Transforming Truth (audio)

There are at least two things that all Christians need to experience in their walk with God: His intimate presence and His holy power. Yes, we need the voice of God and the fire of God to mark us as individuals, families cites and churches. This message takes two biblical snapshots separated by about 1500 years and shows us how God sometimes operates with those who have positioned themselves by faith to hear His voice and receive His fire. You may be surprised to learn that sometimes the fire hits before we hear His voice, and sometimes the voice speaks while we wait for the fire. Which of these two seasons might you be in right now - waiting on the voice, or waiting on the fire? Or are you presently experiencing both?

Jesus taught much about the time right before He would return to planet earth to establish His coming Kingdom. One of the clearest marks of His teachings (and of the writings of the Apostles) reveals the emphasis that vast amounts of people will simply (and dangerously) be unprepared when He returns. Sadly, there will be no second chances for these people. Even more sadly, many of these people will seemingly be close to the Kingdom…but not actually in the Kingdom. In the parable of the lanterns and the oil - also known as the parable of the Foolish Virgins - Jesus speaks with urgency about not putting off becoming prepared for His return. The lack of oil in the lamps provides a symbolic picture of one aspect that is of particular importance for us as we approach the return of Christ. What might be represented by a lantern with no oil? What is the warning we need to discern and heed as we prepare for Jesus to return to earth?

One of the clearest appointments mentioned in scripture is the day of reckoning which all Christians have with King Jesus. Individually, one by one, every child of God will stand before the gracious, merciful and kind King who will then evaluate the eternal worth of the lives which we live don earth. Jesus promises reward for all who lived for him. Interestingly, while salvation is equal and free, rewards are not. Salvation is freely given through faith in Christ, but rewards are all earned. How we are living for Christ during this present life actually merits or forfeits eternal reward. This is incredible motivation for all Jesus-followers to live proactively for eternal things with pure, spiritual motivations. This message places before us that moment when we stand before the One who loves us most, and we then find out how much our lives mattered for his glory.

Most Christians think of salvation as a singular event which occurred for them at some point in their past when they repented of their sin and placed their faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for them upon the cross. This is where they experienced His forgiveness and were brought into the family of God by God's grace. This is a valid way of viewing the moment of salvation, yet many do not understand that this was merely the beginning of them being saved. That event describes the moment of their justification, but did you know that there are two more components of what the bible describes as the salvation of a human soul? In this message, we will learn more about all three components that take place for the believer along the spectrum of salvation. We begin with justification; we continue in sanctification, and we conclude with glorification. All three of these elements comprise the full redemption of the sinner as God brings them into the fullness and finality of the salvation bought for them by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Wandering from God is no small thing. Drifting away from Him is a scary thought. Running from God is even worse. There is something about the tendency in a Christian to allow distance between himself and God that should sober us up. It can happen at times without us even noticing it. We awake one day to discover we have lost our joy, our peace, and our sense of identity and purpose which we once enjoyed in Jesus. God is actually much more concerned about this type of thing than we are. That is why He sometimes works in purposed and painful ways to bring us back to Him in nearness, trust and obedience. This message highlights such a time in the life of King David. In a different place, David would write, “It was good for me to be afflicted. Before eI was afflicted, I went astray.” May those who receive this message awaken before the affliction arrives. May they return before God's hand strongly brings them home. May they listen to His voice so that they do not experience His tightening grip. Now is the time to consider if there is distance between us and the One who loves us the most.

The vast majority of Christians live with an eager expectation of Jesus Christ returning to earth. This is our blessed hope. This event will begin the vindication of His holy name. Yet, Christians hold to different views concerning how and when the return of our King will take place. Many believe that Jesus will return and rapture the Church before the beginning of the Tribulation period. Because of this, they do not live with much concern about what happens during the awful time period decried as the Tribulation. This message shares a deep concern that those who believe in a pre-trib rapture are not Biblically informed. Where does the Bible teach a secret catching away of the Church that prevents the elect from the reign of the Antichrist? Practically speaking, if the pre-trib rapture theory is not true, is it reasonable to be concerned that many are not prepared to endure the unparalleled difficulties that belong to the Tribulation which are recorded in Scripture? This message presents a biblical framework for a post-Triublaitonal rapture, and is filled with practical exhortations for believers at the end of the age to prepare for the trouble to come. In the end, we must remember the all-sufficient grace of God who knows how to preserve His people in times of warfare.

Human beings are awe-factories. We are hardwired to give our worship to something. Realistically, the vast majority of people give their awe to things that are not worth it. We worship beauty, pleasure, money and fame. Sometimes we make idle of good things like family, a work ethic, disciplines and serving. When we get still and quiet in heart-searching seasons, however, we rediscover that what we are really hungering for is the presence and glory of God. It is true that we cannot be satisfied until we find our satisfaction in Him. This is our highest hunger: the presence and glory of God. This message harnesses the words and actions of Moses to help us reconnect with our own desire to know God at the deepest level. By now we know that nothing less will satisfy our highest hunger.

There are just some things that only a mother can understand. Carrying a baby, birthing that child and then doing her best to raise the one entrusted to her is a never-ending labor of love and letting go. A snapshot story of one woman and her son from an ancient book of the Bible reveals the rich yet challenging realities of motherhood. The roller coaster ride of emotion as a mother is called to lay her heart's longing - and later her heart's breaking - at the feet of God captures our attention. In the end, her story reveals her to be a woman of relentless trust and authentic emotion. In her story, we uncover the stories of countless other women who are also called Mom.

Sometimes, the Lord releases a right-now prophetic word from the eternally-true written Word. This message from Amos 9 is the public release of a private prophetic word Jeff received on March 3, 2022. As Holy Spirit opened Jeff's spiritual eyes to what He is offering His people in this season, Jeff discerned quickly that this word was given to be shared with anyone who would receive it. Those committed to a Word and Spirit representation of Christianity will be receiving a new, fresh release of Kingdom wine that will shift and accelerate normal seasons of ministry harvests. This is not a word for years down the road - this is already happening.

Just how saved are we? Most people want to know where they are going after they die - and most people know by now that Christians are very confident that you can be 100% sure that you can know that you are going to heaven. But why do Christians hold that level of certainty? Is it supported with Scripture? There is also the question of what happens to those who “get saved” but then slide backwards from their original commitment to Jesus. Some wonder if there is a specific sin - or a specific amount of sins - that we can commit and consequently forfeit salvation. Ultimately, is the matter of our eternity in God's hands or is it left to us? All of these issues have objective answers. Yet, none of them are able to be rested upon until we come to a greater rest in God's extravagant grace.

We live in some heavy and often depressing days. Threats of another World War, a struggling economy, impossible gas prices, racial strife and constant political hostility - this is the culture we awake in each day. If we are not careful, the nastiness on the outside can creep inside. We have to push back hard against fear, worry and the clouds of dread. In Psalm 42, we read the inspired words of someone who refused to give in to the season of gloom. His hunger for the presence and power of God was His strongest weapon. From his words, we learn how to fight back against the darkness outside of us so that it never finds its residence inside of us. It's time to talk to your own soul with words that bring victory!

Everyone gets in trouble. Honestly, we are born into trouble the moment we take our first breath. The book of Job says that “man's days are filled with trouble.” Because of this inescapable reality, we often find ourselves in need of rescue. And God is a specialist in countless types of rescues! This message takes the testimony of King David in a season of his own gut wrenching pain and tribulation. How he prays, trusts and waits helps us know how to anticipate the rescue of God to find us when we are in over our head. Don't waste your time of trouble - respond like David and watch God begin to move on your behalf.

All Christians desire to honor God by understanding His will for their lives and then faithfully living it out. Some of those very same Christians struggle to have confidence that they are rightly discerning God's will. They can become anxious in times of decision making - What do I do? Where do I go? How do I respond? What does God desire? While these anxious moments about discerning His will are born from a sincere desire to do the right thing, it is nonetheless a heavy weight if we do not know how to trust what we believe is His voice. Scripture is actually filled with many verses that state, “this is the will of the Lord…” If we can obey the clearly revealed will of God in scripture, then we are powerfully positioned to know God's will that isn't addressed in Scripture, This Truth Shot episode helps us to be best positioned to hear the voice of God, recognize it and obey it with confidence.

Most of us came to faith in Christ by hearing some version of the Gospel that included an offer for us to ask Jesus into our hearts so that we can go to Heaven when we die. While God certainly uses evangelistic pleas like these to bring people into the Kingdom, we discover later that becoming a follower of Jesus has less to do with us going to Heaven when we die and more to do with Heaven coming to earth in us while we are still alive. Sometimes, we just need to revisit what the Scriptures say about what we have RIGHT NOW as those who are saved, born again and redeemed. The right-now realities of the faith shape the way we live once we understand them and believe them. Christians, let's not make the mistake of waiting to get to Heaven before we embrace all that God has provided for us in His Son, Jesus. It's not about transportation to Heaven. It's about transformation in us as we grow in knowing our Savior.

In Georgia, Transforming Truth's home state, the largest piece of granite in existence rises high above the earth. Stone Mountain just appears like a big rock to most, but it not only rises high above the ground, most of it is underground and cannot be seen. This giant piece of rock sits unchanged year after year. Hard as granite, gray and cold and totally immovable, Stone Mountain is a permanent fixture in the Georgia landscape. It just sits there, never changing. Christians, if they are not wise, can become just like this. Immovable, unchangeable, cold and hard, with most of what they are made of lying well beneath the surface. This message takes Paul's words to a younger Timothy and calls us all to get going, keep moving, never stop growing and live with the spiritual heat and fire which God has given us. When we get stuck in our journey, we need words like this to remind us who we are in Christ and not waste another day in an idleness that makes no sense for the followers of Jesus.

Most people think about what they wear at the beginning of the day. We dress for school, work, the gym, or maybe a ballgame or job interview. When special occasions arise, we are more intentional about what we put on. A fancy dinner, a costume party or a dance require us to be a little more thoughtful about our attire. The United States armed forces all have strict requirements for how military dress is displayed. Did you know that God's word teaches us all how to dress for the occasion when it comes to spiritual war? God expects us to put on the proper battle gear so we can fight well and win. This familiar passage from Ephesians 6 calls us all to check our armor and discern if we have put on what it takes to win the battle against the intensifying forces of darkness coming against us.

If there in one singular topic that we almost never hear sermons on anymore, it is the subject of Hell. It was once normal for a congregation to hear something about the dangers of eternal hell in their pastor's sermons. Not anymore. Our culture has no tolerance for such things. Yet, as uncomfortable as modern Christians seem to be at the mention of this reality, the teachings of Scripture remain unchanged. Those who die outside of faith in Christ will spend eternity separated from Him in that place which Jesus described as utter darkness and tormenting flame. Moving forward in our study of the end of the age, we focus in this message on that forever and final separation of the believer and the nonbeliever. Jesus Christ made it clear: a punctuation of the coming series of events will include the banishment of unsaved humans to the place of eternal punishment. It's uncomfortable…but it is true. We must remember this. And me must not fail to warn people of this.

Resurrection is not just a theme for one Sunday each calendar year in churches. Resurrection is the core component of the Christian life. This singular event is what separates Christianity from religion. It is the emerging of Jesus from the borrowed tomb which shatters the finality of death and opens up an entirely different realm of existence to all who trust in Him. The message of Resurrection Sunday is one of extremes: hopelessness, death and fear are violently moved away by the power of life and victory. Jesus rising from the grace forever establishes that there is never a need for hopelessness for any of us who are placed in Him. His victory truly becomes ours forever - both in eternity and this present life.

The Church needs to get one thing straight and leave it settled forever: Jesus Christ plainly declared that nobody can predict the hour nor day of His return to Earth. Anybody that tries to do so is dishonoring Him. The sensationalized predictions of the date of the Second coming are not something Jesus signs off on. Yet…Jesus did say MUCH about the season surrounding His return. He also taught quite a bit about some precise things we should expect once that season begins to unfold. In this message, we will take a look at what is going to be happening on earth just prior to the season in which Christ returns. Jesus connects this future season to one in the very distant past which caught humanity by surprise. Why does Jesus connect these two events? Because He does not want for the future generation to be unprepared like that past generation was. This message is a call to quit staring at the prophetic clocks and instead start preparing our lives for His return - no matter how near or distant that may be.

When it comes to how God has designed His Church to be led and cared for, He places the Office of Apostle first in line before the other four offices. It is not that Apostles are better than the other four, as we know that all the 5-fold offices have equal validity. It is simply that God has ordained for Apostles to be the tip of the spear in Church structure and government. This message asks and answers the question if true Apostles still exist today. We will also see scripturally what Apostles do, how God equips them, and what happens when they faithfully discharge their God-given assignments. Apostolic leadership was crucial in the early Church. This message will help us to see why we still need apostolic leadership today, and what happens when we follow their spiritual leadership and authority in the Kingdom.

Perhaps the least understood office of five-fold leadership in the church is the office of prophet. Who are these people and what exactly do they do? Some wonder if they even are still valid in the Church - are they? What does the Bible say about the call and function of prophets? Some may be surprised to hear that not all prophetically gifted people are meant to hold the office of the prophet - how does this work? Partnering alongside apostles, teachers, evangelists and pastors, the prophet is an incredible gift to the Church in every generation. Yet, Scripture seems to mention false prophets just as often as true prophets - how can we tell the difference? This five-fold series message opens up a wealth of Scripture to help us understand the call and commitment of God's prophets. It will also likely help some who listen to conclude that this calling from God rests upon them.

While many Christians engage in ceaseless debate about the precise timelines of the return of Jesus Christ, there is a danger of them debating the event more than they are personally preparing for it. God did not release revelation about the end of the age in order for his people to fight about it. God wants our understanding of the return of Christ to be received as both a source of warning and a source of joyful hope. The words from Jesus in Matthew 24 serve primarily as a warning. He wants all mankind to be prepared for His return. While the majority of people on the planet remain unconcerned about Jesus returning as Earth's King, those who have bowed their knees to Him in faith are called to think often and deeply about how this earth-shaking event is to be impacting our lives right now in this present day. Everything is about to change. Are we living as those who are prepared and expectant?

Often lost in all the activity surrounding the other five-fold office is the Office of the Teacher. Apostles have the thrill of Kingdom adventure. Prophets hear and see the secret things from God. Evangelists rescue the souls of men. Pastors love, lead and protect the sheep. And then there are the teachers. What is so supernatural about the art of teaching people God's truth? Far more than meets the eye. In 1 Corinthians 12:28, teachers are listed third in rank in the Church right behind apostles and prophets. Teachers impart the weaponry of wisdom for warfare. Teachers are God's tool to open our eyes to His self-revelation. Teachers impart to us the biblical truth and principles for victory. Teachers take the sublime and impart it to us in ways that we can hear, understand and align ourselves with eternal truth. As we approach the end of the age, teachers will no longer be hidden in a classroom with a handful of saints who choose to go deeper. God will promote the teacher of the Word to a prioritized status as deception in the world continues to arise. Teachers are our guides into maturity, wisdom and power from God.

The Second coming of Jesus Christ is the future event that all Christians long for. Apart from this drastic occasion, the Christian can never be truly satisfied to the fullest. We are blessed. We are empowered. We enjoy the gift of life and all that it contains. Yet, we are not perfectly content until the moment arrives when we see our King. This is the blessed hope of the Christian life, and it will not be denied us. Having said that, before Jesus returns, things will become very dark on planet earth. In this next section of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus prophesies some very dark storms which must arise before He returns. These events will shake the planet in ways that Jesus declared would be the worst days humanity has ever experienced. Why is it important that we understand these things? So we may be prepared in heart, mind, spirit and soul for them when they occur. Be sobered as we learn about the coming storms and how to be ready for them.

Most churches in the modern day Western Hemisphere are led by a person with the title of Pastor. The pastor is responsible for providing visionary direction. The pastor is expected to win the lost and make them into disciples. The pastor is paid to visit the sick, marry the engaged, bury the deceased, counsel the struggling, resolve conflicts, study the Word and preach it with skill, mentor and lead the church staff, and pray without ceasing. The Church in the West thinks of a one-stop-shop type of leader when it uses the term Pastor. Yet, God actually never endorsed this type of thinking. God's blueprint for the Church does not include the notion that a pastor is to provide everything the local church needs. Is it any wonder that church members often find themselves disappointed in their Pastor? Is it any wonder why pastors frequently burn out and quit. The problem is found in our lack of understanding about what God actually gifts a true pastor for, and what He expects them to do. The solution to the problem is for pastors and churches to embrace what the Bible teaches about the office of the Pastor. As we continue our series on 5-Fold Ministry, it is time to realign with the biblical presentation of what a Pastor really is, and how he/she is to fulfill that calling in the plan of God for the Church.

Countless people have stepped into the Kingdom of God after responding to the ministry of the Evangelist. Among all of the 5-Fold offices, the evangelist lives with the passion of bringing the message of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know Him. An evangelist's heart is centered around the burden to see lost people brought into the Kingdom of God through repentance and faith. These precious Christians believe emphatically that God can save anybody, and thus view all people as souls in need of Jesus. The evangelist helps the Church to see and feel the heart of God in highly valuing every single human soul, and they remind us all to share the Gospel proactively. As they serve in local churches with the other four offices of 5-Fold ministry, these people serve to equip and train church members to share their faith effectively. Jesus himself was the Evangelist who came to seek and to save those who are lost. More than anyone, the evangelists in the Church help us to never forget this part of the heart of the King.

For a very long time, local churches have been operating under a less-than-biblical leadership paradigm. When answering the question, 'Who leads the church?' most people will quickly give the answer, “The pastor!” Yet, this answer is incomplete. This answer is not even necessarily correct. This question and it's hasty answer has gone unexamined for far too long. What does the Bible actually say about how God has designed His Church to be humanly led? Is the office of Pastor the God-ordained one-stop-shop for everything needed to lead a local church? This series of messages begins with an eye-opening glance at the foundational passage that reveals God's blueprints for how He leads His church. If our design is not aligned with the Bible, two things will happen: the flock will become confused and frustrated, and the pastor will burn out soon enough. When local churches take initiative to develop a biblical framework for church leadership, beauty flows from the design that God has ordained, and the Head of the church, King Jesus, advances His mission with love, harmony and power.

Would it surprise you to know that the Jesus' original disciples had questions about the end of the age? The ones who lived side-by-side with Jesus were startled one day when He made an alarming statement about what would happen in Jerusalem in a short time. This conversation led to them asking deeper questions about the full establishing of His Kingdom on earth. The details Jesus shared with them went mostly over the heads. We, however, have the ability to examine what Jesus said and apply His answers in a way that makes it crystal clear that we are extremely close to the final fulfillment of what He shared nearly 2,000 years ago. While Matthew 24 is not all that the scriptures say about the end of the age, these words are certainly the strongest jumping-off point in this series of messages that will equip us to live as those who are properly discerning the days.

One component in the believer's trust of God is that the believer has learned to look to God, expect from God and wait upon God to fully impart all of the believer's material and spiritual needs. Yes, faith and spiritual growth never graduate us away from the place of a trusting dependence upon the Father to meet ALL of our needs and FULLY satisfy us. The predominant theme of eternity is the glory of God as the all-sufficient Lord who cares for His people. The journey of faith calls us to believe that truth now, and to live this present life with the awareness that the eternal Kingdom (with all of its keys) is already active. The Father is true, strong, committed, creative and swift in covenant to love us, to provide for us, to guide us and to protect us. The big-picture of the Christian life is that we are increasingly convinced of the goodness of God and His willingness to pour that goodness on our behalf. He is able, He is competent, and He will fulfill all that He has promised to you.

The Book of Genesis declares that God made mankind in His own image. It seems that we humans have been trying to return the favor ever since. What is it about us that seeks to view God through self-created lenses that actually distort His character? Why do we have a tendency to dilute the character of God down to us - how we think, how we respond, how we feel about others? Why must we insist on shrinking God down to be just slightly above the way we are? God is wholly different than us, and part of understanding the big-picture of Christianity is to know God's ways and to conform to them. This message highlights several specific attributes of God, and brings us great comfort and reassurance that He is exalted far above the ways of humanity. His grace, mercy, patience, power and love are abounding towards us. Even non-believers benefit from these characteristics of God every single day. All of humanity needs to awaken to the glorious character of the God of the Bible.

Have you ever considered that God might call you to be one whom He uses to raise up an altar to His glory in your generation? Do not be too quick to push that thought aside. Gideon was the last person you would have called to enter into a life of tearing down false altars, raising up new ones in their place, and initiate a move that would crush the enemies coming against his people. In this present generation, the eyes of the Lord are seeking those who have enough loyalty to Him to obediently expose and bring down false altars before which people have been bowing for too long. He is also imparting courage to men and women to raise up new altars - from their words, their works and their ways - so that His glory might once again be central among His people. Some who hear this message need to receive this assignment form God as we approach the end of the age.

There is a difference between being religious and being a Christian. There is a difference between being spiritual and being born-again. There is a difference between owning a concept of a higher power and living in faith toward a real and interactive God. All across the land, there are multiple millions of worshipers. We are all worship-factories - giving our hearts, minds, wills and lives for something greater than ourselves. But most people rarely stop to consider what they worship. Even fewer ask themselves why they are worshiping that thing, that idea or that person. This is nothing knew. In Ancient Greece there was an altar built to The Unknown God. Paul came across this altar one day and seized the moment to take this awareness among the people that there was a God whom they didn't know, and he made known to them the God whose name is Jesus Christ. In our secularized culture, we can and must do the same. We can make known to the ignorant the God of the Bible.

Every Christian begins his or her journey with a commitment of some sort to Jesus Christ. It is impossible to become a follower of Jesus without…well…actually following Him. We all said Yes to the Son when we began. The Scriptures actually reveal that a genuine commitment to Jesus which results in authentic salvation will be evidenced by an ongoing commitment that endures. No Christian is perfect, but we are all proven as genuine followers by our continuance by faith with Christ. This life of following Him is called discipleship. In these final verses from Luke 9, Jesus is painfully clear that He summons all of His followers to live with His Kingdom as their highest loyalty. His words reveal that He never offered humanity a salvation that did not include progression as disciples. Those who begin with Him will end with Him. His words here highlight three common obstacles that get in the way of those who seemingly began well from finishing well. If we continually overcome these tests of loyalty, we should have deep assurance that we are truly His.

Have you ever heard of the Coming Delusion? When Christians speak of this aspect of future events, they are usually referencing what is written by the Apostle Paul in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. Many of those Christians make the mistake of making the Coming Delusion synonymous the great deception of the Antichrist and/or the great apostasy from the professing church at the end of the age. These things are not exactly the same, and it is important to our understanding of the End Times that we understand how they are different but also interconnected.

Most Christians understand and embrace the expectation from God that we are to trust Him and obey Him. A regularly disobedient Christian simply does not make spiritual sense. While we all fail to perfectly obey God at all times, the normal bend of the Christian who walks in the Spirit is that of an obedient life. Yet, there is a type of obedience which God hates. More than once in His Word, God denounces this type of obedience to those who say that they belong to Him. What could move God so strongly about a human display of obedience that He would thunder to those obeying, “I hate what you are doing!”? It is important that we learn the answer to this question because we certainly want to examine our own lives to see if anything like this is happening. The ancient words through the Prophet Isaiah will help us to investigate, discern and change our ways in any place there is need. Obedience is good and holy. But it can also be evil daw worthy of rejection.

One of the greatest needs of people today is to grasp the big picture of the what, how and why of God's Kingdom. Religion presents duties, demands, rules and requirements and places them upon people. Very rarely do we find churches, ministries and leaders who slow down to ensure that God's people actually understand the big picture of what it means to belong to Him. Apart from the big-picture context of why we trust, love, obey and serve God, Christianity just feels like another heavy, empty religion. This series from Psalm 145 will place the character, worth and glory of God right back in the center of our Christian lives. From the big-picture clarity, all the other things begin to make sense.

The story of Issac in the Book of Genesis is one filled with drama. When his daddy, Abraham, laid Isaac on an altar and was willing to sacrifice him to God, the stunning incident must have impacted Isaac for the rest of his life. Interestingly, Isaac followed in the footsteps of his daddy in many areas - both good and bad. Yet, when it comes to building his own altars of worship to God, Isaac was seemingly unwilling to model the faith of his own earthly father. This message highlights the reality that each of us must come to our own understanding and encounter with God before we can truly worship and sacrifice unto Him with a genuine faith. Our parents' altars, our spiritual leaders' altars, or our denominational altars won't suffice for us. We need to build our own in meaningful worship to God. Isaac's first altar helps us to see when it's time to start building our own altars in our individual journeys of faith.

In the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, we find the language that establishes the concept of separation of Church and State. In summary, this amendment prevents Congress from either establishing by law or prohibiting by law the expression of religious beliefs and practices by the citizenry of the United States. Americans are free to worship as they choose. Increasingly, how the First Amendment plays out in our culture is being questioned. When churches were deemed nonessential by the government during the initial Covid pandemic, we all witnessed the diverse opinions about where the government could and could not regulate worship. Does the Bible help us at all concerning the issue of what to do when the worship of God is hijacked by government? While specific instructions to us on how to respond are not found in this passage of scripture, 1 Kings 13:1-10 may reveal some helpful components of what it looks like when human government seeks to modify God's altars of worship. May be wise to discern what is taught here. This will be very important in immediate seasons to come.

Jesus left no rooms for doubts about His approach to stale religion. Consistently He warned religious people that their priorities, traditions, prejudices and addiction to the familiar was costing them greatly. Their spirits are stale. Their souls were running dry. To make matters worse, Jesus indicted them for reproducing their empty religious ways in the lives of others. He did not come to join them. Jesus intended to exchange dead religion for new wine. Any commitment to clutching old wineskins would result in the people missing what Jesus came to pour out. When God ordains a time of refreshing, the old has to go so that the new can come. This message both enlightens and motivates us to part with all our old wineskins and anticipate that new wine from Heaven is already being poured out by the Spirit.

Spiritual family is not just about coming together and enjoying one another's company. While quality time is certainly one of the Kingdom love-languages, God also ordains that Christians partner together to advance His mission. There are battles to be fought and one. There are callings to be answered and obeyed. And there are mountains to claim and to conquer. From the Old Testament figure named Caleb, we can learn what it looks like for a faith family to wait, to war, and to win. All three of these prized components must remain active in any healthy church or Christian organization. Enduring until the end in the center of God's will is the means by which we al bring Him glory together. It s also the only way for us to receive the inheritance He has appointed for us.

When the clock gets down to the final minutes, our instinct is to make sure that we are ready for when that final buzzer sounds - we know then that the game is over and the score in final. There is something about a deadline that seems to sharpen our focus on what is most important. For modern followers of Jesus, there is a tendency to wrongly think that the end of the race occurs when we die, therefore many Christians live to maximize this earthly life. We try to work hard, get an education, succeed in a career, raise a family, earn lots of money and retire with wealth at the earliest possible convenience. Many who do this successfully believe they have won. But have they? This message reminds us that the place where it is determined whether or not our lives truly mattered is at the Judgment Seat of Christ where Jesus himself will fully analyze and reveal the value of our earthly lives. Many will be saddened to learn that their “successful” lives did not amount to much in the eyes of the King. If we live with this divine appointment in mind, we will be ready to receive a reward from our King when we stand before Him. If we fail to remember this unavoidable moment, we will suffer loss and forfeit our reward.

Altars in the Bible are most often places where a believer raises up a standing memorial connected to some encounter they have had with God. In one instance, God moved upon Joshua to build Him an altar - but Joshua was sobered and careful to do so in a precise manner that he knew would honor the Lord. What can we learn from God's instructions about how this altars to be built? If altars represent a surrendered and sacrificial life today, we need to take an intentional look at the clear instructions He gave about how Joshua's altar must be built. Here's a hint: God wanted something kept off the altar, and He commanded that something be engraved upon the altar. So must it be with the altar of our own lives as we live to honor Christ.

Abraham is the only person called “the friend of God” in the entire bible. Many follow. Many serve. Many worship. But God said that Abraham was His friend. One component of Abraham's friendship with God is seen in his committed lifestyle of building altars at important moments where God revealed Himself to Abraham in new ways. Abraham made time and took the effort to throw down markers where his relationship with his God went deeper. Abraham learned the value of worship and sacrifice as the means to go deeper with God. From his story, we can discover four altars that we also must all build in our own lives. Friendship with God is not limited to building altars - but it cannot be absent of building altars either. If these four altars are built by us, we are well on our way to enjoying God in similar ways that Abraham enjoyed Him.

Jesus' longest recorded prayer is found in John 17, and it focuses heavily on one primary component: the unity of the Church. The Apostle Paul declared in Ephesians 4 that there is only one faith and one Church. How is it then that Christians are known for being some of the most divisive, fractured and contentious people? Why do we fight so much among ourselves? Those called to build Kingdom bridges seem more inclined to construct Kingdom walls. How do we guard the truth of the Gospel while still allowing for differences of opinion, possible interpretations and sincere representation of all that God's Word says? And what is our heart posture to be towards those who want nothing to do with our Gospel message? How are we to treat them? In one short passage from Luke Chapter 9, we find Jesus' own disciples fumbling His ways three different times. Jockeying for position, seeking to control those who serve Jesus differently, and calling for judgment and destruction upon those who say no to their message - is this what Jesus came to instill in us? We all know the answer, but we clearly need to hear it again in this season before Jesus returns.

Any honest Christian will admit that somewhere along the line they have encountered a stubborn issue in their lives in which it is/was difficult to experience lasting victory. We have weaknesses that are unique to us. Some of us struggle in one particular area even though we have total breakthrough in a hundred other areas. What are we to make of the occasional reality that a certain sin recurs in our lives? Words, attitudes and actions that do not align with God's Word and ways have to go – but what are we to do when they don't? In this message, Jeff walks the listener through Romans Chapter 7 wherein Paul explains what happens in our lives when we are struggling with a recurring sin. Many Christians make the mistake of learning to live with recurring sin. Others defeatedly succumb to the despair that they will never get free. Listen to the precision of teaching here which explains what all is in play and how we can all get free.

We might assume that if God entrusted to us the leading of the greatest revival in history, then we would be thrilled to watch it unfold. Widespread repentance leading to mass salvation and a ceasing of cultural sins - who would not want to witness this? Well, the ancient prophet Jonah was appointed to lead a massive revival in Nineveh and, when the entire city turned God, Jonah was anything but pleased. In this glimpse into the life of Jonah we are able to see how God works against our internal bias, our hidden prejudices and our sinful sense of superiority. God wants to bring all people to Himself, but how do we respond when a person or people group that we do not care for experiences the blessing of God? Jonah is about to find out that God is no respecter of persons…therefore we should not be either.