Podcasts about 19jesus

Introduction: Genesis 2:24 - Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Enjoying Your Gift from God. (1 Corinthians 7:1-7) Married? Enjoy God's Gift for MARRIAGE. (1 Cor 7:3-5) 3 Laws of Marital Intimacy: The Law of DEBT. (1 Cor 7:3) The Law of OWNERSHIP. (1 Cor 7:4) The Law of HIATUS. (1 Cor 7:5) Single? Enjoy God's Gift of SINGLENESS. (1 Cor 7:6-7) Matthew 19:10-12 – The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! AUDIO TRANSCRIPT 00:36-00:41Open up those Bibles to 1 Corinthians 7.00:43-00:51And as we said last week, it's going to continue for the next few weeks because we go where the text goes.00:54-01:00And today we're going to be talking about the relationship between a man and his wife.01:03-01:44discretion advised. We are going to be direct, but you know some pastors want to be like edgy by kind of pushing the envelope there and that's I don't think that's cool, but I do think we need to teach the Bible straightforwardly. So we are going to be direct but not explicit, okay? So whether you're sitting here or streaming this from home, parents you decide. If you saw last week's message that would be a good gauge as to whether or not your kids should hear this one.01:44-02:01But again I'll remind you that somebody's talking to your kids about this. I think you should really consider you know whether it's time for them to hear this from God, what He says about these matters.02:02-02:17Alright, so with that said, let's just bow our heads. I'm going to ask that you would please take a moment and pray for me to be faithful to clearly communicate what God said and I will pray for you to receive what it is that this passage teaches today. Let's pray.02:23-02:28Father in heaven, we are once again turning to Your Word for wisdom.02:33-02:38And we're dealing with what is going to be for many here a sensitive subject.02:38-03:05And I pray, Father, against distractions, and I also pray that our hearts and minds are open to what You actually say in Your Word. Not our opinion or not what we think your word might say about these matters, but to examine what it is that you have said, and that we would be faithful to apply.03:08-03:53Come meet us now, Lord, through the proclamation of your word, we pray in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said, "Amen." Amen. Many years ago, I was leading Bible study the prison, and one man raised his hand. He said, "I have a question. I have a question about what happens when we die." Well, I was ready for this. You should have heard. You should have heard the sermon. It's probably the best sermon I ever gave. It was just both barrels, and I explained to him, "Okay, first of all, let me explain how death came into the world. We went through Genesis chapter 3. Death We need Jesus Christ.03:54-03:56Jesus died on the cross to take our sin away.03:56-03:59He rose from the dead to give us eternal life.03:59-04:00We all need the gospel.04:00-04:05And if you've received Christ, when you die, the Bible says you are in the presence of the Lord.04:05-04:10Okay, and someday he is going to come and he's going to take his people to be with him.04:10-04:12John chapter 14, we talked about the rapture.04:13-04:17But if you have not received Christ, I talked about the tribulation that's coming after the rapture.04:18-04:21There's seven years of just hell on earth.04:21-04:26and then Christ returns, and I talked about all the millennial kingdom, right?04:26-04:41And then after the kingdom, there's the great white throne judgment, and at that point, you know, if you die and you're not in Christ, you do go to a place of suffering, Luke 16, but then you're thrown into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment, and you should have heard it.04:41-04:44It was comprehensive.04:47-04:49So I got done, it was about 20 minutes.04:50-04:57I got done and I said, "So, does that answer your question?" He stared at me blankly.04:59-05:01And he goes, "No."05:02-05:03(congregation laughing)05:04-05:25I said, "Why not?" He goes, "I just wanted to know "if we become angels when we die." And I said, "No." He goes, "Okay, thanks." And I learned that day to answer the question that's being asked.05:27-05:30Well, the Corinthians, they had a lot of questions.05:31-05:35They had a lot of questions about marriage, about idols, about women in church, about the Lord's Supper.05:36-05:38Look at chapter 7 verse 1.05:39-05:45Paul says, "Now concerning the matters about which you wrote," stop there, we're entering a new section, okay?05:45-05:49He talked about the church unified, chapters 1-4.05:50-05:55He talked about the church purified, chapters 5-6.05:56-05:58And now you can see there's a shift.05:59-06:06He says, "You sent me questions and I'm going to give you answers now to the questions that you sent me." Do you see that?06:07-06:09And first up, marriage.06:12-06:13You're going to be shocked.06:13-06:14I'm glad you're sitting down.06:15-06:17But the Corinthians had a lot of problems when it came to marriage.06:20-06:28But you know, the problems that we bring into marriage are our own doing, because the Bible was clear on marriage.06:30-06:34Genesis 2.24, this is the most important verse in the Bible about marriage.06:34-06:38I know this because when asked, this is the verse that Jesus quoted.06:39-06:42When writing about marriage, this was the verse that Paul kept quoting.06:42-06:55The most important verse in the Bible about marriage says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." It's clear.06:55-07:00You leave, you join to your wife, and then the two become one.07:02-07:10Jesus was asked about marriage, divorce, all these matters, Matthew 19, we're going to talk about this later, but Jesus made, it was very clear.07:11-07:15Jesus said marriage is between a man and a woman.07:15-07:19Jesus said in a marriage, it's two people that are brought together by God.07:19-07:24Jesus said it's two becoming one, and He said it's meant to be unbroken.07:24-07:25That's God's design.07:28-07:32Bible's clear about marriage.07:32-07:38But in Paul's day, the Corinthian culture, there were basically four different ways to get married.07:38-07:51I'm just gonna, I don't usually like to preach my homework, But this might be helpful to give us some context as we go through this section, because there are a lot of ways that people got married in that day, all right?07:52-07:54So one way was for slaves.07:54-07:56Slaves weren't considered people, they were considered property.07:57-08:02So for slaves, the owner had the right to just pronounce them married.08:02-08:08If there were two slaves that wanted to get married, it's like, okay, you two are married, so you go stay over there or whatever.08:09-08:09And that was it.08:11-08:14There was also, in that day, common law marriage.08:14-08:20People that were living together unmarried for a year were considered married at that point.08:21-08:23A third way is a father selling his daughter.08:26-08:30And then the fourth way was the sort of the official Roman way.08:32-08:37Interestingly, it's through the Roman customs where we get our customs for marriage.08:37-08:38Did you know that?08:39-08:44from veil to flowers to vows to ring to cake, all came from the Roman culture.08:47-08:49So here's the point of all that.08:50-08:57In this section, Paul is teaching the sacredness of marriage no matter how you got there.08:57-09:07Okay, because there's going to be a lot of people that could raise objections, "But I was married this way, but I..." Paul's like, "However you got there, we're dealing with from here forward.09:08-09:10Let's talk about the sacredness of marriage.09:12-09:14They were a culture that had a high divorce rate.09:16-09:28They were a culture that had homosexuality, a culture of affairs, a culture of, believe it or not, feminists, and a culture of - we talked about this recently - prostitution.09:30-09:32So it's a culture a lot like ours.09:32-10:03There's nothing really new here as far as the kind of sin that they had to deal with with the same stuff. So the question is, "Well, what about sex and marriage?" Well, again, you're going to be shocked, and I'm glad you're sitting down, but the Corinthians had something else that they were divisive over, and that is this. Should you get married, or should you be single?10:06-10:08Which is the godly path?10:09-10:10That's the issue on the table here.10:11-10:13Which is the godly path, married or single?10:14-10:20Because some people said that righteousness is everybody must get married.10:21-10:22That was the Jewish mindset, by the way.10:23-10:24Everybody must get married.10:24-10:27You're not really fully righteous unless you're married.10:27-10:30In fact, you couldn't be a member of the Sanhedrin unless you were married.10:31-10:38So the Jews especially said, "Look, what's right is everybody has to get married." But then there's the other camp.10:40-10:42And the other camp said, "No, no, no, no.10:42-10:43No one should get married.10:43-10:45I mean, have you been paying attention?10:46-10:48Sexual sin is completely out of control.10:49-10:50Marriage is hard.10:50-10:57So being single and never touching a woman, that's the godly way.10:57-11:00In fact, you want to be godly.11:00-11:03If you're married and you want this godly path, you're just going to have to get out of your marriage.11:04-11:05Both of you be single.11:06-11:07That is more spiritual.11:08-11:09That is more devoted to God.11:09-11:13If you're single, you are more devoted to God.11:13-11:17And you know, there's people today that still hold that mindset, like in the Catholic church.11:17-11:18All right?11:18-11:19Priests don't get married.11:19-11:20Nuns don't get married.11:20-11:20Why?11:20-11:24Because you're devoted to God, and you can't really be devoted to God if you're married.11:27-11:30Well, what does the Bible say about that?11:31-11:35Well, let's see how Paul answers this under inspiration of the Holy Spirit.11:35-11:36Look at verse 1 again.11:36-11:48"Now, concerning the matters about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." Okay, stop there.11:48-11:50He goes, okay, first of all, it's good.11:51-11:53He didn't say it's the only good.11:54-11:54Okay?11:55-11:59Paul's not saying singleness is better than marriage.11:59-12:01He's not saying it's worse than marriage.12:01-12:09All he's saying in verse 1 is, "It's not wrong to be single." It is a fine option if you're single.12:11-12:12But there's another option.12:13-12:13Look at verse 2.12:14-12:36He says, "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." So Paul says, "The other option, which is marriage, is good too." I mean we saw this, right?12:36-12:42Chapters 5 and 6, there was so much sexual immorality in the church.12:42-12:44They tolerated sexual sin.12:44-12:46They excused sexual sin.12:46-12:48There was no sacredness for marriage.12:48-12:49Huge problem.12:49-12:56So you see, in Corinth and here, it is hard to be pure because of temptation.12:57-12:58That's what Paul is teaching here.12:59-13:04Because there are so many ways to sin sexually.13:08-13:14So Paul here says, because of the temptation to sexual immorality, get a spouse.13:16-13:28Notice he says, "Get your own spouse." design. It's one man for one woman and that one woman for that one man. That is how God designed it. Get your own.13:30-14:11So Paul is saying physical desires are natural and should be enjoyed the way God designed them to be enjoyed. All right? So we're gonna play a quick game here. We're gonna play a game called "Which is Good?" I'm gonna give you a list of two options and you're gonna shout out which is good. You ready for this? You ready? Come on, don't lay an egg here. I need you. I need you. I'll start over. I mean I'll start way over at the beginning. We'll bring the worship team up. We'll start the whole thing over. All right, so you You ready to shout it out?14:11-14:13Which is good, country music or rock music?14:13-14:14Rock.14:16-14:18The answer is both.14:20-14:21All right, which is good?14:22-14:22You ready?14:22-14:23Try again.14:23-14:24I'm gonna give you another chance.14:25-14:26Which is good, pancakes or waffles?14:27-14:28Both.14:28-14:31Both are good, okay?14:32-14:35All right, I think some of you are getting the hang of it.14:35-14:36Let's try one more.14:37-14:39Which is good, baseball or football?14:41-14:42(congregation exclaims)14:49-14:50I'm sorry, the answer is both.14:52-14:53All right, one more, you ready?14:55-14:57Which is good, being single or being married?14:58-14:58Both.14:59-14:59Both.15:02-15:02Both.15:04-15:05The answer's both.15:08-15:12Paul says here - look, if you don't get that, you're going to miss the whole sermon, so you've got to get this.15:12-15:17Paul says here in this passage, look, what you have, church, you have two good options.15:19-15:22Okay? You have two good gifts from God.15:22-15:24You can't have them both at the same time, by the way.15:24-15:26I think I don't have to explain that.15:27-15:29But you have two good options, two good gifts of God.15:30-15:31Single is good.15:32-15:34And married is good.15:35-15:37That's Paul's point here in these first two verses.15:37-16:13expounds on each. So on your outline, draw some things down here. Enjoying your gift from God. Number one, married. Are you married? Are you married? Well, enjoy God's gift for marriage. Okay, now Paul here starts with marriage because it's the norm. Most people are married. Again, one's not better or worse. Most people are married, so that's where he And again in Corinth, many thought you had greater devotion to God if you avoided physical relations.16:14-16:14But there's a problem.16:15-16:22There are some people that thought you have greater devotion to God by avoiding physical relations even if you're married.16:25-16:37And all the men said, "What?" And it's good to not touch a woman even if you're married, and especially if she's not a believer, or vice versa.16:37-16:47If your husband's not a believer, they believe that, look, if you're married to a non-believer, you definitely should not be engaging in any kind of relationship that way.16:48-16:50That was what the people thought.16:51-16:53So here in these verses, Paul's saying, look, are you married?16:53-16:58Then you should enjoy regular times of intimacy.17:01-17:04You should enjoy regular times of intimacy.17:05-17:20And you're like, "Oh, isn't that obvious?" And the answer is it must not be because God spent some time here in His Word explaining some things.17:21-17:22So I don't think it is so obvious.17:24-17:35So what we have here are three laws, three principles for married couples regarding God's design for healthy marital relations, okay?17:37-17:42So we're just gonna break these down by calling them the three laws of marital intimacy.17:43-17:45The three laws of marital intimacy.17:48-17:51First of all, letter A, let's talk about the law of debt.17:52-18:00If you're married, if you're married, You should be enjoying your spouse physically.18:01-18:03And here's the three guidelines, three laws for that.18:03-18:05The first one, the law of debt.18:05-18:06Look at verse three.18:07-18:22He says, "The husband should give to his wife "her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband." Stop there, that's the law of debt.18:22-18:23You're like, why do you say debt?18:23-18:26Because do you know in the Greek, it's literally the debt.18:26-18:30literally in the Greek, it says the husband should give the wife the debt.18:31-18:34And the wife should give her husband the debt.18:34-18:36That's what it says.18:37-18:47Also in the Greek, it's a continuous verb, meaning, Paul's saying husbands and wives, you should continuously be paying a debt to one another physically.18:50-18:57Now listen, the physical part of your marriage is not the most important part of your marriage.19:00-19:06But, it is a very important part of your marriage.19:08-19:09Okay, I'm gonna say that again.19:09-19:13I don't know if I've ever been so careful about the way I worded things in a sermon.19:15-19:20Because I don't want anybody to misunderstand, and I know there's a lot of things that can be easily misunderstood here, so I'm gonna say that again.19:21-19:27The physical part of your marriage is not the most important thing, but it is a very important thing.19:28-19:42And Paul here says, "You owe it to your spouse to allow your spouse to enjoy this." Listen, this is a very sensitive subject.19:42-19:43I know that.19:43-19:46Because there are people that have endured abuse.19:47-19:50There are people who are emotionally scarred.19:50-19:52There are people that have health issues.19:52-20:01And these things make regular, normal relations more difficult.20:06-20:08It might require extra work.20:08-20:12It might require coming to see one of our pastors for counseling.20:12-20:14We can help you with that.20:14-20:17If this is an issue in your marriage, we can help you.20:22-20:24But the principle here is very clear.20:26-20:29If you're married, you are expected to go after this.20:32-20:39God's design is that husbands and wives enjoy meeting each other's needs.20:44-20:59There's a book in the Bible all about that, by the way, right? Song of Solomon. That's what And I know there's some scholars that are like, "The Song of Solomon, you know what the Song of Solomon is about, Pastor Taylor?20:59-21:00You know what it's about.21:00-21:08The Song of Solomon is about the love relationship between Jesus and the church." Spoken like someone who never read the Song of Solomon.21:09-21:10It's not about that.21:12-22:19It is about a couple enjoying the physical aspect of their relationship, their love for another and all its expressions of that love, that's what it's about. God wants you to enjoy each other. I've heard stories of couples that only come together for a physical relationship when it's time to procreate, almost like it's some business exchange. And look, if that happens. If that happens, awesome, awesome. We'll always make room in the nursery. But to reduce the purpose of that just for procreation is still missing the point. The purpose of sex in marriage is intimacy. That's the purpose. It's not just a physical act. It's an act that strengthens love and is an act that sustains love.22:21-22:30But I know, listen, somebody can read this verse, "The husband should give to his wife the debt." Likewise, the wife give to her husband the debt.22:30-22:34Somebody can look at this verse and say, "That sounds so violating.22:36-22:38You mean to tell me…." Is that what you're saying?22:39-22:47I can't… What a patriarchal, male chauvinist church this is, that you're telling me that I can be forced to pay the debt.22:48-22:48Right?22:48-22:49Is that what you're saying?22:50-22:51Not even close.22:53-22:58And I would say that if that's your takeaway, then all due respect, you are completely reading the verse wrong.23:02-23:02Listen closely.23:03-23:10He's not saying that we go into our marriage relationship saying, "You owe me!" No, no, no, no.23:12-23:13Not lording it over.23:14-23:20It's not "You owe me!" It's the mindset of "I owe you." It's submission.23:23-23:26Notice he says to give the debt.23:26-23:27He doesn't say take the debt.23:27-23:28Do you notice that?23:29-23:32He doesn't say, "Husbands, go take what she owes you.23:32-23:35Wives, go take what he owes you." He doesn't say that.23:36-23:43He says in mutual submission, you have to give what you owe your spouse.23:45-23:46That's what he says.23:47-23:52A healthy marriage always focuses on the other person's needs.23:55-23:59And that applies also specifically here to intimacy.24:01-24:02That's what we're saying.24:05-24:09Give your wife, give to her what you owe her.24:10-24:12Wives, give to husbands what you owe him.24:12-24:13It's mutual submission.24:16-24:16All right?24:16-24:17So that's the law of debt.24:18-24:20Secondly, we have letter B, the law of ownership.24:22-24:23Law of ownership, look at verse 4.24:24-24:32And he goes on, "For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does.24:32-24:40Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does." Stop there.24:40-24:43Again, please do not read it wrongly.24:43-24:48Don't go through this and totally miss what he's saying because it would be easy to do.24:48-24:52This is not a pass for abuse.24:54-25:05This is, listen, this verse is not allowing for any kind of situation where someone is being forced into something in any way.25:06-25:08It is not saying that whatsoever.25:08-25:19You're like, "Well, what is it saying then?" In marriage, listen, when you make the decision to marry someone, you have released the authority of your body to your spouse.25:20-25:22And again, in the Greek, that's continual.25:23-25:26What you have in marriage is an exclusive claim.25:27-25:34It's saying no one else owns my body the way that my spouse does, and that includes me.25:36-25:37That's what he's saying.25:38-25:43He's speaking again of a mutual love and selflessness.25:44-25:45That's what he's talking about.25:47-25:55He's talking about a mentality of a husband going before his wife and saying, "Hey, hey, this is all yours.25:57-26:04This is all yours." And then the wife in turn turns to her husband and says, "Yeah, and you know what, baby?26:05-26:06This is all yours.26:11-26:14So have fun." That's what he's saying.26:18-26:20There's the law of death, there's the law of ownership.26:21-26:23Letter C, there's the law of hiatus.26:24-26:25The law of hiatus.26:26-26:27Look at verse 5.26:30-26:55He says, "Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time that that you may devote yourselves to prayer, but then come together again so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." The law of hiatus.26:57-26:59Again, he goes, "Stop depriving.26:59-27:07Stop depriving." Again, the Corinthian culture, "Oh, it's holy to deprive my spouse." No, he goes, "It's not holy.27:08-27:08It's just not.27:09-27:14Do not deprive each other, husbands and wives, do not deprive each other.27:15-27:16He says there is an exception.27:18-27:19There are rules for hiatus.27:22-27:23There are rules for hiatus, right?27:24-27:28First part of the rule, number one, is agree, right?27:29-27:30Agree.27:32-27:33That means consent.27:33-27:38That means it's not just one person making the decision.27:41-27:43It's not the wife saying, "You know what, honey?27:43-27:50I've really been thinking about this, and I decided we're taking a hiatus." And the husband's like, "Wait, what?27:51-27:52That's not how it works.27:52-28:00There has to be an agreement on that, all right?" And also number two, it says for a limited time.28:02-28:29a limited time. It's temporary. Again, that time should be agreed upon. You're like, "All right, well, why are we taking a break?" Well, he says very specifically, "If you two decide to take a break for a time from having normal relations, it should be for prayer." And he's not talking about prayer in general. I think he's talking about praying for something specific.28:31-28:43Maybe there's something in your life that is so burdening, so distracting, that you probably can't even enjoy intimacy in that season.28:43-28:45Do you know what I'm talking about?28:46-28:58Maybe you have a child that is really sick and in the hospital and like, "I can't." Obviously neither of us are in the mood for this right now.28:58-28:58We need to pray.29:01-29:33there's the looming threat of a job loss and the stress that comes with, you know, what am I going to do to provide for my family? And you know what, sweetheart, I think we should take a break from this for a season and focus on praying for God's provision in this way. But you agree upon it and you set the boundary of time, but when you're like, man, I just can't get into it as I should, then you take a hiatus, you agree to pray.29:33-29:53But Paul says, "Then, then you have to come together again," he says, "so that you don't get tempted." But the first part of that verse says, "Do not deprive each other.29:55-29:57Stop depriving each other.30:03-30:08Husbands and wives, you cannot use sex to manipulate.30:11-30:19Or more accurately, you can't withhold sex to coerce or punish the other person.30:21-30:35Listen, when you do that, when you use that as coercion or punishment, what you're doing ultimately is only hurting your marriage.30:36-30:37That's what you're doing.30:39-30:42Notice he says, "Come together again." Why?30:42-30:43Why should we come together again?30:44-31:12may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. In other words, closing the kitchen makes you a partner of Satan. All right? Because the urge is still there, and now all of a sudden the person who is supposed to satisfy me absolutely refuses to do that.31:13-31:15And then what happens?31:21-31:23Bitterness is resentment.31:25-31:27Then the evil thoughts start to creep in, right?31:29-31:32I'm so sick of not having my needs met.31:32-31:35I'm so sick of the bedroom being so cold.31:37-31:39And eventually that leads to adultery.31:42-31:55to physical, you find somebody that's scratching the itch that you have, whether it is that emotional itch for affection, whether it's a physical itch.31:58-32:20And then it's justified because, and I've heard it hundreds of times over my ministry, justified because I'm in a loveless marriage." You know, marriages struggle and ultimately individuals walks with Christ struggle because they're so frustrated physically.32:21-32:29It's like I have this appetite and it's just not being met and nothing good comes from that married people.32:30-32:30Alright?32:33-32:35So this is from the Lord.32:37-32:39Enjoy each other as much as possible.32:40-32:40Okay?32:42-32:43It's fun.32:43-32:50It's God's idea and in this passage he reminds us it is the best help in avoiding temptation.32:55-32:56It's the best help in avoiding temptation.32:57-32:58Think about it this way.32:58-33:00Just imagine this scenario.33:01-33:02Imagine this scenario.33:02-33:09Husband wakes up and he comes downstairs and he sees that his wife is baking chocolate chip cookies.33:11-33:13Seven in the morning she's baking chocolate chip cookies.33:15-33:16What a great wife, right?33:17-33:18Oh, it gets better.33:18-33:47He's baking chocolate chip cookies and he sees on the counter, she's obviously been at it for a while because there's a plate and there's a stack of them. And his wife says, "Honey, have all the cookies that you want." And like the dutiful husband that he is, he sits down and he has one, three, six, ten of them! And you know how you feel after eat a dozen chocolate chip cookies, right?33:49-33:50Just me?33:52-33:52(audience laughing)33:54-33:57You know how you feel after you eat a dozen chocolate chip cookies, right?33:59-33:59Thank you.34:00-34:01Thank you.34:02-34:09Your wife says, "Sweetheart, before you go to work, "I want you to have as many of these cookies as you want, "and I wanna tell you something else, honey.34:10-34:17"When you come home, there's gonna be more." So, you indulge.34:20-34:22Let me ask you something, when you get to work, are you hungry for cookies?34:25-34:25No.34:26-34:27Thank you.34:28-34:29Thank you.34:30-34:33One of you is on board now, the rest of you will catch up.34:34-34:35No.34:35-34:39You get to work, you're not hungry for cookies.34:40-34:46So what happens when the co-worker comes over to you and says, "Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink.34:47-34:48Would you like a cookie?34:50-34:56What do you say?" You're like, "I am full.34:58-35:03You wouldn't believe how many cookies I ate before work today." Well, you probably wouldn't say that.35:08-35:09We need to cut that one.35:10-35:11(audience laughing)35:15-35:19You would say, too much Taylor?35:19-35:20Too, oh, okay.35:20-35:27You would say, if she says blink, blink, blink, would you like a cookie?35:27-35:29You would say, no, thank you.35:31-35:31I'm full.35:34-35:35I have all the cookies that I wanted.35:38-35:45And you know, if you go a long time without cookies, self-control is much harder when someone else offers you one.35:49-35:52So if you're married, enjoy the wedding present that God gave you.35:52-35:52Alright?35:54-35:56Number two, single?35:58-35:59Enjoy God's gift of singleness.36:02-36:04I'm going to touch on this quickly.36:04-36:04Why?36:05-36:08He goes way into more detail later.36:08-36:11But right now, understand the point of what he's saying now.36:11-36:14The point of what he's saying now is two good options, right?36:14-36:14Two good options.36:15-36:16Marriage, good option.36:16-36:20And he's like, let's talk about the other good option, being single.36:20-36:21Look at verse six.36:22-36:35He says, "Now as a concession, not a command, I say this." In other words, he's like, look, I'm not commanding everyone to get married.36:35-36:38I'm just putting this out there because of human needs.36:39-36:39Right?36:39-37:19Verse seven, he says, "I wish that all were as I myself am, but each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another." So Paul says, "I have this gift and I wish everyone had this gift." Paul's like, "You may not have this gift." Bible's clear, God gives different gifts to different people and some people are uniquely gifted by God for singleness.37:20-37:21Some people are.37:21-37:24Like that is from God himself.37:28-37:33Quickly, Jesus, Matthew chapter 19, again, we referenced this earlier.37:33-37:38He was speaking of marriage and divorce and adultery.37:38-37:41Look, Jesus, this is where Paul gets this.37:42-37:45Paul's just repeating what Jesus was saying here about singleness.37:46-38:07Like I said, Jesus just got done talking about marriage and divorce, and the disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But Jesus said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only to those to whom it is given.38:09-38:19For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.38:20-38:24Let the one who is able to receive this, receive it.38:26-38:28Same thing, same point.38:29-38:32Some people have a gift of singleness given by God.38:34-38:41If you're sitting here, you're like, "Man, I couldn't do it." Well, then you don't have the gift.38:43-38:45That's just all there is to it, right?38:47-38:48If you're sitting here and you're like, "You know what?38:48-38:59am single but I really don't want to be, then you don't have the gift. Because it's a gift from God to be single and content.39:02-39:17It's from God to be single and content, not single and consumed by lust. You don't have the gift if that's the case. Not if single and constantly tempted, you don't have the gift.39:17-39:23Not if single and constantly preoccupied by the fact that I am single, you don't have the gift.39:26-39:26Right?39:27-39:32But for some, it is a gift.39:33-39:45And there are definite advantages to this gift that we're going to talk about very shortly down the road, he picks up on that really in verse 32.39:46-39:56So Paul is saying to the Corinthians, "God's Word preserved by His Holy Spirit saying to us same thing." Look, don't judge the single people, right?39:57-39:58Don't judge the single people.39:58-40:04Maybe they have a gift from God to be single and content, to serve Him in a unique way.40:04-40:04Don't judge them.40:05-40:08And on the other hand, don't judge the married people either.40:09-40:24God has given the gift of marriage, and each side here, the single, the married, each has a gift, so enjoy yours how God intended." Our worship team would make their way up.40:25-40:35You know, in talking about this subject, it's hard to not think about how I heard of this subject when I was but a wee lad.40:38-40:46And you know, growing up, I thought, I'm just gonna be honest with you here, I thought sex was a bad, dirty thing.40:50-41:05Growing up, I thought sex was just this really, it was this really secretive, dirty thing that adults kind of whisper about, and you're like, "Why did you think that?" Because that was the only way it was ever presented.41:07-41:27And you know, so much church, so much church is, "Don't do this, don't do that, don't do this." So much church is, "Let me tell you everything that we're against." And too seldom does the church say what we're for.41:29-41:35But listen, sex is not a bad, dirty thing.41:38-41:41You realize God created it.41:43-41:45You realize the whole thing was His idea.41:46-41:52God is 100% for husbands and wives enjoying the heck out of it.41:55-41:56That's what he intended.41:58-42:01Sex to be one of life's greatest pleasures for a married couple.42:03-42:10So it's a gift for the married and the unmarried get the gift of not needing that wedding gift.42:10-42:13So, which is good?42:15-42:17Married or single?42:20-42:21Both are good.42:23-42:23Enjoy.42:24-42:25Let's pray.42:26-42:31Father in heaven, every good and perfect gift comes from above.42:32-42:55And I pray, Father, that you would give us eyes to see the way that you have blessed and gifted us and that we would use the gifts in a way that honors and glorifies you, whether it's single, to serve you in a unique way, whether it's married, to enjoy this picture of Christ and the church to enjoy the intimacy that comes from knowing somebody so deeply.42:57-43:01Whatever it is, God, let us recognize and enjoy.43:02-43:04And thank You and praise You for all of Your gifts.43:05-43:07We praise You in Jesus' name.43:07-43:08Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 7:1-7What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain the “3 Laws of Marital Intimacy” in your own words (1 Cor 7:3-5).What does it mean that “the wife doesn't have authority over her own body, but the husband does, (and vice-versa)”? Is this making allowance for some kind of coercion to intimacy? Why or why not?How would you respond to a single friend who asks, “How do I know if I have the gift of singleness?”BreakoutPray for one another.

Das Losungswort und der Lehrtext der Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine:Der HERR sprach zu seinem Volk: Siehe, ich will euch Getreide, Wein und Öl die Fülle schicken, dass ihr genug daran haben sollt.Joel 2,19Jesus nahm die fünf Brote und zwei Fische und sah auf zum Himmel, dankte und brach die Brote und gab sie den Jüngern, dass sie sie ihnen austeilten, und die zwei Fische teilte er unter sie alle. Und sie aßen alle und wurden satt.Markus 6,41-42Titel der Andacht: "Genug für alle"Nachzulesen in nah-am-leben.deDen Originaltitel "Ordinary People" kann man sich hier anhören

Der HERR sprach zu seinem Volk:  Siehe, ich will euch Getreide, Wein und Öl die Fülle schicken, dass ihr genug daran haben sollt. Joel 2,19Jesus nahm die fünf Brote und zwei Fische und sah auf zum Himmel, dankte und brach die Brote und gab sie den Jüngern, dass sie sie ihnen austeilten, und die zwei Fische teilte er unter sie alle. Und sie aßen alle und wurden satt. Markus 6,41-42Autor: Christian Huck

Der HERR sprach zu seinem Volk:  Siehe, ich will euch Getreide, Wein und Öl die Fülle schicken, dass ihr genug daran haben sollt. Joel 2,19Jesus nahm die fünf Brote und zwei Fische und sah auf zum Himmel, dankte und brach die Brote und gab sie den Jüngern, dass sie sie ihnen austeilten, und die zwei Fische teilte er unter sie alle. Und sie aßen alle und wurden satt. Markus 6,41-42Autor: Sven Kahrs

Amazing Love John 15:13, 1 John 4:10, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 1:18–19Jesus laid down his life for us on the cross to demonstrate and magnify God's love for us. The CrossIn the ancient world, the cross was a symbol of shame, death, and defeat. Among the Jewish people, anyone who died on a cross was considered cursed by God, and the Romans viewed those who were crucified with contempt. This is why the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” Even today, the cross remains difficult for many to understand. Yet, the cross stands at the center of God's redemptive plan and the very heart of the gospel.  Every believer knows Jesus died for them on the cross, but even for people of faith, its meaning can be challenging to fully grasp.  Further, scripture describes the work of Christ on the cross in several different ways, adding complexity to our endeavors to understand it.  With this series, we will examine key biblical passages that illuminate these different dimensions of the cross and help us to grow a deeper and fuller understanding of its profound significance.Orchard Community Church8180 Telephone RdVentura CA 93004www.OrchardVentura.orgContact us at Info@OrchardVentura.orgOrchard's Streaming and Song Select CCLI# 160190

Evangelho de Jesus Cristo segundo Mateus 4,12-2312Ao saber que João tinha sido preso,Jesus voltou para a Galileia.13Deixou Nazaré e foi morar em Cafarnaum,que fica às margens do mar da Galileia,14no território de Zabulon e Neftali,para se cumprir o que foi dito pelo profeta Isaías:15"Terra de Zabulon, terra de Neftali, caminho do mar,região do outro lado do rio Jordão,Galileia dos pagãos!16O povo que vivia nas trevas viu uma grande luze para os que viviam na região escura da mortebrilhou uma luz".17Daí em diante Jesus começou a pregar dizendo:"Convertei-vos, porque o Reino dos Céus está próximo".18Quando Jesus andava à beira do mar da Galileia,viu dois irmãos:Simão, chamado Pedro, e seu irmão André.Estavam lançando a rede ao mar, pois eram pescadores.19Jesus disse a eles: "Segui-me,e eu farei de vós pescadores de homens".20Eles, imediatamente deixaram as redes e o seguiram.21Caminhando um pouco mais, Jesus viu outros dois irmãos:Tiago, filho de Zebedeu, e seu irmão João.Estavam na barca com seu pai Zebedeuconsertando as redes.Jesus os chamou.22Eles, imediatamente deixaram a barca e o pai,e o seguiram.23Jesus andava por toda a Galileia,ensinando em suas sinagogas,pregando o Evangelho do Reinoe curando todo tipo de doença e enfermidade do povo.Palavra da Salvação.

Mk 3:13-19Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,that they might be with himand he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:He appointed the Twelve:Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder;Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

+ Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 21: 12 – 19Jesus said to his disciples,"Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives. The Gospel of the Lord

Lk 21:12-19Jesus said to the crowd:"They will seize and persecute you,they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,and they will have you led before kings and governorsbecause of my name.It will lead to your giving testimony.Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speakingthat all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.You will even be handed over by parents,brothers, relatives, and friends,and they will put some of you to death.You will be hated by all because of my name,but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Gedanken zum Evangelium von Kardinal Christoph Schönborn, am 16. November 2025Lk 21,5 – 19Jesus scheint am Ende seines Lebens die Zukunft in düsteren Farben gesehen zu haben.  Er sieht Schweres auf die Welt zukommen. Da ist die Rede von Zerstörungen, von Kriegen und Unruhen, von Irreführungen, Naturkatastrophen und von Verfolgungen seiner Anhänger. Auf den ersten Blick passt das alles auf unsere Zeit. Zukunftsängste prägen sie mehr und mehr. Was kommt auf die junge Generation zu?

John 2:13-22Jesus Cleanses the Temple13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”18So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Lk 6:12-19Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,and he spent the night in prayer to God.When day came, he called his disciples to himself,and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,Simon who was called a Zealot,and Judas the son of James,and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the peoplefrom all Judea and Jerusalemand the coastal region of Tyre and Sidoncame to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.Everyone in the crowd sought to touch himbecause power came forth from him and healed them all.

Mt 5:17-19Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place.Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandmentsand teaches others to do sowill be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.But whoever obeys and teaches these commandmentswill be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Homilia Padre Fábio Vanderlei, IVE:Evangelho de Jesus Cristo segundo João 21,15-19Jesus manifestou-se aos seus discípulose, depois de comerem, perguntou a Simão Pedro: "Simão, filho de João, tu me amas mais do que estes?"Pedro respondeu: "Sim, Senhor, tu sabes que eu te amo". Jesus disse: "Apascenta os meus cordeiros".E disse de novo a Pedro: "Simão, filho de João, tu me amas?"Pedro disse:"Sim, Senhor, tu sabes que eu te amo".Jesus disse-lhe: "Apascenta as minhas ovelhas".Pela terceira vez, perguntou a Pedro: "Simão, filho de João, tu me amas?"Pedro ficou triste,porque Jesus perguntou três vezes se ele o amava. Respondeu: "Senhor, tu sabes tudo; tu sabes que eu te amo".Jesus disse-lhe: "Apascenta as minhas ovelhas.Em verdade, em verdade te digo: quando eras jovem, tu te cingias e ias para onde querias.Quando fores velho, estenderás as mãos e outro te cingiráe te levará para onde não queres ir".Jesus disse isso,significando com que mortePedro iria glorificar a Deus.E acrescentou:"Segue-me". Palavra da Salvação.

Evangelho de Jesus Cristo segundo João 16,16-20Naquele tempo, disse Jesus aos seus discípulos:16"Pouco tempo ainda, e já não me vereis.E outra vez pouco tempo, e me vereis de novo".17Alguns dos seus discípulos disseram então entre si:'O que significa o que ele nos está dizendo:'Pouco tempo, e não me vereis,e outra vez pouco tempo, e me vereis de novo',e: 'Eu vou para junto do Pai?'"18Diziam, pois:"O que significa este pouco tempo?Não entendemos o que ele quer dizer".19Jesus compreendeu que eles queriam interrogá-lo;então disse-lhes:"Estais discutindo entre vósporque eu disse:'Pouco tempo e já não me vereis,e outra vez pouco tempo e me vereis'?20Em verdade, em verdade vos digo:Vós chorareis e vos lamentareis,mas o mundo se alegrará.Vós ficareis tristes,mas a vossa tristeza se transformará em alegria".Palavra da Salvação.

Das Losungswort und der Lehrtext der Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine:Ein geängstetes, zerschlagenes Herz wirst du, Gott, nicht verachten.Psalm 51,19Jesus sprach: Der Zöllner stand ferne, wollte auch die Augen nicht aufheben zum Himmel, sondern schlug an seine Brust und sprach: Gott, sei mir Sünder gnädig! Ich sage euch: Dieser ging gerechtfertigt hinab in sein Haus.Lukas 18,13-14Titel der Andacht: "Jenseits der Selbstgerechtigkeit"Nachzulesen in nah-am-leben.de

Ein geängstetes, zerschlagenes Herz wirst du, Gott, nicht verachten.Psalm 51,19Jesus sprach:  Der Zöllner stand ferne, wollte auch die Augen nicht aufheben zum Himmel, sondern schlug an seine Brust und sprach: Gott, sei mir Sünder gnädig! Ich sage euch: Dieser ging gerechtfertigt hinab in sein Haus.Lukas 18,13-14Autorin: Eggers

Homily by Father Peter Zwaans Mount Gambier Catholic ParishGospel: John 21:1-19Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I'm going fishing.' They replied, ‘We'll come with you.' They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night. It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?' And when they answered, ‘No', he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something.' So, they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.' At these words ‘It is the Lord', Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land. As soon as they came ashore, they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.' Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?'; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead. After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?' He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.' A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?' He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.' Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?' and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. ‘I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.' In these words, he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.'The Gospel of the Lord.R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Wednesday of the Third Week of LentMatthew 5:17-19Jesus said to his disciples:"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place."

Mt 5:17-19Jesus said to his disciples:"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place.Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandmentsand teaches others to do sowill be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.But whoever obeys and teaches these commandmentswill be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."

Read OnlineAs Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments…” Mark 10:17–19Jesus addresses different people in different ways. He chastised the proud and arrogant who came to trap Him. He was exceptionally gentle and kind to the repentant sinner who came in tears. He spoke in parables and figures of speech to those who were curious but had little faith. And to those who came with openness, sincerely seeking the truth, He spoke clearly, lovingly and directly.Today's Gospel presents us with the familiar story of the Rich Young Man. Notice how this young man came to Jesus. First, he “ran up” to Jesus. This suggests he was very desirous to speak with our Lord. He also knelt down before Jesus, which points to his humility and reverence. Then he asked Jesus a  direct and important question. He didn't ask Jesus to heal someone. He wasn't looking for a miracle or a personal favor. Instead, this young man asked the question we should all ask Jesus every day. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Is this a question that you ponder and ask our Lord?As the story unfolds, Jesus gives two answers. First, He gives the young man the fundamental answer to his question. Eternal life is obtained by keeping away from serious sin, out of love and obedience to the will of God. But after the young man inquires further, Jesus gives him a much deeper answer. This second answer was one based on a deep love for this young man because it presented the key to perfection. “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”Many people go through life fulfilling the most fundamental precepts of holiness. They avoid serious sin so as to remain in a state of grace. And this is good. But Jesus wants so much more: He wants perfection. When we sincerely seek out perfection, Jesus will answer us as He answered the Rich Young Man. Perfection requires the deepest purification from all unhealthy attachments. Most people have many attachments that hinder perfection. Those attachments might not be mortal sins, but they are venial sins, or spiritual imperfections. Therefore, it's important to know that if you want perfection, and if you humble yourself before our Lord and sincerely ask how to obtain it, He will lovingly invite you to detach from everything but God and His holy will for your life. What that means practically for you must be prayerfully discerned.Reflect, today, upon whether or not you could join this rich young man in his humble questions posed to Jesus. Do you want to know how to be perfect? If so, are you ready to respond to Jesus' answer? Are you willing to abandon everything that is a hindrance to the will of God so that you can follow Him and fulfill His perfect will? Ponder this question and commit yourself to the full embrace of Jesus' answer and you will become richer in what matters than you could ever imagine.My generous Lord, You call me to perfection. You call me to turn from everything that hinders my perfect love of You and my full embrace of Your will. Please help me to sincerely turn to You every day, seeking only Your full will in all things. As I do, please set me free from all that keeps me from the life of perfection to which I am called. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons  Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

+ Holy Gospel according to St. Mark 3: 13-19Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: (he appointed the twelve:) Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.The Gospel of the Lord

Das Losungswort und der Lehrtext der Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine:Der HERR wird dein ewiges Licht und dein Gott wird dein Glanz sein.Jesaja 60,19Jesus spricht: Wer mich sieht, der sieht den, der mich gesandt hat. Ich bin als Licht in die Welt gekommen, auf dass, wer an mich glaubt, nicht in der Finsternis bleibe.Johannes 12,45-46Titel der Andacht: "Gottes neue Welt"Nachzulesen in nah-am-leben.de

Das Losungswort und der Lehrtext der Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine:Sollte Gott etwas sagen und nicht tun? Sollte er etwas reden und nicht halten?4. Mose 23,19Jesus spricht: Wer diese meine Rede hört und tut sie, der gleicht einem klugen Mann, der sein Haus auf Fels baute.Matthäus 7,24Titel der Andacht: "Von Gott gesegnet"Nachzulesen in nah-am-leben.de

Spiritual & Social TransformationLuke 4:16b-19Jesus stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:16b-19)Luke 4:18-19 was the only scripture that we had to memorize in our Intro to Theology course in seminary. On the first day of class, our professor declared to us newly initiated students that this Lukan text, if we were truly seeking to understand the depth and breadth of Jesus' life, encapsulated not only who Jesus was but also his mission in the world. This text, taken from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, revealed that Jesus had not come only to bring a spiritual salvation as many of us had been taught. Jesus proclaimed that he had come to bring a social salvation that was to be embodied, practiced, and lived faithfully in the here and now.He had not come to save them only from their spiritual sins in the great by and by but to save them from a society that saw their poverty, their conditions, their imprisonment, and their oppression as sin. He had come to disrupt systems and dismantle structures that threatened their wellbeing and flourishing here on earth. It was personal – it was political – and it was prophetic. In his mission and ministry, no one was to be excluded. Everybody was included. As we enter into this Advent week of joy, Jesus invites us to join him on his mission to all that calls for both a spiritual and a social transformation. For as the text in Isaiah announces, those who do that will receive an everlasting joy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

December 13, 2024Homily: SalvationFr. BennyGospelMt 11:16-19Jesus said to the crowds:"To what shall I compare this generation?It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,'He is possessed by a demon.'The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'But wisdom is vindicated by her works."ST JOSEPH'S ONLINE:Web: https://www.stjmod.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stjmod/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stjmod/Giving: https://ppay.co/yohL5SoVCT8

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary TimeLk 21:12-19Jesus said to the crowd:"They will seize and persecute you,they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,and they will have you led before kings and governorsbecause of my name."

September 10, 2024Homily: Jesus HealsFr. SamGospelLk 6:12-19Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,and he spent the night in prayer to God.When day came, he called his disciples to himself,and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,Simon who was called a Zealot,and Judas the son of James,and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the peoplefrom all Judea and Jerusalemand the coastal region of Tyre and Sidoncame to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.Everyone in the crowd sought to touch himbecause power came forth from him and healed them all.

Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary TimeLk 6:12-19Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,and he spent the night in prayer to God.When day came, he called his disciples to himself,and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,Simon who was called a Zealot,and Judas the son of James,and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

The words of Jesus were intentional, exceptional and powerful. Consider the source! Indeed, Jesus healed lepers as a witness to his Jewish brethren. The strangers, Samaritan, Roman centurion, Syrophoenician received the word of God with faith and enthusiasm. There was a glaring lack of faith of the Jewish brethren toward both John and Jesus. They were looking for a "certain" Messiah and no amount of evidence was able to open the closed eyes of the Priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees. ***78: Jesus Heals Ten LepersLuke 17:11-19Jesus passed through Samaria and Galilee on a journey to Jerusalem. As he came to a village, ten men who were lepers stood off from him and cried out, saying: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus answered them, saying: “Go show yourselves unto the priests.” As they went, they were healed. One of them, a Samaritan, when he realized that he was healed, returned to Jesus, fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving thanks and glorifying God in a loud voice. Jesus, seeing him, asked: “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” Then Jesus said to the grateful Samaritan: “Airse, go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary TimeMt 5:17-19Jesus said to his disciples:"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place."

In this episode, I share some thoughts on a child's faith.  What does childlike faith mean? To me, it means full of wonder, simple, and teachable;I can only speak for myself and my personal experience; however, through the years, I have had many opportunities to interact with little children, observe, and learn that faith, like a child, is pure, uncomplicated, and unwavering. Children naturally trust and believe in the world around them. They are innocent, open, having a sense of wonder. They are free from judgment, skepticism, or suspicion. They have complete trust and confidence in something greater than themselves. from the scriptures, I learn repeatedly to remember to be like a little child, such as: "…submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Mosiah 3:19Jesus reminds us to embrace childlike faith, emphasizing its importance in the spiritual journey. In Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." I have learned so much from children, and I want to share a few valuable reminders from the Savior's teachings and other traits of a child. I found them helpful to me in continuing my faith journey.1. Being Submissive means being gentle, willing to follow guidance, and accepting direction without resistance.2. Humble means humility, allowing me to recognize my limitations and rely on God. 3. Being a Meek means to remain calm, gentle, quiet, and composed, especially during challenging situations.4. Trusting means believing in God,  in His goodness, but also the goodness and honesty of others.  It means embracing uncertainty with the assurance that things will work out.5. To Forgive means letting go of anger or resentment toward others and being willing to mend relationships by giving grace and moving forward. Forgiveness brings freedom from the burdens of resentment and bitterness.6. Being full of Love means expressing affection and warmth freely and unconditionally, creating a loving and nurturing atmosphere.  Children easily express love and affection, and they accept love and affection so freely. Be willing to be open-minded to new possibilities, see the good, and believe in positive outcomes. Avoid doubts and skepticism.Embrace Wonder as children do by looking at the world around us with awe. Find joy in the simple things and appreciate the beauty in everyday life.Live in the present, embracing every moment. Focus on the present rather than being consumed by past regrets or future anxieties.In closing, I share a song titled "Noc Czerwcowa" (The Night of June)“Great is the human who has not lost his childlike heart.” – Mencius.www.kasiasmusic.comwww.kasiasfaithjourney.comhttps://www.facebook.com/kasiasfaithjourney/

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments…” Mark 10:17–19Jesus addresses different people in different ways. He chastised the proud and arrogant who came to trap Him. He was exceptionally gentle and kind to the repentant sinner who came in tears. He spoke in parables and figures of speech to those who were curious but had little faith. And to those who came with openness, sincerely seeking the truth, He spoke clearly, lovingly and directly.Today's Gospel presents us with the familiar story of the Rich Young Man. Notice how this young man came to Jesus. First, he “ran up” to Jesus. This suggests he was very desirous to speak with our Lord. He also knelt down before Jesus, which points to his humility and reverence. Then he asked Jesus a direct and important question. He didn't ask Jesus to heal someone. He wasn't looking for a miracle or a personal favor. Instead, this young man asked the question we should all ask Jesus every day. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Is this a question that you ponder and ask our Lord?As the story unfolds, Jesus gives two answers. First, He gives the young man the fundamental answer to his question. Eternal life is obtained by keeping away from serious sin, out of love and obedience to the will of God. But after the young man inquires further, Jesus gives him a much deeper answer. This second answer was one based on a deep love for this young man because it presented the key to perfection. “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”Many people go through life fulfilling the most fundamental precepts of holiness. They avoid serious sin so as to remain in a state of grace. And this is good. But Jesus wants so much more: He wants perfection. When we sincerely seek out perfection, Jesus will answer us as He answered the Rich Young Man. Perfection requires the deepest purification from all unhealthy attachments. Most people have many attachments that hinder perfection. Those attachments might not be mortal sins, but they are venial sins, or spiritual imperfections. Therefore, it's important to know that if you want perfection, and if you humble yourself before our Lord and sincerely ask how to obtain it, He will lovingly invite you to detach from everything but God and His holy will for your life. What that means practically for you must be prayerfully discerned.Reflect, today, upon whether or not you could join this rich young man in his humble questions posed to Jesus. Do you want to know how to be perfect? If so, are you ready to respond to Jesus' answer? Are you willing to abandon everything that is a hindrance to the will of God so that you can follow Him and fulfill His perfect will? Ponder this question and commit yourself to the full embrace of Jesus' answer and you will become richer in what matters than you could ever imagine.My generous Lord, You call me to perfection. You call me to turn from everything that hinders my perfect love of You and my full embrace of Your will. Please help me to sincerely turn to You every day, seeking only Your full will in all things. As I do, please set me free from all that keeps me from the life of perfection to which I am called. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured images above: Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick (Charlotte, North Carolina) - stained glass, Christ and the rich young man, via Wikimedia Commons

Acts 1:15-17, 21-261 John 5:9-13John 17:6-19Psalm 1The CollectO God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.The First LessonActs 1:15-17, 21-26In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, "Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus-- for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us-- one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection." So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.The ResponsePsalm 1Beatus vir qui non abiit1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *nor lingered in the way of sinners,nor sat in the seats of the scornful!2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *and they meditate on his law day and night.3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *everything they do shall prosper.4 It is not so with the wicked; *they are like chaff which the wind blows away.5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *but the way of the wicked is doomed.The Epistle1 John 5:9-13If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.The GospelJohn 17:6-19Jesus prayed for his disciples, “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect...

Wednesday of the Third Week of LentMt 5:17-19Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill."

Third Sunday in Lent The Collect: Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-17 1Then God spoke all these words: 2I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;3you shall have no other gods before me. 4You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.8Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13You shall not murder.14You shall not commit adultery. 15You shall not steal. 16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Psalm: Psalm 19 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *        and the firmament shows his handiwork. 2 One day tells its tale to another, *        and one night imparts knowledge to another. 3 Although they have no words or language, *        and their voices are not heard, 4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *        and their message to the ends of the world. 5 In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *        it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;        it rejoices like a champion to run its course. 6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens    and runs about to the end of it again; *        nothing is hidden from its burning heat. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect                               and revives the soul; *        the testimony of the Lord is sure                               and gives wisdom to the innocent. 8 The statutes of the Lord are just                               and rejoice the heart; *        the commandment of the Lord is clear                               and gives light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean                               and endures for ever; *        the judgments of the Lord are true                               and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold,                               more than much fine gold, *        sweeter far than honey,                               than honey in the comb. 11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *        and in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can tell how often he offends? *        cleanse me from my secret faults. 13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;     let them not get dominion over me; *        then shall I be whole and sound,        and innocent of a great offense. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my                               heart be acceptable in your sight, *        O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. Gospel: John 2:13-22 13The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!” 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”18The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?”21But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary TimeMk 3:13-19Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,that they might be with himand he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

Friday of the Second Week of AdventMt 11:16-19Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'"

Summary:God's plan for us after salvation is clear and very exciting. Salvation is just the first step in a deep walk and relationship with the Father. Christ's resurrection opened the door to a relationship with the Father and now we are walking in the footsteps of the pattern son,(Christ). Now as sons, we become engaged in those works that He predestined us to walk in before the foundation of the World.Show Notes: Salvation was the initial step in a deep relationship with the Father. Christ opened the door for our relationship with the Father, and now we are walking in His footsteps to become sons like Him. Walking out our destiny in God and bringing Christ's kingdom to this earth is the drive of His sons. Today the Father is unfolding things that have been hidden before the foundations of the earth for us to walk in. When Christ was on the cross He said “It is finished.” When He gave up His Spirit, that was our salvation. There the veil was rent, thus opening a door to the kingdom of God.Quotes: The church still comes up to the cross, and that's where they stay. Everything is for salvation. But it doesn't take you much farther. It doesn't take you beyond that, in the sense that you know, what's beyond the cross. It's a walk with God. He loves us so much. He has so much for us to get and to become, and to create, He wants us to be co-creators with him. You know, He doesn't want just little children, thankful for his love and His cross. Beyond the cross, beyond the initial thing of salvation, we're coming into a relationship, that ministering the life and the love of the Lord, and the release, of all creation. We're walking in the fulfillment of what Christ was put on the earth for - and that was to be a pattern son, that we walk in His footsteps. The work of the Father is trying to bring forth Christ's kingdom on this earth. We're talking about seeing the things that have been hidden for this day.Scriptural References:Romans 8:29For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Ephesians 2:6and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Luke 24:13-35The road to Emmaus...Matthew 6:9-14In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. John 5:19Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 19:30When he had received the

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Thursday morning, it is the 23rd of March, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.“So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.“ Exodus 3:2Amazing miracle - the bush was burning but it was not consumed. “And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.”Matthew 14:19Jesus fed 5,000 men, not including the women and the children with two little sardines and five small barley loaves - multiplication of food! A burning bush that was not consumed! I want to ask you a question this morning. Do you believe in signs, wonders and miracles? Some people say, “Yes, we believe but those miracles went out when the disciples died.” I am sorry but I have to disagree with you entirely. You see, Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. One genuine miracle equals a thousand sermons. That is what we say at Shalom, and it really does. You can't argue with a miracle because it is there in front of your eyes. I had the privilege of speaking at a Mighty Men Conference just a week ago and as I was finishing up preaching, the crowd was pointing up into the sky and I couldn't see because I was under a covering on the stage. They had a roof over the top so I couldn't see anything. They told me to come down and have a look. I came out and there was a miracle in front of our eyes. It was in the middle of the day and there was a bright ring, a clear ring, right around the sun. Now, we had just been praying for rain in the Eastern Cape and God confirmed it for all of us, thousands of us praying for rain for Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape, and then when we looked a little bit further, there to the left, there in the sky was a beautiful cross made out of clouds. Oh folks, I have seen too many miracles in my life to doubt the Lord. Don't doubt Him, start believing in Him, but we must have patience because sometimes you have to wait a bit longer before you get your miracle. Jesus bless you and have a lovely day.

Join Chris and Peach as they take a look at the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in scripture. They share how this intimate look into the prayer life of the savior can encourage and strengthen us as we follow him. Topics Covered:Jesus prayed that we would have eternal life 17:1-3Jesus prayed for the Disciples' Unity. 17:10-11Jesus prayed for our safety from the Evil One. 17:14-15Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified in the truth. 17:16-19Jesus prayed that all christians would be unified. 17:20-23Jesus prayed that the church would see His Glory. 17:24Jesus will continue to make God's name known. 17:26Check out the book mentioned in this episode:The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross StorybookStay connected with us!Instagram - @biblebuffoonsTwitter - @biblebuffoons

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 31st of January, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”Psalm 34:19Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33You know, just the other night I listened to a beautiful testimony on the television, spoken by Joni Eareckson Tada, the lady who has been paralysed for most of her life. Remember, she dived off a rowing boat into a lake and hit her head on a rock and is completely paralysed from the neck down. She was saying that the Lord does all the sorting out of our characters and our lives here on earth, not in Heaven. She related the story of when they built the temple. The Lord said there would be no fashioning, no cutting, no shaping, and no banging to be done at the site of the temple. It all had to be done at the quarry, so when those big granite blocks were brought up to the temple for the building, they were already perfectly fashioned. They were sized up at the quarry. All the rough edges were taken off before they reached the temple site. Joni Earekson was saying that she believes that all the fashioning is going to be done here on earth so when we get to Heaven, there will be no stone masons there, there will be no need for them. There will be no pain, no tribulation, no sorting out when we get home to be with Jesus, there will be bliss, love, peace and patience and no more tears. Today you might feel you are going through such a rough time. Yesterday I spent time with a family that lost their beautiful daughter, a university student when she and her boyfriend had a car crash. The car landed in a quarry full of water and they drowned. We were able to reassure one another that she is in the presence of the Lord now with her boyfriend because they both love Jesus. The time of pain and suffering will finish here on earth. When we get to Heaven it will only be love, peace, patience and joy.So today, remember it doesn't matter what you are going through, the Lord is going through it with you. He is going through the fire with you and you are getting ready for home time and what a day that will be.Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day!Goodbye.

16A little while, and you will see me no longer; andagain a little while, and you will see me.17Sosome of his disciples said to one another, What is this that he says to us,A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;and,because I am going to the Father?18So they were saying, What does he mean bya little while?We do not know what he is talking about.19Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me?20Truly, truly, I say to you,you will weep and lament, butthe world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, butyour sorrow will turn into joy.21When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.22So also you have sorrow now, butI will see you again, andyour hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.23In that day you willask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you,whatever you ask of the Father in my name,he will give it to you.24Until now you have asked nothing in my name.Ask, and you will receive,that your joy may be full.

SummaryIn this day, God is creating in His sons a servant's heart. Christ is our exampleand out of His obedience and love for His Father; He served Him and those whothe Father gave Him. This is the heart of a servant and is to be our heart also.Show Notes• We submit to the servants.• How do you submit to a servant?• Anyone can be a servant. Ask Him for a heart of a servant.• It's all about relationships.ReferencesPhilippians 2: 5-7Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the formof God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, butemptied Himself, taking the form of a servant...Matthew 25:14-30Parable of the talents.John 5:19Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot doanything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does,his son will do also.Luke 22: 39-46The agony in the garden. (NARBE)II Corinthians 5:17So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away;behold, new things have come.Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there isnot male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.Quotes• When you're truly serving with a servant's heart, there's something that comes through that honors the people that you're serving; you make them feel lifted up. It honors the Christ within you.• What is the greatest reward of a servant? The joy of serving the Lord.• You don't have to do anything to become a servant, except submit yourself to the Lord.• I do what my Father does, I see what my Father sees, I speak what my Father speaks.Take AwayOur Father is creating a new creation in this day, and that creation is called aservant. As we follow on to know the Lord we too will say as He did when Hewas on this earth; “ I only do what I see My Father do, I only speak what I hearMy Father speaks.

“Putting Feet to Our Confession” Nehemiah 9:38 – 10:39 Big Idea: Repentance is our commitment to the gospel that reflects both transformed thinking and transformed living. The people's repentance was… 1)     Accountable (9:38) 2)     Corporate (9:38 - 10:29) 3)     Obedient (10:28,29,34,36) 4)     Serious (10:29) 5)     Practical (10:30-39) Abstaining from mixed marriages (10:30) Keeping the Sabbath holy (10:31) Funding the temple sacrifices (10:32-34) Bringing firstfruits to the temple (10:35-37) Tithing to support temple personnel (10:37-39) 6)     Prophetic The gospel of Jesus is… The highest purpose of marriage Ephesians 5:31–32 — 31“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. The ultimate Sabbath rest Hebrews 4:9–11 — 9So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,10for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. The reason for generous giving 2 Corinthians 8:9 — 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. The meaning of the true temple John 2:18–21 — 18So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Revelation 21:22 — 22And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. The fulfillment of Old Testament sacrifices Matthew 5:18 — 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Romans 10:4 — 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. The New Covenant of God's forgiveness Matthew 26:28 — 28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins

Jesus Ministry: Episode 3 o Baptism-Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23The Godhead was present at Jesus' baptismJesus gets baptized and is confirmed by God and the Holy SpiritJesus was obedient in him getting baptizedJesus gives us an example of what baptism iso Wilderness-Matthew 4:11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13The Spirit leads Jesus into the WildernessWhen we get saved there is always a wilderness periodHow we come to Christ is what matters mostThe Holy Spirit lead Jesus to the wilderness to be testedTest of provision: being asked to turn stones to breadTest of protection: being questioned about his deity and commit suicideTest of power: being offered the whole world, but to fall down and worship satano Selection of apostles/ disciples John 1:35-42 John 1:43-51; Luke 6:12-19Jesus chooses 12 to follow and do His willHealing (i.e., blind, sick, lame, demon possessed) Matthew 8:14-17 and performing miracles Proclaiming the kingdom of God Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-44 Teaching- Sermon on the Mount/Parables (i.e., the sower and the seed, wheat and tares, mustard seed, leaven, treasure in a field)The way to salvation:Hear: Romans 10:17Believe: Hebrews 11:6Repent: Acts 17:30-31Confess: Matthew 10:32Be Baptized: Mark 16:15-16Be faithful unto death: Revelation 2:10A Call to SalvationSupport the showSocial Media/Follow Us: Website:https://www.calledbygodpodcast.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/cbg.podcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/CalledbyGodPodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calledbygodpodcast

Gospel of John, Chapter 17, verses 11b-19Jesus draws near to the conclusion of His great discourse. And in some of His final words, Jesus discusses sending out the disciples into a world that will and already does hate them...a world of which they are not a part. This is good stuff and it deserves to be fleshed out. So what does that mean for you and I?Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Have you noticed? There are invitations for each distinct part of you in these recent episodes of “Becoming Whole.”Our hope is you'll say yes to the invitations and incorporate all of you into this meaningful season of Lent:  Whether it's through Confession widening awareness for your heart or Meditation as it transforms your mind.Now, as you listen, allow your body to move through a prayerful exercise. This is simple yet powerful. As you sense your body communicating needs and desires; consider Jesus' words. Jesus goes first. He gives us the words and so much more. Let's begin. Highlights:“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19Jesus gives us His body, His death and His Resurrected body too.In the face of our temptations, our unmet longings, our bodily desires, those things we wish we didn't want but we still want, the attractions or orientations we say no to, the habits we fight; Jesus says “This is my body given for you.”If you want to learn more, check out Josh's latest writing on this topic at, Giving Your BodyTranscription:Full Transcription Available hereSupport Becoming Whole

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 17-19Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, invites us not just to look at the letter of the Law, but at the heart. And so to fulfill where it points, we must understand it at its essence. And so it is true with us as well.Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk