Insight for Living

Host: Picture yourself sitting across the kitchen table from Chuck Swindoll, just the two of you. No formal sermon, no religious performance, just an honest conversation about the life you've been living and the person you want to become in 2026.

Today on Insight for Living, Chuck gets personal. He challenges us to evaluate our thought life, our checkbook, our daily schedule, and the way we touch the lives of those around us. Chuck's not interested in our New Year's resolutions. He wants something deeper. Intentional choices that could transform us into someone who actually resembles Christ.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll: This is an unusual Sunday of the year. Not only is it the final Sunday of the year, it's tucked in between two very well-known and well-celebrated holidays.

Seems a good time to do some reflecting and, of course, as a result, some renewing of things in our lives. To guide us, we will have several scriptures that will be a sort of a basis of what we want to talk about.

Let's begin with the words of James in chapter four. If you brought a Bible with you, and by the way, always remember that, form the habit to always bring a Bible so you'll have a reference point along the way. James chapter four.

When you locate that, turn to the fourth chapter of a little letter Paul wrote called Philippians. Philippians. Philippians chapter four, we'll read after we read the James four section.

I'll begin reading at verse 13 of James four. "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'"

Turn from James four to Philippians four. And I'll begin the reading there in verse four. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice. Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

Notice in verse seven, the reference to the peace of God. And then toward the end of verse nine, the God of peace. Peace is always linked to the presence of God. Without him, there can be no such thing as inner peace or peace with others. It's the God of peace who gives us the peace of God.

Host: You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into the Bible on your own in the new year, be sure to explore the wide variety of helpful resources available at our online store. Take a few minutes to browse through the options at insight.org/store. And now, let's begin the study that Chuck titled, "Time to Reflect and to Renew."

Pastor Chuck Swindoll: There are days it's wise for us to stop and look and listen. It's great when we're able to plan such days, and I have friends who set aside a day a month to do that. They're rare, but there are people like that.

Some people choose every season of the year to set aside a block of time when they pause, put everything on hold, and they think through where they have been and where they want to go as they evaluate where they are. They look at their lives and often search the scriptures or spend time in protracted prayer, seeking God's mind regarding the truth of their circumstances, how they got there, where they are, and a good direction to turn for the future.

When we do that voluntarily, it's meaningful for us, and it's always rewarding. Occasionally, those times occur involuntarily. Some traumatic event takes place that suddenly sidelines us from life. Maybe an accident. It may be a coronary. It may be a jolting bit of news that stuns us and almost takes our breath away as we are forced involuntarily to pause. Everything in life seems to shut down for a period of time. It's almost as if the Lord is saying, "Now, now. Now that you've stopped, I want you to look. I want you to listen."

During the past several days, I finished a book by popular author Stephen King. But wait, it's not one of those that some of you with a weird appetite enjoy reading Stephen King. This one, this one is a bit of truth, if you will. It's the book titled On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

I found it fascinating because you're able to see behind the scenes of the life of a well-known author, and you learn things you would not have otherwise known, which only he can tell you.

King lives in the state of Maine. It's his habit to run about four miles or to walk rapidly four miles every day. Because the roads there in that area are without much traffic, it's usually safe, and the direction he runs is pretty much the same from what he says. Only a small portion of the route he takes doesn't allow him to see what's ahead. Like most of us who run or walk rapidly, we do so against the traffic so that we can see what's coming. And he does that. However, this particular stretch was unable to see what was coming over the hill.

On the other side, unknown to this man, there was a van swerving from one side to the left as the driver is working with his Rottweiler, sitting, crawled over the back seat, and is now trying to get into the igloo icebox and get the meat that's in there. So the driver decides to deal with the dog rather than the road, and he's going back and forth. In the meantime, another car coming toward them, the lady says to her friend on the other side, "That looked like Stephen King running along." She sees the van and says, "I hope he doesn't hit him." And he hit him directly.

It knocked Stephen King in the air 14 feet. I'll not name all of the injuries, but his leg was fractured in nine places, several of them compound. His knee was split down the middle, several ribs were broken, lung was punctured, shoulder blade amazingly held together, it's about 30 stitches across his face. The man was in terrible condition.

It was a weird driver of the van, I might add. When King came to his senses, he looked up and the man was sitting on a rock with a cane across his lap, saying, "Well, you're in tough shape right now." And, you know, King says he looked like one of the characters from one of my own stories. I found this interesting, two years after the accident, Stephen wrote of it. Listen closely.

A couple of years ago, I found out what "you can't take it with you" means. I found out while I was lying in a ditch at the side of a country road, covered with mud and blood, and with the tibia of my right leg poking out the side of my jeans, like the branch of a tree taken down in the thunderstorm. Even Stephen King writes about his own bones in a horrible way, doesn't he? He's got a bone sticking out of his blue jeans.

I had Mastercard in my wallet, but when you're lying in a ditch with broken glass in your hair, no one accepts Mastercard. We all know that life is ephemeral. I had to look it up too. It means transitory, lasting only a short time. We all know that life is transitory, but on that particular day and in the months that followed, I got a painful but extremely valuable look at life's simple backstage truths. I forgot to tell you that the orthopedic surgeon said that the lower part of his leg looked like a sock full of marbles. Terrible situation.

We come into this life naked and broke. We may be dressed when we go out, but we're just as broke. Warren Buffett, going out broke. Bill Gates, going out broke. Tom Hanks, going out broke. Steve King, broke. Not a crying dime.

All the money in the world, all the money you may earn, all the stocks you buy, all the mutual funds you trade. All of that is mostly smoke and mirrors. It's still going to be a quarter past getting late, whether you tell the time on a Timex or a Rolex. No matter how large your bank account, no matter how many credit cards you have, sooner or later things will begin to go wrong.

With the only three things you have that you can really call your own: your body, your spirit, and your mind. So I want you to consider making your life one long gift to others. And why not? All you have is on loan anyway. All that lasts is what you pass on.

I have no idea what tomorrow holds for you or for me. I only know we are here at this moment right now. I don't believe we are here accidentally, though you may think it was a spur of the moment decision to show up. It was planned from eternity past. That'll give you the willies, if nothing else, huh? You didn't just happen to show up.

You're here today because God directed you to be here in ways you would never believe or perhaps even try to defend. You're here. So I'd like to ask two things. Don't think of this as a sermon. I'd like you to think of this as you and me having a talk. It'll be one-sided. Can't be helped right now. But think of my sitting at the kitchen table with you. Think of my being across from you in the car, you're driving, I'm talking.

Or, let's say we found a quiet place for you work over lunch. And you and I got alone, and it's just you and me. This isn't a sermon. This is a way that the Lord has suddenly gotten your attention so that you would hear something that you need to hear. Second request: don't think someone else ought to be here to hear this. Or, "I'm so glad my husband's here today. Listen closely. This is for you." No, no, this is for you. And if I may, this is for me.

People often want to know, how do I know what to talk on? I just search my own heart and determine what I need to hear, and I'll let you listen in. So I need this as much as you need it. Believe me. I need to hear this. I heard it a few minutes ago, but I need to hear it again today. I need to hear it several times a year.

Today we're going to take a journey. We're going to look back at a couple of things that need to be addressed. I'm not going to worry about being too diplomatic. I'm going to talk straight, and I'm going to be direct. Whether you want to hear about it or not, I'm going to address it. Two things in that direction. Then we're going to look ahead, having reflected, we're going to think about renewal at a couple of things for the future. We don't know what's there. We know a lot about what's in the past.

So that's a good place to start. Let's look there first. Philippians chapter four. Will you turn, please? We'll then go to James chapter four. Let's look at Philippians. We're looking back. You and I are sitting alone. We're talking about life. What we're going to be able to pass along to someone else since we're going to go out broke.

We're looking back, and we're thinking first about our thoughts. Let's start there. There's nothing more basic to you or to me than our thinking. It's before any action, it's before any word, it's before any decision, there are thoughts. They're invisible. They flash. Sometime they form ruts, and they become for us mindsets.

It's called the inner core of our lives, our heart. The Bible calls it our heart. Not the organ that pumps blood, but the inner being where we make decisions. All starts in the brain. Thoughts. We're looking back at our thoughts. Question.

As you think about your thoughts over the past year, don't go any further, just stop there. First, just go to 12 months. Let's think about your thought life. Because as the Proverb says, "As a person thinks in his heart, so is he." You become what you think about. You are the living out proof of your thought life.

You speak in curse words, you have a mind that's vulgar. You have thoughts that are nasty. You have eyes that focus on lustful things, you have a mind that has lustful thoughts. You think the best of others and you expect, you have a mind that's positive. Your thoughts are there. So, we're looking back, thinking about our thoughts, Philippians four, eight.

Look at the end of the verse to start with. "Dwell on these things." One paraphrase says, "Set your mind on these things." So here is a checklist of your thought life. Okay? These are six things you can check off as we look back over this past year, see how we're doing. Here we go.

Verse eight, "Finally, brethren," The word brethren tells us it's written to believers. So you're a believer, you know Christ. You have the Lord as your God. You are in the family. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true." Let's think back. Are you a person who focuses on what is true? Stop and look and listen.

The word means the absence of deception. Have you cultivated habits of deception? Making statements that aren't true, giving false promises. Misrepresenting truth. Lying. Saying things that are half-truths to keep you off the hook. Are you a person of truth or not? "Whatever is true."

The next word is translated "honorable." The word means noble, dignified, even above reproach. William Barclay writes, "It's the word that has the dignity of holiness in it." Are your thoughts holy thoughts? Are they dignified thoughts? If your thoughts could be put on the screens in front of everybody to read today, would they be thoughts that would be embarrassing or would they be thoughts that are marked by the dignity of holiness?

Still thinking, number three, "Whatever is right." This word "right" means refusing to compromise one's commitment to the truth. You give into peer pressure over the last 12 months. You have a mind that has begun the habit of yielding to what is expected of you by someone. Pleasing people.

Even though you know in your heart it's not true of you, you're still doing it. You are forming a habit that's marked by an absence of what is right. It means reputable. It means responsible. As we grow up, as we grow older, they're not the same. As we grow up, we become, ideally, more responsible. You take responsibility for your actions as you look back.

Are do you blame others for things that you really are responsible for? Are you quick to say, "I was the one that did that." "I'm wrong. I'm very sorry." I've said that. Yes, I did say that, and I was wrong. Or I own up to it. Yes, I'm responsible for that.

The word is "pure" that's next. "Whatever is pure." That is that which keeps the conscience clear. The old word "chaste" says it very well. I'm sorry we've lost that word in this modern era in which we live. Chastity is another great word. Often it has reference to the opposite sex. As you look back, have you begun to soften your commitment to purity? Have you begun to flirt? Is your marriage shakier because you are not living up to what you vowed? Are you in bed with someone who isn't your partner in life, your mate, your husband, your wife? If you are, there's a lack of chastity, a lack of purity.

Host: In a message designed to help us evaluate our character, Chuck Swindoll is addressing four personal areas: our thoughts, our treasure, our time, and our touch. We're just getting started, so please stay with us. This is Insight for Living, and we're devoting the entire week to reflection and renewal as we pass from one year into the next. To discover more about the resources that will help you dig deeper into God's Word in 2026, just go to insight.org/store.

Well, it's Monday, December 29th, and we're coming up on one of the most significant deadlines of the year for this nonprofit ministry. Chuck, my friend, as we approach the final hours of this ministry year, I want to speak directly to your heart about something that matters deeply to me. And I believe it matters to you too.

When you heard today's message about preparing for the New Year, perhaps God stirred something in you. Maybe you recognized areas where you need to grow. That's exactly what happens when God's Word intersects with a listening heart. But here's what I want you to know. Your partnership with Insight for Living makes those moments possible for countless others. Right now, someone is sitting alone, discouraged, spiritually adrift, desperate for hope. Picture that person in your mind's eye right now.

Just like you, they're not looking for empty religious platitudes. They need life-giving truth that can transform them from the inside out. Well, your special year-end gift doesn't simply pay our bills or keep programs on the air, it does something far more significant. It places God's Word into the hands and hearts of people who are ready to stop drifting and start climbing toward Christ. It becomes a source of genuine transformation in someone's life. Our December 31st deadline is approaching quickly. What is God asking of you to give this year? Please, follow His leading and respond today.

Your generosity could be the very thing God uses to help someone step into the New Year with renewed hope, intentional purpose, and a deeper walk with Him. Thank you for being part of this nonprofit ministry. Your partnership matters more than you know. You can respond to Chuck Swindoll right now by calling 800-772-8888.

Maybe it's been a while since you've supported Insight for Living, or perhaps you've never reached out before. Well, with the deadline coming this Wednesday, December 31st, now's the time to get in touch. It would mean so much to us. To give online, go to insight.org/donate. If you prefer to send a check in the mail, address your envelope to Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034.

Your partnership makes all the difference. When you give to Insight for Living before the end of the year, you're helping to place solid biblical truth into the hands of someone who's struggling to make sense of life. Chuck's teaching reaches hearts that are hungry for God's Word, and you make that possible. Will you help fuel this ministry today? Your gift extends your impact far beyond what you could accomplish alone. Thank you so much for standing with us. Our address again is Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034.

If you're listening on the Insight mobile app, just click on the heart that says "Donate" and follow the instructions. You can also call us at 800-772-8888. Or give your special year-end donation online at insight.org/donate.

I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck Swindoll prepares us for 2026 through a message called, "Time to Reflect and Renew." Tuesday on Insight for Living. The preceding message, "Time to Reflect and to Renew," was copyrighted in 2010, 2012, and 2025. And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindoll, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.