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Making men MEN again. The David Alliance will help you slay your giants.
Episodes
Monday Jan 12, 2026
Monday Jan 12, 2026
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
Awaken the Spirit
Christina walking past my door
The river of God…
The Mississippi River
John 7:38 He who believes in, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.
The very next verse (John 7:39) explicitly identifies this river: "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..."
John 4:14 a fountain of living water - the Holy Spirit
Why does the spirit dry up - how do we awaken the spirit?
1 Cor. 2:14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For,
“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”[h]
But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
**Here Paul talks about how the sinful man/unspiritual can’t understand the spiritual realm.
BUT HE GOES ON IN CHAPTER 3…
Stating that there are some Christians that cannot understand the spiritual realm due to living in their flesh.
Chapter 3 3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature.
CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH….
VS. CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sunday Jan 11, 2026
Sunday Jan 11, 2026
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
Awaken the Spirit
Christina walking past my door
The river of God…
The Mississippi River
John 7:38 He who believes in, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.
The very next verse (John 7:39) explicitly identifies this river: "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..."
John 4:14 a fountain of living water - the Holy Spirit
Why does the spirit dry up - how do we awaken the spirit?
1 Cor. 2:14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For,
“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”[h]
But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
**Here Paul talks about how the sinful man/unspiritual can’t understand the spiritual realm.
BUT HE GOES ON IN CHAPTER 3…
Stating that there are some Christians that cannot understand the spiritual realm due to living in their flesh.
Chapter 3 3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature.
CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH….
VS. CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
**What You Love Determines Where You’re Headed**
At EAST Town Mall in Madison… Reese is 3.5 yrs old. We are all at the food court… he disappears - everyone panics except my mom. There is a series of stores around us - everyone starts dashing through the chairs and tables of the food court - Grandma walks over to the candy store and sees him in there.
HIS LOVE DETERMINED HIS DIRECTION.
**Scripture:** Matthew 6:19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
WHATEVER YOU VALUE - IS LEADING YOU
Jesus doesn’t say *“Where your duty is…”*
He says, *“Where your treasure is…”*
Because love always leads.
Illustration: The Compass
A compass doesn’t tell you where you *want* to go—it tells you where you *are going*.
Your spending, your schedule, your thought life, your words, your daily choices—those are spiritual compasses.
Application:
* Eternity isn’t shaped in one big decision—it’s shaped in daily affection.
- What you repeatedly choose - is it eternal?
- Loving temporary things more than eternal things always leads to loss.
**Eternity follows affection.**
---
Finally Eternity gives illumination to the true value of life.
Lobsters: From "Sea Cockroaches" to Luxury (History/Economics)
- The Original Frame: Until the late 19th century, lobsters were considered "bottom feeders" and "cockroaches of the sea." They were so plentiful that they were ground up for fertilizer and fed to prisoners. In fact, there were laws forbidding prisons from feeding inmates lobster more than twice a week because it was considered cruel and unusual punishment.
- The Reframe: With the advent of railways, trains started serving lobster to inland passengers who didn’t know its "low-class" reputation. It was marketed as an exotic, rare curiosity from the sea.
- The Result: By rebranding the abundance as "exoticness" and serving it with butter on fine china, it became one of the most expensive items on a menu.
When you stand in heaven and see Jesus, see the Father, see those that are saved and see those that are lost in Hell…. How will that reframe how you understand life on earth?
Wouldn’t it be wise to see that way now?
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
11,000
Paul says,
“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)
* Feelings are real—but they aren’t final.
- Circumstances are loud—but they aren’t lasting.
HOWEVER
* God’s promises are unseen—but they are eternal.
**Eternal thinking stabilizes emotional living.**
Maybe the best question we can ask when at the crossroads of a decision is this “what is the eternal consequence of this?”
**The old saying “if consequences were immediate there would be very few bad decisions”.
One donut, 200 pounds
One cigarette, cancer
One charge, in debt beyond control
One quiet time skipped, backslidden
One temper tantrum, in prison
One drink, alcoholism
One drug, addiction
WARNING: The eternal is not immediate but the consequences are!
2 Your Life Is Short,
But It Is Not Small
**Scripture:** Psalm 90:12
Moses says, “Teach us to number our days.”
Not to depress us—but to **focus us**.
22,116 days… that is how many days I have been alive!
So realistically I only have about 11K days left to live.
The Bible says life is:
* a mist
* a vapor
* a breath
But it never says life is meaningless.
Illustration: The Dash on the Tombstone
On every gravestone there’s a birth date, a death date, and a dash in between.
That dash represents:
* your choices
* your faithfulness
* your obedience
- your love
THAT DASH EQUALS THE AMOUNT OF ETERNITY YOU HAVE SOWN YOUR LIFE INTO.
Short doesn’t mean insignificant.
Application:
* Ordinary obedience has eternal weight.
**A short life lived for God becomes a long story in eternity.**
Monday Jan 05, 2026
Monday Jan 05, 2026
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
Paul says,
“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)
“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary,
Temporary - pros-kee-ross
Fleeting, non important for the task,
WHEN I WAS 22 YEARS OLD SHOPPING FOR A CAR. MARRIED 3 YEARS, BUT NEVER BOUGHT MY OWN CAR.
… I was looking at sound systems
… I was looking at paint color
… I was looking at rims and stance
MY DAD WAS LOOKING AT
… mileage
… monthly payment
… accident history
… gas economy
… the dealers reputation….
I WAS LOOKING AT THE FLEETING.
If eternity is real—and the Bible says it is—then living only for the moment- THE FLEETING is the most dangerous way to live.
1 Eternity Is More Real
Than the Moment
**Scripture:** 2 Corinthians 4:18
Paul doesn’t say the visible world isn’t real—he says it’s **temporary**.
Temporary doesn’t mean unimportant. It means *not ultimate*… NOT THE PURPOSE
Going on a cruise in 2 weeks… my wife “what are you going to pack”.
My wife packs for a month if we stay 3 days in a hotel…
Illustration: The Hotel Room
You treat a hotel room differently than your house.
You don’t remodel it.
You don’t get a bigger TV for it
You don’t hang family portraits.
You don’t panic if something breaks.
Why?
Because you know **you’re not staying long**.
Many of us are rearranging furniture in a world we were never meant to settle in.
Sunday Jan 04, 2026
Sunday Jan 04, 2026
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
I realized the past few weeks why I am so worn down… im not doing what I am supposed to do. I understand that I have a few things in my life that motivate me and give me energy.
I am solar powered
I need a good book
I need music to play or listen to
I need affection from my wife
AND… I need to be actively sharing the gospel.
The past few weeks I have not been
***WHICH MEANS I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THE TEMPORAL!
Living Like Forever Is Real
THE RUBIKS CUBE HAS OVER 4 QUINTILLION CHOICES BEHIND SOLVING IT.
But it can be done in 3.08 seconds if you make the right choices.
Life is filled with choices… but its not the choice itself its the why behind it that matters.
Are your choices eternal?
Big Idea: Eternity is not just where we’re going—it’s how we’re meant to live.*
THOUGHT 1:
THE PROBLEM WITH MOST CHRISTIANS IS SIMPLY THIS:
SHORT-TERM THINKING
We live in a culture obsessed with *now*.
Same-day delivery. Instant downloads. Microwave patience.
We’re trained to ask:
* “How does this make me feel right now?”
* “What do I get immediately?”
* “What’s in it for me today?”
But the Bible keeps interrupting us with a different question:
The child who asks a 1000 questions: why why why why why….
The Bible asks the same question over and over.
- Is it eternal?
**“What lasts forever?”**
Paul says,
“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)
Tuesday Dec 30, 2025
Tuesday Dec 30, 2025
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
Matthew 14:22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
The power was in the word from God… not in Peter, or his hopes or aspirations, NOT EVEN HIS OWN PERSONAL BELIEF… it was in the word of God.
Peter understood authority and submission to it.
Peter is saying, if you command it, I will submit to your authority and follow your words.
**But Peter didn’t just walk out of the boat, he didn’t just take anyones word… he said “Jesus if it is you command me”.
Look, there are waves, wind, spray, its night time, maybe one lantern, shadows everywhere… who is this? A ghost? A shadow? A demon? A…a…a… is it Jesus.
Before you jump ship - make sure you are following Jesus - and following his command.
The Goal was Intimacy, not Magic Notice the full phrase: "Command me to come to You."
The original phrase in the greek is “if it is you Command me to come to you” - he did not ask to walk on the water, he did not say Jesus I want to walk on the water… he knew safety was with Jesus!
Peter didn't want to walk on water for the sake of a thrill; he wanted to walk on water because that was the only way to get closer to Jesus. The miracle was just the method of transport; Jesus was the destination.
Monday Dec 29, 2025
Monday Dec 29, 2025
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
A few times I will get an email about all the things I miss in a podcast over a topic or a portion of scripture… Look I only get 7 minutes before you lose your attention… so focus on the seven minutes… and don’t get distracted. It’s Gods word, focus on that and not on what is not being said…and that’s where we are going today!
Matthew 14:22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
PETER DID NOT SAY “LORD LET ME WALK ON WATER” HE SAID COMMAND ME TO WALK ON WATER…. Touch the heavens, speak from the throne of God and make it happen by your words and your words alone.
Peter doesn’t know much… but at this point he does know one thing: If Jesus commands it- it will happen. If he speaks the word- it will fulfill its purpose. **THIS IS WHY HE NEEDED TO HEAR JESUS SPEAK THE WORD.
It is important to note that Matthew also includes several "summary verses" (e.g., Matthew 4:23, 14:14) stating that Jesus healed "many" or "all" who came to Him, implying the actual number of miracles was in the hundreds or thousands.However, the specific, detailed accounts recorded up to Matthew 14:28 are as follows:
- Cleansing a Leper (Matt. 8:1–4) Jesus commands be healed
- Healing the Centurion’s Servant (Matt. 8:5–13)
You don’t need to come just say the word
- Healing Peter’s Mother-in-Law (Matt. 8:14–15)
- Casting out demons with his command
- Calming the Storm at Sea (Matt. 8:23–27)
He commands it to be calm
- Casting Demons into a Herd of Pigs (The Gadarene Demoniacs) (Matt. 8:28–34)
He commands them into the pigs
- Healing a Paralytic (Matt. 9:1–8
Speaks take up your Matt and walk
- Healing the Woman with the Issue of Blood (Matt. 9:20–22)
- Raising Jairus’ Daughter from the Dead (Matt. 9:18–26)
- 10.Healing Two Blind Men (Matt. 9:27–31)
- 11.Healing a Mute Demoniac (Matt. 9:32–34)
- 12.Healing the Man with a Withered Hand (Matt. 12:9–14) He tells him to hold out his hand
- 13.Healing a Blind and Mute Demoniac (Matt. 12:22)
- 14.Feeding the 5,000 (Matt. 14:13–21)
Jesus commands the disciples you feed them.
**THIS WAS THE SET UP FOR PETER!
He knew that all authority was subject to his voice, his words, his authority. Nature, Supernatural and Physical.
- 15.Jesus Walking on the Water (Matt. 14:25–27)
- 16. Peter walking on Water
Things we learn: Peter did not jump out of the boat on emotion… any emotion he felt would have been fear, uncertainty in the storm.
Sunday Dec 28, 2025
Sunday Dec 28, 2025
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
Matthew 14:22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
WHUH? 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
WHAT IS THIS TELLING US?
NO TEST, NO TESTIMONY
NO MESS, NO MESSAGE
NO STORM, NO STORY
…SURE YOU ARE IN THE CALM OF THE BOAT WITH JESUS… BUT WOULDN’T IT HAVE BEEN BETTER IN THE STORM?
I had a man in my office a few years ago trying to push a multi level marketing program on me (no problem with those) but I asked him “what are the biggest tests and challenges you have had in life”.
He said I am very blessed I have had none…
IF THATS TRUE… WHAT A NON BLESSED LIFE, BORING LIFE!
GIVE ME THE STORY OF THE STORM!
World Series of Poker
Jack Straus one chip one chair.
Monday Dec 22, 2025
Monday Dec 22, 2025
Garth Heckman
The David Alliance
OT Expectation
Psalm 36:7 (The Hebrew word for expectancy)
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
**Covenant Culture**
The phrase *“LOVING KINDNESS/steadfast love”* translates the Hebrew word **ḥesed**, which refers to **covenant loyalty**, not mere affection. In ancient Israel, ḥesed described God’s faithful commitment to His people despite their failures.
UNDER YOUR WINGS
* **Intimacy** – closeness, not distant protection
* **Nurture** – like a mother bird covering her young
* **Divine Presence** – God is actively involved, not passively watching
Protection
**Key connection:**
* Psalm 36 describes what God *is*
* Jesus reveals what God *does*
* Humanity’s problem is not access, but **unwillingness - LACK OF TRUST/ OR EXPECTANCY to come under His covering**