Podcasts about Apollos

It's Tuesday, July 1, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson and Adam McManus Chinese Communists give pastors 3 years in jail for leading church Three pastors from Linfen Covenant Home Church in Shanxi, China have been sentenced to 2-4 years of prison time for various charges related to their leading an unregistered church in the communist country. The church issued a statement, announcing that “We honor the service of Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang who suffered for righteousness, and we are willing to bear the cross with the Lord. We receive this verdict with a grateful and obedient heart.” Jesus offers this encouragement in Revelation 2:10 -- “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Brazilian homeschool mother facing $20,000 of fines Today, a Brazilian court will hear a case of a mom prosecuted for homeschooling her son.   Regiane Cichelero is facing fines of $20,000 and threats of losing custody of her child, for choosing home education on religious grounds.  Alliance Defending Freedom International has taken up the case.  Her legal counsel, Julio Pohl, pointed out that “No parent should fear state punishment for choosing to homeschool their child. Regiane made a lawful and conscientious decision to teach her son at home. We are hopeful that the court will affirm her rights and take an important step toward protecting parental rights in Brazil.”   Regiane continues to homeschool despite the risks involved. Pray for this case, which may serve as a precedent for the other 70,000 homeschooled children in Brazil.   Victory of Christian Colorado camp over transgender agenda Also, Alliance Defending Freedom has announced a favorable settlement for the Idrahaje Christian Camp in Bailey, Colorado. The camp was under threat of losing its license for refusing to submit to state requirements regarding the transgendering of bathrooms and living quarters. The name of the camp is taken from the phrase “I'd rather have Jesus more than anything!”  They use the first two letters of the first four words. The State of Colorado agreed not to take any enforcement action against Camp IdRaHaJe for violation of the gender identity requirements. The state has also clarified in a memo on its website that “churches, synagogues, mosques, or any other place that is principally used for religious purposes” are exempt from the transgendering requirements. Syria's own government helped massacre 1,500 Alawites Reuters has reported on its investigation of the Syrian massacre of 1,500 Alawites in March of this year. The perpetrators included units belonging to the new government based in Damascus. Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa of the Free Syrian Army and Al-Qaeda took over Syria in January of this year. The new government has also instituted a constitution stating that  “The religion of the President of the Republic is Islam. … Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation.” This constitutes a step up in Islamic rule over Syria. According to Open Doors, Syria is the 18th most dangerous country worldwide for Christians. Iraq allows Muslim men to “marry” 9-year-old girls The new Iraqi government is also following Islamic Sharia law closely. Earlier this year, Iraq's parliament voted to give Islamic courts more control in family law, and permit child marriages for girls as young as nine years of age.  Supreme Court allows parents to opt kids out & requires porn sites to verify age Here in America, the U.S. Supreme Court is allowing parents opt-out rights for their elementary-aged children from having to participate in homosexual-themed lessons. That comes by a vote of 6 to 3. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito emphasized that “What the parents seek here is not the right to micromanage the public school curriculum, but rather to have their children opt out of a particular educational requirement that burdens their well-established right ‘to direct ‘the religious upbringing' of their children'” under  the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.  Another 6-3 ruling, the High Court has also upheld a Texas Law requiring pornographic websites to verify users are over 18 years of age.  Only adults will be allowed into these sinful activities. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas concluded, ”The power to require age verification is within a State's authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content.” But, in Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” U.S. government buying its own bonds The U.S. government is buying back its own bonds. Barchart reports the largest buyback in history occurred earlier this month.  Under the direction of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the department bought $10 billion of its own bonds.  Federal Reserve on the ropes The Federal Reserve issued $150 billion of bonds in May, but only managed to sell half of them.   Also, the Fed has recorded its first two-year-in-a-row financial loss, totaling $192 billion in 2023 and 2024. This is the first time this has occurred in the Fed's 110-year history. Year to date,  the federal deficit  stands at $1.37 billion as of the end of May. That's 14% higher than last year at this time.  Dad jumps into ocean off Disney Cruise ship to save daughter Here's a story demonstrating a remarkable act of courage and love on the part of a dad. A young child fell off the fourth deck of a Disney cruiseliner on Sunday.   Her father took immediate action, dove in after her. . . and held her while treading water, until a rescue boat pulled them out of the ocean waters. An eyewitness explained what happened to WPLG News. EYEWITNESS: “They were playing shuffleboard that was on the fourth floor. The parents were playing, and then the little girl was climbing up on the railing and flew off.” One passenger said,  “The ship was moving quickly, so quickly, it's crazy how quickly the people became tiny dots in the sea, and then you lost sight of them.” Another passenger said, “I saw the mother crying and but when they rescued them, I think that's when the tears really started flowing.  I prayed to God to save them, and He did!” The Disney Dream was heading back from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale when the incident occurred. Worldview teens share their hearts 15-year-old Titus Beran in Omaha, Nebraska wrote me at Adam@TheWorldview.com. He said, “I love the verses included in the newscast! They really help me focus back on God's Word and bring every area of life, even politics and news, into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” And 16-year-old Leah Smith in Franklin, Kentucky wrote, “I have been subscribed to The Worldview in 5 Minutes for a little over a year. I don't watch the news on a regular basis, but have been continually blessed by the ministry of this website. It is so irregular to have such a concise, non-secular newscast that makes me aware of political news, needs of persecuted Christians, and even basic information that keeps me up to date on what is going on. “When I read your newscast transcript,  I am not only encouraged by stories of fellow believers, but I am also moved to pray for the issues in our world. God is truly using your Christian newscast to reach people with the truth. It has been a blessing in my life!” What Troy's three boys enjoy about The Worldview Troy in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas talked to his three sons -- Sovereign, age 12, Shalom, age 10, and Apollos, age 7 -- about The Worldview. They said, “I like to start my morning at breakfast listening to it.” “I like how I get to hear about people around the world who need Jesus.”  And “I like that I can hear the news which is filtered through a Biblical lens.” Troy added, “We praise the Lord for all of you and your diligent service to the Lord. It is so exciting to hear about donors from all over the world who are united to us in Christ. What an encouraging example to our younger generation. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” 42 Worldview listeners gave $12,534.95 to fund our annual budget And finally, toward our $123,500 goal by yesterday, June 30, to fully fund The Worldview's annual budget for our 6-member team, 42 listeners stepped up to the plate. Our thanks to Sovereign, age 12, Shalom, age 10, and Apollos, age 7, in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas who gave $4.50, Mamie in Tulsa, Oklahoma who gave $10 as well as Esther in Bolivar, Missouri, Henry in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Holly in San Antonio, Texas, Carol in Kingston, New York, Amy in Ennis, Texas, and Jensen, age 9, in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada – each of whom gave $25. We appreciate Mark in Goodyear, Arizona who gave $30, Kayden, age 16, in Gepp, Arkansas who gave $40 as well as Kolt, age 13, in Gepp, Arkansas, Isaiah in Fruita, Colorado, Alexander in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Phillip in Alliance, Ohio, Sarah in Rolla, Missouri, and Constance in Los Alamos, California – each of whom gave $50. We are grateful to God for Joe and Sheryl in Westmoreland, Tennessee who gave $60, Michael in Torrance, California and Marty and Christa in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada – both of whom gave $75, as well as Craig in Moriarty, New Mexico, Gay in Victoria, Texas, George in Edinburgh, Indiana, Debbie in Wildwood, Missouri, Gregory in Lodi, California, Duane in Moriarty, New Mexico, Marcia in Holland, Michigan, and an anonymous donor in Atlanta, Georgia – each of whom gave $100. We were touched by the generosity of Rusty in Marshall, Illinois and Josiah in Hillsboro, Kansas – both of whom gave $200, Frances in Beacon, New York who gave $240.45, Wes in Eden Prairie, Minnesota  and LuShun in Newport News, Virginia – both of whom gave $250, Kirtis in Gepp, Arkansas who gave $300, as well as Ed in Wellsburg, Iowo and Michele in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, Canada – both of whom pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300 each. And we were moved by the sacrifice of Danielle in Brighton, Colorado who gave $450, Brad and Judy in West Chicago, Illinois who gave $500, Troy in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas who pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600, John in Auburn, Washington who gave $1,000, Max in Macon, Georgia  who gave $1,200, an anonymous donor from Louisiana who gave $1,200, and Jeanne in Columbia, South Carolina who gave $4,000. Those 42 Worldview listeners gave a total of $12,534.95 Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please.  (Drum roll sound effect) $125,494.50!  (People clapping and cheering sound effect)   That means we exceeded our $123,500 goal to fund the 6-member Worldview newscast team by $1,994.50! On behalf of the entire Worldview newscast team -- including Kevin Swanson and Jonathan Clark who write the newscast transcript alongside myself, Emily Munday who helps research stories, Rebakah Swanson and Kayla White who add the music, select the image, and upload the audio to multiple platforms – thank you for sharing your treasure to ensure that we can deliver accurate news from a Biblical perspective for another fiscal year. 1 John 3:18 says, “Let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.”  Those of you who were prompted by the Lord to give financially and to pray for this ministry, you showed your love in your deeds. For that, we humbly thank you.  And I assure you, we'll be vigilant stewards of every hard-earned penny which you've entrusted to us. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, July 1st, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Sunday Bible Lesson (first half): 16:12 Apollos' Travel Plans. Taught by Dr. Chinyere Onwubiko at Berean Bible Church, Bay Springs, MS.

Sunday Bible Lesson (second half): 16:12 Apollos' Travel Plans. Taught by Dr. Chinyere Onwubiko at Berean Bible Church, Bay Springs, MS.

In this episode, we delve into the journey of Paul as he begins his third missionary journey. Right away, he faces a riot in Ephesus, a major influential city in ancient Asia Minor. We explore Paul's encounters with Apollos, an eloquent speaker who learns about the complete baptism in Jesus, and with disciples of John who realize they need to understand who Jesus truly is. The episode also covers a dramatic story involving the sons of Skiva, who fail in their attempt to use Jesus' name to exorcise demons, highlighting the power and supernatural nature of Paul's ministry. Lastly, we witness the profound impact of the gospel on the city, leading to the public burning of valuable pagan artifacts and causing significant unrest among the devotees of Artemis. Turn to Acts 18 and 19 to follow along.

Jesus Delivered Us (2) (audio) David Eells – 6/25/25 I'm going to continue speaking about how Jesus has delivered us. When the Syrophoenician woman asked Jesus to deliver her daughter in (Matthew 15:21-28), who was “grievously vexed with a demon” (Mat.15:26) … He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. Deliverance is for God's people; deliverance is “the children's bread.” Those who think they can go and just cast demons out of any lost person do not know anything about deliverance. In the first place, it's a very dangerous thing to do. We are the ones who are in covenant with God, the covenant being deliverance from the curse of sin and of death (Rom.8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.). This is our covenant. We have a right to total deliverance from bondage of the flesh and from bondage to demon spirits. We have the right, but that does not mean we will attain it. The right to deliverance comes when we receive knowledge and understanding of the promises, and then we enter into those covenant promises by faith. The Bible says in (Heb.4:3) …the works were finished from the foundation of the world. So the only thing remaining is for us to enter into those works through faith. It also says in (Heb.4:2) …but the word of hearing did not profit them (the Jews), because it was not united by faith with them that heard. When the Israelites were supposed to conquer their Promised Land, all they needed to do was what Joshua and Caleb did; they believed the Word of God. Ten of the twelve spies who came back did not believe the Word of God. They believed only what they saw, felt, and heard, and those were the things they confessed. They did not enter into the Promised Land because they brought back a bad report. Let's read that. (Num.13:25) And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. (26) And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. (27) And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us; and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. (28) Howbeit the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (29) Amalek dwelleth in the land of the South: and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, dwell in the hill-country; and the Canaanite dwelleth by the sea, and along by the side of the Jordan. (30) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. (31) But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. (32) And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.  (33) And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Num.14:1) And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. This is also a type and shadow. There are ministers today who do not believe that we can be holy. They do not believe we can overcome sin and the devil. God wants to lead us through our Promised Land or Land of Promise to come against our enemies and conquer them all. But you have no authority to cast a demon out of a person who is full of bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, and resentment. You'll waste a lot of breath trying to deliver these people because, without true repentance, they can come back. And you do not know the tormentors; you just know that they are demons. They could be demons of spiritual infirmities or they could be unclean spirits. Anyone wanting to help in the ministry of deliverance should first be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need this gift, and a person who is not filled with the Holy Spirit has no business in any deliverance ministry. In the days of the first disciples, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they would make sure other disciples were also filled with the Holy Spirit. (Act.19:1) And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: (2) and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they [said] unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was [given]. (3) And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism. (4) And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. (5) And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit is God's authority to know what is going on in people. We are to live under the law of the Spirit (Romans 7:6,8:2,4; etc.). The Old Testament Law, all those rules and regulations, was given to Israel because they did not have the Spirit of God, and so they didn't know what to do when they got into such-and-such a situation. It does not work that way in the New Testament because we have the Holy Spirit to lead us. (Gal.5:18) But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. He guides us in the ministry of deliverance from lusts of the flesh and demons that rule over the lusts of the flesh. The most common reason why people don't get delivered from demons is because they are not right with their brother, and what often happens is that not being right with their brother does not get revealed. Jesus tells us to make things right with our brother before we bring our gift before the altar; otherwise, He will turn you over to the jailer and the jailer will throw you into prison. That “jailer” is the devil. (Mat.5:23) If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, (24) leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Jesus came to set the captives free. That is what we were, but that is not what we are now supposed to be. We were captive to the lusts of the flesh, representing the old man of the land, who seems like a giant to us, and were captive to the devil. We were in prison, having no hope without God. In Luke 4, Jesus was quoting from Isaiah, (Isa.61:1) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound… Liberty to the captives has been proclaimed, but not everybody is entering into this liberty being cowards before their giant flesh. Our job as ministers of reconciliation is to minister the same thing that Jesus ministered. (2Co.5:18) But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation. Our job is to proclaim the liberty that was given to us at the Cross. This liberty is deliverance from bondage to the flesh man, and deliverance from the demons that rule over the him. Then Jesus went on in (Luk.4:18) … to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of the sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. He did not quote the second part of the sentence in (Isa.61:2) To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God… He only quoted the first half of this verse because the day He was ministering in was the day of the Lord's favor, but in these days we're coming to the second half, “the day of vengeance of our God.” While grace and liberty to the captives are being offered, to the extent that we will humble ourselves to the Word is the extent we can enter into it. The Bible says in (Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. Even though we have authority to cast out demons, there won't be anything lasting you can do for a person who is adding to or taking away from the Word. If you think you are going to deliver them from that curse, then you're deceived, and you haven't read Deuteronomy 28 for yourself. So that person should fill themselves with the Word to keep their gift. It was not the devil who put the curse on this earth; it was God. He sent the curse because of man's rebellion. The curse is designed to motivate us to run to the Cross and to make us run to Jesus Christ, Who has the only antidote for the curse. The world likes to deceive us into thinking they can solve our curses for us, but it's not possible. All the world can do is just shove the curse around without solving a thing, and they're about to see the truth of that now. For example, diseases they thought they had wiped out are coming back, and they're coming back stronger than ever because of man's intervention. And mans so called cure is killing a lot of people.  You see, it's not possible to destroy a curse that God has put out there, but He also sent Jesus Christ to deliver us from that curse when we repent. God is so merciful that He sent the curse to turn us away from the wrath of hell. The devil will laugh at you when you want to deliver somebody who has not repented. It's a waste of breath and time, and I know because I've tried to do it. When you have people who have not repented, it doesn't matter that they call themselves “Christians.” It makes no difference, lasting deliverance from the curse comes by repentance, faith, and obedience. There's no way we can get around that.  Jesus said, (Mat.28:18)… All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. This does not leave anything for the devil if it is not given to him, since Jesus delegated His authority to us when He said, (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. That was delegating authority to us; so how is it then that the devil gets his authority? He gets it from us. When we walk out from under the Blood and walk in the flesh, submitting to demon spirits, we give the devil authority. The only way to take away his authority in that case is through repentance and faith that Christ delivered us. The apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, turned a man over to Satan (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Again, you cannot get around this. If you had come to that man after Paul had turned him over to the devil, thinking to cast out all of the demons from him, you would have been deceived because those demons will literally play with you. Sometimes they'll act as if they are gone, and sometimes they will even come out, but they will not be gone for long. When you turn your head, they're right back, and if you ask them, “Hey, what are you doing? I thought I cast you out of there!” They'll tell you, “No, we have a right to be here. They want us to be here.” Or, “They invited us to be here.” I've actually heard demons say that. The demons know when they have a right, and you'll be wasting your time because they'll just deceive you. What does the Bible say will happen if you cast demons out of a person who does not repent? They may come back seven times worse. (Mat.12:43) But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. (44) Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. (45) Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation. These were apostate covenant people. Mere flesh can be dealt with by repentance and faith, but sometimes you find that even when you exercise repentance and faith, you are still not having success. That's because demonic oppression or possession is a compelling bondage that goes beyond just mere flesh. It is still repentance and faith that gets rid of the bondage of a demon spirit, but first you have to take away the “stink” that brings them. The “stink” arises when someone is giving in to the flesh or sin. “Flies” represent demons, and the “flies” come to the stink. Beelzebub, the devil, is known as the “Lord of the Flies.” Scripture calls him “Beelzebub the prince of the demons.” (Mat.12:24) But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons. As long as you have the stink, the flies will come because they have a right to come. If you repent of the stink and get rid of the stink, that will cast out the demon or demons, and they won't be able to come back. Most deliverance happens when people do not have the foggiest idea that they have ever been delivered of anything. A lot of deliverance happens when people get saved. By the depth of their commitment to Christ, they are delivered of many demon spirits. I, and others close to me, have had demons from which we were delivered. We mentioned a man whom Paul turned over to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5:5. Did you know this man was a Christian? So what was it that caused him to be delivered over to Satan? It was the lusts of his flesh. You are protected if you walk under the Blood of Jesus Christ, but willful disobedience is not under the Blood. The Bible warns in (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. Willful disobedience brings judgment by the “tormentors,” who are demons. (Matthew 18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. Demons can bring forth sickness and corruption of all kinds. When Jesus cast out demons, who was receiving that deliverance? Well, what did Jesus say? (Mat.15:24) … I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It was not the Canaanites who lived around them; it was the Israelites, the people who had God's Covenant promise. Jesus said that casting out demons is for God's children. He did not cast demons out of the world, because deliverance is the “children's bread” (Mark 7:27). This makes it clear that the Covenant people were the only people out of whom Jesus was casting demons. Deliverance is what God has provided for His children. The world is not in covenant with God, and they have no right to deliverance, healing, or any of the promises of the New Covenant, nor the blessings of the New Testament. If it is the “children's bread,” then it is not to be given to the world; however, Jesus had to have been awed at the Syrophoenician woman's great faith. Since He was right on the edge of a new covenant, He counted her as a believer and He gave her what she asked. (Mar.7:26) Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she besought him that he would cast forth the demon out of her daughter. (27) And he said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. (28) But she answered and saith unto him, Yea, Lord; even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. (29) And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the demon is gone out of thy daughter. The Bible says, (Rom.1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. You see, there's a condition in the Gospel that has to be met in order to receive deliverance, healing, soul salvation, and so forth, and that condition is believing what the Gospel says. You may ask, “Does God ever cast a demon out of somebody who does not believe or even think because they are totally possessed?” Yes, He does, but it's usually because they are among the elect and will later believe, like with the demoniac of the tombs (Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-39). Sometimes they are oppressing others who have a right to peace. In most cases it takes repentance and belief in order to get deliverance. (Mat.8:16) And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases. This word “our” is talking about us. Christians spoke and wrote these words. Jesus took the curse from us. Did He bear the curse for the world? Yes, but it is ultimately to “whosoever will” (Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:34; Revelation 22:17; etc.) Who is “whosoever will?” The Bible says, (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him… The elect will; this is absolutely clear. The elect are those who bear fruit and were chosen before the foundation of the world, as the Bible says. (Eph.1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ: (4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: (7) in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (8) which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him (10) unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, [I say,] (11) in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will; (12) to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ: (13) in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,-- in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) which is an earnest (down payment) of our inheritance, unto the redemption of [God's] own possession, unto the praise of his glory. The “elect” are the overcomers who will be standing at the end of their time of testing (Romans 12:21; 1 John 5:4; Revelation 2:7,11,17,26-28; 3:5,12,21; etc.). Many of the called will not, but the elect will have gotten what Jesus was talking about here because the elect are those who bear fruit. (Mat.22:14) For many are called, but few chosen. The Greek word here for “chosen” is the same word for “elect,” eklektos. Many are the called, as we see from when God called the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10; Hosea 11:1-7). He said in (Mat.2:15) … Out of Egypt did I call my son. He also said in (Jud.1:5) Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. You see, “calling” is not “election”; “calling” is on the way to election. “Calling” just means “an invitation,” from the Greek word klētos, “to invite.” Jesus has invited us to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. If we do this, we will not have any problem bearing fruit. 2Pe 1:10  Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble:  The Bible says, (2Co.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So you may be wondering how a Christian can have a demon and the Holy Spirit at the same time. It's simple; let me explain. The body is a temple. (1Co.6:19) Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; (20) for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. The ancient manuscripts say, “a temple of the Holy Spirit” because the Temple was threefold (Exodus chapters 25-27). It had an outer court, a holy place, and the Holy of Holies, and the outer court was called the “Court of the Gentiles” (Revelation 11:2). Were Gentiles holy? No, and we have proof from Old Testament examples that evil people did come into the outer court. They even laid hands on the horns of the altar to receive mercy (1 Kings 1:50; 2 Chronicles 23:12;15; Matthew 23:35), and sometimes they found mercy and other times they did not. So we see that evil could come into the outer court, but it could not come into the Holy of Holies. Some people like to say that the Spirit of God will not dwell in an unclean temple. If you're talking about the flesh, the flesh is unclean and it's also the enemy of God. (Rom.8:6) For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: (7) because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: (8) and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. In fact, when the Bible talks about the lusts of the flesh, those lusts have the same nature as the demons do because the flesh is unclean and it's not going to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. (1Co.15:50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Only the “High Priest” Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, dwells in your “Holy of Holies,” your spirit. The demons do not enter into the spirit. Except for the High Priest, anybody who came into the Holy of Holies was struck dead. (Lev.16:2) And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat. No evil could go into the Holy of Holies because that was the place of only the High Priest. The Holy Spirit is not dwelling in an unclean temple when He dwells in your spirit. Your spirit is clean. He has to give you a new spirit before He can even come and dwell there. You need to be born again before He can come and dwell in that spirit. (Gal.4:6) And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Demons come into the flesh with the desire to possess your soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions. The Lord comes into your spirit with the desire to possess your soul. The warfare is between spirit and flesh; God and demons seek to possess the soul. (Act.10:38) Even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. We've been lied to about the supposed difference between “possession” and “oppression.” “Possession” is when the demon is reaching out of the flesh and into the soul, taking control of the mind, the actions, and the character of the person. If you've ever seen a schizophrenic, where one moment they are given over to the lusts of the flesh, and the next minute they seem to straighten right back up. Is that person possessed or not? They are possessed when that happens and they are not possessed when the demon backs off. The demon is still in them; he hasn't gone anywhere. All he's done is just back out of the soul into the flesh, becoming dormant, and he remains there until the next time he wants to take control. The Holy Spirit is the same way. Just because you have the Holy Spirit does not mean you are being led by the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit is not even going to save you! (Rom.8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. You can have the Holy Spirit, but not be led by Him, and it's the same with demons. You can have demons, without the demons being in control. We should desire to give possession of this “land” to the spiritual man (Hebrews 6:4-8). God, through the Spirit, gives our spiritual man the power to possess our soul. When you walk after the flesh, the Bible says you must die. (Rom.8:13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. When you walk after the flesh, you permit the demon's power to reach into your soul to take control of your thinking, actions, and character, your very nature. In the world they call this “schizophrenia,” but it's demon possession. There is only one nature that is the “real you”. The demons like to come into Christians and impart their own thoughts to deceive them into thinking that this is their nature. The demons give themselves up to the lusts of the flesh and then rule the Christians by speaking in their minds and blending into their characters so that they do not even know that it is them. Christians think it's themselves, but those demons can be forced to manifest by the Authority of God. Some of you may have heard or seen the Gospel being preached and demons manifesting in Christians. They are forced to manifest because they hate the Gospel. They hate tongues and they hate the Blood of Jesus. They hate all things that are Godly. If you learn the things that they hate, those are your best weapons against them. Some of you have already found out that these demons can hide in you very tactfully, convincing you that their thinking is your thinking. Thoughts coming through your mind might seem to be yours, but when forced to manifest by the Word of God, you realize they're coming from a demon. Where the Word of God is tormenting these demons, they will manifest, and this is exactly what happened in Jesus' Presence. The Word of God forced them to manifest. (Mat.8:28) And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two possessed with demons, coming forth out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man could pass by that way. (29) And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? If you have a repentant person and you command these demons to give their name and to manifest in some way, they will do it. If they have never been commanded to manifest, you may have never actually felt their presence. When they are commanded to do so, they will literally speak out of a person and give their name, but they'll also argue with you and lie to you. They will do all the things that demons like to do. Now it's helpful to have other people alongside, but you can deliver yourself because we have that authority. (2Co.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. If you suspect something is more than just flesh, then exercise your authority and command those demons to go. Sometimes they will speak in your mind, or you'll get their name in your mind. Sometimes their names will come right out of the person's mouth. Many times, a strong, compelling desire turns out to be a demon, not the flesh, but the devil wants you to think that it is only flesh. We are in the process, called “sanctification,” of being delivered of two things: defilement of flesh and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1). But is your spirit defiled? If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in a new, clean spirit Who is called the Spirit of Christ in you. (Gal.4:6) And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. This is a Christian. God says, (Eze.36:26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes… Notice, a “new spirit” and then “My Spirit” or the Holy Spirit. You do not have a defiled spirit, so why does Scripture say to Christians, “let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit”? It's because this defilement of spirit is talking about the defilement of you by demon spirits. This is not talking about the defilement of your spirit because your spirit is the only part of you that is totally white and clean. If it is not, you are not a Christian. The defilement that we have the authority to get rid of is the defilement of our souls by the flesh and evil spirits. Do you know what “self” is in the Bible? It is a synonymous term for the word “soul.” One Gospel will say “self” and another Gospel will say “soul” in a same text in another Gospel. “Self” and “soul” are the same. We want to be delivered of all defilement of our soul by both flesh and spirits. (Col.3:5) Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; (6) for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience: (7) wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things; (8) but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: (9) lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, (10) and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him. The Bible tells us in (Eph.4:27) Neither give place to the devil. The Greek word “place” there is a geographic term meaning “region” or “area.” This is the exact thing God talked about when He was cleansing the Promised Land from the pagan tribes that controlled it. (Deu.7:1) When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and shall cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than thou… All these “ites” had their demonic “gods” (Deuteronomy 32:17). If you leave a place for the lusts of the flesh to live in your land, you are going to sin because they will make you sin, so we are not to leave them any place in our land. (Deu.7:2) And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them; (3) neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. (4) For he will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and he will destroy thee quickly. When Jesus delivered the woman with a “spirit of infirmity” in (Luke 13:11), He said in (Luk.13:16) And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, [these] eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath? Jesus called this woman a “daughter of Abraham,” and you might think, “Well, He's just talking about Jews,” yet Jesus never called the literal, physical Jews “daughters and sons of Abraham.” These Jewish leaders and their followers were professing Abraham to be their father, but Jesus totally disagreed with them because a daughter or son of Abraham, like the woman He loosed, is someone who is truly in covenant with God. (Joh.8:38) I speak the things which I have seen with [my] Father: and ye also do the things which ye heard from [your] father. (39) They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. Here's the point: “Ye would do the works of Abraham.” (Joh.8:40) But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham. (41) Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God. (42) Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me. (43) Why do ye not understand my speech? [Even] because ye cannot hear my word. (44) Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. Paul said the same thing; he said that people who walk by faith are the sons of Abraham. (Gal.3:7) Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. Jesus never disagreed with this. This woman who was loosed, got her deliverance because she was a daughter of Abraham. The people who were coming to Jesus were Covenant people, just as we are Covenant people. They had the right of the Covenant and therefore they got healing and deliverance from God. We are proving ourselves through this “trial in the wilderness,” through the things that we're going through, to be either sons of Abraham or sons of the devil. The Bible says in (1Jn.2:6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. Sons of the devil in the world have no Covenant rights, and you're just casting the children's bread to the dogs when you try to deliver an unrepentant person (Mark 7:27). You'll have the same problem, too, if you're trying to give deliverance to a Christian who is unrepentant. We are proving who are overcomers, those who truly belong to Christ. They are going to be the ones who are proven to be the Elect of God (Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 1:10). We can prove ourselves just as much sons of the devil by our actions as these people proved themselves sons of the devil by their actions. Jesus pointed out to them, “No, if you were of your father Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham!” Amen.

What does a faith-filled life really look like? In this message from Acts 18, we explore four powerful marks of a life that's fully committed to Jesus: personal devotion to God, boldness in sharing our faith, encouragement for fellow believers, and a willingness to send others into their God-given calling. Through the examples of Paul, Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos, we see how faith isn't meant to stay private or stagnant—it's meant to grow, strengthen others, and multiply. This message challenges us to reflect: Which mark is God calling me to grow in?Support the show

Www.faithbucks.com 1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

In Ephesus a capable evangelist, Apollos, is effectively preaching the Gospel, yet without a full understanding of Baptism. A couple in ministry, Pricilla and Aquila, step in to fill out his understanding. Apollos demonstrates an ability to be correct, to learn and grow in knowledge and in ministry.

Když apoštol Pavel volal korintské křesťany k duchovní dospělosti, varoval je mimo jiné před spoléháním na člověka. Šel dokonce tak daleko, že prohlásil, že ani on, ani jiný duchovní služebník tehdejší církve Apollos nic neznamenají. K Bohu, který jediný dává vzrůst, povede i nás biblický kazatel Jiří Hurta.

“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” (1 Corinthians 3:6–8 NLT) In the process of preaching the gospel, every Christian plays a part. Some of us sow seeds. Others water seeds that have already been sown. And still others have the privilege of reaping the seeds that have already been sown and watered. In 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul addressed a problem that was causing divisions among the believers in Corinth. Some Christians there were identifying themselves as followers of him, Paul. Others were identifying themselves as followers of Apollos. And still others were identifying themselves as followers of Peter. These believers thought that their allegiance to a particular leader made them morally and spiritually superior to their fellow Christians. In his response to this burgeoning cult of personality, Paul gives us an important glimpse into the nature of evangelism. Look what he says in verses 6–7: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (NKJV). Paul made it clear that he and Apollos (and Peter) were simply laborers, planting and nurturing the seeds of the gospel. God was the one who made the seeds grow. Therefore, He was the One the people needed to follow. But the principle of sowing seeds and trusting God to make them grow still applies today. Sharing our faith with others is a personal investment. It often involves opening up about private matters and making ourselves vulnerable to rejection. It’s only natural that we’d want to see dividends from our investment—to see the seed we planted sprout and grow before our very eyes. But that doesn’t always happen. And sometimes if we don’t see immediate results, we grow frustrated. We question whether the seed has taken root. We wonder why God isn’t blessing our efforts. But remain steadfast, Christian. God is trustworthy. The seed that we sow today may not be reaped in our lifetime. It may grow after we’re in Heaven. That may be when the nonbeliever that we loved, nurtured, and shared the gospel with will come to faith. Then again, that nonbeliever might come to faith tomorrow. The timing is out of our hands. As Paul made clear to the believers in Corinth, it doesn’t matter who sows or waters the seeds of the gospel, as long as the work is being done. That’s not where the credit goes. The credit goes to the One who makes the seeds grow. Our responsibility is to sow the seed of the gospel in as many lives as possible and then leave the results to God. Reflection question: How was the seed of the gospel planted in your life? 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.

We need your support today to upgrade the production of Modern-Day Debate. We need to purchase 4 camera lenses to capture quickly approaching in-person debates and future events in high-quality. These lenses aren't just gear; they're the key to bringing our big vision to life for millions of viewers. Link to our camera lens GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/1d78d5f6 Modern-Day Debate is launching our own 'Jubilee-style' video series called Outnumbered this June, 2025 and our base for recordings will be in Los Angeles. Email moderndaydebate@gmail.com if you'd be interested in participating as we will be doing casting soon.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 Corinthians11:17–22 (ESV) — 17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when youcome together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. 1 Corinthians10:6 (ESV) — 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. BEWARNED BY CORINTH'S EXAMPLE AS YOU PREPARE FOR WORSHIP OF CHRIST TOGETHER! (1)    DON'T NEGLECT THE LOCAL GATHERING (v17,18,19,20,22)REMEMBER THE TRES LECHUGAS1.        Let usDraw near!  in full assurances andcleansed in conscience and action!  (Hebrews10:22  Ephesians 3:7-13)2.        Let usHold fast! Don't waver in hope! Because he has promised and he  is faithful! (Hebrews 10:23  1 Timothy 3:14-16)3.        Let usStir one another!  To love and gooddeeds, encouraging one another all the more as we wait… (Eph. 4:11-16) Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) — 24 And let us considerhow to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, butencouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  (2)   DON'T BE THE SOURCE OR SUPPORT OF FACTIONS… BUTTAKE REST IN THE WISDOM OF GOD.  (v18-19)Matthew 18:7 (ESV) — 7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!1 Corinthians 3:16–23 (ESV) — 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 Ifanyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it iswritten, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that theyare futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.  (3)    DON'T COME SELF FOCUSED/ SERVING,  BUT CHRIST ORIENTED AND OTHERS SERVING (v20-21)-             Not the Lord's Table   (1) Self -satisfying ignoring the needs of others   (2) Self- indulging   (4)     DON'T IGNORE HIS PROVISION OF YOUR SPACE FORAUTONOMY (v22) 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?  (5)    DON'T COME IN ARROGANCE AGAINST HIS CHOICES AND COMPASSION TO YOU(v22) 22 What! …Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?  (6)     INSTEAD BE ATTENTIVE TO JESUS' PREPARATION AT THETABLE (v23)1 Corinthians 11:23 (ESV) — 23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread…

Aquila and Priscilla worked with Paul to tell about Jesus. Later, the couple encountered Apollos and knew that he needed to know more about Jesus. People need to learn what it means to be a believer in Jesus. Christians need to know what God wants them to do. Listening to other Christians and reading the Bible helps people know how to live as believers.

As we continue our journey through Acts today, we're introduced to a man named Apollos. Maybe you can relate to his issues. You've gotten caught up in ceremony and religion, and forgotten that you need a Messiah and that Messiah is Jesus Christ. We are beginning our final message in Acts chapter eighteen today. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/621/29

In recent years, the rise of celebrity culture within the church has become increasingly troubling. Christian leaders are often elevated to near-idol status--celebrated not for their Christlike humility, but for their charisma and communication skills. This trend poses real spiritual dangers, both to the church at large and to individual souls. Scripture offers no support for elevating men to such heights; rather, it warns against boasting in man and reminds us that all the glory belongs to God alone: "So then, no more boasting about men." (1 Corinthians 3:21) The first danger is that Christian celebrity culture subtly undermines the supremacy of Christ. When believers flock to conferences to hear a man, rather than to meet with God; when they rally around personalities, instead of truth--then Christ is robbed of His rightful place as Head of the church. The apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthians for their party spirit: "I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos"--insisting instead that it is "God who makes things grow" (1 Corinthians 3:4–7). No man, regardless of gifts or influence, should be allowed to eclipse the glory of Christ. Secondly, celebrity culture creates an unhealthy dependence on personalities rather than on the Word of God. Many Christians do not know their Bibles well, because they are content to have others think for them. But God's Word commands believers to "test everything" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and to be like the Bereans, who "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). We must never replace Spirit-taught discernment, with passive admiration of gifted men. Furthermore, celebrity status can be spiritually destructive t

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.2 Corinthians 9:6-7It's apparent in Scripture that there is a “planting” aspect with our generosity. It's not just kissing money goodbye, but there is a harvest (increase) the Lord adds to us through our generosity. However, just like planting a garden, once you plant,  there is cultivation of the seed that is necessary. This is the watering process. Just as Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” It's God's responsibility to bring the increase, but it's our responsibility to plant and water the seed. But what does this look like? In this message, Pastor Cory talks about the importance and practicality of watering the seed of the Word in our lives.  Support the show

Acts 19:1-7 English Standard VersionPaul in Ephesus19 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.7 There were about twelve men in all.English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 

(This podcast was previously recorded and published on July 3, 2020)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    2 Corinthians 5:9-11  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of HIM (of God).   10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.   11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; ...      Ephesians 4:1-6  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,   2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;   3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.   4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;   5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,   6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.   When a person comes speaking of being a Christian and then begins to tell you he is Baptist or Catholic or Church of Christ, that person causes immediate division in the body of Christ.   I avoid such persons.   Paul said:  I Corinthians 3 ...   And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.   3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?   4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?   We should simply identify ourselves as Christians if we do anything.  For to identify ourselves as a denomination brings division in the body of Christ.   Titus 3:9   But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.     2 Timothy 3:1-8  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.   2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,   3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,   4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;   5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.    6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,   7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.    8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.     Matthew 24:4-5   And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.   5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.     I Corinthians 11:5-6, 14-15   But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.   6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.   14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?   15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.     Matthew 23:9  And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.     Titus 3:10-11   A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;   11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.     I Corinthians 14:8-9   For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?   9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.     1 Chronicles 16:8-12   Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon HIS name, make known HIS deeds among the people.   9 Sing unto HIM, sing psalms unto HIM, talk ye of all HIS wondrous works.   10 Glory ye in HIS holy name (the Word): let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.   11 Seek the Lord and HIS strength, seek HIS face continually.   12 Remember HIS marvellous works that HE hath done, HIS wonders, and the judgments of HIS mouth;     1 John 2:18-19   18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.   19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.     Acts 20:28-30  Paul said:   Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which HE hath purchased with HIS own blood.   29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.   30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.     2 Thessalonians 2:3-4  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;   4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  

Our oldest son just celebrated his 37th birthday and told us over dinner what he considers the two most important and impactful things his dad and I did for him growing up, so I'm unpacking both this week's episode. I hope you'll listen in. Show Notes VERSES CITED James 1:23-25 -“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who ....” Psalms 1:3 - “...his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Matthew 5:20 - “Unless your righteousness surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees....” Matthew 23:27 - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs....” Romans 8:26 - "...the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words." Deuteronomy 11:18-21 - “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and....” Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Psalm 51:10 - “Create in me a clean heart, O God!" Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God...." 1 Corinthians 3:6 - "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." Matthew 25:23 - "Well done, my good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Master.” RELATED LINKS: Lies Women Believe by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth EP 28: Bible Memory Tips & Tricks EP 85: Memorize Proverbs 3 with Me EP 55: Smoothing Your Child's Passage to Adulthood 31 Verses to Pray over Your Child Praying for Your Unborn Child Praying for Your Children from Head to Toe Our Teens Need Prayer Praying for Your Adult Child STAY CONNECTED: Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -weekly themed link lists of free resources Instagram: @flanders_family - follow for more great content Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life - parenting tips, homeschool help, lprintables Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home- encouragement for wives, mothers, believers

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 18 The apostle Paul continues his second missionary journey, focusing on Corinth, where he meets Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish tentmakers expelled from Rome. Paul stays with them, working as a tentmaker while teaching in the synagogue every Sabbath. Although some oppose him, Paul stays committed, preaching to Jews and Gentiles and guiding many to Christ, including a leader of the synagogue named Crispus. God instructs Paul in a vision to stay in Corinth, promising his protection, and Paul teaches there for eighteen months. Afterward, he travels to Ephesus, where he teaches briefly before completing his journey to Caesarea and Antioch. Meanwhile, Apollos, an eloquent preacher in Ephesus, is taught more accurately about the gospel by Aquila and Priscilla. Apollos goes on to powerfully refute the Jews in defense of Jesus as Christ.  Paul's time in Corinth serves as a guide for sharing the gospel today. He reasoned with religious individuals who were misinformed about the truth; some believed, like the synagogue leader, while others resisted. When opposition arose, Paul turned to the Gentiles, sharing the gospel with many who embraced it. God protected and used him in this work. We should engage with believers who lack the full truth, as Priscilla and Aquila later did with Apollos. This is meaningful work for God. However, if they refuse to listen, do not stop teaching about Jesus—focus your efforts on people who have yet to know the Lord. There is always an opportunity and a need to share the truth about Jesus Christ.   Benevolent Lord, thank You for providing us with all we need to carry out Your will in this life. Paul found companions such as Priscilla and Aquila, Silas, and Timothy on his journey. Thank You for the faithful workers who have been there to assist us in serving You. Help us to lean on them, learn from them, and be of help to them as we all strive to stand strong for Jesus and share His beloved gospel with the world. Many do not want to listen, and we often feel discouraged. Encourage us to keep working by Your grace.   Thought Questions: -       The most common instruction in scripture is in today's read, “Do not be afraid” (v9). Why not? Is God with you? How do you know? -       Gallio, like many Gentile leaders, had little interest in the gospel. Why is it so difficult for people in power to surrender to Christ? -       What does it say about Apollos that he listened to correction and altered his teaching? Is that something you may also have to do?

Bible Study: (2:56) Acts 19:1 – Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria from Ephesus who had been baptized with the baptism of John and had not received the Holy Spirit. He ends up being a very important member of the Church. John baptized with a baptism of repentance and that is what we see in the Gospel of John. John the Baptist is constantly saying in the Gospel of John that he is not the Messiah. Break 1 Letters: (25:05) David – Has a question about Evangelism and introducing someone to prayer. (31:04) Jim – Does each cardinal consider a name he would choose as Pope just in case? (33:30) Does the Pope have to take a new name? (38:57) – Why are you down on people calling themselves “pet parents”. Break 2 (38:57) Word Of the Day – Take Courage Phones: (41:15) Roy - Does the Catholic Church believe in speaking in tongues. (44:11) Anne - It takes away the dignity of human life to use 'pet mom'. (48:09) – Marie - what’s the difference between presumption and trust?

6/1/25. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: 1 Corinthians 16:12. Concerning Apollos. Resources: biblehub.com; logos.com; ChatGPT; and Life Application Study Bible. Listen daily at 10:00 am CST on https://kingdompraiseradio.com. November 2021 Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover!" LISTEN, LIKE, FOLLOW, SHARE! #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailybiblestudy #dailydevotional #christianpodcaster #diversity https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK9zaXqv64YaCjh88XIJckA/videos https://m.youtube.com/@hhwscott

Acts 18:22-28 English Standard Version22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Dr. Randy White of Taos, NM, explores Apollos's scriptural depth, Alexandrian background, and role in affirming Paul's unique gospel message amid early church developments.

Ahhh, Nantucket! My wife and I had some wonderful, romantic times on that picturesque little island 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The little village of Nantucket is just full of colonial charm. And everywhere you look you find reminders of its glory days in the whaling industry. I was surprised to learn, though, that during those glory days most of the town actually burned to the ground, right to the docks. It was a tragedy that nearly put Nantucket out of business. But it was a tragedy that never had to happen. It was an ugly, four-letter word that ultimately destroyed Nantucket, and the word wasn't fire. It's a word that's still destroying things. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Turf In His Kingdom." Turf. Yep, that's what destroyed Nantucket Village many years ago. See, when the fire companies arrived at the site of the blaze that day, the fire was still small. But the firefighters got into an argument over who got to use the fire hydrants. They all wanted to be the heroes. Duh! And while they were fighting over turf, literally, the fire spread and they lost the town. That's hard to believe isn't it? But it's true. Or is it that hard to believe? Losing the town while the rescuers fight over turf. That's still happening today, and it's not a new problem. It's talked about in our word for today in the Word of God, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13. "I appeal to you, brothers," Paul said," in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some of Chloe's household have informed me there are quarrels among you." Sadly, this tendency for God's people to fragment into camps and different groups, to focus on their differences, to get entangled in quarrels, has infected Christ's church for 2,000 years. And we tend to operate as if only our group, our leader, is right. Paul said here, "One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas"; and still another, 'I follow Christ'" (that was the really spiritual group.) "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?" The apostle seems to be saying, "Folks, can't you see? It's all about Jesus! This turf thing is tearing His Body apart!" It was this turf pride that allowed a fire to destroy Nantucket Village while the rescuers argued with each other. Well, today our world is burning down. Lost people are farther from Christ than ever, but we have more means of rescuing them than ever before! So where are the spiritual firefighters? They're fighting over turf. We're so concerned about our organization, our denomination, our church, our group's doctrinal distinctives, the agenda of our group, getting the credit so we can get the glory, or maybe the donations, or loyalty to human leaders rather than to the Lord who raised up those leaders. And meanwhile, a lost world is burning down around us. This has to break the heart of God. There's probably 90% Bible-based Christians agree on, maybe 10% we disagree on. Why do we have to spend 90% of our energy on the 10% we disagree on? That's what makes us "us." We're surrounded by a life-or-death situation! And like the people at Ground Zero when the towers came down, we need to pull together for a desperate rescue operation! Turf does not matter when people are dying! It's time to unite our resources to defeat a militant and united enemy; to get the attention of neighbors who know nothing about the cross, replacing "My kingdom come" with "Thy kingdom come!" There's no stopping God's people when they're united; there's no stomaching God's people when they're divided into hundreds of little personal kingdoms. The town's on fire, folks! The firemen have got to work together!

A Triumphant Church Supports the Ministry 1 Corinthians 16:1-24 16 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. 5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. 12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. 19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. I. Supporting the Ministry Gives with Purpose II. Supporting the Ministry Promotes Community III. Supporting the Ministry Perseveres in the Faith IV. Supporting the Ministry Unifies the Body of Christ

Gal. 3,27 (27) Bo wszyscy, którzy zostaliście ochrzczeni w Chrystusa, w Niego też się odzialiście. Mat. 28,18-20 (18) A Jezus podszedł i zwrócił się do nich w tych słowach: Otrzymałem wszelką władzę w niebie i na ziemi. (19) Idźcie więc i pozyskujcie uczniów pośród wszystkich narodów. Chrzcijcie ich w imię Ojca, Syna i Ducha Świętego (20) i uczcie przestrzegać wszystkiego, co wam przykazałem. A oto Ja jestem z wami przez wszystkie dni aż po kres tego wieku. Mat. 28,17 (17) Gdy Go zobaczyli, złożyli Mu pokłon, choć niektórzy wątpili. Mar. 16,16 (16) Kto uwierzy i zostanie ochrzczony, będzie zbawiony, a kto nie uwierzy, będzie potępiony. Dz. 2,38 (38) Opamiętajcie się — odpowiedział Piotr — i niech każdy z was da się ochrzcić w imię Jezusa Chrystusa dla odpuszczenia waszych grzechów, a otrzymacie dar — Ducha Świętego. Dz. 2,41 (41) Ci więc, którzy przyjęli jego słowa, zostali ochrzczeni i tego dnia dołączyło do nich około trzech tysięcy osób. Dz. 22,16 (16) A teraz — dlaczego zwlekasz? Wstań, daj się ochrzcić i obmyj się z twoich grzechów, wzywając Jego imienia. Dz. 19,1-5 (1) Właśnie gdy Apollos przebywał w Koryncie, Paweł przeszedł obszary wyżynne i przybył do Efezu. Tam spotkał jakichś uczniów (2) i zapytał: Czy otrzymaliście Ducha Świętego, gdy uwierzyliście? A oni mu na to: Nawet nie słyszeliśmy, że jest Duch Święty. (3) Zapytał więc: W jakim zatem chrzcie zostaliście zanurzeni? Odpowiedzieli: W chrzcie Jana. (4) Wtedy Paweł wyjaśnił: Jan zanurzał w chrzcie opamiętania i powtarzał ludowi, że ma uwierzyć w Tego, który idzie za nim, to jest w Jezusa. (5) Gdy to usłyszeli, przyjęli chrzest w imię Pana Jezusa. Nauczanie wygłoszone podczas nabożeństwa połączonego z chrztem na wyznanie wiary, w dniu 18 maja 2025

Patrick shared a quick but oh-so-needed reflection that will resonate deeply. He read a recent interview from Vatican News featuring Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo (from Africa), about that ever-present buzz around division in the Church. The real story is way deeper than the drama on your social media feed. Media vs. Reality: Not the Same Thing Cardinal Ambongo said this: “The press often claims the Church is divided between conservatives and progressives... These categories do not exist among the Cardinals themselves.” Whoa. So, while social media might make it seem like the Church is at war with itself (team trad vs. team modern, etc.), the actual Cardinals are not playing that game. According to the Cardinal, what really happened at the conclave (you know, the one that just gave us Pope Leo XIV) was unity. Not fake, PR-crafted unity, but a shared love for Jesus Christ. The Church = A Person, Not a Platform Cardinal Ambongo gets to the heart of it: “The Church is not an ideology... but rather an attachment to a person, and that person is Jesus Christ.” Can we get an Amen? This isn’t about being “Team Benedict” or “Team Francis” or “Team Trad Latin Mass Only.” The real “team” is: Team Jesus. At the end of the day, Jesus didn’t ask Peter, “Do you have the right liturgical preference?” He asked, “Do you love me?” Patrick’s Take: Strive for Unity, Not Cliques Patrick ties it back to Scripture: St. Paul calling out early Christians for splitting into camps (remember “I’m with Apollos!” “I’m with Cephas!” etc.). Paul shut that down hard because it missed the point: It’s all about Christ. Patrick’s challenge for us? Even when the online world feels loud, snarky, and divided... especially within Catholic circles, we have to remember our purpose. And live like it. It’s Jesus. Period. Final Word If you’ve been feeling a little disheartened by all the Catholic infighting online, let this be your reminder: the Body of Christ is bigger than our factions. Like Patrick said: this is also an ideal to strive for. Let’s get back to what unites us. Want more thoughtful commentary like this? Catch The Patrick Madrid Show live weekdays on the Relevant Radio app, 8–11am CT. Because in a noisy world, we could all use a little more truth... and a little less X/Twitter.

Preached by Dr. Steve Meyers on May 11, 2025 (Sunday Morning Service) Connect with Us → http://connect.pacificbaptist.com Support the Stream → http://simplegive.pacificbaptist.com Follow Us Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/visitpacificbaptist Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/pacific_baptist Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/pacificbaptist

[2 Timothy 1:5] I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.The POWER of the Jesus's resurrection didn't stop at the TOMB.[2 Timothy 3:15] You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.Legacy doesn't just HAPPEN, it's built INTENTIONALLY over time.[Acts 16:1] Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek.God specializes in turning DISADVANTAGES into ADVANTAGES.You don't need PERFECT conditions to plant eternal SEEDS.[Galatians 6:9] So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.All of us can INVEST in the faith of others.[1Corinthians 3:6-8] I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. [7] It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. [8] The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. We are all called to PLANT seeds of faith, but God is in charge of making them GROW.[2 Timothy 2:1-2] Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. [2] You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.The easiest way to leave a faith legacy is simply to LIVE your faith well.[1 Timothy 4:12] Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Growing God's Way | May 4, 2025Pastor Wes MorrisMark 4:26-29 (NIV) He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” √  WE PLANT. GOD PRODUCES.26 A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.I Corinthians 3:6-7 (NIV) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.√  SPIRITUAL GROWTH ISN'T ALWAYS SEEN.27 All by itself the soil produces grain...John 3:8 (GNT) The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.√  YOU CAN'T RUSH THE PROCESS.27 ...first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel.James 5:7-8 (MSG) Friends, wait patiently for the Master's arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong.  GROWING GOD'S WAY I. COMMIT TO A DAILY PLANTING HABIT.Psalm 92:12-14 (NIV) The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.II. CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.John 15:4 (MSG) Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. III. WORSHIP IN THE WAITING.Psalm 40:1-3 (MSG) I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. He taught me how to sing a new song, a praise song to our God.Psalm 130:5 (NIV) I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

This teaching is taken from Luke 11:1 and teaches you about how to see positive result in prayer. If you have any questions, or you would like to share how our teachings have affected your life, please email us or visit us at rejoicingheart.net Our email is listed under the about tab on this page. God bless you! Rob and Donna Rejoice In You From the Integrity Music Release One, featuring Planetshakers Ministries Int'l ©2009 Planetshakers Publishing (APRA) (admin. By Music Services, www.musicservices.org) All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. Luke 11:1 (KJV) 1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Luke 11:2-4 (KJV) 2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Luke 11:10 (KJV) 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Luke 11:13 (KJV) 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Acts 19:1-6 (KJV) 1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (KJV) 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: Jude 1:20 (KJV) 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 1 Corinthians 14:39 (KJV) 39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Ephesians 6:18 (KJV) 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Romans 8:26 (KJV) 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Acts 2:38 (KJV) 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Teacher: Adam Barnett Responsibility – the state or fact of having a duty (an obligation requiring loyalty and faithfulness). We carry the responsibility of sharing God's love and truth with others (through word and deed). We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. - 2 Corinthians 5:20a An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomatic officer, designated by a government as its resident representative in a foreign land. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 1) Promise: you will receive power. 2) Person: the Holy Spirit. Before God sent the Church into the world, He sent his Spirit into the Church. "Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But with the Holy Spirit, the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you."  - Corrie ten Boom “Without the power of the Holy Spirit, our work will be drudgery. With it, it becomes a joyful task, a refreshing service.” - D.L. Moody 3) Purpose: to be a witness. “The church is closed today due to lack of power.” 4) Place: intentional and spontaneous. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. - 1 Peter 3:15 5) Prayer: trust God with the outcome. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Episode Synopsis:Episode 29 of Season Three of the Blessed Hope Podcast brings our deep dive into 1 Corinthians to its conclusion.  As we come to the end of our study of this remarkable letter and take a moment to look back at the ground we have covered, it quickly becomes apparent how truly important this letter is for those of us living in the 21st century in the midst of an increasingly pagan and hostile culture.  There is, perhaps, no letter in the New Testament which speaks as directly to the pressing issues we face as Christians as does 1 Corinthians. Paul's final words to the Corinthians are both poignant and straightforward.  The Corinthians are people Paul knows well, yet who are struggling with the challenges of a new church in the midst of a city like Corinth–a thriving multi-national seaport, thereby ensuring that the temptations of the flesh are ever present.  So too, Corinth was a thriving center of pagan religions and practices ensuring an inevitable collision between Christianity and pagan religion and philosophy.  Corinth was a difficult place for a church to flourish, but of great strategic significance to Paul's Gentile mission.Paul concludes this letter by making it clear that he has not abandoned them, that he is sending help, he explains the situation regarding Timothy and Apollos, and he describes his plans to return when the Lord wills.  The apostle details the offering he hopes to send from Corinth back to the Jerusalem church in order to provide relief during a severe famine.  He extends a series of commands regarding the things which the Corinthians are to do in the meantime, before concluding with the apostolic benediction–Maranatha, Lord come!  This is indeed a truly remarkable letter and should be studied carefully in churches today.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

At Easter, we often celebrate with joyful traditions—colorful eggs, chocolate bunnies, and family dinners. But at the heart of it all is a deeper truth: Easter is also a time for planting.Not just tulips or gardens, but seeds of eternal life. In John 12:23-24, Jesus speaks of His death as a seed falling to the ground. Through His sacrifice, a harvest of souls is made possible. He models what it means to lay down your life so that others may live—and calls us to do the same. This Easter, we encourage you to pray:“Lord, help me be willing to plant seeds of faith—even when it costs me something. Use my life to lead others to Yours.” Whether it's through daily sacrifice, loss, or even stories of loved ones who’ve gone before us in faith, God uses these “planted seeds” to bring about new life in others. And while we may never see the full harvest, we can trust Him with the growth. Join the Conversation:Have you ever seen God bring spiritual growth through the life or passing of someone you loved? How has a seed of faith in your own life impacted others? Share your story @LifeaudioNetwork or send us an email. Let’s encourage one another to plant with purpose.

Wednesday, 16 April 2025   Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17   “Nor they cast new wine into old skins. And if otherwise, they burst the skins, and the wine – it is outpoured, and the skins – they are destroyed. But they cast new wine into new skins, and both – they are preserved” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that people don't put unfulled cloth on a new garment. If they did, when the cloth shrank, it would pull away from the garment, making things worse. Making a similar analogy, Jesus next says, “Nor they cast new wine into old skins.”   Here, the word oinos, wine, is introduced. It is a primary word, but it is believed that it is derived from the Hebrew word yayin, also signifying wine. The word can be used in a literal sense, but it can also be used metaphorically, as in the wine of wrath or passion.   In the Bible, wine symbolizes the merging together of cultural expressions into a result. The thing that ought to happen can happen, symbolized by wine. As such, it represents our reasoning and that which can change our minds.   Another new word is the noun askos, skin. It refers to a leather or skin used for holding something. It is derived from the verb askeó, to train or exercise. But that is derived from skeuos, a vessel for containing things. This root, skeuos, can be used when referring to a person, such as 1 Thessalonians 4 and elsewhere –   “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel [skeuos] in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5   Jesus next says, “And if otherwise, they burst the skins, and the wine.”   If new wine, which is unfermented, is placed into old skins that have already been stretched, when the wine ferments and expands, the skin will not be able to handle the pressure. It has already reached its limits of stretching. It would be like going to a gas station and putting more air into an already-filled tire. The result will be a flat tire. Jesus notes this, saying, “it is outpoured, and the skins – they are destroyed.”   Here is another new word, ekcheo, to pour out. This can be literal, as in pouring out a bowl. It can be violent, like when Judas' innards gushed out when he fell after hanging himself in Acts 1:18. It can also be figurative, as when the Spirit is poured out on believers or when God pours out His love upon His people.   Jesus notes that when someone follows this incorrect process, the wine and the skins are both ruined. Thus, the remedy is seen in His next words, “But they cast new wine into new skins, and both – they are preserved.”   One final new word is seen here, suntéreó. It comes from two words signifying “with” and a watch as in guarding when you keep something close by. Thus, it means to keep closely together. In this case, it speaks of the preservation of the skins and the wine.   What Jesus is referring to with these two examples is based on the surrounding context. The disciples of John came to Jesus asking why His disciples didn't fast. Jesus explained that He was the bridegroom and as long as He was with His disciples, there would be no fasting at such a joyous time. Only when He was taken from them would they mourn.   The point of Jesus' words is the difference between the two economies, or dispensations that were being expressed, the law and grace. The new wine is the new dispensation of grace to come. The old wine was the dispensation of the law. If one were to introduce the new concept into the old, it would not work because the two were incompatible. Only if one put the new wine, the new cultural expression, in the new wineskin would the mind be changed.   Being John's disciples (also the Pharisees), they were conducting their affairs under the dispensation of the Law. Jesus was preparing His disciples not for more law but for grace. But the two are incompatible. If you try to put grace in a person stuck under law observance, the grace would be ruined. Only when you have a person who understands  grace and lives under grace will there be proper doctrine.   Life application: Understanding the analogy being made in Jesus' words, it doesn't mean that the disciples of John were not saved by grace. After John's death, they may have come to follow Christ. Or they may have rejected Him. An example of this is found in Acts –   “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.' 3 And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?' So they said, ‘Into John's baptism.' 4 Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.' 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.” Acts 19:1-7   The point is crystal clear: John's baptism was one that occurred under the law and for reconsideration of one's state under the law. He, however, told the people that when Jesus came, they should believe on Him. Belief is not a work. Jesus did the work. Salvation and the pouring out of the Spirit comes through faith.   The tragedy of law observance by people in the church today is not to be underestimated. Salvation does not come by law observance, it cannot be maintained or strengthened by it either. Rather, those who try to cast the New Testament teachings into their lives while living under the precepts of the law are like wineskins that will burst.   There can be no preservation of either. The law observers have failed to receive the grace of Christ and will be destroyed. Their useless doctrine will be eliminated as well. Trust in Christ, accept His grace and be saved through that. Nothing else will do.   Lord God, we always try to insert ourselves into the salvation equation as if we can somehow merit what has been offered by grace. Forgive us for this! May we rest wholly and completely in the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Surely, nothing else will do. Amen.  

In the end of Acts 18, we see Apollos teaching in a way that doesn't fully represent the Gospel, and Priscilla and Aquila take him aside to help sharpen his...

Ever had someone tell you something you didn't want to hear but absolutely needed to? I'll never forget Kyle pulling me aside and saying, ‘Your breath is awful.' Not what I wanted to hear—but I'm thankful he cared enough to say it. It's that kind of truth in love that makes us better. It certainly made me better. In Acts 18, we meet Apollos—a gifted, passionate, powerful teacher who still needed some help. Thankfully, he got it—from friends who saw potential and stepped in with grace. Why should we care about this? Because the future of the church depends on the leaders we're shaping today. So in this episode, we're asking: What does it take to develop healthy, impactful Christian leaders? Here are three things we'll explore: Developing leaders is a necessary work—because the mission goes on even when we're gone. Developing leaders is a delicate work—because correction must be done with care. Developing leaders is a profitable work—because the investment pays off for generations. Let's jump in. This podcast is a production of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. Executive Producer: Flavius Herlo Speaker: Dr. Jeff Bucknam Sound design, mixing, and editing: Bryan Tripp Graphic Design: Wesley Cassford Social Media: Bryan Spahr Producer: Dave Putnam WE INVITE YOU TO CONNECT WITH US: • Website: www.harvestbible.org/ WE INVITE YOU TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: • Instagram: @harvestbiblechapel • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harvestbiblechapel/

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." - 1 Corinthians 3:6

Sunday, 13 April 2025   Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” Matthew 9:14   “Then, they come to Him, the disciples of John, saying, ‘Through what, we and the Pharisees, we fast much. And your disciples, they fast not?'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus instructed the Pharisees to learn what it means when the Lord spoke through the prophet, saying, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” Next, it says, “Then, they come to Him, the disciples of John.”   This account is restated in Mark 2 and Luke 5. What seems at first contrary to the thought of Jesus being the coming Messiah is that John's disciples continued with him, despite John having proclaimed that Jesus is the Messiah, as in John 1.   It is true that two of them followed Jesus, including Andrew, Simon Peter's brother (John 1:35-42), but here it specifically noted that John continued to have disciples. And more, it next says that they were “saying, ‘Through what, we and the Pharisees, we fast much?'”   The expression “through what” is one that asks for an explanation concerning a matter. It is something like, “What is the basis for your actions today?” Also, their question isn't just that John's disciples and the Pharisees fasted as a habit, regardless of the day. Rather, Mark's gospel more specifically records, “The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting” Mark 2:18.   In other words, it appears there was a set day or occasion that precipitated their fasting. Despite this, Jesus was in the house of these taxmen and sinners, reclining and eating. The question by John's disciples, as well as the Pharisees, as is seen in Mark 2, indicates that they would have expected everyone to fast on this particular day.   For example, it says in Zechariah 8 –   “Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”'” Zechariah 8:18, 19   There were set days that people fasted, like those mentioned in Zechariah 8. The observant Jews would diligently follow these practices, even if they were not specifically designated in the Law of Moses. Understanding this, their question seems more relevant than it otherwise might.   They are not simply asking why Jesus doesn't arbitrarily fast but why He is not following the tradition of the people. And more, it wasn't only Jesus who may have some particular reason because He was proclaimed by John to be the Lamb of God, but they continue with the words, “And your disciples, they fast not?”   There was a reason for not fasting that extended beyond Jesus, even to His disciples. John's disciples, along with the Pharisees (as noted above) were truly interested in the reason for His departure from the set traditions that they meticulously followed.   Life application: In Acts 11, Peter explained to those who questioned him about going into the house of a Gentile that it was directed by God. In his words, he says –   “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” Acts 11:16, 17   Likewise in Acts 19, it says –   “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.' 3 And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?' So they said, ‘Into John's baptism.' 4 Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.'” Acts 19:1-4   The gospels and Acts are showing us the progression of learning that took place in the disciples and then in the early church as well as among the people of Israel. There is a problem, however, that persists to this day. People fail to make the distinction between law and grace. Reading the gospels and Acts and understanding the progression of thought in them is intended to help us understand the difference.   And yet, though these events are clearly laid out for us in Scripture, many people keep falling back on the law, customs, and traditions of Israel. None of those things are binding on people who have believed the gospel.   And yet, because of a partial or faulty understanding of what God in Christ has done, the insidious infection of law observance, in part or in whole, remains a teaching in the church.   How sad it is that we cannot accept grace without reinserting ourselves into the equation, meaning that we have not accepted grace at all! Henceforth, may we rest in what Jesus has done and in that alone.   Lord God, we are so grateful to You for the release from bondage that we possess because of Jesus. Sin no longer has mastery over us because we are no longer under law but under grace. Help us to live with this understanding, being ever grateful for Your goodness to us through the giving of Jesus. Amen.

Big Idea: Now Hiring:1 Corinthians 4:1-13I. Stewards to struggle against prejudice…1 Corinthians 4:1-5A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God. In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful. It is of little importance to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I don't even judge myself. For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. So don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.III. …to be slandered for faithful service…1 Corinthians 4:6-7Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another. For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it?III. …and to suffer like the scum of the earth!1 Corinthians 4:8-13You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone's garbage.Next Steps: Believe: I need Jesus to replace my selfish heart today.Become: Sign me up!  I'm willing to suffer as King Jesus did for me.Be Sent: I will be a spectacle to someone far from Jesus this week.Discussion Questions: What is your #1 trait for a great leader? Explain your answer. What resources has God given you stewardship?Give an example of how to display humility without calling attention to yourself. Do you have a weakness that God wants to use for his glory?How did you respond the last time you were mistreated?Is there any reward that would make a life of suffering worthwhile?  Explain your answer.Pray for the Holy Spirit to make you a spectacle to someone who needs Jesus this week. 

Paul ends his second missionary journey after leaving Corinth and passing through Ephesus. He leaves Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus to help strengthen the church there. While in Ephesus, they meet a Jewish man named Apollos. After hearing him speak in the synagogue, they privately take him aside and explain God's message to him more clearly. Scripture References: Acts 18:12-28, 1 Corinthians 1:1 Pastor: Daniel Hendrickson

The proverbs of Solomon make many points for us to meditate upon – vital principles for daily living.  It is good to take them individually and reflect carefully on how many of them apply to daily living in the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Chapter 13 today at v.13 says, “Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.”How true that is – but in an increasing number of ways and places today the word of God is ignored as being of no account.  In others the ‘knowing' of God's word is left to a select few – ‘elders' they might be called – and the danger is that they selectively apply them according to their own interpretation; evidence of this is seen in those who opposed our Lord.There is danger when believers become followers of individuals instead of adequately reverencing God's word and making that word part of their thinking. Paul lamented to the Corinthians, “each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul' or ‘I follow Cephas,' or ‘I follow Apollos, …  Is Christ divided?” [1 Cor. 1 v.12]Solomon writes, “In everything the prudent act with knowledge” [v.16] and God's word is the source of that knowledge.  “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”[v.20]Our world is out of balance, so few are now wise in the principles God's word sets before us.  “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him (or her) is diligent to discipline him.” [v.24]  Many parts of the world now spurn any physical discipline.  It is true that in the days of old it was sometimes done far too much. Solomon later writes, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” [22 v.6]When we come to Ephesians 6 on Sunday we will read, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” [v.4]   When this is done there will be no need for any rod – but spiritual joy in having our children as fellow believers and followers of the Lord.Returning to our Proverbs chapter, if we can truly develop both a love and an awe of God we will see ever more clearly that his word is a “tree of life” [v.12] and the time will come when Christ will say “to the one who conquers … eat of the tree of life., which is in the paradise of God.” [Rev. 2 v.7]  But “whoever despises the word …”

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (NKJV)10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. - 1 Corinthians 3:6This week, Jamie interviews Tiffany Smith, First Lady of Apostolic Lighthouse of Dayton, Ohio.In this episode, she shares powerful testimonies and stories of how God is using outreach programs to impact their city. This inspiring episode will leave you stirred to go out and win a soul for God.

In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Angie Velasquez Thornton to discuss the challenges of handling criticism, fostering accountability, and maintaining unity in Christian public ministry. As an experienced writer, podcaster, and ministry leader, Angie shares her insights on navigating online discourse, the importance of local church accountability, and how Christians can engage in constructive dialogue without compromising truth. Key topics include:✅ Balancing boldness and humility in theological discussions✅ Avoiding the "I follow Apollos" mentality in the digital age✅ Practical ways to handle criticism and avoid bitterness✅ Why the local church should be central to accountability✅ Encouraging Christian unity without sacrificing biblical convictions If you're involved in blogging, podcasting, teaching, or simply engaging in online faith discussions, this episode offers wisdom on how to communicate truth while building up the body of Christ.

Transcript:Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. Arguably, the Bible speaks of the church more as an organism than an organization. The Church is the very life of Christ—His breath, His Spirit, His Word giving the church its being and vibrancy. To the degree that the church is filled with Jesus's Spirit (see Ephesians 5:18 and Galatians 5:16-24), to that degree it is fulfilling its purpose and bearing fruit. However, this is not to say Christ has given no organizational structure for the church. Of course, He has. Christ gave “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:9 ESV). But even the responsibility of these leaders is often given in organic (“body of Christ”) or agricultural terms. The church leaders are workers in God's field or vineyard—sowing the seed of the gospel, watering and tending its growth as hard-working farmers (2 Timothy 2:6). They are not so much manufacturing disciples, as they are applying good farming techniques and trusting God to cause the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). Similarly, church leaders are to shepherd the flock of God (another agricultural reference), following the manner of the Good Shepherd, laying down their lives for the sheep (John 10; 1 Peter 5). The upshot of all this is that we must be serious-minded about submitting ourselves to those God has appointed for our care. God never intended the church to be a “free-range farm.” No! We need to be present when the church meets, submitting ourselves to one another (Ephesians 5:21), not wandering like lost sheep, doing our own thing. We need to do our best to remain firmly planted in the structures God has provided through our local churches, not uprooting ourselves with every wind of change. God has appointed the structure of the church and its leaders for our good. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”~1 Corinthians 3:5-17 (ESV)

In this episode we interview Frank Viola about his new book The Untold Story of the New Testament Church (Revised and Expanded). Bio:Frank is a bestselling author, speaker, podcaster, and blogger. He helps serious followers of Jesus know their Lord more deeply so they can experience real transformation and make a lasting impact. His blog – frankviola.org – is regularly ranked in the top 5 of all Christian blogs on the Web and his podcast – Christ is All – has ranked #1 in Canada and #2 in the USA on Apple Podcasts. He and his conversation partners also host The Insurgence Podcast.About the Book:Experience the New Testament Like Never BeforeOne famous scholar said that reading the New Testament letters is like hearing one end of a phone conversation. The Untold Story of the New Testament Church (Revised and Expanded) reconstructs the other end so you can understand virtually every word.Seamlessly weaving the narrative of Acts with the Epistles, you'll discover a coherent story enriched by intriguing details of first-century life. This unique and innovative presentation of the New Testament unlocks its epic story in a way that will leave you breathless and equipped to understand the Bible like never before.Though it's non-fiction, this masterpiece reads like a cinematic experience that will captivate your heart by putting you in the center of the drama. Drawing on the best of contemporary scholarship, Frank Viola includes background information about the people, cities, and places that are mentioned throughout the New Testament, all in an engaging narrative.As you dive into this riveting volume, you will:Gain an intimate glimpse into the lives of apostles Peter, James, John, Paul, and their colleagues.Uncover the events that inspired each New Testament letter, shedding new light on every line from Romans to Revelation.Meet the key figures who shaped the world, like Priscilla, Apollos, Lydia, Luke, John Mark, Phoebe, Aristarchus, and Epaphras.Witness the dynamic tumult of first-century churches, individuals, and events as they unfold vividly before you.Prepare to be ushered into the living, breathing atmosphere of the first century so you can uncover the hidden riches contained in God's Word.Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/cgKpHh6Book Website: www.theuntoldstory.net

Acts 18:1-28 - Speaker: Will Galkin - In Acts 18, we see that God is faithful, and the gospel is fruitful even amidst opposition. God sovereignly provides gospel partners like Aquila and Priscilla, turning negative circumstances, such as Emperor Claudius's expulsion of Jews from Rome, into opportunities for ministry expansion. Despite initial rejection by the Jews, Paul's ministry bears remarkable fruit, reaching unlikely converts like Crispus, the synagogue ruler. Furthermore, God protects Paul through the unlikely means of Roman governor Gallio's indifference, granting Paul freedom to preach without fear of persecution. Ultimately, Acts 18 emphasizes God's faithfulness in preparing new laborers, as evidenced by the rise of Apollos, who was discipled by Aquila and Priscilla and powerfully carried the gospel forward.