Podcasts about Barnabas

In this transformative episode of The Fellowship of Kingdom Professionals, Michael Blue continues to unpack one of Scripture's most overlooked leadership principles: shared credibility. Using the lives of Barnabas, Saul/Paul, and John Mark, he reveals how God advances His work through the imputation of trust, the transfer of influence, and the humility to raise up others, even when they eventually surpass us. Listeners will encounter powerful insights from Proverbs 27, Acts 9, Acts 11, and Acts 15 as Michael Blue examines how Barnabas used his own credibility to open doors for Saul and later John Mark. This teaching illuminates both the risk and the reward of sharing power, the necessity of generational leadership, and God's redemptive ability to restore those with damaged reputations. New podcast episodes are available every Monday wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today we'll resume our series called "The World Upside Down", with a study in Acts chapter seventeen. We'll be looking at how the ministry of Paul and Barnabas and friends, was literally turning the world upside down! This message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ was controversial to say the least, but it was saving a lot of souls! 

Send us a textJesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18We exist to help people become fully engaged followers of Jesus.A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Mark 1:40-45Jesus was indignant. Mark 1:413 Lessons for Going out:1. Recognition2. ResponseHe reached out his hand and touched the man. Mark 1:413. RiskJesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Mark 1:45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Galatians 2:11-13 NLT1. Familiarity Breeds Comfort.2. Fear keeps us captive.3. Inertia is a powerful force.4. Don't have to wait till you're perfect.Discussion Questions:What's something you used to think was totally normal until you wentto someone else's house and realized… nope, that's just my family?How can being an “insider” in church become a spiritual danger?Have you ever caught yourself “blocking traffic” spirituallycomfortable but not moving?When Jesus saw the leper, He didn't just notice, He felt. What'ssomething happening around you right now that stirs emotions?How do you personally fight the pull toward comfort or routine faith?Jesus risked His reputation and comfort for people on the outside.What “risk” might obedience to God look like for you right now?What step could you take this week to movefrom spectator to servant? Thank you for listening to the Relate Community Church podcast! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. If today's message spoke to you, share it with a friend or leave us a review to help spread the word. To learn more about Relate Community Church, visit us at www.relatecommunity.com. You are always welcome here, and remember—you are loved

In this Bible Story, we learn about certain Jewish believers forcing Gentiles to be circumcised to be accepted into the family of God. Outraged by this, Paul and Barnabas hold a council of all the leaders in Jerusalem. They debate whether Gentiles should be forced to follow the Jewish customs laid out in the law. This story is inspired by Acts 15:1-35. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Acts 15:19 from the King James Version.Episode 230: The lies that began in Antioch continued to spread throughout the Christian communities causing division between Jewish and Gentile believers. So Paul and Barnabas called for the apostles and pastors to hold a council around this issue. In the middle of this debate, Peter stood and addressed the crowd reminding them what God has done among the Gentiles in their presence. In the end, James and the leaders wrote a letter of encouragement to clear up the confusion for the Gentile believers.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

November 16, 2025 | Pastor Ben Mandrell looks at the influence and ministry of Barnabas to highlight the need for encouraging people in the Christian church. Acts 11:21–26 shows us that this early missionary was a helper of others like Paul. God used Barnabas to strengthen the church, develop leaders, and spark a movement around the world. How can we be more like Barnabas today?For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If you've liked what you've heard in this message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Spotify. Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN | bellevue.org

In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Barnabas Aspray, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary's Seminary, to discuss his recent book, On the Significance of Religion for Immigration Policy. Over the course of the topic, we touch on Christian Nationalism, Catholic Social Teaching, and why Christians today disagree on the topic of immigration. Read Dr. Aspray's Book for Free: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/106156Dr. Aspray's Article on Jesus as a Refugee: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/moth.12883Dr. Aspray's Podcast: https://faithatthefrontiers.com/Article on the book: https://www.regent-college.edu/resources/2025/november/on-the-significance-of-religion-for-immigration-policy.phpWant to support the channel? Here's how!Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity  Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicityBook a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austinRead my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/Support the show

In this Bible Story, Paul is nearly stoned to death by Jewish Christians who seek to control Gentiles by the law. They are dangerous and controlling. Yet Paul does not let the stones stop him. This story is inspired by Acts 14. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Acts 14:19 from the King James Version.Episode 229: As Paul and Barnabas entered Iconium to preach, both Jews and Gentiles were receptive and restored by the message of love and mercy in Jesus that they brought. But not everyone in the city was happy about this change. Certain men of influence added poison to these teachings and stirred the people against Paul and Barnabas. So they fled to Lystra where they healed a man and were called gods by the men of the city. Just as Paul and Barnabas convinced the crowd that they were mere men, the elders of Antioch came and captured Paul, bringing him out to the city to be stoned. But because of what God did for him, Paul went right back to the city the next day to continue preaching the good news of Jesus.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This message takes us deep into Acts 13, where we encounter the church of Antioch—a congregation of unlikely leaders who became instrumental in launching the first missionary movement. The leadership team included Barnabas, a Levite from the wrong place; Simeon from North Africa, facing racial prejudice; Lucius from Libya, a Gentile convert; Manaen from royal privilege; and Paul, formerly a persecutor of Christians. Each had reasons to feel disqualified, yet God used them powerfully. The central truth here challenges everything we believe about our own limitations: God uses the least likely people to do the most unlikely things. This isn't just ancient history—it's a mirror reflecting our own insecurities and excuses. We're confronted with the reality that every reason we think disqualifies us from kingdom work is demolished by this chapter. The Antioch church wasn't great because of pedigree or talent; they excelled in the basics—worship, fasting, and prayer. They positioned themselves to need God, and He showed up. The story of Paul confronting the sorcerer Elymas reveals that our past struggles aren't prisons but training grounds. What was meant to destroy us, God redeems for His purposes. The question becomes intensely personal: Are we spectators or participants in God's mission? Are we living as 'Comcast Christians,' merely watching life happen, or are we stepping into the calling that's been placed on our lives? God doesn't need our perfection or our credentials—He's looking for our 'yes.'

År 46-48 reste Paulus och Barnabas på sin första strapatsrika missionsresa till dagens Cypern och Turkiet.

År 46-48 reste Paulus och Barnabas på sin första strapatsrika missionsresa till dagens Cypern och Turkiet.

Soms, soms denk je iemand te kennen. En dat blijkt dan toch niet zo te zijn. Dan ken je de brieven, de verhalen die over de persoon worden verteld. Maar wat is het verhaal van de persoon zelf? We gaan weer verder met de avonturen van Paulus. En wat een verhaal weer. Boze mensenmassa's, stieren die geofferd gaan worden en een steniging. Wat een verhaal. Luister nu de nieuwste aflevering van Gelukkig De Mens: Paulus Deel 2 via #spotify, #pocketcasts, #applepodcasts, www.gelukkigdemens.nl/195-paulus-deel-1 in je eigen podcastapp. Handelingen 15 Ook in Ikonium bezochten ze de synagoge van de Joden, en ook daar kwam een groot aantal mensen, Joden zowel als Grieken, door hun verkondiging tot geloof. Maar er waren ook Joden die niets van hun boodschap wilden weten; zij deden hun best om bij de niet-Joden een vijandige stemming jegens de gelovigen te kweken. Paulus en Barnabas bleven geruime tijd in de stad en spraken vrijmoedig over Gods woord, vol vertrouwen in de Heer, die de verkondiging van zijn genade kracht bijzette door hen tekenen en wonderen te laten verrichten. Er ontstond echter verdeeldheid onder de inwoners van de stad, van wie sommigen partij kozen voor de Joden en anderen voor de apostelen. Toen Paulus en Barnabas merkten dat Joden en niet-Joden samen met hun leiders op het punt stonden om geweld te gebruiken en hen wilden stenigen, vluchtten ze naar Lykaonië, waar ze in de steden Lystra en Derbe en omstreken het evangelie verkondigden.

Today's Scripture passages are Lamentations 4 - 5 | Psalm 79 | Acts 15:36 - 16:10.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPOD25 for 25% off any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeDisclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

In this Bible Story, Paul and Barnabas began their journey to preach the gospel in parts of Greece and Rome. Although they are met with some opposition, the Lord moves. This story is inspired by Acts 13. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Acts 13:9 from the King James Version.Episode 228: The Church in Antioch continued to grow under the direction of God and His servants Barnabas and Saul. As they were praying, God showed them His call for them to move on to the next city. As the men ventured to Paphos they met a man named Bar-Jesus. A man filled with evil intent who held great influence over the people. When Paul and Bar-Jesus came face to face, the sorcerer was blinded by the power of God and the people came to believe the message of Jesus.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Augustine wisely argued that pride is the root of all sin. That's a solid interpretation of biblical teaching but is that all there is to be said on the matter? Obviously not. We know that there are good people in our daily lives. We tell our daughters, when they are looking for a husband, to find a good man. We know people in our daily lives—jobs, workplaces, churches—who are pleasant, who have an excellent demeanor. Acts 11 describes Barnabas as good man. Were the apostles wrong to so describe him? Mark and I work through different elements of what it means to be good and include angles like salvation and goodness, the different directions in life toward balance, whether Jesus in saying "take up your cross and follow me" meant we should kill the self, and the different thresholds for determining unhealthy pride. Mark recounts pride of homeownership. Ed recounts having spoken about self-esteem at a college women's dorm floor meeting. Come, think and laugh with us about pride and the Christian worldview.

Mark 1: 1-14 The Gospel of Mark stands as a testimony to the fact that failure does not mean the end of usefulness to the Lord. John Mark was the son of a woman of means and position in Jerusalem (Act 12:12). His friendship with Peter was very close (I Peter 5:13). Mark traveled with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:5). He deserted the missionary party for some unexplained reason (Acts 13:13). Paul and Barnabas had a heated argument and parted company because of Barnabas's insistence to bring Mark on the second missionary journey. Twelve years later, Paul acknowledged Mark as a fellow-laborer (Colossians 4:10-11). Mark apparently ministered in Rome (I Peter 5:13: ll Timothy 4:11). Tradition has it that he founded the church in Alexandria, Egypt and died a martyr's death. Mark presents Jesus as Servant. Mark is concerned with what Jesus did. His concern was the WORKS rather than the WORDS of Jesus. He omitted or abbreviated many of the conversations found in Matthew and Luke. Mark covers in chapter one what it takes Matthew eight chapters to cover.

1 Il y avait alors à Antioche, dans l'Eglise qui se trouvait là, des prophètes et des enseignants : Barnabas, Siméon surnommé le Noir, Lucius, originaire de Cyrène, Manaën, qui avait été élevé avec Hérode le gouverneur, et Saul. 2 Un jour qu'ils adoraient ensemble le Seigneur et qu'ils jeûnaient, le Saint-Esprit leur dit : Mettez à part pour moi Barnabas et Saul pour l'œuvre à laquelle je les ai appelés. 3 Alors, après avoir jeûné et prié, ils leur imposèrent les mains et les laissèrent partir. 4 C'est donc envoyés par le Saint-Esprit que Barnabas et Saul descendirent à Séleucie, où ils s'embarquèrent pour l'île de Chypre. 5 Une fois arrivés à Salamine, ils annoncèrent la Parole de Dieu dans les synagogues des Juifs. Jean-Marc était avec eux et les secondait. Actes 13.1-5

In this Bible Story, Saul and Barnabas team up to advance the gospel in Antioch. Saul is still learning about what it truly means to walk with Jesus, and Barnabas acts as a brilliant mentor and friend. This story is inspired by Acts 11:19-30. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Acts 11:26 from the King James Version.Episode 226: As more men and women came to faith in Jerusalem, more were beaten and thrown into jail. Because of this, many believers scattered across the Roman Empire setting as far as Cyprus and Antioch for safety. In these cities, the gospel began to break out from being a Jewish-only message, now Greeks and Hellenists were receiving Jesus too! The attitude of the believers in the city was so helpful that people began to refer to these followers as little Christs, a name that has stuck with us for generations.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Leader's Notebook, I continue our series, Also Featured in the Cast, with a look at the Apostle Paul—not as the star of the story, but through the lives of three people who shaped his journey: Ananias, Barnabas, and Stephen. Each of these men was “also mentioned in the cast,” yet each played an indispensable role in God's plan. Ananias obeyed a terrifying call to reach out to a persecutor. Barnabas became the encourager who restored others when no one else would. And Stephen's Christlike suffering sowed the seeds of Paul's conversion. Their stories remind us that God often works through ordinary people in unseen moments—and that our obedience, compassion, and faithfulness may change lives in ways we'll never fully know. – Dr. Mark Rutland Chapters (00:00:03) - The Leaders Notebook(00:00:25) - The Unfamiliar Margaret Hamilton(00:02:18) - Acts 4, The Son of Exclamation(00:06:30) - Three Disciples of Paul the Apostle(00:13:24) - The crazy old Welshman from Port St. Joe(00:16:51) - Barnabas and Saul of Tarsus(00:22:30) - The Life of Barnabas(00:26:46) - Paul the Apostle and Saul of Tarsus(00:32:54) - Suffering in the Gospel(00:37:59) - The Leader's Notebook

The underlying theme of this chapter is conflict within the church. Paul and Barnabas have been doing the Lord's work, sharing the salvation message with Jews and Gentiles alike. But now they're facing opposition within their own ranks.  A little healthy debate never hurt anyone, but when the discussion turns to the matter of Salvation, it's a very serious matter. 

This week we watch a movie that takes several hundred episodes of the seminal gothic soap opera and condenses them to 90 brisk minutes of vampire melodrama in a way that is confusing and frustrating in ways that few movies are.Dark Shadows, for all its cheesiness and cheapness is one of the most important contributions to horror in the way that it added a dimension to vampire media that hadn't really been explored yet. Without Barnabas Collins you do not get Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. No Buffy The Vampire Slayer. No Vampire The Masquerade. In this episode we run it down in depth. Dave is a huge fan of the TV show and can't wait to tell you all about it and fill in the blanks where the movie fails because believe me, listeners, this movie fails big time.The wealthy Collins family receives a visit from long-lost cousin Barnabas but he conceals a terrible truth. He is a 200 year old vampire, freed from his prison of a hidden locked coffin by the Collins family handyman. He stalks the people of Collinsport by night and falls madly in love with the Collins family governess, Maggie, when she bears a striking resemblance the woman he once loved. It's basically Dracula but with a lot of really weird zigs and zags as it does its best encapsulate over one hundred hours of soap opera storytelling into a short feature film.Join the Bring Me The Axe Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/snkxuxzJ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Bring Me The Axe! on Patreon:https://patreon.com/bringmetheaxepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Bring Me The Axe merch here:https://www.bonfire.com/store/bring-me-the-axe-podcast/⁠⁠

Today, it's virtual production on-location, Gaussian Splatting, and Sora 2 (00:00). Peter welcomes Barnabas Csutak to explore how tools like Gaussian Splatting are streamlining remote workflows and cutting costs for filmmakers during Pre-Production (04:10). Then, Barnabas shares real-world use cases —from feature films to cultural heritage preservation —showing the impact of these technologies (32:32). Finally, Peter and Daniel Mallek, from Vū Technologies, unload their anxieties about Sora 2 (50:07).Barnabas Csutak is the Growth Director and Producer of District Cinema.You can learn more about Barnabas and connect on LinkedIn.Follow the Virtually Everything! Podcast on Instagram.If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at virtually.everything@vustudio.com.Otherwise you can:Find Peter on LinkedIn.Here's the 20% you need to know about this episode:Virtual production is making traditional location scouting obsolete and slashing costs.Gaussian Splatting lets filmmakers plan, block, and measure sets remotely—no travel required.Pre-production can now be done virtually, saving time, money, and reducing risk.AI tools are blurring the line between real and synthetic content—raising creative and ethical questions.The industry is split: embrace AI for speed and creativity, or worry about authenticity and trust.Staying ahead means mastering new tech and keeping a critical eye on what's real.-------------The Virtually Everything! Podcast is presented by Vū Technologies. #VuStudio #ContentAtTheSpeedOfThoughtBye for now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Thompson returns to talk more about Dark Shadows. This time about the comic books and comic strips and all the different new super powers Barnabas obtained. Visit our Tee Spring site to get our logo on anything you could want. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lovecraftpod.creator-spring.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Questions and comments can be directed to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mark@lovecraftpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠david@lovecraftpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠richard@lovecraftpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Hosted by Richard Wilson, David Guffy, Sam Orndorff & Mark Griffin.In association with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lovecraftpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and the Logan County Speculative Fiction Group, with help from the Logan County Public Library.Edited by Richard Wilson.Music is Provenience by Loydicus. Listen to his other work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/loydicus?fbclid=IwAR2AkcRBiWImuUBTA9hjYdtY1s__SvxXfhcoFZANulBjbwIDN7PL6XdHDnQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded live through Zoom. You can watch the recording on the Logan County Speculative Fiction Group Facebook page.Favorite Time Traveler: Barnabas

The early church was marked by wholehearted devotion — unity, generosity, honesty, and awe before a holy God.But the story of Ananias and Sapphira reminds us: God is not interested in partial obedience, spiritual performance, or selective surrender.God wants the whole heart — not the edited, filtered, Sunday-only version.Before you listen, take a moment to slow down and prepare:⸻

Today's Scripture passages are Ezekiel 31 | Jeremiah 21 | Jeremiah 32:1-15 | Jeremiah 34 | Acts 13:1-12.Read by Ekemini Uwan. Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPOD25 for 25% off any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeDisclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Connecting people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Have you ever wondered how a simple word of encouragement could transform someone's faith journey? In Acts 11, we meet Barnabas, whose nickname literally means "son of encouragement"—and his story reveals how seasoning our relationships with both love and truth can spark profound spiritual growth. Pastor Shaun Williamson unpacks how encouragement isn't just about making people feel better, but about helping believers stand firm in their faith through life's challenges. Drawing from a powerful analogy of his wife seasoning meals, he shows how the ministry of encouragement, like salt and pepper, should permeate every aspect of church life. Don't miss this inspiring message about how you can partner with the Holy Spirit to strengthen others' faith through authentic encouragement.Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook or YouTube.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptWell, good morning. My name is Chet. I'm one of the pastors here. We are working our way through our membership commitment. Normally we're working our way through books of the Bible. We are taking this season as a church family to say, hey, let's remember the things that we've committed together and let's recommit to these. We have a membership commitment. It looks like this. It's a one sheet piece of paper. It's got 14 points on it. It is intentionally simple. We are saying, hey, we believe the Bible and we're going to practice the things that the Bible calls us to. And this is some of how we're going to practice that together. The first ones are just, the first seven are things that we believe that we hold to, to be true. Number eight says, I actually believe that. I'm going to go apply that. And then from there on we're saying, this is how we're going to practice that here.If you are a Christian, you should belong to a local church that has some authority in your life. You, you should be around Christians who you are beholden to, to walk out the things of what it looks like to be a Christian. And this is just us saying, this is how we're going to try to practice that together. Here we've made it to point number 12 of 14 and we are turning and saying, this is what it looks like as we kind of face outward as we work as missionaries together. I don't know if you know this and hopefully by the end of the day it'll be clear, but if you belong to Jesus, you are on his mission, you're a part of his mission, which means that you are a missionary out in a mission field. Do you know that? Well, now you do. Some of you are foreign missionaries. Welcome. Please help these Americans meet Jesus. Some of you are like, I didn't move anywhere. I'm not a missionary. I grew up here. It's like, well, you did grow up here, but that doesn't make you not a missionary. That just means God has you here for you to be a part of his work here. And so we're going to look at that together.I'm going to pray and we'll read number 12 and then we'll start seeing, where does the Bible say this, how does the Bible say this? And how do we practice this together? Lord, we ask for your to bless our time. We ask for you to empower your word. We ask that we would actually, as we follow you and walk in the Spirit, do these things so that so more people might come to know you in Jesus name. Amen.So number 12 says this. Empowered by the Spirit and partnering with my community group, I will obey Christ's call in everyday life to advance his mission of redemption by proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples. That's why we call it our membership commitment. We are committing two things. Let me read that again. Empowered by the Spirit, partnering with my community group, I will obey Christ's call in everyday life to advance his mission of redemption by proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples. That center phrase there, his mission of redemption is kind of what everything else is built into coming out of that. Jesus has a mission of redemption that he came to redeem sinners, to rescue, to make them whole, and that we're on this where John chapter 20, verse 21, he says to his disciples,> Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."So the church, his disciples are sent out the same way that he was sent. We're joining him in his mission. This is the way Paul puts it in second Corinthians says,> All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.That what Jesus was doing was there was a lost world of people who were in rebellion and sin and Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sin. That he rose again so that we might have forgiveness and life. And there's forgiveness proclaimed in his name and hidden through his death. He is reconciling the world back to himself. That the gap between us and God because of our sin and rebellion is paid for. And then it says, he's given us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, meaning there's a way for us to find forgiveness through the work of Jesus and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. That that message has been given to the Church. This is why we say when we finish up on Sunday mornings and we're about to leave, we remind ourselves of this mission, this message, and we repeat consistently the Church's plan A for this message to go forward. There is no plan B. We've been entrusted with a ministry of reconciliation. We've been entrusted with the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal for through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. We're sent with a message to implore, to plead, to call people to be reconciled. This is something that we're Commissioned to go do this has been given to the church. We're joining him in this mission.So let's go back to that first phrase, empowered by the Spirit. Partnering with my community group. Now, that's tagging back to some of the things we've already said in our membership commitment, that we're empowered by the Spirit, we're equipped for mission and service. I will say this briefly. If you are a Christian and you're like, I just want to know what it's like to walk in the Spirit. I want to know and live in the Spirit, then you have to do the things of the Spirit. And you have to do things that you need the Spirit for. You have to go and join him in mission and service. And then the Spirit empowers that. The Spirit does not empower eating Doritos and watching football. There are things that we partake in in life that we don't need to lean into the Spirit for now, sometimes the Spirit empowers you, repenting of how many Doritos you ate. He helps us with self control, but he's not empowering some of the things that we're partaking in. And if we want to walk in the Spirit, we're supposed to join him in this. And so we're saying, I'm empowered by the Spirit. I'm going to. Then we put partnering with my community group.We yesterday had our fall festival. In a few weeks, we'll start our Give series, our Give project, together as a church. And that's really it. As far as the things that we say, hey, our whole church is going to go do this together. We very rarely say, hey, we want our whole church to go do this. Most of the time, our groups are just serving and working and laboring alongside of each other. So we have groups that serve at homeless shelters and groups that have partnered to feed people and work on houses or build wheelchair ramps or groups that are hosting parties intentionally to welcome people who don't know Jesus. We have groups all over the place doing things all the time. Every once in a while, we'll say, hey, this group bit off a little more than they can chew. And if other groups would like to join them, they sure would appreciate that because they got excited and committed to some things that are kind of expensive, labor intensive. They're going to get after it. But we'd love for two or three groups to partner with them. But most of the time, it's just your group. What are you gifted in? What are you good at? And y' all are partnering Together. And the mission is served by us going together. So that's what we're saying. We're going to do this.In this context, I will obey Christ's call. This is not an optional thing. It is a matter of obedience. Matthew 28. Jesus, after his resurrection, he says he came and said to them,> And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."He's talking to his disciples. Go, therefore, and make disciples. Okay? So he says, go do with them what I've done with you. Go make disciples. Go equip people. Do exactly what I've been doing with you. You're going to go do that with them. And then he says, of all nations, at this point, he had 11 disciples. It's a big ask of 11 guys. There's an assumption baked into this that as they make disciples, those disciples are going to go make disciples. That this is something that's given to all of those who are going to be brought into this. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. So it's for the entire earth until the end of the age. It's given to the disciples who are going to make more disciples, who are going to follow in this and continue. Which means that if you belong to Jesus, you are a part of the gospel going forward to the nations. Because this was not said in English, but it's made it here now. And if you belong to Jesus, you're here now as a part of this effort to join in.What does it look like to make disciples now, there are times in the Bible where someone is set aside for a specific purpose. We see that in Acts, chapter 13, there's a church, they're praying, and the Spirit specifically while they're praying and fasting, says, send Paul and Barnabas out to go do this, what I've asked them to do. So some people are going to stay and help send, and some people are going to go. That happens in Galatians. Paul talks about he has a ministry specifically to Gentiles, just like Peter has a ministry specific to Jewish people. That happens. My grandparents were missionaries to Nigeria. They learned Yoruba, trained to do medical work, and went and lived in Obama Shah to be missionaries. Which means that by learning Yoruba and moving to a Bomasha, they didn't learn Arabic and move to Lebanon. It's pretty straightforward. Seems Pretty self explanatory. But Ben Johnson, who is a part of our church and helps run 1040 Hope for the 1040 window, was in a class in Bible school and they were talking about the unreached people in the Islamic world. And he said he went back to his dorm and he wept at the idea that there were so many people following Islam, following Muhammad and not Christians. So he learned Arabic and moved to lebanon and started 1040 Hope. He works here now, helping send and equip missionaries. Sometimes people are set aside for specific tasks. But no matter where you are, where God has you, you're called to this, you're called to help send, and you're called to participate in this mission field, in this mission work, that we're a part of his mission of redemption. And I praise Jesus that there are people in Cayce and West Columbia and Irmo and Columbia that are here that know Jesus and are trying to reach people who don't know Jesus. So that's what we're saying, is that we're going to participate.That's what Romans 10 says. He just said,> For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"Somebody's got to go. Somebody's got to sin. Somebody's got to go. Somebody's got to say it so that they can hear it. Once they hear it, then they can believe. Once they believe, then they can call on him. But Paul says none of that happens if we aren't going and we aren't talking. So that's where we come to what we're committing to, which is that we're going to practice this in everyday life, that in your normal everyday life, you're going to take the call to Christ's mission seriously. We're going to be mindful of it, active in it, aware of it.So what we're going to do for the rest of our time is we're going to look at where Paul talks about this in Colossians. There's a lot of places we could go, but we're going to go to Colossians chapter four and we're just going to look and kind of walk through the way he says it, what he says, and try to grow together. And what does this actually look like, how do you be what we call everyday missionaries? How do I do that? What does that look like? So let's read Colossians 4.> Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.So that's what he says, I want you to be in prayer. Then he says, at the same time. So while you're praying, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the Word to declare the mystery of Christ. But that would be the first thing, is to be praying for an opening for the Word. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the Word. And now he's specifically saying, pray that for us. But he's told them to be praying. And it would be a good thing for us to be praying for ourselves as well. For you to be praying for your group, for us to be praying for our church, that there would be an opening for the Gospel.So we start there. If you are going, how do I be in everyday mission? I don't even know where to begin. You begin by asking the Lord, give me opportunities, open a door, help me to be in the right spot, help me to meet the right person. Help there to be a window for this. You begin to pray for the people on your shift. You begin to pray for the people on your road. You begin to pray for the people who work out at the same gym. You begin to pray, Lord, may there be an opening. May there be an opportunity. May you give me, put me in the right place. I know somebody who used to say they would pray, lord, you fill my plate. You just be the one who puts on my plate what I have today. And you're asking, lord, put me in a place where I can share the gospel. So we start by praying. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on that. We've got more things we're going to spend a little more time on. But we begin there. We begin by praying.Then he says that we may declare the mystery, which means that part of being an everyday missionary is that at some point we have to open our mouths and see the gospel. I said that. My grandparents were missionaries in Nigeria. They went as medical missionaries. My granddad actually became an obstetrician, an OB GYN because they said we need more OB GYNs to go do mission work. Which means that primarily what he did with his time was helped run a hospital, deliver babies. He would ride a bicycle around and help give out vaccinations. And he passed away this past November. And I was looking through his journal of his time there. And the very first page says, as you go preach, it's a reference to Matthew 10. You go to the next page and he talks about, I know I'm going to do mission work to medical mission work. I know I'm going to help run a hospital. But as I'm on my rounds and as I go village to village, I'm there to tell them about Jesus. He understood that it wasn't just the work of serving people who needed real, tangible earthly needs met. It wasn't just the in breaking of the kingdom, in a kindness and a service for the sake of healthy born babies, but that he was there to be able to articulate the gospel. And without an articulation of the gospel, it's incomplete. So we want your group to serve at a soup kitchen. We want your group to host a party. We want your group to do whatever it is in front of you that you're gifted to do. We want you to go be a part of a prison ministry. But we want, as you do these things, to love others, that you would articulate the gospel because at some point we have to declare it.Which brings us to the next thing that Paul says, which I'm very thankful that he says it. He says, pray also for us so there'd be a door open that we may declare the mystery of Christ and that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. The reason I love that is because Paul was aware that there were times where he had tried to share the gospel and it was unclear. There were times where the Apostle Paul was like, oh my gosh, I rabbit trailed all over the place. What was I even? How did I get from here to there? Or I made that way too complicated, Or I jumped this thing. Like I'm so thankful that he's aware this is something that I should practice, prepare in. That's what Peter says. Be prepared to give an answer. Which this means is one if you think, well, I'm not good at it. I tried that and I did a poor job. Cool. You're in a club with the Apostle Paul. That doesn't mean that there's some people who are just always good at it and some people who aren't. It means that this is a normal thing when you're trying to articulate the gospel to people, that you might mess it up a little bit. You might not exactly know where to what to say next. But it also means that we should pray about this and get better at it. You should work on how to clearly articulate the gospel.So I'm going to give you a starting place for that. This is where I think you should start. If you're like, I don't know how to share the gospel with somebody. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Pray and then do this. These are my starting places for you. I'm going to walk you through these briefly, and then I'll show you a little bit of how they work. First is if you're like, I don't even know where to go. In the Bible, if somebody walked over to you and said, hey, will you share the gospel with me? Where does the Bible say this? And you're like, okay, hold on. And you just. Romans Road is what people call it. But it's just verses in the book of Romans that clearly articulate it. And you can just kind of go to the book of Romans and work your way through. So it's Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 8:1, and 10:9. You can do 10, 9 all the way up to 13 if you want.> For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.> But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.> For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.> There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.> If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.You can do 10, 9 all the way up to 13 if you want. Romans 3:23 says that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Five, eight says that Christ loved us in that while we were still sinners, he died for us. 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. So you're going to say you're a sinner. There's hope because he loves us enough to die for us while we're sinners. There is the wages of sin. What you've earned your wage, your paycheck for sin is death. But there's a gift that's in Christ. Then Romans 8 says, there's no more condemnation for those who are in Christ. So that if you're in Christ, if you actually belong to him, then you don't get the wages of sin, but you get this gift of eternal life. You get no condemnation. And then 10, 9 says, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So then you get to go to Romans 10, 9 and say, do you believe that? Do you want that? Do you want to trust him? Do you want to confess? And it's just a way to say clearly a picture of the Gospel. So if you have nowhere, start there, learn at least the references so you can get a Bible out and show them. You have your phone in your pocket. Get a Bible app. That's a good place to Start.The other ones are concepts. There's a lot of people around you who do not know the basic storyline of the Bible. They think they do, or they think that we've all collectively moved on past Jesus and they don't need to know this information. It used to be you could start off by assuming people knew that the Bible, the basic storyline of the Bible, and you could start with just you're a sinner. And sometimes that would connect with people. But now a lot of people don't even know the basic storyline of the Bible. This is the basic storyline of the Bible. Creation, fall, redemption, restoration. Creation is that God made the world good. And we see this. You can connect with people on this all the time. There's a lot of really beautiful, wonderful things out in the world. Flavors, you guys. God designed the world and he made it to where food gets to taste good. That was nice of him. He didn't have to do that, but he made food good. Some chilies win awards. There's flavor, there's good, there's beauty in the world. Then there's the fall, which is that our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned, they rebelled against God and the curse enters the world and the world is broken. And we can see that clearly too, that there's so much wrong in the world. And some of the reasons it's so painfully wrong is because how beautiful it was or how much promise it held or how it could have been great if it weren't for blank. So it's creation and fall are seen clearly all the time. Redemption is that Jesus comes to fix that. He comes to reclaim the garden. He comes to buy back the people in rebellion. That there's this storyline of redemption. And actually we're all trying to live that out. We're all looking for something to fix the problem. And we're told that Christ is the only one who can. And restoration is that at some point all the sin and all the evil and all the brokenness is gone and it's fixed. There's no death, there's no pain, there's no suffering. That's the basic storyline of the Bible. And everybody's living in that storyline, whether they know it or not. We'll talk a little bit later about how to filter that into conversations, but I just wanted you to give the concept.The next one, which is more of a zoomed in version of the same kind of thing, is that there's a functional hell, a functional savior, and a functional heaven. So this is, if I'm trying to talk to somebody. And I'm trying to filter in these basic concepts. Functional hell is just whatever's really broken in your life at this moment. Or what would be the worst thing, the thing of nightmares that's chasing you down. There's something that is just, if I get stuck in this, it'll be awful. And then functional heaven is where that's not the case anymore. And so your functional savior is whatever gets you out of functional hell and into functional heaven. Functional meaning practical, current. Let me give you an example. You might have a co worker or a friend who grew up really poor and poverty for them is their functional health. They might be currently really poor. And that's all that, that's affecting them in life. They just don't have the money to handle the next thing that's coming. And so they're constantly talking about their functional heaven, which is, if I just had enough money, I'd be fine, then I'd be okay, everything would be fixed. And so their functional savior is their job that they currently have. But this could be as someone who's not poor anymore. It could be someone who's currently in the middle of poverty and fighting it. But their job, they want the job. They have some vague future job. Like they're just, they've got something that's going to get them from point A to point B. And as we're listening to them and relating to them, we have opportunities to understand. Well, actually Jesus is a better answer for these things. He's a more complete answer. He's actually a real response these things. Like he works in all this stuff to undo all of this and we have the ability to begin to speak in. So I'm going to give you examples of that in just a second. But let's keep following what he says so that you would make it clear and you'd learn some of these basic things. I think that's a good place to start. And again, like I said, I'm gonna show you two examples or some examples of the how that works in a conversation in just a moment when we get there, alright?Verse 5. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders making the best use of the time. So he says, be praying for an open opening for the gospel, that we might declare it, that we might make it clear. And then he looks at the church and says, walk in wisdom towards outsiders making the best use of those are those people who are outside of Christ that you should use your wisdom, ingenuity, intentionality for the sake of. How do I relate to people who don't know Jesus, and that you should make good use of the time. So when we talk about being an everyday missionary, this is some of what this means practically for us. We don't do a lot of things in this building. We meet on Sundays. We meet in community groups. We want you to walk in church, family. We don't have a ton of things on our calendar. This is a constant thing. When we go to add anything to the calendar, we sit and debate whether or not we should ever have anything on a calendar. We know that meeting and doing things is good, but, boy, we don't like it every time we plan something. It's just your pastors, just so you know. We don't want things on the calendar because we don't want you having a whole bunch of things to do here and missing out on being in the places where the people are that don't know Jesus.There are a lot of churches in this city. If someone wants to come follow Jesus, if they're looking for Christ, they'll come. They can show up. But there are a whole lot of people who do not want to be here. No, thank you. They don't want to come to your group meeting. They don't want to show up on Sunday. We have to go where they are. So we want you to coach a Little League team, join a bowling league. We want you to go be out in the world around people who don't know Jesus for the sake of being a missionary. So when we talk about making the best use of the time, what we'll do with people. I've done it consistently being a pastor here is we'll sit down and just go, hey, what time do you wake up in the morning? What time do you go to bed? What happens in between? What does Sunday look like? What does Monday look like? What does Tuesday look like? What's your schedule? What's your job? Because it's possible that you work out four days a week and you see the same people repeatedly. Okay, learn their name. Start praying for them. Take your headphones out, Start talking to people. And you might say, well, that's weird. Okay, be weird for the sake of people knowing Christ. Some of you work jobs where someone is stuck with you 40 hours a week. The only way to get away from you is to quit. And they need this job. So start praying for them and start talking to them. And start asking for openings for the gospel to make the best use of your time, we say things like, don't go eat in your car. Eat in the break room. If someone invites you To a thing, go to it. And you can complain to the Lord. You can lament to him. You can say, lord, I'm going to be really stressed out. I'm not going to know anybody. This is going to be really hard. And then you can say, so empower me with the spirit. Help me to get over that. Help me to go have a good time. Help me to make a friend. Open the door for the opportunity. Let me find the other person who's standing around awkwardly. I'll go talk to them and then go, we don't want to have a church kickball team. We want you to go join a kickball team with pagans and become real friends with them so that you might share the gospel with them.So if you look at your schedule and you go, I work from home. I don't have any roommates. I'm not in class with anybody. I don't know anybody. Then we just start going, okay, well, then you've got to get creative to make the best use of your time. And we'll help you plot on that. And you can talk to your group. But also you might say, I don't know anybody. I don't know how to make a friend. I've never made a friend in my life. Then we would say, join a community group. Those people have to be your friends. Step one. And then ask the people in that group, who are your friends? I'm gonna need to hang out with you. I want to join you in what you're doing. I tell my group this all the time, but if you invite someone to lunch and they'll go to lunch with you, you can just bring someone from our group to that lunch. They can't stop you. You can just be like, oh, so good to see you. Also got Logan to join us. Have a seat. What are they going to say? I thought it was just going to be us. They're not going to say that. And now they know someone else in your group. You're going out of your way to make the best use of the time. You're working together. Like, we get to do these things. But you're trying to think through, who am I around, where am I at, who's stuck with me, and how do I get to be on mission with Jesus there? Because those people need to know Christ, and we want you there. We want you to gather with us on Sunday, study the Bible, pray together. We want you to get with your group. This is why we have a review, the mission section where we're trying to talk through how's it going? What are you doing? Praying with each other, thinking it through. But then we want you out doing this. Okay? Making the best use of time.Then he says, let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Okay, Ought to answer, meaning that there is a. We are things that we're supposed to be saying. We already know that. So there are things that we should be including in conversations that we have conversations where we should be gracious, grace filled conversations and seasoned with salt. I don't think that means just be interesting. You know, he's not just like, bam, flavor your conversations up. I think he's saying be intentional about how you speak to people making the best use of the time to declare the gospel.You know how like 95% of news anchors have worked to have this like generic American accent? Like they, they've gotten good at it, they practiced it, they just have neutral American. I think that most of us also have a practiced neutral American way that we talk to people who are not Christians. That if someone asked you who was in your community group that you've been walking with, trying to follow Jesus, if they said, hey, you know, I'm about to get married, do you have any advice? You might say something like, well, Ephesians 5 says, Matthew 19 says, here's one of the things we know as we follow Jesus, you might just. But if someone at work says, you got any marriage advice? I think a lot of us are more likely to jokingly quote a movie before we are to talk about anything that has to do with Christ because we know what we're supposed to do, have our generic American answers. Stop that. I've told this story a lot, but it was pivotal for me in my trying to figure out how to do this. I was in seminary. I was working at Sears selling appliances and yes, Fortune 500 company. You're right. It was a very excellent place to be. I'm not trying to brag. All right. Anyway, just trying to make ends meet. Was working there. And there was a guy I worked with who we would just be talking about, whatever, shift slow, or just having discussions about sports, money, life, whatever. And he would consistently say, well, I'm a Muslim, so we. I'm a Muslim, so I. Well, the Quran says he just did this all the time, all the time. And I had known him for months. And then suddenly one day I was like, wait a second, I can do the same thing. He's been teaching me Islam for like three Months. And I can be saying, well, I'm a Christian, so we believe I'm a Christian. So the Bible says I'm a Christian. And just applying it to me, that was part of it. He was just applying it to himself. He was just telling me, here's why I would think about it this way, because this is what I'm taught. And every time, I just found it interesting just listening to him, being slightly discipled at work on how to be a good Muslim. That's what I was doing. And I was like, this is. This is excellent. I can do this. So I started just responding, well, I'm a Christian, so we believe this, we think this. And it's a way to just incorporate it. It's pretty neutral. I'm just talking about myself, but I'm getting to articulate the gospel. I'm getting to articulate how the Bible influences my choices. I'm getting to have my conversation seasoned with salt.All right, let's talk through some of. Like, if you're thinking, okay, I want to do this. I want to figure out how to get this into conversations. It feels really weird, feels really hard. I want you to understand that this is some spiritual warfare stuff. The enemy doesn't want you to do this. There are some opposition things to this. It's not going to be the easiest thing. You're going to feel tense, adrenaline. You're going to have to lean into the spirit for this. All that's true, but I also want to just give you some practical things to consider and ways to apply some of this. I want to tell you a story about. I don't think I'm the best at this, but I trying to relate some of the stories, some ways that I've seen this work and some of the ways that I've been able to have this conversation.There was a guy who was putting in a panel at my house, and he was struggling. He's on, like, his fourth hole that he had drilled into the wall. He's over there, I mean, fighting it. And he's got some work to do to fix the problems he's causing at my house and to do the thing. But he's made more problems since he got here. He hadn't even done the thing he was supposed to do. That's what he was doing. But, y', all, he's stuck at my house. He can't leave unless he wants to quit his job. So I'm like, well, I better make the best use of the time. I have no real desire to like, talk to him. Just so, personal. If you're like, my personality is not like yours. My personality is to go live in the woods. My wife and I daydream about that. What if we just lived somewhere and didn't know people? We've gotten over it. We love y' all dearly, but we've had to work to get past that. And some days, we still want the woods, you guys. But I'm going, okay, I gotta. He's here. Let me try to, you know. And so what I said to him, I did. Creation, fall, redemption, restoration. I said, man's it fighting you? He's like, you know, he's trying not to be like, I'm ruining your house. But he was like, yeah, it's not going great. And I said, yeah, you know, I'm a Christian. And the Bible starts off. It says that God created the world and it was beautiful and that Adam and Eve rebelled. And it tells us that because Adam rebelled, work is cursed. So it's always like this, man. Most of the work, I always find that most of the work I'm doing, I can get 80% of it done in 20% of the time. And then I have, like, one screw that. I fight for four hours and go to Lowe's six times. And it takes it because it's cursed. It fights me. I was like. And that's one of the things that I think is wonderful about being a Christian is it says, jesus has come to redeem all this, to fix all this, and one day, it's not going to be a thing anymore. We ended up having a bit of a conversation out of that, but it was just. Anywhere there's brokenness, anywhere there's beauty, we can connect to creation and fall. And this happens all the time. We see beauty all the time. These are things that people point out to you all the time. They'll point out beauty to you all the time. Look at how wonderful that is. And we get to respond. Yeah, you know, I'm a Christian. The Bible says God designed all of this good and beautiful. And it's the beginnings of a conversation. It's seasoned a little bit. Somebody points out brokenness to you. They do this all the time. This is the worst. This is awful. Can you believe this? Yeah, I can. We've entered into a conversation about the fall. I can enter right into that. The Bible has a lot to say about fear and doubt and injustice and brokenness. And it also has a lot to say about the person who fixes that. The hope that we have to think through the functional savior thing.I had a friend who, the more I knew him, a big part of his story was how broken his home life was growing up. And it just factored really big in his life. Makes sense. And then he would daydream and he would talk about like his, his whole hope. The storyline of his life was get married, white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and not do the stuff my parents did. He was on a redemption arc. And so in that story, he has a functional hell and he has a functional heaven. So I can start listening for what's his functional savior. Some of it was him being a good father was going to come later, but it also was whoever he was dating at the time was going to take him from hell to heaven. Which meant a couple of things. He was going to put either way too much pressure on this person because he needs them to save him, or he was going to be too excited about the concept, the prospect of who this person was. That he was going to overlook a lot of things because this was his chance and it could be really bad, but he was just going to let it be really bad because this is going to be. Because it's not the reality of the situation, it's what it represents. And so I now, knowing the gospel, knowing this person, knowing their story, have ways to begin to fit in. Hey, man. I can agree with him on the brokenness. I can agree with him that this is good, but I can't agree with him that it'll fix everything. There actually is a better family and a better hope and an eternal one. And there's a better savior who actually can undo this in his heart in a way that this can't. She can't. There's a God who can speak to these things that are broken deep inside of him that she can't, won't ever be able to. And the expectations of that will crush her. So I have the ability to begin to speak in because I understand functional health, functional savior, functional heaven. And so this is a helpful way for you to begin to listen to the people that you're around and try to understand what are they thinking will fix this? What are they thinking will make this better? What are they thinking will save me? What do they think is broken? What do they think would be good? I had someone who's group leader in our church recently say this has been one of the biggest benefits of being in a community group for them is that we're consistently sharing the gospel with one another in our groups and it helped him understand how to do that at work, how to apply the gospel to all these different situations, how to begin to speak the gospel in all these different situations in a way that made sense.Okay, so we're going to turn off generic American responses. We're going to be praying for the Lord to give us some opening. We're going to have some mental preparation on how the general storyline works. We're going to begin listening for these things. And then here's what we're going to do. We're going to make some conversations kind of awkward, but not terribly awkward. But you actually have openings for these types of conversations all the time. Because people constantly ask you to agree with them. Constantly. They talk and talk and talk and then they say, right, you know what I'm saying? Isn't that what you would do? Don't you think? And how often have you listened to someone say things that no, I don't think. No, not right. No, that's not what I would do. And how many times have I just gone. Does that just. Why do I need to get in the middle of this mess? I'm like the kid in Christmas Story who just goes football even though he wants a red Rider carbon action single shot air rifle with a compass in the stock. Like he just is. He's got something he really wants, but he's lost. He's just not paying attention. He's just dumbfounded. Like this. So they say, right? Isn't that what you would do? Just go, no. First of all, it'll be fun, don't you think? How would you handle that? Whatever. They ask you this all the time, you know what I'm saying? No, I wouldn't do that at all. But we get these situations all the time. Someone says, you enter into a conversation where they're talking about what they would do if they won the lottery. Now pause for a second. I have my locker room, Sears job answer to that. But that's not actually what I would do if I won the lottery. And that's not how I would talk about it. If I was with my community group. If I won the lottery, first thing I would do is be terrified. I don't know if I can handle that amount of money. That sounds scary. Which is a weird thing to say to your co workers. They'd be like, what? I could absolutely handle millions of dollars. I don't think you could. I've seen you handle this paycheck bad. You guys, you've made a lot of bad choices since I've known you you get these opportunities where they ask you, what do you think? What would you do? What would you. How would you handle this? What would you do in marriage? What would you. I have people come say, hey, you got any marriage advice? You got any whatever? And these are these moments where we get to go, yeah, I actually do have a lot of thoughts on marriage, but I'm a Christian, so it's all informed by the Bible. Do you want to hear that? Oh, yeah. The Bible says. I'm a Christian. So the Bible says a lot about how we handle money. So I can tell you how I'd handle, you know, $2.5 billion. You're going to be annoyed with me, but here we go. And you can start those conversations. Someone says, am I right? And you can go, I don't think so. So. And they'll say, what? And you can go, I'm so glad you asked. But you have these moments all the time. And if you actually think about it, if you actually have your radar up, you've gotten a lot of windows, a lot of doors for you to begin to share the gospel, for you to begin to have conversations that are real. And the truth is, some of these people, you're like, I'm building a relationship with them. I'm building a friendship with them. And if I asked you why, you would say, so that I can share the gospel with them. Okay, and now you have these doors, these openings, these opportunities, and you're like, but if I do that, they won't be my friend anymore. Okay, well, then you're not making the best use of the time. If you're in these friendships for the sake of sharing the gospel, and you won't share the gospel, that's odd. But when you begin, if you say, well, they'll stop being my friend, well, then, okay, go make a friendship with someone who wants to hear this and pray for that door to be open. But you also don't know that that's true because someone shared the gospel with you. And it was like someone had brought water to a desert. And you would declare that it's the greatest news you ever heard. And there's somebody that you're around that you have a relationship with that you have an opening for, you have an opportunity with that you love dearly. And you might could begin to tell them something. And the spirit go to work in their heart because Jesus has bought them with his blood. And they suddenly go, thank you so much for sharing this.So we're going to go be active in this, and y' all you gotta understand there are some energy level things that happen in relationships and invitations there, your invitations to people, the things you're asking people to participate in, take energy level. There's energy level differences. So some people will be like, I invited them in my group, they don't want to come. Okay, first of all, invite people to your community group. That's one of the best places for them to be and hear about the gospel. But if they don't want to come, that kind of makes sense. Would you like to come to someone's house you don't know, meet people you don't know, discuss, eat food that was cooked at their houses that you haven't seen? You don't know where that came from. Just add a little bit of mystery. Discuss a thing you don't care about. Pray to a God you don't believe in for three hours. No. No. Well, that's weird. It's like that actually, they might not want to. That energy level, you know, there's a different energy level from can we grab lunch together to do you want to come to my community group? Do you want to get matching tattoos and move to Colorado with me? Like, energy levels on invitations change, you guys. And so start figuring out what will they say yes to. Some people would much be much more willing to come eat dinner with you at a restaurant than at your house. Some people would much rather eat dinner with you at your house. Some people don't want to come eat dinner with just you at your house because they have to carry the conversation. They'd much rather come to a party. Some people don't want to come to a party because meeting a bunch of new people scares them. Be wise, use the best. Make the best use of the time and start figuring out who am I around? What kind of invitation will they say yes to? How do I get the rest of our group around them? And how do we begin to be everyday missionaries together? But let's take this seriously because someone once told you the gospel and you will never be the same.And God has us around people where he has already infiltrated with missionaries and we're supposed to tell them, let's pray. Lord, may we be blessed in our everyday mission efforts. Lord, may your spirit be at work to convict and to send and to equip. And Lord, may when the gospel is proclaimed, people respond in belief. Help us to take this seriously and obey. Lord, we ask for open doors and for clear presentations, for fearlessness that we would be unashamed of the gospel. It has the power of salvation for all who will believe in Jesus name. Amen.As we conclude our time together, we're going to sing in a moment, but we're going to take communion. And in First Corinthians, chapter 11, Paul gives instruction on what communion is and how to respond to it. He says,> For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.So as Christians, we come around the table together to remember that Christ's body was broken for us, that his blood was shed for us, and that our only hope is in Him. Some of you have very real sins that you're struggling with right now, very real doubt, very real pain. And one of the things that we do is we take very real bread and very real fruit of the vine, and we remember that he died for us in a very real way, and that he rose in a very real way, and that his substantive work on the cross is effective and efficient for salvation, and that our only hope is in Him. There's something to the tangible nature of this, the slowing ourselves down and the remembering that if I'm not in Christ and he's not in me, I have no hope. And so this is something that we share together because we have one Lord that saves all of us.So if you are not a Christian, this is not something that you would partake in because you do not yet know and remember and proclaim the work of Christ on your behalf. But if you belong to Jesus, I would invite you to take a moment to confess, to take seriously what we are about to participate in. And when you are ready to take communion, if you have a gluten allergy, we do have gluten free, the back corner over there. So when you're ready, take communion.

A crowd tried to crown Paul and Barnabas as gods after a miracle in Lystra. We tore into that moment and uncovered a blueprint for sharing faith with people who don't know the Bible, don't feel guilty, and don't trust religious authority. Instead of leading with rules, Paul points to rain, crops, and glad hearts—the quiet witness of a generous Creator—and then invites people to turn from empty masters to the living God.We walk through the first missionary journey and pause at Acts 14 to examine why Paul refuses sacrifices and how he reframes good news for a polytheistic audience. Idolatry takes center stage, ancient and modern: gods of war and harvest become today's pursuits of career, money, romance, influence, and winning. These masters demand everything and forgive nothing. By contrast, the true God gives more than he requires, and in Jesus, comes down not in power theater but in self-giving love that heals, forgives, and frees.You'll hear practical handles for conversation: begin with shared experience, serve with tangible good, surface the deeper desire beneath the desire, and name the cost of counterfeit gods with clarity and compassion. We connect Paul's approach with Jesus and the Samaritan woman, showing how honest questions and living water still speak to restless hearts. If you've ever wondered how to talk about faith in a pluralistic world—or how to spot and dethrone the subtle idols shaping your week—this one will steady your steps and embolden your voice.Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyWrmsv0qv0

2 November 2025 | This week, Pastor Evan finishes our This is the Gospel Sermon series in Galatians 2:11-15. preaching on conflict and how the gospel empowers us to face it with truth and love. Paul Opposes Peter 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatians 2 New King James VersionDefending the Gospel2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), 5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.6 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. 7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), 9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

What would it look like to be a people whose lives are touched, shaped, and driven by grace? Barnabas saw it in Antioch - what are ways we can see the grace of God among us as a church?  Can we help you with your walk with God? We'd love to hear from you! https://www.thebibleway.com/contact.

Today's we'll pick up where we left off last time in our study through the book of Acts. Right now we're examining chapter fourteen, and Paul and Barnabas' first missionary trip. This study could be subtitled "Acceptance and Opposition", because that's exactly what these two missionaries found in their travels sharing the Gospel.

Wholehearted, aggressive goodwill accurately describes Paul and Barnabas as they went about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ on their first missionary trip. That's where we're at right now in our study through the book of Acts. Let's join pastor Lloyd in Acts chapter fourteen

I think you'll agree that sharing your faith is one of the most difficult things about being a Christian. Statistics show that a majority of Christians never lead another person to Jesus Christ. One reason we're sometimes reluctant to share is the chance of being persecuted. That was the risk Paul and Barnabas faced in Acts thirteen. How did they respond? Let's find out.

As we delve further into chapter thirteen today, we witness Paul and Barnabas embarking on their first missionary journey. In these verses we also get a first hand description from Paul about the foundations of the Christian faith. It's no coincidence that these two story lines go together. If we want to really be effective for Christ in the mission field, we need to know the foundations of the faith we proclaim!

Acts 4:23-37 | Greg Packinghouse's Sunday morning worship service from November 2, 2025 In Acts 4 the church hears the threats and, instead of spiraling, lifts its voice to the Creator, remembers Psalm 2, and asks for courage, and God answers by shaking the place as the Spirit fills them again so they speak freely about Jesus while great grace rests on them and generous hearts meet every need, Barnabas included. The pattern is steady and simple: magnify who God is, recall what God has said, lay the problem before him, ask for boldness to keep witnessing, and then move forward in unity and love. - Greg Opean - Sunday, November 2, 2025

After leaving Antioch following the persecution from the Jews Paul and Barnabas come to Iconium and enter the synagogue and begin preaching. Chapter 14 of Acts tells of the unbelieving Jews who stir up the peace of the city, whose people then make an attempt to stone the two Apostles. Their response is to flee to the nearby cities of Lystra and Derbe in Lycaonia (which means "wolf country") in the wild north of Turkey. Verse 10 says that the Apostles cure a crippled man. The unsophisticated heathen now decide that Paul and Barnabas are gods clothed as men. These citizens think that Barnabas is Zeus, the chief god; and Paul is Hermes, the messenger of Zeus. Paul and Barnabas quickly tear their own clothes trying to convince the pagan priests that the Apostles are men like themselves. Paul and Barnabas teach the people of Lystra from the Word of God. The first quotation used was from Jeremiah 10verses12 - one should read the entire context where "Yahweh the Living God" is contrasted with the idols of the nations. Next the population of Lystra turn on Paul, who continues to be persecuted by the Jews who came from Iconium. They stone Paul and drag him out of the city thinking that he was dead. Paul writes on this in 2nd Timothy 3; and I believe he also alludes to it in 2 Corinthians 1verses8-10 (which seems to imply that he was in fact resurrected at that time). Did Paul avoid these vicious foes? No! He stands again and walks back into Lystra - what a witness this is to the power of God. The next day the Apostles continue to travel to Derbe. These cities are part of Galatia - the Apostle Paul would later write a letter to the Galatians. Shortly after the events we have read, Paul and Barnabas revisit those believers and tell them (14verses22) that, "it would be with great pressures on believers that God would bring them into His kingdom". Paul's personal example strongly bore witness to that. The Apostles make administrative arrangements in the communities of the believers and return to Antioch in Syria from where the first missionary journey had started. There they rejoice with their home ecclesia about what God had accomplished through them. Chapter 15 commences by telling us that the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas, had not been with their home ecclesia for very long before believers from Jerusalem come to Antioch in Syria seeking to enforce Jewish customs on these newly baptised converts. A decision is made to resolve the matter by way of a conference in Jerusalem- the year is 44AD. Verse 5 speaks of the matters which are of prime concern to the converts from the Pharisees i.e. keeping the laws of Moses. Peter commences the discussion by explaining how by the conversion of Cornelius God had indicated that these matters were not necessary. What mattered was what they believed. Further the keeping of law was a yoke of bondage which the Jews themselves were not able to keep. Paul and Barnabas speak next and describe how the miracles and signs God did through those Apostles was evidence of God's acceptance of Gentiles, who He would save by His grace. James, the Lord's half-brother, who had acted as Chairman of the Conference, summarises the outcomes in verses 13-21. He adds many supporting Scriptures in his summary. The Council (Conference) writes a letter, the contents of which we are told in verses 22-35; only four binding essentials were to be required of Gentile believers and these were mostly moral behaviours and an attempt not to offend Jewish believers. Two representatives from Jerusalem (Judas and Silas) are chosen to accompany Paul and Barnabas with the circular letter to Gentile converts which was to begin its journey at Antioch. The chapter concludes with a sad rift between Barnabas and Paul over the matter of whether Barnabas' nephew John Mark should accompany them in this task. The result is that Barnabas takes Mark with him and goes to Cyprus, while Paul travels with Silas throughout Syria and Cilicia.

2 Chronicles 32 tells of Sennacherib's attack upon Israel and Judah. The year is BC 709. God has made provision for the defence of Jerusalem during a siege by its geography and the water course from outside the city to be secreted and channelled beneath the city emerging from the Gihon (the "Virgins' Fountain") to the Pool of Siloam. Hezekiah completes this magnificent engineering feat (one can walk its length today beneath Jerusalem). King Hezekiah has armed the people well, but more importantly he has fortified the faith of the nation. Sennacherib comes and blasphemes Yahweh, the living God. The general of the Assyrians seeks to undermine the courage of the defenders by speaking directly in Hebrew to the soldiers and people on the wall. Hezekiah makes it a matter of prayer to the Almighty. So, the invaders are doomed for it is not Judah who they will fight but their Almighty Sovereign. They fall in the siege not to shoot a single arrow. Overnight 185,000 Assyrians are slain. An added complication is that at this time king Hezekiah is fatally stricken with leprosy. God heals the faithful king and adds 15 years to Hezekiah's life (his prayer in Isaiah 38 should be read to appreciate his desperation and his gratitude). Many nations bring gifts on Hezekiah's recovery including ambassadors from Babylon. Sadly, king Hezekiah becomes lifted up in pride and shows the ambassadors what was to become Babylon's lure to destroy Jerusalem in about 100 years (see 2 Kings 20verses12-19 and meditate on the lessons Paul draws from this in 1 Timothy 6verses17-19.Daniel 12 explains to us of the time of the end when Michael (one like God) - the Lord Jesus Christ - stands up. It will be a 'time of trouble such as has never been'. But God's people will be delivered and the wise will shine as the stars (cp Matthew 13verses43). The understanding of the signs of the times would be concealed until the end time. From verses 5-12 Daniel is given a sequence of time periods which culminate in our era. Daniel himself is assured personally that at that time he would receive eternal life (cp Philippians 3verses7-11).We are told of the selection of Barnabas and Paul by God to undertake preaching as representatives of the ecclesia in Antioch in Syria. This chapter speaks of Saul's name being changed to Paul - meaning "little"; since he now saw himself in that way (see 1 Corinthians 15verses9). We see that Barnabas and Saul were chosen from a very select group of believers. Barnabas and Paul first sail to Cyprus - quite possibly where Barnabas has connections (he sold his land and business). It was here that the Apostles were aided by God in the face of a powerful enemy. From verses 13-52 we read of the Apostles' journeys to Perga and to Antioch in Pisidia. Antioch was in the mountainous region of Turkey. Paul appears to have been sick at this time. Ramsay speculates that it was perhaps malaria. Paul's address in the synagogue at Antioch is masterful and contains many echoes from Stephen's defence in Acts 7. In addition to bringing salient points from Israel's history to the fore - especially those which focus on the coming Messiah - Paul shows how the Scriptures (in particular Psalm 2; Psalm 16 and Isaiah 55) reveal that Christ would die and be raised to eternal life. Through the Lord Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins would be granted to those believing and accepting God's offer. The next Sabbath the entire city comes to hear Paul's message. The Jews stir up opposition and are denounced by Paul, who declares that from now on Paul and Barnabas would preach to the Gentiles. The Apostles left Antioch shaking the dust from their feet as the Lord Jesus had commanded his disciples to do in Matthew 10verses14).Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

The Church in Antioch was an example of a healthy church. Those who spread the gospel message in Antioch included the gentiles and many of them believed. Barnabas sought out Paul to aid him in the work there. The Christians there grew in maturity and when a need arose in Judea they send relief by way of Paul and Barnabas. What an example for us to follow.Time:MorningMinister:Rev. Taylor KernTexts:Acts 11:19–30Series:The Church on Fire

A healing in Lystra triggers the unthinkable: the crowd tries to honor Paul and Barnabas as Zeus and Hermes. From that chaotic moment springs a clear path for sharing faith in a culture of many gods, many stories, and countless assumptions. We walk through how the apostles keep the gospel steady while moving their approach—from synagogue conversations to street-level engagement with people who know little of Scripture but feel the same ancient hunger for joy, meaning, and wholeness.We unpack a practical framework built from Acts 14. First, speak the same good news: Jesus crucified and risen, forgiveness offered to all who believe. Second, help with tangible love: word and deed together, powered by the spiritual gifts the Spirit gives for teaching, mercy, helps, generosity, wisdom, and more. Third, answer deep longings: redirect desire from idols that promise prosperity and control to the living God who already fills our lives with rain, harvest, food, and gladness—and who came to us in Jesus to give what idols never can.Along the way we share stories of serving neighbors, discovering your spiritual gifts by using them, and seeing how acts of love open ears to the message. If you're trying to talk about Jesus with friends who don't share your background, if you're navigating conversations where biblical words don't land, or if you're weary of modern idols that take much and give little, this journey through Lystra offers clarity, courage, and hope.Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsTju_FAWHk

What if rest isn't a reward after burnout—but part of how God designed us to live and serve?This month on the Velvet Ashes Legacy Podcast, Denise talks with Nathan and Tricia LaGrange of Oasis Rest International—a ministry offering safe spaces of renewal for global workers around the world.

Religious and Godless Women's Bible Study – today we will talk about the two kinds of people Paul and Barnabas had to deal with: the Religious and the Godless. What characterizes these two types of people and how can we reach them?

Religious and Godless Women's Bible Study – today we will talk about the two kinds of people Paul and Barnabas had to deal with: the Religious and the Godless. What characterizes these two types of people and how can we reach them?

Welcome to the Grace Coach Podcast! Mike and Kevin share their insights from the Book of Colossians as they dive into Chapter 4.  Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant[a] in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our[b] circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. 10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews[c] among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Job 11-12; Acts 15-16 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this October 22nd episode, your Bible reading coach Hunter guides us on day 296 of our journey through scripture. Today, we're diving into Job chapters 11 and 12, where we hear Zophar's pointed response to Job and Job's own powerful reflections on God's wisdom and sovereignty. Then, we turn to Acts 15 and 16, walking with Paul, Barnabas, and the early church as they wrestle with what it truly means to follow Christ—wrestling with old traditions, experiencing miraculous events, and witnessing the beautiful simplicity of faith and grace in action. Hunter reminds us that it's all too easy to let religion complicate our relationship with God, but the saving love of Christ is offered to each of us—freely, simply, and without distinction. Through prayer, reflection, and encouragement, this episode invites you to lay down your burdens, live in the sufficiency of God's grace, and keep moving forward in faith. Let's open the Scriptures together and rekindle our hearts by the fires of God's love. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Let's not make it difficult. That's the heartbeat from today's reading, echoing from the council at Jerusalem and resounding in the gospel itself. James spoke those words in Acts: let's not make it difficult for people to come to God. And yet, so often, our human nature, our systems, our religions, much like those early believers who wanted to add circumcision to the requirements of faith, try to put hurdles in the way. The question was, Who is in and who is out? Is it by human effort, tradition, or ritual? Is there some check box, some work or procedure, some pedigree that makes us right with God? But if we're not careful, the simple invitation of Christ becomes a complicated checklist. The apostles—Paul, Peter, James—they recognized how quickly we can move from freedom into burdens. But the truth, straight from the heart of God, is that nothing stands in the way of experiencing His love through Christ. God's life, His gracious gift, offered to all—Jew and Gentile, man and woman, young and old—is received by faith alone, not by effort, not by merit, not by works, not by anything we can add. The letter that went out from Jerusalem is a letter for us, too. It's a call back to simplicity, to childlike trust. “He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts through faith. We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” That's the message. Don't let your heart or religion complicate what Christ has made simple. Even the things we cling to as saviors—our rules, our observance—cannot save us. Lay them down. Receive the gift: the righteousness that comes by faith in the finished work of Christ. Put away the extra burdens, the additions, the anxiety of performance. Trust Him. Rest in His love. Walk in the gift that's been given to you—full acceptance, full forgiveness, full belonging—in Christ alone. Live in the sufficiency of God's life in you, today and every day. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. It's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    The Divine Paraklētos We see the ultimate example of this concept in the Holy Spirit Himself. Jesus promised His disciples a (Paraklētos), often translated as the "Helper," "Advocate," or "Comforter" (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit does not merely send good vibes; He is called alongside us, dwelling within us to provide constant strength, wisdom, and comfort.   Scriptural Example: Barnabas Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement" (Acts 4:36). How did Barnabas earn this title? He encouraged the unproven: When Saul (later Paul) converted and everyone was terrified of him, Barnabas called alongside him, vouched for him, and brought him into the community (Acts 9:27). Barnabas's endorsement was pivotal, enabling Saul to move freely among the believers and preach in Jerusalem's name (Acts 9:28). This event marked the beginning of a deep partnership between the two men, WHAT DO WE LEARN: ENCOURAGEMENT MUST BE BRAVE. Unflinching - stand face to face with the devils lies!      He encouraged the young and struggling: When the church needed leadership in Antioch, he encouraged the disciples there (Acts 11:23).   Alongside - Working at the YMCA in Dallas. Every Tuesday night they had weight watchers. The woman leading the group would always have a slide of herself 200 pounds heavier on the screen. One night I was at the side of the room grabbing chairs and I saw the most remarkable thing I had seen in a long time. Everyone had to get on a scale and weigh themselves. There was a woman there who was new, very very overweight. She had not stepped on a scale for years… the leader of the group had to come along side her, calm her down, walk her to the scale… help her on the scale and then calmly told the woman to look at the number… Look she said. Look at it hard… look again… now remember that number because you will never see that number again! Everyone clapped and yelled… the woman now crying tears of joy! And over the months you could see her losing the weight. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    The Divine Paraklētos We see the ultimate example of this concept in the Holy Spirit Himself. Jesus promised His disciples a (Paraklētos), often translated as the "Helper," "Advocate," or “Comforter"   What do you think encouragement is? A pat on the back, a “way to go buddy”.        -   Encouragement is generous. Acts 4:36,37 Barnabas “the encourager” sold a field and gave it to the church so that they could meet the needs of the poor.    Money is an amazing encourager!  Cancer, chemo…      -   Encouragement can be very prophetic in nature. Hear the still small voice. Speak it into someone and it waters that seed of faith.    "But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:3, NIV)   Acts 13:41 Barnabas was called an encourager and a prophet.    THE TUSH PUSH - Center hikes the ball to the QB and everyone pushes him to the goal line!  MOMENTUM!  When we act as encouragers many times the Holy Spirit will come up in us and push us into a new realm when sharing! 

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Job 9-10; Acts 13-14 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, host Hunter walks with us through day 295 of our journey in Scripture. We'll be diving into Job chapters 9 and 10, exploring Job's honest wrestling with suffering and God's justice, and then traveling to the book of Acts, chapters 13 and 14, where Barnabas and Paul boldly proclaim the life-changing message of Christ's grace—a message that meets both miraculous acceptance and real resistance. Hunter encourages us to draw courage from the grace that meets us where we are, reminding us that in a “grace-resistant world,” it's only through Christ's love that our lives are transformed. The episode is filled with heartfelt prayers, reflections on what it means to belong to God's family, and an invitation to keep moving forward together, one step at a time, opening our hearts to the living Word. So take a moment, settle in, and let God's Word direct your heart today. You're loved, you're invited, and you're not alone on this journey. Let's get started! TODAY'S DEVOTION: Living in Grace in a Grace-Resistant World. The beautiful message brought by Barnabas and Paul is God's grace—for all people, Jew and Gentile alike. All are invited, all are included, into the triune life of God. What does that look like in real life? This grace isn't earned by obedience to the law, personal piety, or virtue. It comes simply through Christ and what He has done. Jesus, God's Messiah, has offered Himself on the cross as humanity's answer—an answer to sin and death, an answer that gives us power to live this life today. The Holy Spirit fills us and empowers us. This message of grace has real, transformative power. It has the power to change your life, my life, every human life. But as powerful and good and gracious as this message is, it meets resistance. Other powers, other messages, seek to steer our lives. Often, we find ourselves colluding with those lesser powers, trying to survive in this broken world. But when we do, we survive as slaves—not as sons and daughters. True freedom comes only when we embrace grace, when we truly step into the life Christ offers. In Him, we're set free. Our eyes are opened—to see Him and to know who we are in Him. We're given power, by His Spirit, to live this life now in Him. But don't be fooled; the world resists grace. Paul and Barnabas remind the believers in Acts 14:22, “We must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” This is a grace-resistant world. But it's only grace—the grace of Christ—that brings true life and transformation. It's only Him. Are you facing resistance? Don't be surprised. Draw courage from the fact that grace has come to you, has found you, has included you. Christ has offered His life for you. So rejoice now! Let this powerful message of Christ's grace meet you, comfort you, and confront every resistant place in your heart, so He can transform you completely, by His love. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. That's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL