Podcasts about Ananias

This Sunday, Pastor Keithen Schwahn continued our series through the Book of Acts, The Fifth Act, by sharing a teaching on the story of Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 4:32--5:11 to illustrate how God is willing to dismantle anything in His Church that claims His name but misrepresents His character. The invitation to the Church today is to believe again that Jesus' vision for community--marked by worship, learning, love, generosity, and multiplication--is possible, and that confession and full surrender to the Holy Spirit will bring about this necessary revival.

HOW TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE : https://youtu.be/t_6L7E_mfIw00:00 - Intro02:17 - Warning 1 - Ananias and Sapphira07:25 - Warning 2 - The Carnal Corinthian10:14 - Warning 3 - Believers in Defilement13:09 - Warning 4 - James' Warning15:21 - Warning 5 - Paul's Warning17:47 - Warning 6 - John's Warning19:00 - Outro1 John Playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLElaVGv3oAZ7SwXNWutEZBeL_UeYa3HSw&si=kh9l-bclQVZpcRkASUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/c/biblelineLIKE https://www.facebook.com/biblelineminCOMMENT ask us a question!SHARE with all your friends and familyDo you have a Bible question? Send your question to questions@biblelineministries.org!Support Bibleline - https://www.calvaryoftampa.org/donate/Bibleline is a ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida and is hosted by Pastor Jesse Martinez.LIKE THIS? CHECK THESE GUYS OUT:https://www.youtube.com/c/Northlandchurchstc(Tom Cucuzza)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdddWVKMcM9c-SjUR1LZTBw(Jim Scudder)https://www.youtube.com/@focusevangelisticministriesinc(Josiah Coile)https://www.youtube.com/user/biblelinebroadcast(Yankee Arnold)https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKeesBoerMinistryChannel(Kees Boer)#warnings #bibleline #sinning #christians #believers #warning #sinful #home #early #sin #God #ananias #sapphira #james #paul #john #corinth #corinthian

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comActs 9 Saul, later known as Paul, continues to pursue Christians to imprison them. On his way to Damascus, a light from heaven stops him. He hears Jesus speaking, asking why Saul is persecuting Him. Blinded, Saul is led into the city to wait for instructions. Meanwhile, God instructs Ananias to visit Saul and restore his sight. Despite his fear, Ananias obeys. Saul learns that he will become an apostle to the Gentiles. After regaining his sight, he is immediately baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. Saul begins to preach boldly, prompting the Jews to seek to kill him. He escapes to Jerusalem, where Barnabas vouches for him. The chapter also recounts Peter healing Aeneas and raising Tabitha from the dead, demonstrating God's power and inspiring many new believers in Jesus.  Saul's story highlights the transformative power of Jesus Christ. His conversion shows that no one is beyond the call of the gospel. God often uses individuals like Ananias to fulfill His mission. We must confront our fears and seize opportunities to share God's hope with others. It is also inspiring to see Saul immediately active in sharing his faith. Some of the greatest passion for evangelism comes from new converts. We can learn a great deal from them. Like Barnabas, we should defend and support new believers to help God's people embrace them. Lastly, Tabitha was deeply missed and cherished for her charitable spirit. We should seek to be cherished servants among God's people, known for “deeds of kindness and charity.”  Glorious Father, we praise Your patience and relentless pursuit of sinners. You humbled and restored Saul, as You have done with us. We are living testaments to Your grace and love. Teach us to live with gratitude and to obey Your call to share Jesus with others, even when it feels risky or uncertain. Give us the spirit of vigor and the voice of joy to express our faith like those who are new in Christ. Please create an opportunity today to tell someone that You are the Healer, the Forgiver, and You have the power even to raise the dead! Thought Questions: -       What does Saul's conversion tell you about God's love? Saul committed to God out of gratitude. How powerful is gratitude in driving your faith? -       Barnabas defends Saul when others are fearful. How should you be like Barnabas when someone with a troubled past comes to Christ? -       Tabitha was treasured for her charitable deeds. When you pass from this life, how do you want to be remembered by the family of God?

Today Dr. Gregg Mays explains how there is a contrast in the Bible with how well people hear the voice of God. He uses Samuel's first in counter and Ananias's interaction with God found in the book of Acts. Foundation Scripture: Acts 9:10-18; 1 Samuel 3:1-10How can Agape Leaders serve you?   Please find us at:         Website:  http://www.agapeleaders.org/    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-mays/      Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/agapeleaders.org      Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/agapeleaders10/ Bible Break With Agape Leaders: http://www.agapeleaders.org/daily-devotionTik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greggmays            YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCmM7ETR652mLtDSKSjda-pwRead Dr, Mays' book Practical Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=practical+leadership+lessons+from+an+average+leader&crid=259U5RNS5J5W5&sprefix=Practical+Leadership%2Caps%2C102&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_4_20 

What would have happened if Ananias had told God “No” when God asked Ananias to go pray over Paul so that Paul could regain his sight? (Note: The video clip “Now I'm Completely Different (The Chosen Scene)” can be found on YouTube. (https://youtu.be/HRlUdfoSAqA?si=CcjcacgUdb99EFHo)) May God bless you as you engage in worship. If you would be so kind, please let us know how this message impacted your faith. If you have any questions or would like to speak directly with Pastor Bob, please reach out to us. If you’d like to contribute to the ongoing ministry of Two Rivers Community Church of the Nazarene please use this link: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/64291 **********

In Acts 4 and 5, we encounter a powerful narrative of early Christian community, highlighting the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and the challenges faced by the apostles. The key message revolves around the concept of 'mega grace' - God's abundant, unmerited favor that empowers believers to live boldly for Christ. We see how the early church responded to this grace through radical generosity and unity, selling possessions to meet each other's needs. This challenges us to examine our own response to God's grace. Are we allowing it to transform our relationships and attitudes towards material possessions? The story of Ananias and Sapphira serves as a stark reminder that God values honesty and integrity in our giving, urging us to check our motives and trust in God's provision. As we reflect on this passage, we're called to consider how we can cultivate a spirit of generosity and unity in our own faith communities, allowing God's grace to overflow in our lives and impact those around us.

God's Precious Possession Preacher: Andrew Southerton Date: 18/05/2025 Series: To the Ends of the Earth Reading: Acts 4:32-5:11 What happens when we treat as common what God sees as precious? This message explores Acts 4-5 and the sobering account of Ananias and Sapphira. How does God view his church, and what does it mean for us today? A challenging look at our attitudes toward community, generosity, and what it truly means to be part of Christ's body.

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comActs 5 Ananias and Sapphira sell property but deceive the apostles about giving the full proceeds. Peter confronts them, and both are struck dead by God, instilling fear throughout the church. Meanwhile, the apostles continue to preach about Jesus and heal many who are sick. Motivated by jealousy, the high priest and the Jewish Council arrest the apostles. However, God sends an angel to release them, and they return to the temple to resume their teaching. They are brought before the Council again but boldly proclaim that they must obey God and teach about Jesus as the risen Savior and King. Gamaliel, a Pharisee, warns that opposing these men could mean standing against God. The apostles are beaten and released but rejoice in their suffering and continue to preach about Jesus openly.  God values honesty, integrity, and sincerity among His people. The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira remind us that we cannot hide anything from God, and when we commit to Him, He expects faithfulness. It may be that these two sought recognition like Barnabas received but lacked the genuine faith to carry out the act of charity. In contrast, the apostles demonstrate self-sacrifice and unwavering commitment to the Savior. They were willing to bear the cost and even rejoiced in the opportunity to suffer as Christ did. God protected them and used their faith to encourage and help others. The opposition faltered in the face of their dedication to Christ. God will also be with us if we show authentic faithfulness. Faithful God, we know that You expect honesty and integrity from Your children. Please forgive our selfishness and hypocrisy. Help us learn from the failings of Ananias and Sapphira and take our commitment to You seriously. Discipline us to live like the apostles, actively assisting others and remaining steadfast in our vocal allegiance to King Jesus. Civil authorities and even religious leaders may oppose our simple, trusting faith. Lord, help us declare, “We must obey God rather than men,” and continue teaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Train us to be joyful and confident in our Christian walk.  Thought Questions: -       Why did Ananias and Sapphira lie about the money they gave? How do you keep greed from getting in the way of faithfulness? -       Even the shadow of Peter healed people as he walked by. Do you believe in God's limitless power to heal and help today? -       Where do you encounter opposition to your faith and your stand for Jesus? What is the right way to handle difficult confrontations?

Seeing with New Eyes: Lessons from Paul and Ananias The election of a new pope, specifically Pope Leo XIV, . . . . . . is seen as a profound new beginning for the Church. Not because the Church had stopped functioning, but because such moments renew the sense of unity and purpose among believers. The joy of his election is contrasted with the heavy burden of leadership he assumes, modeled on the cross of Christ. The homily reflects on how God's choices often seem surprising . . . like Paul's conversion from persecutor to apostle. This transformation shows how divine calling changes one's vision and mission. Likewise, Ananias's initial fear of Paul reminds us that we all need ongoing conversion, especially to overcome fear, prejudice, and reluctance to welcome others. Ultimately, we are invited to be one with Christ, particularly through the Eucharist, and to embrace both leadership and community with a renewed heart. Listen to this Meditation Media. Listen to: Seeing with New Eyes: Lessons from Paul and Ananias ----------------------------------------------------------------- image: The Conversion Of Saint Paul: French Painter: Nicolas Bernard Lépicié: late 1700s ----------------------------------------------------------------- Gospel Reading: John 6: 52-59 First Reading: Acts 9:1-20

A look at perhaps the most surprising appearance of Jesus after his resurrection: when he appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus.

This Mother's Day sermon explores the transformation of Saul in Acts 9:1-20, not just through a dramatic divine encounter, but through the quiet courage of people like Ananias—and the unnamed hands that led, fed, and cared for him during his blindness. It's a story of caregiving, community, and the sacred power of showing up. Whether or not you are a mother, you've likely played a part in someone's transformation simply by loving them through uncertainty. Drawing from personal stories and Scripture, this message invites us to honor the unseen labor that makes new life possible. Because it doesn't just take a village to raise a child—it takes a village to raise a soul.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Saul proclaims the faith that he formerly persecuted, and Ananias overcomes fear to bring God's healing. (Lectionary #277) May 9, 2025 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci 

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Send us a textActs 5:1-4But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?Support the show

Easter 2025

At Bethany, We are God's People who are: Gathered! Connected! Sent!We want to connect with you through this Podcast! Leave us a comment! Tell us where you are at! Leave a Review to help our audience grow!---May 4, 2025 -- Rev. Arthur Rickman -- "Go Cast Your Net" -- Acts 9:1-22(9) Saul kept threatening to murder the Lord's disciples. He went to the chief priest 2 and asked him to write letters of authorization to the synagogue leaders in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted to arrest any man or woman who followed the way of Christ and imprison them in Jerusalem. 3 As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 Saul asked, “Who are you, sir?” The person replied, “I'm Jesus, the one you're persecuting. 6 Get up! Go into the city, and you'll be told what you should do.” 7 Meanwhile, the men traveling with him were speechless. They heard the voice but didn't see anyone. 8 Saul was helped up from the ground. When he opened his eyes, he was blind. So his companions led him into Damascus. 9 For three days he couldn't see and didn't eat or drink. 10 A disciple named Ananias lived in the city of Damascus. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” Ananias answered, “Yes, Lord.” 11 The Lord told him, “Get up! Go to Judas' house on Straight Street, and ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. He's praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 Ananias replied, “Lord, I've heard a lot of people tell about the many evil things this man has done to your people in Jerusalem. 14 Saul has come here to Damascus with authority from the chief priests to put anyone who calls on your name in prison.” 15 The Lord told Ananias, “Go! I've chosen this man to bring my name to nations, to kings, and to the people of Israel. 16 I'll show him how much he has to suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 Ananias left and entered Judas' house. After he placed his hands on Saul, Ananias said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way to Damascus, sent me to you. He wants you to see again and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. Then Saul stood up and was baptized. 19 After he had something to eat, his strength came back to him. Saul was with the disciples in the city of Damascus for several days. 20 He immediately began to spread the word in their synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. 21 Everyone who heard him was amazed. They asked, “Isn't this the man who destroyed those who worshiped the one named Jesus in Jerusalem? Didn't he come here to take these worshipers as prisoners to the chief priests in Jerusalem?” 22 Saul grew more powerful, and he confused the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.http://www.bethanylutheran.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.facebook.com/Bethany.Long.Beach⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/c/BethanyLutheranLongBeach

Pastor Micah continues the Encounters series with Acts 9:1-19 where Paul is confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Micah discusses the context of Paul's conversion and the significance of Ananias's actions and our invitation to embody peacemaking in a similar way.

How does an enemy become a brother? In this week's sermon, we hear about Saul's conversion from the chief interrogator and prosecutor of followers of Christ, to Jesus calling him by name as a chosen instrument to bring the gospel to the nations. We also learn about Jesus's calling on Ananias to go and minister to Saul—a man who had a direct order to arrest anyone following Jesus. Two men called by God, whose obedience and faith in this moment brought the good news of salvation to the ends of the earth for generations to come. "Called By Name," Eastertide 2025, Acts 9:1-19, The Rev. Zach Croonquist.

Third Sunday of Easter Bible Readings Acts 9:1–22, 5:11–14, John 21:1–14 Worship Folder Pastor John Melke Sermon text: Acts 9:3-6,9,15-16,17b-18,22 3 As he (Paul) went on his way and was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you need to do.” … 9 For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink…15 The Lord said to him, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. 16 Indeed, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Laying his hands on Saul, Ananias said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, whom you saw on your way here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized… 22 Saul continued to get stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Take a Moment to recall something from today's message. Ask Jesus to create for you opportunities to use your words, activities and thoughts to glorify Him this week. We value your friendship and the opportunity to share the love of Jesus together with you!

Third Sunday of Easter  The First Lesson Acts 9:1-6, (7-20) Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." [The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."] The Psalm Psalm 30 Exaltabo te, Domine 1 I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up * and have not let my enemies triumph over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried out to you, * and you restored me to health. 3 You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; * you restored my life as I was going down to the grave. 4 Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; * give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, * his favor for a lifetime. 6 Weeping may spend the night, * but joy comes in the morning. 7 While I felt secure, I said, "I shall never be disturbed. * You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains." 8 Then you hid your face, * and I was filled with fear. 9 I cried to you, O Lord; * I pleaded with the Lord, saying, 10 "What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? * will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness? 11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; * O Lord, be my helper." 12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; * you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy. 13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; * O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever. The Epistle Revelation 5:11-14 I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped. The Gospel John 21:1-19 Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

Just as Ananias embraced Saul as family by calling him, ‘Brother Saul,' Ruthie and I will always think of you as ‘Sister Calvary.' We are family to each other. You will always be in my and Ruthie's hearts. And God's ongoing story of conversion in all our hearts will never end.

Acts 9 | The Conversion of Paul | Dean Miller | May the 4th, 2025 In Acts 9, we read about the conversion of Paul. Dean talks about the surrounding chapters, which include the conversions of the Roman Centurion Cornelius and the Ethiopian Eunuch, and how we can be like Ananias and Barnabas were to […]

From Acts 9:1-22. Pastor LJ introduced Missions Month by focusing on the transformative stories of Paul and Ananias from the Book of Acts. As believers, we are to recognize the value of the Gospel and to actively engage in sharing it, despite the costs it may entail.

Acts 9:1-19

Expanding upon Wednesday's lesson, "SUDUE & HAVE DOMINION," Brother Sam cautioned against developing a lying spirit.  Ananias and Sapphira are a couple in the Jerusalem church who lied against the Holy Spirit and were struck dead as they stood before Peter. We lie against God if we say Jesus is Lord when he is not Lord of our lives. Lying against the ministry is lying against Jesus and the Father. (Matthew 10:32-33) "Our God is a jealous God"(Exodus 20:5). The first commandment forbids idolatry. In 2025, we deceive ourselves regarding idolatry.

Send us a textAnanias couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing; Saul couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing. God was about to bring Ananias the preacher to Saul the persecutor to preach the gospel to him. Pick up your Bible or phone and turn to Acts 9 to hear the story.This episode is based on the God's Word for Life, Spring 2025 Adult Lesson Guide, entitled, "Brother Saul" (May 4, 2025). Get Our Great Big God VBSGet Pathways K–12 Bible CurriculumFind an Apostolic church that preaches this glorious gospel and our response at UPCI.orgThis episode is produced by the Pentecostal Resources Group and is hosted by LJ Harry. To order resources of the God's Word for Life curriculum, visitPentecostalPublishing.com and PentecostalResourcesGroup.com. Share your God's Word for Life stories with me at pphcurriculum@upci.org.

Welcome to Day 2621 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Tough Love” –  I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2621 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2621 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 54th lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “Tough Love.” It's a common myth that God will always bring us back to repentance. This myth is debunked in the first letter of John. While John writes that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), he also tells us that sometimes God never gives us another chance to confess our sins and be forgiven. In 1 John 5:16-17, the apostle gives us the other side of the sin-confession- forgiveness coin: If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. Put simply, there are sins that Christians commit that don't lead to death— but there are some that do. Is John talking about a divine law of cause and effect, where a specific sin irrevocably results in death? Not exactly. We can be certain that John has no specific sin in mind because he never names a sin in this passage. John is saying there may come a time when God has had enough of our sin, and then our time on earth is up. We cannot know when such a time might come—so we shouldn't be in the habit of sinning with impunity. John had actually seen this happen. In Acts 5:1-11, Luke relates the incident of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to Peter (and to God) about the proceeds from a piece of property they had sold. They were under no obligation to give any of it to the church, but pretended that they had given all the money to the Lord's work. When confronted by Peter, both of them collapsed and died on the spot. Luke writes that “great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11). No kidding. No doubt this incident left an imprint on John's mind. But John would have also known that there was Old Testament precedent for “sin unto death” as well. In Numbers 11, in response to the latest wave of complaining about their circumstances, the LORD sent the people of Israel meat to eat in the form of quails. “While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD

Has God ever called you to obey a seemingly impossible command despite your reluctance or fear?In Acts 9, we read how Ananias faced a choice: believe and go or hide and disobey. Because he obeyed, his own faith deepened. Ananias ushered into God's family one of the church's most dynamic and influential leaders, the apostle Paul.Listen in as Pastor Chuck Swindoll describes God's unexpected assignments that come with the journey of faith and how small acts of obedience can lead to world-changing outcomes. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29

The year was AD33 when we read in Acts 9 of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Saul is seeking to destroy the believers in Christ who dwelt in Damascus. Saul presses on as the fierce Syrian sun burns brightly in the sky. Saul is blinded by a light stronger than the sun and he is stirred by a voice that he may well have known, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?” The Syriac Pashito, whose phrase, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” is added to the English KJV. Saul's response is, “Who are you Lord?” With his eyes blinded and his mind in total turmoil and his entire world view turned upside down (as would be said of him in Acts 17:6) he is led by the hand into the city to await instructions. For three days Saul neither ate nor drank. Ananias is told to go to Saul to lay hands on him to recover Saul's sight. Ananias is further told of Saul's mission which Almighty God has marked out for him. Saul is a chosen vessel to take Christ's message before kings. Ananias goes to the street which ironically named “Straight”. Ramsay says in his book that it was the most crooked street in all Damascus. Ananias courageously lays his hands on Saul and restores his sight and imparts to Saul the Holy Spirit. Saul preaches Jesus in the Damascene synagogues to the astonishment of all. From there Saul goes to Jerusalem and seeks association with the believers, who shun him believing that Saul is using a ruse to get among them. Respite from persecution is granted to the ecclesias. Peter heals Aeneas at Lydda slightly inland from Joppa; then at Joppa he is shown the clothes that Dorcas had made for the widows and orphans before her decease. Peter raises her to life to continue her work and from there Peter he goes to the house of Simon the tanner. We might pose a question: Did Peter go to the house of a tanner to prepare himself to accept that ceremonial uncleanness was no longer relevant as we will see in our reading tomorrow from Acts 10?

Has God ever called you to obey a seemingly impossible command despite your reluctance or fear?In Acts 9, we read how Ananias faced a choice: believe and go or hide and disobey. Because he obeyed, his own faith deepened. Ananias ushered into God's family one of the church's most dynamic and influential leaders, the apostle Paul.Listen in as Pastor Chuck Swindoll describes God's unexpected assignments that come with the journey of faith and how small acts of obedience can lead to world-changing outcomes. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29

“As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’” (Acts 9:3–4 NLT) The story of Stephen’s stoning contains a curious footnote: “His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58 NLT). That would be Saul of Tarsus. After participating in the stoning of Stephen, Saul gained notoriety as a persecutor of Christians. Saul was proud of his Jewish heritage and zealous in his Jewish faith. When he saw the followers of Jesus of Nazareth, a dead revolutionary, challenging Jewish beliefs, he determined to put an end to their movement. Acts 8:3 says, “But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison” (NLT). Acts 9:1 says, “Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers” (NLT). This was a man fueled by religious extremism. Saul found his identity in his Jewish religion. He was rigid in his beliefs and unlikely to change. Until he encountered the risen Christ. While Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, Jesus appeared to him, as explained in the passage above. Saul’s life was never the same again. Temporarily blinded after his encounter, Saul was led to the home of Ananias, a believer who knew of Saul’s reputation and was understandably suspicious of him. But the Lord revealed to Ananias that He had important plans for Saul. Saul regained his sight, was filled by the Holy Spirit, and then baptized. As zealous as ever, he went straight to the local synagogue and proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God. The Jewish people who had been his former allies were confounded by the power of his teaching. As was the case with Ananias, the apostles and church leaders viewed Saul with skepticism. Eventually he won them over with the power of his testimony, his teaching, and his zeal to share the Good News. Saul embarked on three major missionary journeys that took him to Gentile regions throughout the land. Perhaps to give himself more credibility in those places, he started using his Roman name, Paul. He was imprisoned, stoned, and beaten for preaching the truth of Christ. But he never wavered. He considered it an honor to suffer for the Lord’s sake. He was beheaded in Rome around AD 66. But not before God had used him to change the world. The life of Saul/Paul is a testimony to the power of Jesus’ resurrection. The risen Christ can transform any life. He offers forgiveness and healing. He gives us new purpose, new meaning, and new hope. Through the Holy Spirit, He guides us, comforts us, convicts us when we do wrong, and challenges us to maximize our God-given gifts. Jesus lets us start again. Reflection question: How has Jesus transformed your life or the lives of people you know? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acts 4 spoke of Barnabas' generous act in selling land and donating the proceeds to the ecclesial common cause. Barnabas may well have been the rich young ruler of Matthew 19. In Acts 5 couple named: Ananias and Sapphira, want the ecclesia's acclaim without giving all of the proceeds of their sale of land. It was their right to do with their money as they pleased. Their sin lay in lying – attempting to deceive God and other believers. It cost them their lives and was a great wake-up call to the ecclesia. We are told from verse 12 of the mighty signs that support the Apostles' preaching The chapter says that Peter and John are arrested and put in the public prison overnight. The angel of the Lord comes and releases those 2 Apostles and tells them to continue to proclaim “the words of life”. At daybreak Peter and John were enthusiastically preaching in the temple. The Apostles are rearrested by the officers, but this time quietly for fear of the people and once more the Jewish Council forbids them to preach full stop. The Apostles' answer in verse 29 is a message to believers for all time, “We must obey God rather than men”. Their bold testimony was an evidence that they were Jesus' disciples. Gamaliel counsels his peers to desist from opposing, or harming, the Apostles, since historical evidence – Gamaliel asserts – always showed that what was not from God was doomed to fail. In chapter 6 we have a complaint from the Hellenistic believers that their widows were not being treated fairly in the daily distribution of help. Seven faithful believers of Grecian background were chosen to rectify the matter. One of the seven, Stephen, was seized by the Jewish rulers and falsely accused of speaking words against Moses and the temple. False witnesses are secured and tell lies against Stephen. Those members of the Council behold Stephen's angelic appearance and demeanour.

Send us a textWhen we look at the holiness of God and how we can get it wrong, we need not look any further than the example of Ananias & Sapphira in the early Acts church.  As we come to Acts 5, we see the church in line with the Lord's leadership -- it is seeing miracles occur, needs taken care of, and God is adding to their number.  Suddenly the brakes are hit as we learn of Ananias & Sapphira, their sin and choice to withhold from God the full truth of their donation.  In this story, we see that God indeed takes holiness seriously and He desires a pure Bride, a pure Church.  We can hide nothing from God.  We must run to Him to confess and profess -- confess sin and profess Him as Lord.  Watch short movie, Jesus The Narrow Way:  https://youtube.com/shorts/K7tfDmnK1vk?si=JzaqNnIHGqKdYOk_Check out the new AS BOLD AS LIONS merch items:   https://derekcharlesjohnson.com/store

Listen along as we begin a series through Acts. Notes//Quotes: Acts 1:1-11 - Faith  "How Jesus Starts His Church" ”Customary descriptions of Acts as the story of the church's growth or the story of the spread of the gospel neglect the larger context within which this journey takes place. Although it begins in Israel's leading city, Jerusalem, and ends in the Empire's leading city, Rome, the context of Acts reaches well beyond the cities of the Mediterranean world. Readers who set aside the expectation that Acts is an institutional history, shaped and reshaped by human leaders, will instead see God at work from the beginning until well past the end. God is the one who glorifies Jesus and raises him from the dead, who rescues the apostles from prison, who directs Ananias to baptize Saul, and who insists upon the inclusion of the Gentiles. As Acts unfolds, the audience comes to know God through the activity ascribed to God as well as through the speeches and their claims about God. And the first thing the audience learns is that God is the God of Israel.” Beverly Gaventa “The central problem of our age is not liberalism or modernism, nor the old Roman Catholicism or the new Roman Catholicism.The real problem is this: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, individually corporately, tending to do the Lord's work in the power of the flesh rather than of the Spirit. The central problem is always in the midst of the people of God, not in the circumstances surrounding them Is it not amazing: though we know the power of the Holy Spirit can be ours, we still ape the world's wisdom, trust its forms of publicity and its noise, and imitate its ways of manipulating men! If we try to influence the world by using its methods, we are doing the Lord's work in the flesh. If we put activity, even good activity, at the center rather than trusting God, then there may be the power of the world, but we will lack the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Francis Schaeffer “Travelers who desire the predictability of an interstate highway system where all roads look alike and every interchange features three gas stations and two fast-food stores will find this journey more closely resembles A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.” Beverly Gaventa Joel 2:28-29 “For the verb restore shows that the were expecting a political and territorial kingdom; the noun Israel that they were expecting a national kingdom; and the adverbial clause at this time that they were expecting its immediate establishment.”  John Stott Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer - Rainer Rilke “Some have seen Jesus's answer as a gentle rebuke to their curiosity: they are to mind their own business and not worry about the end. Others have seen a challenge to the disciple' narrowly nationalistic view of the kingdom. But these interpretations miss the legitimate eschatological expectation that all Jews, including Jesus and the apostles, held in common. If the last days had come indeed—as all the signs seemed to indicate—then Israel must be restored: this was the first order of business on the prophets' kingdom agenda! Jesus's response precisely answers this question: this is how the kingdom is to be restored to Israel so that (in keeping with prophetic promise) the gentiles might soon stream in. Jesus shifts his disciples expectation from when to how.”  - Mike Goheen “When the Spirit comes to them and gives them the gift of power, their very identity will be transformed into that of witnesses.” - Darrell Guder  “The key question is this: As we work for God in this fallen world, what are we trusting in? To trust in particular methods is to copy the world and to remove ourselves from the tremendous promise that we have something different—the power of the Holy Spirit rather than the power of human technique.” - Francis Schaeffer

Can people count on you to tell the truth -  both in public and behind closed doors?In today's episode, host Gaby Alessi invites us to explore the powerful connection between integrity and influence, diving into the story of Ananias and Sapphira from the early church in Acts. Together, we'll discover why being people of our word matters so deeply to God, how our choices impact those around us, and what it means to hold ourselves—and our community—to a higher standard of honesty and righteousness.Join us as we pray for God's guidance to be people of integrity in every area of our lives, asking Him to help us walk in truth and lead others by our example.Tap HERE to send us a text! BECOME A FOUNDING "MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL" MEMBERIf you enjoy your 5 minute daily dose of heaven, we would appreciate your support, and we have a fun way for you to partner with the MMD community! We've launched our "Buy Me a Coffee" membership where you can buy us a latte, OR become a founding member and get monthly bonus video episodes! To donate, go to mymorningdevo.co/join! Support the showNEW TO MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL? We're so glad you're here! We're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in a church in Miami, FL, and we're so blessed to partner with the My Morning Devotional community and continue the great work done by the show's creator and our friend, Alison Delamota.Join our Community Subscribe to the show on this app Share this with a friend Follow Us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Leave a review Support Our Friends and Family Connect with the original host of MMD Alison Delamota Follow our family podcast The Family Business with The Alessis Check out our Worship Music Hear the new music project "Praise the Lord EP" from Metro Life Worship and Mary AlessiListen on SpotifyWatch on YouTube

In this episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, Profs. Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson explore the themes of resurrection, discipleship, and transformation as illustrated in the readings from John 21, Acts 9, Psalm 30, and Revelation 5.  They discuss the significance of Jesus' resurrection appearances, the call to discipleship, the symbolism of feeding and shepherding, and the transformative experiences of Saul and Ananias.  The conversation also delves into the emotional journey from mourning to joy, as well as the counter-cultural message of Revelation regarding power and authority. Commentaries for the Third Sunday of Easter can be found on the Working Preacher website at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-john-211-19-6. *  *  * Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share to stay connected with more insightful lectionary discussions! Reminder: We have commentaries for the Revised Common Lectionary, the Narrative Lectionary, and Evangelio (Spanish-language Gospel). We're here for you, working preachers! Learn more by visiting https://www.workingpreacher.org/. Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/XTD6KJCFGBs.

If they would be honest with us, our kids would tell us that their feelings and emotions serve far too often as their guide for life. Not surprisingly, today's culture encourages this kind of feeling-driven living. To be honest, being driven by feelings and emotions is not just an issue for our kids. What a shame it would be if history remembered our generation of Christian parents as people who didn't do anything to help their kids listen to God instead of their windblown emotions. Feelings should never eclipse God's truth. We must walk our teens through the Scriptures to show them examples of people who allowed their emotions to eclipse the truth, and then suffered the consequences. This includes people like David with Bathsheba, Lot's wife, and Ananias and Sapphira. One way that we can help our kids see the dangers of feelings is by walking them through the stories of our own lives by sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding the feelings-based and truth-based choices we've made. 

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During this message, we took a look at Acts chapter 9 to see the story of Ananias. God's invitation to Ananias... triggered some fear and lead to a miraculous moment. This past weekend, Pastor Steve Huffman guided us through these two important points, as we continued our series, The Same God. This week, be encouraged to follow God's invitations in your life.

We have a German hiker on the podcast this week. Annika Ananias recently flew into the US to hike the Arizona Trail with her American boyfriend, when she was pulled out of line, harshly interrogated, deported, and banned from re-entering the country for five years. This, despite having a ten-year visa. She has a compelling story. I wanted to hear from Annika in her own words. The Trek wrote a great article about her that left me with a few questions I wanted to clear up with her. As you'll hear, she is articulate and tells her alarming story with clarity. These links will tell you more of the story and, if you're able to read German or you can get it translated, at the end of the list is an article she wrote to warn fellow European hikers of the situation they may face in the US. Annika Ananias / "Ravenclaw", Author at The Trek Statement English German Thru-Hiker Detained, Deported, and Banned From US - The Trek Einreise in die USA: Warum ein Visum keine Garantie ist und wie ihr euch vorbereiten solltet - Weltwanderin Both of our Mighty Blue Class of 2025 are now on trail. Beth saet out this past week, and we catch up with her and her stepson, Andrew, at Woody Gap, with their first impressions. Dave is now into Hot Springs, some 275 miles ahead of Beth, and he is zeroing there to give back to the local community by spending in local businesses. I used my hike last year on the South West Coast Path in the UK to help raise money for my absolute favorite charity, Parenting Matters, on whose board I've been privileged to serve for over a decade. You can learn more about the hike and the organization–and donate–by visiting Hike with Steve - Empowering Parents, One Step at a Time | Parenting Matters %. I hope you want to support this critical mission. Don't forget. Our entire series of videos from our Woods Hole Weekend in 2022 is now FREE and available at my YouTube page at Woods Hole Weekend - Trailer There, you'll find all sorts of tips and tricks that our guests took away from the weekend that helped them with their own hikes this year. Check it out. I often ask listeners for ideas on who to interview, and I'm sure several of you say, “I could do that. I've got an awesome story to tell.” You're the person we need to hear from. If you'd like to be interviewed on the podcast, just register as a guest on the link below, and I'll be in touch. Come on the show! If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, and want to see our shows continue, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. You'll find the donate button on each Hiking Radio Network page at Hiking Radio Network . If you prefer NOT to use PayPal, you can now support us via check by mailing it to Mighty Blue Publishing, PO Box 6161, Sun City Center, FL 35751. Any support is gratefully received. Additionally, you can “Zelle” me a donation to steve@hikingradionetwork.com. Or “Venmo“ me at @‌Steve-Adams-105. They both work! If you'd like to take advantage of my book offer (all three of my printed hiking books–with a personal message and signed by me–for $31, including postage to the United States) send a check payable to Mighty Blue Publishing at the address just above.

After arguing with God, Ananias comes and, in a tangible way, expresses the love of God to Saul.Saul literally changes the course of human history. And you may not know him as Saul, but you are familiar with his new name…Paul, who becomes the greatest missionary in the history of the world.God has given you your background and personality to be used for His glory. You are part of the plan God has to change the world, even through the life of one unlikely person like Saul. 

Welcome to Christ Community's Online Service!As the early church grew, one key dynamic set them apart—radical generosity. In this message, we explore how a community once gripped by fear became a bold, Spirit-empowered movement marked by unity, grace, and outrageous giving. From Barnabas' inspiring example to the sobering story of Ananias and Sapphira, we see both the beauty and the seriousness of generosity in God's kingdom. All these examples lead us to ask ourselves: what kind of heart shifts can unleash this same contagious generosity in us today?For prayer and to stay connected, please visit: https://www.cccgreeley.orgFor Giving: https://www.cccgreeley.org/give/Discussion Guide: https://www.cccgreeley.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-3-29-30-Group-Discussion-Questions.pdfBaptism Weekend Returns!

The early church was not without her blemishes and struggles with sin. Ananias and Saphira deceive the Church, steal from the LORD, and so receive a swift and just punishment. This account warns the reader to not take the holiness of God lightly and shows us that what transpired was a ... I. Serious Sin II. Serious Offense III. Serious Threat IV. Serious Fear.

Speaker: Damian Thompson, Online & Outreach Pastor Pastor Damian discusses the contrast between generosity and deception in Acts 4 and 5, highlighting Barnabas' selflessness versus Ananias and Sapphira's dishonesty. Their attempt to deceive the early church leads to their sudden deaths, emphasizing the seriousness of integrity before God. This passage serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of honesty and wholehearted devotion in the Christian faith. #IntegrityMatters #FaithAndHonesty #RiseSeries #Acts5Lesson #ChurchCommunity

In this powerful follow-up to the series on biblical masculinity, Chris Hilkin continues unpacking what it means to be a man after God's own heart through the PRIME MEN acrostic. After Jerrad Lopes opens with a heartfelt update and thanks the Dad Tired community for their support, Chris teaches through the next key biblical traits of godly manhood: Intentional, Meek, Enduring, Moral, Empathetic, and Noble. With deep theological insight, biblical references, and real-life application, this episode challenges men to take spiritual leadership seriously—at home, in the church, and in the world.Bible Passages Mentioned:John 8 – Jesus and the woman caught in adultery1 Timothy 3:4-5 – Managing one's family wellEphesians 6:4 – Fathers training and instructing childrenGenesis 18:19 – Directing one's household in the way of the LordGenesis 3:6 – Adam's passivity in the Garden1 Samuel 3:11 – Eli's failure to discipline his sonsMark 5 – Jesus healing the bleeding woman2 Timothy 1:7 – Spirit of power, love, and self-controlProverbs 16:32 – Better to be patient than a warriorPhilippians 2 – Christ's humilityProverbs 24:16 – The righteous fall seven times but rise again1 Corinthians 16:13-14 – Be strong, courageous, and do everything in loveLuke 23 – Jesus carrying the cross1 Timothy 4:8 – Godliness has value for all thingsTitus 2:7-8 – Teaching with integrity1 Samuel 15 – Saul's disobedienceMatthew 4 – Jesus' temptationJohn 17 – Jesus interceding for his disciplesNehemiah 4:14 – Fight for your familiesPhilippians 4:8 – Whatever is noble, think about such thingsProverbs 22:1 – A good name is more desirable than richesMicah 6:8 – Do justice, love mercy, walk humblyActs 5 – Ananias and SapphiraJoshua 7 – The sin of AchanJohn 18 – Jesus on trial before PilateIsaiah 53:7 – Like a lamb silent before its shearersLuke 23:34 – Jesus forgives those who crucified HimDiscussion Questions:Which of the PRIME MEN traits (Peacemaking, Repentant, Intentional, Meek, Enduring, Moral, Empathetic, Noble) do you most naturally embody, and which one do you struggle with the most? Why?(Bonus: Print the list and literally highlight where you're strong and where you're bleeding, as suggested in the episode.)Read Ephesians 6:4. What does it look like for you, specifically, to take spiritual responsibility for your kids? In what ways have you been tempted to hand that role off to someone else?How have you misunderstood meekness in the past? What would it look like for you to walk in “power under control” this week?How does your private life reflect your integrity? Are there places in your life where you are “fractioned” or living in two different personas? What does integration look like for you?In a culture that values comfort and ease, what does it mean to endure like Jesus? How can you practically grow in endurance and perseverance when life gets hard?

Keith hosts a discussion with Pastor Jon Sanders on the Bible's teachings about money.  They explore the context of biblical verses, emphasizing that wealth itself is not sinful but how it's used matters. They discuss tithing, noting it's a principle of generosity, not a legalistic rule. The Bible does not condemn real estate or property ownership, as it is not explicitly forbidden. Wealth can be a tool for doing good and providing housing for others. Resources: Explore the EntrePastors platform to learn more about Pastor Jon Sanders' work in helping pastors with entrepreneurship and financial management. Show Notes: GetRichEducation.com/546 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching:GREmarketplace.com/Coach Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  You get paid first: Text FAMILY to 66866 Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search “how to leave an Apple Podcasts review”  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— text ‘GRE' to 66866 Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Automatically Transcribed With Otter.ai    Keith Weinhold  0:01   Welcome to GRE, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, what does the Bible say about money? Is it virtuous to acquire wealth, or are you going to hell for that one Bible verse reads, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God". I asked Pastor John Sanders all about it, as well as what other religions say about money today on get rich education   since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors, who delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads of 188 world nations. He has a list show guests and key top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki, get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast or visit get rich education.com   Corey Coates  1:19   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:35   Welcome to GRE from Bel Air, Maryland to Bel Air, California and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold, and this is get rich education. I hope that your week's off to a good start with 546 weekly episodes. We've approached investing from a lot of angles. Commonly, it's a strategic approach, but there are other wealth building approaches we discussed here, like mindset, what type of vehicle you're going to use, the academic perspective, the protective approach, then there's a mathematical angle. But today, for the first time, it's the theological perspective. Now, even if you're not a Christian or religious at all, what the Bible says about money has import, because the Bible is the number one selling book of all time, so it surely affects the mindset and the approach of those around you. I've got a pretty inflammatory question for you, if money is the root of all evil, then why do they ask for it at church? Now I say that a little jokingly. We're going to debunk that in fact and more as Pastor John joins us shortly, I will hit that verse head on and ask him about it, the verse that says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. I'm really interested in what he says about that. I mean, in fact, that's actually something I wanted to know about for decades. That's always piqued curiosity inside me, and especially since I'm the 10 plus year host and founder of a platform called get rich education. There's a lot I'd like to ask about that. There is more that I'd like to ask about, if we get time. I'd also like to know what the Bible says about tithing and real estate and gambling and more. Let's meet Pastor John.   With over 20 years in pastoral ministry, this week's guest, also has a passion for using his voice to motivate and inspire ministry leaders. His father was also a pastor. He is non denominational. Hey, welcome to GRE Jon Sanders.   Jon Sanders  4:04   Keith, this is my pleasure to be here. Man, been looking forward to this conversation, so thanks for having me on the show   Keith Weinhold  4:09   me too. We're doing something really different this week. I've been anticipating it, and I sure have some specific things I want to ask you, even some Bible verses later that are somewhat antagonistic to wanting to build wealth. But before we drill down and get into that, just big picture, John, when we talk about what the Bible says about money broadly, what should we keep in mind    Jon Sanders  4:34   with anything when it comes to Scripture? One of the greatest principles to keep in mind is that context matters, because without context, you can make the Bible say about anything you want it to say. And that's probably what we're going to dig into a little bit, is that if you just read a verse in one little snippet and divorce it from not only its context, but the rest of Scripture, you can come away with a pretty skewed view, as many people in the world. Have, as well as many people in the church, many Christians have a skewed view about money and about wealth because of some, you know, certain verses that I'm sure we'll get to today, I would say just an overarching principle, context matters, and hopefully we can show a little bit of that context in our conversation and just see that maybe what you thought the Bible says about money is not, in fact, what the Bible says about money. We'll see where this goes.   Keith Weinhold  5:24   Context matters and mindset matters. You know that we're a real estate investing show, but episode number one of the get rich education podcast from 2014 is titled, your abundance mindset. Do Christians worship a God of abundance, where he would want you to use your God given talents to flourish and produce and make more in this world. Or do you not see it that way?   Jon Sanders  5:53   I 100% see it that way. And what's interesting to me is that as believers, we would say, many of us would agree with things like we believe in this limitless God who spoke the universe into existence by nothing more than the power of his spoken word and just the abundant world in which we live like we believe in that God who can do all kinds of miraculous things. And yet, then, when it comes to the subject of money, so often, we live out something very different than that. With such scarcity, we act as though there's such limited resources at our disposal, and our thinking is so enmeshed in poverty thinking and scarcity thinking. And I think as God's people, we ought to be some of the most abundant thinking people there is because we are supposedly tapped into the most abundant source the world has ever known. So there is a discrepancy there, but I'm 100% with where you are on that we serve an abundant God, and we would do well to think in abundant terms, because I think we're gonna find that his resources never run out.   Keith Weinhold  6:57   Right? We're here to think abundantly in flourish. One thing I like to say is, don't live below your means. Grow your means. Christians should when I'm asking you as a pastor, I would think they would believe that God was an abundant creator. He created the earth that we live on a gigantic piece of real estate.    Jon Sanders  7:17   Yeah, and so much more. And like I said, it never runs out. Whether we're talking about his physical resources or we're talking about the more intangible resources that we can't necessarily hold in our hands. There is always more than enough with the God that we serve. And yet, how then do we come to such places of scarcity and limitation? I would contend this Keith that if someone is actually reading the Bible, applying the principles to their life, they will inevitably, more and more grow in their wealth and in their abundance and in their ability to manage well the resources that God has put into their hand. Now that's not the same as what some might put into the category of what they'd call the prosperity gospel, where God wants everyone to be rich and never to have any sickness or financial difficulties like those are not the same messages. We're not all promised the same exact outcomes, but I believe if we follow the timeless principles, the laws that have been established by the Creator that he's shared with us through His word, I think we can expect to flourish and thrive and prosper and do well and continually grow whatever resources he's put into our hands. As a matter of fact, I would point to a parable that Jesus told, many of the parables that Jesus told in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, many of them deal with money. Now, all of Jesus's parables got to a deeper, like more Kingdom spiritual lesson. But in many of them, he used something that all of us can relate to, and that is money. Because scripture has a lot to say about money. And then, specifically, in one of those parables in Matthew 25 I believe Jesus told a story of the master who represents God in the story how he gave differing talents or financial amounts to three different servants based upon their own abilities. And right in there, there's some truth that we can learn and apply, that we don't all have the same abilities, but God allows us, He gives us certain things that are in our capability to handle, and then with that comes an expectation that we manage that well, because it doesn't actually belong to us. That's a big principle of money in Scripture is that none of it actually belongs to us. All of it belongs to the Lord, but we are stewards. That's kind of a Bible word. We are the managers of the resources He's given us. And even from that parable I mentioned in Matthew 25 there is an expectation that we take what has been entrusted to us and we multiply it. And if we fail to do that, the words of the master that Jesus. In that parable, were you wicked and lazy servants? The words of the master to the one servant who basically squandered what had been entrusted to him, he was called a wicked and lazy servant. So there's an expectation that we are not wicked and lazy servants, but that instead, we take whatever resources have been entrusted to us and multiply them for the good of God's kingdom and for His glory. So that's just one. I mean, there's countless stories that Jesus told that we can learn principles like that from.   Keith Weinhold  10:30    I think building prosperity is being the opposite of laziness or sloth. Is it bad to be wealthy?    Jon Sanders  10:39   I would say, according to the Bible, 100% No, it is not wrong or immoral or sinful to be wealthy. We can point to many heroes of our faith who were men and women of great wealth. We can also point in Scripture to wicked people who also were men and women of great wealth. So the question is not whether or not someone has money. That's not what sets them apart as righteous or wicked. It's what they do with that money. It's how they live. It's their character that really is what we measure that by. And so here's what I would contend without money, it's really hard to do good things in the world. You're very limited when you put money in the hands of good people, those people can use those resources for all kinds of good purposes and to help a lot of people. I mean, that's just common sense, and so it's not a bad thing for righteous people to multiply their wealth and to grow in their wealth in order to be in a position to help even more people.   Keith Weinhold  11:39   The way I think about it, is that producers and entrepreneurs, they need to give first before they can create any prosperity for themselves. And what's foundational in our mission here at GRE is to do good in the world, provide housing that's clean, safe, affordable and functional. You're giving you're qualifying for a loan, you're buying property, you're taking on risk before anything can possibly come back to you and John here, I've often touted, hey, we provide housing that's clean, safe, affordable and functional. We can maybe abolish the term slumlord, for example. So that's what I'm talking about with doing good in creating prosperity for ourselves as a result of that.   Jon Sanders  12:24   Yeah, and I'll point out another biblical principle that you just outlined, whether you realize it or not, and that is the law of sowing and reaping. It's the law of the harvest. You don't have to believe in God for this to be true. If you go plant something, you will get more of the thing you planted, if you tend to the soil well, and if the conditions are right, and you mentioned it, that is risk. Like there's risk involved. Every time a farmer goes and sows seed into the soil, like there's no guarantee that I'm going to get that back, things can happen. It's a believable risk. It's a relatively manageable risk. It's a risk, nonetheless, to take a great amount of seed and put it into the soil in faith. And I want to point that word out. There's faith when we as entrepreneurs go out, we're acting in faith when we take that risk. And again, it's something that we have to kind of weigh it out, is this a wise risk to take? But at the end of the day, there still is no guarantee. But there is that law of sowing and reaping and the law of the harvest. And I think God honors that, I know he honors that I believe he is honored by our faith. It literally can be an act of worship done to him was we go start businesses, as we invest in real estate, as we buy properties like that, actually can be part of our worship, and us fulfilling the very purpose for which God put us here, to manage what he's given us, to multiply it, and then to do good with it, as you're describing. I agree totally.   Keith Weinhold  13:48   that's a good point. It really is an act of faith to provide an income property, faith that you're going to have a rent paying tenant, faith that you're going to be able to maintain the place, faith that you're buying a property in a market where you have a good expectation that you're going to be able to have future rent paying tenants. Yeah, it really is an act of faith. Well, John, there are some specific verses in the Bible that are really well known and deal with money. One is the often misquoted verse that everyone is familiar with. And what's misquoted is that people say that money is the root of all evil. But as we know, that verse from the book of Timothy is misquoted. It is for the love of money that is the root of all evil. Can you tell us more about that, why it's misunderstood, and actually, just what that really means for the love of money is the root of all evil,   Jon Sanders  14:42   by the way, just stepping back a second in the conversation to your question, is it wrong to be rich? Here's another supporting text where the answer is no, because the verse you're speaking of the apostle Paul wrote this in a letter to Timothy. He's telling Timothy again, in the context, he's telling Timothy. To address the rich people in the church and say some things to them, teach the rich people some things, and he didn't tell them, you know, shame them for having wealth and for being rich. Instead, he's teaching them how to be rich, how to be a good rich person. And it's in that context where that line is found, that the love of money is the root of all evil. Fast forward to modern times. We've kind of thrown the word love out of it, and we just said, There it is. Money is the root of all evil, and we say it with a sense of self righteousness. As I'm sitting here, broke, living paycheck to paycheck, I don't want to be one of those evil rich people. That's not what it says at all. It's saying the love of money is the root of all evil, and we do need to step into this for just a moment. There are warnings in Scripture about money, because if we don't realize and recognize the power of wealth and the power of money, I believe probably one of the reasons God's word says more about money than it does so many other topics is because the danger that money has to compete with God himself. I often say I don't think it's God and the devil that are in competition with each other. In many ways, it's God and money, because Jesus even said you can't serve both. You can't have two masters. You'll either love the one or despise the other. That doesn't mean you can't worship God and have money. It says you can't worship them both, because your allegiance is going to go one way or the other, and the more wealthy we become. There is a danger in that, or maybe even before the wealth shows up. If there is this just burning desire to be rich above all else, it can pull us off course. It can pull our focus away from the Lord. So there is a warning in that that we should heed and listen to. Apparently, according to Scripture, money is powerful, and it's powerful for good and it's powerful for evil. And so if we're going to have some of it, and if we're going to grow the amount that we have, it sounds like it's a pretty powerful tool that we ought to know how to use and how to use properly, no different than when you throw the keys to the car to your teenage driver, like we just put a very powerful tool in their hands, and we pray and trust that they're going to use it wisely and not drive it off the cliff, you know, or kill someone in the process. And money's very much the same way. So the warning is good, but what's not good is to take it out of context and build this paradigm of somehow, the less money I have, the more righteous I am. And in the platform that I'm building, we have a online community. We call it entree pastors, that specifically helps pastors do better financially through entrepreneurial business man, we combat this mindset all the time, because we're dealing not only with people who've been in the church most of their life, but people who have led in the church, and there is so much scarcity thinking around money that we have to address so many of these themes that you and I are unpacking right now. So yeah, often I have found myself taking people to this Scripture and having them read it again and again until they hear themselves say that the love of money is the root of all evil, not having money that is not the root of all evil, it's the love of it. So hopefully that helps shine some light on that confusion   Keith Weinhold  18:15   yes, so one can take it too far if it becomes the love of money? Well, there is a verse in the Bible. In fact, I think it occurs in more than one place. That verse is it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. How does someone that's building wealth for themselves square that up. We're going to talk about that more when we come back. I'm talking with Pastor John Sanders about what the Bible has to say about money. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold,    you know what's crazy? Your bank is getting rich off of you. The average savings account pays less than 1% it's like laughable. Meanwhile, if your money isn't making at least 4% you're losing to inflation. That's why I started putting my own money into the FFI liquidity fund. It's super simple. Your cash can pull in up to 8% returns and it compounds. It's not some high risk gamble like digital or AI stock trading. It's pretty low risk, because they've got a 10 plus year track record of paying investors on time in full every time. I mean, I wouldn't be talking about it if I wasn't invested myself. 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Chris Martinson, listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your Daydream.    Keith Weinhold  20:56   Welcome back to get rich education. We've got a pretty special episode today. Our discussion is what the Bible has to say about money, and we're talking with Pastor John Sanders. He's breaking it down for us. John, this is the one thing I thought about more than any other before chatting with you today. It is that well known verse about the camel going through the eye of a needle. And John, I first remember my mom telling me about this verse. Perhaps I was as young as age 12, and that verse is, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Here I am a 10 plus year host of a show called get rich education, helping people build wealth ethically through real estate investing. But how do we square up that verse if we're looking to make more of ourselves financially?   Jon Sanders  21:53   Yeah, and like we said at the beginning of the show, if that's all it said, and if that's the only thing you knew, you would come away from that pretty convinced that Jesus thinks it's impossible to love God and also be rich, like there's just no way a rich person can enter the kingdom of heaven. But as we said, context matters. So if we kind of zoom out a little bit and look at the greater context of what's happening in that passage of Scripture, you will recall, and maybe some are hearing this for the first time. But there was a rich man who approached Jesus, and he basically was kind of wanting to justify himself, and so he asked the question, you know, what good things must I do to inherit eternal life and inherit the kingdom of God? And Jesus starts by saying, follow the commandments. And this rich guy basically says, I'm paraphrasing all of this. You can go read it for yourself, but he's saying I've done all those things which, by the way, side note, No, he hasn't. None of us have followed all of God's 10 Commandments and more, like we just I've broken every single one of them. We're all sinners. Probably you have too Exactly. So he's already off base, this rich guy. So then Jesus hits him where he knows it's gonna hurt, and he says, Okay, here's the one thing you're still lacking. Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then come and follow Me. And what it says is that the rich man turned away very sad, because he had great wealth, and see Jesus exposed what this man really worshiped in that I don't believe that that is a commandment from Jesus to all of us to go, sell everything we have, give to the poor and come follow him. That was a specific statement spoken to this specific man, and it did exactly what it was meant to do. It kind of smoked out the real heart issue that was happening here. So then Jesus turns to his disciples after this man walks away sad because he was not willing to pay that price. And that's where Jesus makes this statement that is so classic, where we all know, you know, it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. If you keep reading a few verses later, Jesus goes on to say, with man, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. So it is possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. It may be more difficult. It may be more challenging because, as we said a minute ago, when we do have great wealth, that wealth competes in many ways with our heart for the place that God wants to hold in our heart. It is easy when we have margin and we don't need God as much, or we don't think we need God as much. We don't necessarily have to humble ourselves as much when I have all these resources. But that's not impossible. It is possible for godly people to have great wealth and to bow in humility before King Jesus, and to worship Him, and ultimately, to inherit the kingdom of heaven and be better for it, and not, you know, worse off. So again, I hopefully that explains that a little bit or gives some more light to that, because if you just take that little snippet, you're essentially taking it out of the greater context and missing the point, and you're. Making the point something that Jesus never intended, which was to say, rich people can't get to heaven. That's a mishandling of that text   Keith Weinhold  25:08    yeah? Because I think it states that, or something close to it three times in the Bible, in the Quran, the Muslim holy book, also has something similar in it, yeah.   Jon Sanders  25:19   And again, I know in in the New Testament, where it's mentioned multiple times, it's probably because it's found in those Gospel accounts that basically tell the same story just from four different authors. So that's sometimes where you see that repetition in the New Testament is because it's the same story being told just from a slightly different vantage point a different author. But the principle is there, to try to say that scripture forbids people from being wealthy or from pursuing wealth, would be a complete misstatement. It's simply not true. You know, to read scripture in its entirety, you can walk away from it with this understanding that God, not only is he not opposed to wealth, but God is the source, because he owns it all. It all belongs to him, and he actually the more I walk in faithfulness with what he's given to me and what he's entrusted to me, the more I can actually expect will be given to me, because I will see the fruits of those labors multiplied. That's the path I'm on right now, unashamedly, unapologetically, I am working on growing wealth, not only for my family in this generation, but scripture says a righteous man leaves an inheritance to his children's children and man, what if we started telling that story more than trumpeting these verses that make it sound like God is really upset with people who have Money? What if we actually encourage God's people to go build wealth and create more of it? Yeah, because   Keith Weinhold  26:46   I've heard a few different takes on that verse, John, about a rich man not being able to enter the kingdom of God. You know, some have joked, Oh, does the church just want you to put everything in the offering plate and not have anything for yourselves? Another take on it, I guess. If I read the verse closely about how a rich man cannot enter the kingdom of God, well, don't die rich. You be wealthy and then bequeath everything to your heirs upon your death. So technically, you're not dying rich. There are a lot of takes upon that verse. Really appreciate getting your perspective and your interpretation on that context piece being really important, John, when we think about what the Bible says about money, in the intersection of both money and the Bible, oftentimes we think about tithing, which I think of that is giving a 10% of your income to the church. So do you have any thoughts about tithing, or just some of the other general things that the Bible says about money.   Jon Sanders  27:41   I certainly have some thoughts, but more importantly, Scripture says some things. So it really doesn't matter what John thinks about it, but tithing is a controversial subject, so let me start with maybe something that's not so controversial, and we can jump into the tithing. Here's something that is not controversial from Scripture. The more we give, the more of a blessing it is for us. The more that we can give, the more God blesses us. God blesses generosity. So hopefully we can all agree upon that For God so loved the world John 316 that He gave His one and only son. So there's a direct correlation between loving and giving. And the more that I give, the more God seems to bless my life. And I know it sounds cliche, if you grew up in the church, we always heard statements like, you cannot out give God. The more I give, the more God gives back. And again, I'm careful to say that because I don't want to treat God like a cosmic slot machine where I put in $1 and pull the lever and hope to get 100 it is, again, it's just one of those laws that God has established that he blesses generosity. So then the question just becomes, what does our giving look like? What does our generosity look like when we look to Scripture, Old Testament? Bottom line tithing was, I mean, it was commanded. It was part of the overall giving that God required of his people. And a tithe is a 10% of the first fruits 10% off the top. And it's like when people argue that, or they say, Well, I'm tithing 2% that's like saying you ran a three mile marathon. My marathon is not three miles, right? Yeah, tithing is 10% the question is, is tithing for modern day believers? Are we supposed to be doing that? I will share my quick thoughts with you. I believe we are under grace. We are no longer under law. So I don't think that this is a matter of salvation. It's not at that level. But I will say this, I believe Jesus commended tithing, and I'll tell you where it took place, and you can go look at this on your own if you want. I think it's in Matthew 23 again, the context is not really about tithing. The context is Jesus is dealing with the religious establishment. The people he had the harshest words forever were the religious leaders, and he's taken them to task. And he says in there, like you guys tithe off of your mint and your dill, like you're tithing off of everything, like the illegal. Stick level, and yet you're ignoring the greater elements. You know, mercy, love, sacrifice. And then he goes on to say, You should do the first without ignoring the second. And I'm paraphrasing again, so go read it for yourself. What many people look at that passage and they say, here it is, Jesus commended tithing. He basically said, No tithing is good. You should do that. One other case I would make for New Testament, tithing is simply this. When Jesus stepped onto the scene in the New Testament, He never lowered the bar that was set in the Old Testament law. He actually elevated it. I'll give an example. Jesus said something like you have heard it said, You shall not murder. But I tell you, if you hate your brother, you're worse than a murderer. So he elevates it from just the physical act of killing to the heart condition of hating that leads to the killing. He did the same thing with adultery. You have heard it said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, but I tell you, if you look at a woman with lust, you've already committed adultery in your heart. So he raises the bar, not lowers it. So my question has always been, when it comes to tithing, would we believe Jesus to lower that bar and say, Ah, it's not important. Don't do it. You don't need to do it. Or would we expect him to raise the bar? I actually think the bar has been raised. He commended the poor widow that gave everything she had, and it wasn't much, but it was 100% sacrifice, and Jesus praised her. Now I don't think he's that's prescriptive of all of us to go drain our bank accounts, but I think what God is celebrating in the New Testament is sacrificial giving. For me personally, my personal opinion is that tithing is just kind of a good starting place for biblical giving. But I don't hold it up as a legalistic rule that says Thou shalt tithe based on what we see in the Old Testament and how we see it transition over into the New Testament. That tithing is not a bad idea, but if you're a modern day Christian that says I don't believe in tithing, I don't think I need to tithe. Okay, cool. I'm not mad about it. My challenge to you then would simply be this, what does generosity look like to you, and are we lowering the bar? Are you pushing back on tithing because you desire to give less? And if so, maybe there's a heart condition. There of you wanting to cling to something instead of being open handed. It's not my place to sit and look over your shoulder and go. You need to give more of your income. I mean, the Holy Spirit does a better job of being the Holy Spirit than than I do. So really, that's between you and the Lord. But my question and my challenge to modern Christians would be, what does generosity look like for you. You know, what is your discipline or your habit, your system around giving? If there is none, I personally think that's a problem. I think there ought to be some level of generosity happening in your life, because you'll be blessed, and God will use you to bless others. And that's a pretty cool thing, when God gets to channel his resources through you to someone else. So I don't believe everything that God allows us to have in our hands is 100% for us to hold for ourself. I think some of it is he's using us as a channel or a conduit to flow those resources in other directions. So those are just a few kind of high level thoughts of not only what Scripture says about tithing, for sure, but also maybe how we might look at it in a New Testament context,   Keith Weinhold  33:23   there's some good questions for you, the listener, to ask yourself when it comes to the framing and the importance of your giving and your tithing. John, what does the Bible say about real estate or property?    Jon Sanders  33:35   There are places I can't tell you you know exact location in Scripture off the top of my head, but I know there are places in Scripture that talk about going and purchasing land, or somebody owning land, and so I believe scripture upholds the idea of personal private property, and private property ownership, obviously, under the context of what we said earlier, that all of it ultimately belongs to the Lord. But I think it's a good thing. I certainly will tell you this. It's not condemned in Scripture. I know of nowhere in Scripture where we are forbidden from pursuing real estate or pursuing land. Is it like I say on the flip side, I could find examples where people bought and sold land. I'll give you one. Just popped into my head. In the early church, Ananias and Sapphira, they actually were put to death. And it's a really deep story. The issue, the reason they were judged instantly is because they lied about it. But they had land, they went and sold it, and they did not give all of it to the church leaders. And that was not the issue. The issue was they lied about the fact that they were giving all so they wanted to look a certain way, and that's the sin that God was kind of rooting out of the early church. But right in there, I think it's in like Acts chapter four, maybe or five, right in that area, it says directly, was not the land yours before you sold it and after you sold it, was not the land the money yours to keep. Why have you done this wicked thing? And the thing, again, that they were being judged for was lying to the Holy Spirit. And it was kind of like in that moment in the early church, the Lord was saying, we're not doing this like we're not going to live this fake, hypocritical life. And he judged it instantly, kind of grateful that God doesn't still deal with us in that way. It's not to say that he could not. That's a quick story that popped into my head as an example of buying and selling land. So if you do buy and sell land, just don't lie to the Lord about about how much you sold it for, because he knows it was his in the first place. He knows how much you sold it for. So just be honest in your dealings. There you go.    Keith Weinhold  35:39   Well, I'm grateful that the Bible doesn't say you have a limit of five rental properties. That's really good to hear. Right? Well, John, as we're winding down here, we've talked about Christianity and what the Bible says about money. Are there any non Christian religions that, just if you could spotlight one, that have a really interesting approach to money, whether that's Muslims avoiding debt, or anything, Hindus or Buddhists believe just any one thing. That's particularly noteworthy with non Christian religions approach to money.    Jon Sanders  36:09   I'm going to acknowledge a lot of my ignorance when it comes to other world religions. I can speak of one thing very locally to where I live, I don't know. It's kind of a religious thing. It's kind of a cultural thing. So where I live in South Dakota, I'm surrounded by, you know, an Indian reservation not too far from me. And the Native American culture is very prevalent here. And one thing that's been interesting to me to learn over the years is that, as I understand it, the Native American culture does not believe that you can own property. So they don't own land. They don't believe in owning land, at least historically, traditionally. So again, is that a religious thing? Is that a cultural thing? Not exactly sure. I don't share that belief, but it's an interesting take on things. So I'm sure there's so much more that a different guest could give you in terms of insight on other world religions when it comes to, you know, their view on certain deaths and philosophies around finances and things like that. For me, I really have studied one very deeply, and that's Christian faith. So I don't really feel like I'm much of an expert to speak from those other perspectives.   Keith Weinhold  37:18   Well, John, this has been enlightening to me. I've learned some things, and I sure might now know how to explain my way out of the whole camel in the eye of a needle. Verse there, if someone wants to learn more about you, tell them how   Jon Sanders  37:34   you can look me up online. I have a website called entrepastors.com me and my partner, les Hughes, as I said earlier, we help pastors provide better for their families through entrepreneurial business. If you want to connect with me, if you just go to entrepasters.com all of the links to connect with my social media and everything else are right there, and I'd be happy to jump on a call or serve you in any way that I can. So I would welcome you reaching out.    Keith Weinhold  38:01   Oh, thanks a lot for offering that to our audience. It's been a pleasure hosting you.   Jon Sanders  38:05   Thanks, Keith. Been a fun conversation. I appreciate you having me.   Keith Weinhold  38:15   Oh, yeah, good stuff from Pastor John today. I did not know that Pastor John would agree with me this much. I guess I'm frankly, a little relieved I learned some things too. Check out his platform again. It's called entre pastors. This was definitely an anticipated episode here today. The good news is we've got more anticipated episodes amidst an expected economic slowdown in potential recession. What actually happens to real estate in a recession? I will cover that and then with a lot of political turmoil and policy change coming from the White House that promises to massively swing the economy. I would like to have someone that's inside the White House and advising President Trump himself on his economic policy to come here on the show so that I can go ahead and ask them about it. Well, that's hard to do while they're in office and the administration is in full swing like this. So speaking of anticipated shows coming up here on the GRE podcast in future weeks, we have the financial advisor, the budget director of a past president that advised that president in the White House. He will be our guest here on the show. You'll learn what you can expect from him for the next nearly four years. And you know, something that might be even better to have that past president's White House Advisor here on the show, because he will feel emboldened to be more critical. Perhaps. Stay tuned for that big thanks to the terrifically knowledgeable John Sanders today in. Till next week, I'm your host, Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.   Dolf Deroos  40:07   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC exclusively.   Keith Weinhold  40:31   You know, whenever you want the best written real estate and finance info, oh, geez, today's experience limits your free articles access and it's got paywalls and pop ups and push notifications and cookies disclaimers, it's not so great. So then it's vital to place nice, clean, free content into your hands that adds no hype value to your life. That's why this is the golden age of quality newsletters, and I write every word of ours myself. It's got a dash of humor, and it's to the point because even the word abbreviation is too long, my letter usually takes less than three minutes to read, and when you start the letter, you also get my one hour fast real estate video, course, it's all completely free. It's called the Don't quit your Daydream. Letter, it wires your mind for wealth, and it couldn't be easier for you to get it right now. Just text GRE to 66866, while it's on your mind, take a moment to do it right now. Text GRE to 66866.   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth, building, getricheducation.com

This episode is the second time in Acts when the Lord makes a point of introducing two people to one another by supernatural means. The first time was in the previous chapter when He appeared to Saul and said that Ananias was coming, and then appeared to Ananias and told him to go minister to Saul (Acts 9:11-12). Then an angel of the Lord arranged for Philip to meet the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8: 26-27). And in this passage, Cornelius is told to send for a man named Simon Peter (v. 5), and is given the address (v. 6). The next day Simon Peter is told that the men sent by Cornelius are in fact from Him (v. 20). And this is not the last time it will happen in Acts either (Acts 16:9-10).Remember our Table of Contents from chapter one (Acts 1:8), and realize that the Spirit is actively involved in introducing wildly disparate people to one another. It is as though the Spirit is working the room, making all kinds of introductions. This is how the kingdom works.

1) Does respond adequately convey the full meaning of submit in Ephesians 5? 2) If a woman is to respond to her husband does that mean her love is conditional? 3) If a woman is to respond, why does she take the same vow as the husband? 4) Are there any vows that are more all-inclusive and unconditional than the marriage vow? 5) Why do some churches believe it is wrong to use musical instruments during the service? 6) Can you speak to the issue of a believing husband and an unbelieving wife? 7) What is your understanding of visions? 8) How can you say that Ananias and Sapphira were saved since they were liars?

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)