Podcasts about apostle paul

Join Jerry as he starts the book of Galatians, a powerful book written by the Apostle Paul in which he emphasizes the essential truths about the grace of God and our liberty in Christ Jesus.  Every day Jerry walks us through a chapter of the New Testament, and gives us some amazing insights and applications. Grab your Bible and great ready for Galatians 1, and join us daily as you take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann.   -------  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below: FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/ SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

How To Deal With Stress As A Christian - Life brings stress so what are you stressed about? Join us today as we will see how the Apostle Paul dealt with the anxiety and pressure he was forced to endure and hopefully at the end of this lesson you will be a less stressed person!

How To Deal With Stress As A Christian - Life brings stress so what are you stressed about? Join us today as we will see how the Apostle Paul dealt with the anxiety and pressure he was forced to endure and hopefully at the end of this lesson you will be a less stressed person!

Timothy was a young man who carried a strong leadership position in the early church. And one of the Apostle Paul's signature pieces of advice to him was to flee youthful lusts.   Young men in the Church of our day must heed that same advice! But how is that possible in a culture overrun with temptation at every turn?   Part 2 of our Young Men's Sexual Sin Q&A delves deeper into time-tested Biblical truths to overcome sexual addiction. This week we tackle issues like “How do I get out of a repetitive cycle of sin?” “Is it ok if I lust but don't act out physically?” “I want to talk to somebody about my struggles, but I feel ashamed,” and more.   Resources we mentioned: Pure Life Ministries Residential Program

When Ron Blue joins us, it's always a masterclass in biblical wisdom. He's co-founder of Kingdom Advisors, a best-selling author, and a trusted mentor to many. Ron has spent decades helping believers apply God's principles to every area of life and business.Today, Ron unpacks what Scripture teaches about partnerships and how faith should shape the way we enter, manage, and exit them.The Broader Meaning of “Partnership”When the Apostle Paul warned believers about being “unequally yoked,” he wasn't speaking only about marriage. As Ron explains, “Paul was talking about partnerships—and there are so many kinds.”From professional firms and small businesses to investment ventures and partnerships, they can take many forms. And while they can be incredibly fruitful, they also carry spiritual and relational risks.Ron pointed out that partnerships often last a long time—sometimes decades. “The CPA firm I founded has been operating as a partnership for 50 years,” he said. “But not all partnerships endure well. Like marriage, many end in conflict.”Principle #1: Protect Your TestimonyRon's first principle is about spiritual integrity. “You have to ask what the partnership will do to your testimony,” he said. “If you're unequally yoked with someone whose values fundamentally differ from yours, you could lose your witness in the process.”He recalled being asked whether a Christian OB-GYN should enter a business partnership with a doctor who supports abortion. “Only you and God can answer that,” he said, “but it's a big question. Your witness is always at stake.”Principle #2: Plan Your Exit Before You Begin“Have your exit strategy in place before you form the partnership,” Ron advises.Just as couples prepare for challenges in marriage, business partners should anticipate potential separation. A clear exit plan protects both parties, ensures fairness, and helps maintain peace when the time comes to move on.“When you have that in place,” Ron said, “you avoid a lot of conflict and preserve your testimony if you're the believer who's leaving.”Principle #3: Preserve the Mission Beyond the RelationshipPerhaps the most powerful insight Ron shared was this: the mission must outlive the partnership.Ron recalled his own experience leading a financial planning firm. “After 23 years, I left—but no one left with me,” he said. “They were committed to the mission. That's what you want to see happen.”A strong exit strategy and shared vision help ensure that the work—and the witness—continue long after any individual departs.The Bottom LineShared faith isn't just good for business—it's essential for a lasting witness. Partnerships grounded in biblical principles reflect God's wisdom and preserve peace amid challenges.As Ron put it, “The most critical thing you want to preserve is your testimony. Everything else flows from that.”On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:I'm concerned about vendors and service providers who want my bank account information for automatic withdrawals. I've been paying my lawn service with money orders, but now they require my account number. I told them we'd have to stop doing business because I'm not comfortable giving out that information. Isn't this kind of intrusive? What do you think about vendors wanting access to our accounts?My spouse and I are both 70 and ready to retire. I own 10 rental houses, but managing them has become too much. Once I sell the properties, what should I do with the proceeds? I understand the basics about capital gains and selling real estate, but I don't want the responsibility of managing individual stock investments myself.I've saved about $15,000 for a car, but have kept my current vehicle running as long as possible. It's a 2007 with 235,000 miles and is starting to have more issues. I found a good used car for about $8,500 and am wondering if I should buy it now or keep driving my current one until it dies, even though repairs may be on the horizon.My parents' health is declining, and we're moving them closer to family. Their current home is in an irrevocable trust, but we've found a condo they can buy before selling that house. Can the new condo be added to the same irrevocable trust? And when the old home sells, what happens to the proceeds?Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner)Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on MoneyLook At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every workday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that "God loves a cheerful giver." And we've seen that throughout this series—giving changes lives, both for those who receive and for those who give. But here's something interesting: science agrees. Research shows that helping others doesn't just strengthen communities—it also transforms our health. Acts of kindness can boost our resilience, lower stress, and even help us live longer. Today, I'm joined by health and science journalist Nicole Karlis, author of "Your Brain on Altruism." In her book, she explores how generosity lights up our brains, improves our well-being, and nurtures a culture of caring. We'll talk about why crises often bring out extraordinary generosity, what the latest science says about altruism, and how we can sustain caring for one another even after the crisis passes. EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more. BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series. JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group. WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz. BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram. DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

2 Corinthians 6:14 states, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” The Apostle Paul’s warning is often applied to marriage, but what does it mean for business partnerships? On the next Faith & Finance Live, Ron Blue joins Rob West to unpack both the biblical and practical wisdom behind this question. Then, it’s your calls. That’s Faith & Finance Live, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio. Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.To learn more about Rob West, click here. To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Jerry as he starts the book of Galatians, a powerful book written by the Apostle Paul in which he emphasizes the essential truths about the grace of God and our liberty in Christ Jesus.  Every day Jerry walks us through a chapter of the New Testament, and gives us some amazing insights and applications. Grab your Bible and great ready for Galatians 1, and join us daily as you take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann.   -------  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below: FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/ SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

2025, November 16What would you say if you had one last letter to write? In his final days, imprisoned in a cold, dark Roman dungeon, the Apostle Paul wrote one last letter to his close friend Timothy - a message filled with affection, conviction, and a call to courageous faith. This week, Kevin talks about that final charge: be strong, endure hardship, and keep the faith. In a world that often trades truth for comfort, Paul's last letter reminds us what it means to stay faithful, finish well, and keep our torch burning to the end. Please take a moment to rate this podcast and if you would like to leave a comment regarding this message, please email kpsermons@gmail.com

The Apostle Paul opens Colossians by thanking God for the Colossians' faith in Christ, their love for fellow believers, and the living hope reserved for them in heaven. The episode explores how the gospel is received by faith, produces self‑giving love, and anchors believers' hope in Christ's return. Using examples from Scripture and the ministry of Epaphras, the lesson emphasizes that true Christian life combines sound doctrine with practical love and confident hope, calling listeners to live out their faith daily. (Remastered)

Through this message, Paul addresses the false teachers and the small remnant of believers who were still undiscerning regarding who was the real apostle to the gentiles. Was it the Apostle Paul, or was it one of the Jewish teachers from Jerusalem? Was it the one who was first to bring them the gospel of grace, or was it the ones who had infiltrated the Corinthian church with claims of superiority due to their entertaining speaking ability and their impressive physical appearance? 

Send us a textAs we begin this verse we see how the Apostle Paul speaks of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is explored here as this is an important issue in this dispensation.

This is Peter writing to church leaders about the kind of heart and attitude they should have in order to serve a local church. The two New Testament epistles ascribed to the Apostle Peter are lesser known by most Christians than the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. Some scholars believe that First Peter may have been written to young Christians and may have even served as a 'catechism' for those about to be water baptised. In this episode, we look at how Peter presents God as Father, Son, and Spirit, and how Christianity commences with becoming 'born again'. But this is not where Christianity ends - and that aged Apostle Peter gives instructions on how a new believer is to grow in the faith by exploring what the knowledge of God and HIs grace requires.

The sermon opens with a profound exploration of identity and spiritual transformation, centered on the Apostle Paul's self-description as a 'doulos'—a bound servant of Jesus Christ—highlighting the radical surrender required of every believer. It emphasizes that true discipleship involves a complete submission of one's will to Christ, mirroring the disciplined obedience of a soldier in boot camp, and contrasts this with the enslavement to sin from which Christ delivers us through His death and resurrection. The message underscores the theological significance of Christ's name—Jesus, meaning 'Jehovah saves,' and Christ, meaning 'the Anointed One'—revealing His divine nature and redemptive mission. It defines the Christian as a 'saint,' not by achievement but by divine separation from sin and dedication to God, rooted in the new birth and sustained by faith in Christ. The sermon calls listeners to a life of responsive obedience, where the Word of God functions as both a lamp to guide and a light to illuminate the path, urging believers to live in the reality of their new identity in Christ.

 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 Life is a significant journey, often likened to the process of creating a diamond — a remarkable gem that emerges from carbon under great pressure and heat. Just as a diamond's beauty is revealed through rigorous conditions, our true potential often surfaces through the experiences we encounter daily. Embrace this view: your strength and character are refined during difficult moments, leading you to shine brighter. Consider the words in James 1:2-4, which remind us to “count it all joy” in the face of various experiences. It's as if through each moment, we're being chiseled into our best selves, shaping us not just for survival but for greatness. Just as the Apostle Paul and Silas sang praises in prison, we can find joy in our ability to rise above life's circumstances and nurture our spirits. Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Remember, "Trials may bruise us, but they also teach our steps; endurance is the quiet muscle that lifts our eyes to hope." Imagine a tree that withstands winds, growing stronger with each gust. The same principle applies to our faith, which deepens as we trust in God's presence, reminiscent of the wise words of Robert Schuller: “Joy is not the absence of suffering; it is the presence of God.”  Through every experience, we cultivate resilience and a stronger belief in ourselves and our purpose. When we focus on nurturing our faith, we can see how the bonds we create with God and others act as lifelines, like threads in a tapestry intricately woven together to reveal a more beautiful picture. Jean de La Bruyère aptly noted that "out of difficulties grow miracles," emphasizing that our greatest transformations often emerge when we lean into our spiritual growth. Amen. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, "In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." Prayer for the Day!Heavenly Father, in moments of reflection, may we recognize the beauty that arises from our experiences. Help us to embrace our journeys with open hearts, trusting that You are shaping us for a purpose greater than ourselves. May Your presence fill us with joy and hope, guiding us always toward the light. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

One of Charlie's final church appearances as at Freedom Night in America with Nathan Finochio, founder of TheosU and author of Killer Church. Charlie and Nathan dive into pastors who love "hippie Jesus" but hate the Apostle Paul, why every ideology wants to claim Jesus for its own, the danger of Islam to the West, and more. Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Gabriel Hughes preaches from Romans 7:21-25 where the Apostle Paul laments, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" And the answer is the body of Jesus. Visit providencecasagrande.com for more info about our church.

Join Jerry as he starts the book of Galatians, a powerful book written by the Apostle Paul in which he emphasizes the essential truths about the grace of God and our liberty in Christ Jesus.  Every day Jerry walks us through a chapter of the New Testament, and gives us some amazing insights and applications. Grab your Bible and great ready for Galatians 1, and join us daily as you take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann.   -------  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below: FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/ SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Romans is the Apostle Paul's fullest and clearest treatise on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout history, this letter has opened eyes, awakened hearts, and set movements in motion. It's both profoundly theological and deeply personal, revealing the truth about God, humanity, and salvation. John Stott rightly called Romans a manifesto of freedom in Christ - a freedom that remakes our lives, forms us into God's people, and sends us as witnesses of Jesus in the world.

2 Corinthians 10-11

One of Charlie's final church appearances as at Freedom Night in America with Nathan Finochio, founder of TheosU and author of Killer Church. Charlie and Nathan dive into pastors who love "hippie Jesus" but hate the Apostle Paul, why every ideology wants to claim Jesus for its own, the danger of Islam to the West, and more. Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Summary: As the Apostle Paul issues a direct charge to his young protégé, Timothy, the charge is not, “preach the Word,” “preach grace and not the law,” “care for those under your care,” or even “be faithful to your call.” His charge is to fight the good fight. This episode explains what Paul means by this and practically speaking how Christian men today can answer this call to fight for those under their care.  For Further Prayerful Thought:If I am called to fight the good fight for those God has sovereignly place around me, and I desert from the battle line, what does it mean for those I'm called to fight for?How does Paul's statement that God desires humans to be saved from sin and come to a knowledge of the truth related to Jesus' teaching that we are to seek to dispel the kingdom of evil and darkness from our lives and the world and replace it with the righteousness and light of his kingdom?Why battle for people to see truth?Why are a good conscience and faith prerequisites for successful fighting?How might the things we ask for in prayer for ourselves and others, be impacted by realizing that the good fight is for the fruit of righteousness to be formed in us and others as well as for Satan's lies to be torn down? For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men's issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left)

In this sermon, Pastor Tyler reflects on the incredible generosity and joy evident within the community. Sharing stories of transformation and commitment, he emphasizes the theme of choosing joy in the face of life's challenges, drawing inspiration from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians. Tyler explores the concept of joyful partnership in the gospel, urging the congregation to see their role not as members of a church, but as active partners invested in its mission. He discusses the biblical significance of tithing and financial generosity, encouraging the community to trust God and prioritize giving as an act of worship. Through this message, Tyler calls the church to embrace a holistic, spirit-filled approach to life, rooted in generosity and contentment in Christ. Join us as we delve into the heart of joyful giving and explore how each of us can participate in the transformative work God is doing in our community.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reflects on Christ's call of St. Matthew as a revelation of the Lord's pastoral wisdom, patience, and mercy. Drawing on St. John Chrysostom, he shows how Christ approaches each person at the moment they are most able to receive Him, gently leading sinners to repentance while shielding the weak from the self-righteous. The homily invites us to imitate this divine pedagogy—offering mercy before rebuke, healing before judgment, and a way of life that draws others to the knowledge of God. +++ Mercy, Not Sacrifice: Christ's Pastoral Method in the Calling of Matthew St. Matthew 9:9-13 At that time, as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he rose and followed Him. And as He sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard it, He said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  When looking at this encounter, it is important to know the context.  Jesus had been at this for a while.  He had already called at least four of the twelve; Andrew, Peter, James and John, to be his disciples.  Moreover, in addition to them, many others were following him.  He had already been baptized, been tempted, given the Sermon on the Mount and performed several public miracles. Knowing this allows us to better appreciate Christ, how He operates, and therefore how we might better imitate Him as we claim to operate in + His name. Example One: Calling the disciples Let's go back to His calling the disciples.  Why didn't He call Matthew at the same time He called Andrew, Peter, James, and John?  St. John Chrysostom indicates that it was Christ's pastoral heart that determined when we called each of His disciples.  Remember, as the Logos, He shares the Father's will that "all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4).  This means that He addressed people in the time and manner they were most likely to hear.  St. John Chrysostom points out that Matthew's heart was not open to Christ's call at the same time as Andrew, Peter, James, and John.  It took miracles and profound teaching to soften His heart for the encounter.  And He didn't just do this for Matthew, look how long it took for the Apostle Paul!  And perhaps, we can look at long he waited for us! We should learn from this lesson from Christ's earthly ministry and imitate Him.  We may need to live among some people for a while, showing the miracle of God's love working in and through us in the way we act and the things we say, before they are ready to accept an invitation to join us in The Way that heals and perfects.  Many of us jump the gun; skipping the vital step of living a public life of miraculous love – and then are surprised when the call to "follow Christ" goes unheeded.  Yes, there are times when the modern equivalents of scribes and pharisees need to be confronted, but once again, let's imitate Christ and let them out themselves when they question our motives and sanity for performing acts of sacrificial compassion.  If we skip the step of imitating Christ in His love for mankind, not only won't we win converts, we may also be indicating that we aren't really working in His Name at all.   Example Two: Leaving, not owning the opposition Speaking of which, Christ also demonstrates his pastoral care at the very beginning of today's lesson.  You may remember that today's lesson begins with something that seems to be a throwaway line; a transitional clause that lets the reader know that the narrative is moving on to another scene.  St. Matthew writes; "At that time, as Jesus passed on from there,…" and then segues into this lesson about how Christ called him, the author, to be His disciple.  But what did He leave and why?  What did He "pass on" from in the previous scene? Let me share that with you; just prior to this, Jesus had publicly corrected some scribes - leaders in the Jewish community - by healing a man of his paralysis after they doubted His ability to forgive sins.  Do you see how they out themselves as fools?  But Christ doesn't want them to remain in ignorance.  He desires that they, too, be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth …  but He also knew that they were not ready to accept the truth, so He left before they could double down on their sin and thus become even less likely to change their way of thinking and eventually answer His call to discipleship. As St. John Christostom puts it; For when He had performed the miracle, He did not remain, lest, being in sight, He should kindle their jealousy the more; but He indulges them by retiring, and soothing their passion. This then let us also do, not encountering them that are plotting against us; let us rather soothe their wound, giving way and relaxing their vehemence. Jesus could have owned those scribes!   This is what our polarized and self-indulgent culture seems to require of us: to immediately jump on any perceived weakness to show the superiority of our way.  We even manufacture offenses so that we have an opportunity to score points and play to the crowd.  But that's not what Jesus did; there was a real offense and a real weakness – but He didn't want or need to impress anyone.  Again, his desire is that of His Father; that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth.  And so He forbeared and gave them an opportunity to cool off and repent while He moved off to spend time with someone who was ready to hear Him. These are the kinds of lessons that are obvious to those who have "eyes to see and ears to hear," but for the rest of us, it takes time.  As we have discussed previously, we still see the Gospel "through a glass darkly" and only see reality as "trees walking."  But we want to learn, and so we ask those who have made this journey successfully before us, men like the Holy Apostle and Evanglist Matthew, whose memory we celebrate today and St. John Chrysostom who shares the deeper Truths that St. Matthew shared – we ask them to guide and pray for us as go deeper into The Way. Let's see what more we can learn about Christ's approach to evangelism and pastoral care in today's lesson.  It is worth remembering that Matthew was a tax collector.  When Jesus gave him the invitation to "follow me", he responded with hospitality.  He opened his house to the Lord, his disciples, fellow tax collectors, and unspecified sinners.  Just to make sure everyone had a good time, this was all done within view of some local Pharisees.  The Pharisees spent their whole lives dedicated to righteousness (as should all of us).  I am perfectly willing to believe that they were sincere in their devotion to the Law.  In fact, it was probably their devotion to the Law that led to their revulsion at seeing an alleged rabbi (Jesus) eating with sinners.  They shared their righteous indignation with the Lord's disciples and He overheard them.  We can learn a lot about how to pastoral ministry by looking at Christ's response. First, He said (e.g. St. Mark 2:17); Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.  This is the most obvious point: God was explaining what His mission to these sinners (and the world) was:  He had come to bring them to repentance.  This would hardly satisfy any ultra-Orthodox takfirists – they always want their pound of flesh!  After all, they say, repentance requires tears, and the best way to bring someone to tears is not to eat with them and provide them a living example of the better way; no, surely it is more effective to beat them over the head with the Sin-Stick, right?!  Evidently not, at least according to the all-knowing and all-loving God-man Jesus Christ. After acknowledging the sinfulness of His dinner companions and their need for repentance, He corrected the Pharisees' dubious pedagogical and evangelical instincts with this (e.g. St. Matthew himself in 9:13); Go and learn what it means, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice': for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Christ is quoting Hosea when He says; "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice".  The full passage (which was implied) continues with (Hosea 6:6); "… and [I desire] the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."  This is huge.  The Pharisees knew the full quote and its context; they would have seen that Christ was telling them that they were guilty of the very same sorts of things that went against God throughout the Old Testament.  He was telling them that they were more concerned with fulfilling the letter of the law (i.e. doing the "burnt offerings" well) than they were with knowing God or bringing others to Him.  At that meal, He was doing something that they should have been doing themselves. How Christ Discipled His Sinners cum Apostles More importantly, along with His entire response, Christ used this quote to describe His method for bringing the "knowledge of God" to sinners; He would use mercy to lead them to repentance, which would in turn allow them to grow in the knowledge of God.   St. John Chrysostom brings this point out at the end of his homily on this passage; What Christ is saying through his words and deads is this, "The disciples have not yet become strong; they still need a lot of condescension. They have not been renewed by the Spirit yet.  You really shouldn't put a lot of injunctions on people who are still weak."  And He said all these things in order to set laws and rules for His own disciples, so that when it was their turn to train disciples, they would deal with them very gently.  To reiterate St. John Chrysostom's point, God is showing His disciples how the Gospel is to be taught: gently and with mercy … while protecting the weak from the attacks of the self-righteous.  This is important for us as Christian leaders: we are called to follow Christ!  We are called to take His Gospel to sinners so that they might repent,  come to the knowledge of God, and be saved.  Keep the Sin-Stick ready, but use it the way Christ Himself did; to defend the weak from the attacks of the self-righteous. There is a temptation to bring sinners to a full awareness of their sin in order to drive them towards repentance, but be careful with this.   Psalm 129: 3-4 (which we often repeat as a prokimen so that we will master it – or rather so that it might master us);  If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee. And later in that same Psalm, we learn from the Psalmist, in the Spirt, what the purpose of this merciful forgivness is; so that He might bring salvation to Israel (129:8). Repentance, kenosis, and discernment are fostered over time.  It is an iterated and communal process.  The wounds this world inflicts on God's children are serious and it takes time for Him to heal them.  This means that you may not be able to see the process through to its conclusion, but it is okay to simply begin the treatment; the Church has trained other physicians that can continue the process, just as you will be called to continue the work others have begun.  As Christ said "One soweth, and another reapeth." (St. John 4:37:4) Conclusion Saint Matthew's life is a testimony to the efficacy of this gentle discipleship process.  He was a sinner.  The Lord protected Him and showed Him mercy.  Over time, through His example, His holiness, and His teachings, He brought Matthew through repentance to the true knowledge of God.  As a recipient of this grace, St. Matthew could do nothing else but offer it to others.   It is true that the Church is a hospital, and that Christ is the Great Physician; and it is also true that St. Matthew found healing in the Church under the Doctor's care.  But it is also true that He did not stay in the hospital bed. After a lifetime spent spreading the Gospel, this "good and faithful servant" earned the martyr's crown in Ethiopia. May the Lord transform us into the kind of patient, merciful, and holy pastors who can do the same.

The Apostle Paul said humans invent new forms of evil. That's what happened at Babel.

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

The post Így szól az Úr Isten, Szíverősítő, Lélekemelő, Inspiration for Heart and Soul, Biblia, Magyar, Igehirdetés, Bible, Ezekiel 28: 15 – 19, Matthew 21: 12-14, Luke 13: 23-24, the testimonies of the Apostle Paul from Acts 22, 23, 24, and 26, Psalms 46 & 130 Reformation: Hungarian Evangelical 11-02-25 appeared first on WWDB-AM.

Pastor Chris this Sunday goes past the first verse and now dives in to the first 3 chapters of Ephesians! He examines the artistic literary style of the Apostle Paul, and shows its mirror like style which bounces off similar ideas culminating in to one singular point. This Sunday we see the importance of praising the Lord, praying to him, and remembering our fallen spiritual condition requiring his salvation. Praise God for saving us not because we deserved it but because he loved us and let that love/grace carry over in to all our relationships.

What course are you on? Are you running a race of self-preservation or do you run the race of kindness and generosity? This week in worship, Pastor David takes a look at the Apostle Paul as he returns to prison in Rome. We will learn that the outcome of our lives matters much less than the purpose for which we live. Join us as we dive deeper into this topic on Sunday.

Our goal for our Christian-walk. We are to form patterns and habits that have us consistently doing various things that please God and deepen our relationship with Him. We have consumed a great deal of teaching from the Apostle Paul's letters to the various churches to help us form our theology as it relates to…

“The judgment seat of Christ” can fill Christians with a great amount of trepidation and fear. The thought of standing before Him to give an account of one's life quickly brings to mind all of the failures along the way. However, is this how Christ wants His people to think? This sermon will explore the Apostle Paul's message to the Corinthians on how we can not only remove fear from this judgment scene, but also eagerly anticipate its arrival.  A sermon given by Greg Chandler on November 9, 2025.

God's heart is to make His home in us and to fill us with His joy and His peace and His grace and His power, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. In fact, I know it. And the other thing I know is that He wants to do that for you. Today. Right now.   We're All Different It is fantastic to be with you again this week on Christianityworks. You know the process of boy meets girl has always fascinated me. Before I met my wonderful wife Jacqui, somebody encouraged me to go out on a blind date with a woman and the moment I knocked on her door and she opened the door, I took one look at her and in the instant, I knew there would be no relationship there - I just knew! And yet the very first time I laid eyes on Jacqui, I just knew that she would be my wife. How does that work? What is that chemistry all about? How does chemistry and attraction turn into love and commitment and lifelong companionship? I don't know, I really don't know. I guess for one person there are many potential spouses and only a handful of real candidates, and sometimes one or sometimes none that people meet. It's really a mystery, isn't it? how a boy and a girl meet and become husband and wife and share a life together for the whole of their lives. The same is true with friends – you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relatives. And I guess that saying acknowledges this reality, that sometimes there are people with whom we have chemistry and we have relationship and yet other people – they may be similar to us, they may have the same interests – but there is just no potential there for relationship, because somehow you just don't click. You know what I'm talking about. Well it that's true of people – if there is kind of a custom fit between people for having relationships what about our relationship with God? There is one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons in one God - an amazing mystery of God in three persons. But what about our compatibility with God? We are all different – some of us know things in our heads; some of us know things more in our hearts; some of us are right-brained people, some of us are left brained people; some people are loud and noisy, other people are quiet and deep. For some people experience is the most important way of knowing something but for others, they just know that they know that they know that they know that they know. Whatever it is – wherever each one of us is in terms of faith – let's just make a couple of assumptions: firstly, that God is God and secondly that it was His idea to make us all so incredibly different. So, if that's the case, how is it that God deals with that reality in establishing and developing a personal relationship with each one of us? That's what we are going to visit today on the programme. We are in the third programme of a four-week series called "The Holy Spirit and Me". The last few weeks we have been looking at the subject of walking in the Spirit. Two weeks ago we began looking at Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised – if you want to read it it's in John chapter 14 – He promised another Counsellor; another Advocate "just like Me". So Jesus did His public ministry for three and a half years and just before He went to the cross He promised His disciples: I won't leave you as orphans. I'll come again. I'll be with you through My Holy Spirit, My Father and I will come and make our homes with you. And then He died on the cross, He rose again, He ascended into Heaven and not long after…and that's what we are going to look at today, in the Book of Acts. If you have a Bible, grab it; open it at Acts because that's where we are going today. Not long after He poured His Holy Spirit out on His disciples – the Holy Spirit of grace; the Holy Spirit of power; the Holy Spirit of God in us with a relationship that we just can't put into words. And last week on the programme we looked at one of the significant implications of having the Holy Spirit present in us, in that the Spirit who is Holy deals with our sin and that means change; that means repenting; that means ditching that rubbish in our lives. It may not be popular but the Holy Spirit gives us the power to change. But how does the Holy Spirit deal with each one of us who are so different? And this week we are going to look at how God strikes up a relationship with us. We are all so different – God is God – God doesn't change, so how does He do it? How does He customise or tailor His approach or is it one size fits all? Is there some kind of standard approach that is the same for each one of us? How do I know I have the Holy Spirit? It's amazing in the church, that the Holy Spirit is a source of great division – people's understanding of the person of the Holy Spirit – one of the three persons in the Godhead, brings a whole bunch of misunderstanding. And we are just going to open the Bible today very simply and very plainly and just read what God says about God, the Holy Spirit. I was sitting having dinner the other night with a really good friend of mine and this man is very well-known in ministry in Australia and around the world – God has used him to do some amazing things. And you would have to say he is a high-profile sort of person – I won't use his name because we were having a private dinner together. But we were talking about how God deals with each one of us and I was saying. "Well, I love getting up in the morning early and spending forty-five minutes or an hour with God because God speaks to me." You know, I find out what God is doing. "God what are You up to today?" And God gives me guidance as I do that – as I read His Word, as I listen to Him, as I pray. God just impresses on me what He wants me to do. And this friend of mine – and people look at him from a distance; they see him on television, they hear him on radio, they read his biography and they look at this man and they say, "WOW, here's this super-spiritual man that God has used powerfully," and he said to me, "It doesn't work like that for me." He said, "You know, I go to God and ask Him, 'What do you want me to do, God?'" And God says to me, "I have already given you a job, go and do it." You think, "Well, it doesn't sound very spiritual", but on the other hand "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". I mean, look at the fruit in this man's life and God has clearly used him amazingly. God knows each one of us. He knows exactly what you are like. He knows exactly how to connect with you, just as He does to connect with me. So over the next twenty minutes or so we are going to spend some time looking at three different examples of how God connected with people, with the aim of getting the sense that God knows how different each one of us are. We will look at that when we come back.   A Personal Relationship What I said earlier, that the person of the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest sources of division in the Christian church right now and it is true. On the one hand it's very clear from the Bible that everyone who believes in Jesus has the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans chapter 8, verse 9: Anyone one who does not have the Spirit of Christ doesn't belong to Him. And again in Ephesians chapter 1 and elsewhere, Paul writes along these lines – he says: In Him, in Jesus also, when you had heard the word of truth; the Good News; the Gospel of your salvation and you believed in Him, you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. This is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God's own people to the praise of His glory. So in other words, any person that has believed in their heart that Jesus is their personal Saviour has received the Holy Spirit; the promised Holy Spirit; the Spirit that Jesus promised in John chapter 14. Another comforter; another one just like Me, is what He said about the Holy Spirit. But, it's also true by observation that this Holy Spirit makes a difference in some people and not in others. Jesus said: You will know a tree by its fruit. Good trees have good fruit and bad trees have bad fruit. I don't know where you are on your journey – I have a bit of a sense where I am on my journey but we are all on a journey. If we are walking with Jesus, if we have accepted Him and said, "Lord, I want You to be my Saviour, I believe that You died for me on the cross" – if we are with Jesus then somewhere in our lives, Jesus is making changes – we are on a journey. And I know that today I make fewer mistakes that I did five years ago and my prayer is that as I grow in God's Word and in my relationship with Him and through the presence of the Spirit in me, I pray in another five years I will be able to look back and say exactly the same thing. But there are some people who say, "I believe in Jesus" and you look at their lives and you think 'I can't see any fruit.' There is that wonderful story in Luke's Gospel of Jesus going to His friend's grave – Lazarus. Lazarus had died; he had been dead for a few days and when Jesus got to his grave, He said" Roll the stone away. And they said: You don't understand he has been dead for a few days, he is going to smell And Jesus said: Roll the stone away. And when they did that He said: Lazarus, come out. And Lazarus got up from the dead and walked out but he was bound up in grave-clothes. Now under those grave-clothes there was red in his cheek – the Master had spoken life into Lazarus's dead body. But Lazarus was still bound up in the grave-clothes. You know, you can't do much for God; you can't serve other people when you are bound up in grave-clothes. And to tell you the truth, I know plenty of Christians that look just like Lazarus when he came out of the tomb. Yes, the Master has spoken life into them – yes, they have eternal life but they are still bound up in the grave-clothes of the past. Jesus said, "I came to set you free," and I believe that the Holy Spirit – in fact the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit has so much to do with setting us free. Some people believe that you become a Christian, you receive the Holy Spirit and that's it! That's one side of the argument. Other people believe, "Well, no, there is a second blessing. You know, sure you receive the seal of the Holy Spirit – you receive the Spirit when you become a Christian but you have got to be baptised in the Spirit." There is a significant experiential event of power, of gifts, of tongues and prophets and all those other things that happen after the event. And I know well-intentioned Christians of both sides of that argument – in both camps – who argue their cases strongly and passionately and believe that the other party is just plain wrong. Why is this important? Because it goes to the question 'How do I know if I'm filled with the Spirit? How do I know if I'm walking in the Spirit? Because I don't know about you, but I'm passionate – I want all that God has for me – all of Him, all of His presence, all of His blessing, all that I can do with God, I want everything that God has for me. How incredibly sad to believe in the cross; to believe in Jesus and then to walk the rest of our lives as though nothing happened? Come on, do you want everything that God has for you? Because I tell you, God has an abundant blessing and over flowing blessing of grace and mercy and joy and peace for each person who puts their faith in Jesus. And to understand how God approaches this, we are going to look at three very distinct; very different approaches in the Bible in the Book of Acts. The first one happens at Pentecost – let's read it very quickly. Acts chapter 1, verses 4 and 5. While staying with them, Jesus (this is after the resurrection and before He ascends), this is what it says: While staying with them Jesus ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. This, He said, is what you have heard from Me for John baptised with water but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. And then in Acts chapter 2, this is what happens: When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place and suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues as of fire appeared among them and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability. One thing is clear – God poured His Spirit out on these men and women in the most amazing way. And you read on in Acts chapter 2, 3 and 4 – Peter gets up and addresses the crowd and gives the most powerful message – God filled them with His Spirit and His power. What does it show about God? He does special things - things that we don't always understand; things that don't always make sense to us. He did them then, He does them today – He does amazing things. And yet He does different things too. We are going to look at two different instances of how God poured His Spirit out on people next.   We Can't Put God in a Box We are looking on the programme today how God touches people differently with His Holy Spirit. We have just looked at the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on to the disciples with rushing wind and flames of fire – really unusual and amazing and maybe you and I wouldn't have done it that way, but God did. Have a look at this one though; this is another really interesting one. We are going to Acts chapter 19 – if you have a Bible, go there because God does things differently. Have a listen, this is in Ephesus: While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul the Apostle, passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" and they replied "No, we don't even know that there is a Holy Spirit." Then he said "Into what were you baptised?" and they answered "Into John's baptism." And Paul said "John baptised with a baptism of repentance, telling people to believe in the One who was coming after him, that is in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptised in the name of Jesus and then Paul laid hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke in tongues and they prophesied and all together there were about twelve of them. See, some people argue so strongly, "Well, you receive the Holy Spirit; it is a one-off thing when you become a believer", as we saw before in the Book of Romans chapter 8 – when you become a believer you receive the Holy Spirit and that's it! That may be how God works with some people but it's not how He worked in Ephesus. In Ephesus, I'm sure that when these people believed in Jesus, they put their hearts into Him, they received the Holy Spirit but they had to be taught about the Holy Spirit. They didn't know that the Holy Spirit existed and when Paul told them about it; when Paul laid his hands on them, they received the Spirit in power and they prophesied and they prayed in tongues. There was a second experience for them. Don't you love how God does things differently? And the third one that I would like to look at is Cornelius and his family. Let's go to Acts chapter 10 if you have a Bible because Cornelius received the Holy Spirit in a different way. In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort as it was called. He was a devout man who feared God with all his household and he gave generously to the poor and prayed constantly to God. One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel coming and said to him "Cornelius!" He stared at the angel in terror "What is it Lord?" "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God." And so the angel told Cornelius to send some men to Peter to get Peter the Apostle to come and tell them about Jesus, which happened. And while Peter was still talking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the Word. So the example we looked at before, in Ephesus, those people had believed – we don't know for how long – but they received the Holy Spirit after they believed. Here Cornelius and his family were still listening to the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit fell upon them there. See, how silly it is to have these arguments about "Well, you know, you only receive the Holy Spirit when you first believe," or "You have to receive the Holy Spirit as a second blessing." There are two examples where God did it differently and the one at Pentecost before, these people had walked with Jesus – they had spent three and a half years with Him, some of them, in the best Bible school you will ever come across – the Bible school of Jesus Christ. And God dealt with each of them differently. I remember, I received the Holy Spirit the way Cornelius did. I remember when I gave my life to Jesus Christ that day, I know that I know that I know that I know that I know that I was filled with the Holy Spirit and it's never changed for me. That joy and that peace has never left me; the courage to keep going has never left me, even through the dark times; even through the painful times; even when I felt like I was walking alone, I knew in my spirit and my heart that my God was carrying me. And that comes from the Holy Spirit. What about you? Have you been filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit - God's presence in you? You know that joy, that peace, that thing that happens when you all of a sudden get a revelation in your spirit and in your soul, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Do you walk around every day in that knowledge that you are filled with the Holy Spirit? That the Holy Spirit is just overflowing out of you? Someone is listening there going "I have never experienced that, I have never tasted that, I want that," well I am going to pray for you right now. Father, I pray for each person who is listening right now. We are together in Your Spirit in Your Kingdom. I pray for each soul who is hungering for Your presence. I pray each person who is aching to receive Your Holy Spirit and I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that You would pour Your Spirit out on them, right here and right now. That You would fill them with the Holy Spirit, not just today but tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next, every day between now and when each one of us stands before You in glory. I pray that You would pour Your Spirit out on us in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Well, I know that if you prayed that prayer with me, I know that if your soul is dry and thirsty and hungry and poor and empty and just yearning to be filled with God, I know that God will honour that prayer and when we accept God for who He is, to let Him do just what He wants in our lives, just how He wants to do it in our lives, that is the most awesome and wonderful and amazing thing. Whether we are a Cornelius and we received the Spirit and were filled to overflowing when we first heard the message or whether we are someone who has been walking for twenty or thirty years and never been filled with the Holy Spirit – it doesn't matter – God shows up for each one of us because if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, His heart is to make His home in us and to fill us with His joy and His peace and His grace and His power and I believe that with every fibre of my being I have seen it in other people's lives – I have seen it in my life and I am believing for your life too. God is no man's debtor – God has no favourites – God wants to pour His glory out in your life, in my life, in everybody's life, who puts their faith in Jesus Christ. Let's come back to the question – does God have a standard way or does He customise His approach? Look at Pentecost – look at Ephesus – look at Cornelius, look at my life – look at your life. God will meet you in your place, in your life, in your need, just the way you are. I believe that and I am praying for that, for you, in Jesus Christ's name.

Suppose you spend a lot of time watching social media these days. In that case, you will encounter a practice and value system that is leading many to choose paths that promise to make their lives and the lives of those they love more difficult.  It's not hard to understand, but if you've grown accustomed to it, it is tough to change.  What am I talking about – it is allowing your emotions to determine the course of your life!  Let me explain, by telling you a true story from my own life:   I grew up in a small midwestern town, where it seemed like everyone worked on their own cars; changing tires and sparkplugs, oil and air filters, and the like.  We would work on our cars over the weekend, and then talk about our experiences all week at school;  it was always fun!  One week a good friend of mine, who drove a very nice, white, Ford Thunderbird, came in and told us a story that brought down the house with laugher.  He had been working on his car, and was replacing some of the old, rusted suspension parts on the front of his car, and there was a large nut that was stuck on a piece of  his frontend.  This large nut resisted all his efforts to come loose.  He banged on it, first with a hammer, and then a sledge hammer; when that didn't work, he got his dad to light up a torch with a very hot flame, and heated the bolt to loosen it; nothing happened!  This went on for a couple of hours, and my friend was getting increasingly frustrated with every minute.  He continued to pound and heat and twist the stubborn piece of metal, until finally, it came loose.  Except for the fact that it did not come loose – he broke the bolt, which wasn't a bolt at all – it was a piece of a larger part of the car, and it could not be repaired.  What this meant is that the simple and inexpensive repair he had begun, had suddenly turned into a very expensive nightmare.  It was going to take another day, and a fairly large sum of money, to get his car drivable; He was furious!  This is where the lesson on our emotions comes  in.  My good friend, who was intelligent and normally ‘under control,' lost control of his emotions;  in a rage, he picked up the large hammer laying next to the car, and beat the front fender of the car into a shredded, crumpled mess!  So not only did he still have to fix the suspension, now he had to purchase a new fender, and paint it and put it on the car, before the car would be ready to drive.  It was another week before he could drive that prized Thunderbird!              This is just an example of what can happen when we let our emotions get out of control.  The details of any situation make no difference. When we allow our frustrations and anger to dictate our actions, we will exacerbate the problem.  Christian or not, this truth applies to everyone, regardless of their social status.   At one point, the Apostle Paul wrote about the way our emotions can affect our lives and actions, and provided us with a couple of truths that, when applied, can guide our actions and transform our lives for the better.  In Philippians 4, Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!  Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4-8   What Paul was saying is that one's faith in Jesus is more than just concern for salvation; it is also an understanding that, in Christ, one's way of thinking about life and experiences, and our feelings about those experiences, can be a function of our faith, too!   In our modern culture, there is much talk about one's emotions and one's mental health.  Here is what Paul might add to the discussion:   First, if we can develop a “forbearing spirit,” we can face life's challenges with patience and self-restraint.  We will accept the idea that not everything is a crisis, and we should learn to think through a situation before we act.  V.5   Second, if we learn to think through the sources of our anxiety, God can help us calm ourselves and take these things to God in prayer.  He can also enable us to see past our current distress. V.6   Finally, when we learn to look for the good in situations and focus our thoughts and energies on those elements of life, God is allowed to work.  Additionally, He may help us see that, even in a crisis, there are blessings to be experienced, and that He may be at work in ways we do not expect.  Vs 4, 8   God can help you in your daily life!  When we learn to trust Him to work in our daily lives, He can help us clear our minds, calm our spirits, and approach the challenges we face with faith and hope.  Trust Him!    Let me encourage you to place a high value on the important relationships in your life.  Love more freely; forgive often; and, as much as is within you, act in a way that shows these people that you value your relationship with them.  Finally, nurture these important relationships over the long term, so that at some point you might be able to lead them to a saving faith in Jesus.   Your financial support is the backbone of our ministry, providing funding for outreach, facility upkeep, and essential resources. Your generosity fuels our mission and makes a real impact. Give here: https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/   Stay updated by downloading our App: https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or liking our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/. These platforms keep you engaged and connected.   Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to this journey with you—see you next week!

Date Preached: September 18, 2005Selected ScripturesFor more information, please visit ⁠⁠⁠Grace To You Ministries⁠⁠⁠!Our Best Premium Study Bibles:ESV MacArthur Study Bible with Premium Leather: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/477cP10⁠⁠⁠⁠Spurgeon Study Bible: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RN6nIh⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle version of NASB MacArthur Bible: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4aXU6YP⁠⁠⁠⁠Hand-picked Must-Read Books for Every Christian:Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World (3rd Edition): ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/470VU0e⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NurHj0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Gospel According to Jesus: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RuefwT⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NwP8Zb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Holiness of God: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3Rpex8e⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NqnmO0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Saved Without a Doubt: Being Sure of Your Salvation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tmNcLU⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4738Tyc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hand-picked Must-Read Books for every Pastor/Elder:Called to Lead: 26 Leadership Lessons from the Life of the Apostle Paul: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RLyp6X⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tke1QL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/41nFNsn⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/41oX3gK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Preaching: How to Preach Biblically: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tmOIxv⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3thWo4d⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RMiNQG⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RK34RQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our Best Books on Evanglisem:Hell's Best Kept Secret: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/472oGxr⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3v2DS06⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/481rCLS⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3GM5GbD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3uWNN7k⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindke Version: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/48ftLnD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Angels: What the Bible Really Says About God's Heavenly Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3v9flX8⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle Version: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/481rhZB⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/48kZt29⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindle Version: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4alWpVr⁠⁠⁠⁠All the above links are affiliate links, which means we get a small commission if you use any of our links to buy these books. We'd be grateful if you used any of our links to buy these books. Thank you!Copyright Notice:© Copyright 2024 by John MacArthur. Used by permission from Grace to You.Website:⁠⁠⁠ gty.org⁠⁠⁠Phone: 800-55-GRACEThis sermon is being shared in accordance with⁠⁠⁠ Grace To You copyright policy⁠⁠⁠, which allows for the reproduction and distribution of audio and video messages digitally. We have followed all copyright policies set by Grace To You Ministries to ensure the lawful sharing of this sermon. For any questions or concerns regarding this episode, please feel free to contact us at expositorysermons@gmail.com.Learn more about Grace to You's copyright policy here:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.gty.org/about#copyright

Join Jerry as he starts the book of Galatians, a powerful book written by the Apostle Paul in which he emphasizes the essential truths about the grace of God and our liberty in Christ Jesus.  Every day Jerry walks us through a chapter of the New Testament, and gives us some amazing insights and applications. Grab your Bible and great ready for Galatians 1, and join us daily as you take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann.   -------  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below: FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/ SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we're looking at Ephesians 3:14-19. These are powerfulverses reminding us of the Apostle Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus. Inthis prayer, there are four request, but they're not to be looked at asinsulated individual petitions because these four requests are like four partsto a telescope. One request leads into the next one and so on. He prays thatthe inner man might have spiritual strength, which will, in turn, lead to adeeper experience with Christ. This deeper experience will enable him to “apprehend”(to get a hold) of God's great love, which will result in being “filled untothe fullness of God”. So, then, Paul is praying for strength, for depth inour spiritual life, for apprehension, and for fullness.  That'swhat we'll be talking about these next couple days because this prayer, thispetition is so vitally important to our spiritual growth and our spiritualwell-being and our spiritual standing as we fight and stand against the wilesof the evil one (Ephesians 6). Please read the petition in these six versescarefully. Oh my friend, it's almost unimaginable that we have a prayer herethat tells us that on earth we can be filled with the fullness of God. JesusChrist himself was the exact image of God (Hebrews 1:3). He was the fullness ofGod manifest on earth (Colossians 1:19). Now we as His believers, as His light,as His witnesses, can be filled with the same fullness of God to make a bigdifference in the world in which we live.  Oh,if only we as believers would learn this truth and pray for this greatanointing, this great strengthening of the Holy Spirit to make us all that weshould be for the glory of God. The lack of power and weakness of the churchestoday is that we have no idea as far as most believers are concerned what wehave in Christ Jesus and the fullness of God and the riches of His glory that'savailable to us. And that through this prayer that we read about here we can experiencethis power and strength in our lives Thefirst thing Paul prays for is “to be strengthened with might throughHis Spirit in the inner man”. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lifeis evidence of our salvation. Romans 8:9 says: “But you are not in the fleshbut in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyonedoes not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His”. Scripture is very clearthat at the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. But thepower of the Holy Spirit is enablement for Christian living. It's this powerthat Paul desires for these believers here at Ephesus.  InActs 1:8, Jesus had said to the disciples, you shall receive power after thatthe Holy Spirit is come upon you. We are told in Luke 4:1, 14, that Jesusperformed His ministry on earth in the power of the Holy Spirit. This power ofthe Holy Spirit is the only resource that we have for Christian living today.When you read through the book of Acts, over and again you see the importanceof the Holy Spirit in the life of the church. There are at least some fifty-ninereferences to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. This is one fourth of allthe references found in the New Testament on the Holy Spirit. Someonesaid, that if God took the Holy Spirit out of the church today, He wouldn'teven be missed because we would just go on working as usual. How sad that thisis so true. We can't imagine the wisdom that we would have, the strength thatwe would, the witness that we would in the world, if we would receive this greattruth and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us. living and working in us, andthrough us.  Today,how real is the Holy Spirit to you? Are you praying to “be strengthened withmight through His Spirit” to face the challenges of living theChristian life in today's godless culture? Are you praying this for others too? Godbless!

Do we spend enough time focusing on Thanksgiving? In this classic rerun, we listen to Dr. John Whitcomb's teaching on this timely question in a special holiday episode of our broadcast, "Encounter God's Truth." Basing his presentation on the gospel account of Jesus' healing of 10 lepers, our teacher also took us to several other Scriptures that demonstrate the vital importance of giving thanks to the Lord. Host Wayne Shepherd also asked Dr. Whitcomb to expand on the emphasis that the Apostle Paul placed on thankfulness in the great passage in Romans 1. We pray that your Thanksgiving celebration will be richly blessed, and we are glad that you have chosen to make "Encounter God's Truth" a part of it. May God help us all to look to Him during this holiday season.

Contentment does not come naturally. As today's devotional and prayer remind us, many of us grew up wanting things we didn’t have, or lost things we wished we could keep. Vivian Bricker shares how her mother taught her and her sisters early on that contentment is not about what you own, but about the posture of your heart. When you understand your limitations—and God’s limitless provision—you begin to release the constant pressure to have more, do more, or be more. The Apostle Paul understood this well. In Philippians 4, he explains that he learned to be content through both abundance and need. His contentment wasn’t tied to fluctuating circumstances but anchored in the unchanging strength of Christ. True contentment comes not from possessions, comfort, or stability, but from knowing Jesus deeply and trusting Him fully. In Christ, we are spiritually rich, even if we are materially lacking. When we train ourselves to find satisfaction in Him alone, we discover the peace the world cannot give—and cannot take away. Today's Bible Verse: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13). Takeaway Truths Contentment is learned; it doesn’t come automatically. Jesus Himself is the source and secret of contentment in every circumstance. You have all you need because you have Christ. Let’s Pray Dear Jesus, I come before You today asking You to help me to be content in all circumstances. Whether I have plenty or I am in need, please help me to be content. In truth, I have all things through You. Whether I'm rich, poor, needy, or well fed, I have enough because I have You. Help me remember this rather than falling into the cycle of wanting what I don't have. You are truly the best thing in this world, and You have given me all things. Thank You, Jesus, for always being with me through every circumstance and helping me to become more like You in word, speech, and thought. Help my heart to reflect You and to show You to the lost world. I will be content in all circumstances because I have You, which is the greatest blessing of them all. In Your Name, Amen. Related Scriptures 1 Timothy 6:6 Hebrews 13:5 Psalm 16:5-6 Romans 8:32 Related Resources What Is True Contentment? – Crosswalk.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Date Preached: November 14, 2004Selected ScripturesFor more information, please visit ⁠⁠Grace To You Ministries⁠⁠!Our Best Premium Study Bibles:ESV MacArthur Study Bible with Premium Leather: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/477cP10⁠⁠⁠Spurgeon Study Bible: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RN6nIh⁠⁠⁠Kindle version of NASB MacArthur Bible: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4aXU6YP⁠⁠⁠Hand-picked Must-Read Books for Every Christian:Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World (3rd Edition): ⁠⁠https://amzn.to/470VU0e⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NurHj0⁠⁠⁠⁠Gospel According to Jesus: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RuefwT⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NwP8Zb⁠⁠⁠⁠The Holiness of God: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3Rpex8e⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NqnmO0⁠⁠⁠⁠Saved Without a Doubt: Being Sure of Your Salvation: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tmNcLU⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4738Tyc⁠⁠⁠⁠Hand-picked Must-Read Books for every Pastor/Elder:Called to Lead: 26 Leadership Lessons from the Life of the Apostle Paul: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RLyp6X⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tke1QL⁠⁠⁠⁠Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/41nFNsn⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/41oX3gK⁠⁠⁠⁠Preaching: How to Preach Biblically: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tmOIxv⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3thWo4d⁠⁠⁠⁠Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RMiNQG⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RK34RQ⁠⁠⁠⁠Our Best Books on Evanglisem:Hell's Best Kept Secret: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/472oGxr⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3v2DS06⁠⁠⁠⁠Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/481rCLS⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3GM5GbD⁠⁠⁠⁠The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3uWNN7k⁠⁠⁠Kindke Version: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/48ftLnD⁠⁠⁠⁠Angels: What the Bible Really Says About God's Heavenly Host: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3v9flX8⁠⁠⁠Kindle Version: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/481rhZB⁠⁠⁠⁠Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/48kZt29⁠⁠⁠Kindle Version: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4alWpVr⁠⁠⁠All the above links are affiliate links, which means we get a small commission if you use any of our links to buy these books. We'd be grateful if you used any of our links to buy these books. Thank you!Copyright Notice:© Copyright 2024 by John MacArthur. Used by permission from Grace to You.Website:⁠⁠ gty.org⁠⁠Phone: 800-55-GRACEThis sermon is being shared in accordance with⁠⁠ Grace To You copyright policy⁠⁠, which allows for the reproduction and distribution of audio and video messages digitally. We have followed all copyright policies set by Grace To You Ministries to ensure the lawful sharing of this sermon. For any questions or concerns regarding this episode, please feel free to contact us at expositorysermons@gmail.com.Learn more about Grace to You's copyright policy here:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.gty.org/about#copyright

Join Jerry as he starts the book of Galatians, a powerful book written by the Apostle Paul in which he emphasizes the essential truths about the grace of God and our liberty in Christ Jesus.  Every day Jerry walks us through a chapter of the New Testament, and gives us some amazing insights and applications. Grab your Bible and great ready for Galatians 1, and join us daily as you take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann.   -------  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below: FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/ SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

If we could sum up the heartbeat of the Apostle Paul in one phrase, it would be found in Philippians 3:10

As the Apostle Paul began his letter to the Colossians by speaking of his prayers for them, so he concludes his letter by asking the Colossians to pray for him. Their prayers should be steadfast in thanksgiving and ask God to open the door for Paul to preach the Word, even though he is currently in prison. The Word of God that Christians speak is true and gracious, and Christians look for opportunities to speak in the wisdom God provides. Before St. Paul finishes his letter, he extends greetings from a variety of his fellow workers, revealing the glorious connections that believers have to each other in Christ.  Rev. John Bussman, pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church and School in Cullman, AL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Colossians 4:2-18.  To learn more about St. Paul's, visit stpaulscullman.com. “Letters from Prison” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that studies Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Even when Paul was imprisoned for the sake of Christ, the Word of God remained unbound. The apostle's letters from prison still fill us with the same joy that his chains could never silence. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Date Preached: November 7, 2004Selected ScripturesFor more information, please visit ⁠⁠Grace To You Ministries⁠⁠!Our Best Premium Study Bibles:ESV MacArthur Study Bible with Premium Leather: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/477cP10⁠⁠⁠Spurgeon Study Bible: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RN6nIh⁠⁠⁠Kindle version of NASB MacArthur Bible: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4aXU6YP⁠⁠⁠Hand-picked Must-Read Books for Every Christian:Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World (3rd Edition): ⁠⁠https://amzn.to/470VU0e⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NurHj0⁠⁠⁠⁠Gospel According to Jesus: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RuefwT⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NwP8Zb⁠⁠⁠⁠The Holiness of God: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3Rpex8e⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3NqnmO0⁠⁠⁠⁠Saved Without a Doubt: Being Sure of Your Salvation: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tmNcLU⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4738Tyc⁠⁠⁠⁠Hand-picked Must-Read Books for every Pastor/Elder:Called to Lead: 26 Leadership Lessons from the Life of the Apostle Paul: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RLyp6X⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tke1QL⁠⁠⁠⁠Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/41nFNsn⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/41oX3gK⁠⁠⁠⁠Preaching: How to Preach Biblically: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3tmOIxv⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3thWo4d⁠⁠⁠⁠Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RMiNQG⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3RK34RQ⁠⁠⁠⁠Our Best Books on Evanglisem:Hell's Best Kept Secret: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/472oGxr⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3v2DS06⁠⁠⁠⁠Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/481rCLS⁠⁠⁠Kindle: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3GM5GbD⁠⁠⁠⁠The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3uWNN7k⁠⁠⁠Kindke Version: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/48ftLnD⁠⁠⁠⁠Angels: What the Bible Really Says About God's Heavenly Host: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3v9flX8⁠⁠⁠Kindle Version: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/481rhZB⁠⁠⁠⁠Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/48kZt29⁠⁠⁠Kindle Version: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4alWpVr⁠⁠⁠All the above links are affiliate links, which means we get a small commission if you use any of our links to buy these books. We'd be grateful if you used any of our links to buy these books. Thank you!Copyright Notice:© Copyright 2024 by John MacArthur. Used by permission from Grace to You.Website:⁠⁠ gty.org⁠⁠Phone: 800-55-GRACEThis sermon is being shared in accordance with⁠⁠ Grace To You copyright policy⁠⁠, which allows for the reproduction and distribution of audio and video messages digitally. We have followed all copyright policies set by Grace To You Ministries to ensure the lawful sharing of this sermon. For any questions or concerns regarding this episode, please feel free to contact us at expositorysermons@gmail.com.Learn more about Grace to You's copyright policy here:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.gty.org/about#copyright

Join Jerry as he starts the book of Galatians, a powerful book written by the Apostle Paul in which he emphasizes the essential truths about the grace of God and our liberty in Christ Jesus.  Every day Jerry walks us through a chapter of the New Testament, and gives us some amazing insights and applications. Grab your Bible and great ready for Galatians 1, and join us daily as you take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann.   -------  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below: FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/ SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Do you ever feel like you're supposed to be grateful… but you're just not feeling it? You're not alone. In this episode, John Ortberg tackles what to do when gratitude doesn't come naturally and offers a surprisingly powerful spiritual strategy: “Let's pretend.”But don't worry — this isn't fake it till you make it.It's: “Fake it till He remakes you.”Rooted in the wisdom of C.S. Lewis, the Apostle Paul, and the ancient Hebrew practice of the thanksgiving sacrifice, this episode walks us through why aspiring to be grateful, even when we don't feel it, is not inauthentic, but actually a deeply faithful act.

It's Wednesday, November 12th, 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 Jonathan Clark Chinese Communists arrested and detained three Christians Communist authorities in central China arrested and detained three Christians from a house church this month. Two of the Christians are pastors. They are facing trumped up charges of “fraud” and had previously spent over two years in custody. Officials often use such charges against house church leaders for simply receiving tithes and offerings. ChinaAid noted, “In recent years, the charge of ‘fraud' has increasingly been used by local governments across China as a common tactic to suppress pastors of house churches systematically.” Psalm 14:1, 4 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. … Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up My people as they eat bread, and do not call on the LORD?” Japanese soldiers address attacks by bears Japan deployed troops to the northern part of the island country last week to deal with a string of deadly attacks—from bears. Since April of this year, bears have killed at least 13 people in Japan and injured over 100 more. That's the most fatalities on record. Experts are blaming the attacks on a poor acorn harvest this year. Bears are now leaving their natural habitats and wandering into urban areas to find food. In one incident last month, a bear attacked shoppers at a supermarket 80 miles north of Tokyo.   Supreme Court affirms Trump's call for biologically accurate passports In the United States, the U.S. Supreme ruled in favor of the Trump administration in a case involving so-called gender identity.  The ruling allows the State Department to require passports to list the holder's biological sex at birth. The court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines.  The ruling stated, “Displaying passport holders' sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth—in both cases, the government is merely attesting to an historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment.” Nebraska defunded Planned Parenthood Nebraska became the latest state to defund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.  The state's Republican Governor Jim Pillen  signed an executive order last Thursday to end Medicaid funding to abortion providers. Nebraska made the move after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed South Carolina to defund Planned Parenthood.   Listen to comments from Nebraska State Attorney General Mike Hilgers. HILGERS: “Today is a culmination of years of work to ensure that Nebraska taxpayers no longer have their tax dollars going to fund abortions in the state of Nebraska. It's a fight that has gone on even from my time in the legislature.  “When we first got Title X funds, we stopped Title X from going to abortion providers, and now, thanks to [Nebraska] Governor Pillen's leadership, we have finally gotten to a place where taxpayer funds will no longer support abortions.” Age of first-time home buyer has increased to record high of 40 The National Association of Realtors released their 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. The share of homes being bought by first-time buyers dropped to a record low of 21% over the last year. Meanwhile, the typical age of a first-time buyer climbed to an all-time high of 40. Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors, said, “The historically low share of first-time buyers underscores the real-world consequences of a housing market starved for affordable inventory.” Regular Bible readers are more generous The American Bible Society released a new chapter from its State of the Bible USA 2025 report. The research found people who read the Bible regularly are more likely to be generous. Among Christian denominations, Evangelical Protestants have the highest percentage of givers and the highest median amount given. John Plake with the American Bible Society said, “The correlation between Scripture engagement and loving behavior and generosity is undeniable. The more people engage with Scripture, the more likely they are to give of their time, talents, and treasures and to act lovingly toward their neighbors.” In 1 Corinthians 9:7, the Apostle Paul wrote, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” Florida's first search-and-rescue otter And finally, officials in Florida are deploying their first ever search-and-rescue otter. Splash, the two-year-old otter, is now helping the Martin County Sheriff's Office in search and rescue missions. Splash uses a unique bubble technique to detect scents underwater. This allows him to find missing bodies more effectively than dive teams can.  Listen to comments from Sheriff John Budensiek to CBS12 News. BUDENSIEK: “We see a lot of innovative things with technology [Artificial Intelligence], but we're going back to the basics of using an animal to do what they do best, and that's to go in their own environment and detect things that don't belong there.” A rescue otter.  What a brilliant way to employ one of God's creatures to rescue those made in God's image! Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, November 12th, 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.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.