Podcasts about bibles

It's Thursday, February 19th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark British preacher challenges buffer zones around abortion mills A preacher in Britain is challenging the country's abortion buffer zones which effectively censor the Bible. Officials arrested, charged, and convicted Stephen Green for holding a sign with a Bible verse near an abortion mill in 2023. The verse was Psalm 139:13 which says, “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb.” Green stated, “As a Christian, I should be able to preach freely all over the land. Psalm 139 is about how we all belong to God from conception. Buffer zones and this conviction [are] a direct attack on the Bible and free speech.” Elon Musk endorsed new conservative political party in England Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed a new conservative political party in Britain last week. On Friday, Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe launched the Restore Britain Party. Musk shared the launch video on X which has received nearly 40 million views.  The party is devoted to ending mass immigration and the creeping Islamification of Britain. Rupert Lowe also stated the party will openly recognize the country's Christian heritage.  Listen. LOWE: “Restore Britain will openly recognize the Christian heritage that shaped this country's moral and civic foundation. (applause) Duty, restraint, forgiveness and, most importantly, fairness. These values created a high trust society. “Restore Britain will end the creeping Islamification of Britain. (applause)  Unfettered immigration from Islamic countries will end. (applause) Britain is a Christian country, and under Restore Britain government, it will remain a Christian country.” (applause) Church of England votes against blessing homosexual couples Last week, the Church of England  voted against proposals to allow blessing services for homosexual couples. The General Synod did not shut the door on the issue though, voting to investigate it in the future.  The move keeps the church from performing marriage services and blessing services for people living in unnatural relations. However, the Church of England's rules already allow blessing prayers within regular Sunday services for such couples.  Proverbs 25:26 says, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” Franklin Graham preached in world's southernmost city Evangelist Franklin Graham  preached in Ushuaia, Argentina. It's known as the southernmost city in the world. Listen. GRAHAM: “What makes Ushuaia so special are the people. We love the people. If you can't remember anything else tonight, remember this: God loves you. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take our sins. We deserve death. We're guilty of sin. “Bartimaeus had no hope. There are many of you here tonight. You have no hope. Now, Bartimaeus cried at the right time. Jesus was passing by. The Bible says that ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but he should have everlasting life.' “Will you invite Christ into your heart? Will you trust Him? Come. Come to Jesus.” Hundreds of people turned to Christ through the evangelistic outreach event. Graham wrote on X, “We give God the glory for each one who responded to the invitation to repent of their sins and put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.” Eighty-two percent of South Americans identify as Roman Catholic, but evangelicalism has been growing in recent decades.    Graham also plans to visit Peru next month. 21 states challenge mail-order abortion kill pills In the United States, 21 states and 60 members of Congress are challenging mail-order abortion drugs. Louisiana initiated the case, challenging a Biden-era rule from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The rule removed the in-person dispensing requirement for the abortion drug mifepristone.  Erik Baptist with Alliance Defending Freedom stated, “The Biden FDA's unlawful authorization of mail-order abortion drugs was meant to be a loophole around states that choose to protect life.” 41-year-old mother Olympic bobsledder wins gold (audio Olympic theme song) American Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor  won her first gold medal on Monday. The 41-year-old mother triumphed in the women's monobob event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.  She is now the oldest gold medalist in an individual Olympic event. After the victory, she said this on Instagram: “The moment we prayed for. Glory to God.” Norway has won the most gold medals Nearly 2,900 athletes from over 90 countries are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics.  So far, Norway has won the most gold medals and the most medals overall. In the medal count, Norway is followed by Italy and the U.S. A podium finish can mean big prize money for athletes. A gold medalist from the U.S. can win $38,000. Athletes from Singapore can make the most for winning an individual event at $792,000.   Christian missionaries sharing Christ & Bibles in Olympic crowds And finally, Evangelicals are sharing the Gospel at the Winter Olympic Games this year. Hundreds of Southern Baptists alongside International Mission Board missionaries are joining the crowds to share Christ and distribute Bibles. Karen Herfurth is in Italy with a group from Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. She said, “This is a chance for Southern Baptists to reach more people and impact more lives! We may never know the difference this makes until we are in Heaven.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, February 19th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

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

YOU...Yes YOU...HAVE TIME TO STEWARD YOUR HEALTH In this episode of the Bacon Bibles and Barbells podcast, Coaches Justin, Emily, and Amanda discuss the common excuses busy parents make for not working out and how to overcome them. Do you REALLY not have enough time? How much time is adequate? What keeps you from just starting? All of those discussions happens here. No more excuses. They emphasize the importance of taking responsibility for one's health, finding time to train, and the long-term benefits of fitness. The conversation covers practical strategies for meal prep, managing screen time, and shifting mindsets to prioritize fitness. Ultimately, the coaches encourage listeners to take action and make fitness a non-negotiable part of their lives. Give it a listen here or wherever you get your podcasts! Just look up Bacon, Bibles, and Barbells! Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, we sit down with the incredible Christian Bevere to talk all about what it looks like to pray for your future husband — before you even know his name. We dive deep into faith, singleness, and what it really means to contend in prayer for the love story God is writing. Christian shares her whirlwind love story, but more importantly, she walks us through how praying for her husband transformed her heart long before she walked down the aisle. We talk about awkward prayers, husband Bibles, singleness as a gift, and how to navigate dating in today's world without losing your peace or your standards. If you're single and waiting, dating and discerning, or even married and reflecting on how God moved in your story — this conversation will remind you that God hears every prayer, sees every tear, and is wildly intentional with your timeline. In This Episode [00:00] Galentine's Vibes & Valentine's Day Stories [04:00] Meet Christian Bevere [08:00] The Husband Bible Begins [12:00] The DM That Changed Everything [17:00] Praying Before You Know His Name [21:00] The Three F's: Friends, Family & Faith [25:00] Visions, Confirmation & Discerning “The One” [30:00] Singleness Is a Gift (Even When It Doesn't Feel Like It) [34:00] Dating in Today's World [38:00] Faith Over Fear in the Waiting [41:00] Encouragement for the Single Girl Guest Resources Future Husband, Present Prayers – by Christian Bevere Dear Future Husband Prayer Journal – by Christian Bevere Dear Future Husband Podcast Follow Christian Delight Ministries Looking for a Delight Chapter near you? Check out⁠⁠ Delightministries.com⁠⁠ to find one. If there's not one near you, and you want to help start one, ⁠⁠let us know⁠⁠! We would love to talk. ⁠⁠ORDER OUR NEW STUDY!⁠⁠⁠ This seven-week, verse-by-verse study through the book of Acts invites you to embrace the unpredictable, sometimes challenging adventure of Spirit-led living that characterized the early church. Thanks to Our Sponsors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Winshape⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more or submit your application today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you'd like to partner with For The Girl as a sponsor, fill out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form! Follow us!

My friend and filmmaker Sarey Concepción and I got to sit down with Justin Lin — yeah, that Justin Lin, the Fast and Furious guy — but this time he's not racing cars, he's exploring the too-fast-too-furious side of evangelical missions gone to the extreme. His new film Last Days tells the story of John Chau, the young American missionary who was killed trying to bring the gospel to the uncontacted Sentinelese tribe off the coast of India. If you remember, two years ago we screened the documentary about this story at Theology Beer Camp, and this is a totally different angle — a scripted Hollywood film from an outsider to Christianity who read the news story, had the same eye-roll most of us did, and then did what good artists do: made something to understand what he couldn't dismiss. What's remarkable is that Justin took the time to get to know the diversity within evangelicalism, so you get characters ranging from the hardcore adventure missionaries who are basically Carmen San Diego with Bibles, to John's immigrant father wrestling with how his roughest years shaped his son's path, to a parallel storyline with an Indian police officer whose own experience with religion's harm makes her a mirror image of John's conviction. It's a film about faith without being a faith-based film — it doesn't mock John or martyrize him — and it creates this cognitive empathy where you get to sit with the logic that says if people really are going to hell, why wouldn't you risk everything? Sarey and I unpack the father-son dynamics, the theological engine of unreached people groups and unlocking the second coming, those surprisingly sexy Australian missionaries, and why the Voyage of the Dawn Treader might be the most spiritually dangerous book in the Narnia series. We also may have invented the entire backstory of the Presbyterian minister with a Tesla who stole someone's missionary girlfriend, and honestly, Justin should use it for the sequel. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠Join us at Theology Beer Camp, October 8-10, in Kansas City!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UPCOMING ONLINE LENT CLASS: Jesus in Galilee w/ John Dominic Crossan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What can we actually know about Jesus of Nazareth? And, what difference does it make? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This Lenten class ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠begins where all of Dr. John Dominic Crossan's has work begins: with history. What was actually happening in Galilee in the 20s CE? What did Herod Antipas' transformation of the "Sea of Galilee" into the commercial "Sea of Tiberias" mean for peasant fishing communities? Why did Jesus emerge from John's baptism movement proclaiming God's Rule through parables—and what made that medium so perfectly suited to that message? Only by understanding what Jesus' parables meant then can we wrestle with what they might demand of us now. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The class is donation-based, including 0, so join, get info, and join up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 75,000 other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Pastor Vincent Fernandez and Pastor Tim Hamilton Question Timestamps: Corne', email (1:32) - Can we thank the Holy Spirit for what He does? Is that praying to the Holy Spirit? Robert, NY (4:14) - How did the Jews cross the Red Sea in one night? Helen, NY (6:43) - How can a beast pray as mentioned in Jonah 3:8? George, email (9:56) - What should we do when our church starts supporting things like homosexual marriages? Terry, email (16:08) - As a teacher, how involved am I allowed to be in a Bible club? Elana, email (22:32) - Should I be hesitant to go to my friend's baby shower, when she is not married to the baby's father? Pam, VA (26:27, continued after break at 33:28) - Are there apostles and prophetesses in the church today? knaeknae, YouTube (41:51) - Why is the apocrypha omitted from some Bibles? Which Bible should we trust? Catrina, ID (45:51) - How can you tell the difference between the good and evil people in life when you can see the good in everyone? Bobby, FL (52:48) - I feel convicted about Catholic infant baptism, is it okay to excuse myself from going to them? Ask Your Questions: Call: 888-712-7434 Email: Answers@bbtlive.org

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC February 8, 2026. “Piece Us Together” series. Texts: Isaiah 58:1-12; Matthew 5:17-20 Our guest preacher last week invited us into the ancient wisdom of Micah 6:8—to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. In response to that sermon, someone commented online: “Sad when preachers preach from the old fallen Old Testament. God speaks through Jesus and Jesus said he was to be our only teacher.” I had to hold back from replying with a bit of pastoral snark: I guess you missed the day in class when Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” Jesus' whole life is an embodiment of the righteousness the law seeks to teach and the justice the prophets longed to proclaim and enact. In Scripture, “law” isn't a cold rulebook or a list of religious regulations. It's God's teaching for how a community actually lives—how neighbors treat one another, how power is exercised, how workers are paid, how the vulnerable are protected. Jesus does not stand over the law and the prophets, correcting them. He stands within them, holding together what has too often been pulled apart—faith and life, prayer and practice, belief and behavior. Jesus does not discard the law and the prophets; he pieces them together, aligns them with flesh and breath and human relationships, and shows us what they look like when lived fully. Jesus comes to help us align our lives with the deep purposes of God so that peace with justice—what Dr. King called the Beloved Community—can begin to take shape among us. That is why Isaiah 58 lands so powerfully today. Isaiah and Jesus are speaking the same theological language, even as they speak in different moments. And Isaiah does not ease into the message. He comes out of the gate strong: “Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they want God on their side.” That little phrase—“as if”—is a doozy. Isaiah is describing a people who are deeply religious: faithful in worship, earnest in prayer, fluent in the rituals and language of faith—as if they were practicing righteousness, as if they had not forsaken God's ordinances. This is not hypocrisy in the cheap sense. It is being faithful in form, but disconnected in practice. They want God near. They want God responsive. They want God on their side. But even as they do all the religious things—fasting, sackcloth, ashes—they forsake God's ordinances—the Hebrew word is mishpat: meaning justice that treats people fairly and equitably. They are acting religious without making God choices, without doing justice. In our current context, it would be very easy to take that “as if” and aim it outward. To point fingers at national leaders who wear big crosses around their necks, hold Bibles for photo ops, show up at public prayer services and then post vile, racist images, enact cruel policies, and unleash violent overreach. It would be easy for me, especially after what I've seen and heard recently, to let my anger form words that strike like a fist. I recently returned from Minneapolis. I heard firsthand stories of families targeted by ICE—stories of fear that lives in bodies and homes, stories of trauma caused by aggressive and dehumanizing enforcement. I've stood at the sites where neighbors lost their lives as they sought to defend and protect others. I also heard anger—anger rooted not only in what is happening now, but in decades of suffering that has gone unseen, unheard, and unaddressed: unmet needs, unacknowledged harm, voices crying out long before the rest of us were paying attention. Isaiah would tell the truth about all of that. Jesus would too. Truth-telling is part of faithfulness. But Scripture is equally clear that how we tell the truth matters. Neither Isaiah nor Jesus believes that mockery creates peace. Neither believes that humiliation heals wounds. Isaiah is clear: the fast God chooses is not one that strikes with the fist or points the finger. Walter Brueggemann reminds us that to be prophetic is not simply to condemn wrongdoing, but to name pain, to let suffering be seen and heard. That happens when we listen to stories we would rather avoid, when we allow another person's fear or anger to interrupt our assumptions, when we allow the realities of human suffering to disrupt the status quo. Brueggemann writes, “The replacing of numbness with compassion… signals a social revolution.” Healing—personal or communal—does not begin with denial. It begins when pain is clearly named and acknowledged. In Minneapolis, I had the opportunity to practice listening to stories I would have preferred to avoid. I heard how African American, African, and other immigrant communities struggle to maintain trust and true solidarity. As one of the few white people in the room, I heard stories of perhaps well-meaning, mostly white progressives who alienate Black communities over ideological issues while ignoring the chronic poverty and violent injustice they face every day. “They talk about unity, but want uniformity,” someone said. “They turn out in record numbers in this moment—but can they say the names of the young people in our community who are shot in the back on a regular basis?” I found myself thinking about how the intersections of race, class, ideology, and power I encountered in Minneapolis echo right here in Washington, DC. And all I could do—and all I can do right now—is ask God to keep me open and available: open to listen, open to learn how my own heart and practice need to change, and open to receive guidance about how to lead us, as a congregation, in faithful response both locally and nationally. That is what Isaiah calls for. And that is what Jesus fulfills. Jesus does not abolish the law and the prophets; he embodies them. Grace, in Jesus' life, is not God letting us off the hook. Grace is God drawing near—giving us strength to change, courage to repair, and patience to stay in relationship when walking away would be easier. Righteousness, in Scripture, is not moral superiority. It is right relationship—with God and with one another. Justice is not an abstract ideal. It is fair and equitable treatment that restores dignity and life. Grace does not replace these. Grace makes them possible in real life. Isaiah makes this concrete. The work of justice and righteousness he describes is not lofty or abstract. It looks like ordinary—and costly—faithfulness: loosening the bonds of injustice, undoing heavy yokes, letting the oppressed go free, sharing bread with the hungry, sheltering the unhoused poor, clothing the naked, and—this one cuts close—not hiding from your own kin. Right now, there are many who have every right and reason to hide. Because if they leave their driveway, they risk being stopped, dragged from their car, and taken to a detention center without due process—or even a question about their citizenship. Because if they go to school, they might be used as bait to lure a parent into detention. Because if they go to worship, they may be rounded up simply for having brown skin or wearing a hijab. But for many of us, hiding takes a different form. We hide when we scroll past suffering because it overwhelms us. When we tell ourselves someone else is better equipped to respond. When we protect our comfort instead of risking connection. When we retreat because we are not the ones being targeted. Isaiah refuses to bless that retreat. And Jesus fulfills that refusal by drawing the circle of kinship wider and wider, putting his own life on the line in true solidarity and love. Peace—real peace—does not come from choosing the right side or going through the motions of religion or shallow relationships that avoid telling the truth. It comes from aligning our lives with the way of God's love as embodied in Jesus. And that alignment is not abstract. It looks like courage without cruelty. Truth-telling without humiliation. Resistance without dehumanization. In Minneapolis, I was struck by stories of people who are embodying exactly that. The resistance in that city right now is overwhelmingly nonviolent, creative, organized, and relentlessly resolute in defense of their neighbors. And my heart aches as I reflect on Renee Good's last words: “I'm not mad at you.” And Alex Pretti's… “Are you okay?”—spoken while trying to help a woman who had just been pepper-sprayed during an encounter with immigration agents. In moments of grave danger, these siblings resisted harm without surrendering their humanity—or anyone else's. That is strength shaped by love. That is what we are called to embody. Isaiah dares to imagine what becomes possible when lives are aligned with God's way of love: light breaking forth like the dawn, wounds healing, guidance emerging, communities rebuilt, streets restored for living. We—even we—can become repairers of the breach, restorers of what violence has torn apart. Most of us won't do this in grand gestures, but in daily choices. So maybe this week, we—all of us—can be intentional about our choices: to listen before reacting, to stay present when retreat feels safer, to use our resources—time, money, influence—to stand with neighbors rather than hide from them. Not selective solidarity, but embodied faithfulness. These are the pieces that make for peace. And by God's grace, they are the pieces Christ is still fitting together—in us, among us, and through us—for the healing of the world.

The Lenten season begins this week, and we're kicking off our reading through the book of Psalms with Dr. George Grant. Raechel, Amanda, and Dr. Grant remind us of the powerful gift that the psalms have of meeting us right in the middle of our human experience. And the psalms in this week's readings echo the cries of our own hearts and remind us of the goodness of our Savior. Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 1 of She Reads Truth's Lent 2026 reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Lent 2026 Digital Daily Reading Guide.In this episode:Use code LENT15 for 15% anything in the Lent 2026 collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.Books from Dr. George Grant's CollectionThe World and Everything In It PodcastResistance and Reformation PodcastShe Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramDr. George Grant on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

This week, it's a double-feature! Two totally different topics, both coming from the same chapter in Acts. So open your Bibles to Acts chapter 7, and let's dive in. First, we're looking at a fascinating little twist of linguistics that gives us insight into who the author of acts was. Or more accurately, who he wasn't. It's a mystery that can only be puzzled out by comparing ancient versions of the Hebrew Bible in semitic languages (Hebrew or Aramaic) and the septuagint in Greek. What does all this tell us about who wrote this book? And was that author present for the events he's describing? Then, we're looking to the heavens, and divining what we can about biblical astrology. But we're not the first to do it. A bunch of creators online have been using lines from Acts 7 as an antisemitic bludgeon, and we're going to look at their claim. What is "the tent of Moloch"? Who is the god Rephan? And what does any of this have to do with the star of David??? ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠      Follow us on the various social media places: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have you ordered Dan McClellan's New York Times bestselling book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Bible Says So⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ yet??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to The Kristan Hawkins Show!   This year at the National Pro-Life Summit we added a new special session to the lineup, The Abortion Debate Showdown. This week on the podcast Lydia Taylor Davis and I revisit some of the most outrageous moments from our debate with self-proclaimed pro-choice Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines and pro-choice advocate and social media influencer currently running for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 48th Congressional District, Whitney Shanahan.   Grab the popcorn and your Bibles as we dive in!   WATCH the full livestream here: prolifesummit.com/livestream   JOIN MY TEXT LINE: Text "KRISTAN" to 53445 for daily pro-life updates from me.   SUBSCRIBE TO MY SUBSTACK: substack.com/@kristanhawkins   Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode to stay informed and spread the word!   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kristanmercerhawkins/ X: https://x.com/KristanHawkins Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/HawkinsKristan

In this episode, Brody sits down with JB and shares his dad's story of secret sin and moral failure and how it has shaped his own marriage and ministry at Snowbird. Brody pulls out his dad's old, marked-up Bibles as a picture of a life that looked faithful on the outside but was unraveling in private.They walk through hidden patterns of porn and infidelity, a suicide attempt, and the lasting impact on a family and a church. The conversation goes beyond one man's failure to the deeper reality that any of us can drift if we don't remain steadfast and faithful.This episode isn't just reflection, it's practical. They talk about what it means to truly hate sin, keep your hand on the plow once you've committed to follow Christ, and put guardrails in place that protect your marriage and ministry. It's a sober reminder and a clear call to stay anchored, finish well, and deal with sin before it has the chance to take root and cost you more than you ever intended to lose.Spring Youth RetreatNothing Can Eclipse Your Call to ChristNo Sanity BookSend a textPlease leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help improve No Sanity Required and help others grow in their faith. Click here to get our Colossians Bible study.

I sat and thought for a moment. How much do I love the Word of God? Having access to the Bible my entire life, has it become common place? Do I take it for granted? I began to pray and ask God for a renewed love for His Word. I prayed for a fresh hunger to know God more through the pages of Scripture.Main Points:1. You and I are to be people of the Word. The Bibles we possess are the very words of God. The chapters and verses are not simply the thoughts and insights of man, nor are they just historical stories of ancient peoples. 2. Because God has revealed His Word through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and because it is infallible and without error, the Bible is authoritative rule of faith and conduct. We accept the Bible as the final and unchanging authority for what we believe and how we are to live.3. Since this is true, the Bible must become our daily spiritual food. We must become people of the Word. We must allow scripture to shape our worldview. Through the pages of the Bible we come to know God in a personal way. We discover His will for our lives and we learn how to please Him.Today's Scripture Verses:2 Peter 1:20-21 - “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”Psalm 119:105 - “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”Psalm 119:47-48 - “…for I delight in your commands because I love them. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

EP 276: In Part 1 of this powerful two-part conversation, Andy King and Chuck Tate sit down with Dylan Novak—founder of Celebrity Evangelist—a man on a mission to place the Word of God directly into the hands of celebrities.Dylan is known for purchasing high-quality Bibles, embossing each one with a celebrity's name, and personally delivering them at meet-and-greets while sharing his faith. But nothing could have prepared him for what happened when he gave a Bible to rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.This is one of the most fascinating interviews we've ever had. It's raw. It's courageous. And it will challenge you to rethink what evangelism can look like in today's culture.

Welcome to the Citizens Deep Dive, a podcast for our church family in Charlotte, NC where we take a closer look at a variety of topics. In this episode, we take a closer look at the “inspired and written” nature of Scripture. How do we know the Bible is God-inspired? How can we trust its reliability if sinful humans were involved? What about books that are in some Bibles but not others? All this and more on the Deep Dive. For more information, visit citizenscharlotte.comThe intro/outro music for this podcast is “Until” by Levvy.

Send a textProphecy that never lands still pulls crowds—and cash. We open with a hard look at how unfalsifiable end-times claims, red heifer headlines, and celebrity pulpits keep believers distracted from the quiet work of reading the Bible and obeying Jesus. If you've felt that tug toward the sensational while your soul grows thin, this conversation brings you back to center: Scripture over spectacle, discernment over vibes, faithfulness over hype.We trace a thread from Judges through Israel's history to the life of Christ: God's people often choose comfort over courage and sometimes sell out their own. Samson's binding, Moses' exposure, Joseph's betrayal, and the crowd's rejection of Jesus remind us why bold faith today still meets resistance at the dinner table and in the pews. We talk frankly about examining our hearts, guarding our minds, and learning to contend for doctrine without tearing down people. The Psalms anchor us: don't trust war horses or platforms; trust the Lord's steadfast love.From there we reframe mission with Paul's victory procession: Christ has already won, and the church moves on offense. That means the gospel will smell like life to some and death to others, but it must be spoken. We share encouragement for the weary, stories of gratitude and humility, and a practical path back to strength—rest when needed, then reengage with open Bibles and steady hearts. We also hint at a future study of Revelation that treats the book as urgent and pastoral, not a playground for speculation.If you're ready to trade speculation for Scripture and comfort for courage, you're in the right place. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review with the one insight you're taking into your week. What will you do differently starting today?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

If you ever wondered what it would be like to share the gospel with your favorite movie star or singer, Dylan Novak has you covered. Dylan gives you a behind the scenes look at how celebrities react when the gospel is share. Check out the links below to sponsor a bible. The Youth Pastors Guide To A Successful Youth Camp https://youthminresources.gumroad.com/l/gadon?layout=profile Book Me For Your Summer Camp https://thediscipleproject.net/book-me-2/ Youth Ministry Store https://youthminresources.gumroad.com/ Dylan Novak's Website https://celebrityevangelist.org/join-the-mission Penn Jillette on Evangelism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owZc3Xq8obk Penn Jillette - Billy Corrigan Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-smF8vcyL8 Booby Lee is mad he's not invited to church https://www.youtube.com/shorts/l3kvLH1LzKI

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

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

Audio Transcript All right, well, beautiful singing. So I’ve not met you. My name is Aaron and I’m the preaching pastor here and glad you’re with us today. There’s a lot of sickness again in our church. Feels like this winter, maybe you felt it, it’s been feeling better. Nope, we’re sick. Feeling better? Nope, we’re sick. And so this is one of those we’re sick weeks for a lot in our church. And so I’m glad that you’re with us. And also I just want to say I had a lot of fun at the karaoke night. So thank you for those who helped put that together and got a lot of good singers in the church. And so that was just a fun night. So if you have a Bible with you, could open up to the Gospel of Luke. Today’s texture study is going to come from Luke 6, verses 27 through 42. So a little longer passage, Luke 6:27 through 42. And if you don’t have a Bible with you, it’s on page 503 in the blue Bibles that are kind of scattered throughout the fuse. So let me read the text and then I’ll pray and then we’ll work through the so Luke 6, please hear the words of our God. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from the one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners and get back the same amount. But love your enemies and do good, and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you’ll be sons of the most high. Praise kind to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, you will not be judged. Condemn not, you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give it to be given to you good measure. Pressed down, shaken together, running over, we put into your lap for the measure you use it will be measured back to you. He also told in the parable, can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into the pit? Disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye? Did you not notice the log that’s in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, brother, let me take out that speck that is in your eye when you yourself do not see the log that’s in your own eye? You hypocrite. First take out the log in your own eye. Then you’ll see clearly. Take the speck that is in your brother’s eye. That’s God’s word for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? God, thank you for bringing us together. Lord, I pray for the glory of Christ and our good and joy in Christ you would bless this time. Please help me to be a good communicator. Please help me to not stumble over my words. Please protect me from speaking that which is false. Help me to only speak that which is true. Lord, please be with the congregation. Please give them ears to hear. The Spirit is saying, pray this all in Jesus name. Amen. This morning I’d like to start a story with you. It’s actually kind of a shameful story about myself. So I mentioned the past. So I became a Christian in college after a friend invited me to a Bible study. We’re at the study I felt the love of Christian people and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that, by the grace of God, that landed on my heart, in ways I could repent and believe in him before the time I actually did go to church where I did hear the gospel, but I heard it in ways where I remember clearly thinking to myself, I really don’t believe any of these things to be true. Because if I thought these things were true, they should have some major bearing in my life and how I lived. For that being said, even though I knew I didn’t believe, I would still go to church. In fact, fairly consistently, I would go to church. And the reason why I would go to church was kind of twofold, two very related reasons. So first, I went as like, a source of pride for myself is I would go to church when my roommates in college were still sleeping in. So it made me feel a little bit better about myself that I would do the right thing, made me better than them. Second, I would go to church as a meeting just to try to satisfy my guilty conscience. So before becoming a Christian, I really hit every stereotype of being a college kid from small town Wisconsin. I mean, I loved everything related to like party life and drunkenness. However, you know, I love these things in many ways. These were my identity, this lifestyle that I had, it did eat at my conscience where I’d feel guilt and shame for all the things I was doing. So I’d go to church, but honestly, on many Sundays, like still inebriated from the night before, and I’d go just to try to satisfy my conscience. The guilt, the shame I was carrying, although that often just resulted in more guilt, more shame. So I knew that my lifestyle was not adding up as I pretended to the rest of the church I was something I was not. Okay. So with those things in mind, now back to my shameful story. I thought those things weren’t shameful, but one year, trying to get maybe a little bit extra credit to fill my pride, use my conscience, I began to volunteer at a Christian school to be an assistant basketball coach for their seventh grade boys team. Now I do love basketball and I love coaching. So that is part of the reason why I helped out. But more than that, I loved getting praise from the head coach, the players, the families. For being a college kid who’s helping out at a Christian school. It added to my pride, pride that I tried to help ease some of my conscience. Once again, the more praise I got, the more guilty I felt became more clear. It’s like living this double life as I tried to hide my party life and all the other dumb things I did from the team, from the families. Well, my shameful story during one of the games on the bench, I was exposed. My hypocrisy was exposed. So one of the kids on the team did something he was not supposed to do, only for me to yell out from the bench in my frustration. Yell out for everyone to hear the precious name of Jesus Christ. Seeing it as a curse to what just happened on the court, which is something I had no problem using as a curse in every other place. I wasn’t trying to pretend to be something I wasn’t around church people, but I yelled that out of the game. It felt like really everyone in the gym was looking at me. And I do know that the head coach and the kids on the bench all turned and looked at me for screaming that out. I was exposed. Exposed to everyone, including myself, of how much of a hypocrite I was. I wasn’t this nice, godly college student who is pretty Good at going to church. Rather, what came out of my lips, that’s what reflected what was actually in my heart. That was the real me that I was trying to hide from everyone else. Exposed in very humbling ways. I tell you this story this morning with hopes you actually send us up for our passage where I do think hypocrisy is at the core of this passage. Hypocrisy that is painful as it is to be exposed, friends, it does need to be exposed in our hearts. Now, before we get back to our text real quick, where we left off last week in our study of Luke was part of a sermon. We started out with a sermon that Jesus gave while standing on a plane. As mentioned last week is often referred to just as the Sermon on the plain, which is similar but a little different from the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus recorded in Matthew 5. So similar information, but a little bit different. Mentioned this last week because Jesus gave a similar sermon at least two different times. The sermon that Jesus gave is often, I think, arguably the greatest sermon of all time. For this last week, you may remember that as Jesus gave this great sermon started with a series of blessings for those who follow Jesus as his disciples, and then they’re followed by a series of woes for those who reject Jesus. When our text last week, the blessing and woes were actually grounded in the eternal life that is to come, which actually we see is important in our text today as well. As Jesus often thought through this life as it relates to the next life, the eternal life that is about to come. We also mentioned we learned last week the primary audience by which Jesus gave his sermon on the plain was to his disciples, to those who had faith in him. And this is actually important to our text today, we receive instruction from Jesus on what disciples are to look like so that his disciples will not be hypocrites. And for us this morning as it works, this passage, I do want us just to be really humble before this text. Humble in ways we’re actually asking the Lord to search our hearts to expose like any hypocrisy that may be there. Now, none of us necessarily enjoys having hypocrisy exposed. I mean, it’s actually still embarrassing to me how I was exposed at that basketball game. However, as embarrassing and perhaps even painful as it is to be exposed as a hypocrite, it’s the best thing for us for multiple reasons. So living like a hypocritical, almost double life, that’s exhausting, it’s stressful, it’s anxiety building. We have like no freedom to be ourselves if we just pretend to be something that we’re not. But also having our hypocrisy exposed made plain for everyone to see, including ourselves. It should drive us to confess our sins in ways that they’re running to Jesus rather than continuing to try to hide our sins. So through confessing our sins to the Lord, we can find forgiveness and healing and even freedom that he offers. That’s far better than holding on to hypocrisy, even if there’s, like, consequences that possibly might come for having our hypocrisy exposed. So say it again this morning. Let’s just be humble here, humble before God’s word, and let the Lord search our hearts. So back to the text. So let me read reread verses 27 through 31 if you want to follow along there. I’m going to read this together as a whole just to try to feel the momentum once again that Jesus said in the sermon and the weight which Jesus is calling his disciples to when it comes to loving others. And after reading through it, then I’m going to try to walk back through and just try to maybe answer some questions that maybe you have with that passage. So Jesus to the congregation of plain But I say to you who hear, which by the way includes all of us here today as we hear God’s word, love your enemies, which the love of our enemies result in doing good to those who even hate you, where we even seek to bless those who curse you, where we love in ways, we’re even praying for those who abuse you. Furthermore, as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to love our enemies in such a way in verse 29 that if one strikes you on the cheek, we are to offer the other as well. And if one takes away your cloak, we actually do not withhold our tunic either. Verse 30 as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to love others and it results in even like if someone comes and begs for you like to give it to them. We love in ways that we wish others would do to us, or we to love others in ways that we wish to be done to us. This here is often referred to as the Golden Rule. How we’re to live our lives with love, where we seek to love others around us in ways we want them to love us if we were in their shoes. Walk us back through the text. So first, I do think it’s really important to understand this teaching on loving our enemies. It’s really important for us to See this in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So Scripture is clear that before faith in Christ, we actually all stand as enemies of God, where we all have sinned against Him. However, the message of the Gospel, the good news, that while we are yet sinners, that enemies of God, Christ loved us in such a way that he died for us to take on the punishment of our sin as he made like sinful wretches his treasure. So back to this teaching. If God loves us, his enemies in this way, would it not be hypocritical for us to now in turn not love our enemies? So I think it’s really important we understand this love in the context, in relation to how God loves us. Second, this love that Jesus is calling the disciples to is not actually a love that we can do within ourselves. This is the type of love that only God can do with his strength through us, where his love is like compelling us to be able to love in this way for us. I think that’s kind of the point of this passage here, right? God putting his great and powerful love on display through us. We can’t do this on our own. It’s God’s love controlling us, compelling us to be able to love our enemies. Third, this love that Jesus is calling his disciples to, this obviously is a radical love. This one is so far different from what we see in the world around us. And I also think that’s part of the point of this type of love. Because as we love others by doing good works to others, loving in radical ways, that the hope that others will see like the glory of God, see it in ways that maybe they will turn and trust in him like we have, this is part of the point as well. We are to love our enemies for the glory of God. This is actually part of our worship of him and hopefully for the salvation of others. Fourth, loving others in this way, loving our enemies in this way, loving. Not only is it a real part of how we worship God, but actually helps indicate on whether or not we actually are true worshipers of God, if indeed we do know his love. Or like me in the story I just shared before I was a Christian, for just maybe someone going through the motions for self serving reasons. Remember the first character trait of the fruit of the Spirit? Love, making love the greatest of all. So without love, even love for enemies, how can we say we have the spirit of God living inside of us, the one who is empowering and compelling us to live out his love. Not that we’re gonna be perfect in loving like this, but this type of love should be present, which we’ll talk about more when we get to verse 35. Fifth, with all this being said, I do think it’s important to understand the principle that Jesus is preaching to us here from this passage, which we are to love others in ways that we want others to love us. Right? Once again, verse 31 because this is a principle to love others, the main principle that Jesus is stressing through these examples that he gives in verse 27 through 30. We do actually have a little bit of discernment here. So one of the commentaries I read this week, I rightfully wrote that this call to love in the sermon by Jesus. So Jesus is not advocating for suspension of like like normal civil justice procedures. Likewise, Jesus is not teaching this sermon some type of like hyper passivity in the face of evil. Rather, Jesus is teaching us the lengths by which we are willing to go to love other people, the rights we’re even willing to give up in order to love other people. Another commentary I read this week posed a question. Is Jesus abrogating to leave all personal self defense and rights to private property? The commentary no. Rather he’s demanding a loving attitude that’s not vengeful but is generous and giving. A loving attitude that is so real, so tangible. As mentioned, we’re even willing to lay down our rights in order to love others who do not love Jesus with hopes that through this radical love, not only will it bring glory to God, but God will use our love to bring our enemies to Himself. Okay, so keep that in mind as we think through this. So keep going. Verse 32 so after Jesus set the bar on the depths by which his people are to love even their enemies, we see him then in the text address maybe some pushback that his listeners were having in their own heart with this call to love. Maybe even pushback that some of us might even have on our own hearts. Jesus continued the text. If you love those who just love you, which is a pretty easy thing to do, we don’t need God’s strength to do that. And the text really what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good just to those who do good to you, also pretty easy to do something we can do on our own once again, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Verse 34 and what if you lend to others who you expect to receive a payment back? What credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. So giving to others, knowing you’ll get back, that’s also pretty easy. That’s not hard. But in the sermon, what is hard, verse 35. But to love your enemies and do good and lend, expecting nothing back in return, friends, that’s hard. That’s not something we can easily do in our own strength and power. Once again, we need the Lord’s help, his strength, to be able to do that. In the text, by the help and the strength of the Lord. Indeed, we do these things. Jesus said, your reward will be great, a reward that will indeed bring benefit to you, which is you learned last week. Verses 20 through 23. This reward found in eternal life, a reward that will actually last for all eternity, where God will greatly reward his people for all their acts of faith, for all of their acts of love. And not only will we be rewarded for our acts of love and our acts of faith in the text, these acts of love actually prove to be the fruit of being this true disciple of Jesus Christ. So in the day that is to come, everyone will see, everyone will recognize, you’re a son of the Most High, who in the text is the very one who is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Thus, for his people, in verse 36, they are to be merciful, even as your Father is merciful, meaning if you receive such love, such mercy from God, it’d be hypocritical if we did not show love and mercy towards others. Keep going in the sermon on the plane. If loving our enemies is not an easy thing to do, or we need God’s strength to be able to do that, what is easy for us to do where we don’t need God’s strength is judging others, which is kind of the opposite end of loving. Verse 37. You want to take your eyes there, Jesus, people, judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned. Instead, forgive and you will be forgiven. Give it’ll be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. Be put into your life for with you measure, for the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Okay, let me hit pause here and try to explain it. Try to explain a few things from that portion of the passage. So first, there seems to be a shift in who Jesus is referring to in verses 37 to 42 in terms of application. So application, verses 27 through 36 is clear to those who are not Christian. Right we are to love our enemies, show love and mercy and kindness towards others, even if they are putting hardship on us because of our faith in Christ. But now, Starting in verse 37, seems like Jesus now shifted the application and he’s speaking towards how we are to love each other in community, which New Testament expectations are primarily done like in a local church setting. So as this people live in community with another, they’re not to judge one another, they’re not to condemn one another, they’re not to hold forgiveness from one another, which, say it again, is not not always an easy thing for us to do. Even in church life. Even though we all follow Jesus Christ, even these things in church life, in community, Christian community, we need God’s strength and be able to do this command faithfully. By the way, just a little bit, we were taking the Lord’s Supper together. And one of the great purposes of why we take this meal together as a church instead of just like privately as individuals, is this meal has helped to remind us of our common faith in Jesus Christ. To help protect us against judging and condemning one another, to help us to live with forgiveness towards one another. Remember that Jesus was judged and condemned for us on the cross to forgive us of our sins. Second, I do also think it’s important to distinguish between judging and discerning as you think through this passage here. So as Christians we should have discernment when it comes to those around us like even others in the Christian community. So Jesus is not advocating to drop any type of discernment of right or wrong here, of like wise or foolish discern that between is like healthy or toxic. Rather, Jesus is telling his people to flee from these types of attitudes where we like want the worst for others, where we hold like bitterness towards others. Different commentaries I read this week where we’re like almost like eager to like fault find where we have like this like sensorious spirit where we want to like bind others up in our community rather than help them find like freedom and joy in Christ. By the way, this is one of the many reasons why it kind of continually cautious us when it comes to like how much like social media and podcasts that we can consume. You know, there’s so much of those things are just littered with nothing but like judgment, condemnation, fault finding. If we start consuming them, some type of attitudes can start to bubble out of us. Third, I do think it’s important for us to see the reciprocal reality that takes place in community, even Christian community. So look back at verses 36 through 38 and see the reciprocal principle here. So if you are a person who’s clearly not going around Judging others, guess what? Others are not going to go around judging you. If you are a person who is clearly not going around condemning others, guess what? Others are not going to go around to quickly condemn you. If you are a person who is quick to forgive, that’s your reputation. Guess what? Others will be quick to forgive you as well. If you’re one who has a reputation, who is quick to give when times of need comes up, guess what others are gonna be quick to give to you in your time of need. In fact, not only be quick to give in your time of need, in the text, they’ll be like generous towards you. This is what Jesus was speaking towards in that phrase. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over will be put into your lap. So you’re kind of confused with that. So maybe think of a picture of someone holding a sack and like someone’s pouring grain into it and the person is like so generous with the grain, they’re pouring the grain down, they’re like pressing down, they’re shaking the sack, they’re squeezing as much grain as they can. But even in their attempts to do that, the generosity is so much, the grain is still like pouring over, filling your lap. When we consistently do good to others, where we know that others are for them, not against them, friends, that’s a picture what others will be for us as well. Reciprocate back to you for the measure you use, it will be measured back to you by the way we know this. This reality is not only true in the positive, but also in the negative. If in our hypocrisy we’re like judgmental, condemning, unwilling to forgive, unwilling to show any type of generous spirit towards others in the community, in the end, that hypocrisy will be turned against us as others in the community will reciprocate those types of attitudes and actions towards us. By the way, kind of on this note, if you’re kind of wondering on how well you’re treating others, a very real indicator could be how others are treating you, both positive and negative. Finally, we’re going to end our text today. Verses 39 through 42. Jesus continues to challenge his disciples, like to basically flee hypocrisy. We read that Jesus gave a parable to help illustrate what like judging, condemning, unforgiving, a non generous person can look like, as well as how we can like fall into the traps of being that type of person. Verse 39. He also told him the parable with a question at the start of the parable. Can a blind man lead A blind man with the obvious answer to Jesus question of no. Because in the text, if a blind is leading the blind, they both will fall into the pit. In this parable, Jesus is using this illustration to talk about teachers and disciples that they’re leading. We’re in verse 40, a disciple is not above his teacher. The teacher is the one who leads and trains so that everyone who is fully trained by his teacher in the end will be like his teacher. Which can also be on the negative or on the positive, but quite closely to the text on the negative. If the teacher is like a blind man going over the pit, disciple will follow and also go over the pit. And this illustration here, this parable here, this is Jesus hopes trying to protect his disciples false teachers was in the context he’s particularly speaking towards, like the Pharisees, who are like teachers of the law, who were judgmental, condemning, unforgiving, having a lack of generosity, who Jesus often called out for being hypocrites. So Jesus is warning his people to avoid such teachers, to not sit with men of falsehood, or to consult with hypocrites, because false, negative, judgmental, condemning, unforgiving, non generous teachers will raise up those who are just like them. Which by the way, for those like me who teach particularly God’s word, this is a real warning for us to hear that we are not hypocritical blind compassion guides. As mentioned, this is also a warning for all God’s people to hear to ensure they’re not sitting under those who are teaching, who are hypocrites, who hypocritically did not show love and mercy for others in verses 27, but instead they show the things listed in verses 37 through 88, where they’re always on the attack, always fault fighting, always belittling, always tearing others down rather than trying to build them up. Well, is always doing the things. Listen, verses 41 through 42, if you always want to look back there as false, judgmental, condemning, unforgiving, non generous teachers both exhibit and train their disciples to do the same. We see that they go around, they try to spot the speck in a brother’s eye, more than willing to tell everyone even their smallest faults. But in this parable, this judgmental, condemning, fault finding person, while they can spot the speck in the brother’s eye, yet somehow cannot not notice the huge log sticking out of their own eye. And not only that, if that’s not bad enough in verse 42, the judgmental, condemning fault finder has like the gall then to go over to his brother with a speck in his eye to tell him, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye. I mean, what nerve to say that to someone when there’s like this obvious plank in your own eye. It’s like almost hard to find words on the gall the nerve to do something like this. However, in the sermon on the plane for Lord Jesus, he was able to find a word. The end of verse 42. If you take your eyes there, you hypocrite, how dare you do that? How can you be so prideful, so full of yourself? First take the log out of your own eye and then from there, sure, with love, tenderness, compassion, humility, then sure, you will clearly be able to take or see and take out the speck in your brother’s eye. For us, as we’re in our text today, before we close, there’s one thing I do want to leave us with, which is actually not necessarily some ideas on how we can like better love our enemies or better love or show mercy towards others, or even how to like avoid like false teachers, like blind guides, or how we can keep our community free from like judging and condemning fault finding within each other or even give you thoughts on like having planks in your eyes. You know, to me, this sermon from Jesus really needs no help for us on that end. I’m sure we know what these things look like. So what I wanted to do in this time is I just want to invite all of us just to simply put away any and all hypocrisy that we know we are currently living with friends. Living with hypocrisy obviously does not unlock honor the Lord. It is not how we worship Him. It does not reflect the love and the mercy that we have been given through Jesus Christ. A hypocritical life is not one that result in a great reward given to us by God in eternal life. Rather, a hypocritical life is really a wasted life. One in the end will only bring us harm. We’re going to feel like anxiety and worry of others, like finding out who the real you is. You can just leave us exhausted, always trying to cover things up. A hypocritical life will lead to more and more others from the community actually pushing away from you, reciprocating towards you in negative ways. Hypocritical life also brings just harm to other people, particularly those who are closest to you, who maybe can see through the hypocrisy. So to say it again this morning, I just want to invite you to trust God, confess your sins, make no provision for the flesh. Repent of your hypocrisy and come to the Lord for forgiveness, for healing, knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ is loving towards those who come to faith in Him. If you come to faith in Jesus, he comes, or he’ll meet you full of his mercy, a mercy that is greater than all of our sin. So what should you do today for the glory of God, for your own good, for the good of others? Would you repent of your hypocrisy and come for healing? If I go back to the story I started with. So after my hypocrisy was exposed, it really did put me into a tailspin. And I tried to run from everything, which not only led me to some real depression and isolation from others, but actually it actually led me to transfer schools. I was just eager to just get away from what was exposed. But now, looking back, as painful, as embarrassing as it was to have the hypocrisy exposed, I could now see how the Lord’s hand of love and mercy was on me, like through it all, because as the exposure of my hypocrisy put me on the run. So I ended up in college, a different college, where I met a friend who invited me to a Bible study. We’re at that study I felt the love of Christian people where I heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that by the grace of God, it landed in my heart so I could repent and believe in Him. So one last time, as painful, as embarrassing as it may have hypocrisy exposed, let that pain, let that embarrassment lead you to Jesus, the One who is perfect in every way, who has no hypocrisy in himself, where he actually perfectly fulfilled this passage that he preached on the plain, wherein his love and mercy gave his life over to his enemies who cursed him, who struck him on the cheek, who tore off his clothes before they nailed him to the cross, where on the cross, Jesus even prayed for those who nailed them there, praying, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Yet it was on the cross where we see the greatest act of love and mercy and generosity. Because Jesus laid down his life for his people and died for them, even hypocrites. Jesus died even for hypocrites to take on the just judgment of God to provide forgiveness, that we need forgiveness of sin, whether they’re big plank sins or little speck sins, so that through his death resurrection we would know his love. We know in ways, and not only that allows us to love him back, but we know it. And now we can love others as well, even our enemies. Church May the greatest act of love found in Jesus, may that affect us in ways that would push out hypocrisy where his love would fill us so we could love him and we can love others. Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for loving hypocrites like us. Thank you for Jesus, who is no hypocrite, but who is true and right and faithful without sin in all that he did. And Lord, I do pray that you would help us today to push away our hypocrisy wherever it may be found, that we take it and we nail it to the cross. And Lord, I pray that the hypocrisy that we carry would just be so nailed to the cross that you just give us freedom, that you fill us with your love and your joy. Pray this on Jesus name. Amen. The post Love Your Enemies – Luke 6: 27-42 appeared first on Red Village Church.

What if legacy isn't about building your name, but about lighting someone else's? We open Hebrews 12:1–2 and get honest about the dash between our birth and death—how it shrinks, how it weighs on us, and how Jesus reframes it into a race worth running. From a fourth-generation thread of well-worn Bibles to the living history of a church founded in 1845, we explore why remembering the “great cloud of witnesses” can turn discouragement into courage and isolation into purpose.We break the message into four moves: remember the witnesses who prove endurance is possible; remove the weight and the sin that secretly saps strength; run your race with steady habits rather than hype; and refocus on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who endured the cross for the joy set before him. Along the way, we swap hustle for the easy yoke—learning how Christ shoulders the true pull while teaching us his pace. The goal is not a flawless sprint; it's a faithful finish.Then we press legacy into real life. Your flame is meant to ignite others—first at home with your spouse, kids, and grandkids, then outward with spiritual sons and daughters in your church, school, and city. Heritage becomes a trust when we invest in students, serve in kids' ministry, show up at local games, and carry the light to places our predecessors prayed for. If Jesus ran his race for others, so do we.Ready to trade heavy for holy and turn memory into mission? Listen, share it with someone who lit your path, and tell us whose faith you want to honor this week. If this encouraged you, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it on to a friend who needs a lighter yoke today.

Introduction: Matters of Marriage: A Word for Each of You. (1 Corinthians 7:8-16) Singles: Enjoy the GIFT of SINGLENESS or GET MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:8-9) Single & Want to Get Married? 3 Don'ts: Don't SETTLE. Don't Look for the RIGHT PERSON. Don't Seek MARRIAGE – Seek LOVE. Married Christians: STAY MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:10-11) Married to a NonChristian (Who Wants to Stay Married): STAY MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:12-14) Married to a NonChristian (Who Wants to Leave): LET THEM GO. (1 Cor 7:15-16) Romans 7:2 – For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Matthew 19:8 – He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce...” Matthew 19:9 - “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! AUDIO TRANSCRIPT 00:36-00:39Open up those Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 7.00:41-00:42Chapter 7.00:44-00:47We're in the third section of 1 Corinthians.00:48-00:51Chapters 1 through 4 is about unity.00:52-00:54Like church, get it together.00:56-00:58Chapters 5 and 6 are about purity.01:01-01:08And then when we get to chapter 7 verse 1, you see that Paul is addressing some questions that they had.01:10-01:17And the first subject of this Q&A session is marriage.01:20-01:22So that's where we are.01:22-01:24We go where the text takes us.01:24-01:33I'm going to ask that you would please just quiet your heart before the Lord for a moment and pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's Word.01:33-01:44This is a passage that is going to get a reaction, and it's not about really my opinion or your opinion, it's what did God actually say?01:45-01:46That's what we're going after, right?01:48-01:52So pray for me to be faithful to clearly communicate what God said.01:52-01:57I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what it is that God said.01:57-01:59All right, let's just take a moment and pray.02:02-02:16Our Father in heaven, I know that many times in my life I've had strong opinions about things that have had to change because of what your Word says.02:22-02:26Because at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what any of us think, Father, It only matters what you think.02:27-02:42So I just pray that you would give us wisdom, that you would eliminate any distractions in our hearts and minds so we can just lock into what your Word has to say here.02:44-02:45It's for the glory of your name.02:46-03:00We pray in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said, "Amen." If you've been with us at all through our series in 1 Corinthians, we've seen that everything was a mess, right?03:00-03:06So now Paul's talking about marriage and no surprise, marriage was a mess.03:07-03:09We talked about this last week.03:09-03:16There were people strong on the single side and there were people strong on the marriage side.03:16-03:17Which one is good?03:17-03:21And the answer is both of them are good.03:23-03:28Marriage was a mess in Corinth, and if we're going to be honest, we're not doing so hot here today either.03:31-03:38As I was preparing this, I get an email that has just short news articles in it and updates and things like that.03:39-03:42And I just read this on Friday, I wanted to share part of this article with you.03:43-03:50This is the newest craze, I haven't heard of this one, maybe you have, but the newest craze is divorce rings.03:51-03:52Have you heard of divorce rings?03:53-03:54Raise your hand if you've heard of divorce rings.03:55-03:57Okay, a couple of you have, all right.03:58-04:04This is new as far as this article told us, but I just want to read part of it.04:04-04:18It says, "The diamond ring Alex Weinstein," that's a female, "wears every day is a reminder that once upon a time she said, "I do," these days she happily says she does not.04:20-04:45Weinstein got divorced last March and tossed her engagement ring in a drawer for a few months. Then the Tampa, Florida-based content creator decided to make herself a divorce ring. She reset a radiant three-carat stone from her ex- husband into gold, turning it east to west in a bezel." I should have looked up what that meant.04:45-04:46Anybody know what a bezel is?04:47-04:48Okay, nobody?04:49-04:50All right, I shouldn't have said anything, huh?04:51-04:53I was safe until I just said that.04:53-04:55All right, noted.04:55-04:56That helps me for the second service.04:58-05:07The shame and stigma, the article goes on, "The shame and stigma of divorce has been replaced for some women with empowerment and celebration.05:10-05:17While diamond rings have long been a cultural signifier of marriage, some women are also choosing to mark the end of their matrimonies with a little bling.05:21-05:26Weinstein says, "I'm not proud of getting divorced, but I am proud of putting myself first.05:28-05:34Why shouldn't I celebrate this chapter of my life?" Why am I sharing this article with you?05:36-05:49Because I think if anything sort of personifies how far we have drifted as a culture from God's ideal, I think this kind of nails it.05:50-05:53We are celebrating divorce.05:55-05:56We are celebrating it!06:00-06:04You know, we look at Corinth and we're like, "Man, those people were messed up." Us people are messed up.06:08-06:20Back to Corinth, though, some would say...some in Corinth had said, "Excuse me." Some said, "You know, being single is actually being more devoted to God." And they actually had married people get a divorce.06:21-06:36Like, "Hey, you'll be more devoted to God if you get the divorce." And then there were some that said, "Look, if you want to be devoted to God, you can't have intimate relations with a woman.06:36-06:48So if you want to stay married, just don't have any intimacy." Those were some of the thoughts they had in Corinth, and both of those are wrong.06:50-06:54In the previous passage, again, Paul said, "Staying single is good.06:54-06:56Marriage is good.06:56-06:59And intimacy in marriage should be a regular thing.07:03-07:05But what if I'm not in a biblical marriage?07:09-07:12What I mean is, what if I'm not married to a Christian?07:13-07:29I mean, you could go through the last couple of messages and say, "Oh, that's well and good for two people who love Jesus Christ, have the Word of God as their authority, and Oh yeah, like easy for them.07:31-07:33But what about me, Paul?07:34-07:38My spouse isn't a believer, so what am I supposed to do?07:40-07:41Should I just get a divorce?07:44-07:44What should I do?07:46-09:17Well, in this section we're looking at today, Paul clarifies matters of marriage addressing everyone in the church. Literally everyone in the church and everyone in this church. So this is kind of a good news/bad news thing. We're not having one sermon today. You're like, "All right, we are having four sermons today. All right, four sermons." Because each of these are very specifically addressed to a different group. So first up, matters of marriage, a word for each of you. You can take notes on the other ones if you like, but pay attention into the category you fall. Number one, singles. Singles, a word for you, here it is. Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married. Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married. All right, so if you're here and you're single, if you're streaming and you're single, if for you. All right? If you're single, enjoy that if it's a gift or get married. Look at verse 8. Paul says, "To the unmarried and the widows, I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am." Unmarried for any reason, right? Paul, once again, this is a We're going to go through this quickly.09:18-09:19We talked all about this last week.09:19-09:21Paul said being single is good.09:23-09:23Right?09:23-09:24Being single is good.09:24-09:26Why is he circling back to that?09:26-09:34Because there were Jews in Corinth that said, "You couldn't be holy unless you were married." That was a common Jewish mindset in that day.09:35-09:36You couldn't be holy unless you were married.09:36-09:41Paul's like, "That's not true." All right?09:41-09:43It's a gift for some people.09:45-09:47And Paul listed himself as one of those people.09:48-09:50Paul here very clearly says that he was single.09:51-09:52Like what happened to Paul?09:52-09:52Did he get a divorce?09:53-09:54Did his wife leave him?09:54-09:55Is he a widower?09:56-09:57We have no idea.09:59-10:03We don't know the details, but we know from this verse that he was single.10:06-10:07Okay, so single people, listen.10:10-10:27not denying that there are pressures to being single that married couples do not have. Things like loneliness, things like trying to manage a household yourself.10:28-10:34There are pressures that single people experience that married people don't.10:35-10:39But Paul is reminding the single people again, it is not wrong.10:40-10:44You don't have to feel like you're a second-rate Christian because you're not married.10:44-10:46It is not wrong.10:46-10:51And we're going to see later in this chapter, there are actually some advantages to being single.10:52-10:54All right, but look at verse 9.10:56-11:05He says, "But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.11:06-11:16For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." So Paul's like, "Okay, you're single, but you have those urges.11:19-11:20You can't control yourself.11:20-11:23You like want to be with a person so badly.11:24-11:27Like you found that being single really isn't for you.11:27-11:28What should I do?11:28-11:29Paul's like, get married.11:30-11:31Get married.11:32-11:35He says it's better to marry than to burn.11:36-11:37Again, we talked about this last week.11:37-11:40If you have the gift of singleness, you aren't burning.11:42-11:47But if you have those desires, God gave the right context to use them.11:48-11:49That's why he says get married.11:50-11:50Get married.11:50-11:54You have the passion, you have the desire, get married.11:57-12:07I've got to say a couple of things about that, unless somebody runs out of here today, runs right across the street to Pantera Bread, and is like, "Look, Pastor Jeff said to get married.12:07-12:10Are you single?" No, okay, "Are you single?" "No, I'm going to find somebody.12:10-12:11Pastor Jeff said to get married.12:12-12:12It's right in the Bible.12:13-12:15I've got to find somebody today." Let's pump the brakes for a second.12:17-12:17All right?12:17-12:21If you're single and you want to get married, I'm going to give you three don'ts here, all right?12:23-12:27He says to get married, yes, but I want to caution you on a couple of things here.12:27-12:28Three don'ts.12:29-12:30Letter A, don't settle.12:32-12:33Don't settle.12:36-12:38I know being single can be hard.12:39-12:40Do you know what's harder than being single?12:42-12:44Being married to the wrong person.12:46-12:54Rushing into a marriage, not really knowing somebody, not understanding they don't really love you, they don't really love the Lord as they should.12:58-13:02It is absolutely heartbreaking how many times I've seen that.13:02-13:14Somebody wanting marriage so badly that the first single person that comes along that looks eligible and there's some kind of interest, we're rushing right into it, and oh, the regret that comes from that.13:15-13:16I've made a huge mistake.13:17-13:18What do I do now?13:20-13:30settle. Letter B, don't look for the right person. Don't look for the right person.13:34-14:46Like, wait a minute, you just said it was bad to be married to the wrong person, now you're telling me not to look for the right person? Yeah, don't look for the right person. You need to focus on trying to be the right person, all right? Try to to be the right person. In the early days of this church when we were really teeny tiny we had a single guy that came to me. He came up to me, he goes, "Pastor Jeff, I think I'm going to go to another church." I'm like, "Oh, why? What's the matter?" He goes, "I love this church so much, but I really want to meet somebody and I just really want to get married." Not a lot of single people in that tiny church. And I said, "That's a terrible way to pick a church. You know, who's got the best single scene? I said, "That's a terrible way to pick a church." I said, "You need to find a church where God is feeding you and where God is using you. You find a church where that's happening, you trust God to do the rest." He's like, "You're right." He goes, "You're right." And it wasn't long after that he did find a single lady, even in her teeny tiny church, and they're married. They since moved away and they have like, I I don't know, 20 or 25 kids, I don't know.14:47-15:03But the point was he was willing to trust God and seeking God first and seeking to be the person worth marrying, not just trying to find the right person for him.15:04-15:06So try to be the right person for somebody else.15:08-15:12Letter C, I read this great advice from a pastor this past week.15:12-15:19He said, "Don't seek marriage, seek love." Don't seek marriage, seek love.15:20-15:24Because ultimately, you're going to marry the person that you fall in love with.15:26-15:27All right?15:27-15:33So when Paul here says, "Look, if you have the desire," he goes, "Don't burn with passion." He goes, "Go get married.15:33-15:41Go get married." But again, let's temper that with, let's not rush into anything.15:43-15:44It's going to bring regret.15:45-15:52God has called you, God has called all of us to be content and thankful in every chapter of life we find ourselves.15:54-15:56So singles, this sermon's for you.15:56-15:58Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married.15:59-15:59All right?16:02-16:04All right, next sermon.16:04-16:06This is for married Christians.16:07-16:09Are you and your spouse both Christians?16:10-16:38a word for you. Stay married. Very simple. Very simple. Look at verse 10. Paul says, "To the married I give this charge, not I, but the Lord. The wife should not separate from her husband." Not separate, obviously, he's talking about divorce. So he's talking here specifically to Christian couples.16:40-16:46We know this because he talks about mixed couples in verse 12.16:46-16:49And by the way, let's get this out of the way.16:50-16:56When we talk about mixed couples, or we talk about intermarrying, that has nothing to do with race.16:58-17:00There's only one race, there's the human race.17:01-17:10So as long as you're marrying another human of the opposite sex, oh, the things I didn't think I'd have to say.17:14-17:15Race doesn't matter.17:15-17:16Okay?17:16-17:21So when we talk about mixed marriages, biblically there is no such thing except for mixed faith.17:22-17:26That's what the Bible forbids, mixed faith marriages.17:26-17:28He talks about them in a second, all right?17:28-17:29I felt like I had to say that.17:35-17:50So Christian couples, Paul says, "I get a word for you," he goes, "not I, but the Lord." Meaning Paul's like, "Look, what I'm about to tell you came straight from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself." This is the Lord's charge, all right?17:52-17:57The Lord's charge is, Christian couples, no divorce.17:59-18:00Divorce isn't an option.18:00-18:02Divorce isn't a word that's said in your home.18:04-18:10Jesus talked about this so many times, Matthew 5, Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 16.18:11-18:15Jesus taught over and over that marriage is meant to be lifelong.18:16-18:16All right?18:18-18:45So we're going to try you out for a year or two, if it's not going to work, we have our exit strategy. That's not how marriage is designed according to our Lord. Marriage is meant to be lifelong. And remember, there were some Corinthians that thought, "Yeah, but if you really want to be devoted to God, you've got to get a divorce." And Paul here is just saying, "You know, God's not on board with that." I mean, just imagine for a second.18:48-19:08for a second if that sentiment was legitimate. Let's just pretend for a second that you could be more devoted to God, you could be more devoted to Jesus if you got a divorce. Do you see what would happen? Everyone that's looking for an out would just use that excuse.19:11-19:13They'd be like, "You know what, sweetheart?19:14-19:27I think we should get a divorce because I just want to love Jesus more." Right?19:27-19:28It'd start a new phrase.19:28-19:36It would be, "It's not you, it's Him." Right?19:36-19:37But that was the mindset they had.19:37-19:38And Paul's like, "No, no, no, no.19:40-19:42The words of our Lord are quite clear.19:43-19:52Don't get a divorce." But then you have the person that's like, "Oh, Paul, I wish you would have wrote this letter two weeks ago, because I did buy it.19:52-19:53You know what?19:53-20:00Yeah, we are both believers, but I bought into the idea that getting a divorce would benefit my walk.20:00-20:05So what do you do if you are both Christians and you did get a divorce?20:05-20:09What do you do about that?" Well, look at verse 11.20:09-20:18He says, "But if she does get a divorce, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.20:21-20:28And the husband should not divorce his wife." Okay, so if you're like, "You know what?20:28-20:33I did get the divorce, and now looking back, we are both believers.20:33-20:37I shouldn't have done that." Paul goes, "Okay, well now you have two choices.20:37-20:58You're either unmarried the rest of your life, or go back to your husband and get back on track." Like, "I'm not sure that's possible." Well, if you're both Christians, forgiveness and healing and reconciliation should not be foreign concepts to you.21:01-21:04So if you and your spouse are both Christians, stay married.21:06-21:07All right?21:07-21:11And as we saw last week, verse 3, married Christian couples, pay your debt.21:13-21:13All right?21:14-21:16I know that's the sermon that always gets applied.21:16-21:20I know the nursery is going to be restocked in about nine months.21:21-21:21I know.21:24-21:25So married Christians.21:26-21:26All right.21:27-21:33This is where things get even more difficult.21:35-21:39This is addressed to those of you who are married to a non-Christian.21:39-21:44And I know there are some people in this church that are married to a non-Christian.21:46-21:49But this non-Christian wants to stay married.21:49-22:02Okay, you're like, "Yeah, my husband's not a believer, or my wife's not a believer, and Like, she's okay with me being a believer, and she's okay with me going to church, and she wants to stay married, so what do I do?22:02-22:03What do I do here?22:06-22:11God says, "Stay married." Stay married.22:14-22:21You know, back in, look at the, back in chapter 6 verse 15, we talked about this a couple of weeks ago.22:21-22:32Paul says, talking about those who were being sexually immoral with the cult prostitutes, he says, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?22:33-22:37Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?22:38-23:01Never." You see, there would have been some that heard this principle like, "Okay, so me physically being with a prostitute is like defiling for me, so what about me physically being with a non-Christian spouse?23:02-23:13Well, me being intimate, I mean, isn't it the same principle that I am defiling my body because I'm in this mixed marriage?23:14-23:16We have different faiths?23:18-23:20That's the question on the table.23:23-23:32Regarding mixed marriages, meaning one's a believer and one's not, you're like, "What do you do?" Well, first of all, it's forbidden, single people.23:34-23:42Second Corinthians 6.14, if you're single, listen, if you're single, you are not to get married to a non-Christian.23:45-23:46Corinthians 6.14.23:48-23:50You are not to get married to a non-Christian if you're single.23:52-23:54If you can prevent this, you should prevent this.23:55-24:03That people think, "Well, I'm going to get married to the person and I'll save them, and I'm going to be such a good influence on them," and it usually works the other way.24:07-24:12So if you're single, you are not to marry a non-Christian.24:13-24:23So all right, now with that out of the way, the question is, "Well, what if we were married as non-Christians and I got saved and he didn't get saved?" Or vice versa, man.24:23-24:26You're like, "Well, I got saved and my wife didn't get saved.24:26-24:29What do we do?" Well, look at verse 12.24:29-24:54He says, "To the rest I say, 'I, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her." By the way, when he says here, "I, not the Lord," you know what some people do with that, right?24:55-25:11They're like, "Oh, well, this is just Paul's opinion." So we can sort of disregard this section because Paul here, I mean, he's saying that this is just his opinion, and that's not what he's saying at all.25:13-25:29Back in verse 10, he was saying, "I'm quoting Jesus here." Now in verse 12, he's saying, "This is also from the Lord, but this isn't a direct quote from Jesus, do you see?" He's not saying this is uninspired.25:30-26:06He's just saying, "Before I was directly quoting from the ministry of Jesus, and now this is new revelation from God. That's all he's saying. So what if I'm married to a non-Christian and he wants to stay married? Paul says, "You don't get a divorce, you stay married. That's what you do." Like, really? Verse 13, "If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him." Oh yeah, that question, being with this non-Christian make me unholy?26:06-26:10Like isn't it the same principle as being with the prostitutes?26:11-26:13No, not at all.26:14-26:15Because look at verse 14.26:17-26:26For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband.26:29-26:47You see, when one of you is saved and your spouse is not, it's not that the Christian is made unholy in the eyes of God, it's the unsaved person is made holy.26:52-26:53I want to be clear here.26:54-27:01That does not mean that the unbelieving spouse is saved because they're spouses.27:01-27:03That is not what that means.27:03-27:06The Bible is crystal clear on salvation.27:06-27:09Salvation is an individual transaction.27:10-27:14You can't get saved because of somebody else.27:14-27:18Biblically, you have to make the choice to turn from your sin.27:19-27:20You have to make the choice to repent.27:21-27:27You have to make the choice that you are going to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.27:28-27:35It doesn't matter how good of a Christian your grandmama was, or your mama, or your spouse.27:35-27:36It doesn't matter.27:37-27:38You're not saved.27:38-27:40It's not like group raid here, all right?27:42-27:46You're saved by you making the choice.27:47-27:49You're like, all right, so what's he talking about here?27:50-27:57Well, it's a big fancy theological term that's known as matrimonial sanctification.27:58-28:01Impress your friends, drop that in conversation this week.28:02-28:03Do you have a water cooler at your workplace?28:03-28:04Drop that.28:05-28:08Yes, we were talking about matrimonial sanctification at church.28:10-28:12And they're like, "Oh, what is that?" And you'll tell them.28:13-28:18Well, in God's eyes, if one spouse is saved, there's blessing for everyone in the house.28:20-28:22I mean, think about it this way.28:25-28:26Think about it this way.28:26-28:36Imagine this married couple, you have this married couple, and the wife's parents die, and they leave her an inheritance.28:39-28:40They leave her a speedboat.28:42-28:44Now husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?28:48-28:48No?28:49-28:50All right, let me try something else.28:52-28:55Her parents left her a Harley Davidson.28:56-28:58Husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?29:00-29:02Yeah, some of you.29:02-29:03All right, let me try this again.29:06-29:08Her parents left her a monster truck.29:08-29:11Husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?29:12-29:15Okay, this is really going to help for the second service.29:15-29:17Do you see the point?29:17-29:18You got the inheritance.29:19-29:26You know, you're driving grave digger down the road, but you had nothing to do with that, right?29:27-29:31You were blessed just because your wife received an inheritance.29:31-29:33It's the same principle at play here.29:34-29:35You're blessed by association.29:37-29:43In the same way, in marriage, two become one, and when God blesses one, the other gets blessed.29:43-29:48I mean, it's not salvation, but it's better than two pagans being married to each other.29:49-29:49Right?29:49-30:05Think of the blessing that comes to the non-Christian spouse when the Christian spouse is exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit, when the Christian spouse is showing humility and love and service and selflessness.30:05-30:09And how could you not be blessed being in a house like that?30:13-30:14That's what he's talking about.30:16-30:23Oh, and regarding the salvation piece, look, nobody can deny the influence the believing spouse has.30:23-30:32I've heard the story so many times of people getting saved because of the witness that their Christian spouse has had.30:34-30:39So if you're in this situation, if your spouse is unsaved, God wants to reach them through you.30:41-30:43So let him see Christ in you.30:45-30:48And you're like, "Well, that's well and good, but what if we have kids, right?30:48-30:53I mean, I'm saved, he's not.30:53-30:59Does that make our kids like half pagan?" No, no, it really doesn't.30:59-31:01Look at the rest of verse 14.31:02-31:16Paul says, "Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy." See, even if you have kids with a non-Christian, your kids are also made holy through that.31:16-31:16Same principle.31:17-31:23Your kids are also blessed through that because God sees your marriage as holy, so He's going to see your kids as holy.31:24-31:30So if you're married to a non-Christian who wants to stay married, God's going to bless the family.31:31-31:34Stay married if they want to stay.31:36-31:38All right, one more.31:39-31:42One more group we didn't cover, and that's the last one here.31:43-31:48Let's say someone is married to a non-Christian, and that non-Christian is like, "I want out.31:49-31:55Like look, I didn't sign up for all this Jesus stuff, all this Bible study stuff.31:55-31:57I didn't sign up for all this church stuff.31:58-31:58I'm not interested.31:59-32:00I'm not a religious person.32:01-32:05I want out." So what do you do when you're married to a non-Christian who wants to leave?32:05-32:07The answer is, let them go.32:09-32:10Let them go.32:14-32:15Look at verse 15.32:15-32:33He says, "But if the unbelieving partner separates," that's divorce, look what he says, "let it be so." If the non-Christian spouse initiates a divorce, Paul says they can go.32:37-32:38And I know the reaction.32:38-32:39You're like, "Wait, wait.32:39-32:40Well, that means I'm stuck.32:41-32:49You know, I wanted to save this marriage, and they divorced me, and now I can never get remarried again because they left me.32:49-32:53So I'm stuck, right?" Paul doesn't say that.32:56-32:57Paul doesn't say that.32:57-33:04Paul was clear on situations where you had to be remaining unmarried.33:04-33:05We saw that in verse 11.33:06-33:11He was clear in those situations, and he could have said that here, but he didn't.33:13-33:14You can remarry.33:14-33:22If you are married to a non-Christian that abandons you, initiates a divorce, and leaves you, you can remarry.33:23-33:24Look at the rest of verse 15.33:25-33:30He says, "In such cases, the brother or sister is not enslaved." God has called you to peace.33:31-33:32Not enslaved.33:33-33:34Like, not enslaved to what?33:35-33:37He's talking about free from being bound to the marriage.33:38-33:39That's what he's talking about.33:41-33:53See Romans 7, 2 says, "For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives." That's what he's talking about here in 1 Corinthians 7.33:53-33:55That's the bound to the marriage.33:55-33:57He goes, "You're not enslaved.33:57-33:58You're not bound anymore.34:01-34:19You're no longer bound to the marriage." Now look, I know some sermons are easier to preach than others, and divorce is a very touchy subjects.34:26-34:27It's always painful.34:28-34:29It always brings regret and hurt.34:30-34:30I know that.34:33-34:40So I want to take a moment and I want to be clear on my best understanding on the subject biblically.34:42-34:43All right?34:44-34:46I don't want there to be any ambiguity.34:47-34:48I want to be clear.34:48-35:00I believe that there is only one cause for divorce biblically, and that is hardness of heart.35:04-35:05Like, why do I think that?35:05-35:08Well, Jesus was asked about divorce in Matthew 19, eight.35:09-35:09This is what he said.35:10-35:24He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to divorce." Jesus said divorce was allowed through Moses, through the law, because of hardness of heart.35:25-35:27Again divorce is allowed, not commanded.35:30-35:30Right?35:31-35:32Allowed not commanded.35:34-35:38But the question is, how do you know when someone is hard hearted?35:40-35:43Towards their spouse or towards their marriage, right?35:45-35:46Kind of a hard thing to gauge, isn't it?35:47-35:52Well Jesus said, "I can divorce you if you're hard-hearted." Well you seem hard-hearted to me, I'm getting divorced.35:52-35:53How do you know?35:54-36:07Well biblically there are two ways that hard-heartedness manifests, and both begin with the letter A. It's affair and abandonment.36:11-36:12Jesus spoke on a fair.36:13-36:30Matthew 19, 9, Jesus says, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality and marries another commits adultery." Now again, divorce is allowed, but not commanded.36:30-36:39Understand this, when this happens in a marriage, that doesn't mean you are required to get a divorce.36:39-36:43I can tell you so many stories of marriages where this did happen.36:43-36:51And there was much repentance and seeking the Lord, and marriages are on track better than they were on their honeymoon.36:55-37:05But when someone is committed to having relations with people outside the marriage, Jesus says that's evidence of hard-heartedness.37:06-37:08Moses allowed for divorce for that.37:08-37:17Here, Paul is addressing the other manifestation of hard-heartedness, and that's abandonment.37:18-37:22That if your non-Christian spouse divorces you, abandons you, you are free.37:24-37:27That's how you know your spouse is hard-hearted.37:29-37:35When they are willing to engage in relations with someone else, they're hard-hearted towards you.37:35-37:41Or when they're like, "I'm fine to just walk away from this marriage.37:41-37:43I'm fine to walk away from our vows.37:43-37:50I'm fine to walk away from that." Those are evidences of hard-heartedness.37:54-37:57And Jesus says abandonment is like adultery.37:57-37:59I'm sorry, Paul says abandonment here is like adultery.38:00-38:01You are called to peace.38:05-38:10You are not called to fighting a non-Christian to stay in a marriage that they are committed to getting out of.38:12-38:13One more verse.38:15-38:20Paul says, "For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?38:21-38:31Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?" You know, people are really divided on what this verse means.38:35-38:41Some people think this verse means, "Well, you don't know if you're going to save your spouse, so let them go.38:41-38:43I mean, you have no guarantees, just let them go.38:44-38:56There's no promises are going to come to Christ, if they say let them go." That's what some people think, but other people think this means, "No, no, no, you might be the one that God uses to save them, so you should try to save your marriage at any cost.38:59-39:00I lean towards the latter.39:04-39:05There's no guarantees either way.39:05-39:06You don't know.39:08-39:10You don't know what God's doing.39:13-39:18So you better be sure that you did all you could to save the marriage.39:20-39:23I personally believe that this verse pumps the brakes.39:26-39:38This verse, as one person I read this past week said, this verse tempers any tendency that just easily give up on the marriage.39:41-39:45Because some people are just so quick to run to divorce as like option one.39:47-39:56Again, if things are hard now, how do you know that God isn't using you to reach your spouse?39:58-40:00Our worship team would make their way back up front.40:07-40:16Paul continues, and I think he's doubling down on some of these things because some of it's hard to accept and some of it's hard to hear.40:17-40:20But again, Paul reminds us that singleness is God's gift for some.40:23-40:25Marriage is God's gift for the rest.40:28-40:30One of these four sermons applies to you.40:32-40:37So whichever it is, go after it with the reverence and with the sacredness that God has called you to.40:38-40:39Let's pray.40:41-40:52Father in heaven, we're asking today, Father, that your Holy Spirit be at work in our hearts.40:54-41:03When we talk about singleness and divorce and all these things, it's such an emotional subject because there are people here that have been deeply wounded by these things.41:06-41:12And we by no means, Father, wanna kick someone when they're down or rub salt on the wound.41:12-41:15We just, we wanna take an honest look at what your word has to say.41:17-41:19Father, we thank you for your grace.41:19-41:21We thank you that you are the God of miracles.41:21-41:35We thank you, God, that no matter how badly things might have gotten in marriage, whether it was able to be saved or not, God, there's always hope with you.41:35-41:37There's always healing with you.41:39-41:40That's why we come to you.41:40-41:51Father, I pray for all of us that we would take a hard look at the place you have us right now, because there's something in here for each one of us.41:55-41:59And that we would go after it, trusting you to always do what you promised.42:00-42:02We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 7:8-16What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain 1 Cor 7:14. How is the nonChristian spouse made holy because of a Christian spouse? What does that mean?If you are married to a nonChristian who wants out of the marriage (1 Cor 7:15), how do you know when to grant their divorce (when to stop trying to save the marriage, asking for counseling, etc)?Why should you allow a nonChristian to divorce and leave a Christian (v15)? Is the believing spouse free to remarry? Why or why not? BreakoutPray for one another.

This week, Brent Stroble and Aaron May covered Revelation 21. Open your Bibles and follow along!

A single act of obedience can reshape a life. We press into the meaning of baptism with open Bibles and honest hearts, asking what really happens when a believer goes under the water and rises again. Not magic. Not empty ritual. Baptism is a vivid sign of grace: a burial of the old self and a public celebration of new life with Jesus.We start with Romans 6 to frame baptism as immersion and identification—into Christ's death and resurrection. From there, we map the Bible's diverse baptisms: Israel “baptized into Moses” and formed into one people, the baptism of suffering that Christ fulfilled at the cross, the baptism of the Holy Spirit promised to all who believe, and the baptism of fire that warns of coming judgment. Each thread points to the same core: what you are immersed in is what you are identified with. For the believer, water becomes a stage where faith steps into the spotlight and discipleship takes its first public breath.We also talk order and obedience. In Acts, people believe the gospel, receive the Holy Spirit, and then are baptized. Faith saves; baptism shows. That sequence protects the gospel while honoring Jesus' clear command in the Great Commission. The act is humbling and simple—step into the water because your Lord said so—and yet it's deeply pastoral. Baptism helps us feel what we cannot see: forgiveness granted, the Spirit given, a future secured. It anchors memory to mercy. And it roots us in community, where one Lord, one faith, and one baptism unite diverse people into a single body.We close with the striking truth that Jesus himself was baptized. Sinless, he chose the water to stand with sinners and to launch a ministry aimed at the cross. If you've trusted him, baptism is your joyful yes—an embodied amen to grace. If you're on the edge of faith, consider the invitation and the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.Video available at: https://youtu.be/7Ypcq131dvw

As we began this "Encouragement for the Way" series, the challenge was to read a chapter a day in the book of John. No doubt some of you likely finished your journey through John a week or two ago, and some of you may have started and just kind of fell off. Regardless of where you are that's absolutely fine. The point of regularly reading our Bibles is not to complete a checklist.  It's simply about consistently spending time in the Bible and learning more and more what it looks like to walk with Jesus.In this episode I share my takeaways from chapters 6-10, reflecting on themes of grace, belief, and the transformative power of Jesus in our lives. I hope this episode will encourage you, spark some enthusiasm, and maybe even challenge you a bit.Get all the Scripture references and resources mentioned in this episode: https://jennyzentz.com/podcast133

Church of England vicars with a difference Jamie Franklin and Daniel French talk about the big stories in Church and State. This time:Keir Starmer is clinging to power as folly of Epstein-linked Mandelson decision (and many other decisions) is being made increasingly apparent.It's the Church of England's General Synod and the new Archbishop Sarah Mullally promises to support the local and deprioritise central initiatives. But will she follow through on this promise and why is she still supporting £100 million slavery reparations initiative Project Spire?Project Spire itself takes a battering in question and answer session at Synod and should be renamed "Project Snowflake" as those working on the scheme are said to need special support because they can't handle questions and criticism.And the Living in Love and Faith gay relationships project is officially cancelled after years of fruitless toil...and then restarted again with a new "working group" to look at the same issues.We answer some questions on talking Bibles and the link between Lockdown and the Quiet Revival, plus a few other things as always.All that and much more as always. Please enjoy!You make this podcast possible. Support us and get episodes early, bonus Uncollared audio podcasts, monthly epic chats between Jamie and Nick Dixon and more!On Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/irreverendOn Substack - https://irreverendpod.substack.com/Buy Me a Coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend To make a direct donation or to get in touch with questions or comments please email irreverendpod@gmail.com!For the Clergy Post at Holy Trinity, Stroud Green make enquiries with the Bishop of Fulham's office fulham.chaplain@london.anglican.org or phone 020 7932 1130.Notices:Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodBuy Jamie's Book! THE GREAT RETURNDaniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin's "Good Things" Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Support the show

Many Christians are praying and believing for revival. Moves of God are occurring around the world, especially in some of the most persecuted countries. Underground churches are thriving in some nations, most with a dear cost – either threat of imprisonment or death. After Charlie Kirk's assassination, we witnessed an explosive awakening among the younger generation turning to God. It is encouraging to see many young people buying Bibles, going to church, and seeking the Lord. Sadly, we have also witnessed numerous moral failures from prominent ministers, pastors and leaders within the Church. We have witnessed unprecedented confusion and a great departure from biblical, moral and traditional family. Society at large has departed from the living God. There has been a great departure from Truth. The spiritual warfare is very real on every level. Listen as Bill and Annette delve deeper into this topic, exposing the root problem in the church, and the remedy for the days we are living in. For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries please visit us at: https://soulchoiceministries.org/  You can find more of Bill's teachings at: BillWieseTV-YouTube

Send a textEpisode SummaryIn a world that is loud, divided, and quick to judge, empathy feels rare.But empathy is not weakness. It is the way of Jesus.In this episode, we slow down and study Scripture together to understand empathy not as a personality trait, but as a biblical posture formed by the heart of God.After last week's episode on finding hope when the world feels broken became the most responded-to episode in all 120 recordings, it became clear: people are longing to be seen, understood, and met with compassion.So today, we open our Bibles and look at how Jesus modeled empathy in real, tangible ways.What We Study in This EpisodeJohn 5:1–9 — The Man at the PoolJesus heals without blame or interrogation of past failure.Matthew 8:1–3 — The LeperCompassion crosses social and religious barriers.Luke 10:25–37 — The Good SamaritanEmpathy that is costly, courageous, and obedient.What You'll Walk Away With• A deeper theological understanding of empathy • A clearer view of how Jesus embodied compassion • Insight into why empathy feels scarce in today's culture • Practical ways to cultivate empathy rooted in ScriptureEmpathy begins with seeing.And seeing begins with slowing down.Grab your Bible as you listen, and download the free companion study guide to continue digging into the historical context, theological meaning, and personal application of this episode.Download the Episode #120 Study Guide here: [Insert Link]Key Verse (SOAP Together)“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.” — Luke 10:33If this episode encouraged or challenged you, consider sharing it with someone who may need to be reminded of what compassion looks like.Let's be people who don't just pass by. Let's be people who see.Connect with Leslie: Follow on IG: @yourjoyfulorderstyle Website: https://shopjoyfulorder.com/Email: lmartinez@yourjoyfulorder.com to schedule- Speaking Events, Interviews or Life Coaching SessionsShop my SOAP Journal & Digital Products: https://shopjoyfulorder.com/Watch this Episode on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsXoAYIM2mfclNtYiaOzIUw Shop my Gratitude, Goals & Prayer Journal on Amazon:https://a.co/d/09Djvaw

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

Everyone over 30 has back pain...right??? Not if you have a strong back! In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Amanda delve into the complexities of back pain, discussing its causes, the role of injury and inflammation, and the importance of strengthening the back. They explore lifestyle factors that contribute to back pain, the impact of footwear, sleeping positions, training styles, and various treatment options including surgery, chiropractic care, and acupuncture. The conversation emphasizes the significance of movement and rehabilitation in managing back pain effectively, not looking for magic fixes, and most of all getting the back STRONG again! In our experience, A LOT of back pain can be alleviated with a stronger back coupled with a few lifestyle modifications unique to you. Give it a listen here or wherever you get your podcasts! Just look up Bacon, Bibles, and Barbells! Enjoy the episode!

Help Persecuted Christians TODAY: https://csi-usa.org/ Christian Solidarity International On today's Quick Start podcast: NEWS: The FBI releases the first chilling surveillance images tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, showing a masked suspect tampering with security cameras outside her home as investigators tighten the timeline. Her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, pleads publicly for answers as questions mount. FOCUS STORY: A new survey reveals how many Americans are actually reading their Bibles — and how people feel when they miss time in Scripture. MAIN THING: Human trafficking isn't just an overseas problem. Filmmaker Richie Johns joins Billy Hallowell to discuss Still Hope, a powerful new film inspired by true stories of trafficking survivors right here in America. PLUS: A former skeptic explains why studying more than 1,500 near-death experiences led him to faith in Jesus. LAST THING: Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” PRAY WITH US! Faithwire.substack.com SHOW LINKS Faith in Culture: https://cbn.com/news/faith-culture Heaven Meets Earth PODCAST: https://cbn.com/lp/heaven-meets-earth NEWSMAKERS POD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/newsmakers/id1724061454 Navigating Trump 2.0: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/navigating-trump-2-0/id1691121630

John and Lila share the opposite journey: from Evangelical to Catholic and vice versa. But where are they united most strongly, and where could they be even more united? In today's discussion we discuss John's new book and Catholic-Protestant theology.John's book: https://johnbevere.com/Catholic understanding of Eucharist: https://www.usccb.org/eucharistNEW: Check out our Merch store! https://shop.lilaroseshow.com/Join our new Patreon community! https://patreon.com/lilaroseshow - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, and early access to our upcoming guests.A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world's leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/ Check out our Sponsors:-Brave+: Screen Time Made Good - Get a week free trial at https://braveplus.com/lila-Good Ranchers: https://go.goodranchers.com/lila Purchase your American Meat Delivered subscription today. Use code LILA for $25 off! -Hallow: https://www.hallow.com/lila Enter into prayer more deeply this season with the Hallow App, get 3 months free by using this link to sign up! -EveryLife: https://www.everylife.com Buy diapers from an amazing pro-life diaper company and use code LILA to get 10% off!00:00:00 - Intro00:04:18 - How did John first encounter God?00:36:40 - Fearing God00:45:25 - Bibles removed from schools00:51:31 - John's scandalous Priest in College01:00:17 - Major vs Minor Issues 01:20:24 - What would the church look like if we all prayed more?01:22:22 - Perfect unity

Join us for our Week 6 in the book of Acts! Amanda is joined by Matt Smallbone to round out our study as they discuss the final chapters in Acts.Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 6 of She Reads Truth's Acts reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Acts printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.The Prayer Experiment by Matt SmallboneShe Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramMatt Smallbone on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

This week on The Necessary Conversation, we break down one of the most alarming news cycles yet—Trump posting racist imagery of the Obamas, the DOJ quietly deleting Epstein files that mention Trump, open calls to nationalize elections, and mounting evidence of authoritarian consolidation.We also talk Super Bowl halftime, Olympic boos, billionaire media takeovers, and whether Trump has ever read the Bible.

Welcome to Heart Dive's Heartbeat of God, where we are finding how God's heart beats throughout His Word so we can find Him in the world. Today we are studying 1 Samuel 7-8 in the Old Testament.Help keep our Bible study resources free by supporting as a Heartkeeper here: heartdive.org/giveTODAY'S HEARTBEATS: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x-PT_dnaS6NvJvwKeBRCe3SOKZIO6OtH/view?usp=sharingTODAY'S HEART WORK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Op_eMlEk45d2mGO22Wdi0WHS_jPUmBmW/view?usp=share_linkhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/18mrKPAYjQhTDLHD_y9EAQeHKr226LUI0/view?usp=sharingPHASE 1: heartdive.org/startHEART DIVE LOBBY (Facebook Community): https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BK2GvLZbo/?mibextid=wwXIfrVISIT OUR SHOP: heartdiveshop.comFREE RESOURCES: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1Tvms_gB-OWMum61DiCXvFV8R8jKXpIVIMy Bible Notes: https://heartdive.org/daily-notes-with-kanoe/Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/shop/kanoegibson/list/1ED3COSB79TAQ?ref_=aipsflistLOGOS Software affiliate link: http://www.logos.com/heartdiveFree Reading Plan and Daily Newsletter sign up: http://heartdive.org/newsletterLink to recommended Bibles: https://heartdive.org/recommendations/ 

What does success in children's ministry actually look like?Packed rooms? Growing numbers? Social media applause?In this final episode of the 12-part Kidmin Covenant series, we land on Commitment #12: measuring success by obedience—not by numbers, noise, or nods of approval.In this powerful wrap-up, Pastor Karl unpacks what lasting fruit really looks like: volunteers who keep serving, kids who open their Bibles on their own, letters from families whose lives were changed, and the ultimate goal—hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant.”Plus, Karl answers real leadership questions from the email bag:• Why does recruiting volunteers always feel like begging?• How do you keep church fun without turning it into a carnival?• Am I burned out… or just in a hard season?If you've ever questioned whether what you're doing truly matters… this episode is for you.Success isn't bigger.Success is faithful.Success is obedience.Subscribe, follow, and share — and join the conversation.Share with Kidology.org/kidmintalk219Kidmin Talk is the Podcast of Pastor Karl Bastian, founder of Kidology.org and host of KidminTalk.com. He is a children's pastor, speaker and entertainer. His life mission is to Equip and Encourage those who minister to children.This episode also includes a big announcement: beginning next week, Kidmin Talk becomes The Karl Bastian Podcast — expanding the conversation while keeping the heart for leaders strong.Listen to past editions of this podcast at KidminTalk.comSend Support via: KarlBastian.club/donatePLEASE SUBSCRIBE and HIT THAT ALERT BUTTON TOO!Follow Karl:Blog: Kidologist.comTwitter: @KidologistInstagram: @KarlBastian or @KidologyorgSupport the show

The Gideons International distribute Bibles around the world. Ron Estes shares how these scriptures have affected the lives of those who have read them. This message was delivered on February 8, 2026, to Christ Church of Rapid City, SD.

There's something profoundly revealing about how we handle money. While we might attend church services, read our Bibles, and pray regularly, the way we steward our finances can truly reveal what we believe about God. Ultimately, giving to God is not about our money—it's about our hearts. Listen in as we learn how generosity can make us look more like Jesus.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"Romans 8:31b offers us a tremendous hope - a question that is both rhetorical, but also that has an answer. Think about it! No one really can stand against us, if God is for us, and yet there is one who regularly TRIES to do so - the enemy of our souls!In today's episode, I explore what it means that God is FOR us, that He fights for us! I also explore how to recognize attacks of the enemy and how the Lord's work in our lives aids us in overcoming satan's attacks.Turn your Bibles to Romans 8:31, as we draw closer to the conclusion of this incredible chapter of Scripture!!

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

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

Audio Transcript All right, well, beautiful singing. So I’ve not met you. My name is Aaron and I’m the preaching pastor here. And we’re glad you’re with us. I know sickness is kind of spreading around right now, and so I’m glad that you’re well enough to be with us this morning. So if you have a Bible with you, could open up to the Gospel of Luke. Our texture study today is going to be Luke 6, 2020. If you don’t have a Bible with you, there are pew Bibles kind of scattered throughout if you want to find your way there to Luke 6. Also, the word should be on the screen on either end of the stage if you want to follow along there. And if you’re visiting, if you open up your Bible, please do keep them open. So we do a style of preaching here. Actually, we talk about this in a sermon called Expository Preaching. So I’m going to read the passage, we’re going to pray, and then I’m going to walk us right back through the text. And so please do keep your Bibles open in this time. So Luke 6 starting verse 20. So please hear the words of our God. So Luke wrote, and he lifted up his eyes on disciples and said, blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. For behold, your reward is great in heaven. For so their fathers did to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. So that’s God’s word for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? Lord, thank you for your word. And Lord, please help me to be a good communicator of your word today. Please give the congregation ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. I pray this all in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, so if you’ve been around here, you know every story starts out, at least for mine. So there we were. So there you were, myself and a man from our home church in Greenway, Wisconsin, and we’re getting together for breakfast. And this is Shortly before my wife, Tia and I were about to move to Louisville, Kentucky for seminary. Now, the man I got breakfast with that morning from our home church is actually a very influential, strong leader in his field. Before he retired, actually, he was the CEO of one of the largest and most profitable companies in the state. Over 7 billion in annual sales. And we got together that morning for breakfast. My friend had a bit of a surprise for me that was very much tied to sobering encouragement that he wanted me to have. Surprise he had for me was an autographed baseball. A baseball that I actually received through some personal connections to a legendary player who signed it for me, a former player, an all time great player named Hank Aaron, who played a good portion of his career for the Milwaukee Braves before that team relocated to Atlanta and then finished up his career for my beloved Milwaukee Brewers. And Hank Aaron not only is one of the greatest players of all time, but he also was my dad’s favorite player when he was growing up. A player that he just adored when Aaron played for both the Braves and the Brewers. In fact, my dad loved Hank Aaron so much that I was born. He named me Aaron after him. And this is something actually my friend knew, and this is one of the reasons why he got this autographed baseball for me, because he knew that it meant a lot to me to have that ball. It’s a pretty sweet gift, pretty thoughtful. But what made that ball even more sweet, even more thoughtful was the sobering encouragement tied to the ball that my friend also wanted to pass on to me. And that sobering encouragement from my friend was reminded me of a different man named Aaron. Not his last name, but his first name, Aaron. Aaron from the Old Testament, who was the brother of Moses. You may remember that now if you remember Moses. So he’s a great leader and prophet, but he also had a stuttering problem. So much so that Moses actually pleaded with the Lord to provide someone who could speak on his behalf, which ended up being his brother Aaron. As Moses spoke on behalf of, or as Aaron spoke on behalf of Moses the prophet who was speaking on behalf of God himself. And for my friend, his sobering encouragement to me through this ball, as I was about to head off to seminary to hopefully get trained to be a preacher, was that every time I look at this baseball, which is currently sitting amidst all my sports treasures in my basement ball, that I see often, by the way, college students, if you’re planning to come to my house next week for pass the pass pastor’s house, I’ll show it to You. But as I look at this baseball with the name Aaron on it, my friend hoped I had the sober encouragement that as I preach like Aaron for Moses, as I preach, I’m speaking on behalf of God from His perfect holy word. Now, obviously, I’m not a prophet like Aaron was as a preacher, but preaching still is speaking God’s word to his people, which, my friend, he wanted this to be a sobering truth for me, sobering as I went to seminary to study there, to study hard, to put forth my best effort in that seminary experience. You also want to be sobering for me one day as I write sermons, as I prep for sermons the way I should, to never cut corners, to give my best effort each sermon I write. You want to be sobering for me as I deliver sermons every time I stand behind the pulpit, that there should be a real, sober sense of what I’m doing, because the weighty responsibility and privilege it is to communicate God’s word. Now, I tell you all this this morning, so sobering this should be for me every time I do this, but maybe even more sobering for me this week, because this week and actually the next couple weeks, my assignment is to preach you from God’s perfect holy word on a passage that is often viewed as the greatest sermon of all time. Meaning my attempt is to give you a sermon from the greatest of all sermons, a sermon that was given by the Lord Jesus Christ, one that he actually gave on more than one occasion. If you’re with us, last week Wes actually mentioned this. I’m going to mention it again today. The sermon we’re about to go through is often referred to as a sermon on the plain, as we learned in our text last week. Verse 17. If you want to take your eyes there, that Jesus gave this sermon, he was standing on a level place. And this sermon on the plain that Luke records is very similar in content to perhaps the most famous of all sermons, that Jesus gave, the Sermon on the Mount, which is recorded in Matthew 5, where Jesus gave that the side of a mountain. Now, I will mention that for some, the Sermon on the Plain here in Luke 6, as well as the Sermon on the mount in Matthew 5. Some believe this actually is like the same event of the exact same sermon. So perhaps there was maybe like a little bit of a plateau on the mountain that gave a level ground for Jesus to preach. And while it is possible that Matthew 5 and Luke 6 record the same event, the exact same sermon, there’s enough little details between the Sermon on the Mount and the sermon on the plain that led many, myself included, to believe these are actually two different events where Jesus preached to two different people, but basically gave the same sermon two different times. You know, as mentioned, to two different people groups, which, by the way, this is actually not a problem. Jesus gave the same sermon at least two times, so. So in this time frame, rabbis are annoying, giving like the same teachings on multiple occasions throughout history, church history, many pastors, myself included, have preached the same passage more than once, where the sermons are very similar. In fact, maybe the most famous sermon, at least in our culture here, that God used to help ignite the Great Awakening first Great Awakening, the sermon titled Sinners in the Hands of Angry God. Maybe you heard that one by Jonathan Edwards. He actually preached that on multiple occasions. So it’s not an issue that Jesus preached the same basic sermon more than once. In fact, knowing that Jesus preached this same basic sermon more than once probably just highlights how important of a message this was from our Lord, which for me further underscores why this is often viewed as the greatest sermon of all time. Okay, now before we get to the text, the sermon that Luke records, just a few things, just a reminder where we’ve been the last few weeks. So. So the ministry of Jesus is now very much in public view. He’s become like the trending topic all over the region, leading more and more to come to him as great crowds were forming around our Lord. And from these crowds included some who Jesus uniquely called to himself to be his disciples, which included some fishermen who we met in chapter five, a despised tax collector who we met in the beginning of chapter six, as well as those listed in our text. Last week, in the middle of chapter six, where none of the disciples seem to be like popular people or influential people, rather they just seem to be like normal, everyday common people like you and me. Yet in his grace, in his wisdom, that is who the Lord Jesus called uniquely to himself, where he’d use these men to become his apostles that in time would like, he would use to completely set the world on his head. Furthermore, as mentioned in previous sermons, but I wanted to mention this again here, as the public ministry of Jesus is in full swing, as the crowds of people are coming to Him. No doubt a large part were coming because of the signs and wonders that Jesus was performing through various healings as well as like exorcism of demons. But the primary reason why the crowds were forming around Jesus because of the primary ministry he had, was actually preaching and teaching, which by the way, would also be the primary ministry that his disciples would have as disciples would be used by God, as mentioned, to turn the world on his head through preaching. So all the different things happening around Jesus, all the things signs he was performing, yet preaching, teaching, giving sermons like the one that we’re about to look at in the text, this is at the center, this is at the focal point of Jesus’s ministry. Which actually leads to the second thing I want to mention here this morning as it relates to sermons and the sermon on the greatest of all sermons of Jesus. The main focus I have to you this morning is to communicate to you from the text, what does the text say? However, as we work through this sermon, the sermon on the plane, I also want to just give you something that I did for myself personally this week was to try to pull insights from the sermon when it comes to preaching. So this is actually a good exercise for me this week as one who preaches often and I thought it would be a good exercise for us as a church as a whole today just to kind of help us think about preaching. What does it look like? What does that mean? Why is it so important mentioned? This is at the heart of the ministry of Jesus and hopefully it means it’s at the heart of our ministry here at Red Village Church as well. We desire preaching and teaching to be the focal point of our church. Not that other things in church life are important, but the pulpit is to me remains central. Many others throughout church history have said as the pulpit goes, so does the rest of the church. So as members, yes, pray for sermons, keep the pulpit accountable. And for some, you at some point you maybe are moving out of Madison. You have to look for another church. Unite to. There are many factors for you to consider discern as you’re trying to find a church. But the pulpit, the sermons really ought to be at the top of your priority list where there’s a steady diet of expositional Christ centered preaching. I hope I do feel for us in this time. So if that is a little bit longer intro, look back with me in the text on the sermon on the plain, they would be looking at just the start of the sermon, verses 20 through 26. So verse 20 we see in the passage that as Jesus stood on the level place, the plain, we see in the text that he began the sermon by lifting up his eyes on his disciples. Okay, not ready. Just a couple things. So first the lifting up of eyes. So commentary is read this week signified from Jesus that there’s like resolve in him, like he has resolve as he’s about to speak mean this is going to be some type of like casual conversation from his pulpit on the plane. Rather, Jesus is about to speak in ways that carried weight significance. Let’s go back to the story I began the sermon with. That’s what my friend was trying to impress upon me. When it comes to preaching, there ought to be a real weight significance that preachers are to understand as they communicate God’s word. By the way, as a church, this is why we pray for those who fill the pulpit, myself included, the preachers will preach with like resolve, resolve to you, the congregation that you have resolve. Actually you take in sermons, right? This should not be something that’s like casual lackadaisical for any of us. A lot of different points. The sermons can have some light hearted elements tied to them, but overall the tone, the tenor should have like sober minded resolve. That’s what Jesus has as he looks up as the disciples. Second, the sermon that Jesus was about to give was primarily meant for his disciples, those he named, verses 14 through 16 that Wes gave us last week. Now I assume other people are there who are listening in. In fact we get the sense when we get to verse 24 does seem like Jesus changes the primary audience that he’s talking to for just a bit there. But the first primary audience of this sermon was to disciples, those who were followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. At the risk of trying to push this too far, but unless the sermon is clearly intended for those who are not Christian, with some type of evangelistic thrust to it, which Scripture tells us is a thing, sermons, particularly in church life, the primary audience is meant for disciples to teach disciples of Jesus, those who are trusting in him, what it looks like to joyfully follow and obey him, which is certainly the case in this sermon that Jesus gave on the plane, right? This is not a sermon on how one becomes a follower of Jesus, which comes through repentance and faith. Rather, this is a sermon for those who are disciples, those who have repented, who have trusted in Jesus, as Jesus is going to help them to know how to live out their faith in ways that honor him. As Jesus looks at his disciples, we see him begin the sermon, which in our time today this will be in two parts. So the first part will revolve around the blessings that comes by faithfully following after him. Which by the way, this is why this sermon started. It as well as the Sermon on the Mount is often referred to as like the Beatitudes of Jesus with the beatitude word for like blessing. So the first part of the sermon are blessings from Christ. But then the second part, this is a series of woes, strong rebukes for actually not following after him. And we get to the woes. This is the section where I think there’s a little bit of a change in who Jesus is communicating to, as the woes have actually a bit of evangelistic thrust to them, to those who are on the plane who are not yet disciples of Christ, as Jesus is warning them that if they do not repent and believe in him, what would happen? Let’s go back to the blessings, and I want to say I’m going to read them as a whole again with the hopes of like kind of rereading these as a whole. Just capture some of the weight, momentum that I think is there in the sermon of Jesus. And after rereading it again, let me just point out a few things. So look back with me again. John, verse 20. He, Jesus told them, blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry, for you should be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you should be satisfied. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, and when they revile you and spur your name as evil on account of the Son of man. Verse 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for your reward is great in heaven. For so their fathers did so, for the fathers did so to the prophets. Okay, now just to break this up, a few things I want to point out. So first, just this term, blessing or blessed. So this is a term or phrase that’s actually scattered throughout Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament, where the word blessing is often correlated with wisdom, particularly wisdom in this life. Now, this week I thought about Psalm 1, and I did kind of wonder if Jesus maybe had this passage in mind as he gave this sermon. So in Psalm 1, so blessed or happy is the man who walks in this life in the wisdom of God, where this blessed happy one in this life does not associate with evil. Rather, the blessed happy man is the one who delights in God’s word and obeying God’s word, what plants him like a tree by streams of water. And while the sermon on the plain, this teaching of Jesus on wisdom certainly is tying to some stuff in this life. But it’s a little different in that Jesus connects the ultimate blessing, the ultimate happiness, not in this life, which so much of the Old Testament is, but rather in the life that is to come, the eternal life that Jesus would usher in. So look back with Me again just to see the forward pointing blessedness that Jesus preached on that was to come for his people. So verse 20. Yes, you’re poor now, but for yours is the kingdom of God, which is the kingdom of God that is, yes, here, now. But a kingdom, the fullness of, of it is still yet to come. And when the fullness of kingdom comes, that’s where the fullness of blessedness, happiness will be found, in the life that is to come. Verse 21. Sure, you are hungry in the here and now, but look ahead, you will be satisfied. The future will come and you will be satisfied. Yes, in the here and now, in this life you weep, but in the future, there is a time that is going to come that you will laugh. Yes, in the here and now, in this life there might be people who hate you and exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil because of your faith in Christ. But look ahead to the future, you will rejoice, you will leap for joy, because in heaven there awaits a reward for you. And for us, this is actually really important for us as we think about being disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, in this life we live with wisdom, but we do so even more with our eyes towards that which is to come. That is where wisdom is set to faithfully live out this life with an eye towards that which will last forever. And this is actually so much of the teaching and preaching of Jesus on, on the better country that is to come, the heavenly one, as Jesus reminds us, the scripture reminds us that we’re simply sojourners, pilgrims headed to the promised land. And that’s where the blessedness will fully be experienced, this eternal reality that waits God’s people. Which by the way, this is why we strive to seek up, to store up treasures in heaven. This is why we poured our lives as offering, as an offering to service to God and others. This is why we’re even willing to suffer in this life for the cause of Jesus. Because we know that our suffering is not in vain. To know that one day our eyes will be our tears and our eyes will be dried. That this will all be temporary. And as that day comes, we’ll be replaced with blessedness, with joy, with rejoicing. Second, in this sermon, Jesus is helping his disciples understand the reality that as we live out our faith like in this life, it might bring some painful, unpleasant realities that we’ll have to endure. In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus talked about the reality of potentially being poor. In the Sermon on the Mount speaks Of being poor in spirit, which is tied to humility and as maybe this is what Jesus is referring to here, the sermon on the plain. But to me this actually feels like Jesus is speaking towards like financial poverty of being poor. Where many throughout church history, including the 12 disciples falling after Jesus in his life, would bring like financial hardships for a host of different reasons which because of financial hardships at times in this present life, in this sermon, God’s people had to battle real physical hunger. Although we mentioned here, the hunger here could also be a hungering for righteousness with the sermon the Mount speaks to. However, I do think that Jesus is actually speaking towards like physical hunger here where plenty throughout church history, including his disciples. They didn’t always know where their next meal might come from, which adds meanings to like the Lord’s Prayer and give us our daily bread. Furthermore, in this life many Christians have faced hardships for being disciples of Jesus. Hardships that even the prophets had to endure. Hardships in the text has caused many to weep. Weeping that has come because of others have hated them or excluded them from certain things. Weeping because of how their name has been reviled and spurned as evil simply because of their faith in Jesus, the Son of Man. Yes, as a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, we live with the joy of eternal life that is to come, which is a joy that we can even experience in different measures in this life. However, that being said in this sermon, for disciples of Jesus, if we faithfully live out our faith, pain, difficulty, hardships, they can be a reality. A reality is part of the cost of following after Christ. A cost that we must count. A cost that many throughout history, including many today face. For us, this is like a hard truth that Jesus is giving to his disciples in this sermon on the plain. This is not like an easy thing for them to hear or for us to hear, which by the way also should be part of what preaching should have. Where at times, as the text calls for it, hard things need to be said, hard things need to be heard. Scripture warns us that sermons just can’t be there just like to tickle our ears, to just maybe tell us what we want to hear. Rather to tell us the hard truth like this, the sermon that we need to hear. As you keep going. As hard as it would have been for disciples to hear this, how being a disciple could bring a lot of hardships towards them in this life, hard things could come their way, but it actually would have been a harder truth for those who are like listening in, who are not yet his disciples, which, by the way, I do recognize might be somewhat true for some of us here this morning. That you’re here, we’re grateful you’re here, but you’re here, you’re not yet a follower of Christ. So in this sermon, after the four blessings, blessings that come for those who by faith follow him, we see in verses 24 through 26, we now see Jesus pronounced four woes, woes that come for not following him. Woes. If you’re not a Christian, I actually want to plead with you to hear hears. It’s almost like ice water, like running down your back, back that causes you to like to wake up and to by faith run to Jesus and the blessedness that he is. So let’s read through the woes again. I want to read them the same way I read through the blessings and ways that hopefully create some momentum and weight that the sermon Jesus had. And then I want to circle back to give some details, details on the Wo. So verse 24 says, but woe to you who are rich, for you received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did, the false prophets. Okay, now a few things here. So first, the four woes, these obviously stand in sharp contrast to the four blessings that Jesus started his sermon with. And this woe here, this is actually used by Jesus in very forceful ways where he’s still having like, resolve in his eyes as he communicates these woes, where through these woes, Jesus communicated like a declaration of like, judgment and misery from God on those who reject him. So I mentioned this in the past, but I want to mention this again. So in Scripture, there’s. There’s really only two ways that one can live. There’s a blessed way that comes from following Jesus, that will result in eternal life with him. But then there’s the woeful way of judgment and misery that will come with eternity apart from Jesus. Since Scripture does not give us some type of middle ground option, yes, this is a hard but important truth for us to hear to understand. This life is headed to two different, very different realities. The blessed way, the woeful way. Second, this word woe is actually something we also see throughout the Old Testament, much like we see the word blessing throughout the Old Testament, where throughout the Old Testament there’s actually woes given to God’s people for entertaining false prophets. What the sermon speaks upon and for us, I think maybe a little bit more subtle ways. So Jesus was giving his sermon here on the plain. This is like a sermon based on scripture, as Jesus is expounding, expositing scripture in light of himself. And this is actually one of the main reasons why we believe expository preaching is so important. If Jesus preached God’s word, should not every preacher and every sermon preach God’s word? Third, do you notice how the four woes, like the four blessings also are grounded in what? That. That which lies ahead. We’re in the kingdom of God as it fully comes. Like everything’s like turned around. We’re in this life. For the Christians who are suffering through hardship, in the end they’re going to be rewarded with blessing upon blessing, the fullness of joy and happiness for all eternity as you get to be with Jesus. But for those who reject God, who might be like receiving some benefits here and now, but in the end, not only will those benefits be removed, but with misery that will never wane. So back to the text. So sure, in this present life one can get rich without God in their life and enjoy some of the temporary benefits that wealth can offer. Where yes, those riches you can use to fill up your stomach. Where yes, in this life one can laugh it up and receive some type of like worldly praise. But if that’s all you have in this life, that’s all you have without God. In the end, not only will those things all vanish, but as mentioned, they’ll be replaced with misery. A couple things just on this back to winter earlier. So poor and hungry. This is why I think real physical poverty. Hungry is what Jesus is speaking to here. Not speaking about some type of poor in spirit or hunger and righteousness. This is how the rich and the full are used. So I think it’s meant to be. In contrast, second, having wealth, a full belly, laughter, reputation, others admire. So none of those things are wrong in themselves in this life. Okay, so don’t be mistaken there. In fact, in this life, those things actually be like blessings from, from God. In this life, the problem lies if we have those things apart from Christ, where these things almost become like idols to us that we’re putting like our hope and our trust in like wealth or reputation. That’s the problem, A problem that we actually must be warned of because those idols in the end will be idols that proved to be vain, where in the end they will not satisfy you, they will not in the end make you happy, they will not deliver to you what you need, which is forgiveness of sin and eternal blessedness of heaven. Only Jesus can offer those things through his death, through his resurrection from the dead, right? Those things in himself are not wrong. In the end, if you do not have Jesus, they’re in vain. They will not satisfy. They will lead you to misery. Which, by the way, kind of on that note, this is why every sermon should point us to Jesus Christ as the only one who will satisfy, as the one that we do desperately need, the One who loves us in such a way that he would die for us to take on all of the woes of God on the cross, where Jesus bore all of the misery, eternal misery upon himself to bear the punishment of our sin, so that through him we could find forgiveness and eternal life and joy forever and ever. Which leads to the conclusion of our sermon today. So let me just get a couple just summary thoughts on this greatest of all sermons of Jesus. So the first two will just be from the text and the last one is just from sermons. So first let God’s Word teach us that which is true. This is why the preaching and teaching was at the center of Jesus’s ministry, right? Jesus is the the way, the truth and the life. And he came to teach us the truth so that by the truth, the truth of God’s Word, that’s how we can be set free. So that by the truth we could have life, abundant life, both now and in eternity. While a sermon might be hard for us to digest, maybe some of the truths here in this passage might be hard for us to digest. These are truths that we need to hear, truths that we need to know, truths we need to believe in, truths we must obey, right? These hard truths are connected to the blessings of God. These harder truths are also connected to the woes of God. So we must hear that which is true. Second thing to where these truths of this text are pointing us to is we’re to live our life in light of eternal life that is to come and the kingdom of God that Jesus promises one day to usher in. So if this is it, just like just this life, nothing more, then sure, eat, drink, be merry, live for self, enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. But Scripture is so clear, including the sermon here from Jesus. The truth is, there’s so much more than just the here and now. There is an eternal life that is to come that for those who have faith in Christ will be the blessed life. Living with Christ in the heavenly places, experiencing the fullness of his joy in the new heavens and new earth. Let’s say it again. For those who reject him, there’s a life of eternal misery and judgment of sin for us. We must live our life in light of this eternal reality that is to come. Even though there could be a great cost in this life for doing so. Cost like suffering and pain. However, we must trust what our suffering that we might suffer for our faith in Christ and eternal life. Not only will Jesus fully comfort us in the text, he will even reward us when the sermon says even a great reward which reward whenever suffering we have in this life. As we get that rewards we’re with Jesus. Any suffering will feel slight and momentary in comparison to the weight of glory that awaits. And by the way, if you’re looking for some help on maybe how to think ahead, like how to live your life with an eternal like view. So there’s great ministry that is called Eternal Perspectives and I find it pretty helpful. So established by a former pastor named Randy Elkhorn who wrote one of my favorite books. I haven’t mentioned this in a little while, so I’ll mention it again. Book called Heaven. And so if you’d want some help to try to think through, you know, how do you live your life in ways that’s looking ahead, you know, I would look to eternal perspective ministry. Read the book on heaven. Especially now if you’re looking to try to read a book for the stretch run of winter that we have left, that’s one I’d recommend. Okay, last one. So be sober minded about preaching. Which brings us back to the start, what my friend wanted me to have as a preacher. But it’s actually not just preachers who are to be sober minded when it comes to preaching. The congregation should as well. Now, when it comes to preaching, obviously none of us can preach a sermon like Jesus. In fact, even the Apostle Paul referred to his preaching as folly, which is true for all preachers. Even more so, right? None of us are apostles like Paul was. It’s folly. Folly where every sermon is like soon forgotten. Almost like a meal that we consume. Soon forgotten. However, scripture tells us that it’s through preaching. That’s how God chooses to manifest His Word in ways that through His Holy Spirit he speaks to his people in ways that we can see. The Lord Jesus Christ that God is using preaching to bring people to faith, to grow us in our faith, to sustain us in our faith, to persevere us in our faith all the way to the life that is to come. So be sober minded when it comes to preaching. If a preacher should have resolve in his eyes, a congregation should have resolve in your ears. So say it again. Please pray for the preaching here at Red Village that God would use it to communicate truth, even hard truth. Please keep the pulpit here at Red Village like lovingly accountable that the word is preached in season and out of season. As a congregation, we never settle for anything less than God’s words exposited in ways that point us to Christ, who he is, what he’s done for us. Have a longing in your heart to hear the word preached. We’re actually seeking to prepare your own heart to receive sermons. By the way, this is also one of the reasons, maybe a primary reason, why we hope you’re actually here every Sunday to take in a steady diet of the word preached. I say it not to guilt you or shame you. Things can happen. But just imagine if you went weeks without feeding your physical body or if you just happen to feed your physical body just like every so often as is kind of convenient, just imagine how weak, how malnourished your body would be. As important it is to feed your physical body to the steady diet, how much more important to feed your souls week in, week out with God’s Word. Yes, most sermons are like meals. You consume them and you forget them. But yes, say it again. That is how God is revealing himself to us, to grow us, to sustain us, to persevere us in the faith. So church, whether you’re preaching God’s word or taking it in, may we all be sober minded when it comes to the word that is preached. Knowing that in the grace of God, the preached word is a pretty sweet gift, a pretty thoughtful gift from a kind and generous God. Let’s pray. Lord, I do pray that you’d help us to not only hear your word but heed to it. Lord, please help us to live rightly in ways that you defined are true for blessedness. God, help us to live in light of that which is to come. I pray for those who might be here this morning, who are not yet disciples of Christ, that today you would open up their eyes to see the beauty of Jesus, that they would turn into him. And Lord, I do pray just for just this pulpit, the sermons that come from it, whether it be me or others. Lord, please help us to rightly divide the word of truth. And Lord, please bless the preaching of your Word for our good and your glory in Jesus name, Amen. The post The Greatest Sermon of All Time – Luke 6: 20-26 appeared first on Red Village Church.

Today's title denotes the structure of Psalm 148. In clarity and symmetry, our author addresses two realms in which the praises of the Lord are to resound: the heavens and the earth. Each call to worship is followed by reasons for praise.... One of my study Bibles takes the occasion of certain prominent passages in scripture to expound a point of systematic theology.  Psalm 148 was the text chosen to highlight the nature of God as CREATOR.  It makes sense given that this chapter so powerfully & beautifully extols Yahweh as the one true sovereign over both the genesis of all things in the first place and the new creation of redemption for His people and the world sin has corrupted. Psalm 148 is a call for us to join all creation in praising the Lord of heaven and earth.

Introduction: Genesis 2:24 - Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Enjoying Your Gift from God. (1 Corinthians 7:1-7) Married? Enjoy God's Gift for MARRIAGE. (1 Cor 7:3-5) 3 Laws of Marital Intimacy: The Law of DEBT. (1 Cor 7:3) The Law of OWNERSHIP. (1 Cor 7:4) The Law of HIATUS. (1 Cor 7:5) Single? Enjoy God's Gift of SINGLENESS. (1 Cor 7:6-7) Matthew 19:10-12 – The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! AUDIO TRANSCRIPT 00:36-00:41Open up those Bibles to 1 Corinthians 7.00:43-00:51And as we said last week, it's going to continue for the next few weeks because we go where the text goes.00:54-01:00And today we're going to be talking about the relationship between a man and his wife.01:03-01:44discretion advised. We are going to be direct, but you know some pastors want to be like edgy by kind of pushing the envelope there and that's I don't think that's cool, but I do think we need to teach the Bible straightforwardly. So we are going to be direct but not explicit, okay? So whether you're sitting here or streaming this from home, parents you decide. If you saw last week's message that would be a good gauge as to whether or not your kids should hear this one.01:44-02:01But again I'll remind you that somebody's talking to your kids about this. I think you should really consider you know whether it's time for them to hear this from God, what He says about these matters.02:02-02:17Alright, so with that said, let's just bow our heads. I'm going to ask that you would please take a moment and pray for me to be faithful to clearly communicate what God said and I will pray for you to receive what it is that this passage teaches today. Let's pray.02:23-02:28Father in heaven, we are once again turning to Your Word for wisdom.02:33-02:38And we're dealing with what is going to be for many here a sensitive subject.02:38-03:05And I pray, Father, against distractions, and I also pray that our hearts and minds are open to what You actually say in Your Word. Not our opinion or not what we think your word might say about these matters, but to examine what it is that you have said, and that we would be faithful to apply.03:08-03:53Come meet us now, Lord, through the proclamation of your word, we pray in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said, "Amen." Amen. Many years ago, I was leading Bible study the prison, and one man raised his hand. He said, "I have a question. I have a question about what happens when we die." Well, I was ready for this. You should have heard. You should have heard the sermon. It's probably the best sermon I ever gave. It was just both barrels, and I explained to him, "Okay, first of all, let me explain how death came into the world. We went through Genesis chapter 3. Death We need Jesus Christ.03:54-03:56Jesus died on the cross to take our sin away.03:56-03:59He rose from the dead to give us eternal life.03:59-04:00We all need the gospel.04:00-04:05And if you've received Christ, when you die, the Bible says you are in the presence of the Lord.04:05-04:10Okay, and someday he is going to come and he's going to take his people to be with him.04:10-04:12John chapter 14, we talked about the rapture.04:13-04:17But if you have not received Christ, I talked about the tribulation that's coming after the rapture.04:18-04:21There's seven years of just hell on earth.04:21-04:26and then Christ returns, and I talked about all the millennial kingdom, right?04:26-04:41And then after the kingdom, there's the great white throne judgment, and at that point, you know, if you die and you're not in Christ, you do go to a place of suffering, Luke 16, but then you're thrown into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment, and you should have heard it.04:41-04:44It was comprehensive.04:47-04:49So I got done, it was about 20 minutes.04:50-04:57I got done and I said, "So, does that answer your question?" He stared at me blankly.04:59-05:01And he goes, "No."05:02-05:03(congregation laughing)05:04-05:25I said, "Why not?" He goes, "I just wanted to know "if we become angels when we die." And I said, "No." He goes, "Okay, thanks." And I learned that day to answer the question that's being asked.05:27-05:30Well, the Corinthians, they had a lot of questions.05:31-05:35They had a lot of questions about marriage, about idols, about women in church, about the Lord's Supper.05:36-05:38Look at chapter 7 verse 1.05:39-05:45Paul says, "Now concerning the matters about which you wrote," stop there, we're entering a new section, okay?05:45-05:49He talked about the church unified, chapters 1-4.05:50-05:55He talked about the church purified, chapters 5-6.05:56-05:58And now you can see there's a shift.05:59-06:06He says, "You sent me questions and I'm going to give you answers now to the questions that you sent me." Do you see that?06:07-06:09And first up, marriage.06:12-06:13You're going to be shocked.06:13-06:14I'm glad you're sitting down.06:15-06:17But the Corinthians had a lot of problems when it came to marriage.06:20-06:28But you know, the problems that we bring into marriage are our own doing, because the Bible was clear on marriage.06:30-06:34Genesis 2.24, this is the most important verse in the Bible about marriage.06:34-06:38I know this because when asked, this is the verse that Jesus quoted.06:39-06:42When writing about marriage, this was the verse that Paul kept quoting.06:42-06:55The most important verse in the Bible about marriage says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." It's clear.06:55-07:00You leave, you join to your wife, and then the two become one.07:02-07:10Jesus was asked about marriage, divorce, all these matters, Matthew 19, we're going to talk about this later, but Jesus made, it was very clear.07:11-07:15Jesus said marriage is between a man and a woman.07:15-07:19Jesus said in a marriage, it's two people that are brought together by God.07:19-07:24Jesus said it's two becoming one, and He said it's meant to be unbroken.07:24-07:25That's God's design.07:28-07:32Bible's clear about marriage.07:32-07:38But in Paul's day, the Corinthian culture, there were basically four different ways to get married.07:38-07:51I'm just gonna, I don't usually like to preach my homework, But this might be helpful to give us some context as we go through this section, because there are a lot of ways that people got married in that day, all right?07:52-07:54So one way was for slaves.07:54-07:56Slaves weren't considered people, they were considered property.07:57-08:02So for slaves, the owner had the right to just pronounce them married.08:02-08:08If there were two slaves that wanted to get married, it's like, okay, you two are married, so you go stay over there or whatever.08:09-08:09And that was it.08:11-08:14There was also, in that day, common law marriage.08:14-08:20People that were living together unmarried for a year were considered married at that point.08:21-08:23A third way is a father selling his daughter.08:26-08:30And then the fourth way was the sort of the official Roman way.08:32-08:37Interestingly, it's through the Roman customs where we get our customs for marriage.08:37-08:38Did you know that?08:39-08:44from veil to flowers to vows to ring to cake, all came from the Roman culture.08:47-08:49So here's the point of all that.08:50-08:57In this section, Paul is teaching the sacredness of marriage no matter how you got there.08:57-09:07Okay, because there's going to be a lot of people that could raise objections, "But I was married this way, but I..." Paul's like, "However you got there, we're dealing with from here forward.09:08-09:10Let's talk about the sacredness of marriage.09:12-09:14They were a culture that had a high divorce rate.09:16-09:28They were a culture that had homosexuality, a culture of affairs, a culture of, believe it or not, feminists, and a culture of - we talked about this recently - prostitution.09:30-09:32So it's a culture a lot like ours.09:32-10:03There's nothing really new here as far as the kind of sin that they had to deal with with the same stuff. So the question is, "Well, what about sex and marriage?" Well, again, you're going to be shocked, and I'm glad you're sitting down, but the Corinthians had something else that they were divisive over, and that is this. Should you get married, or should you be single?10:06-10:08Which is the godly path?10:09-10:10That's the issue on the table here.10:11-10:13Which is the godly path, married or single?10:14-10:20Because some people said that righteousness is everybody must get married.10:21-10:22That was the Jewish mindset, by the way.10:23-10:24Everybody must get married.10:24-10:27You're not really fully righteous unless you're married.10:27-10:30In fact, you couldn't be a member of the Sanhedrin unless you were married.10:31-10:38So the Jews especially said, "Look, what's right is everybody has to get married." But then there's the other camp.10:40-10:42And the other camp said, "No, no, no, no.10:42-10:43No one should get married.10:43-10:45I mean, have you been paying attention?10:46-10:48Sexual sin is completely out of control.10:49-10:50Marriage is hard.10:50-10:57So being single and never touching a woman, that's the godly way.10:57-11:00In fact, you want to be godly.11:00-11:03If you're married and you want this godly path, you're just going to have to get out of your marriage.11:04-11:05Both of you be single.11:06-11:07That is more spiritual.11:08-11:09That is more devoted to God.11:09-11:13If you're single, you are more devoted to God.11:13-11:17And you know, there's people today that still hold that mindset, like in the Catholic church.11:17-11:18All right?11:18-11:19Priests don't get married.11:19-11:20Nuns don't get married.11:20-11:20Why?11:20-11:24Because you're devoted to God, and you can't really be devoted to God if you're married.11:27-11:30Well, what does the Bible say about that?11:31-11:35Well, let's see how Paul answers this under inspiration of the Holy Spirit.11:35-11:36Look at verse 1 again.11:36-11:48"Now, concerning the matters about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." Okay, stop there.11:48-11:50He goes, okay, first of all, it's good.11:51-11:53He didn't say it's the only good.11:54-11:54Okay?11:55-11:59Paul's not saying singleness is better than marriage.11:59-12:01He's not saying it's worse than marriage.12:01-12:09All he's saying in verse 1 is, "It's not wrong to be single." It is a fine option if you're single.12:11-12:12But there's another option.12:13-12:13Look at verse 2.12:14-12:36He says, "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." So Paul says, "The other option, which is marriage, is good too." I mean we saw this, right?12:36-12:42Chapters 5 and 6, there was so much sexual immorality in the church.12:42-12:44They tolerated sexual sin.12:44-12:46They excused sexual sin.12:46-12:48There was no sacredness for marriage.12:48-12:49Huge problem.12:49-12:56So you see, in Corinth and here, it is hard to be pure because of temptation.12:57-12:58That's what Paul is teaching here.12:59-13:04Because there are so many ways to sin sexually.13:08-13:14So Paul here says, because of the temptation to sexual immorality, get a spouse.13:16-13:28Notice he says, "Get your own spouse." design. It's one man for one woman and that one woman for that one man. That is how God designed it. Get your own.13:30-14:11So Paul is saying physical desires are natural and should be enjoyed the way God designed them to be enjoyed. All right? So we're gonna play a quick game here. We're gonna play a game called "Which is Good?" I'm gonna give you a list of two options and you're gonna shout out which is good. You ready for this? You ready? Come on, don't lay an egg here. I need you. I need you. I'll start over. I mean I'll start way over at the beginning. We'll bring the worship team up. We'll start the whole thing over. All right, so you You ready to shout it out?14:11-14:13Which is good, country music or rock music?14:13-14:14Rock.14:16-14:18The answer is both.14:20-14:21All right, which is good?14:22-14:22You ready?14:22-14:23Try again.14:23-14:24I'm gonna give you another chance.14:25-14:26Which is good, pancakes or waffles?14:27-14:28Both.14:28-14:31Both are good, okay?14:32-14:35All right, I think some of you are getting the hang of it.14:35-14:36Let's try one more.14:37-14:39Which is good, baseball or football?14:41-14:42(congregation exclaims)14:49-14:50I'm sorry, the answer is both.14:52-14:53All right, one more, you ready?14:55-14:57Which is good, being single or being married?14:58-14:58Both.14:59-14:59Both.15:02-15:02Both.15:04-15:05The answer's both.15:08-15:12Paul says here - look, if you don't get that, you're going to miss the whole sermon, so you've got to get this.15:12-15:17Paul says here in this passage, look, what you have, church, you have two good options.15:19-15:22Okay? You have two good gifts from God.15:22-15:24You can't have them both at the same time, by the way.15:24-15:26I think I don't have to explain that.15:27-15:29But you have two good options, two good gifts of God.15:30-15:31Single is good.15:32-15:34And married is good.15:35-15:37That's Paul's point here in these first two verses.15:37-16:13expounds on each. So on your outline, draw some things down here. Enjoying your gift from God. Number one, married. Are you married? Are you married? Well, enjoy God's gift for marriage. Okay, now Paul here starts with marriage because it's the norm. Most people are married. Again, one's not better or worse. Most people are married, so that's where he And again in Corinth, many thought you had greater devotion to God if you avoided physical relations.16:14-16:14But there's a problem.16:15-16:22There are some people that thought you have greater devotion to God by avoiding physical relations even if you're married.16:25-16:37And all the men said, "What?" And it's good to not touch a woman even if you're married, and especially if she's not a believer, or vice versa.16:37-16:47If your husband's not a believer, they believe that, look, if you're married to a non-believer, you definitely should not be engaging in any kind of relationship that way.16:48-16:50That was what the people thought.16:51-16:53So here in these verses, Paul's saying, look, are you married?16:53-16:58Then you should enjoy regular times of intimacy.17:01-17:04You should enjoy regular times of intimacy.17:05-17:20And you're like, "Oh, isn't that obvious?" And the answer is it must not be because God spent some time here in His Word explaining some things.17:21-17:22So I don't think it is so obvious.17:24-17:35So what we have here are three laws, three principles for married couples regarding God's design for healthy marital relations, okay?17:37-17:42So we're just gonna break these down by calling them the three laws of marital intimacy.17:43-17:45The three laws of marital intimacy.17:48-17:51First of all, letter A, let's talk about the law of debt.17:52-18:00If you're married, if you're married, You should be enjoying your spouse physically.18:01-18:03And here's the three guidelines, three laws for that.18:03-18:05The first one, the law of debt.18:05-18:06Look at verse three.18:07-18:22He says, "The husband should give to his wife "her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband." Stop there, that's the law of debt.18:22-18:23You're like, why do you say debt?18:23-18:26Because do you know in the Greek, it's literally the debt.18:26-18:30literally in the Greek, it says the husband should give the wife the debt.18:31-18:34And the wife should give her husband the debt.18:34-18:36That's what it says.18:37-18:47Also in the Greek, it's a continuous verb, meaning, Paul's saying husbands and wives, you should continuously be paying a debt to one another physically.18:50-18:57Now listen, the physical part of your marriage is not the most important part of your marriage.19:00-19:06But, it is a very important part of your marriage.19:08-19:09Okay, I'm gonna say that again.19:09-19:13I don't know if I've ever been so careful about the way I worded things in a sermon.19:15-19:20Because I don't want anybody to misunderstand, and I know there's a lot of things that can be easily misunderstood here, so I'm gonna say that again.19:21-19:27The physical part of your marriage is not the most important thing, but it is a very important thing.19:28-19:42And Paul here says, "You owe it to your spouse to allow your spouse to enjoy this." Listen, this is a very sensitive subject.19:42-19:43I know that.19:43-19:46Because there are people that have endured abuse.19:47-19:50There are people who are emotionally scarred.19:50-19:52There are people that have health issues.19:52-20:01And these things make regular, normal relations more difficult.20:06-20:08It might require extra work.20:08-20:12It might require coming to see one of our pastors for counseling.20:12-20:14We can help you with that.20:14-20:17If this is an issue in your marriage, we can help you.20:22-20:24But the principle here is very clear.20:26-20:29If you're married, you are expected to go after this.20:32-20:39God's design is that husbands and wives enjoy meeting each other's needs.20:44-20:59There's a book in the Bible all about that, by the way, right? Song of Solomon. That's what And I know there's some scholars that are like, "The Song of Solomon, you know what the Song of Solomon is about, Pastor Taylor?20:59-21:00You know what it's about.21:00-21:08The Song of Solomon is about the love relationship between Jesus and the church." Spoken like someone who never read the Song of Solomon.21:09-21:10It's not about that.21:12-22:19It is about a couple enjoying the physical aspect of their relationship, their love for another and all its expressions of that love, that's what it's about. God wants you to enjoy each other. I've heard stories of couples that only come together for a physical relationship when it's time to procreate, almost like it's some business exchange. And look, if that happens. If that happens, awesome, awesome. We'll always make room in the nursery. But to reduce the purpose of that just for procreation is still missing the point. The purpose of sex in marriage is intimacy. That's the purpose. It's not just a physical act. It's an act that strengthens love and is an act that sustains love.22:21-22:30But I know, listen, somebody can read this verse, "The husband should give to his wife the debt." Likewise, the wife give to her husband the debt.22:30-22:34Somebody can look at this verse and say, "That sounds so violating.22:36-22:38You mean to tell me…." Is that what you're saying?22:39-22:47I can't… What a patriarchal, male chauvinist church this is, that you're telling me that I can be forced to pay the debt.22:48-22:48Right?22:48-22:49Is that what you're saying?22:50-22:51Not even close.22:53-22:58And I would say that if that's your takeaway, then all due respect, you are completely reading the verse wrong.23:02-23:02Listen closely.23:03-23:10He's not saying that we go into our marriage relationship saying, "You owe me!" No, no, no, no.23:12-23:13Not lording it over.23:14-23:20It's not "You owe me!" It's the mindset of "I owe you." It's submission.23:23-23:26Notice he says to give the debt.23:26-23:27He doesn't say take the debt.23:27-23:28Do you notice that?23:29-23:32He doesn't say, "Husbands, go take what she owes you.23:32-23:35Wives, go take what he owes you." He doesn't say that.23:36-23:43He says in mutual submission, you have to give what you owe your spouse.23:45-23:46That's what he says.23:47-23:52A healthy marriage always focuses on the other person's needs.23:55-23:59And that applies also specifically here to intimacy.24:01-24:02That's what we're saying.24:05-24:09Give your wife, give to her what you owe her.24:10-24:12Wives, give to husbands what you owe him.24:12-24:13It's mutual submission.24:16-24:16All right?24:16-24:17So that's the law of debt.24:18-24:20Secondly, we have letter B, the law of ownership.24:22-24:23Law of ownership, look at verse 4.24:24-24:32And he goes on, "For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does.24:32-24:40Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does." Stop there.24:40-24:43Again, please do not read it wrongly.24:43-24:48Don't go through this and totally miss what he's saying because it would be easy to do.24:48-24:52This is not a pass for abuse.24:54-25:05This is, listen, this verse is not allowing for any kind of situation where someone is being forced into something in any way.25:06-25:08It is not saying that whatsoever.25:08-25:19You're like, "Well, what is it saying then?" In marriage, listen, when you make the decision to marry someone, you have released the authority of your body to your spouse.25:20-25:22And again, in the Greek, that's continual.25:23-25:26What you have in marriage is an exclusive claim.25:27-25:34It's saying no one else owns my body the way that my spouse does, and that includes me.25:36-25:37That's what he's saying.25:38-25:43He's speaking again of a mutual love and selflessness.25:44-25:45That's what he's talking about.25:47-25:55He's talking about a mentality of a husband going before his wife and saying, "Hey, hey, this is all yours.25:57-26:04This is all yours." And then the wife in turn turns to her husband and says, "Yeah, and you know what, baby?26:05-26:06This is all yours.26:11-26:14So have fun." That's what he's saying.26:18-26:20There's the law of death, there's the law of ownership.26:21-26:23Letter C, there's the law of hiatus.26:24-26:25The law of hiatus.26:26-26:27Look at verse 5.26:30-26:55He says, "Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time that that you may devote yourselves to prayer, but then come together again so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." The law of hiatus.26:57-26:59Again, he goes, "Stop depriving.26:59-27:07Stop depriving." Again, the Corinthian culture, "Oh, it's holy to deprive my spouse." No, he goes, "It's not holy.27:08-27:08It's just not.27:09-27:14Do not deprive each other, husbands and wives, do not deprive each other.27:15-27:16He says there is an exception.27:18-27:19There are rules for hiatus.27:22-27:23There are rules for hiatus, right?27:24-27:28First part of the rule, number one, is agree, right?27:29-27:30Agree.27:32-27:33That means consent.27:33-27:38That means it's not just one person making the decision.27:41-27:43It's not the wife saying, "You know what, honey?27:43-27:50I've really been thinking about this, and I decided we're taking a hiatus." And the husband's like, "Wait, what?27:51-27:52That's not how it works.27:52-28:00There has to be an agreement on that, all right?" And also number two, it says for a limited time.28:02-28:29a limited time. It's temporary. Again, that time should be agreed upon. You're like, "All right, well, why are we taking a break?" Well, he says very specifically, "If you two decide to take a break for a time from having normal relations, it should be for prayer." And he's not talking about prayer in general. I think he's talking about praying for something specific.28:31-28:43Maybe there's something in your life that is so burdening, so distracting, that you probably can't even enjoy intimacy in that season.28:43-28:45Do you know what I'm talking about?28:46-28:58Maybe you have a child that is really sick and in the hospital and like, "I can't." Obviously neither of us are in the mood for this right now.28:58-28:58We need to pray.29:01-29:33there's the looming threat of a job loss and the stress that comes with, you know, what am I going to do to provide for my family? And you know what, sweetheart, I think we should take a break from this for a season and focus on praying for God's provision in this way. But you agree upon it and you set the boundary of time, but when you're like, man, I just can't get into it as I should, then you take a hiatus, you agree to pray.29:33-29:53But Paul says, "Then, then you have to come together again," he says, "so that you don't get tempted." But the first part of that verse says, "Do not deprive each other.29:55-29:57Stop depriving each other.30:03-30:08Husbands and wives, you cannot use sex to manipulate.30:11-30:19Or more accurately, you can't withhold sex to coerce or punish the other person.30:21-30:35Listen, when you do that, when you use that as coercion or punishment, what you're doing ultimately is only hurting your marriage.30:36-30:37That's what you're doing.30:39-30:42Notice he says, "Come together again." Why?30:42-30:43Why should we come together again?30:44-31:12may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. In other words, closing the kitchen makes you a partner of Satan. All right? Because the urge is still there, and now all of a sudden the person who is supposed to satisfy me absolutely refuses to do that.31:13-31:15And then what happens?31:21-31:23Bitterness is resentment.31:25-31:27Then the evil thoughts start to creep in, right?31:29-31:32I'm so sick of not having my needs met.31:32-31:35I'm so sick of the bedroom being so cold.31:37-31:39And eventually that leads to adultery.31:42-31:55to physical, you find somebody that's scratching the itch that you have, whether it is that emotional itch for affection, whether it's a physical itch.31:58-32:20And then it's justified because, and I've heard it hundreds of times over my ministry, justified because I'm in a loveless marriage." You know, marriages struggle and ultimately individuals walks with Christ struggle because they're so frustrated physically.32:21-32:29It's like I have this appetite and it's just not being met and nothing good comes from that married people.32:30-32:30Alright?32:33-32:35So this is from the Lord.32:37-32:39Enjoy each other as much as possible.32:40-32:40Okay?32:42-32:43It's fun.32:43-32:50It's God's idea and in this passage he reminds us it is the best help in avoiding temptation.32:55-32:56It's the best help in avoiding temptation.32:57-32:58Think about it this way.32:58-33:00Just imagine this scenario.33:01-33:02Imagine this scenario.33:02-33:09Husband wakes up and he comes downstairs and he sees that his wife is baking chocolate chip cookies.33:11-33:13Seven in the morning she's baking chocolate chip cookies.33:15-33:16What a great wife, right?33:17-33:18Oh, it gets better.33:18-33:47He's baking chocolate chip cookies and he sees on the counter, she's obviously been at it for a while because there's a plate and there's a stack of them. And his wife says, "Honey, have all the cookies that you want." And like the dutiful husband that he is, he sits down and he has one, three, six, ten of them! And you know how you feel after eat a dozen chocolate chip cookies, right?33:49-33:50Just me?33:52-33:52(audience laughing)33:54-33:57You know how you feel after you eat a dozen chocolate chip cookies, right?33:59-33:59Thank you.34:00-34:01Thank you.34:02-34:09Your wife says, "Sweetheart, before you go to work, "I want you to have as many of these cookies as you want, "and I wanna tell you something else, honey.34:10-34:17"When you come home, there's gonna be more." So, you indulge.34:20-34:22Let me ask you something, when you get to work, are you hungry for cookies?34:25-34:25No.34:26-34:27Thank you.34:28-34:29Thank you.34:30-34:33One of you is on board now, the rest of you will catch up.34:34-34:35No.34:35-34:39You get to work, you're not hungry for cookies.34:40-34:46So what happens when the co-worker comes over to you and says, "Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink.34:47-34:48Would you like a cookie?34:50-34:56What do you say?" You're like, "I am full.34:58-35:03You wouldn't believe how many cookies I ate before work today." Well, you probably wouldn't say that.35:08-35:09We need to cut that one.35:10-35:11(audience laughing)35:15-35:19You would say, too much Taylor?35:19-35:20Too, oh, okay.35:20-35:27You would say, if she says blink, blink, blink, would you like a cookie?35:27-35:29You would say, no, thank you.35:31-35:31I'm full.35:34-35:35I have all the cookies that I wanted.35:38-35:45And you know, if you go a long time without cookies, self-control is much harder when someone else offers you one.35:49-35:52So if you're married, enjoy the wedding present that God gave you.35:52-35:52Alright?35:54-35:56Number two, single?35:58-35:59Enjoy God's gift of singleness.36:02-36:04I'm going to touch on this quickly.36:04-36:04Why?36:05-36:08He goes way into more detail later.36:08-36:11But right now, understand the point of what he's saying now.36:11-36:14The point of what he's saying now is two good options, right?36:14-36:14Two good options.36:15-36:16Marriage, good option.36:16-36:20And he's like, let's talk about the other good option, being single.36:20-36:21Look at verse six.36:22-36:35He says, "Now as a concession, not a command, I say this." In other words, he's like, look, I'm not commanding everyone to get married.36:35-36:38I'm just putting this out there because of human needs.36:39-36:39Right?36:39-37:19Verse seven, he says, "I wish that all were as I myself am, but each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another." So Paul says, "I have this gift and I wish everyone had this gift." Paul's like, "You may not have this gift." Bible's clear, God gives different gifts to different people and some people are uniquely gifted by God for singleness.37:20-37:21Some people are.37:21-37:24Like that is from God himself.37:28-37:33Quickly, Jesus, Matthew chapter 19, again, we referenced this earlier.37:33-37:38He was speaking of marriage and divorce and adultery.37:38-37:41Look, Jesus, this is where Paul gets this.37:42-37:45Paul's just repeating what Jesus was saying here about singleness.37:46-38:07Like I said, Jesus just got done talking about marriage and divorce, and the disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But Jesus said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only to those to whom it is given.38:09-38:19For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.38:20-38:24Let the one who is able to receive this, receive it.38:26-38:28Same thing, same point.38:29-38:32Some people have a gift of singleness given by God.38:34-38:41If you're sitting here, you're like, "Man, I couldn't do it." Well, then you don't have the gift.38:43-38:45That's just all there is to it, right?38:47-38:48If you're sitting here and you're like, "You know what?38:48-38:59am single but I really don't want to be, then you don't have the gift. Because it's a gift from God to be single and content.39:02-39:17It's from God to be single and content, not single and consumed by lust. You don't have the gift if that's the case. Not if single and constantly tempted, you don't have the gift.39:17-39:23Not if single and constantly preoccupied by the fact that I am single, you don't have the gift.39:26-39:26Right?39:27-39:32But for some, it is a gift.39:33-39:45And there are definite advantages to this gift that we're going to talk about very shortly down the road, he picks up on that really in verse 32.39:46-39:56So Paul is saying to the Corinthians, "God's Word preserved by His Holy Spirit saying to us same thing." Look, don't judge the single people, right?39:57-39:58Don't judge the single people.39:58-40:04Maybe they have a gift from God to be single and content, to serve Him in a unique way.40:04-40:04Don't judge them.40:05-40:08And on the other hand, don't judge the married people either.40:09-40:24God has given the gift of marriage, and each side here, the single, the married, each has a gift, so enjoy yours how God intended." Our worship team would make their way up.40:25-40:35You know, in talking about this subject, it's hard to not think about how I heard of this subject when I was but a wee lad.40:38-40:46And you know, growing up, I thought, I'm just gonna be honest with you here, I thought sex was a bad, dirty thing.40:50-41:05Growing up, I thought sex was just this really, it was this really secretive, dirty thing that adults kind of whisper about, and you're like, "Why did you think that?" Because that was the only way it was ever presented.41:07-41:27And you know, so much church, so much church is, "Don't do this, don't do that, don't do this." So much church is, "Let me tell you everything that we're against." And too seldom does the church say what we're for.41:29-41:35But listen, sex is not a bad, dirty thing.41:38-41:41You realize God created it.41:43-41:45You realize the whole thing was His idea.41:46-41:52God is 100% for husbands and wives enjoying the heck out of it.41:55-41:56That's what he intended.41:58-42:01Sex to be one of life's greatest pleasures for a married couple.42:03-42:10So it's a gift for the married and the unmarried get the gift of not needing that wedding gift.42:10-42:13So, which is good?42:15-42:17Married or single?42:20-42:21Both are good.42:23-42:23Enjoy.42:24-42:25Let's pray.42:26-42:31Father in heaven, every good and perfect gift comes from above.42:32-42:55And I pray, Father, that you would give us eyes to see the way that you have blessed and gifted us and that we would use the gifts in a way that honors and glorifies you, whether it's single, to serve you in a unique way, whether it's married, to enjoy this picture of Christ and the church to enjoy the intimacy that comes from knowing somebody so deeply.42:57-43:01Whatever it is, God, let us recognize and enjoy.43:02-43:04And thank You and praise You for all of Your gifts.43:05-43:07We praise You in Jesus' name.43:07-43:08Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 7:1-7What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain the “3 Laws of Marital Intimacy” in your own words (1 Cor 7:3-5).What does it mean that “the wife doesn't have authority over her own body, but the husband does, (and vice-versa)”? Is this making allowance for some kind of coercion to intimacy? Why or why not?How would you respond to a single friend who asks, “How do I know if I have the gift of singleness?”BreakoutPray for one another.

In this episode, Cody Cook interviews Joel Miller, author of The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future.A former publishing executive, Miller reveals how books—far more than mere containers of text—have profoundly shaped civilization. He explores the "magic" of their physical form (which enabled Augustine's transformative encounter with Romans) the timeless dialogues they allow with dead thinkers like Paul and Athanasius, and the preservation of classical knowledge by monks and Muslim scholars.The conversation highlights pivotal moments: Charlemagne's reforms that spread readable texts, the printing press's role in supercharging the Reformation and scientific progress, and literacy's liberating power—even as slaveholders banned it to maintain control.Miller also reflects on modern trade-offs: digital Bibles, AI tools, and the enduring value of books in freeing us from the tyranny of the present while building on centuries of accumulated wisdom.Perfect for anyone who loves history, ideas, and the quiet revolution of reading.Links:The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our FutureBad Trip: How the War Against Drugs is Destroying AmericaSize Matters: How Big Government Puts the Squeeze on America's Families, Finances, and FreedomMiller's Book Review (Joel's Substack)The Full Focus Planner Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com Use code LCI50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings and also support LCI!Full Podsworth Ad Read BEFORE & AFTER processing:https://youtu.be/vbsOEODpQGs  ★ Support this podcast ★

Ian Has Already LOST an Entire Man and is still pushing for more! Hear about his Journey. Interview with Ian Crump of 1689 Cigars! What does repentance from gluttony and food addiction look like? Ian is gracious enough to share his story. In this episode, Coach Justin, Coach Amanda, and Coach Emily engage in a heartfelt conversation with Ian Crump, who shares his incredible journey of losing near 200 pounds so far. Ian discusses the mental and emotional challenges he faced, the importance of accountability, and the support he received from family and friends. He emphasizes the significance of small steps in the weight loss journey, the role of diet and exercise, and how his transformation has positively impacted his quality of life. Ian also reflects on the importance of honesty, accountability for pastors and elders, and the need for a supportive family and friend group in overcoming food addiction and achieving lasting change.  Give it a listen here or wherever you get your podcasts! Just look up Bacon, Bibles, and Barbells! Enjoy the episode!

What makes you happy? There are about 343 million people in this country and I'd wager that there are about the same number of answers to that question! The truth of the matter is that happiness is fleeting if we wrap it up in the things of this earth.  Right now, let's turn in our Bibles to Proverbs seventeen.

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

On This Week at Charlestown Road, Jason and Roger revisit Sunday morning’s sermon, “Fuel For the Journey From Psalm 119,” digging deeper into this amazing psalm in the heart of our Bibles.

Get ready for a wonderful time in the Word, as we turn in our Bibles to Exodus chapter 38 here on Light on the Hill with James Kaddis. God has given us so much… whether it be precious time, money, or even our family! Question is, are we being good stewards? Today we'll be encouraged by the great obedience and stewardship of a group of people, and see how God honored and blessed them because of it. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29?v=20251111

Raechel and Amanda welcome Tim Wildsmith back to the podcast to walk through another week in the book of Acts. Together they wrestle with questions that arise for each of them and remind one another of the surpassing value of the kingdom of God. Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 5 of She Reads Truth's Acts reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Acts printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this Episode:Use code LENT15 for 15% off the Lent 2026 collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.The Daily Scripture Guidebook: A 52-Week Journey Through the Bible by Tim WildsmithDaily Scripture with Tim Wildsmith PodcastSonimorphicShe Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramTim Wildsmith on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy