The Word for Everyday Disciples with Dave DeSelm

Faith, Suffering, and Hope: a conversation with Dave DeSelm

Today’s episode is different. In June of 2025, Dave was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer. And so, after five years of weekly teaching, this will be the final new episode of The Word for Everyday Disciples. Rather than a sermon, what you’ll hear today is a conversation—an honest and thoughtful interview Dave recently recorded with a longtime friend and former colleague, Clinton Faupel. Clinton is the co-founder of Remedy Live, a ministry devoted to mental health advocacy and providing real-time, online crisis support to anyone who reaches out. This conversation is not a farewell as much as it is a reflection—on faith, on suffering, and on hope. It’s a reminder that discipleship doesn’t stop when life gets hard, and that God often meets us most powerfully in honest conversation. Thank you for listening. Thank you for walking with us through these years. And thank you for being part of this community of everyday disciples. Watch the full video of this interview on YouTube.  [https://youtu.be/5J3PnW6Nwk8]   Recorded in the Remedy Live studios in Fort Wayne, IN, on November 18, 2025.

Christmas: The Bells of Belief

There is a popular holiday movie based on an award-winning children’s book called “The Polar Express.” In the story, a young boy is unable to hear the bells at Christmas. The reason? The disappointment of life had dimmed his belief and wonder. It was only after a magical encounter that he was able to believe again. Now, I know that story is about Santa Claus, but there are some striking parallels to our walk of faith. Life in this cold, dark world has a way of dimming our belief, too. Maybe this Christmas, the bells in your heart have gone silent. You once believed in a good, loving, powerful God – back when you were a kid.  But then life got in the way. The doubts began to creep in.   To you who struggle to believe that there is a God who’s in control, who cares, and who understands, Christmas holds the answers to your questions.  Is God in control? God literally moved heaven and earth to fulfill His purposes for mankind. He moved the heart of a king so His Son would be born in Bethlehem. He can handle whatever you’re facing.  Does God understand? Jesus didn’t come as a conquering king or as some sort of superhero.  He came as a baby to dirt-poor parents among a marginalized people.  But even more, He was born in a barn and slept in a feeding trough, wrapped in rags. Why? So that we would never wonder if He knows what it’s like to really live in this cold, dark world under the worst of circumstances.   In “The Polar Express,” there’s a great line offered by the train’s conductor in his attempt to get Billy to at least investigate the possibility of another reality.  He says to him, “Sometimes the most real things in this world are the things we can’t see.” The Apostle Peter thought the same thing. He wrote, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him.  And even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” (1 Pet. 1:8) God came to our world and faced all of its ugliness firsthand. He understands exactly what you and I face – because He faced it too. God came to earth in human form, seeking us. And if you will go on an honest pursuit of Him, God promises that you will find Him (Jer. 29:13).  And you, too, will be changed for the better.     Text: Is. 9:2, 6-7; 1 Pet. 1:8; Jer. 29:13 Originally recorded on December 24, 2007, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

Talking with God: Prayer Busters

In our last episode, we talked about the mystery of unanswered prayer. There are times when God, in His sovereignty and love, chooses to say “No” to our requests. However, the Bible also tells us that our Father loves to say “Yes” to His children. So, why is it that so often we pray and pray, and nothing seems to happen? Where’s the problem? All too often, the problem is with us. We’re the ones who torpedo the process.  In this episode, we’re going to look at eight “prayer busters” the Bible warns us about.  1. Failure to pray -“You do not have because you do not ask God.” James 4:2  2. Unconfessed sin - “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. ” Psalm 66:18 3. Unresolved conflict - "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there…go and be reconciled to your brother…” Matthew  5:23-24 4. Uncaring attitudes -“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” Proverbs 21:13 5.  Improper motives - “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3 6.  Improper timing - "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1 7. Inadequate faith - “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like the wave of the sea… that man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:6-7 8.  Inappropriate requests - “…if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us…” I John 5:14  If the request is wrong, God says, “No.” If the timing is wrong, God says, “Slow.” If you are wrong, God says, “Grow.” If the request is right, the timing is right, and you are right, God says, “Go.”     Text: various Originally recorded on September 26, 2004, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

Talking with God: The Mystery of Unanswered Prayer

Have you ever begged God for something that mattered more than anything — and He didn’t come through the way you hoped? That very thing happened to the great King David.  After years of conquest, Israel was now unified and at peace. But, Israel was still worshiping Yahweh at a tent—the Tabernacle that had made the trek through the wilderness with God’s people.  Nestled in his cedar-lined palace, David—the man after God’s own heart—began to dream. “The Lord has been so good to me, and He is such a great God. It isn’t right that I should live in such splendor and luxury while God’s presence is still relegated to a tent. God deserves better. I want to build Him a glorious temple!”  Nathan, the prophet, heard David’s dreams and could see that the king’s motives were pure and his dreams noble. So, he immediately told David, “Sounds like a great idea. Go for it!”  But what was God’s response to David’s dream? In a word, His answer was…no. He affirmed David for his desire to honor Him, but he would not be the one to build God a temple. God had a better plan in mind. And that leads us to our four main points:  1.    It’s not wrong to dream great dreams and pray great prayers.  2.    Sometimes, though the dream is noble, it’s not God’s plan. 3.    When God says “No” to our dreams, it’s because He has better ones in mind. 4.    When disappointed with God, the best response is thoughtful reflection and humble submission.  How did David respond to God’s “no”? The Bible says he “sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, Sovereign Lord…” He paused to reflect on all the dreams that were fulfilled, the times God had answered prayer. And then he humbly submitted his dreams to the sovereignty of God.  God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. When faced with the mystery of unanswered prayer, may we, like David, trust in the Sovereign Lord who is strong and loving and does all things well.     Text: 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17 Originally recorded on September 12, 2004, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

Talking with God: Ingredients for Intimacy

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that prayer wasn’t a responsibility to be pushed into for Him; it was a relationship to be pulled into. It was in prayer where He found rest, strength, and direction, and where He experienced the Father’s love most deeply. In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus offers some straightforward advice on how to pray like He did.  1.     Pray systematically – carve out time. Deep, satisfying relationships are a function of time spent together. The same is true with God. However, time seems to be the one thing we run out of fastest! God offers to give wisdom and perspective, guidance and direction, encouragement and confidence through prayer.  But I’m too busy to take Him up on His offer.   It’s been said, “If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” Why? Because if you’re too busy to connect with God, eventually, you’ll make yourself bad.  Take a look at the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Jesus and his men stop by, and Martha heads to the kitchen to start preparing a meal. Meanwhile, her sister Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning from Him. Martha gets ticked off—not only at Mary, but at Jesus! She’s so busy doing “good” stuff, that she fails to do the “better” thing. And it made her worried and upset over things that didn’t really matter. For Jesus, being busy was not an excuse to not pray. Instead, it was precisely because He WAS so busy that He intentionally got away and alone to spend time with His Father.  And so should we. You will never know Jesus’ power until you follow Jesus’ pattern. 2.     Pray secretly – get away and get alone. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus talks about going to your closet to pray. Find a quiet place where you can meet with God.  It's alone, in the silence, when we can share with the Lord what He means to us.  It’s alone, in the silence, when we can pour our hearts out to Him.  It’s alone, in the silence, when all other voices are shut out, that we can hear the whisper of His still, small voice. It’s alone, in the silence, when we can just be with our Father. Can you imagine doing life that way?  Here’s the thing: You will not drift into this way of life.  You must choose it.    Text: Mt. 6:5-8; Lk. 10:38-42; Mk. 1:35-36 Originally recorded on August 29, 2004, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN