Mercy Commons Podcast

As Christians, we need to be sober-minded, aware, and resistant to the devil's deceptions. We can learn from Peter's story of denial and restoration. We need to maintain a worldview open to spiritual realities and be critical of modern secular culture's rejection of absolute truth and embrace of neo-paganism. We know the truth. Jesus is the Truth.

The dual roles of elders and fathers in the church overlap significantly. There is an inseparable nature of earthly fatherhood and spiritual fathering, they share similar responsibilities and qualities. In this passage, Peter reflects on the traits of a good shepherd and the deep connection between knowing God and being a father. As spiritual mentors, we are called to lead by example, embodying integrity and character in our roles.

Peter's letters focus on how we are called to live as exiles in the world, distinct yet engaged. We are called to live as obedient children, distinct from the culture around us, while still engaging with it to spread the light of Christ. We embrace our identity as chosen and holy, living out our faith through actions and words, and seeking God's grace daily.

Despite initially embracing Gentile inclusion, Peter withdrew from them under pressure, creating a two-tier church. Paul confronted Peter, emphasizing that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus alone, not by adhering to Jewish customs. This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of maintaining gospel truth and authenticity, as we often fall into hypocrisy when trying to please others. We must continually expose our true selves to God and others, seek His grace, and invite genuine relationships to grow in our faith and align with the gospel.

Moralism, favoritism, and stubbornness are bigger obstacles to gospel multiplication than persecution. The church seems to thrive in persecution, but flounders in moralism and racism.

Pentecost transformed Peter. The infilling of the Holy Spirit gave power and clarity to the person & work of Jesus. Jesus declares the truth that requires a response. What is our response?

If Jesus had not been raised, Peter would have never known forgiveness … and neither would, neither could, we.

Raman Kapur is a pastor in India and is part of the Advance Network of churches along with Mercy Commons. Raman also ministers to and disciples other church pastors all around India & Nepal. Raman reminds us of the power of the gospel and what it is meant to achieve in the church around the world.

Confessing Jesus as the Messiah will materially shape who we become, how we live, and what our reward will be.

We shouldn't be surprised when we face difficulty and doubt. Jesus told us to expect storms. To overcome doubt, we are called to take a step of faith and keep our eyes on the Lord.

Peter is a historical figure that the churched and unchurched can connect with. We don't even really know when he settled his faith in Jesus. Peter was one of the slowest to grasp the gospel of the kingdom because of his inconsistency and humanity but once he did, laid out a powerful vision for what a church, built by Jesus, empowered by the Spirit, and living for the glory of God should look like.

Access to God through the resurrection gives us peace and purpose.

On Good Friday, not only did Jesus take our place on the cross and bear our sins on Himself, but now we have access to His place – the most holy place with direct access to an intimate relationship with Almighty God who is now our Father. This truth is symbolized by the veil that tore the moment Jesus died.

Jesus' kingship is characterized by humility and compassion rather than conventional grandeur and authority. His humble entry into Jerusalem and His meaningful encounters with people such as Zacchaeus contrast His approach to kingship with the worldly expectations of a king. As believers, our life should embody Jesus' example of servitude, humility, and sacrificial love.

Hebrews 13:7-25 // There are three final invitations from the book of Hebrews to the church: to remember, respond to, and pray for leaders; to embrace their identity as outsiders in the world; and to focus primarily on Jesus as the ultimate example and leader. There are complexities of church leadership, including the potential for hurt, the importance of humility, and a Christ-centered approach to both leading and following.

Hebrews 12:18-29 // Jesus Christ surpasses all - from angels to the old covenant - and presents a new, unshakable kingdom that invites us into a living, joyous, and eternal relationship with God. Our charge as believers is to examine our worship and relationship with God. Our lives should be marked by gratitude, acceptable worship, and a deep awareness of the grace and mercy received through Jesus.

Hebrews 12:28-13:3 // The beauty of a life transformed by God. We display our transformed lives by staying on good terms with each other, showing hospitality to strangers, and empathizing with those who suffer.

Hebrews 12:3-17 // The author of Hebrews encourages followers of Jesus to not grow weary by showing that discipline is a result of God's love. We have a responsibility to ourselves and others while remaining watchful against an unhallowed life.

Hebrews 11:17-12:2 // How do we exercise and grow our faith? It is Christ's work in us that we respond to. It is His work within us that enables us to have faith and run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 11:1-16 // Faith unites the soul with God and draws strength from Him. Thus faith is altogether a supernatural thing. That is why faith is so important for us. We are saved by faith. We endure by faith and enter into His rest by faith. It is by faith that the convicted and repentant sinner is saved. It is by faith that Christ dwells in our hearts and by faith that we live. By faith, we stand, walk, and resist the devil. By faith we are sanctified, have access to God, fight the good fight, and overcome the world. By faith, we are justified and have access to grace. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 10:26-39 // We have been given a clear path of salvation – one way through Jesus Christ. This is an intentional and not accidental plan from God. However, many will refuse this exclusive path. What does refusal look like? What can happen when we allow doubt to take root in our hearts? Judgement day is coming. Choosing to be a part of God's family wraps us in the love, restoration, renewal, justice, and accountability that will take place on that day.

Hebrews 10:19-25 // We are called to be confident. Our confidence should be increased that not only are we welcomed sons and daughters but the finished work of Christ has made us competent ministers and ambassadors of the new covenant. We are called to be personally intentional. Our spiritual growth is not a passive path. We are called to be communally intentional. "Stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together."

Alan Frow (from our Advance Network and pastor at Southlands Brea) gives a message on the gift of shepherds given by Jesus Christ to the church - His flock. Church leaders have the call to lead with Jesus for the feeding and leading of His sheep.

Hebrews 10:1-18 // The finished work of Jesus is powerful, prophetic, and perfect.

God has been so faithful. We thank Him for 10 years and look forward to many more reveling, proclaiming, demonstrating, and participating in acts of mercy for the joy of Fullerton and the renewal of the world.

COVID showed us what was technologically possible in video conferencing and remote work, and a cultural shift followed. How do I decide now when to show up in person versus checking in online? Why should we care about church now? Right before His death, Jesus offers a prayer on behalf of his disciples—soon to be the first Church—that offers clues to why church still matters.

At Christmas time there is a tension between what we want and what we truly need. We desire a gift that fulfills our deepest needs.

God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary.

Persistent joy expects difficulty & persistent joy is purposeful. We don't ignore or suppress difficulties, we acknowledge them with faith and hope. Persistent joy has a singular Source. Let's fix our eyes on the Source of our joy – Jesus Christ.

Advent is about preparing mentally, spiritually, and even physically to create a greater sense of connection and occasion as we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus and also long for and anticipate His second coming.

Hebrews 9:15-28 // Though we tend to try and save ourselves, Hebrews 9 states that through Christ's blood, we are offered freedom from sin's power over us and freedom from needing to prove our salvation from eternal judgment.

Hebrews 9:1-14 // We have access to God through Jesus who has opened the way to the Most Holy Place. Jesus is our eternal, perfect High Priest and He is the perfect sacrifice that cleanses our consciences. Our responsibility is to use our access to God and not to take it casually. The main purpose of this access is to worship our God and Savior.

The covenant brought by Jesus Christ is new and isn't new. "For if that first covenant had been faultless there would have been no occasion to look for a second. (Hebrews 8:7) The new covenant focus is the internal sphere. Why is our heart targeted? Because it is deceitful, hard, and wounded. Jesus promised us a new heart and covenant. His law on our new heart gives us eternal hope.

We have tasted the mercy and grace of God. This is only a foreshadowing of the glory that will be revealed when we see our Lord and Savior face to face. While here on earth, our call is to proclaim the gospel respectfully, but boldly to everyone in our lives. As we do, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.

Jesus is the better Priest because He is eternal, perfect, and gives us access to the Father.

How do we keep from drifting? How do we hold on? What do we hold on to? Is there someone or something holding on to us? Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ because nothing can un-anchor Him from us, or us from Him.

How do we become mature in our faith? Is it possible to lose our salvation? The issue is not whether someone who has fallen away can be restored. The issue is that if someone is rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, it is impossible for them to fall away. And when there is a God that holds us in the grip of His grace, we cannot fall from His grace because nothing can pry His fingers open. There is a God who holds us fast, and because He holds us fast, we can never fall away.

Thrones are not designed to be welcoming places. They are either telling people to be impressed or to be afraid. The throne of Jesus is unique because He is unique. Jesus is unique because of what He has already accomplished – Jesus has already defeated satan, sin, and death. Jesus is unique because of what He is currently doing. He is interceding for us at the right hand of God. Therefore we should approach the throne of grace not in a fearful or arrogant posture, but boldly!

The Word of God is living and active. It pierces, separates, and exposes. By the Word of God, all things were created. By the Word of God, we receive the law and prophecy. The Word of God is Jesus Himself.

How do we enter His rest? By faith, through diligence, and with sober obedience.

Consider Jesus, the One who brought us into the household of God. The better Moses, the better High Priest, the better Apostle, and the better Deliverer.

Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, is also our Brother – He was tempted, remained firm, and currently helps us in our temptation. Jesus is intimately engaged with every aspect of trial, suffering, and temptation, and we have the promise of His presence in temptation.

Jesus is the greatest messenger who offers the greatest message and deserves our greatest attention.

Who is Jesus? The writer of Hebrews is trying to help us understand that when we see Jesus face to face when we encounter Him, the exact imprint and perfect representation of God, we have to step back and just stand in awe. Jesus, God's Son, is the exact imprint, the exact representation of Him. The experience of God that you're going to experience is at the top of this mountain. There is nothing greater than that. When you encounter Jesus, you step back, stand in awe, and feel the weight of His glory. Jesus is the fullest and final revelation of who God is.

Words are powerful. By the word of God, all life is sustained and we are sustained. Words fill us, they bring life and death, and they can heal or harm. How do we speak in a way that glorifies God and edifies others? We must ask God for wisdom. Only He has the ability to guard our mouths and redeem our words and the words said to us.

If you're a Christ follower, you are known, accepted, loved, and forgiven. Our value is not based on output but on the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross. We want to reflect the Kingdom where diligence is pursued, regardless of whether it's rewarded. We want to reflect the kingdom where relationships are valued, regardless of whether that person can do something for me in the context of work, because relationships are important because they have to do with the God image in every single person that we interact with. We do this because this is a place where we can flourish, knowing that our jobs are one way in which we can preach. Behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

We are all sexually disoriented, so how do we reorientate ourselves? Don't fear your desires, don't follow your desires, but fulfill your desires in God's way.

How we view and handle money is a powerful means of testifying to the truth of the gospel. It should set us apart in a unique way from those around us who do not believe.

Proverbs 3:1-8 // As we lean on God and trust in Him to make our path straight, we grow in our ability to make wise decisions.

Proverbs 12:26 // A wise friendship is a space where you are known, loved, and challenged to remind you who you are and how to live.