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Do you have pain in your life that is unresolved? Maybe a painful memory, unresolved relationship or self-inflicted wound that seems to be unusually hard to get over?There are things in our lives that can be absorbing, unresolved and unknown and yet really need the grace of God. Hebrews 9:23-26 tells us:Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."In the last verse of Paul Gerhard's hymn "Awake, My Heart with Gladness", we sing, "Now I am safe from evil and sin I love to scorn, for Christ again is free in glorious victory. He who is strong to save has triumphed over the grave!">>Watch on YouTube⁠The Rev. Dr. Paul F.M. Zahl is a retired Episcopal minister and author, and served as dean of Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama for 10 years. His wife is Mary, and they have 3 grown sons, all serving in ministry. Paul and Mary recently moved back to the Birmingham area.In this season of retirement, Paul is actively waiting on God to send him the work the Lord has him to do, which currently includes mentoring younger ministers, and one-on-one meetings in a ministry of encouragement.>>You can find Paul's book "Peace in the Last Third of Life - a Handbook of Hope for Boomers" on Amazon here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Last-Third-Life-Handbook/dp/173371667X⁠>>See the complete collection of Paul Zahl's books here: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001HCV1VW/allbooks

Everyone wants peace and hope.As we grow older, we feel a special urgency to make peace with the past and to discover hope for the future.In doing this, it's important to be thinking more and more about eternity. Let the gospel be the lens through which we act and move and have our being.I John 4:19 is the key to our motivation for life:"We love because He first loved us.">>Watch on YouTubeThe Rev. Dr. Paul F.M. Zahl is a retired Episcopal minister and author, and served as dean of Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama for 10 years. His wife is Mary, and they have 3 grown sons, all serving in ministry. Paul and Mary recently moved back to the Birmingham area.In this season of retirement, Paul is actively waiting on God to send him the work the Lord has him to do, which currently includes mentoring younger ministers, and one-on-one meetings in a ministry of encouragement.

Have you given much thought to what God can do through you?Today my special guest is Tim Kallam, senior pastor of Mountain Brook Community Church. His message highlights the life of Barnabas through the book of Acts.From Acts 4:32-37"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.">>Watch on YouTubeTim Kallam is the senior pastor of Mountain Brook Community Church in Birmingham, Alabama. >>Learn more about Tim and his church here

Is anything holding you back from fully embracing Christ?Today's message from Jerry Leachman closes with this prayer, interceding for all istening:"Dear God, there's no catch today. We don't have anything for anybody to join. We don't want anybody's money. We don't want anybody's anything. We're a band of brothers in here this morning. Lord, if there are men here that go, 'You know, I've believed in Christ, but I think the chaplain's right. I've been chasing idols. That's what's been holding me back.'Lord, I pray we just crash and break all the idols, like in the book of Acts. Paul went in and shared Christ with a town, and it says they begin to destroy all their idols. Idols either break our heart, leave us frustrated, or punish us all our days. There may be guys here who go, 'You know, I've never connected with Christ.' They may be looking over the ledge of that crater. I pray they would jump in the arms of Jesus. Now.I pray we all would jump into the crater in the arms of Christ. Lord... when my faith gets really thin, and it does from time to time. I think, 'I can't see you Lord, but You can see me.' Thank God Almighty.Thank you for Eric Liddell's example. He knew You made him fast. These men are so gifted, so talented. I pray they would get a chance to use their gifts, their talents; and when they do, they'd feel Your pleasure. But I pray they'd cease trying to validate themselves, stop wasting their life, covering up, trying to convince everybody else they're somebody they're not. Let them walk out of here free men today, I love the words of William Wallace about to go into impossible battle. He said: 'Men, the moment's going to come for all of us when we die. By God's help, let's just at least die free men.'Lord, I don't want to go to my grave a slave. I don't want to live another day a slave. Free us today, Lord. We're asking You for a miracle here today. In Christ's name, amen. Amen." - Jerry LeachmanJerry Leachman of ⁠⁠Leachman Ministries⁠⁠ is a favorite speaker at The Center's events. Along with being an associate Chaplain in The NFL for many years, Jerry has done ministry in Guatemala, Scotland, Russia, Europe and Africa as well as all over the U.S. He and his wife Holly have been on Young Life Staff and continue to be involved with Young Life here and also internationally.

The father of the prodigal son gave a hugh banquet to celebrate his son's return home. His son was lost, but now was found. Does this remind you of what awaits believers in heaven?In Revelation 19:6-9, John describes the Lord's future banquet in heaven for those who have trusted in Christ:"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.'(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)Then the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'”This is part 4, the final episode of Richard's series on the Prodigal Son. ⁠>>Watch on YouTube

What was Paul's legacy to Christians? Paul was a man that was given a real vision. He was an apostle to the Gentiles and he was a man on the move. In many senses we might think of the Apostle Paul in today's terminology as a church planter, but not one who would plant a church in Jasper, Alabama and then stay there for the next 20 years. Instead, he would be like one who planted a church at Jasper, build up some leadership there in that local congregation, and then he's going to move on to Pell City, Alabama - Paul is on the move. >>Watch on YouTubeDr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Why do men have difficulty being transparent and sharing vulnerable details about their livesRichard contends that it comes down to problems associated with pride, which drives men to worry about being seen as a failure by those around them.In his book The Power of a Humble Life Richard explains why men especially struggle with pride and humility—and how pride is, quite literally, the driving force behind so many of humanity's problems, from wars to parenting struggles. >>Watch on YouTube**This conversation originally appeared on The Counter Culture Mom Show with Tina Griffin. >>Watch Tina's episode

Have you ever thought about the prodigal son's older brother? From Luke 15:25-28a:“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,' he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' The older brother became angry and refused to go in..."In Rembrandt's famous painting of the Prodigal Son, you see there's a darkness to the older brother as he looks down, watching their father embracing the wayward younger son who has returned home. The older brother is angry and jealous.Luke 15:28b-32 continues:"...So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'“‘My son,' the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'”This is part 3 of Richard's series on the Prodigal Son. >>Watch on YouTube

How does a person become "lost?"Many times it's because they have run out of relationships—they've burned through all their relationships, for all kinds of reasons.In the parable of the Prodigal Son, that's what this young son has done. He didn't have anybody to go to. He's in this distant land. He's run out of money, food and resources. He has no friends.Why do you think he didn't immediately go back to his father? Why did he decide to go and work with the pigs? Shame? Obviously, the shame arose from the pride in his life.This is part 2 of Richard's series on the Prodigal Son. >>Watch on YouTube

Where is the love and hope of the Cross?They are found in the person of Jesus Christ alone, "who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time."  - 1 Timothy 2:6This Good Friday annual message from Richard and The Center features a unique performance by the Birmingham Boy's Choir. >>Watch on YouTube

Mark continues his study in Colossians chapter 1:"...The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." >>Watch on YouTubeDr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

What does true freedom look like in our lives?The parable of the prodigal son is what I consider one of the most significant of all of Jesus' parables, taken from Luke 15:11-32. I discussed this parable with some of the older men in our Bible studies, and several of them said they didn't like this parable because the older brother gets "the short end of the stick."Today we are focus on the younger brother, but when we get to the older brother you'll see that both brothers play significant roles that we can all relate to. >>Watch on YouTube

Do you need encouragement in your prayer life? We are studying another powerful prayer of Paul to believers from the first chapter of Colossians.Paul is talking about a knowledge that goes deep into the very fabric of who you are in your affections, your feelings and in your mind.What is this knowledge—this deep intimacy with the Almighty that he's calling us to? It's the knowledge of what God's will is:"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." >>Watch on YouTubeDr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Mark is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Where does true belief begin? True belief is an issue of the heart, not the head. Many people believe that a God of love cannot also be a God of wrath. Think about that. But author and pastor Tim Keller says there is no love without wrath. In the book Hope Has Its Reasons Becky Pippert writes, "Think how we feel when we see someone we love ravaged by unwise actions or relationships. Do we respond with benign tolerance as we might toward strangers? Far from it. Anger isn't the opposite of love—hate is, and the final form of hate is indifference." Join us as we study Luke 16:19-31 and see what Jesus had to say about Hell. >>Watch on YouTube

Is Hell real? In the past most people did not have a difficult time with the idea of hell. But modern American sentimentalism is one indication that people today tend to care only for the softer virtues of God like love and tenderness. They have forgotten the hard virtues of holiness, righteousness and justice.So as we seek to come to terms with the hard issues like hell, we must consider the question, "What is my spiritual authority?" Is my spiritual authority God's Word - the Bible - or is my spiritual authority my feelings and my sentiment? >>Watch on YouTube

How much is enough? This question can apply to many different areas of our lives, but today we're looking at this question in regard to money and wealth.Other than theological issues like faith and God's kingdom, the number one issue that Jesus addresses in the Bible is the issue of money and wealth.He doesn't condemn wealth. He doesn't say that money is inherently evil, but Jesus sternly warns us against the dangers of the love of money. >>Watch on YouTube

Have you given much thought to retiring someday? Richard's guest is Phil Reddick leading this seminar on how to maximize your impact as you think about retirement or are already retired. Meet our guest panelists:Mark and Julie Edwards - Mark is with McGriff Insurance Services. Julie is a full-time homemaker.Felix "Tank" Tankersley - Tank is a Senior Wealth Advisor at BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions.Roger F. Cartwright, Architect - Roger is a retired Architect and now a consultant with Cartwright Consulting>>Watch on YouTubeFinishWell is a ministry of The Center, and is led by Phil Reddick. This seminar was co-hosted by Young Business Leaders (YBL) and Women Business Leaders (WBL).

What kind of man are you? What kind of man am I?Jesus' well-known "Beatitudes" from His Sermon on the Mount contains some of His most vital promises to us. These verses are Jesus' formula for how to have a successful life and a successful eternity "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." - Matthew 5:6 >>Watch on YouTube

Are you looking to strengthen your prayer life? Join Richard's guest Dr. Mark Gignilliat as he teaches on the prayers of the apostle Paul. Paul's prayer to believers, from the first chapter of Colossians:"...Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace."Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham, AL. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Did Jesus have an opinion on money and wealth?There are five primary teachings given by Jesus in the Bible.The Kingdom of GodGod the FatherFaithThe nature of Satan and the power of sinLife and everyday living, money and wealthJesus says a lot about money—He says a lot of hard things about it as well. Why do you think he taught on money and wealth? I believe one of the main reasons is because we struggle with money, primarily because it is hard to see money's real effect on our lives. Like the concept of greed; it seems easy for us to see the problem in other people's lives but not our own.Jesus tells us that a man's life is not measured by the abundance of his possessions. Yet too many people—men particularly—find their identity in what they possess because we think our possessions tell the world that we have power and influence and prestige.⁠In Luke 12:13-34, Jesus tells a chilling parable about the rich fool:Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”And He told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'Then he said, ‘This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.' And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.'But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”>>Watch on YouTube

What is Epiphany? The idea of epiphany is a pulling back of the curtain, so that one can see something clearly. These are normal, historical events that can be explained by natural cause and effect. Yet these epiphany moments reveal that there's a lot more going on here than what you see on the surface. This is the unveiling. It is a revealing. >>Watch on YouTube Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Where do you find community? Do you feel isolated from others?Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist who taught at Stanford, and by the way was a Christian, says this: "There's nothing more detrimental to a person's life than isolation. There's no more destructive influence on physical and mental health than the isolation of you from me and us from them."Zimbardo believed a primary strategy of the evil one in the times that we currently live is to trivialize human existence by isolating us from one another, so that we lose the power of community. Then he creates the delusion that the reasons for our isolation are merely time-pressures, work demands, economic uncertainties, etc. What can we conclude from these observations? Living in isolation without being in relationship with others is not only detrimental to our mental and emotional health, but it can lead to destructiveness. >>Watch on YouTube

Why is instruction important? The purpose of instruction is to help us understand the basis and foundation of our faith. Deuteronomy 5:32-33 gives us this wise instruction:"So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." >>Watch on YouTube Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children. This message was hosted by FinishWell, a ministry of The Center. >> Learn More about FinishWell

As we start this new year, what kind of plans, thoughts and ideas have you been having? Have you made any resolutions. Two days ago I went to the gym early in the morning - usually only a few people there, but this day the parking lot was jam packed!​ ​Of course by mid-February things will probably be back to normal. My question to each of us today is, "Do​ we need to make any sort of resolutions regarding our spiritual lives?" And before we can answer that, we must first ask ourselves, "Where am I spiritually?" Revelation 21:5-7 tells us this faithful promise from God, "And He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be My son.'" >>Watch on YouTube

Both CS Lewis and RC Sproul asked, "If you could boil down take Christian theology and boil it into one word, what would it be?" Love? Faith? They answered that the one word would be Grace. Grace is like a huge bank account and faith is the account number to get access to it. God provides the grace, and we respond to it with faith. Another way to look at it is to contrast 3 words and what they mean: Judgement - getting what you deserve Mercy - not getting what you deserve Grace - getting something that you don't deserve Grace is something that costs everything for the Giver (Jesus) and nothing for the recipient (you and I). John 1:14 tells us that, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, ...full of grace and truth." Today we're studying Matthew 20:1-16.

What does God promise to those who hope in Him? Last week was an overview of chapters 1-39 of the book of Isaiah . Something occurs between chapter 39 and chapter 40 that is kind of seismic. It's like the car of the prophet Isaiah just shifted into a different gear. Chapter 40 describes where God is moving from judgement to redemption, pronouncing comfort and peace to His people: "Do you not know?    Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God,    the Creator of the ends of the earth.He will not grow tired or weary,    and His understanding no one can fathom.He gives strength to the weary    and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,    and young men stumble and fall;but those who hope in the Lord    will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;    they will run and not grow weary,    they will walk and not be faint." In this episode we'll cover the rest of the book, chapters 40-66. Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

How does Isaiah present the gospel? Early church fathers, interestingly enough, would refer to Isaiah as the fifth Gospel. I love that term. It would be Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then Isaiah, right? Because Isaiah is a prophet, he prepares us for the gospel in ways that are pretty unique in the Bible. Isaiah points us to Christ. Then we can see our need for Christ - our need for the new covenant. In Luke 24 where Jesus is walking on the road to Emmaus with the two men, Luke says, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He (Jesus) explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself... When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'" Today is an overview of chapters 1-39. Next week we'll cover the rest of the book, chapters 40-66. Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Where do you look when you need help? Jesus boldly claims who He is in John chapter 10: "Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the Gate for the sheep. All who have come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the Gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." - John 10:7-11 >>Watch on YouTube

What Child is this? We sing the familiar song at Christmas, but who are we singing about? John 1:14 explains who this Child is to us. This is the scripture that I think so much of our Christian faith hangs on: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." - John 1:14 Jesus. The Word, who is the very being of God Himself, at one with the Father, the Instrument of creation, the beginning One, has taken on human flesh and He has tabernacled among us. He is the Temple of God's presence in our midst. He is the light of God's countenance shining on us. He is the light that has come into the world to expel the darkness. >>Watch on YouTube⁠ Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

What kind of man or woman are you? Just after the 911 attack, I was in New York City. I've seen some real heroes to me from the New York City Fire Department. I remember their courage and selfless service to save lives - to give up their lives. I want you to open your hearts and really examine yourself. What kind of man or woman are you? Each one of us is called to lead in some fashion. Ask yourself these questions: Are you doing it? Have you stepped up to the plate? Are you doing your part? When we talk about leadership, there are some men who are going to help win the war. And there are some men who are just never gonna really do anything. What kind of man or woman are you? What kind of man am I? Jerry Leachman of ⁠Leachman Ministries⁠ is a favorite speaker at The Center's events. Along with being an associate Chaplain in The NFL for many years, Jerry has done ministry in Guatemala, Scotland, Russia, Europe and Africa as well as all over the U.S. He and his wife Holly have been on Young Life Staff and continue to be involved with Young Life here and also internationally.

What are two words that represent some of the most important issues in life? The two words are light and truth. Interestingly, in the Bible, Jesus Himself boldly claimed, "I am the Light" and "I am the Truth." In John 3:19-21, Jesus tells us, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." >>Watch on YouTube

What are the two paths of life? A path of obedience to God and its blessings, and A path of disobedience to God which brings curses. The path of obedience to God is marked by the fear of the Lord. Well what is the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is that all-encompassing idea that the Bible brings together this sense of awe and reverence and worship and fear, so that every facet of your life is lived in the recognition that God is—that you've been made for God and you are moving toward God. It is to be in a place marked by worship. Today's message finishes Mark's study on Deuteronomy. "The Lord will establish you as His holy people, as He promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to Him." - Deuteronomy 28:9 >>Watch on YouTube Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Is there anything out there that you would sell your house, your cars, your possessions - all that you had in order to get it? Today we discuss the second of two of Jesus' parables on the kingdom of heaven. In Paul David Tripp's book Redeeming Money, Tripp says that "the central message of these two parables is the incalculable value of the kingdom of God." So, what is the kingdom of God and how does it impact me? Tripp explains that "the kingdom of heaven is "God's gracious plan of redemption for us and the world that we live in. What is the treasure of great value and the pearl of great price? It is Christ Himself and His gift of forgiving, rescuing, transforming, and delivering grace. These two parables argue that there's nothing more valuable than God's gift of His Son of grace, and there's nothing more worth celebrating than the redemption that comes with that grace. The parables demonstrate if you properly value this Treasure, this Pearl, it will radically alter the choices you make and the actions you take in your everyday life."

What do you treasure most in your life? When Jesus speaks in the Bible, there are a number of times He will say, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..." and then He usually follows it with a parable. For the next two weeks we're discussing two of my favorite parables - "The Parable of Hidden Treasure" and The Pearl of Great Value." In Paul David Tripp's book Redeeming Money, Tripp says that "the central message of these two parables is the incalculable value of the kingdom of God." So, what is the kingdom of God and how does it impact me? Tripp expains that "the kingdom of heaven is "God's gracious plan of redemption for us and the world that we live in. What is the treasure of great value and the pearl of great price? It is Christ Himself and His gift of forgiving, rescuing, transforming, and delivering grace. These two parables argue that there's nothing more valuable than God's gift of His Son of grace, and there's nothing more worth celebrating than the redemption that comes with that grace. The parables demonstrate if you properly value this Treasure, this Pearl, it will radically alter the choices you make and the actions you take in your everyday life."

Who is caring for the caregivers? Richard's guest is Phil Reddick leading our 3rd annual Caregiving Seminar, hosted by The Center's ministry FinishWell, along with co-hosts YBL and WBL Hear 3 perspectives on caregiving, coping with health issues, dementia, grieving, and how to prepare for your loved ones during this critical time. FinishWell is a ministry of The Center, and is led by Phil Reddick. Meet the panelists: Judy Shepura O'Brien - Attorney Dominick, Fletcher, Yielding, Wood, and Lloyd Beau Green - CEO/Franchisee of Right at Home Scott Hannah - Director of Quest Recreation Outreach >>Watch on YouTube More about Phil Reddick and FinishWell More about YBL More about WBL

What is God's message to us in these days? Our guest Dr. Mark Gignilliat continues teaching in our study of Deuteronomy. God's call to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:1-5 still applies to us: "These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." ⁠⁠Watch on YouTube⁠⁠ Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew, and also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Do you remember what happened on November 22nd 1963? John F. Kennedy was assassinated on that day. C.S. Lewis also died on that day. For the last two years of his life, C.S. Lewis suffered from very poor health. He knew that death was at hand, and yet anticipated it with cheerfulness and peace. At one point he said, “If we really believe what we say we believe—if we really think that home is elsewhere and this life is a ‘wandering to find home,' why should we not look forward to the arrival?” Finally, a week before his death, Lewis shared these words with his brother Warren: “I have done all that I was sent into the world to do, and I am ready to go.” His brother re­marked that, “I have never seen death looked in the face so tranquilly.” I share this because this can be a reality in each of our lives if we prepare for it. We've been given a number of clues about heaven. A good place to start is to consider how we view Heaven versus how we view our Earthly life. >>Watch on YouTube

How do we know that heaven is real? I think some of you know that my brother passed away back in May. He had been sick a long time. Then I turned 70 back in December, so I'm getting on in years. Now I'm reading Randy Alcorn's book Heaven. So this is a topic that I think is important and as we get into today's study I think you'll see why. Be encouraged by what the book of Hebrews tells us: "So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever..." - Hebrews 6:17-20 >>Watch on YouTube

Are you praying for God's protection over your life and for your loved ones? This is the last message in our 9-part series. I think it's crucial that you ask God to protect your family, and for those of you who are married, to pray for your wife and your marriage. Marriage and family are truly under great attack. I really do think that one of the greatest ways that the Enemy can undermine the church and God's people is to break up the family. Where do you start? I start with Psalm 27:1, it says that “God is the defense of my life.” I just say, "Lord, You're the defense of my life, and there are only a certain number of things that I can do." Then there's Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.” I pray, "Lord I can do all these things, but ultimately, You are the defense of my life." Here are more verses that I use in my daily prayer time: Psalm 4:8 “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, made me dwell in safety.” Psalm 18:1-3 “I love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in Whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 40:11 “Do not withhold Your mercy from me, may Your love and faithfulness always protect me.” II Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” That's pretty cut and dry. But you have to claim the Lord's protection. You have to pray it, and you have to ask Him for it. My prayer is, "Lord I stand on Your promise. Because You are faithful, I pray that You will protect us and strengthen us against the forces of darkness. I thank You for doing that." Listen to what Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 26:41: “Keep watching and keep praying that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Are you anxious about the future? David Wells, who is quite the scholar, wrote a book about 15 years ago, called Losing Our Virtue. And listen to what he says about this as we think about the future and the present. Wells says: “The world today intrudes upon us as it never has before, and one of the surest indications of this is that the levels of anxiety have never been higher in peoples lives. And why are we more anxious? There are, no doubt, many reasons, including a heightened tempo in the workplace, greater economic insecurity, too many choices, and perhaps, family breakdown.” This was before you had to worry about terrorism. This was before 9/11. He continues: “What is more, the extraordinary rapidity of change in our society powerfully fixes our attention upon the future, for we need to anticipate events that are in the making in order to avoid what will be harmful and to capitalize on what will be beneficial.” But then, listen to this. Wells says: “Anxiety, however, is nothing more than living out the future before it arrives. And modernity obliges us to do this many times over. The future is thereby greatly intensified.” Yet we're being instructed by Jesus to live in the present. Our lives should be focused on the day at hand.

When a storm enters your life, what do you do? You know what I mean by storm, right? Something very difficult comes into your life. A hard circumstance. Adversity. How do I get it out of my life? Is there something I can do to deal with the storm? Sometimes to get out of trouble, people do things they shouldn't do. But let's look at the storms of life that are out of your control. A storm that creates emotional pain and fear. What do you do? In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says, “He who hears these words of Mine, and then acts upon them.” The NIV says, “…puts them into practice, will be compared to a wise man who builds his house upon the rock, and the winds come, and the rains come and storms come, and they beat against that house, and yet it did not fall, because it was founded on the Rock.”

What is our tendency when we become really satisfied? Often times we become complacent. We think we've got life figured out. We take it for granted. When we get to a point where we think we have everything we need, instead of being thankful to God, we start becoming arrogant. Once that arrogance starts creeping in, you are well on a path to forgetting Him. In Proverbs 30, Solomon asks God to keep lies and deceit away from him. Then he says, don't give me too much - in other words, don't give me too much of anything. Don't give me too much wealth. Because my problem is, once I have too much, I'm likely to forget you and say, Who is the Lord?" It's like he was saying, give me just enough, because he sees this danger. As we sit here today, we might find it hard to believe that someone who gets really blessed would forget God, would not give thanks to God, would not be humble. But that does seem to be what happens. An attitude of thanksgiving does not come natural to us. Arrogance does comes very natural to us.

Who is the greatest Christian in the world? 18th century theologian William Law beautifully answers this question, which is the theme of this episode: “Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world?...” (And whenever we use the word saint, that means Christian.) “...It's not who prays the most, or fasts the most. It's not he who gives most alms, or who is most imminent for temperance, chastity, or justice, but it is to he who is always thankful to God. Who wills and wants everything that God wills, and who receives everything in his life as an instance of God's goodness, and therefore always has a heart that is ready to praise and thank God for it.” I believe this is a big deal, and in my opinion, thanksgiving should be at the heart of our prayer life. As the apostle Paul says, our lives should overflow with gratitude, because, when that happens, it makes such a difference in our life, and in our own personal health.

What does sacrifice mean? Is it a bad thing? To sacrifice is to forfeit something of great value to you, but you do it for something of even greater value. When you understand the worth of sacrifice, it changes everything. In the Christian life, to come to Christ, you're forfeiting your life and your will for something of much greater value - and that is God's will - His plan for your life. But most of us don't like that word sacrifice. It sounds so negative. We confuse it with the idea of deprivation - like I've just got to deprive myself of something and there's nothing really in it for me. We need to understand that there's a huge difference between deprivation and sacrifice. As you grow in wisdom and maturity, there are often things that you realize you need to eliminate from your life just because it's wise and good. If you really want to know what a person's life is really all about, what's really important to them, all you need to do is look at two things. What are those two things?

What does total commitment mean to you? Whenever you truly commit to something or someone, you have to give up something in the process. In one sense you can see it as a sacrifice. This is where you forfeit something of great value for the sake of something of greater value. In our culture, the commitment we are most aware of is marriage. When a man proposes to a woman, he does so knowing he's giving up all other relationships with single women. He's giving up a great deal of autonomy and he's giving up all of his assets. When you listen to the marriage vows, you recognize that you are giving all that you have and all that you are to that other person. You are telling them that I belong exclusively and permanently to you. All of me. But isn't this what we yearn for? And we do it to experience union and oneness with another person, and, in the process, experience incredible joy. Jesus is telling us the same thing. That a new right relationship with Him is worth everything. However, He has made it clear that we must give ourselves to Him, to surrender to Him, and when we do, we will suddenly find everything that we have been searching for in this life.

Does how we pray matter to God? In Part 1 we discussed these 2 principles: the importance of approaching God with humility, and praying with the right motive. Today we discuss the value of persistence in our prayer life. In Luke 18:1, it says we should not lose heart and give up. Though Jesus gives us no real explanation, it does appear that persistence is important for several reasons, one being that it indicates the priority of the heart. It shows a real intent and purpose. We also discuss the final principle, which is asking God for wisdom, praying with faith that He will give it to you. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” - James 1:5-7

What is prayer? And what does it mean to have a prayer life? The last time that we talked on prayer, I commented that in order to have an effective prayer life, there are certain crucial principles that are involved. Perhaps the most important is this truth of approaching God with a heart of humility. Prayer requires humility. Interestingly, your prayer life is the key that produces humility in your life. Humility does not come naturally to us as human beings, and therefore, it has to be cultivated in our lives. The Bible uses the phrase "humble yourself." As you read scripture, you'll see that God truly has high esteem for the humble. In Isaiah 66:2 God tells us, "This is the one to whom I esteem, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at My Word." This is Part 1 of a 9-part series.

How can you put science with faith? In this episode, my guest is Dr. Ken Boa. He is exploring a huge topic, so get your seat belt on!​​We are discussing science, faith and reason. The typical mindset is to ask. "How can you put science with faith?" Well, first of all, the actual origin of science occurred in a context of Christian faith. In fact, science, as we know it, only appeared ONCE in human history.Y​​es there was technology in Greece and Babylonia, China etc. But there was no actual science until the period around the Renaissance in Christian Europe.I​​t was this Christian synthesis that actually provided the foundation for the idea that the universe is rational, and that it can be studied.Dr. Ken Boa of ⁠Reflections Ministries⁠ is engaged in a ministry of relational evangelism and discipleship, teaching, writing, and speaking. For 40 years, Ken has shared Scripture-based truth to help people view life from God's perspective. He holds a BS from Case Institute of Technology, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from New York University, and a DPhil from the University of Oxford in England.

Where is your hope? Is your hope in success, your accomplishments or in a comfortable life? In scripture, Jesus constantly connects fear and anxiety in the hearts of men. No matter how good people look on the outside, they're shakier than you think they are in the inside. That's me and you included - we're all looking good but most men I work with, secretly they're just beating the door back from fear and anxiety. Most of them fear failure. The rest of them fear being humiliated in front of their friends. One of the biggest fears men have is that one of their friends or anybody that they respect would ever question their manhood. So, when you look at your life, discovering where you have your ultimate hope will change everything. Jerry Leachman of Leachman Ministries is a favorite speaker at The Center's events. Along with being an associate Chaplain in The NFL for many years, Jerry has done ministry in Guatemala, Scotland, Russia, Europe and Africa as well as all over the U.S. He and his wife Holly have been on Young Life Staff and continue to be involved with Young Life here and also internationally.

If you knew you had one day left to live, and you wanted to leave your children some kind of final instruction, what would you say to them? Twenty years ago I had my kids memorize what I thought was the most important scripture of the Old Testament. I asked them if they still remembered it and all three of them did. "Okay, let's hear it!" I requested. They all still knew it! In this verse, I Chronicles 28:9, listen to the last instruction that David gives to Solomon, just before he dies: “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." He is a rewarder of those who seek Him, so think about these promises of God; of these great benefits that He bestows on those who seek Him. The ball is in our court. >>Watch on YouTube

What are you thirsting for? When you desire something, there's generally something out there that will fulfill or satisfy that desire. But, one of the problems of life is when you become convinced that there's something out there in the world that you believe will satisfy your life. Then once you obtain it, you discover, "you know, this really doesn't do it. This really doesn't satisfy me." Or there may be an initial sense of satisfaction, but it just doesn't last. The thrill diminishes over time. What is that all about? Psalm 64:6 ends with these words: "the inward thoughts and the heart of a man are deep." In this episode, we'll look at two things that help us understand our desires: the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self. One of the great things about the Bible is that it teaches us what we need to know about God, and what we need to know about ourselves. Scripture reveals the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. >>Watch on YouTube