SPARK: Igniting Faith, Family, and Revival
Spark is a faith-filled podcast igniting revival in families, communities, and hearts around the world. Hosted by Maria Termotto-Horwitz, each episode blends powerful testimonies, prophetic teaching, biblical wisdom, and real-life stories of God’s transforming power.
From breaking generational curses to walking in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Maria equips you to live boldly for Christ, lead your family into deeper faith, and impact the world with the Gospel. You’ll hear inspiring personal stories, guest interviews, and prayers for healing, deliverance, and activation.
Whether you’re a new believer, a seasoned follower of Jesus, or somewhere in between, Spark will encourage you to live on fire for God — every day, in every area of life. Revival starts here.
SPARK: Igniting Faith, Family, and Revival
Discernment- Seeing with God's Eyes
Ever welcomed someone into your life only to discover later they weren't who they appeared to be? The spiritual gift of discernment might have saved you from that heartache.
Discernment goes far beyond good judgment or intuition—it's seeing people, situations, and spiritual influences through God's perspective. This episode explores how discernment functions as our divine protection against deception, manipulation, and spiritual counterfeits that can devastate our lives when we fail to recognize them.
I share vulnerable stories from my own journey, including painful business dealings with family members where I missed critical warning signs that my husband clearly saw. These experiences taught me that discernment isn't optional for believers—it's a spiritual muscle that needs constant development. We examine biblical examples of both discernment failures (Eve, Samson, King Saul) and discernment successes (Solomon, Joseph, Daniel, Jesus), revealing the profound consequences of either path.
The practical portion guides you through specific ways to cultivate sharper spiritual perception: testing everything against Scripture, surrounding yourself with genuinely wise companions, evaluating fruit rather than appearances, and seeking counsel from spiritually mature believers. You'll learn why discernment doesn't make you paranoid—it actually brings peace and confidence by allowing you to see reality as it truly is.
Join me for this protection-focused episode and discover how to train your spiritual senses to distinguish God's voice from counterfeits. Your relationships, decisions, and spiritual health depend on this critical skill. How might your life change if you could consistently see with God's eyes rather than being deceived by appearances? Listen now and begin developing the discernment that will guard your path forward.
A special thank you to the Best Home Ever Team for sponsoring Spark, allowing us to keep supporting Amanda Termotto’s Right From The Heart Foundation — from caring for orphanages in Uganda and India to funding outreach here at home. Get connected through a Spark Palm City networking event, Blessed Life Ever home church, Mustard Seed Collective Bible study, Calvary Fitness workout, or Like Arrows homeschool co-op. To learn more or get involved, text or call Maria at (561) 779-9452.
Best Home Ever: Your Real Estate Team
Helping families buy, sell & invest with expert care and VIP golf cart tours.
This is SPARK—where faith meets action. Keep the fire burning, share this with someone who needs it, and remember: the time is now, and you are part of God’s Kingdom story.
Hi friends, welcome back to the show. Today we're talking about something that can save us from heartache, deception and even destruction Discernment. Discernment is more than just good judgment. It's the ability to see with God's eyes, to tell truth from error, good fruit from bad fruit, the spirit of God from counterfeit spirits. And the Bible is clear from counterfeit spirits. And the Bible is clear. Without discernment we are vulnerable, but with it we walk in wisdom, protection and fruitfulness. The Bible is filled with exhortations about discernment. 1 John 4.1 says Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Proverbs 14.15 says the simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. And Hebrews 5.14 says Solid food is for the mature who, by constant use, have trained themselves to distinguish between good from evil. Discernment isn't optional. It's a mark of maturity.
Speaker 1:Biblical examples of lacking discernment Eve in the garden she listened to the serpent's voice instead of God's command. The lack of discernment opened the door to the fall of mankind. Samson he revealed his secret to Delilah because he couldn't discern her motives. It cost him his strength and his freedom. King Saul he spared what God told him to destroy, thinking he knew better. He lacked this discernment, which led to the kingdom being taken from him. Ananias and Sapphira, in Acts 5, says they thought they could lie to the Holy Spirit. Their lack of discernment about God's holiness cost them their lives. Biblical examples of walking in discernment Solomon he asked for wisdom to discern between right and wrong, and God gave him unmatched wisdom. Joseph discerned Pharaoh's dream and saved nations from famine. Daniel discerned dreams and visions and stood firm against deception. And, of course, jesus he saw through the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and discerned the thoughts of people's hearts. Discernment preserves. Discernment protects. Discernment produces fruit.
Speaker 1:I've had moments in my own life where I needed discernment and didn't see clearly. I've had moments in my own life where I needed discernment and didn't see clearly. There was a time I worked closely with someone thinking we were building a long-term relationship. Then, out of nowhere, they stopped responding to my calls or texts. They gave no explanation, no clarity, just silence, with the occasional message about some work item. Looking back, I realized I didn't discern the warning signs in their character.
Speaker 1:Another time I introduced someone I thought had a heart of gold to one of my close friends. Not long after, this person revealed some very disturbing beliefs. Thankfully, my friend was secure in their walk with Christ and wasn't shaken. But it was a wake-up call to me. I thought I was just seeing the good, but I was blind to the dangers underneath. And then, one of the hardest lessons I entered a business dealing with a close family member, assuming I was safe because of the family tie, but it led to a substantial loss. My husband discerned from the beginning that this person was untruthful, devious and a wolf in sheep's clothing. I did not discern and I was utterly wrong.
Speaker 1:Through these moments I've realized, josh, my husband has a strong gift of discernment. Time and time again there have been people I thought were fine, but he saw them clearly as bad fruit. It's humbled me to pray, lord, increase our discernment. We need to one test the spirits. 1 John 4.1 says not every voice, dream or opportunity is from God. If it contradicts his word, it's not from him. We need to walk with the wise, as in Proverbs 13 20. Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. The people closest to us shape us. Discernment means choosing wisely who speaks into our lives. Look at the fruit, matthew 7.16. Jesus said by their fruit you will recognize them. Does their life. Show love, joy, peace, patience or confusion, strife and hypocrisy. Seek counsel. Discernment grows in community. We need others to help us see what we can't. My husband's discernment has protected me more than once. God often uses the gifts in others to sharpen us.
Speaker 1:The danger of no discernment Without discernment, we become easy prey. We partner with the wrong people, fall into deception and open doors for the enemy. The Bible calls the enemy the father of lies. His weapon is deception and discernment. For the enemy, the Bible calls the enemy the father of lies. His weapon is deception and discernment is our shield, the fruit of discernment. With discernment we avoid destructive partnerships, recognize wolves in sheep's clothing, protect our families and children, walk in peace and confidence because we see things for what they truly are. Discernment doesn't make us suspicious of everyone. It makes us wise, safe and fruitful.
Speaker 1:Prayer for discernment. Let's pray, father. We come before you asking for a fresh gift of discernment. Your word says if we lack wisdom, we can ask, and you will give generously, without finding fault. I pray over every listener right now. Open their eyes to see truth from lies, light from darkness, your spirit from counterfeit spirits. Protect them from deception. Teach them to test the spirits, to walk with the wise and to judge fruit rightly. Lord, sharpen our ears to hear your voice and our hearts to follow only you. Let us not be tossed by confusion but, rooted in your word, guard our families, our friendships, our businesses and our churches with discernment from above. We ask for courage to walk away from wrong influences and humility to receive counsel when we need it, and we declare that the enemy's lies will not prevail, because the spirit of truth lives in us In Yeshua's mighty name. Amen. Lives in us In Yeshua's mighty name, amen.
Speaker 1:Friends, discernment is one of the greatest protections God gives us. It's not suspicion, it's spirit-led clarity. This week, ask the Lord where do I need discernment? Who in my life is producing good fruit and who is sowing confusion? Journal what he shows you and test it with his word. Remember when you walk with the wise, you become wise, and when you walk with the spirit, you will not be deceived. Until next time, may God sharpen your vision, steady your steps and surround you with truth.
