This episode is a continuation of the previous episode. We take a look at Abraham and Sarah, who were lauded for their faith in Hebrews 11, and how they are sinful people just like the rest of us. God chose Abraham and Sarah to be the ancestors of the coming Savior. Things looked bleak for Abraham and Sarah because Sarah was unable to have children of her own. Later on, God would make good on his promise in his own time and way, and Sarah would later conceive and give birth to Isaac at the age of 90.

It's truly amazing how God uses broken sinful people to advance his plan of salvation! God continues to use broken sinful people like us in ways we could have never imagined to share the good news of salvation with others.

Heroes Have Warts is a new series for Recovery Under the Cross. The series examines select individuals named in Hebrews chapter 11 which is often referred to as the "Heroes of Faith" chapter. The writer of the book of Hebrews highlights many examples of familiar names from the Old Testament who lived by faith in God and his promise for a Savior from Sin. Though heralded as heroes of faith, the people listed in Hebrews 11 are broken, sinful people like you and me. God chose each one of the people listed in Hebrews 11 to keep his plan of salvation in motion despite them being broken, sinful people. God chose us who are equally broken and sinful to proclaim what He has done to take away the sins of the world. Yes, God uses addicts and recovering addicts to show those around them the fullness of God's grace in Christ.

Today's episode focuses on Abraham and Sarah lying in order to keep Abraham alive even though God promised to bless them with a child of their own, and from that child a great nation from which the Savior of the world would be born.

God demonstrates His almighty power by taking broken, sinful people like us to carry a priceless treasure - the message of Christ crucified and risen again from the dead to take away the sins of the world. What an awesome privilege our God bestows on us!

Host Tim Gray offers his reflections on Recovery Under the Cross and announces what's coming up in future episodes.

Self-Control and Addiction are completely opposite of each other. How can I, as a recovering alcoholic, have any sense of self-control? It's only by the grace of God and with the help of God that we can even begin to exercise self-control. Because of what God's own Son, Jesus Christ our Savior, did for us by taking away all of our sins that the Holy Spirit comes to us in God's Word and Sacrament to work faith in our hearts, thus enabling us to produce fruits of faith. Self-control is one of those fruits.

May God continue to work in us the desire to show our love for Him in all that we say and do because He loved us first.

Merry Christmas! In this Christmas Episode, we marvel at the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ, becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Jesus, as true God and true man all at the same time, is the perfect Savior we needed to take away our sins. Jesus was tempted in every way we are tempted, but never sinned. He bore upon himself the sins of the world, washing them away with his blood shed on the Cross. He defeated death once and for all by his resurrection from the dead.

Praise God for the wonderful gift of his only-begotten Son to save us from our sins!

Confronting someone about open sin isn't easy. You might have butterflies in your stomach because you don't know how the person might react, or you're nervous because you don't know how you'll react to the person's reaction. God calls on us to speak with someone caught up in sin with a spirit of gentleness and humility. It's too easy for us to confront someone with a I'm-better-than-you attitude without recognizing our own sins. Thank God he has given us Jesus whose saving work motivates us to show our loved ones their sin in a gentle and humble way, and to show them their Savior.

The next Fruit of the Spirit a believer in Jesus has that's listed in Galatians 5:22,23 is faithfulness. Faithfulness involves commitment, staying true to someone or something. Our reading from Joshua encourages us to be faithful to God and to serve him. We serve God by loving and serving one another because God loved us first.