Straight From The Heart Radio

The way of affliction- God's word will be an encouragement to us in times of affliction if it is stored up in our hearts and minds. Affliction can be a tool used by God to help get us back on the right course.

The way of repentance- Our flesh tempts us to rationalize and make excuses for our sinful behavior, but we need to take a lesson from the writer of Psalm 119. When he thought about his ways, he "made haste, and did not delay" to turn back to the Lord.

The way of freedom- Living in obedience to God's word is the path to a life of true freedom, comfort, and hope. To the world, living in disobedience to God's ways feels like freedom, but it is bondage.

The way of truth- It's one thing to consciously be aware of the truth of God's word, it's another thing to choose to live by it. To faithfully live out God's ways it takes true humility and daily dependence on Him.

The way of delight- How can we live the kind of life where we keep God's ways? There are so many other things we are tempted to find pleasure in outside of God's word, so we need to ask Him to make His word more attractive to us.

The way of cleansing- If the way of blessing is found by those who are innocent, then naturally, we must ask ourselves how to live a blameless life? The more we are aware of the word of God, the more we will be aware of what fails within us.

The way of blessing- In Psalm 119:1-8, the author uses words like walk, keep, seek, look, praise, and learn to describe what a life of blessing looks like. All these actions are to be lived in relation to the word of God, and most importantly, to the God of the word.

The reward- God's grace and love are truly without bounds. Ruth and Boaz were blessed with a son named Obed. Not only did they receive the gift of a child, but that child became part of the Messianic line, and the grandfather of king David.

A redemption story- Ruth could do nothing in her own effort to earn or deserve the grace that Boaz showed her. Boaz paid the required price of redemption to receive Ruth as his wife. Ruth and Boaz give us one of the clearest pictures of the gospel in the Old Testament.

The place of rest- Where is your place of rest? Like Ruth, our place of rest should be found at the feet of the redeemer. Our redeemer, Jesus, will not rest until His work is done in our lives and we are together with Him in glory.

A marriage proposal- When Naomi heard about the kindness that Boaz showed Ruth, she encouraged Ruth to give a marriage proposal to Boaz. Boaz held a special position as the kinsman-redeemer that made him eligible to marry Ruth.

Handfuls of purpose- God is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." Ruth and Naomi both experienced this truth about God's love toward us when God graciously provided food for them from an unexpected source.

Ruth taking initiative- It would have been easy for Naomi and Ruth to adopt a victim's mentality when they returned to Israel with nothing. Instead, Ruth decided to go find work so they could buy food. God is a generous and gracious provider for His children.

Blessing and affliction- Naomi left Israel with her family because there was a famine. Ruth made the decision to follow Naomi back to Israel because she knew they served the one true God. Sometimes God lovingly brings affliction in our lives to drive us back to Him.

The book of Ruth- The book of Ruth is a story of love and redemption. Ruth was a woman who displayed faithfulness to God during a time of faithlessness despite her gentile heritage. Her life shows us that God is willing and able to use anyone who will abandon the ways of the world and serve Him.

A beloved friend- In his final words and greetings, Paul acknowledged some of his most faithful friends in ministry. If we want strong, Godly friendships, we need to be loving and faithful towards others.

Paul's prayer request- As Paul began to conclude his letter to the church at Colossae, he reminded them that their prayers were extremely valuable and asked that they would remain seriously committed to praying for an open door to continue spreading the gospel.

Christ in the home- Paul's exhortations to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," and to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks" should be demonstrated in our everyday lives as husbands, wives, parents, children, employees, and employers.

Put off and put on- Paul reminded the Colossians that the Christian life is not just about what you don't do. We are called to put off the works of the flesh and put on "the new man." Therefore, Paul explained what actions are to characterize this new life in Christ.

Raised with Christ- If our eternal destiny is to be with Christ in glory, Paul said we should not be living carnally but constantly seeking "things which are above." Paul explained that this new freedom of life in Christ no longer requires any Jew to hold to the requirements of the law.

Victory in Christ- It is because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross that we can walk and live in His victory. Our love for Jesus and His Spirit working in us should be our motivation for serving God, not religious tradition or the philosophies of man.

Christ in you- Paul warned the church at Colossae not to get swept away by the philosophies of man that were trying to add to the power and simplicity of the gospel. We are saved through Christ, and we live and walk according to the power of Christ working in us.

Christ is preeminent- Jesus Christ is not only the head of the church, but He is "in all things" preeminent. What does that mean? It means that only in Christ, because of His perfect righteousness and resurrection from the dead, can we find peace with God.

A model prayer- The heart of this prayer by Paul for the Colossians is one we should adopt for our own friends and loved ones. Paul prayed that the Colossian believers would grow spiritually, seeking to please the Lord, and be fruitful in all their works.

To the Colossians- Paul did not have a chance to meet the believers at Colossae yet, but he wrote to them encouraging continued growth and warned them about false doctrines. Studying this letter will prove very helpful to us as we try to talk about Jesus to a postmodern world.

Two big questions- Paul concluded his letter to the Philippian church by answering two very important questions: 1) Are suffering and sickness the result of a lack of faith? 2) What should giving in the church look like?

Think on these things- God knows our thoughts and He cares about what we think. The question is, how much do we care about our thought life? We should care because our thoughts influence our feelings and actions. Paul gave the Philippians a list of things to meditate on that will positively influence our behavior.

Stand fast in the Lord- Paul told the Philippians that they should not live like the enemies of the cross who seek to satisfy their flesh because our citizenship is in heaven and Christ is coming.

The upward call of God- What does God's calling look like in our lives? We are called to press forward, seeking to grow in spiritual maturity. We are also called to surround ourselves with Christians who agree with this mindset, and not those who live to satisfy their flesh.

Press toward the goal- Paul the apostle was not so prideful to say that he was on some spiritual level higher than the rest. His goal was to always be pressing on toward the prize of knowing Jesus. Circumstances will change but knowing Jesus more should be a constant desire.

Commending and warning- Timothy and Epaphroditus were commended by Paul as faithful and like-minded servants of Christ. In contrast, Paul warned the Philippians to beware of those who are evil workers and "seek their own."

Interview with CCPhilly Young Adults Pastors- Pastor Joe sits down with the young adults ministry pastors from CCPhilly for a live in-studio interview.

Work out your salvation- If you have accepted the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ you are forever secure in His work, but Paul reminds us that we are called to live out the reality of that work that we might be lights in a dark and hopeless world.

The mind of Christ- Paul exhorted the church at Philippi to be unified. How does the church attain unity? It begins with the individual, and the desire to put others before self. If we are wondering how to practically live that out, Jesus showed us what "lowliness of mind" looks like.

To live is Christ- The saints in Philippi were concerned for Paul as he was writing to them from prison, but Paul assured them that his unfavorable circumstances were turning out for the good of the gospel. Our future heavenly citizenship should affect how we live now.

A prayer of love- It's right to pray for those who are lost, needy, or hurting, but Paul's prayer for his friends at Philippi reminds us to pray for the spiritual well-being of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Interview with CCPhilly Young Adults Pastors- Pastor Joe sits down with the young adults ministry pastors from CCPhilly for a live in-studio interview.

To the Philippians- The Lord used Paul to help start the church at Philippi, so he had a special place in his heart for them. Among other lessons to be learned in this letter, Paul teaches us how to remain joyful and content through the trials of life.

The great commission- Before ascending to heaven, Jesus told His disciples to go out and preach the good news of the gospel to the world. Even though Jesus is not with us in the flesh now, He is with us through the Holy Spirit just as He was "working with them" after His ascension.

An alternate ending?- Some scholars argue that the last eleven verses in the book of Mark were added later and should not be considered part of the original text. What does the evidence tell us? Does it all add up to a "fake" ending of Mark's gospel?

He is risen- Did the disciples of Jesus steal His body to stage a resurrection? Were the reports of eyewitnesses seeing Jesus risen from the dead the result of some mass hallucination? There are theories out there that try to discredit the resurrection of Jesus, but none of them are credible.

Secret disciples- Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had the privilege to care for the body of Jesus after His death. Pilate granted permission to Joseph to take the body for a proper burial. Although their faith was secret, what these men did for Jesus will always be remembered.

It is finished- Jesus paid a debt He didn't owe on the cross, so you and I could accept the free gift of salvation through faith. We could never earn God's favor by our own works. Be careful of the "Jesus and" gospel that preaches salvation through faith in Jesus, plus works.

God forsaken of God?- We all experience loneliness at some point in life. In the darkness on Golgotha, Jesus was crucified and mocked, forsaken by man, and God the father. Jesus experienced the most extreme form of isolation, so we never have to.

Carrying the cross- When Jesus was brought before Pilate and the bloodthirsty crowd, after being condemned by the Sanhedrin, He remained silent. His purpose was not to defend Himself, but to carry the cross. A man named Simon was asked to carry the cross for Jesus.

Betrayed by friend and foe- When Jesus was brought to the Sanhedrin they asked if He was the Christ. He answered, "I am." He was spit on, mocked, and beaten for only speaking the truth. Peter's faith failed, but his failure did not put him out of reach of God's grace and love.

He took the cup- The significance of the last Passover meal Jesus celebrated with His disciples must have escaped them. What new covenant was Jesus talking about? After literally taking the cup of Passover, Jesus made His way to the garden at Gethsemane where He prepared to accept the cup of God's wrath for all of mankind.

Anointing and betrayal- Although not in chronological order, the anointing at Bethany by Mary, and the betrayal of Judas are recorded next to each other in Mark to show a stark contrast. Mary demonstrated her love and devotion to Jesus, while Judas was conniving and deceitful.

Watch and pray- Jesus said He will return one day, but "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." How could Jesus not be aware of the timing of His return? Does the way you are living reflect the fact that you believe Jesus could come back at any moment?

The Great Tribulation- Jesus confirmed the words of Daniel that there will be "a time of trouble" on the earth one day unlike any time in history. There are various beliefs about end times events, but one thing for certain is that at the end of this period of great tribulation Jesus will return.

The Antichrist- What does the bible say about the antichrist? There are a lot of opinions and theories out there about this significant end times figure. Could he be alive today? The antichrist will be Satan's greatest attempt to send the world a savior that is not Jesus Christ.