Straight From The Heart Radio

The book of James- Which James wrote the book of James? There are three prevailing theories. If James the brother of Jesus was the author, there is a lot to consider about his life. What kind of impact did his dad and older brother have on him?

A city which is to come- The final exhortation to the Hebrews centers around the reality of our eternal destiny. Earth is not our home; therefore, we should praise Him with our lives and proclaim the good news of the gospel to all who will hear. Instruction is also given to honor and obey those in church leadership.

Marriage is honorable- The last chapter in Hebrews begins with moral instruction to love others, be hospitable, and remember those who are persecuted. A warning is also given against covetousness and sexual immorality. Marriage and sex are good gifts from God, but they have been perverted by sin.

Jesus the Mediator- When God spoke to Moses and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai they heard His words in fear and trembling. Through "Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant" we can now relate to God through the law of grace.

God chastens whom He loves- There should be a healthy reverence and fear a child has for their father. Because God perfectly loves us, He will always bring chastening for our profit. In contrast, an earthly father will sometimes bring correction in the flesh.

The race set before us- We are called to lay aside every weight and sin in the race of life set before us. That includes any sin that we might justify as innocent or harmless. When we become weary in the race we need to look at Jesus, our great example, for strength to endure.

Other heroes of the faith- Is suffering the result of sin in the life of a believer? Or maybe a lack of faith? Not according to Hebrews 11. The writer of Hebrews makes sure to point out that some of us are led into difficult circumstances by the Lord, but that doesn't change His love for us.

The faith of Rahab- The harlot Rahab and her family were saved from the destruction of Jericho because she put her faith and trust in the God of Israel. Rahab's story of faith shows us that no sinner is beyond God's grace and love.

Faith to do the illogical- We all encounter situations in life that feel hopeless. God led the children of Israel to the brink of the Red Sea to reveal something to them about Himself. They weren't there because they were lost or because God chose to abandon them in the wilderness.

A long living faith- Moses went from living in luxury as a prince of Egypt, to living in the desert for 40 years where God appeared to him, to leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness for 40 more years. Moses was not perfect, but he had a faith that endured.

The faith of Moses and his parents- Moses's parents made a choice to raise their child in faith, trusting the Lord's protection and provision. Because of the seeds faithfully planted in Moses by his parents, Moses also made a choice, and learned to say no to the "passing pleasures of sin."

The faith of Joseph- Joseph had plenty of excuses he could have used to turn his back on God. He experienced death and dysfunction in his family from a young age. God seemed to be silent through it all, but Joseph's faith never wavered, and God was with him all the way until his final breath.

The faith of Isaac and Jacob- It says in Ecclesiastes 7:8 that "The end of a thing is better than its beginning." Isaac and Jacob made plenty of mistakes in their lifetime, but none of that is recorded in Hebrews 11. What we are told is by faith, they both finished their course well.

Abraham's faith tested- God asked Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son Isaac. Abraham and Sarah endured many difficult years of waiting to finally see Isaac born into the word. What do we do when God asks us to do something that seems contradictory to his promises or His nature? Abraham's faith through testing instructs us.

A tale of three cities- There is a city we came out of, a city beside us, and a city we are headed toward. Abraham left behind Ur, not looking back, and he lived separated from the sin of Sodom because his heart was set on looking ahead to a "heavenly country." Do we have a right relationship toward the past, present, and future?

Abraham and Sarah's faith journey- God called Abraham and Sarah to live in a foreign land, dwelling in tents. Like Abraham and Sarah, we are called to live as strangers and pilgrims, remembering that heaven is our home. Part of the journey of faith is learning to trust the promiser when it's hard to see the promises.

Abraham's faith- Abraham takes away all our excuses to not surrender to God and follow Him in faith. God does not call us based on our good record of performance. God calls us out of His love and grace to step out and follow Him in faith and obedience.

The faith of Enoch and Noah- Enoch and Noah were both challenged to live in a world where it was very unpopular to faithfully walk with God. How did they resist the pull of the ungodly culture around them? They believed in God and diligently sought after Him.

The faith of Abel- What can we learn from the faith of Abel? There will be a cost for those who seek to live by faith. Abel lost his life at the hand of his own brother for his faith in God. The religion of works will always persecute the religion of faith.

Confidence in the unseen- Some would say it's "blind faith" to believe that the world was made by a God that we can't see. Is it anti-science to claim God created the universe? The truth is, our faith is built on convincing evidence, and science confirms what the Bible says.

Need of patience- Faith is only as valid as whatever the object of that faith is. We have no need to doubt the person of Jesus Christ, His work, and the truth of the gospel. What we do need is faith to patiently endure until the day when we will be made like Him in glory.

Faith, hope, and love- After laying the foundation of explaining the perfect work of Jesus as our great High Priest, the writer to Hebrews gives a three-fold exhortation that applies to the whole body of Christ. At the center of these three charges are faith, hope, and love.

Sanctified by His offering- If the blood of bulls and goats could remove the stain of sin then why would they need to be offered year after year? Animal sacrifice was only meant to be a reminder of sin. Christ offered up His body once for us as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

His necessary death- Jesus died so that we could be the recipients of His final will and testament. Now alive and ascended into heaven, He is the originator and executor of the will, distributing the free gift of eternal life to all who put their faith and trust in the name of Jesus.

The earthly and heavenly sanctuary- The priestly service that took place in the earthly sanctuary was meant to be symbolic in nature. Only by the work of Christ, and the sacrifice of His blood could we ever hope to obtain eternal redemption.

The point of it all- Summarizing the first 7 chapters, the writer to Hebrews begins chapter 8 by pointing out that the law and the first covenant were far from perfect, and they were a shadow of things to come. God's desire was for His law to be written on our hearts by the new covenant.

A better covenant- If the priestly line of Aaron was enough why did David say that the Messiah would be "a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek?" Jesus was the ultimate high priest who became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins once and for all.

Who is Melchizedek?- The author of Hebrews uses Melchizedek, an obscure figure referenced only twice before this letter, to prove that Jesus was of a priestly line. We know Melchizedek was a king and priest, but what else can we know of this mysterious person?

Your labor of love- If we are truly born again the evidence of that will be seen in the fruit that we bear. Therefore, we should not become lazy, but continue in faith and patience. Those who have rejected Christ are like an unfruitful and thorny field.

A controversial passage- The beginning of this section of scripture clearly encourages us to be growing in spiritual maturity. How are we to interpret the writer's exhortation? Is he implying that a Christian can lose their salvation? Was it meant to be read differently in its cultural context?

A High Priest called by God- How could Jesus qualify as our high priest if He was of the line of Judah and not the Levitical line? Jesus was called by God to be our ultimate high priest just as Aaron was called by God to minister to Israel as the first high priest.

The throne of Grace- All our failings and weaknesses are known to God. This great truth gives God the right to judge our sin, but it also means that He understands our struggles, being a compassionate High Priest who was tempted as we are. The door is open for us to boldly approach His throne to obtain mercy.

Labor to rest- Rest for the child of God was never meant to be found in a day or place, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ which was determined before the world began. Are you struggling to find rest? Set your mind on the word of God which is "living and powerful."

The right kind of fear- There are plenty of things in life that can cause fear, but what we should be most fearful of as Christians is a life wandering in the wilderness of sin and legalism. The author of Hebrews continues to expound on lessons to be learned from Israel's wilderness wanderings.

Hear his voice today- The children of Israel lived in unbelief because they put their hope in what God could do for them. Moses communed with God and knew his ways. Are you listening for God's voice today, and trusting in His loving guidance and provision?

Lower than the angels?- The Jewish believers reading this letter probably needed some clarification on how Jesus was greater than the angels, but in His humanness was "a little lower" than them like you and I. Jesus temporarily lived a human life and tasted death for everyone, proving to be a "merciful and faithful High Priest."

Are you drifting?- Some religious systems claim that Jesus was an angelic being, but not the son of God. The author of Hebrews carefully lays out the case that Jesus was far superior to any angel. We must be careful not to neglect the reality of who Christ is, what He has done, and that He still speaks today.

To Hebrews- The epistle to the Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish believers who were wrestling with the consequences of transitioning from Judaism to Christianity. Many of them were persecuted by their countrymen for following Jesus. Who wrote the book of Hebrews?

You are witnesses- Jesus suffered, died, and rose again according to the scriptures. His message was a message of repentance and remission of sins. We are called to carry that message to the world around us as His witnesses. Are you seeking for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit?

Peace to you- When Jesus first appeared to the disciples after his resurrection they were terrified. They thought Jesus might be a ghost. Just as Jesus fulfilled prophecy in His death and resurrection, we will see His promises about our future become a reality.

Divine heartburn- Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection. Somehow, the disciples had no clue it was Jesus they were speaking with. Jesus is always with us, but we can't feel His presence sometimes. Why is that?

He is risen, but where is He?- Mary Magdalene and other women who were followers of Jesus came to His tomb and found it empty. When the disciples heard from the women that Jesus was risen they were skeptical to say the least.

Open veil, closed tomb- When Jesus died on the cross the veil in the temple was torn in two. Every follower of Jesus has the same access to His presence because of that work. Joseph of Arimathea risked his reputation for a dead Jesus. We now serve a living Christ.

A divine transaction- Somehow, while darkness covered the earth, Jesus experienced God's wrath on the cross for the sin of humanity. Did Jesus descend into Hell after His death on the cross?

Lord, remember me- Two criminals were crucified on either side of Jesus. One cried out for mercy, the other mocked Him. If anyone cries out in the name of Jesus, they can be saved. It is a gift of grace that cannot be earned or deserved.

Father forgive them- Simon carried a physical cross, but he decided to take up his cross daily and live for Jesus. That decision made an impact on the people around him. Jesus forgave us when we were still in our sins, so we could have the opportunity to follow Him.

What evil has He done?- Pilate was prepared to release Jesus after examination. He found no fault in Him, but the crowd insisted that another be released so Jesus would be detained and crucified. Simon the Cyrenian carried the cross for Jesus and for you.

Jesus on trial- From the Sanhedrin, to Pontius Pilate, to Herod, Jesus was brought before his accusers and questioned without any evidence of wrongdoing. Jesus remained silently as he was mocked by His enemies, committed to the path of suffering and sacrifice.

Peter denies Jesus- As Jesus predicted, when Peter was accused of being a follower of Jesus, Peter denied knowing Him. If the failure of Peter was great the restoration was greater. Jesus is so loving and patient with us in our failures.

Arrest in Gethsemane- Jesus prayed in agony in the garden because He knew what was ahead of Him. Not just betrayal, arrest, mocking, beatings and crucifixion, but separation from God. Peter jumped to the defense of Jesus in the garden when the authorities came for His arrest.

Prayer in Gethsemane- Did Jesus lack faith when He prayed in the garden at Gethsemane multiple times? Some people claim that is the case if you continually pray and make a petition. What was the cup that Jesus asked God to spare Him from?