Podcasts about all scripture

It's our story with God, but do we really know it? These are stories so many of us have heard since we were tiny humans. This season we will take some time to revisit these childhood stories and go deeper into their true meanings. No more surface level learning for us!  Scripture References  2 Timothy 3:16–17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and equips us.  Luke 24:27 – Jesus shows that all Scripture points to Him.  1 Corinthians 10:11 – These things were written as examples for us.  Main Takeaways  - God as Creator of order and intimacy.  - The fall fractured creation and humanity.  - The first gospel promise in Genesis 3:15.  Reflection Questions  Which Bible story from childhood do you remember most vividly?  How has your understanding of that story changed as an adult?  What do you hope to gain by diving deeper into these familiar stories?  Resources Mentioned  Reading plan is found at:  https://www.chrystanferrell.com/podcast   Connect with Chrystan  Website: www.chrystanferrell.com  Instagram: www.instagram.com/chrystanferrell  Tik Tok: @chrystanferrell  Facebook: https: www.facebook.com/ChrystanFerrellFaith 

How can you tell if a teaching lines up with God’s truth? In this devotional, we explore how reading the Bible protects us from false teaching and equips us to recognize deception before it takes root. By understanding Scripture deeply, we can confidently discern God’s truth and avoid being led astray by misleading doctrines and counterfeit beliefs. ✨ Highlights Why studying the Bible is key to recognizing false teachers How God’s Word exposes manipulation, error, and deception Practical ways to hide God’s Word in your heart How the Holy Spirit guides us in discerning spiritual truth Scriptures to help strengthen your faith and guard against lies

“You teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are.” Howard HendricksIn this episode, Pastor Eric and Andy look at the pour, the fill, and the overflow of discipleship. Every disciple needs someone pouring into them, so that they can be filled up, and then overflow into others.

Sermon Title - The Biggest Sinner of All Scripture - 1 Timothy 1:12-17 What happens when we feel inspired by the Holy Spirit but unqualified or unworthy to do anything about it? The self-proclaimed “biggest sinner of all” has some thoughts.    

Jim Franks discusses 2 Timothy 3:16—“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

There are days when words flow easily in prayer—and then there are days when silence feels heavy, and you don't know what to say. But here's the gift: God has already given us the perfect words to pray—His Word. When we pray Scripture, we're not just reciting verses; we're aligning our heart with His truth and declaring promises that will never fail.Our springboard for today's discussion is:“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)Praying Scripture is one of the most powerful habits you can form in your prayer life. When you feel anxious, you can pray Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When you're weary, you can declare Isaiah 40:31: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.”This practice does three things:* It roots your prayers in God's authority. Instead of praying based on emotion, you're praying based on unshakable truth.* It transforms your mind. As you pray His Word, you're also meditating on it, letting it rewire your thinking.* It increases your faith. Romans 10:17 tells us, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” When you pray Scripture, you're speaking life into your spirit.Praying Scripture also protects you from praying selfishly. Instead of asking only from your perspective, you begin to align with God's heart and His will. It becomes less about “Lord, do what I want” and more about “Lord, let Your Word be fulfilled.”Here's a practical step: pick one passage of Scripture today, personalize it into prayer, and speak it out loud. For example, take Psalm 23:1—“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”—and pray: “Lord, thank You that You are my shepherd. Today, I trust that I lack nothing in You.”Question of the Day:What Scripture do you need to begin praying over your life and family right now?Mini Call to Action:Choose one verse today, write it down, and pray it morning and night this week.Prayer:Father, thank You for giving me Your Word as a foundation for my prayers. Teach me to pray it daily, not as ritual but as relationship—so that Your truth fills my heart, my home, and my future.Let's Get To Work!Pray the Word, and you'll always pray His will. Scripture isn't just to be read—it's to be declared.Thanks for reading My Reasons To Believe! This post is public so feel free to share it.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

There are days when words flow easily in prayer—and then there are days when silence feels heavy, and you don't know what to say. But here's the gift: God has already given us the perfect words to pray—His Word. When we pray Scripture, we're not just reciting verses; we're aligning our heart with His truth and declaring promises that will never fail.Our springboard for today's discussion is:“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)Praying Scripture is one of the most powerful habits you can form in your prayer life. When you feel anxious, you can pray Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When you're weary, you can declare Isaiah 40:31: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.”This practice does three things:* It roots your prayers in God's authority. Instead of praying based on emotion, you're praying based on unshakable truth.* It transforms your mind. As you pray His Word, you're also meditating on it, letting it rewire your thinking.* It increases your faith. Romans 10:17 tells us, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” When you pray Scripture, you're speaking life into your spirit.Praying Scripture also protects you from praying selfishly. Instead of asking only from your perspective, you begin to align with God's heart and His will. It becomes less about “Lord, do what I want” and more about “Lord, let Your Word be fulfilled.”Here's a practical step: pick one passage of Scripture today, personalize it into prayer, and speak it out loud. For example, take Psalm 23:1—“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”—and pray: “Lord, thank You that You are my shepherd. Today, I trust that I lack nothing in You.”Question of the Day:What Scripture do you need to begin praying over your life and family right now?Mini Call to Action:Choose one verse today, write it down, and pray it morning and night this week.Prayer:Father, thank You for giving me Your Word as a foundation for my prayers. Teach me to pray it daily, not as ritual but as relationship—so that Your truth fills my heart, my home, and my future.Let's Get To Work!Pray the Word, and you'll always pray His will. Scripture isn't just to be read—it's to be declared.Thanks for reading My Reasons To Believe! This post is public so feel free to share it.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/powerless-but-not-prayerless Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/unashamed-for-jesus Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/embracing-christs-truth Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/dependence-on-god Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/a-sense-of-gods-justice  Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/the-freedom-god-provides Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/our-calling-in-christ Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/ready-to-pray Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/see-what-god-has-done Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/wishing-for-joy Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/jesus-reaches-for-you Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Ps Gina picks a selection of biblical characters and explains how they show us real people living through real situations and struggles witnessing the overwhelming grace and power of God. These people got through their journey of life and can help us in our journey of life as well. The Bible is a grace gift from God which we all need to delve into and fill our minds with the scriptural truths associated with Kingdom living; the world would have us believe differently if we are not careful! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) says "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work".Ps Gina speaks about Gideon (from the weakest Clan in Manassa). Here God is showing His strength in the midst of Gideon's weakness. Daniel was taken Exile by the evil Babylonians. He grew up in a culture where he knew he was the child of God but they stole it out of that culture, put him in the Babylonian culture, which is a god-hating, Bible hating culture. He was told to eat from the king's table, to eat things that were against the law of Moses which is what Daniel lived. But he ate just vegetables and water, not the king's food, and ended up the strongest man there, his Godly defiance and prayer is something for us all to take on our journey of life.PS Gina also talks about Hannah and Anna, linked by name and a thousand year gap in the Biblical history. Both these women get to come on her journey because they were amazing, understanding what it's like to labour and pray, when not seeing anything for years and years and years. Then they experience God, He comes through. They understood what it is to go to God in the worst times of their lives so they didnt get bitter and twisted. They understood that God had purposes and plans.Her message is clear - the Bible is not religion, it is the word of God gifted by grace to us to show us how to live and to give us hope, peace and strength in the ups and downs of daily life.

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/digging-deep-for-wisdom Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/the-lost-ark Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/gods-superior-strength Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/a-beautiful-ending Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/sheep-crossing Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/being-a-blessing Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Our scripture passage is about two types of wisdom, so I thought it would be fun to share with you some advice I found on the internet that I will get you into trouble if you do follow it: Carry a fork with you. If someone tries to rob you, pull it out of your pocket and say, thank you Lord for this meal Im about to have and charge at them with the fork. Always say what you're thinking out loud. "Don't breathe, 100% of people who breathe die at some point." "Dont go to the doctors office if you only have one problem. Wait until you have four or five; thats how you get the most bang for your buck." If life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a water gun and shoot other people in the eyes. "When confronted by a bear, give it a hug and tell him it'll be alright." We laugh at these bits of wisdom I found on the internet because they are so foolish they are comical. In James 3:13-18, we are reminded of two sources of wisdom, and of the two, we as a species gravitate to one over the other. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. According to James 3:13-18, not all wisdom is good. The Source of Worldly Wisdom What is worldly wisdom? James says that it is, earthly, natural, and demonic (v. 15). Well that sounds a bit harsh does it not? Lets dive a bit deeper into what James means here before we judge whether or not he said too much. The kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic is the kind that is motivated and driven by, bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (v. 14). So what is bitter jealousy and what does it look like? The Greek word for jealousy is... are you ready for it? The Greek word is zēlos. Do you think there may a better way to translate this word? Of course you do, a better translation for this word is our English word zeal! Zeal can be positive or negative. The prophet Elijah was zealous for God is a good way, and that zeal was demonstrated on multiple occasions by standing against evil and speaking on behalf of God, even when it was not safe for him to do so; when his life was threatened by Queen Jezebel, Elijah prayed: I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life (1 Kin. 19:10). Zeal can also become a bad thing. Zeal can turn into bitterness, rivalry, and even pride. In the case of James 3:14, it is a harsh zeal that places the individual at the center of his universe at whatever cost may come to those around him. The kind of bitter Jealousy (harsh zeal) James is talking about is self-centered. The person with this kind of mindset is one whose glory and mission in this world is his own. The other source for worldly wisdom is selfish ambition. There is not much I need to say to make sure you understand what selfish ambition is. It is the kind of thing we see every four years in America: How do I make sure I get what I want. There is only one Greek word that is used here for selfish ambition, and it is eritheia. In ancient Greek it means strife, contentiousness, and selfishness. It is a word that was also used by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle to describe a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.[1] It is used in the New Testament to describe the jealous or angry leader who, forms a group which emotionally or physically withdraws from the rest of the church.[2]These are the kinds of people Paul described in Philippians 1:15-17, Some... proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. There are varying degrees that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition can come into the life of a person, but none of it is from God. Even the best of us can cave to the kinds of vices that lead to worldly wisdom. Consider some of the people from the Bible such as Abraham, David, and Solomon. God told Abraham that he would father a child with Sarah, but because pregnancy seemed impossible to the couple, Sarah came up with another plan that was culturally acceptable. Sarah said to her husband: See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai (Gen. 16:2). So, the slave woman got pregnant and had a son and what Abraham got in return was one big giant mess that we are still dealing with today. David wrote much of the Psalms that are in our Bible, and he knew his Bible pretty well! He understood what Gods word said of Israels kings in Deuteronomy and most likely had memorized it. He knew that as king, he was not to acquire the kinds of properties the kings of the other nations collected to measure their glory and strength such as many horses or many wives, nor was he to hoard silver and gold (see Deut. 17:16-20). We know David knew this because he even wrote a song about it that included the verse: Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the Lord, our God (Ps. 20:7). Yet at the height of his reign as king, he conducted a census to measure the strength of his nation instead of trusting the God who told Him that his power did not come from numbers but from God alone. Can you see what Abraham and Davids stories all have in common? They followed after the wisdom of the world instead of trusting the word of God as their source of wisdom. Abraham wanted a son so badly and for his legacy to go on, so he took matters into his own hands and got his female slave pregnant. David conducted a census just like the other kings did because he needed to know how he and his nation compared to other nations. If you listen closely to the pages of scripture you can hear the serpents question with these men: Has God really said...? The wisdom of the world would lead you to an easier and wider road rather than a narrow and more difficult one. The wisdom of the world would have you erect a house on sand instead of spending the time necessary to lay a good foundation. Heavenly Wisdom Unlike worldly wisdom, the kind of wisdom that leads to the thriving life God created us to know and enjoy does not come from within, or from this world, or beneath; it comes from above where God is seated. The wisdom from above is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy, and full of good fruits (v. 17). From where does heavenly wisdom come from? It comes from God! Where can I gain this kind of wisdom? From the counsel God has already given, which is His word. We already saw in the first chapter that those of us who lack wisdom, are to ask God for it without doubting (1:5-6); the source of the kind of wisdom we need comes from the word of God. We gain wisdom from above when we first listen to what God has said through His word and then become a doer of it by putting what we read into practice (see 1:21-25). But here is the thing... there is no wisdom from above if you do not have the kind of faith that moves you to really trust the truth of Gods word. It is one thing to say you believe the Bible to be true and another to act upon that belief. Think for a moment about what we say we believe at Meadowbrooke; this is what we state on our webpage about the Bible: We believe the Bible, including the Old and New Testaments, is the divine revelation, the original autographs of which were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus rendering them trustworthy and solely authoritative in faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet. 1:20-21). The Scriptures reveal the mind of God concerning the need and the method of human redemption, the character and destiny of mankind, and are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (Jn. 5:39, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). The more important question is not if we are okay with that statement, but do we really believe it? The Bible testifies of itself: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In the book of Hebrews, we are told, For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (4:12). But do you really believe it to be what it claims? If you believe the Bible to be the word of God and that it is beneficial for teaching, for correcting, and training in righteousness, then how is it shaping your choices in life, what kind of influence is it having on your relationships, how does it affect how you behave and function at work? Do you believe the Bible to be the word of God even if what it tells you to do with your life makes no sense to those around you and the rest of the world? Think about some of the things that God told His people to do. God told Abraham to leave his home in Ur and promised him a child, even though he and his wife Sarah were quickly advancing in age to the point that fathering a child would be highly improbable. The conventional wisdom of Abrahams day suggested that he father a child through one of his servants, but that was not the promise God made to Abraham. God promised a son that would be both his and Sarahs, and in their old age God provided an heir. God used men who acted upon the word of God when others thought they were nuts. Men like Moses who God commissioned to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Men like Joshua who God told to march around Jericho a bunch of times while blowing seven trumpets and then on the seventh day after the seventh time around the city to shout to bring down the walls of the city. Men like Gideon who God ordered to cut his army of 32,000 soldiers down to 300 to face an army of at least 135,000; each of Gideons soldiers were to carrying a torch, a clay pot, and a trumpet that they would blow after breaking the clay pot at night while surround the 135,000 Midianite army and then shout: A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! and this would be the way they would defeat an army that outnumbered them by 440 to 1 (see Judges 7:1-8:10). God raised a shepherd boy whose own father and brothers did not think much of to be a king over Israel, and it would be through his descendants a savior would be born who would rule the nations. God spoke through unlikely prophets of old, and choose an unassuming and impoverished virgin girl and her fianc to raise up the promised Messiah that she alone would be the biological parent of, and the child would grow up and live the life we could never live in a little country about the size of New Jersey for the purpose of suffering on a cross and dying under the wrath of God a death we all deserved. This is why the apostle Paul wrote, For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Gods wisdom is different! Not only is the wisdom of God different, but it is in a whole different category than the wisdom of the world. In what way is it different? We are told in verse 17, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Gods words and His ways rub against the grain of the worlds conventional wisdom and is the reason the prophet Isaiah wrote of God, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord (55:8). The question for you, dear brothers and sisters, is what are you doing with it, or maybe a better question for some of you is, What will you do with His word? Conclusion What wisdom is guiding you? What wisdom is shaping your decisions? What wisdom are you applying to your marriage, your children, and your friendships? James is not offering us an option here, for what the Holy Spirit is showing us in James is that if you belong to Jesus, then you have no business with the kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic. Why, because we are kingdom people! I told you that I believe what James is doing is simply applying Jesus sermon on the mount to everyday life. I have shared with you repeatedly that the way you come to Jesus is as one who is poor in spirit, one who mourns over sin, and one who is meek enough to lay you pride before the cross of Christ. These are the first three of Jesus beatitudes and are what theologians call, the beatitudes of need. The fourth beatitude is the fruit of the first three: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). How can I be satisfied? By finding my satisfaction in the One who is infinitely righteous and from whom true wisdom is found. What does a hunger and thirst for righteousness produce when that hunger and thirst is satisfied in Jesus? It produces what theologians call the beatitudes of action. I will pick up on this next Sunday, but for now I think it is enough for you to see what James is doing with wisdom and our Lords beatitudes. What kind of fruit does wisdom from above produce? It is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Pure: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:8). Peace-loving: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Matt. 5:9). Gentle (meek): Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). Reasonable (compliant): Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). Full of mercy: Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:7). Impartial / free of hypocrisy: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt. 4). Full of good fruit: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). My question for you is what are you doing with the wisdom that comes from above? It is the wisdom from above that calls those who follow Jesus through the narrow gate instead of the broad gate (Matt. 7:13-14). The wisdom from above calls the Christian to build upon the rock instead of sand (Matt. 7:24-29). The wisdom from above calls us to action in such a way that we do not only call Jesus Lord but live in subjection to His lordship (Matt. 7:22-21). The wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic will lead to death. The wisdom from above will lead to the kind of living where you can truly thrive as a child of God. Some of you may need to turn from whatever wisdom that has been guiding you, by humbling yourself before God Almighty. I will leave you with James 4:3-4 and you can do with it what seems best in light of what we have considered today: You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [1] Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 151. [2] Ibid.

Our scripture passage is about two types of wisdom, so I thought it would be fun to share with you some advice I found on the internet that I will get you into trouble if you do follow it: Carry a fork with you. If someone tries to rob you, pull it out of your pocket and say, thank you Lord for this meal Im about to have and charge at them with the fork. Always say what you're thinking out loud. "Don't breathe, 100% of people who breathe die at some point." "Dont go to the doctors office if you only have one problem. Wait until you have four or five; thats how you get the most bang for your buck." If life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a water gun and shoot other people in the eyes. "When confronted by a bear, give it a hug and tell him it'll be alright." We laugh at these bits of wisdom I found on the internet because they are so foolish they are comical. In James 3:13-18, we are reminded of two sources of wisdom, and of the two, we as a species gravitate to one over the other. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. According to James 3:13-18, not all wisdom is good. The Source of Worldly Wisdom What is worldly wisdom? James says that it is, earthly, natural, and demonic (v. 15). Well that sounds a bit harsh does it not? Lets dive a bit deeper into what James means here before we judge whether or not he said too much. The kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic is the kind that is motivated and driven by, bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (v. 14). So what is bitter jealousy and what does it look like? The Greek word for jealousy is... are you ready for it? The Greek word is zēlos. Do you think there may a better way to translate this word? Of course you do, a better translation for this word is our English word zeal! Zeal can be positive or negative. The prophet Elijah was zealous for God is a good way, and that zeal was demonstrated on multiple occasions by standing against evil and speaking on behalf of God, even when it was not safe for him to do so; when his life was threatened by Queen Jezebel, Elijah prayed: I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life (1 Kin. 19:10). Zeal can also become a bad thing. Zeal can turn into bitterness, rivalry, and even pride. In the case of James 3:14, it is a harsh zeal that places the individual at the center of his universe at whatever cost may come to those around him. The kind of bitter Jealousy (harsh zeal) James is talking about is self-centered. The person with this kind of mindset is one whose glory and mission in this world is his own. The other source for worldly wisdom is selfish ambition. There is not much I need to say to make sure you understand what selfish ambition is. It is the kind of thing we see every four years in America: How do I make sure I get what I want. There is only one Greek word that is used here for selfish ambition, and it is eritheia. In ancient Greek it means strife, contentiousness, and selfishness. It is a word that was also used by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle to describe a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.[1] It is used in the New Testament to describe the jealous or angry leader who, forms a group which emotionally or physically withdraws from the rest of the church.[2]These are the kinds of people Paul described in Philippians 1:15-17, Some... proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. There are varying degrees that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition can come into the life of a person, but none of it is from God. Even the best of us can cave to the kinds of vices that lead to worldly wisdom. Consider some of the people from the Bible such as Abraham, David, and Solomon. God told Abraham that he would father a child with Sarah, but because pregnancy seemed impossible to the couple, Sarah came up with another plan that was culturally acceptable. Sarah said to her husband: See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai (Gen. 16:2). So, the slave woman got pregnant and had a son and what Abraham got in return was one big giant mess that we are still dealing with today. David wrote much of the Psalms that are in our Bible, and he knew his Bible pretty well! He understood what Gods word said of Israels kings in Deuteronomy and most likely had memorized it. He knew that as king, he was not to acquire the kinds of properties the kings of the other nations collected to measure their glory and strength such as many horses or many wives, nor was he to hoard silver and gold (see Deut. 17:16-20). We know David knew this because he even wrote a song about it that included the verse: Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the Lord, our God (Ps. 20:7). Yet at the height of his reign as king, he conducted a census to measure the strength of his nation instead of trusting the God who told Him that his power did not come from numbers but from God alone. Can you see what Abraham and Davids stories all have in common? They followed after the wisdom of the world instead of trusting the word of God as their source of wisdom. Abraham wanted a son so badly and for his legacy to go on, so he took matters into his own hands and got his female slave pregnant. David conducted a census just like the other kings did because he needed to know how he and his nation compared to other nations. If you listen closely to the pages of scripture you can hear the serpents question with these men: Has God really said...? The wisdom of the world would lead you to an easier and wider road rather than a narrow and more difficult one. The wisdom of the world would have you erect a house on sand instead of spending the time necessary to lay a good foundation. Heavenly Wisdom Unlike worldly wisdom, the kind of wisdom that leads to the thriving life God created us to know and enjoy does not come from within, or from this world, or beneath; it comes from above where God is seated. The wisdom from above is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy, and full of good fruits (v. 17). From where does heavenly wisdom come from? It comes from God! Where can I gain this kind of wisdom? From the counsel God has already given, which is His word. We already saw in the first chapter that those of us who lack wisdom, are to ask God for it without doubting (1:5-6); the source of the kind of wisdom we need comes from the word of God. We gain wisdom from above when we first listen to what God has said through His word and then become a doer of it by putting what we read into practice (see 1:21-25). But here is the thing... there is no wisdom from above if you do not have the kind of faith that moves you to really trust the truth of Gods word. It is one thing to say you believe the Bible to be true and another to act upon that belief. Think for a moment about what we say we believe at Meadowbrooke; this is what we state on our webpage about the Bible: We believe the Bible, including the Old and New Testaments, is the divine revelation, the original autographs of which were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus rendering them trustworthy and solely authoritative in faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet. 1:20-21). The Scriptures reveal the mind of God concerning the need and the method of human redemption, the character and destiny of mankind, and are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (Jn. 5:39, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). The more important question is not if we are okay with that statement, but do we really believe it? The Bible testifies of itself: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In the book of Hebrews, we are told, For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (4:12). But do you really believe it to be what it claims? If you believe the Bible to be the word of God and that it is beneficial for teaching, for correcting, and training in righteousness, then how is it shaping your choices in life, what kind of influence is it having on your relationships, how does it affect how you behave and function at work? Do you believe the Bible to be the word of God even if what it tells you to do with your life makes no sense to those around you and the rest of the world? Think about some of the things that God told His people to do. God told Abraham to leave his home in Ur and promised him a child, even though he and his wife Sarah were quickly advancing in age to the point that fathering a child would be highly improbable. The conventional wisdom of Abrahams day suggested that he father a child through one of his servants, but that was not the promise God made to Abraham. God promised a son that would be both his and Sarahs, and in their old age God provided an heir. God used men who acted upon the word of God when others thought they were nuts. Men like Moses who God commissioned to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Men like Joshua who God told to march around Jericho a bunch of times while blowing seven trumpets and then on the seventh day after the seventh time around the city to shout to bring down the walls of the city. Men like Gideon who God ordered to cut his army of 32,000 soldiers down to 300 to face an army of at least 135,000; each of Gideons soldiers were to carrying a torch, a clay pot, and a trumpet that they would blow after breaking the clay pot at night while surround the 135,000 Midianite army and then shout: A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! and this would be the way they would defeat an army that outnumbered them by 440 to 1 (see Judges 7:1-8:10). God raised a shepherd boy whose own father and brothers did not think much of to be a king over Israel, and it would be through his descendants a savior would be born who would rule the nations. God spoke through unlikely prophets of old, and choose an unassuming and impoverished virgin girl and her fianc to raise up the promised Messiah that she alone would be the biological parent of, and the child would grow up and live the life we could never live in a little country about the size of New Jersey for the purpose of suffering on a cross and dying under the wrath of God a death we all deserved. This is why the apostle Paul wrote, For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Gods wisdom is different! Not only is the wisdom of God different, but it is in a whole different category than the wisdom of the world. In what way is it different? We are told in verse 17, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Gods words and His ways rub against the grain of the worlds conventional wisdom and is the reason the prophet Isaiah wrote of God, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord (55:8). The question for you, dear brothers and sisters, is what are you doing with it, or maybe a better question for some of you is, What will you do with His word? Conclusion What wisdom is guiding you? What wisdom is shaping your decisions? What wisdom are you applying to your marriage, your children, and your friendships? James is not offering us an option here, for what the Holy Spirit is showing us in James is that if you belong to Jesus, then you have no business with the kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic. Why, because we are kingdom people! I told you that I believe what James is doing is simply applying Jesus sermon on the mount to everyday life. I have shared with you repeatedly that the way you come to Jesus is as one who is poor in spirit, one who mourns over sin, and one who is meek enough to lay you pride before the cross of Christ. These are the first three of Jesus beatitudes and are what theologians call, the beatitudes of need. The fourth beatitude is the fruit of the first three: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). How can I be satisfied? By finding my satisfaction in the One who is infinitely righteous and from whom true wisdom is found. What does a hunger and thirst for righteousness produce when that hunger and thirst is satisfied in Jesus? It produces what theologians call the beatitudes of action. I will pick up on this next Sunday, but for now I think it is enough for you to see what James is doing with wisdom and our Lords beatitudes. What kind of fruit does wisdom from above produce? It is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Pure: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:8). Peace-loving: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Matt. 5:9). Gentle (meek): Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). Reasonable (compliant): Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). Full of mercy: Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:7). Impartial / free of hypocrisy: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt. 4). Full of good fruit: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). My question for you is what are you doing with the wisdom that comes from above? It is the wisdom from above that calls those who follow Jesus through the narrow gate instead of the broad gate (Matt. 7:13-14). The wisdom from above calls the Christian to build upon the rock instead of sand (Matt. 7:24-29). The wisdom from above calls us to action in such a way that we do not only call Jesus Lord but live in subjection to His lordship (Matt. 7:22-21). The wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic will lead to death. The wisdom from above will lead to the kind of living where you can truly thrive as a child of God. Some of you may need to turn from whatever wisdom that has been guiding you, by humbling yourself before God Almighty. I will leave you with James 4:3-4 and you can do with it what seems best in light of what we have considered today: You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [1] Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 151. [2] Ibid.

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/god-is-everywhere Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/spiritual-ancestry Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Friday, 22 August 2025   A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Matthew 12:35   “The good man, from the good treasure of the heart, he ejects good, and the evil man, from the evil treasure, he ejects evil” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus called the Pharisees vipers' offspring, telling them that from the surplus of the heart, the mouth speaks. He next explains the result of that, saying, “The good man, from the good treasure of the heart, he ejects good.”   The word ekballo, to cast out or eject, is used. It is more forceful than “bring out,” such as in the NKJV. The meaning then is that the goodness of a good man wells up inside him until the point where goodness simply exudes from him, being ejected under its own pressure.   The words here show us that Jesus' words in Matthew 9:17 are a comparative statement intended to make a point. In responding to being called “Good Teacher,” Jesus said –   “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”   Jesus was making a comparison of goodness in relation to God. Likewise, Jesus is here making a comparison between people. One is good in relation to others. Because he is, good things will be ejected from him.   This is certainly a comparative statement, because even a good person can get frustrated or fed up, and something not so good will come out of his mouth. However, his character in general is one that demonstrates an inherent goodness in relation to others. Likewise, Jesus says, “and the evil man, from the evil treasure, he ejects evil.”   This is a person who is comparatively evil. The things that come out of such people, welling up and being ejected into their regular conversation, will be evil. But even such “evil” people can say something nice. Jesus is referring to their general character.   To get the sense of such a person, all one needs to do is turn on the TV and watch people arguing from a political standpoint. Those on the left will spew forth invectives, call out for illegal activities to be condoned, rage against goodness while embracing those who do truly wicked things, etc.   To them, morality is defined by theft and murder, not hard work and self-sufficiency. Those who pray to God are an offense who must be silenced. Because of their character, evil proceeds from them like a well under pressure. In opening their mouths to speak, the evil gushes forth.   Life application: In Luke 6:45, the same words are spoken by Jesus in His sermon to the people, but there are differences –   Matthew - “The good man, from the good treasure of the heart, he ejects [ekballo] good, and the evil man, from the evil treasure, he ejects [ekballo] evil.”   Luke - “The good man, from the good treasure of his heart, he hauls [propheró] good, and the evil, from the evil hauls [propheró] the evil. For from the heart's surplus, it speaks – his mouth.”   In Matthew, different words concerning the motion of what is in the heart are used. One says to eject while the other uses a word meaning to bear forward. A good single word to get the intent would be to haul. Also, in Matthew, the thought about the heart's abundance came in the preceding verse, whereas Luke places it afterwards.   Other slight variations in the Greek exist as well. So the question may be asked, “Which is the original and which one has an error?” Or the statement may be made, “See, there is a contradiction in the two accounts.”   When you are faced with such a question or statement, how will you respond? A suitable explanation is that both can be correct. This could be for various reasons. The first is that it is assumed that Jesus was originally speaking in Aramaic. Different people will write what they heard in Greek in different ways.   Likewise, the change in order of what is said may be a part of that translation process. Therefore, such changes would be expected. But what if the person says, “But even the context of what is said is different! One is to the Pharisees and one during a sermon!”   Is this a contradiction? Not at all! How many times have you repeated a point that is true in your life? Jesus was preaching and proclaiming. He probably stated the same truth innumerable times that are not recorded, along with those that are.   He may have changed the structure of His words, chosen different words, and spoken these things in a multitude of contexts. If the narratives were identical, those who want to tear apart the Bible would (and do!) say that the accounts were simply copies and the events belong to one source. Thus, there are not three different testimonies to Jesus' work.   If they have any differences, the accusation that there are contradictions immediately arises. Don't let such things bother you. Be prepared to show these people the folly of their thinking. From there, drop the argument. Some people wouldn't be content if God spoke the word of Scripture personally.   Wait... He did!   “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17   Lord God, we trust that You have given us a word that carries Your intent for us to know and understand what You desire for us. Help us to be diligent in reading it and contemplating it all the days of our lives. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/seeing-with-gods-heart Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/feed-the-need Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/eyes-fixed-on-christ Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/hints-of-gods-glory Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/god-will-keep-it Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/jesus-rescued-us Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Helping you connect with God. Every day. Every way.  Read along with today's devotional: https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/making-room-for-others Want to get Our Daily Bread's daily devotionals delivered to your inbox or mailbox? Subscribe for free here: https://odbm.org.   Our Daily Bread Ministries helps millions of people connect with God each day. For more than 75 years, our purpose has remained the same: to reach people with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.   All Scripture from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.  SUPPORT Our Daily Bread Your generous support helps us make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to people around the world. https://donations.ourdailybread.org/intm9.html?motivation=INTM9   More Podcasts from Our Daily Bread: Discover the Word: https://www.discovertheword.org  God Hears Her: https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast  Ways To Connect With Us: Facebook: https://facebook.com/ourdailybread ​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybread/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourdailybread​  Print Subscription: https://odb.org/getprint​  App: https://odb.org/mobile-resources​  Web: https://odbm.org  #ourdailybread #dailydevotional #bible 

Philippians 3:17-21 NLT17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. • • •1. Look to other Christians as an example. • • •Philippians 3:17 NLT17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. • • •1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. • • •2 Timothy 3:10 NLT10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. • • •2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. • • •2. Look NOT to this world for your example. • • •Philippians 3:18-19 NLT18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. • • •3. Look forward in life with a heavenly mindset! • • •Philippians 3:20-21 NLT20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. • • •1 Corinthians 15:47-49 NLT47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. • • •1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NLT16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. • • •Application:Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.– 1 John 2:6

In this episode, we're going straight into Job 1:9–10—a conversation so ancient and cosmic it still rattles the gates of spiritual warfare today.Why do some Christians mock the phrase "hedge of protection"? Is it outdated? Harmless? Or is something more sinister at play when we joke about what Satan himself takes seriously?Whether you've heard this phrase in prayer circles or mocked on stage, today's deep dive will challenge you to rethink your posture toward spiritual boundaries, bold prayer, and the unseen war around you.

Before speaking on the book of Matthew, Dr. Mitchell shares this overview of the four gospels of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark,Luke and John. He shares the various contrasts and comparisons between these four Gospels.Each of the four Gospels present the savior from a distinct perspective unique to the purpose that God, by the Holy Spirit directed each author to write. With each one, being inspired by God, we can be sure we have God's own Words in the words of these authors of the Gospels. Paul would write later in 2Tim.3:16 saying, "All Scripture is inspired -- God breathed -- and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be competent, fully equipped for every good work." Let's listen as Dr. Mitchell shares the Word of God here on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast, Matthew 1.

Bourbon Review: Smoke Wagon: The Younger Discussion Topic: The Deconstruction movement leading to a Reconstruction movement? Verses 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Titus 1:9: "He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." Ephesians 4:14: "So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." Follow us on all your podcast platforms and: Instagram: @manhoodneat X: Manhood Neat (@ManhoodNeat) / X Youtube: Manhood, Neat Podcast - YouTube Reach out: manhood.neat@gmail.com   Show Notes: Introduction Define deconstruction in Christianity Highlight the growth of the deconstruction movement over the past decade, fueled by social media and progressive Christian voices. The Deconstruction Movement Examples: diluted sermons, avoidance of controversial biblical topics. Deconstruction often results in softer theologies that prioritize inclusivity and cultural relevance over doctrinal purity. The Turn to Conservative Reformed Theology Explain why young men are drawn to it: Seeking solid convictions and clear doctrine in contrast to the ambiguity of softer theologies. Attracted to intellectual depth and historical grounding. The Risk of Dogmatism Define dogmatism Overfocus on being "right," Elevation of theological systems or leaders to near-idolatrous status.

Your child just asked you a question that made you freeze up. Whether it's about circumcision after Sunday school, what sex is, or something they read in the Bible, difficult questions from kids can catch Christian parents off guard. In this episode of Marked by Grace, Heath Lambert shares three essential principles for handling sensitive topics with children. Learn why YOU must be the primary source of answers, how to use Bible words confidently, and the art of giving age-appropriate responses without overwhelming little minds.Timestamps0:00 - Introduction: Handling difficult questions from little kids2:36 - Principle #1: YOU must be the source of answers4:50 - Principle #2: Use Bible words confidently6:44 - Principle #3: Be age-appropriate in your responses7:40 - Example: "What is sex?" - Simple, truthful answer8:18 - Example: Deuteronomy question from a first-graderKey Points-Be the Primary Source: Your children will get answers to their difficult questions somewhere. The question is: do you want them getting answers from you or from friends, the internet, or other unreliable sources?- Use Bible Words: If God uses certain words in Scripture, they're appropriate for your children. Don't feel nervous about using biblical language - circumcision, adultery, etc. - when explaining biblical concepts.- Age-Appropriate Responses: Don't give more detail than children actually want or need. Often a simple, truthful answer satisfies their curiosity without overwhelming them.- Create an Open Environment: Make it clear that no question is off-limits, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Children need to trust that parents are the best source for answers.- Start Simple: Begin with basic explanations and let children ask follow-up questions if they need more information. Don't build the whole "watch" when they just want to know the "time."- Biblical Foundation: Scripture equips us for every good work, including answering our children's questions. If kids are old enough to read the Bible, they're ready for Bible words. View this episode of Marked By Grace on teaching the Gospel to your children: https://youtu.be/hSlKeI3YHyI- Modern Challenges: Today's children face more complex questions earlier than previous generations due to increased exposure to mature content and technology.Scripture References2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - Scripture equips us for answering children's questionsDeuteronomy 6:6-7 - "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." - Teaching God's word to childrenEphesians 6:4 - "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." - Parental responsibility for spiritual instructionHave a question you'd like answered? Send it to markedbygrace@fbcjax.com

Message Take Aways:1. David provided his son Solomon with wise instruction that his throne and legacy might be established in righteousness, and our heavenly Father has graciously provided us with divine instruction through His word and we will be blessed by obeying it—“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-172. The stubborn pride of Adonijah generated an insolence toward God's anointed king Solomon and it eventually resulted in his destruction reminding us of the need to humble ourselves and submit to the plans of the Lord rather than scheming or fighting against His will—“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:183. As Solomon took initiative to remove any wickedness that opposed or threatened the establishment of his kingdom, we too are wise to wage war against the sinful practices of our flesh—“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5