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Pastor Levi, Pastor Travis, and Lisa talk about abiding in Jesus, from John 10:10, 14:1-6, and 15:1-11, including Dining on the Fruits of the Spirit, Studying the Word, and Practicing the Disciplines. This is an episode of Pearls & Swine on the Evangel Houghton Podcast from Evangel Community Church, Houghton, Michigan, June 10, 2025.
Series: 1 John: That You May KnowPreacher: Pastor Brian BoneKey Points:Jesus' Imminent Return: The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is coming back soon, and His second coming will be a glorious, visible event of judgment for which all must be ready.The Importance of Abiding in Jesus: To be ready and confident at Christ's return, believers must "abide" in Him, meaning to hold fast and not let go, drawing life and sustenance from Him as branches from a vine.The Wonders of God's Love and Salvation: Be amazed by God's eternal, sovereign love that chose you before creation, saved you from sin and spiritual death, and continually sustains you by grace.The Beatific Vision and Transformation: Believers will literally see Jesus as He is in His glorified form, and this single glimpse will perfectly transform them, removing all desire for sin and providing infinite, unending satisfaction.Daily Gaze for Ongoing Transformation: While the full transformation is future, daily "gazing" at Jesus through spiritual disciplines like Bible reading and worship incrementally transforms believers, purifying them and preparing them for His return.Call to "Wake Up and Look at Jesus": A practical exhortation to intentionally prioritize focusing on Jesus every day, making Him the central gaze of one's heart above worldly distractions, temptations, and anxieties.Salvation through Belief: For non-believers, salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit are immediately available through simple belief in Jesus Christ, who was lifted up for their healing and eternal life.Reflect & Discuss:How does the reality of Jesus' imminent return impact your daily priorities and long-term planning?What does "abiding in Jesus" practically look like in your life, especially when faced with distractions or temptations?How can you cultivate a deeper sense of amazement at God's love for you and the salvation you've received?Considering the concept of the "beatific vision," how does the promise of seeing Jesus and being transformed encourage you in your spiritual walk?What is one specific step you will take this week to "wake up and look at Jesus" more intentionally each day?Scripture:Main Passage: 1 John 2:28-3:3Supporting Passages: John 15:1-8, 1 Peter 1:8, 1 Corinthians 13:12, Matthew 17:2, Revelation 1:12-16, Revelation 21:23, Psalm 16:11, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Matthew 6:22-23, John 3:14-16, Numbers 21:4-9, Romans 10:9-10.Keywords:Jesus' Return, Second Coming, Abiding in Christ, Last Hour, God's Love, Salvation, Holy Spirit, Spiritual Transformation, Beatific Vision, Perseverance, Discernment, Worship, Bible Study, Eternal Life.
Introduction: Leviticus 19:18 – You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:34 – You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. I Love My Enemies... (Matthew 5:43–48) ...because of WHO I AM. (Matt 5:45a) ...by WHAT I DO. (Matt 5:45b) ...because I Am CALLED TO BE DIFFERENT. (Matt 5:46–47) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:43-48What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What does it mean to be persecuted? When Jesus said we must pray for those who persecute us, what / how exactly should we pray?Can you genuinely love your enemy if you don't really feel like it? Why or why not?Explain Romans 12:20. How exactly does loving your enemy lead him to repentance? See also Romans 2:4.What did Jesus mean in verse 48 when He said we “must be perfect”?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open up those Bibles to Matthew chapter 5.As we go through our series, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5 verse 43, Jesussaid, "You have heard that it was said."Stop there for a second.This whole section that we're in right now, if you've been following this series at all,I'm sure you've noticed that that has come up.What is it like?Six total times pastor?Like, "You have heard that it was said, but I say to you."What Jesus is dealing with here is correcting some garbage beliefs.And I've shared with you before, that's my biggest concern for this church is the areaof discernment.We live in a day that there is so much bad teaching out there.And thanks to the Internet, we have access, right?And look, I'm not saying it's all bad, but I'm saying probably for every good teachingyou can find online, you can probably find ten other garbage teaching online.And my concern for the church is people not knowing the difference.And it gets back to what did Jesus actually say?It's the issue that He was dealing with in His day, lack of discernment.Last week we saw Jesus said, "You've heard that it was said, and I for an eye."And Jesus said, "No, no, no, no, no, no."Jesus, as I say to you, I'm paraphrasing, He says, "Do not retaliate."You can walk away from last week's message and say, "Got it.Don't retaliate."So I'm just going to ignore the people that I can't stand.Well, let's keep reading.Verse 43, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate yourenemy.'But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."Oh, no, no, don't ignore your enemies.You have to look for ways to be good to them.You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.You're saying that I not only don't get to get even with them, but I have to proactivelylove them?Yeah, that's what He said.All right?It's a hard word.So I think we should just stop and pray right now, shouldn't we?I'm going to ask that you would pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's word,accurately and clearly, and I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what ourLord is teaching us in this part of His Sermon.All right?So let's pray.Father in heaven, as we go through this sermon from our Lord, it's just wave after wave ofthings that really confront our selfish, sinful, fleshly tendencies.And I don't know of one that's bigger than this one.I'm asking, please God, please, by the power of Your Word, Father, by the power of YourSpirit that You would change our minds today, Father, change our hearts and that we wouldn'tjust leave here knowing some things, but we leave here deeply convicted and moved to dosome things.For Your glory and honor, Father.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said, Amen.All right, let's break this down here.Jesus says in verse 43, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighborand hate your enemy.'"You have heard.You have heard.That's what we've seen in this series.The scribes and the Pharisees in Jesus' day did what's still happening today.They twist verses in the Word of God to justify whatever it is they want to justify.For them, Jesus called them out.They were justifying their lust.They were justifying their hatred.They were justifying their getting even with people.He calls them out again.You've heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."That's what the scribes and the Pharisees said.And you're like, "Well, was that in the Old Testament?"Well, the first part was, kind of.Here's what I mean.Here's what's actually in the Scripture.Leviticus 19-18.Look at this."You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but youshall love your neighbor as yourself.I am the Lord."So you see, with the way that they sort of restated that, they ran into four problems.Four problems.The first problem is the scribes and the Pharisees left out the "as yourself" part.Did you notice that?Well, I love my neighbor, but as myself, that's a bit too much.Let's keep it vague.Because if we keep love vague, then whatever we do, we can just say it was love, right?So keep it vague.God never kept it vague.That was their first problem.Second problem is the scribes and the Pharisees redefined neighbor.And their definition of neighbor was, "Those I choose to love."That was their definition.So do you realize...the reason I'm laughing is, do you realize what that made the command?God's command is, "Love those you choose to love."That's convenient.Third problem, the scribes and the Pharisees totally added the "hate your enemy" part,right?Totally added that.You're not going to find that anywhere in the Old Testament.My vague love is for my Jewish neighbors.What about the foreigners?Hate them.And that leads us actually to the fourth problem.Because that whole love your neighbor as yourself, that was in Leviticus 19, 18.But if you go down a few verses to verse 34, it says, "You shall treat the stranger whosojourns with you as the native among you.And you shall love him as yourself."For you are strangers in the land of Egypt.I am the Lord your God.See the scribes and the Pharisees, they thought that they were honoring God by hating foreigners.And we get asked this question a lot."Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait."In the Old Testament, didn't God tell the Israelites to exterminate the nations thatwere living in the Promised Land?And don't we have all these imprecatory psalms?Like what's up with that, huh?Well, it's like the eye for an eye thing that we talked about last week.The scribes and the Pharisees took a thing that was designed for Israel as a nation andthey turned it into a personal thing.So the whole exterminate the enemies in the Promised Land.Yeah, absolutely.Israel's wars weren't personal vendettas.They were commanded by God to wipe out those nations because those nations did horriblethings.And God says, "You are not going to pollute my nation Israel."So Israel, you're going to wipe them out.And if you have a hard time with that, I would just like to lovingly remind you that Godis allowed to make those calls because vengeance belongs to Him.Okay?And God's whole purpose in that was to protect Israel as a nation in that land.That's why when you turn to your New Testament, you don't see any imprecatory language inthe New Testament.It's for Israel.And individually, we're talking about personally now, what about the people that hate me?What about the people that are my enemies?Love them.Love them.Look at verse 44, Jesus says, "But I say to you," pretty clear, isn't it?Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.You see the whole loving your neighbor command includes everyone around you, including yourenemy.Now breaking this down, when He talks about enemy, He's talking about your personal enemy.Okay?It's not this collective group idea.It's somebody who personally hates me.And Jesus says our response is to love them.That's the word agape.That is the highest form of love.That's self-sacrificing love.That's the kind of love that we should have for our enemy.And the verb tense here is constant.It's continually.You need to continually love your enemies.And you're like, well, who is my enemy?Who is it that hates you?Who is it that you know that if you tried to call them, they wouldn't answer the phone?If you sent them a text, they wouldn't reply.Or vice versa?Who is it that has been slandering you, making accusations against you?Jesus says we not only love our enemies, but you notice He ratchets it up even more whenHe says pray for those who persecute you.Those who persecute you.Those are your worst enemies.Where Jesus is speaking about your enemies who they don't just hate you.They actively hate you.These are the people that make an effort to show you how much they hate you.And as we've been going through the Sermon on the Mount, we see that a true believerin Jesus Christ is someone who is defined by the Beatitudes.And if you were here for the Beatitudes here, do you remember what the last one was?The highest rung on the ladder of following Jesus Christ is when we're persecuted.And here's the part where we stop and ask, are we persecuted?Are we really persecuted?Because here's the thing.I think for a lot of us our knee-jerk reaction to that would be I'm not persecuted, but thereality is you probably are.But you just haven't realized it.Here's what I mean by that.Here's what I mean.Persecute doesn't just mean somebody physically attacks you.Somebody murders you.Somebody gets you arrested, thrown in jail.Yes, that is persecution, but those are the most graphic manifestations of persecution.The word "persecute" literally means to pursue.That's what it means.And listen, listen to this.Persecute means somebody is chasing after you to constantly criticize and condemn you.So I imagine most of you are being persecuted right now according to the true definitionof persecution.Think about it this way.Was Jesus persecuted?If you're like, "Oh yeah, when He was crucified."Of course!But He was persecuted His entire ministry because what were they constantly doing?The proper definition.They were constantly - read the Gospels.They were constantly pursuing Jesus.They were - how would we say it?They were out to get Him.That's what persecution means.I mean, read your Gospels.They were constantly looking to criticize Jesus and assaulting Jesus, accusing Jesus."You did this in the Sabbath and you shouldn't be doing healing this way and your disciplesdidn't wash your hands and what's up with the fasting?"They were constantly, constantly, constantly after Him.That's what persecution means.And if you really follow Jesus, you have people pursuing you in that way too.Don't shout out any names.But do you have somebody at your workplace, for example, that's always watching you,always looking to get their little remarks in, get their little digs in,always looking to criticize anything you say or anything you do.That's persecution according to the proper definition.They're pursuing you.Maybe you have that family member.Never approves of a thing you do.The bum just can't do anything right and they're always vocal about it.Getting their little shots in, their little passive aggressive comments, they're alwaysout to get you.That's persecution.Maybe it's on social media.You know anything you post.You know that person is going to show up with their snarky little comment.That's pursuing.That's persecution.Jesus says we need to pray for the people to do that to us.The people that are out to get you.Jesus said pray for them.So when was the last time you did that?I don't know about you but I have a list of people that I regularly pray for.When was the last time that you loved your enemy?And you're like, why in the world would I do that?Well let's keep reading.Jesus says in verse 45, "So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."Why would you love your enemy?Why would you pray for people that are constantly out to get you?It's not because of who they are.It's because of who you are.That's the sermon that our Lord gives.That you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.It's not because of who they are.It's because of who you are.We just confess that so much of our lives, our attitudes, our moods are determined byother people, good or bad.People have a way of just like governing our lives.Here's what I mean.Your service, you go over to a giant eagle and you run into an old friend that you haven'tseen in years."Oh, that puts you in a good mood.Oh, it was so great catching up."That's going to put you in a good mood for the rest of the day, right?Or somebody makes a really jerky comment to you at work intentionally wanting to getunder your skin.Then that's just like wreck your day and you're in a bad mood for days over one jerky comment.And I would bet if you had a bad day last week, if you could point to a day last weekor like, "Oh, that was a bad day," I would be willing to bet that it had something todo with people.You're laughing because it's true.And Jesus here is saying, "My people don't react to people.My people act according to the Word of God."So let's unpack this for a few moments, shall we?When you're outlining, I want you to jot some things down.I love my enemies.Can you say that?You're like, "Not now."You will in a few minutes.I love my enemies.Number one, we already touched on this.We're going to drill a little deeper here.Number one, I love my enemies because of who I am.Look at this again.This is Jesus' whole rationale.Why would I love my enemies, Jesus?Lord, why would I pray for the people that are constantly out to get me?So that You may be sons of Your Father who is in heaven.This is where Jesus starts Your identity.You love Your enemies not because of who they are, but because of who You are.Jesus is in essence saying, "You love Your enemies because..."It's a family tradition in our family.You have family traditions.You have family traditions.You know what I mean?Every family has on brand things that they do, right?Like some families, they're like, "We're campers.We go camping."Yes, we have a house, but for a while we like to pretend that we don't.That's just what we do in our family.We live in a canvas enclosure in the wildlife.Okay, but that's your family thing.For some families, it's like, "We're beach people.We love the beach."Our family loves the beach.We love the beach.That's our family thing, right?Some families are sports families like, "Oh, we're baseball.We're a baseball family.We love the box and we're on the church softball team."And we're like, "We love baseball."Every family's got their thing, right?I mean, I remember growing up, our family.Our family had our thing.I remember when we were teenagers, Aaron actually came over to our house for Thanksgiving.And they had the stuffing out and the turkey and all the dressing and all that stuff.And I just remember our family was passing around the table a bag of funyons.And I just remember Aaron sitting there going, she looked like she saw a ghost.I'm like, "What's the matter?"She goes, "Why are you passing around a bag of funyons?It's Thanksgiving."And I'm just like, "What's Thanksgiving without funyons?"Like, "We're not the weird ones here."And then I got older and realized that we were.Every family's got their thing.That's what Jesus is saying here.Like, "Hey, hey, hey, we're in God's family."He said, "You know what we do in God's family?Do you know what we do?We love like God."And God loves His enemies.You're like, "Who are God's enemies?"Everyone.Do you realize that?Literally every single person on the planet is an enemy of God until they are reconciledto God in Jesus Christ.That's what Paul said in Romans 5, right?"If while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son."See that's the glorious reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ.When you receive Jesus Christ by faith, when you believe that He died to take away yoursin, when you believe that He rose from the dead to give you eternal life, when you turnfrom your sin and receive Him, God changes you from an enemy of God to a child of God.And now we are a child still living among enemies of God, child of God.Ephesians 4, spilling over to Ephesians 5, says, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children."This is what we do in our family.We love like God.And as His children, we imitate our dad.Do you ever notice that kids love to imitate?Do you ever notice that?Kids loved to imitate adults.It was made painfully aware to me, oh, many, many years ago, a couple decades ago at thispoint we had foster kids.Before we had any of our own kids, we had foster kids.And I remember, one little boy, he was five years old, his name was Walter, and we'd beplaying the PlayStation.We were sitting there, playing the PlayStation, and look, I was a perfect gamer back in theday.But sometimes the stupid game would glitch or something, and my guy would get killed.And when that happened, I remember I'd put the controller down, and I'd be like, "Oh,for Pete's sake!"Well Walter would be playing video games with me, and I remember he'd be playing a videogame, and he'd just randomly throw his controller down and go, "Your pee stinks!"Like no, no, no, no, no, no.No, it's for Pete's sake.But he was...It never clicked with him.He was constantly commenting on the smell of urine.Your pee stinks.Why did he do that?He was just imitating me.Right?Kids love to do that.And as a child of God, we naturally, we supernaturally want to imitate him.So when that guy at work is constantly out to get you, and you love him, and you repayhis nastiness with kindness, and then somebody else comes in and says, "Well, what are youdoing?You love that guy?That guy's a real jerk to you!"And your response says, "Yeah, I get that from my dad."You see, I see people as dad-season.Lost.Blind.Slave to sin.Heading to hell.You know what my heavenly dad taught me?He taught me that I don't need to retaliate.And my heavenly father taught me I don't need to ignore them.My heavenly father taught me that people like that need compassion.And I know right now somebody's thinking, "Yeah, I love your enemies.I see it.I hear it.Pastor Jeff, you don't know what this person said to me.You don't know the horrible things that they said to my face.You don't know the horrible things they said behind my back.Pastor Jeff, you don't know this person for years has been just out to get me."Look.You're right.They don't deserve it.You're right.They've been miserable.But you, you love them not because of who they are, but because of who you are.You're a child of God.And your heavenly father, he loves his enemies.Right?So I love my enemies because of who I am.Secondly, number two, write this one down.I love my enemies by what I do.I love my enemies by what I do.And you might be sitting here going, "Ah, yeah, this love your enemy thing.I ain't feeling it.I ain't feeling it."And I would say, "That's okay.You don't have to feel it."But you do have to do it.Because look, when the Bible talks about love, agape love, it's not an emotion.Listen, you don't have to like them.But you do have to love them.And biblically, love is an action.Here's what I mean.Love is an action.First, John 5.3 says, "For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments."Jesus said the same thing.What is it?John 14, 15.Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."John 15, Jesus said, "Abiding in Him is keeping His commandments."Notice the Bible never calls us to stir up some kind of emotion.Loving God is a choice.And yes, we worship God with our emotions in song and worship, yes, but that is thefruit of a choice to love God.The proof that you love God isn't based on your feelings.The proof that you love God according to our Lord is based on your actions.And listen, church, love works the same way with your enemies.You are not called to love your enemies by conjuring up gushy feelings.You're called to love them by your actions.You're called to love them by actively blessing them.Why?Because that's what God does.Look at verse 45, the rest of it.He says, "For He makes His Son rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on thejust and on the unjust."God is so kind to sinners.Did you ever stop and think about that?Have you ever stopped to just marvel at the glorious truth that somebody can live theirentire life and completely ignore God?And they can still have a pretty good life on the earth.Isn't that astounding?Isn't it amazing that somebody can live their entire life hating God, speaking against God,speaking against God's people, speaking against God's truth.They can live their whole life and do that, and they can still have a good life on theearth.In God's kindness, He still lets them have sun and rain and a million other good things.You can hate God, still have food and friends and laughter and family and health.And yeah, the heart hearted may refuse to be thankful or acknowledge this, but regardless,God does it anyways.God's kindness says little about them, but it says much about Him.And Jesus says, "Take note, children of God, you show love for your enemies by what youdo for them.You show love for enemies by actively seeking their good."Like, well, what does that look like, Pastor Jeff?What does that look like?Okay, so you've got a nasty, older family member who's always hated you.Go do your yard work.You got a jerk co-worker always looking to get their little shots in on you?Look for ways to sincerely and genuinely compliment their work.You got a nasty neighbor?Find out what they like and treat them.Hey, I saw your garden, and the other day I was at the store and I saw that there wasthis magazine about gardening, and I picked it up for you.I thought you might be interested.I don't know.Just get on your face and ask God to show you how you can show kindness to your enemy.Romans 12.20, Paul quotes from Proverbs 25.He says if your enemy is hungry, feed them.If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.For by so doing, you will heat burning coals on his head.When I was a young Christian, when I read this, I had this idea that if you do goodto people that aren't good to you, like if you meet their needs, they're going to havethis like mini Sodom and Gomorrah experience on their head.Like I'm going to be nice to you, and it's going to rain lava on your head.I'm burning!Like that will show them.And then I learned that that's not what that means at all.It was actually an Egyptian symbol that they would put hot coals in an insulated pot andcarried around on their head.It was a sign of repentance.See, Israel had the sackcloth and ashes.Israel had the pot of coals on their head.And that's what God's Word is driving us to.Because no one's ever been one to Jesus because a Christian matched their pettiness.No one's ever been one to Jesus because a Christian just flat-out ignored them.It's kindness that leads to repentance according to Romans 2-4.Show love to them.Actively show love to them.Why would I do that?Because it's not about who they are.It's about who you are.And one more.I love my enemies because of who I am by what I do.In Romans 2-3 we get to another because I love my enemies because I'm called to be different.Look at verses 46 and 47.Jesus says, "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?Do not even the tax collectors do the same?And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doingthan others?Do not even the Gentiles do the same?Stop there.If you're like, "You know what?I love the people that I like.I love the people that I like."Well, then you do what people who don't even know Jesus do.And our Lord here is saying, "What's so special about that?"Oh, so you think you're great because you do what's normal.Well hang on a second.Let me shine up your participation trophy.Why is it that we want applause for doing what's expected?Here's an example.Well Aaron and I, we always look at each other and kind of laugh.When we hear a dad say, "Yeah, I had a baby sit my kids last Monday."Do you hear somebody say that?You're not going to say it anymore.I had a baby sit my kids last Monday.I believe that's called being a father.You didn't baby sit your kids.What did your wife pay you $10 an hour?Like look, I'm not giving you a cookie because you did what was expected.That's what our Lord is saying here.You're expected to be different because Christians have something that no one else in the worldhas.Do you know what that is?Like the Bible?Not everybody has that.Like compassion?No, a lot of people have that.Christians have something that nobody else in the world has.You know what that is?God living in them.In other words, you should be different.I mean, anybody can go one mile.That was the law.That's expected.Anyone can give up a shirt that they lost legally in a lawsuit.That's expected.And here our Lord is saying, "Anybody can say hi to their friends."That's expected.But God expects and empowers us to do more, to be like Him.So do you do what the world expects?Or do you do what God expects because God's called you to be different than the world?Do you have a heart like God?We'll find out.We'll find out because it's revealed not in how you treat your friends, it's revealedin how you treat your enemies.You love them.Not because of who they are, but because of who you are.Oh yeah, there's one more verse.One of the most deeply convicting and challenging verses in the whole Bible.Jesus says, "You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."In the context of this teaching, obviously, he's talking about the way we love, right?You must love perfectly the way your heavenly Father loves perfectly.That's what Jesus is saying here.And look, you and I, we look at that verse and we say, "I failed.I failed."We all have.And actually, remembering the beatitudes, step one and two of the beatitudes was recognizingthat you failed.And you're like, "Man, I'll never be perfect."But God says you must be perfect.You know what that means?It means I always have room to grow.And today we're talking about loving your enemies.And maybe right now you're saying, "You know, I knew that.I knew that, but today I'm encountered by this calling in a fresh way and I realizenow I need to grow.I want to grow in this area."It's grace.It's grace.God has made us perfectly righteous in Jesus Christ.God has adopted us as His children, and He is constantly changing us.We don't deserve anything, but God has given us everything, even though we were His enemies.It's grace.You get that?Then like your Father, give it.In just a moment, we're going to be gathering around the Lord's table as a church.And it is the Lord's table that reminds us that we are grace people.Because in essence, what we are remembering, what we are celebrating, what we are declaringwhen we take the Lord's supper together is the Lord is saying, "I saved you."Not because of who you are, but because of who I am.
In this sermon, Pastor Paul used John 15 and explained how the success of the Christian life is found in truly abiding in Jesus and His Word.
June 08, 2025 Daily Devotion: "Abiding in Christ: Joy's Promise"John 15:11 New Living Translation 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! What if someone discovered the secret to living joyfully? Would you want them to share it with you? That's a silly question. It's safe to say we would all want in on such a secret! Bring on the joy, right? One of the beautiful things about Jesus is that He doesn't keep secrets from us. There is a way to live joyfully, and He is more than willing to share it with us. “If you keep My commands,” Jesus says, “you willremain in My love” (John 15:10 HCSB). He goes on to explain that He is telling the people this so that they may be filled with His joy. The secret to joy is obedience. We can obey the Lord's commands regardless of our financial situation, social standing, or marital status. We can live joyfully even in the midst of disappointments, bad news, and rainy days. Let's live obedient, joy-filled lives.
In this episode, Pam Arlund leads the group into a beautiful time of meditation on scripture, and she shares some insights on prayer. We started with her leading us in Lectio Divina, exploring the fruit of walking with God through some Bible discovery and sharing some simple, yet powerful thoughts on prayer.
Welcome to the Grace in Focus podcast. Today, Kathryn Wright and Ken Yates are discussing John 3:36. In the Bible, does the wrath of God usually refer to the Lake of Fire? What are the options? Thank you for listening and keep grace in focus!
What does it mean to truly abide with Jesus? In this episode of The Jesus Everyday Podcast, Ethan Callison, Matt Thieman, Andrew McPheron, Ken Nienke, and Matt Novitsky walk through John 1:35–42, where Jesus invites His first disciples with the simple but profound call: “Come and you will see.”Together, they explore:Why abiding with Jesus must come before working for JesusHow proximity to Jesus doesn't guarantee transformation without presenceThe power of relational evangelism: “We've found the Messiah!”Why Jesus changes Simon's name to Peter before Peter ever “gets it right”What it looks like to be known, named, and sentIf you've ever wrestled with doing versus being, or wondered what Jesus expects of you, this conversation will remind you: Jesus doesn't just want followers—He invites you to stay.Resources: Trevor Hudson Seeking God https://a.co/d/deM8WnURobby Gallaty The Forgotten Jesus https://a.co/d/dGTEXiH
Podcast: Light on Life Season Twelve Episode Twenty-One. Testimony's of God's delivering power are both thrilling and awe inspiring to hear especially the divine healing variety. In today's podcast, we will try to dissect one such healing testimony. It is a little different from our normal podcasts. Now, this testimony that I am getting ready to share is not the one we are […] The post Valuable Lessons From Instructive And Inspiring Healing Testimonies appeared first on emeryhorvath.com. Related posts: Great Life Changing Lessons on Abiding in Jesus Why Faith and Patience Makes You Victorious How Endurance Filled Hope Leads to Powerful Victory
123 John Part 16: Jesse struggles with pronouncing the name Diotrephes and presents the last of John's letters. --Scriptures Explored: 3 John--123 John Series:Part 1 - Introducing 3 Letters - 1 John 5:13; & 1 John 1:1-2Part 2 - The Foundation of Christian Fellowship - 1 John 1:1-4Part 3 - Congruent with Christ - 1 John 1:5-10Part 4 - Jesus our Propitiation and Advocate - 1 John 2:1-6Part 5 - A New Commandment - 1 John 2:7-11 Part 6 - Poetry in an Epistle? - 1 John 2:12-17Part 7 - Abiding and Antichrists - 1 John 2:18-27Part 8 - Abiding as Children - 1 John 2:28-3:3Part 9 - Practice Makes "Perfect" - 1 John 3:4-10Part 10 - Child of God - 1 John 3:10-23Part 11 - Spirits and the Holy Spirit - 1 John 3:23-4:6Part 12 - The Victory of the Love of God - 1 John 4:7-5:5Part 13 - The Dividing Line - 1 John 5:6-12Part 14 - The Honor Christ Has Given Us - 1 John 5:13-21Part 15 - You Just Got [Another] Letter - 2 John--Jesse Turkington is the executive director of Parable Ministries and has been a Bible teacher since 2014. When Jesse was just finishing high school, he started a little Bible study at his parent's house. Little did he know, this Bible study would change the direction of his life. He fell in love with the richness of the Bible and he wanted to pursue serious study. About 10 years later, Jesse still carries that passion for the Bible and from this passion was born Parable Ministries - a Bible teaching resource.--contact@parableministries.comhttps://www.parableministries.comhttps://www.instagram.com/parable_ministries/--If you feel led, give to the work of Parable:https://www.parableministries.com/donate--Music created by Chad HoffmanArtwork created by Anthony Kuenzi
Don't invite your friends or family?! How do we make sense of what Jesus says in Luke 14 in light of the scripture's teaching on the importance community? This Sunday we will delve into the tension of engaging in community with one another and extending hospitality to those outside our community is a practice that helps us "Abide" in the Lord.
EASY LISTENING DEP'T.: The whole gambit of snatching people out of immigration court completely contradicts the message of the Trump campaign and administration, that it is turning ICE loose to seize and deport the most dangerous criminal elements in the country because Trump's preferred arms of federal law enforcement are lazy and incompetent, and because the real point is to create a spectacle of brutality, instead of trying to track down hardened criminals, they are literally going after the most law-abiding immigrants they can lay their hands on by seizing them as they're in the middle of trying to abide by the law. Please visit, read, and support INDIGNITY! https://www.indignity.net/
Jesus commands us to abide in Him. Following this command has transformative power. Let's dive into how we can do that.
Text: John 8:31-38 Speaker: Tony Villatoro Date: June 1, 2025
The weekly sermon from Evergreen Community Church in Redland, Oregon. Today's sermon is from guest speaker and elder Eric Birch.
John's plea, invitation, reminder, and instruction is for Believers to remain and abide in Jesus.
Worship Leader Taylor Cummings uses the analogy of a fruit tree to illustrate how our connection to Christ—as the true vine—naturally produces the fruit of the Spirit in us over time. Just as an apple must stay on the branch until fully ripe, our spiritual growth depends on remaining closely attached to Jesus.
How do we keep young people from falling away from the Faith? Steve Wood tackles what he calls the question of the 21st century with a powerful, often overlooked answer: Abiding in Christ. In this episode, Steve explains what it truly means to live in union with Christ—and why simply telling our kids to "be like Jesus" is not enough. Drawing from Scripture, the Catechism, and decades of ministry, he lays out four practical steps for parents and families to cultivate a living, lasting faith. A must-listen for anyone involved in Catholic parenting, Confirmation prep, or youth ministry. For more resources visit us online at www.BibleforCatholics.com.
(Not Pastor) Frank Shaw filled in and delivered a message on abiding in God, along with practicing the presence of God.If this is your first time listening you can check us out at lifefamily.church or on Facebook and Instagram at @lfcbeardstown
Today, on Karl and Crew, we continued our weekly theme of Abiding in God by discussing how having proximity to Jesus allows us to bear much fruit, and we discussed what it looks like to abide in Him with Greg Dempster. Greg is the Founder and Director of ChristLife Ministries, an organization that transforms Christian leaders from various denominational backgrounds. We turned to John 15 to analyze Jesus’s metaphor of the grapevine. His metaphor demonstrates the structure of a spiritual circuit breaker, where our source is God, and we bear fruit when we are connected to Him and Jesus. The Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the grapevine, and we are the branches. We also had Lori Ridder come in and share her testimony. Lori is the Executive Assistant to Karl at 180 Chicago, a multi-location church where Karl is the Senior Pastor. She has also led two successful webinars on the connection between faith and fitness, including her own journey, weight loss, spiritual strength, and lifelong healthy choices. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Given at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Cottage Grove, Oregon.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we continued our weekly theme of Abiding in God by discussing how having proximity to Jesus allows us to bear much fruit, and we discussed what it looks like to abide in Him with Greg Dempster. Greg is the Founder and Director of ChristLife Ministries, an organization that transforms Christian leaders from various denominational backgrounds. We turned to John 15 to analyze Jesus’s metaphor of the grapevine. His metaphor demonstrates the structure of a spiritual circuit breaker, where our source is God, and we bear fruit when we are connected to Him and Jesus. The Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the grapevine, and we are the branches. We also had Lori Ridder come in and share her testimony. Lori is the Executive Assistant to Karl at 180 Chicago, a multi-location church where Karl is the Senior Pastor. She has also led two successful webinars on the connection between faith and fitness, including her own journey, weight loss, spiritual strength, and lifelong healthy choices. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we continued our weekly theme of Abiding in God by discussing how having proximity to Jesus allows us to bear much fruit, and we discussed what it looks like to abide in Him with Greg Dempster. Greg is the Founder and Director of ChristLife Ministries, an organization that transforms Christian leaders from various denominational backgrounds. We turned to John 15 to analyze Jesus’s metaphor of the grapevine. His metaphor demonstrates the structure of a spiritual circuit breaker, where our source is God, and we bear fruit when we are connected to Him and Jesus. The Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the grapevine, and we are the branches. We also had Lori Ridder come in and share her testimony. Lori is the Executive Assistant to Karl at 180 Chicago, a multi-location church where Karl is the Senior Pastor. She has also led two successful webinars on the connection between faith and fitness, including her own journey, weight loss, spiritual strength, and lifelong healthy choices. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we continued our weekly theme of Abiding in God by discussing how having proximity to Jesus allows us to bear much fruit, and we discussed what it looks like to abide in Him with Greg Dempster. Greg is the Founder and Director of ChristLife Ministries, an organization that transforms Christian leaders from various denominational backgrounds. We turned to John 15 to analyze Jesus’s metaphor of the grapevine. His metaphor demonstrates the structure of a spiritual circuit breaker, where our source is God, and we bear fruit when we are connected to Him and Jesus. The Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the grapevine, and we are the branches. We also had Lori Ridder come in and share her testimony. Lori is the Executive Assistant to Karl at 180 Chicago, a multi-location church where Karl is the Senior Pastor. She has also led two successful webinars on the connection between faith and fitness, including her own journey, weight loss, spiritual strength, and lifelong healthy choices. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we continued our weekly theme of Abiding in God by discussing how having proximity to Jesus allows us to bear much fruit, and we discussed what it looks like to abide in Him with Greg Dempster. Greg is the Founder and Director of ChristLife Ministries, an organization that transforms Christian leaders from various denominational backgrounds. We turned to John 15 to analyze Jesus’s metaphor of the grapevine. His metaphor demonstrates the structure of a spiritual circuit breaker, where our source is God, and we bear fruit when we are connected to Him and Jesus. The Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the grapevine, and we are the branches. We also had Lori Ridder come in and share her testimony. Lori is the Executive Assistant to Karl at 180 Chicago, a multi-location church where Karl is the Senior Pastor. She has also led two successful webinars on the connection between faith and fitness, including her own journey, weight loss, spiritual strength, and lifelong healthy choices. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we continued our weekly theme of Abiding in God by discussing how having proximity to Jesus allows us to bear much fruit, and we discussed what it looks like to abide in Him with Greg Dempster. Greg is the Founder and Director of ChristLife Ministries, an organization that transforms Christian leaders from various denominational backgrounds. We turned to John 15 to analyze Jesus’s metaphor of the grapevine. His metaphor demonstrates the structure of a spiritual circuit breaker, where our source is God, and we bear fruit when we are connected to Him and Jesus. The Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the grapevine, and we are the branches. We also had Lori Ridder come in and share her testimony. Lori is the Executive Assistant to Karl at 180 Chicago, a multi-location church where Karl is the Senior Pastor. She has also led two successful webinars on the connection between faith and fitness, including her own journey, weight loss, spiritual strength, and lifelong healthy choices. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we kicked off the week with a discussion about bearing fruit when abiding in Christ with Dr. Erwin Lutzer. How do we abide in Christ? We learn to abide in Him when we dwell in His Word and become solely dependent on Him. When we do this, we will be able to bear fruit. We turned to John 10:10, which tells us that despite the enemy’s schemes, the Lord wants a fruitful life for us. Dr. Lutzer is the Pastor Emeritus at Moody Church. He has also authored several books. We also had Rob West join us to discuss how to be good stewards of the money God has given us. Rob is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Faith and Finance LIVE” that airs weekday afternoons at 3 pm on 90.1 FM. He is also the host of the podcast for the show and the FaithFi App. Rob is also the CEO of Kingdom Advisors, a community of financial professionals who are specialists in sharing biblically wise financial advice. He has also written a 21-day devotional called “Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In John 8, Jesus calls us to more than just belief—He invites us to abide in His Word, walk in truth, and experience true freedom. This message explores the shift from lies to truth, and from slavery to freedom, as we learn what it means to live fully surrendered to Christ.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we kicked off the week with a discussion about bearing fruit when abiding in Christ with Dr. Erwin Lutzer. How do we abide in Christ? We learn to abide in Him when we dwell in His Word and become solely dependent on Him. When we do this, we will be able to bear fruit. We turned to John 10:10, which tells us that despite the enemy’s schemes, the Lord wants a fruitful life for us. Dr. Lutzer is the Pastor Emeritus at Moody Church. He has also authored several books. We also had Rob West join us to discuss how to be good stewards of the money God has given us. Rob is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Faith and Finance LIVE” that airs weekday afternoons at 3 pm on 90.1 FM. He is also the host of the podcast for the show and the FaithFi App. Rob is also the CEO of Kingdom Advisors, a community of financial professionals who are specialists in sharing biblically wise financial advice. He has also written a 21-day devotional called “Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we kicked off the week with a discussion about bearing fruit when abiding in Christ with Dr. Erwin Lutzer. How do we abide in Christ? We learn to abide in Him when we dwell in His Word and become solely dependent on Him. When we do this, we will be able to bear fruit. We turned to John 10:10, which tells us that despite the enemy’s schemes, the Lord wants a fruitful life for us. Dr. Lutzer is the Pastor Emeritus at Moody Church. He has also authored several books. We also had Rob West join us to discuss how to be good stewards of the money God has given us. Rob is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Faith and Finance LIVE” that airs weekday afternoons at 3 pm on 90.1 FM. He is also the host of the podcast for the show and the FaithFi App. Rob is also the CEO of Kingdom Advisors, a community of financial professionals who are specialists in sharing biblically wise financial advice. He has also written a 21-day devotional called “Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we kicked off the week with a discussion about bearing fruit when abiding in Christ with Dr. Erwin Lutzer. How do we abide in Christ? We learn to abide in Him when we dwell in His Word and become solely dependent on Him. When we do this, we will be able to bear fruit. We turned to John 10:10, which tells us that despite the enemy’s schemes, the Lord wants a fruitful life for us. Dr. Lutzer is the Pastor Emeritus at Moody Church. He has also authored several books. We also had Rob West join us to discuss how to be good stewards of the money God has given us. Rob is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Faith and Finance LIVE” that airs weekday afternoons at 3 pm on 90.1 FM. He is also the host of the podcast for the show and the FaithFi App. Rob is also the CEO of Kingdom Advisors, a community of financial professionals who are specialists in sharing biblically wise financial advice. He has also written a 21-day devotional called “Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we kicked off the week with a discussion about bearing fruit when abiding in Christ with Dr. Erwin Lutzer. How do we abide in Christ? We learn to abide in Him when we dwell in His Word and become solely dependent on Him. When we do this, we will be able to bear fruit. We turned to John 10:10, which tells us that despite the enemy’s schemes, the Lord wants a fruitful life for us. Dr. Lutzer is the Pastor Emeritus at Moody Church. He has also authored several books. We also had Rob West join us to discuss how to be good stewards of the money God has given us. Rob is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Faith and Finance LIVE” that airs weekday afternoons at 3 pm on 90.1 FM. He is also the host of the podcast for the show and the FaithFi App. Rob is also the CEO of Kingdom Advisors, a community of financial professionals who are specialists in sharing biblically wise financial advice. He has also written a 21-day devotional called “Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today, on Karl and Crew, we kicked off the week with a discussion about bearing fruit when abiding in Christ with Dr. Erwin Lutzer. How do we abide in Christ? We learn to abide in Him when we dwell in His Word and become solely dependent on Him. When we do this, we will be able to bear fruit. We turned to John 10:10, which tells us that despite the enemy’s schemes, the Lord wants a fruitful life for us. Dr. Lutzer is the Pastor Emeritus at Moody Church. He has also authored several books. We also had Rob West join us to discuss how to be good stewards of the money God has given us. Rob is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Faith and Finance LIVE” that airs weekday afternoons at 3 pm on 90.1 FM. He is also the host of the podcast for the show and the FaithFi App. Rob is also the CEO of Kingdom Advisors, a community of financial professionals who are specialists in sharing biblically wise financial advice. He has also written a 21-day devotional called “Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Podcast: Light on Life Season Twelve Episode Twenty. We have been on a four-week journey of endeavoring to grasp an understanding of what James meant when he said, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial.” We've looked at the word steadfastness in depth. In today's podcast, there's one more place that we can walk that if we go down that avenue, […] The post Great Life Changing Lessons on Abiding in Jesus appeared first on emeryhorvath.com. Related posts: Why It’s Amazing for You to Abide in Jesus How Jesus Style Perserverance Can Make You a Winner Why Steadfastness Will Win and Make You Strong and Victorious
In this episode, we conclude season 16 by remembering with gratitude all the things God has done and is doing in our lives. We reflect on the importance of allowing our hearts to be drawn into beauty in the midst of both joy and sorrow. We also talk about maturity vs self reliance, allowing ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, and the relationship between trust and receptivity. Thank you dear friends for journeying with us this season! You will be in our prayers this summer and we are excited about what's in store this Fall! Heather's One Thing - All to Bless You and Low (Live) by Kory Miller Sister Miriam's One Thing - Magdala Grove Michelle's One Thing - I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux by Fr. Jean Delaby Journal Questions: Pause and take a moment to notice the surrounding beauty. What do I notice? How might the Lord be speaking to me through this beauty? Am I perplexed by the mystery of how God is working in my life? How might He be working all things for good in this season? How do I keep my union with the Lord? What is coming against that right now? In my suffering and darkness, where do I turn my face? Am I allowing myself to be led or am I trying to control? What is the Lord inviting me to do this summer? Discussion Questions: Are you in a season where it is difficult to be grateful? Why or why not? In the midst of regular life, what is taking you away from union with God? How have you encountered the love of God in your life? God is always doing something new. How can you breathe in new hope? What are you looking forward to this summer? Quote to Ponder: “To limit your desires and your hopes is to misunderstand God's infinite goodness!” (St. Therese of Lisieux) Scripture for Lectio: “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles…” (Psalm 105:5) Sponsor - House of Joppa: We're proud to be sponsored by House of Joppa, a family-owned Catholic shop where modern design meets timeless tradition. From stunning Catholic jewelry to sacred art and décor, everything they offer is crafted to reflect the beauty of our faith. Explore their full collection at houseofjoppa.com Timestamps: 00:00 - House of Joppa 01:00 - Intro 01:51 - Welcome 04:18 - What's Been on Our Minds 09:35 - Union with God 10:43 - Year of Hope 13:32 - Abiding 17:30 - Maturing of Love 19:20 - Turning to God 22:04 - Favorite Moments from Season 16 26:31 - What We are Looking Forward to this Summer 33:20 - Final Thoughts 34:59 - One Things
Most Christians understand the importance of community. They've heard over and over again about how God has created a "we" instead of simply a "me". What many don't understand, however, is how to deepen and strengthen community. How do we go about cultivating the type of community our hearts long for? How do we go beyond the superficial and create the type of depth and vulnerability we were created for? Join us this Sunday as we continue our talk about relationships within the body of Christ.
If this congregation can help you in any way, please contact us at www.normanchurch.com
John 15:1–17I. Abiding in Christ is necessary to live a fruitful Christian life. 1-8II. Obeying Christ's commands is how we abide in Him. 9-11III. Loving one another is how we begin to obey Christ's commands. 12-17
In the dungeons beneath Fairburn Point Ser Grace, the realms most celebrated adventurer, was forcefully bonded with an entity beyond mortal comprehension. For some such an incident would spell tragedy, for Ser Grace, however, he saw only opportunity. Now the wheels are in motion for something big, something terrifying. A thousand plans, two thousand eyes, and all requiring a personal touch.Such is the State of Grace.To find out how Ser Grace bonded with the Inky Black check out Search for A'Helm. To learn the history of Ser Grace you can listen to the Fall from Grace Trilogy: The Hag, The City, The Dungeon as well as the Tieffany and Pop campaign Return to Grace. Ser Grace last appeared in The Adventures of the Greyhill Free Company and to hear more about the happenings on at Fairburn Point you can listen to Cult & Worship and The Lonely Tower. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
WHAT IS INEVITABLE: WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE EVENTUALLY YOU WILL HAPPEN TO YOU YOUR STRENGTH IS LIMITED YOUR INFINITE WISDOM IS FINITE BRANCHES & VINES FRUIT & FRUITLESS LIFE & DEATHTHINGS WE MISTAKENLY ABIDE IN APPROVAL OF OTHERS SELF-PROMOTION NEEDING STUFF COMPARISONS IDOLATRYCAUSES PRIDE/EGO INSECURITY SIN (FLESHLY DESIRES & ENVY WRONG SOURCE OF IDENTITY “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”John 15:1-8 3 ABSOLUTES OF ABIDING IN CHRISTTethered to TruthRemoval for Refinement Pruned for Production
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Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Kings 6; 2 Chron 3; Ps 97; Rom 1 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where your host Hunter guides us through another enriching day in our year-long journey through Scripture. In this episode, we open our hearts and minds to an encounter with the living word of God, reading together from 1 Kings 7, 2 Chronicles 4, Psalm 98, and Romans 2. Today's readings take us inside the intricate details of Solomon's temple and palace, reflecting on the beauty and craftsmanship dedicated to honoring God. We celebrate God's steadfast love and victorious power in Psalm 98, and in Romans 2, we're challenged to examine our hearts, recognizing the need for transformation that only God's mercy and grace through Christ can bring. Hunter closes with heartfelt reflection and prayer, reminding us that true change begins with a new heart—one that is shaped by God's Spirit, not our efforts or pedigree. Join us as we press deeper into God's word and discover the power of living in His joy and love. TODAY'S DEVOTION: An unchanged heart is already judged and condemned. And if we're honest, we realize that we need a new heart. We are in need of God's mercy. The law and the conscience both tell us of this. And God's answer is to send his son, to come and meet us in our darkness. In love, he comes into the world, into the far country in pursuit of you. He comes for us. He comes for all of humanity. He comes on our behalf that he might taste death for all. But in his dying, he defeats death and the darkness and the grave, and he drags us with him out the other side into resurrection life. When we are drawn into God's life, we are born again, given a new heart that can trust and walk in relationship with God and be truly changed. This is the evidence that we are the true children of God. That relationship with God is based not on my piety or my pedigree, but on God's grace revealed to us in the person and the work of Christ himself. God has given us the answer to our need for a new heart, and it's his son. Let us live in the power of Christ, our Lord, the Son of God. Abiding in him, in his word, in his joy, and in his life. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Gracious and everlasting God, you have brought us through the shadow of night into the promise of a new day. You go before us with your mercy, sustain us by your grace, and keep us from wandering paths of fear or pride. Let every word we speak and every step we take be formed by the goodness of Christ. O Lord, gather your people far and near. May every tribe and tongue come to know your peace. Let justice roll like a river and healing flow where there has been division. Pour out your spirit upon all flesh, and bring us closer to the day when your kingdom comes in fullness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. And now as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation. Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL
In this episode, we conclude our conversation on life transitions with Michelle's husband, Chris Benzinger. We focus on the second and third steps in walking through transitions: releasing with trust and redeeming with hope. We talk about God wanting to redeem our past, the need to let go of the ways we've failed, and how God wants to do something new in the future. We also reflect on the importance of ceremony to conclude a season, the four responses to a loss, and why we should share our hopes for the future with God. Heather's One Thing - Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine's Confessions by Dr. Shane Owens Sister Miriam's One Thing - Mediterranean Chicken Bowls Michelle's One Thing - Belovedness: Overcoming Your Inner Critic - A Lyrical Devotional by Sarah Kroger Chris' One Thing - Running a 5k with his daughter Lilly Journal Questions: What was good about the previous season of my life? Am I grieving or still carrying hurts? What is God specifically asking me to release from this past season? In this next season of my life, what is one thing God is making new? What is one hope I have for this next season of my life? Creative Prompt: Take a bookmark and decorate it with your hopes for the next season and place it in your Bible. It will serve as a reminder in the next chapter of your life. Discussion Questions: Reflect back upon the past few years and choose one big or small transition in your life. What is one thing you are grateful for in the past season of your life? What is God calling you to release with trust from that past season? As you look to this current season, what action can you take to ceremonialize the end of an old season and create the foundation for a new season? Are you able to name what you desire? Why or why not? How are you responding to loss in your current season of life? What is something new God is doing in the current season of your life? Quote to Ponder: “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not. See I am doing something new. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18) Scripture for Lectio: “But now thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and formed you O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; and you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) Sponsor - Karol Coffee Co.: This week's sponsor is more than just a coffee company. Karol Coffee Co. was inspired by the life and work of one of the most beloved saints of the modern era: Karol Wojtyła, better known to the world as Pope St. John Paul II. His life was a testimony to courage, joy, and cultivating beauty that draws souls into union with Jesus and one other. From his days as a young priest in Nazi-occupied Poland to his years leading the global Church, St. John Paul II consistently called people to embrace truth, goodness, and beauty in every aspect of their lives. Karol Coffee Co. seeks to carry on that mission in a small but meaningful way — by bringing community, love, and joy into the heart of our everyday routines through coffee. Founded by Nate and Megan Whipple, a faithful Catholic couple rooted in mission, Karol Coffee Co. began humbly in 2022 as a simple garage-based roasting operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. What started as a passion project quickly became something greater, thanks to the encouragement and support of fellow Catholics and coffee enthusiasts. In just a short time, their venture has grown into a thriving small business that now serves customers all over the country. In an age when many of our purchases inadvertently support massive corporations with values often at odds with our own, supporting small, Catholic-owned businesses has never been more important. Karol Coffee Co. offers an alternative: ethically-sourced, traceable coffees roasted with care and intention. Each batch is crafted not only for flavor but with the desire to honor the dignity of those who cultivate the beans and to support communities around the world. Their rotating coffee offerings include a range of carefully selected beans from notable coffee-growing regions with flavor profiles to suit a variety of preferences. Karol Coffee Co. makes it easier to keep your kitchen stocked with beans through bi-weekly or monthly subscription options. Fresh, delicious coffee delivered right to your door — no last-minute grocery runs or chain coffee stops required. But beyond the coffee itself, what makes Karol Coffee Co. truly remarkable is the heart behind it. Nate and Megan have built their business around community and mission. It's about more than just selling beans; it's about creating opportunities for people to encounter beauty, truth, and goodness in the midst of their everyday lives, and to share that with the people around them. They have a passion for creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds and walks of life to experience connection and unity through the shared love of coffee and beauty. We'd love for you to get to know them and become part of their growing community. You can visit their website at www.karolcoffeeco.com to explore their current offerings, sign up for a subscription, or learn more about the mission behind the brand. You can also follow along with them on Instagram @karolcoffeeco. And if you're ever passing through St. Paul, Minnesota, be sure to visit their brand-new brick-and-mortar coffee shop. Their beautiful shop is a space where faith, community, and great coffee come together in a setting that feels like home. The walls are covered in paintings by local artists, as well as those of Megan herself (@meganwhippleart). You can even find a portrait of Pope Saint John Paul II painted by Megan (prints available on the Karol Coffee Co. website - https://karolcoffeeco.com/products/megan-whipple-art-karol-8x10-print). The shop offers a simple but complete food menu of organic and locally sourced food and a great variety of caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks. So whether you're looking to start your mornings with a little more purpose, support a Catholic business, or simply discover some truly great coffee, we wholeheartedly encourage you to check out Karol Coffee Co. Use code ABIDING for 10% your first order. Timestamps: 00:00 - Karol Coffee Co. 01:36 - Intro 02:26 - Welcome 03:13 - Releasing with Trust 07:26 - Your Past Seasons 13:24 - Four Responses to Loss 16:55 - Our Responses to Losses in Life 25:56 - Redeem with Hope 27: 30 - Redemption in Our Lives 33:29 - One Things
Join us for Sunday Live as we empower your healing and freedom journey by addressing your questions on mental, emotional and relationship health. I also teach a Bible study on 1 John 2:18-29, entitled, “Anointed, Discerning and Abiding,” where I talk about the anointing that is not complicated, but is at work within you. I […]