’t actually help people. Jethro names the fallout plainly: Moses is overwhelmed, the community is neglected, and future leaders are overlooked. From there, we pull out a simple job description for spiritual leadership that still cuts through the noise: pray and teach. We dig into why teaching has to connect Scripture to real life, not just special occasions, and why prayer can’t be the task we squeeze in after the “real work.” Finally, we unpack what to look for when you delegate: people who fear God, love truth, and live with integrity. That kind of team shares the burden, builds endurance, develops new leaders, and brings peace back to the people. If your calendar is crowded but your essentials are slipping, this is your nudge to reassess. Subscribe for more, share this with a leader who’s carrying too much, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most. 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

    Burnout (Exodus 18)
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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.

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