Eric Roseberry Podcast

On this special mid-week episode of the Eric Roseberry Podcast, Eric is joined by Dr. Radu Gheorghita. Dr. Gheorghita is a professor of biblical studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. One of the great passions of Dr. Gheorghita's life is scripture memorization. In this episode, he addresses why Christians should memorize scripture, how they can memorize large portions of scripture, and the joy one experiences when the scriptures are known at this level.You can find the handouts mentioned by Dr. Gheorghita at the bottom of the page here: https://ericroseberry.com/2020/11/24/the-joy-of-scripture-memorization/

Our culture is swimming in a sea of information. However, for all of the data available to us, we still have trouble answering some fundamental questions about life. This is why we need wisdom. Wisdom helps us make sense of the world and live in a God-honoring way. How can we become wise people? Check out my latest message for more.

There are moments when life makes sense. However, so much of what we experience can feel unexpected and undeserved. Suffering is all around us, and all of us will suffer personally at some point. So what hope do we have when life is hard? Yes, we have to remember that God is on his throne and he's in control. but, Solomon also reminds us that we have to be able to find joy in the simple pleasures of this life. Sometimes, the most spiritual thing we can do to endure a difficult season is have a good meal, spend time with people we love, put in a hard day of work, and thank God for the blessings he's given us.Check out my latest sermon from Ecclesiastes for more.

Few things breed fear and anxiety like uncertainty. However, 2020 has been full of uncertainty. From political races to COVID to the personal fallout from these issues, this year has produced deep unhappiness in many Americans. So where can we go to find security? Often we're tempted to look in the wrong places, but Daniel 2 reminds us that what most of us need is a fresh picture and vision of God.

As we draw closer to the 2020 election, it is clear that Christians have differing opinions on how to vote. Part of the problem is that the New Testament never gives us direct instructions on how to think through a political election. However, that doesn't mean that God has left us without any guidance on this subject. If Christians are called to be people who love God and love their neighbors, then how can these commands help us make a wise decision on election day?

Our country is more divided than it has been in a long time. The upcoming election has only exacerbated these issues. How should Christians think about, interact with, and engage the political institutions of our day? How can we best glorify Jesus in the coming days and months ahead? Check out my first sermon in our new series: The Donkey, the Elephant, and the Lamb.

Human beings have solved plenty of problems over the years, but we've never been able to overcome death. Rather, we spend most of our lives pushing death to the margins of society. We want to distract ourselves from the thought, and we want to push it as far away as we can from us. However, is it possible in our efforts to ignore death, we're actually missing a tool that God has given us for our good? In this sermon, Pastor Eric looks at how remembering our death can be one of the most spiritually beneficial things we can do.

Many today have dismissed the idea that God is a being we need to fear in any sense. However, the author of Ecclesiastes 5 encourages us to approach God with proper respect, awe, and fear. How can we begin to reembrace the fear of the Lord, and what does it mean to fear God if he has given us grace through Jesus's life, death, and resurrection? Check out my latest sermon from Ecclesiastes 5 to discover why the fear of the Lord might just be one of the most comforting doctrines we can recover.

We were made for relationships. However, if you talk to most people, they struggle to find a deep connection with family and friends. Why are meaningful friendships so difficult to find, how can we begin to pursue them, and what can Jesus teach us about friendship? Check out my latest sermon from Ecclesiastes, "I Have Called You Friends."

Many people want to start reading the Bible, but they are not sure where to begin. On this special mid-week episode of the Eric Roseberry Podcast, Eric sits down with Jeff Brewer (Pastor of Hope Fellowship in Lombard, IL) to answer the question, "How can I start reading the Bible on my own?"

Everyone wants to be happy. We spend most of our lives believing if we can find the right amount of success, wealth, or love, then we'll finally be satisfied. However, at the end of all of our searching, we can finally discover that Jesus stands ready and willing to give us everything we've been looking for.

There are plenty of ways we can try and find meaning and purpose in this life. In Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon looked for these things in entertainment, food, drink, art, beauty, wealth, and sex. Ultimately, he discovered that they could never satisfy him. However, when he stopped expecting these things to do for him what only God could do and rather received them as good gifts, he found the ability to find joy in both the gift and the giver.Check out more from my latest sermon in Ecclesiastes.

What is the meaning of life? This is a difficult question, and human beings have spent thousands of years trying to discover the answer. For some, meaning and purpose can be found in what we can accomplish. If we can acquire enough fame, wealth, and accomplishments, then we will be satisfied. But what happens when we realize those things can't make us happy? Join us as we start our journey through the book of Ecclesiastes.

Everyone wants their life to matter. We often try and find meaning in success, relationships, and accomplishments. While none of these things are wrong, they can't provide our lives with full meaning and purpose. What can? Check out my latest sermon for more.

Everyone believes something at the core of who they are that impacts everything. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds the church that the truth driving followers of Jesus should be that Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead. The resurrection gives us the hope that God is preparing something good for us in the future, and that hope can help us remain steadfast in the Christian faith when life gets difficult.

Paul makes clear that the resurrection of Jesus is the single most important truth of the Christian faith. Did Jesus raise from the dead, and if so, why does it matter? Check out my latest sermon from 1 Corinthians 15.

How should Christians respond when they encounter texts in the Bible that are difficult? Join us for Pastor Eric's latest sermon from 1 Corinthians 14.

Almost all Christians agree that God has spoken to humanity through prophets, scripture, and ultimately Jesus. But does God still speak today? Should Christians expect to hear from God, and if they do, what should they do with those messages? Join us for my latest sermon from 1 Corinthians. In this message, we look at the spiritual gift of prophecy.

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul describes the use of two "charismatic" gifts in the church. What does it mean to speak in tongues, and how can that gift benefit the body of Christ? Check out my latest sermon from 1 Corinthians 14.

How does God see us? This is a crucial question for us to answer because our identity ultimately drives our behavior. In order for us to become the people God created us to be, we must first see ourselves as God sees us. This is easier said than done, but in Ephesians 1:1-2, Paul helps us answer this question.

What hope do Christians have when it feels like the world is spiraling out of control? In Isaiah 41, we're given three important things to remember when we're tempted to be overcome by worry and fear. We have to remember who God is, we have to remember who we are, and we have to remember what God has promised.

In Luke 10, Jesus tells a simple but convicting story. Christians are to be people who meet any need they encounter regardless of who is hurting. What does that mean for followers of Jesus as they engage with issues happening around our country? 

Love is the most important characteristic you will find in the life of a Christian or church. Paul reminds the Corinthians that having all of the spiritual gifts in the world means little if they are not motivated by love. What would it look like for us to grow in our ability to love others, and how does Jesus' love for us influence our ability to live in that way? Check out my latest sermon from 1 Corinthians 13.

This sermon continues our study of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14. What are spiritual gifts, how can we use them to serve others, and how can our gifts help us get closer to Christ? Check out this sermon for more.

Christians often talk about spiritual gifts, but there still seems to be a lot of confusion on the subject. What are spiritual gifts? How can we know what our gifts are? Should someone's gift affect our understanding of their spiritual maturity? I try and answer these questions in my latest sermon from 1 Corinthians 12:1-3. 

In order for us to be used by God, sometimes he has to remove certain aspects of our lives. Often, there are things about us that need to be pruned in order for us to be most fruitful for God. What does this process look like, and how can we trust God in the middle of it? Check out my latest sermon for more.

Going through a difficult season is hard. However, these times are only made worse when it feels as if God is distant from us. Why are there times when God seems silent, and how should we respond when we don't feel loved by God? Check out my latest sermon from Psalm 13 for more.

In the midst of pain and trials in this life, what difference does the resurrection of Jesus make? Join us for City of God's Easter sermon from John 20. 

When it feels like the world is spiraling out of control, where can we turn for hope? In "Our Refuge & Strength," Pastor Eric walks through Psalm 46 and shows how we can find joy and peace in the midst of the storms of life.

What is communion, and why is it so important for the life of the church? Check out my latest sermon from 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16 has long been one of the more difficult passages in the New Testament to understand. What's clear in this text is that Paul is concerned with how husbands and wives live together in the church. What does it look like to recognize that men and women are both created in the image of God, but they have been given unique and distinct roles to play in the Christian life? Check out our latest sermon for more.

What gives you security in your life with Christ? Often, we think our relationship with God is solid if we are doing enough things for him. However, it's possible to participate in a lot of religious activity without ever actually loving Jesus.How can we guard against loving other things more than God, and ultimately, where should our security be? Check out our latest sermon from 1 Corinthians for more.

What motivates you? There are plenty of ways you might answer that question. For some, it's status or significance. For others, it's taking care of the people in your life. Still, others might be motivated by a fear of failure. The options are endless.But what motivated the Apostle Paul to live the life that he lived? At the end of the day, Paul was willing to endure suffering and lay down his preferences with the hope that he might save as many people as possible. How can we share this motivation and what change will it require in us? Listen for more.

Many times scripture is clear on what it teaches. Certain things are good and others are bad. However, there are plenty of topics where the Bible does not give us a black and white answer. How can Christians live together and grow closer to Jesus when they disagree on these issues? How can we best handle these gray areas of the Christian life? Check out my latest sermon from 1 Corinthians 8 for more.

Marriage is a gift from God, but it can also be incredibly difficult. How should Christians respond when their relationship with their spouse gets difficult? What does the Bible tell us about divorce, and how should that shape our view of marriage? Check out "Marriage, Divorce, & the Grace of God" for more.

How should we understand singleness and the Christian life? What would it look like to begin seeing this season of life as a gift from God as opposed to just waiting for what's next? Check out our latest sermon from 1 Corinthians. 

Most people today struggle with feeling too busy. Is this just a common problem we should expect, or is it actually far more damaging than we realize? In "Fighting Busyness" Pastor Eric shows us how constant hurry can take our eyes off of loving Jesus and loving others. How can we fight this temptation, and how can we make sure we're fulfilling God's will for our lives? Listen for more.

In Matthew 11, Jesus promises if we come to him then he will give us rest. However, there are plenty of people who have professed faith in Christ and would readily admit that they aren't experiencing anything like rest. Rather, they're stressed out, busy, overworked, and anxious. Why is there such a disconnect between what Jesus said we would experience if we follow him, and what many of us actually experience? In my latest sermon, "An Unhurried Heart," we looked at what has created this reality for many Christians and explored how we can truly begin to find rest in Jesus. 

In John 20:31, John promises that those who believe in Christ will find life in his name. Yet, what should we do when we profess faith in Christ, but we don't feel like we've found the "life" that was promised. Should we abandon our faith? Has God forgotten about us? Or, is it possible that we believe in Jesus, but we don't yet trust him? Check out my latest sermon from John 6, "From Belief to Trust," to discover how taking this step can lead us into the life that was promised.

The end of a year always brings a certain amount of disappointment. There was so much we were going to accomplish and change. As people begin to make plans for 2020, is there any hope that we can actually become who God created us to be?Check out "Beholding & Becoming" to discover how the birth of Jesus makes it possible for us to experience lasting change.

Why is the birth of Jesus so important? Over the next three weeks at City of God Church, we will be looking at John 1 and asking that question. 

It's easy to come into a marriage asking, "What's in this for me?" However, scripture regularly calls us to take the posture of a servant in marriage. Rather than asking what we can get out of the relationship, we need to think through how we can best serve and meet the needs of our spouse. On our own, this approach to marriage would be impossible. However, when we realize that Jesus has already loved us in this way, it empowers us to love our spouse even when they don't deserve it.

Why does God make such a big deal out of sex in the Bible? Many in our culture feel as if scripture's teaching on this topic is restrictive and oppressive. Why does God care what we do in this area? Aren't the Bible's commands hopelessly out of date on this issue?In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul corrects the misunderstandings the Corinthians had regarding sex and shows God's good purposes for it in the right context. Our intimacy with another person was meant to be a mirror of Jesus' relationship with the church.

How should Christians react when we are wronged by fellow believers? Our natural tendency is to retaliate and pay someone back for what they've done to us. However, is that how God calls us to live together in the church?Rather, when we are wronged, we are called to love and forgive as we follow Jesus' example That can be really difficult to do, but the gospel motivates us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ well.

Most people aren't that excited to hear a sermon on church discipline. To be honest, it's not my first choice as a topic to preach. However, in 1 Corinthians 5, we discover just how important this process is for helping us remain faithful to Jesus.The Christian life is difficult and temptations to sin are real. We need God's grace and the constant encouragement of others to help us keep our eyes on Jesus. Sometimes, that means we need brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to have difficult conversations with us when we get stuck. Check out "The Grace of Discipline" to discover the benefit discipline can be to our own spiritual lives and the role that we have to play in it in the lives of those around us.  Once you've listened, head over to www.ericroseberry.com and send me a message. I'd love to hear from you. Would you also take a second to rate and review the show wherever you're listening? Now, let's dive in.

How often do you compare yourself to other people? It's something we do naturally all of the time, and it can create a lot of anxiety in our lives. If we find our value and worth in how well we measure up to the people around us, then we are always going to be miserable. Someone will always do more or have more, and so we can spend most of the time simply feeling inadequate. But is this how God intended for us to go through life? In Pastor Eric's latest sermon from City of God Church, "Combatting Comparison" we learn new ways to see the world and our selves that can help fight this constant temptation.Once you've listened, take a second to rate and review the podcast wherever you're listening to these messages. Now let's dive in.

Foundations are really important. They're important for structures like buildings and bridges, but they're equally important for people. The foundation of your life will affect everything that you do. If that's the case, it's worth slowing down and asking, "What foundation am I building my life on?" However, we also need to consider what foundation we're building on as a church. God has called his people to build his community wherever they are gathered, and we all have a role to play in that effort. What would it look like if those in the church committed to playing their part in being the people of God in a particular city? Once you've listened, head to ericroseberry.com and send Eric some feedback. What questions did this message prompt? What is God saying to you?If you have a minute, rate and review the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

What's the greatest threat facing the church today? There are plenty of ways you might answer that question, but I doubt "jealousy" would have been one of your first guesses. However, that's exactly how Paul answers this question in 1 Corinthians 3:3-9. The church in Corinth was struggling with conflict and division, and jealousy was at the root of most of this. So how do we guard against jealousy in our own lives? Check out the latest sermon from Pastor Eric as we discover that finding our contentment in Christ is the only antidote to this sin.Once you've listened, swing by ericroseberry.com and let Eric know what you thought of this sermon. What questions did it raise? How was it helpful?As always, if you would rate and review the show wherever you listen to podcasts, we would appreciate it. 

What does a mature Christian look like? There are a number of ways people might answer this question, but in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Paul tells us that it is someone who is increasingly obedient to Jesus and his commands. In order for this to happen, we have to wage war against our flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be progressively transformed into the person Jesus created us to be. Once you've listened, head over to www.ericroseberry.com and send me some feedback. I'd love to know what you think about this text or what Jesus is showing you as we study 1 Corinthians together. As always, if you would take a few seconds to rate and review the podcast wherever you listen, I really would appreciate it.  

It's easy for most people to see the Christian faith as a list of rules to follow. This leads to a relationship with Jesus that is often marked by guilt and shame as we constantly feel like we don't measure up to what he wants from us. However, this isn't the way Paul describes Christianity. In 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, Paul begins to unpack the overwhelming amount of grace that God has shown his people. Most Christians are aware of the grace we've received by Jesus' death on the cross for our sins, but the mercy of God runs deeper than merely giving us an opportunity to respond in faith to this event. It's the power of God that actually produces the faith in us that brings us to a place of belief. Head over to www.ericroseberry.com, and send Eric a message if these sermons have been helpful to you. Also, don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen to podcasts.You can follow Eric on Twitter @EricRoseberry.

Everyone is searching for significance and meaning. There are plenty of people in our culture who tell us where we can find those things, but once we've followed that plan we're often as dissatisfied as we were when we began. Should we just give up our search for these things, or is it possible we're looking in the wrong place?In 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5, Paul reminds the church that the message of the cross sounds foolish, but as surprising at it sounds, it's the only place we can find what we really need in this life.Head over to www.ericroseberry.com and send Eric some feedback. He'd love to hear from you.As always, if you would take a second and rate and review the show, we'd really appreciate it.