Skip to content
Uplift the Brethren

Listen

Podcasts

Podcast episodes from members of the brotherhood, with direct audio links.

Filtered by Source: Excel Still More Clear all

697 episodes

Showing 601–625

Sign in to save
Podcast

Hope Springs Eternal

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Hope is the desire for better things and the expectation it will happen. Springs are seasons of new beginning, and the act of sudden change. Eternal is a guarantee of consistency and even beyond this world. If we want to excel in our walk, we must be optimistic, hopeful people in Christ. Good news: God has done a TON of things to make this happen. Let's talk about the culture of hope that we must have, and let's look at ways that God has helped us to get there. May you see the light after the darkness, the warmth after th

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Is God Angry?

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! With the world facing a pandemic unlike anything we've ever seen, people are looking too God for answers. But what questions are they asking? Here's a common one: Is God Angry? Is God angry with the sinfulness of this world. We will answer that question today absolutely and confidently. But then comes other questions: Is God angry with all men or just some? Is God allowing this to happen to Christians for a reason? And maybe the most difficult one of all: Is God punishing godless nations and cities? How confident can we b

Visit source website Open
Podcast

The 13th Step

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! I need to tell you about Patrick. He had a rough upbringing, a tragic loss, and a dark addiction. But two years ago he decided to get help. And as he sat across from me, in my office, he was on step 12 of the Alcoholics Anonymous program! And even as he was about to put on Christ in baptism, and celebrate victory over Satan, he needed more. He said, "Kris, 12 steps is not enough. I need the 13th step." I want to tell you about that step today. I want to ask you how far you have come, if you have found victory, and if you

Visit source website Open
Podcast

"Pull Ourselves Together"

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Don't panic. We got this. In fact, Christians were born for this. At least, we were born again for this. When the world is turned upside down, Christians see Jesus standing upright. We are the people who use times of fear to show courage. We use times of uncertainly to stand on solid ground. Today we will read a portion of an essay from 1948 to help with some needed perspective. And then, at the end, I want to give you 6 basic, daily tips, to keep growing, even in this troubling time. - Why are people so scared of this pa

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Empowering The Individual

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Let's explore how to get other people moving. I know, the purpose of these episodes is for you to work on yourself. And sometimes just doing that has the power to influence others. But every once in a while you actually need to get another person moving. How do you empower the individual to get going in their work? Maybe in your family or in the church? Maybe at school or in the community? How do you get them engaged? Governments and churches have gotten this wrong for years. To get people engaged, overseers organize prog

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Prepared By God

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! No one enjoys trials. If you are struggling with something in your life right now, you have no doubt prayed for relief. But as Christians, we have also signed on to be molded and trained by God. We wanted to be prepared to be a sanctuary, tried and true, and to do His work. After all, we have been saved to do His good works, and shine for Him. Do we have the right attitude about this? So many people want a life without trial, pain, temptation and sorrow. However, these things make us who God needs us to be. Joseph is a tr

Visit source website Open
Podcast

One Bucket Item

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! The term "kick the bucket" has been around for well over 200 years. But just in the last 15 years, we have started talking about "bucket lists." This represents things we would like to accomplish before the end of life. For the most part, people list places they would like to see or accomplishments they are striving for. And I'm not a big fan of exhaustive lists like this. If you just seize the day, and have a great attitude, a growing faith, and spiritual determination, most of that stuff will work itself out. However, w

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Consumed or Remembered

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! When it comes to free time, discretionary time, we all wish we had more. Life is busy. And obligations of our time exist in every single day of life. From work to school to family to worship to rest, the calendar is full. But we all have moments around those events where we get to choose what to do! Some say they do not, but that's not true. There are precious moments in every day where you get to decide what to watch, read, think, or do. If we aren't careful, we will waste those precious moments. We will do things we imm

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Be The Change

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Do you know who said that? Most attribute it to Mahatma Gandhi. Well, he didn't actually say that, but what he did say is amazing, and is summed up well in this popular phrase. He created incredible change in the world by focusing on growing individually and letting that have a peaceful affect on then world. In that way, he is an incredible example. Did you know the best way to change an environment is to change yourself? The best way to help others become better is to become

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Stop Starting Over

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Quitting can be a great idea. If there are things in your life that do not resonate with who you want to become: quit them. If there are things that don't matter to God or your family, stop doing them. If there are things that you know you will not ever return to, say goodby. This is actually a great way to create more time and energy for things that matter. However, when it comes to things that do matter to you: stop starting over. When it comes things you quit, but eventually find yourself returning to, stop starting ov

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Let's Talk Money

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Christians seek first spiritual goals and the kingdom of God. But let's not have our head in the sand: money still matters. We need it to provide for our family. And honestly, we need it to do a whole lot of extra great things for God and His people and the world. In centuries past, there were few opportunities to have money and save money and be rich. But we live in an amazing time for spiritual and physical blessings. And if our hearts are right, and we make wise plans, we can honor Him every single step of the way. It

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Seeking Wise Counsel

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Taking initiative, doing things your way, showing personal strength - these all can be great qualities! However, you and I have to admit something important: we don't know everything. In fact, we may not have the knowledge, experience or strength to solve our OWN problems! This doesn't have to be bad news. It just means we need to learn how to Seek Wise Counsel. Firstly, we need the humility to admit this and seek help. Then, we must learn the process for truly getting with the right person, having the right conversation,

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Honoring Your Values

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! So far in this season we have made some big decisions on who we want to become. We have selected some lofty goals that will take all year to reach. We have even figured out how to break that progress down into months, weeks and days. But it is worth noting: unless those goals align with your core values, they aren't worth the effort. Have you ever accomplished something big, only to feel like it didn't matter like you thought it would? Have you ever abandoned a goal because it just didn't seem important anymore? Well, the

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Winning the Week

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! We kicked off season two with an episode on January 6th - Building Your Ladders. You were encouraged to think BIG! To come up with awesome ideas of who you would like to become, and then identify big year long goals that would certainly prove that progress. We talked about how you break that down into ladder rungs, monthly rungs, and work you way through the year. However, many have tried that approach and failed. Why? In short, because they are losing weeks while trying to win the month. If you learn how to Win the Week,

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Building Your Ladders

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Welcome to Season 2! Last year we collected 82 episodes designed to help you grow in faith, deepen relationships and get the most out of the life God has given you. Now, we head into this New Year ready to use all of that experience to reach new heights! Firstly, you have to decide who you want to become. What does a better you look like? Secondly, you must be specific, in terms of a goal to reach that proves that commitment. Then, you pray for God to provide the pieces that you need to get there. Finally, if you can buil

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 82 - Hold Your Ground

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! This is the last episode of season 1. We started on January 24th and today is October 31st. I hope you've grown and feel stronger and more hopeful. We will return, Lord willing, on Monday, January 6th, for season 2! But there are two important months in between now and then. There will be lots of obstacles to growth with the holidays and various activities. You may not take huge steps upward in your walk, but let's not fall victim to the opposite: losing ground. So many people hit the pause button on progress during the h

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 81 - Just Pick One

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! We are all learning all the time. Spiritually, we learn when we study, when we worship, when we have discussions, or when we listen to podcasts. Does it ever feel like information overload? Maybe we think we should be learning less, since implementing it all seems so daunting. Well, there's a much better strategy than that! Learning and listening and reading stores up information in your mind you can pull from later. But how can you get all of that working for you? Simple: Just Pick One! Choosing one concept or idea or pa

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 80 - Memorize Hanlon's Razor

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Are you the kind of person who takes too many things personally? Maybe someone gives you a look or says something and you just assume: they are mad at me. Well, there is a much better and more peaceable way to live you life. In fact, with just a few adjustments in your thinking you can see all of your relationships improve. The key is in a philosophical statement called "Hanlon's Razor." This will help you not see problems where there are no problems and instead be more compassionate to others, instead of insulted. It's a

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 79 - Seven Days Left

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Imagine if, right now, there words appeared in the sky in fiery letters: Seven Days Left! And imagine that for the next 24 hours everyone on the earth saw it and investigated it and couldn't explain it. Then, it changed to Six Days Left. What would you do? Well, when the impending urgency of some heavenly event fell upon our world, there would certainly be three types of reactions: Dumb, Smart and Wise. Which one would you be? The answer may say something about the life you are living right now and how well prepared you a

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 78 - Direction Not Position

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! It is great to celebrate achievements. Reaching goals feels great. But beware, present position is only that: a fleeting moment of stature and accomplishment. While position can indicate good behavior, it is not a behavior of itself. But direction, now that's all together different. Direction isn't focused on where I am, but where I am going. Direction isn't about stopping to take a picture, it is about moving forward to something greater. When we focus on who we are today, even in the best of times, it can become discour

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 77 - Purpose of Education

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! "The purpose of education is to know God and make Him known." Do you believe that? I think when it comes to spiritual education, like Bible reading and sermons, we would say so. And there are important applications of this phrase upon how you and I are using the things we learn in study and at a church. But would you say this phrase holds true with schools? Is the purpose of science and english and math: to know God and share Him? Well, it used to be. Schools were founded on this purpose. Things have changed. But we can r

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 76 - Unifying Your Life

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! When we live our lives with behavior aligned with beliefs: peace happens. We get to have this tremendous peace in Jesus Christ, when we believe in His word and live like it. But when our behavior departs from our beliefs, the peace is taken away. In its place are things like anxiety, stress, worry, discouragement, hopelessness and fear. God does not want his people to live that way! Let's talk about how this dissonance happens and the easy steps we can take to make sure we live with unity in our lives in mind and body. -

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 75 - Island of Icaria

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! The island of Icaria is an amazing place! Not just because of its beauty, but because people there "forget to die"! Yep, that's a quote from a resident there. This small island in the Aegean sea has the highest percentage of residents living on into their 90's and beyond! A full 1/3 of them do so. And they live fun, active, involved, and joyful later years! The island boasts much lower rates of cancer, heart disease, and cognitive issues than any other place on the planet! I tried to move there, but couldn't convince the

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 74 - Conversing with Balloons

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! I love great conversations! It feels awesome to listen and be heard. I love walking away feeling like I learned something and contributed. We are better friends now because of that interaction. HOWEVER, not all conversations go that way. In fact, many times they aren't rewarding at all! Why is that? Well, it turns out, there is a big difference in the elements of a good conversation verses a bad one. To help illustrate that, this episode will ask you to visualize a pocket full of balloons. As you blow one up and extend it

Visit source website Open
Podcast

Ep. 73 - She Was Gonna

Kris Emerson · Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! I heard a powerful story recently. A woman was rich and influential. She had great success in her life. However, there were a few things that she hadn't done. These were things she'd put off and things of great value. As the story was told to me, there were 3 things "she was gonna" do, and soon. Her story is a reminder to us all: if it matters to you, don't wait. You want people talking about what you did after you are gone, not just what you were gonna do. Take a walk through this story with me and then consider answerin

Visit source website Open