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John 1:4-13 – The Light of the World Please turn in your Bibles to John 1:4-13. We started this new series in the Gospel of John two weeks ago. Remember the 5 “J”s of John. John, the apostle who is the author; Jews who were John's primary audience; Jerusalem where much of the setting took place; Jesus, of course, the focus of the book; and Jehovah – the emphasis that Jesus is God in the flesh. Then last week, we jumped in to verses 1-3. John's Gospel account doesn't begin with Jesus' genealogy nor the angels announcing of his coming, nor his birth in a manger. No, rather, John begins much earlier. He goes back to creation itself - the beginning of time. He reveals that Jesus is the very Word of God. He has always been and continues to be God. He is One with the Father and the Spirit. He has always existed. He is Christ, through whom God created all things. He begins there because he wants his readers to know that Jesus is truly God and creator. That brings us to verses 4-13. Instead of focusing on Christ's identity, we now learn about his purpose. The Word, who is Christ, is the light of the world. You'll hear that in our text. As I read, you will also hear a reference to a John. This John is not the Apostle John, but rather John the Baptist. He was sent by God to testify to Christ. Let's now come to God's Word Reading of John 1:4-13 Prayer Light is essential for life. I think you would agree with me.Without light, we cannot see. It exposes reality and reveals our surroundings. It purifies and penetrates. Light carries information across galaxies. The light of the sun warms the earth and perks us up. It gives energy to plants and trees. Really countless organisms use light to sustain life. It's no wonder that light is used in Scripture to illustrate God and his goodness and purity. And it's no wonder that darkness, the absence of light, illustrates sin and evil. That's because we intuitively know what light is. We understand it's illuminating nature. When it is dark outside and we need to walk or drive somewhere, we know we need light to see where we are going. We understand that evil and unrighteousness often happens in the dark. Take the Psalms for example. God's Word is described as being a light to our path. Elsewhere, God is described as being light. In our call to worship, we read that “The Lord is our light and our salvation, whom shall we fear?” We're also told in the Psalms that blessed are those that walk in the light of the Lord. And in them, we're given the contrast between light and darkness. God's light dawns in the darkness for the upright. And that is just the Psalms. So, when we get to John 1 and we read in these verses about the Word being the light of men and the darkness not overcoming it… and John the Baptist witnessing to Christ's light, we can understand it. The light of truth and righteousness in contrast to the darkness of sin and evil. We are to see the light of Christ and walk in his light. By the way, we are still in the opening verses of John's Gospel. We call this John's prologue. He's setting the stage by revealing the various themes in his book. And one of those themes is light. It's actually one of the apostle John's favorite themes. He speaks of light not just in this book but also his three letter and in the book of Revelation. In your bulletin on page 4, you'll see an outlin. We'll consider 3 things about this light. #1. The Revealing and Overpowering Light of Christ (verses 4-5) #2. Witnessing to the Light of Christ (verses 6-8) And #3. Receiving and Rejecting the Light of Christ (verses 9-13) 1. The Revealing and Overpowering Light of Christ (verses 4-5) Again, number 1 - the revealing and overpowering light of Christ. As John continues to reveal who this Word of God is, he says this in verse 4: “in him was life.” Prepositions are important. The preposition used here is “in” and not “through.” “In him was life.” It's speaking of Christ's life. It's not talking about the flesh and blood life of Jesus' human nature nor is it talking about our life in him. Rather, it's talking about Jesus' divine nature. We know that from the next few words. His life was shining forth and was penetrating the darkness. So the life spoken of here is Christ's being and existence as God. Notice it's the same verb that we considered last week - “was”. It's imperfect active. Christ's life always was and continues to be. I like how one commentator described Christ's life:  "[it] refers to the fulness of God's essence, his glorious attributes: holiness, truth, …love, omnipotence, sovereignty. This full, blessed life is said to have been present in the Word and this from all eternity…" It is that life – the fulness of God in Christ – which is the light of men. And it makes sense. Christ's righteousness and holiness and truth and love is our light. It is the source of light for all humanity. I mentioned that this theme is all through this book. Let me highlight three instances. ·      In chapter 3, Jesus said, "the light has come into the world, but people loved darkness rather than the light because their works are evil." In those verses he goes on to describe what it means to walk in the light. ·      In chapter 8, the most famous one, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" ·      And in chapter 12, Jesus said, "while you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light" In these different passages, Jesus is calling us to #1 see his light; #2 believe his light and #3 walk in his light. As we work our way through John, we'll have plenty of time to consider all the aspects of light applied to Jesus, but as an introduction, verses 4-5, give us two of them. 1. First, the light of Christ's life is there for all to see – verse 4. And it emanates from his life. SO, his eternal being and nature are being displayed to us through his light. His goodness and truth and righteousness are there for us to see. And when we see it, God is revealing to us, Christ's nature. We see him when we see his light. Through his light, God reveals Christ and shows us that we need his light. He is our light… which includes of course, the path we are to walk in his goodness and righteousness and truth. So, his light reveals his life and our need for his light. 2. Second, verse 5, his light reveals darkness. Did you notice in verse 5 that the verb is now present tense. The light, it says, "shines in the darkness." The light of Christ IS revealing unrighteous and evil. That's what light does - it reveals what is in the dark. By the way, this is another parallel to Genesis. This time John 1 recognizes that creation has been corrupted by evil and sin – that is the darkness mentioned. Elsewhere in John, we read about the "works of darkness." Darkness is that which is opposed to the light of Christ. It's anything contrary to his light – That would include wickedness and foolishness and unrighteousness. And notice that the darkness has not overcome the light. Other translations use other words there like the darkness has not apprehended the light… or comprehend it or extinguished it. Indeed, darkness cannot put out the light. I shared this once before, but back when I was in college, I spent several days on a mission trip to Sweden. We were ministering to kids from eastern Europe who had come to a camp. For one of our outings, we went to a very large cave in the area. It was safe. You know, it had railings and the such, and you could go way back into the cave. And so we did, we went as far as we could. And then we all decided to turn off our flashlights. It was dark. I mean like dark dark. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face. One of the other leaders had brought a lighter – you know a small butane lighter. And he lit it. That little flame lit up the cave. It was quite amazing how such a small light could illuminate the darkness. We could see one another and we could see the cave around us. And then we read some of the Scriptures about light. I think we read from John 1 – I don't know for sure, but it makes sense. “In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” Darkness cannot overcome light. Darkness is, in fact, the absence of light. So, when light is revealed, darkness will be exposed. And that is what Christ has done. His love and justice and holiness and truth has revealed the darkness – evil and sin. It not only reveals it, but it cannot be overcome by it. It's really the other way around. The light overcomes the darkness. Christ has triumphed over the darkness. And that triumph has come through the cross and in his resurrection. Evil and sin have been fully exposed. The light of Christ in his life is in the act of overcoming darkness and revealing the path of life and purifying our hearts and minds. And one day soon, evil and sin will be defeated forever when the light of Christ comes to full fruition… when Jesus' return in Glory for all to see. Well, there is a lot more to say about light, which we'll get to as we work through John. The summary of point 1 is that Christ's light reveals his nature, shows us our need, and exposes sin and evil. 2. Witnessing to the Light of Christ (verses 6-8) Number 2. Witnessing to the light of Christ. In verses 6 and following, the Apostle John begins to transition from the lofty truths about the Word of God to that Word who has come in human flesh. We're told of another John, as I mentioned, who was sent to bear witness to the light. Notice that the word "witness" is used three times. His role is to testify to the light. We call John the Baptist the last Old Testament prophet because he was sent as the final prophet before Christ. John's purpose in being sent was to point to Jesus as the Messiah – the Savior – who was promised to come. And I want you to notice the contrast in verses 6-8. The contrast is between Christ, the Word of God, and John the Baptist. ·      John was not God, but rather, as verse 6 says, he was a man. ·      Furthermore, John was not eternal nor do things find their existence in him. Rather, he was sent by God, as it says. ·      And as verse 8 puts it, He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light." ·      Later in this chapter, John the Baptist himself will say, "I am not the Christ." It appears from these verses that some were confused about the difference between John the Baptist and Jesus. We're not told the specifics, but perhaps some saw John and Jesus as equals. Or perhaps there was competition between their respective followers. Maybe some said, "I am a disciple of John" or maybe even, "I was baptized by John." Or, I was baptized by one of Jesus' disciples. Isn't that human nature? John Calvin is my boy. Oh yeah, well, Charles Spurgeon is mine. Well, neither of them can come close to Augustine or the early church fathers.  It's what we do, isn't it. We don't know what dynamic was at play. But we do know what these verses make absolutely clear. John the Baptist was not the light. Rather, he was a witness to the light. In other words, he was verifying that Jesus was the true light. By the way, the theme of being a witness runs throughout the book. I did a search on the word "witness" and it is used 27 times in the Gospel of John. The first several are about John the Baptist bearing witness to Christ. But that is not the only witness. God the Father and God the Spirit bear witness to Jesus as the Son. Jesus' works and miracles bear witness that he is Christ. Jesus himself bears witness that he is God the Son. Jesus's disciples bear witness to him as God in the flesh. That will definitely be a theme we come across over and over In a couple of weeks, we'll come back to John the Baptist. If you scan down to verses 19 and following, you'll see that we're given specifics of how John witnessed to Christ. But the bigger point is that John the Baptist was not pointing to himself. Rather, he was witnessing to Christ as the light. John was like a mirror, you know. He reflected the light of God and directed people to the source of God's light. And that source was and in Christ – the light of world. 3. Receiving and Rejecting the Light of Christ (verses 9-13) Which brings us to #3. Receiving and rejecting the light of Christ. A couple of weeks ago, we considered the purpose statement of John's Gospel. That was in chapter 20 verse 31. We read that John wrote these things… do you remember why? so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, we may have life in his name. In chapter 1, when we get to verses 9-13, it's here that we get the first glimpse of John's purpose in writing. He wants people to see Jesus for who he is as the light. He wants people to believe. And in these verses, John sets up the major conflict that almost every single chapter confronts. Who will believe? In verse 10, John writes that the light is in the world, and then he reiterates that the world was made through him. But then he makes two important statements. #1. End of verse 10 - The world did not know him and #2. Verse 11 - his own people did not receive him. The Jewish people didn't receive Jesus, even though they had been given the covenants, the law, the prophecies, and the promises. All of those things were witnessing to the light, yet, when the light came, many of the Jewish people did not recognize him. Yet, he was the very one who created the world and whom they had been waiting for… for centuries. He had come, but they, as it says, received him not. This is why John is writing. He wants people to see the light and believe. He wants #1 the world to see the light.  AND #2 he wants to confront the Jewish people about rejecting the light. We see that theme throughout the book. John writes that many did receive Jesus, include many of the Jews. In fact, the word “many” is used many times. Let me highlight a few. ·      Chapter 2 – "many believed in his name who saw the signs he was doing" ·      Chapter 4 – "Many Samaritans believed" ·      Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 and Chapter 10 each include the phrase “many believed.” ·      Chapter 11 – listen to this one: "many of the Jews who… had seen what he did, believed" ·      Chapter 12 – a similar thing – "many on account of [Lazarus – who Jesus had raised]  were believing in Jesus." And also in 12, "many of the authorities believed in him" It's quite pervasive. Yes, many rejected him, and we are going to see that, but many would come to believe. He wanted his readers to know that… because he wanted his readers to likewise believe. I want to take a brief tangent and talk about application. You know, in the last 2-3 years we have studied Proverbs, 2 Corinthians, and Malachi. Think about the different kinds of life application in each – they are very different. ·      In Proverbs, it was about applying the wisdom of God in the rubber-meets-the road decisions of life. How do we follow God's path? ·      2 Corinthians included many things, but a big one was living with Gospel hope in affliction and pain and conflict. ·      Malachi, if you remember, was very different. It dug deep into our heart idols and our worship and our marriages… and it called us to repent. Isn't that quite a diversity of life application? But let me ask, what is the primary application of John? What does John's Gospel emphasize over and over for his readers… including us? The answer is, we're called to believe. Yes, we are going to see ways in which our lives do not reflect the light of Christ. But the main application of John is to believe. Believe in Christ. Believe in the Word of God. Believe in his promises. Believe in the Salvation that he offers. Believe in the Father and Spirit and Son as One God. It's to turn from our unbelief in whatever ways we haven't believed, and to believe. And that applies to all of us. As the father who had a child with an unclean spirit said – said to Jesus, "I believe, but help my unbelief." That captures our hearts. Briefly in closing, verses 12 and 13 reveal the blessing that those who do believe will receive. It says, "…to all who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God." New life in him. There's a lot in there in that last sentence. I almost shortened our sermon text, again. We don't have sufficient time today to cover it. However, it's yet another theme that will come up in the book - being born again and becoming children of God. It's a big emphasis in chapter 3. So, we'll get there soon. But the summary is that those who believe in Jesus as the light of the world, will be given new life. Will become God's children, born anew in him. So, may we believe in Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. The darkness will not overcome his light. He has come and has offered his life so that we may live. May we believe in his name.

Hymns: Hail to the Lord's Anointed Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus O Come, O Come Emmanuel Outline: I. Christ Is the Light the World Needs II. The Prophetic Ministry Bore Witness to That Light III. The World Is in Bondage to Darkness

I Am the True Vine: Abiding in Christ Is the Key to a Fruitful Life (John 15:1–11) - Dr. Bill Cook

Topics: Lies About the Commandments of Jesus, Confusing Moses' Commandments With Jesus', Separating the Covenants Correctly, All or Nothing Law Explained, Deuteronomy 4:2 Law Cannot Be Added To, The Jews' Anger Toward Jesus Explained, The Two Commandments of Jesus in 1 John 3:23, Believe and Love as His Commandments, Commandments That Are Not Burdensome 1 John 5:3, Rest and Trust in Christ Matthew 11:28, Commandments of Moses vs Commandments of Jesus 2 Corinthians 3, Ministry of Death vs Ministry of the Spirit, Romans 5:20 The Law Increases Sin, Grace Increasing Even More Romans 5:20, Jesus' Commandments Are Descriptive Not Prescriptive, You Are Holy Without the Law Colossians 3:12, Morality Older Than the Law, Romans 2:14-15, The Law Was for Israel Only, The Law Fulfilled Not Destroyed Matthew 5:17, Christ Is the End of the Law (Romans 10:4), The Law Abolished at the Cross Ephesians 2:15, Heaven and Earth Passing Away Meaning Matthew 5:18, It Is Finished John 19:30, The Law Set Aside for the New Covenant Hebrews 10:9, Dead to the Law Romans 7:4, The Two Greatest Commandments Are Law Based Matthew 22:37-40, Love as Christ Has Loved You John 13:34, You Cannot Add to the Law Deuteronomy 12:32, Romans 6:14 Not Under Law but Grace, Romans 7:8 Law Increases Coveting, Jesus Fulfilled the Law Through His Blood Hebrews 9:22, The Transfiguration and “Listen to My Son” (Matthew 17:5), Moses and Elijah Represent Law and Prophets, The Spirit Guides Morality (John 16:13), Jesus' Commandments Are Not Burdensome, Jesus Alone Is EnoughSupport the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

Sermon Description: Big Idea: God calls us to live with urgency, love, and joyful endurance in the face of suffering. Main Points: - Live with Eternal Perspective and a Prayerful Mind - Love Covers a Multitude of Sins - Suffering for Christ Is a Blessing, Not a Shame

Listen To Full Sermon: "Christ Is the Light | 2025" @ St. Philopateer Coptic Orthodox Church - Mt. Juliet, TN ~ May 17, 2025 https://on.soundcloud.com/5B7POesgv9em2gDp9K

"How can I curse those God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the Lord has not denounced?", so says Balaam to Balak as recorded in Numbers 23:8 (AMPC). God has given the believer every spiritual blessing in Heavenly places. You cannot be cursed and blessed at the same time. Therefore the believer in Christ cannot have a generational curse, even if he or she had one before receiving Jesus as Lord. The believer in Christ IS set free from all generational curses and can never be attacked or connected to one in the future.We also discuss the power of our tongues that are able to bring borth blessing and cursing according to James 3:10.This program covers the following Scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): Numbers 23:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 3:1-5, Ephesians 1:3, Galatians 3:13, Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Galatians 3:14, Ephesians 1:5, James 3:10, 2 Corinthians 10:5-6.Support the show

Pr. Will Weedon, Host of The Word of the Lord Endures Forever We Praise You, O God The Word of the Lord Endures Forever Celebrating the Saints Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey See My Savior's Hands The post The Hymn, “Christ Is the World's Redeemer” – Pr. Will Weedon, 5/30/25 (1502, Encore) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Ever heard the title "Vicar of Christ" tossed around and wondered, wait... what does that actually mean? Vicar - Why It’s a Big Deal) Patrick explains the Latin word "Vicarius." It basically means “second in command” or “chief steward.” Think: the right-hand man or the chief of staff... someone who acts with the authority of the king when the king’s not present. So, when Catholics say the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, they’re not saying he replaces Jesus. They're saying he represents Jesus on Earth as the one appointed to shepherd the Church in Christ’s name. From Simon to Peter Then we jump to the moment in Matthew 16. Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” and Simon (not known for being shy) replies, “You are the Christ!” Jesus blesses him, gives him a new name: “Peter” (from the Aramaic Cephas, meaning “rock”), and tells him: "I give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. What you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven..." Translation: Peter is in charge. Not as a mere administrator, but as the earthly steward of Christ’s kingdom. Patrick makes it crystal clear: This is where the Vicar of Christ idea begins. Isaiah 22: Old Testament Prime Minister Patrick connects Matthew 16 to Isaiah 22, where a guy named Eliakim is appointed as the royal steward in the Davidic Kingdom. He's given a robe, a sash, and the keys of the house of David. Sound familiar? The verse literally says: "He shall open, and none shall shut; he shall shut, and none shall open." So, Peter’s role is like Eliakim’s: the one with real authority, not just among equals, but over the whole household. Christ Is the Head. The Pope Is His Vicar Christ is always the true head of the Church: ontologically and spiritually. But on Earth, He entrusted Peter (and his successors, the popes) to lead, guide, and protect the flock. So, when we say, “Vicar of Christ,” we’re affirming: -Biblical roots (Matthew 16 & Isaiah 22) -Historical continuity (Peter and beyond) -Spiritual authority (rooted in Jesus Himself) Bonus: Pope Fiction Patrick gives a plug for his book, Pope Fiction, which talks about this exact topic and busts myths left and right. (Worth a read if you're tired of TikTok theology.)

Christ Is in Me: The Hope of Glory/Victory The Autobiography of Salma Carunia Carter by Salma Carunia Carter Amazon.com An orphan girl's extraordinary journey of faith, hope, and courage! Follow in Salma's footsteps from beginning her life in 1944, arriving as an orphan at Amy Carmichael's Dohnavur Fellowship South India, her daily school life as a student, including many lively adventures and travails. She was given little hope of becoming educated, but still persevered, even later becoming a teacher at the fellowship, and then going to seminary, where she received her calling to do the work of an evangelist and fulfill her ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. --1 Peter 4:18 She went on to teach in the Himalayas, where she received a great prophecy to go abroad and study at missionary school and become a missionary. However, a great obstacle stood in her way: she needed to obtain a passport, but as an orphan, the path forward was difficult, but she overcame it by faith. Her visa was then obtained by divine intervention! Her faith, hope, and courage in the Lord Jesus Christ helped her to clear all obstacles that stood in her way in this voyage. Victory belongs to the Lord! Christ is in me, the hope of glory. --Colossians 1:27 Her story then took her to America, where she met her husband. This story will be unfolded in the next book, yet to come...

[00:30] Democrats' Last Stand (30 minutes) Democrats are bent on defending an MS-13 gangbanger who was deported to El Salvador. The left's plan to use the federal court system to thwart President Donald Trump's deportations of illegal immigrant criminals will backfire. [30:40] Harvard Plays the Martyr (6 minutes) President Trump is freezing woke Harvard University's funding because it rejected his demands to fight anti-Semitism. [37:00] Christ Is the Way (18 minutes) The world is deeply confused about the right way to live. Jesus Christ shows us the way.

A Discussion About Mentors and Discipleship | Pastor Todd Coconato LIVE in Minneapolis, Minnesota  Pastor Todd Coconato Live in Minneapolis at The Hub! Don't miss this powerful and very candid discussion as Pastor Todd Coconato dives into a vital question for the body of Christ: Is there a need for mentors and discipleship once someone becomes a Christian? What does true biblical discipleship look like in today's world—and what are some of the common pitfalls believers face when walking this out? This is an extremely important and timely conversation that every believer—new or seasoned—needs to hear. Listen now and be equipped. If you'd like to support the ministry, please visit: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Learn more at: www.PastorTodd.org #Discipleship #MentorshipMatters #PastorToddLive #FaithInAction #TheHubMinneapolis

Continuing on with our follow Jesus series Magdy shares on the Lords prayer and the impact our relationship with Christ has in our prayer life. To know Christ IS to know the father!

John shares his eyewitness testimony of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. He urges Christians to walk in the light as God is in the light and confess sins to Christ. The post 1, 2 & 3 John Episode 1: Christ Is the Light of God, So Walk in That Light appeared first on Two Journeys.

John shares his eyewitness testimony of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. He urges Christians to walk in the light as God is in the light and confess sins to Christ. The post 1, 2 & 3 John Episode 1: Christ Is the Light of God, So Walk in That Light appeared first on Two Journeys.

John shares his eyewitness testimony of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. He urges Christians to walk in the light as God is in the light and confess sins to Christ. The post 1, 2 & 3 John Episode 1: Christ Is the Light of God, So Walk in That Light appeared first on Two Journeys.

John shares his eyewitness testimony of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. He urges Christians to walk in the light as God is in the light and confess sins to Christ. The post 1, 2 & 3 John Episode 1: Christ Is the Light of God, So Walk in That Light appeared first on Two Journeys.

Color: White Old Testament: Isaiah 9:2–7 Psalm: Psalm 96; antiphon: v. 2 Epistle: Titus 2:11–14 Gospel: Luke 2:1–14 Gospel: Luke 2:1–20 Introit: Psalm 2:1–2, 4–6; antiphon: Liturgical Text Gradual: Psalm 98:3b–4a, 2 Verse: Psalm 95:1a, 6b The Light of Christ Shines Forth in the Darkness   Heaven and earth rejoice on this night because the glory of the Triune God is manifested in the human birth of “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). In Him, the Father's grace, mercy and peace rest upon the world. The silence of death is broken by this “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). And all we who have gone astray like lost and wandering sheep, who have “walked in the darkness” of doubt and fear and sinful unbelief, behold “a great light” in the nativity of Christ (Is. 9:2). In Him “the grace of God has appeared” (Titus 2:11). For this Child of Mary who is born for us, this dear Son of God who is given to us, will bear the burden of our sin and death in His own body on the cross. He thereby establishes a government of peace, “with justice and with righteousness,” which shall have no end; not by any work of man, but “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Is. 9:7). Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Topics: Biblical Church Definition, Meaning of Ecclesia, Biblical vs. Traditional Church, Rise of Church Buildings, Warnings Against Traditions, Ignatius and One-Bishop Rule, Constantine, Reformation's Use of Pastor, Christ as Church Head, Unbiblical Leadership, 1 Corinthians vs. Modern Church, Holy Spirit's Role, No Church Occupations, Pastoral Worship Issues, Pastors' Influence, Misuse of Hebrews 13:17, Gifts vs Quasi-Leadership, Jewish Leadership In Hebrews, Sermons vs. Gatherings, AA Meetings Reflect Church Gathering Model, Box Church Culture, Love in Gatherings, Critiquing Hierarchy, Individual Roles In Christ's Body, We Are Fused With God Through Faith, Hebrews 13:17, Obeying Leaders Means Believing in Jesus, The Obedience of Faith vs. The Obedience of the Law, No Punishment From Leaders, Judgment Belongs to God, The Blasphemous Message of Faith in Jesus, Hebrews 13:17 Not About Pastors or Church Leadership, Pastors and Elders are not the Same In Scripture, Poimenas is Plural Gift Without Authority or Gender Restriction, Biblical Elders are Mature Believers Not Leaders With Power, Elders Have Qualifications Not Church Leadership, 1 Timothy 3:1-7 is Elders in Everyday Life Not a Church Board, Ephesus' Greek Myths And Paul's Rebuttals for Timothy, Artemis Worship vs. The Gospel In Ephesus, Paul's Modesty Advice Refutes Artemis Myths Not Church Rules, Titus 1:5-9 is Elders Supporting Titus' Faith Not Church Governance, 1 Peter 5:2-3 is Shepherds Watching Over Others Not Ruling Over Others, Persecuted Elders Encouraged to Continue Caring for Fellow Believers, Biblical Pastor is a Gift, Not A Role Of Power, No Biblical Basis For Pastor-Led Flocks Or Salaries, Christ Is the Chief Shepherd Not Human Leaders, All Members Of Christ's Body Are Equal And Necessary, God Honors Every Member Of His Body Equally, Christ Alone Is the Head Of The Church, Trust The Spirit Of Christ To Lead Not Human Authority Send Matt a text about this episode!Support the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

A new MP3 sermon from Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Day 2 Prayer Meeting Subtitle: The Day of Christ Is at Hand Speaker: Aik Wee Lek Broadcaster: Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church Event: Camp Meeting Date: 6/12/2024 Bible: Isaiah 24:1-23 Length: 67 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Day 1 Workshop 1 Family Worship Subtitle: The Day of Christ Is at Hand Speaker: Lucas Lek Broadcaster: Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 6/11/2024 Bible: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Psalm 78:1-11 Length: 51 min.

Welcome to Day 1 of Offer Week 2.0! In this first training of our 5-day intensive, we focus on Biblical mindset..... ....because THIS is where success begins. Strategy WON'T work without knowing Whose you are. Joy WON'T be your experience without an unwavering trust in Christ. Success simply WON'T happen without expecting that desired outcome. Listen as I go in-depth, with numerous references to Scripture (everything I do points back to what God said....His perfect Truth). Faith in Christ IS your superpower.  You need to understand that.You need to operate from that place.You need to spend time ruminating in God's exceedingly great and precious promises So you operate supernaturally. From a place of calm, confidence & certainty. In Christ, your success is inevitable! -------- SPECIAL ENROLLMENT INTO THE ACCELERATOR We are opening the doors to a very special enrollment of the Joyful 6 Figures Accelerator on Wed. June 5th (doors close Sun. June 9th).  (The Accelerator is a comprehensive business 'breakthrough' incubator - where women with service-based businesses develop their entrepreneurial skillset to hit their first $100K. A group container with significant, customized 1:1 touch.) JOIN BY JUNE 7th @ MIDNIGHT to receive TWO bonuses! 1 - Receive an additional 6 months inside (that's a full 12 months).  2 -Access to an exclusive LIVE coaching series with Judy: The Miraculous Results Quickstart: $10K in 90 days (or less) We will teach you how to decisively package your offer, confidently market your services AND peacefully sign clients. The strategies, frameworks & mindset you'll learn in this BONUS series has helped our clients earn 3-10x their investment quickly. Get ALL the details here: https://www.judyweber.co/accelerator   

Our Outline Today: "My Heart's Desire for Israel Is That They Be Saved, Part 2" Christ Is the End of the Law for Righteousness Sake to All That Believe The Word of Faith and His Righteousness Are All About Christ Risen Our Salvation Is Therefore All About Faith Alone Without Works of Law Saving Faith Must Attach to an Object and That is the Gospel Preached Next Time: But Israel Has Not Believed and Is Being Humbled By Gentiles

Christ Is... - Bro. Tommy Fike

1 Corinthians 15:17-19 NI VImplications if Christ is NOT raised• Faith has no power• You are still in your sins• The dead in Christ are lost• Christian life is pitiful and purposeless"I didn't become a Christian because God promised I would have an even happier life than I had as an atheist.  He never promised any such thing. Indeed, following him would inevitably bring divine demotions in the eyes of the world. Rather, I became a Christian because the evidence was so compelling that Jesus really is the one-and-only Son of God who proved his divinity by rising from the dead. That meant following him was the most rational and logical step I could possibly take.”    - Lee Strobel, Case for Christ 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 NIVImplications because Christ IS raised• Faith has power for today• Forgiveness is guaranteed• Dead in Christ are more aliveThe resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing!    - Frederick Buechner• Christian life is full of purpose

Today, we're discussing the recent social media controversy over the use of the phrase, "Christ is King," in the wake of Candace Owens' departure from the Daily Wire. Some have alleged the phrase can be used as an anti-Semitic dog whistle, while others say there's not reason to refuse to state the obvious truth that Christ IS king. We discuss whether there is any truth behind these claims, as well as the responses from Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing, Andrew Klavan, and Nick Fuentes. --- Timecodes: (01:05) Palm Sunday (04:12) Breakdown of controversy (13:50) Nick Fuentes & antisemitic meaning behind the phrase (26:12) Jeremy Boreing's response (28:54) Andrew Klavan's response (32:19) Non-Christian responses (36:00) The truth of "Christ is King" (47:37) Debate about Israel (57:51) Kate Middleton --- Today's Sponsors: Good Ranchers — Go to GoodRanchers.com and use code 'ALLIE' when you subscribe to get a FREE Easter ham and $25 off any box! Seven Weeks Coffee — Seven Weeks is a pro-life coffee company with a simple mission: DONATE 10% of every sale to pregnancy care centers across America. Get your organically farmed and pesticide-free coffee at sevenweekscoffee.com and let your coffee serve a greater purpose. Use the promo code 'ALLIE' to save 10% off your order. Jase Medical — get up to a year's worth of many of your prescription medications delivered in advance. Go to JaseMedical.com today and use promo code “ALLIE". Pre-Born — Will you help rescue babies' lives? Donate by calling #250 & say keyword 'BABY' or go to Preborn.com/ALLIE. --- Relevant Episodes: Ep 397 | Debunking Heretical Hot Takes on Jesus & Easter https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000515872541 Epp 966 | Where in the World is Kate Middleton? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-966-where-in-the-world-is-kate-middleton/id1359249098?i=1000648959055 Ep 970 | Katespiracy Update & Why You Can't Have It All | Guest: Leanne Jamieson https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-970-katespiracy-update-why-you-cant-have-it-all/id1359249098?i=1000649753748 Ep 953 | Andrew Tate is Wrong About Marriage | Guest: Dr. Brad Wilcox https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000645909138 Ep 840 | A Biblical Response to Andrew Tate https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000621556867 Ep 849 | Responding to Candace Owens & Andrew Tate | Guest: Jonathan Isaac https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000623215660 Ep 838 | Andrew Tate, Margot Robbie, & the Danger of the 'Red Pill' https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000621063039 --- Buy Allie's book, You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love: https://alliebethstuckey.com/book Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MSL- March 08, 2024--The Matt Slick Live -Live Broadcast of 03-08-2024- is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry -CARM-. Matt answers questions on topics like The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues- -You can also email questions to Matt using- info-carm.org, Put -Radio Show Question- in the Subject line- Answers will be discussed in a future show.-Topics Include---Another Debate Review of Open Theism--Scriptures on The Deity of Christ--Is our conscience Innate or Learned--The Rapture--Women in the Pulpit--MSL- March 08, 2024

Old Testament: Isaiah 9:2–7 Psalm: Psalm 96; antiphon: v. 2 Epistle: Titus 2:11–14 Gospel: Luke 2:1–14 Gospel: Luke 2:1–20 Introit: Psalm 2:1–2, 4–6; antiphon: Liturgical Text Gradual: Psalm 98:3b–4a, 2 Verse: Psalm 95:1a, 6b The Light of Christ Shines Forth in the Darkness   Heaven and earth rejoice on this night because the glory of the Triune God is manifested in the human birth of “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). In Him, the Father's grace, mercy and peace rest upon the world. The silence of death is broken by this “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). And all we who have gone astray like lost and wandering sheep, who have “walked in the darkness” of doubt and fear and sinful unbelief, behold “a great light” in the nativity of Christ (Is. 9:2). In Him “the grace of God has appeared” (Titus 2:11). For this Child of Mary who is born for us, this dear Son of God who is given to us, will bear the burden of our sin and death in His own body on the cross. He thereby establishes a government of peace, “with justice and with righteousness,” which shall have no end; not by any work of man, but “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Is. 9:7).

You feel different because you are different.  It's hard for you to do the things that other people do, the routines that other people have, because you're not other people.  You're not a people. So stop trying to be a people. Stop trying to fit in. Stop trying to keep up. You live this Christhood, and you be your own, you be His own,  and you'll lift everyone with you.  You'll bring everyone with you, but you're not focusing on them-- that's just the side effect.  You just chant and mind your business.  You feel love where you see yourself,  where you see others,  and you mind your business. You see your business, and you feel Love,  that's how you mind your business.  And the right actions happen, but really nothing is happening. And as long as you remember nothing is happening,  even while you are in action,  you won.  I Love You I Am You nik  To claim your free gift, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, screenshot it and send it to me at nikki@curlynikki.com!  Join us on Patreon to support the show, and tune into and participate in live video Q&As with me!  Support the show "Stop identifying with the world created by your mind, and a new world will open up for you."- Amma There's not a day that goes by that I don't say, "end game, cancel game, exit game"" -@farmerbill88 via IG "That Gurmukh unto whom the Lord becomes merciful, chants the Lord's Name, and wins the game of life." -Guru Ram Das Ji Herb Fitch, The Infinite Way Book Study on Kindle -- "You can't be a Republican and a Democrat at the same time. You can't be man and woman at the same time. You cannot be here and there at the same time. Because Christ is your Reality every moment spent in another identity is a life in unreality. Every moment not in Christ, not as The Conscious Christ realized is a moment that has no real exist-ence. And if there happens to be fifty years of such moments then it is fifty years of unreal existence. Again, where do you go to live in your Christhood? You don't. You shed the belief that you are something else. You start with you. You cannot behold Christ in anyone until you have started with you. You have Infinity to give and if you are withholding that Infinity from your experience, you cannot find it even for yourself. Now, if we were to make a full-time commitment to our own Christhood, it would run something like this: Your telephone rings, and you say, Hello this is Will or this is Frank, or this is Dorothy, and then the other person identifies himself and you have a little conversation. Now, at that moment you have been caught unprepared, and you have not witnessed The Christ of the one on the other side of the phone. They have caught you unprepared and they have caught you in a human consciousness. You are not living in Reality at that moment. Whatever you say to the one on the other side of that line, whatever they say to you, is valueless in the true creation. It is something that will pass, it is not Christ centered. And so one of the major lessons and the most difficult to learn is to be alert to Christ. So that, you are always in the Consciousness that where you are the Light of Christ Is, and that is all that is there. And further, that the Light of Christ is everywhere, Now. So that the first phone that rings in your house, when you pick up that phone to respond you must consciously know The Christ is always here and The Christ is all that is there. When you are willing to make this preparation, this alertness, then you are beginning your full-time commitment to Christ and you are really taking the Two Commandments seriously. You will find that the moment someone on the other end of the line says something you don't like, if you are in this conscious awareness, that only the Light of Christ can be present, something in you will recognize the Life on the other side of that line and literally give Life to that individual. You only give what is there. And then your full-time commitment in Christ as the recognition of The Christ of all those you encounter, whether visibly or on the phone or wherever or however, even writing a letter, becomes an experience in Christhood. And what comes back to you is your own commitment to Christ. As you give the life of Christ to all those in your relationships they give it right back to you." - Herb Fitch, The Infinite Way Book Study on Kindle   

Have you ever found yourself walking away from the mirror feeling unworthy, unacceptable or unlovable?So many strong Christian women are bombarded by thoughts of shame, guilt, and embarrassment from the enemy as they tear apart their flaws in the mirror. But I want you to know that this is NOT your only option.Unshakable body confidence and joy in Christ IS possible!However, in order to do battle with the lies in the mirror, you'll need a weapon…And in this episode of the HTS Podcast, you'll be getting just that- a spiritual weapon that you can use to combat the attacks of the enemy in just 3 simple steps.We'll also dive deeper to discover:Why being stuck in the body hate-shame spiral is robbing you of confidence & joyThe spiritual weapon you NEED to combat the lies of the enemy in the mirrorHow to truly see yourself as the loved, accepted & beautiful child of God you areSo if you're ready to find freedom from fixating on your flaws, so that you can finally see your body as fearfully and wonderfully made, then tune in now!

In view of both the 282nd anniversary of Edwards' preaching of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and our evangelism efforts, we consider the doctrine of the free offer of the gospel. We consider how one who believes in the Doctrines of Grace relays the gospel to the world. We ask and answer, how do the doctrines of reprobation and election factor in to preaching Christ-- Is it proper to invite souls to take Christ and offer Him to them-- Is the gospel to be offered freely to all and the invitation given to all without exclusion-- Do the reprobate have a warrant to believe the gospel-- Is the gospel to be preached in a manner that men are to turn from their sin before placing their faith in Christ-- These are some of the questions answered by Scripture and summarized by the doctrine of the Free Offer of the Gospel.

Today's blog and podcast is a guest post by Nick Campbell of Christ Is the Cure. I introduce the post and podcast with my own words then read his thoughts addressing the social media discussion asking whether women can teach other women theology. Quick take: the answer to the title's question and conclusion is YES. I wrote that- The Bible says of itself, "All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Limiting your sharing of His word with other women to just one or two verses is a rejection of God's proclamation of the usefulness of His own words. Guest Post by Nick Campbell, Republished with PermissionNick Campbell: Christ is the Cure. @CITC_orgWebpage: https://christisthecure.org/ The original thread can be found on Twitter here-https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1671155471150125059.html https://twitter.com/CITC_org/status/1671155471150125059

God is love. This is the best news. We see God's gracious and abounding love for the world, we see him loving the good and evil alike. Not that we are lovely or inherently lovable but that he has set his love upon us. He has decided to, and we see in Christ and the cross the extreme nature of this love - that he would be the redeeming God, but more than that, he has us call him Father, having made us His children.--Why do we love-- It is our nature to, and completely unnatural for us not to, because we are made in his image and he is love. Can we say in our distress, -Why don't you love me--- You bet we can. Holding onto our little store of love, jealousy guarding it and not letting any out, just in case we may run out.--But this is not how love works, His love is limitless and freely fills us constantly, as we love freely. Are we whole and right, blameless in His sight through Christ-- Is this our own doing, or has it come as a gift-- And is this a forever state of being-- Then we are free to love.

God is love. This is the best news. We see God's gracious and abounding love for the world, we see him loving the good and evil alike. Not that we are lovely or inherently lovable but that he has set his love upon us. He has decided to, and we see in Christ and the cross the extreme nature of this love - that he would be the redeeming God, but more than that, he has us call him Father, having made us His children.--Why do we love-- It is our nature to, and completely unnatural for us not to, because we are made in his image and he is love. Can we say in our distress, -Why don't you love me--- You bet we can. Holding onto our little store of love, jealousy guarding it and not letting any out, just in case we may run out.--But this is not how love works, His love is limitless and freely fills us constantly, as we love freely. Are we whole and right, blameless in His sight through Christ-- Is this our own doing, or has it come as a gift-- And is this a forever state of being-- Then we are free to love.

Philippians 3:8-11Rev. Erik Veerman4/9/2023Resurrection Hope in SufferingOur Easter sermon text is from the book of Philippians, chapter 3, verses 8-11. You will find that on page1166 in the provided Bibles.As a background, the book of Philippians was written by the apostle Paul. He wrote it to the church inPhilippi. Philippi was on the northern coast of the Agean Sea. That would place it in the northeast areaof modern-day Greece. About 10 years before writing this letter, Paul had planted a church in Philippi.That's where Lydia had come to faith. Also, while there, he had also been severely beaten and thenbriefly imprisoned. In fact, Paul likely wrote this letter from a prison – when he was in Caesarea.The reason I'm mentioning that is one theme in Philippians is joy in all circumstances. In the lead up toour verses this morning, Paul calls them to rejoice in the Lord. Then he lists all the temporary things thatused to give him status in the world, but which he gave up for Christ.Let's now read Philippians 3 verses 8-11It is our practice to stand for our sermon text, in reverence of God's Word. We would stand for all of ourScripture readings but that would be a lot of ups and downs. So, consider this representative of ourreverence for the Holy Scripture.Reading of Philippians 3:7-11PrayerI picked these verses this morning because they deal with suffering. Last week's massacre in Nashvillehas been difficult to process. Evil and tragedy are not new. We all know that. But when they strike closeto home, it prompts questions, and it weighs on hearts. The shootings occurred at a sister church andschool in our denomination.But if I could broaden it out, every month brings new suffering and pain, some caused by evil acts,others caused by natural disasters, as we call them, others by accidents or disease. Besides the shooting,in the last couple of weeks, several deadly tornadoes ripped through Mississippi and Missouri. InFebruary, a devastating earthquake killed tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria.And we ask why? Why cancer? Why murder? Why catastrophes and deadly accidents?A common question is this, “with all the evil and suffering in the world, does God even exist?”In philosophical circles, it's called the problem of evil. If the Christian God is so powerful and good, thenwhy would he allow evil and suffering in the world?That's an important question for all of us to consider. In countless surveys about religion over the last10-15 years, the problem of evil has been one of the top 3 arguments against Christianity or against theexistence of God in general. It's not new, of course. Every generation, every individual seeks an answer.This morning, I want to address the question of evil and suffering. And I want to use these verses inPhilippians 3 as a foundation. To be sure, we don't have time for a full answer to the question. However,these verses give us a perspective on life, on suffering, and on the world. And they particularly focus onthe resurrection of Christ as the ultimate answer to our suffering.My goal is not to leave you with a dry, disconnected response. No, rather, my hope is that you mightleave this morning with both an intellectual understanding of the Christian perspective on evil andsuffering as well as a personal grasp of what Jesus' resurrection means for you.That's the flow of how we'll work through this. First, a more academic response to suffering and evil butthen second, we'll traverse down to the personal. The evil and suffering in our own lives.The General Problem of EvilIf you were to boil down the “problem of evil” argument, it would be this:• The Christian God of the Bible is supposed to be a good and all-powerful God.• A morally good and all-powerful God would not allow suffering and evil to exist.• But evil does exist.• Therefore, Christianity cannot be true.• In summary, Christianity and evil cannot co-exist.Now, there are different paths we could go down in response. One of those could be the underlyingpresupposition in the argument that good and evil exist. But if they exist, there must be a higher moralbeing that defines good and evil. That's one path. I don't think that answer, even though it's true, gets tothe question of “why.”Another path could be the assumption about God's nature. Yes, it's true that Scripture speaks of God asgood, but that's only one of many aspects of God's nature of which the Bible speaks. That could beanother path to go down in response. Certainly, that would be a helpful discussion.But what I believe is the most helpful response is to understand how the Bible speaks of evil andsuffering. In other words, the perspective it gives on the presence of evil and suffering, and God'sresponse to evil and suffering. It's to look at the whole picture of the Christian worldview andunderstand how good and evil fit.If we just focus in on the existence of God or just consider the seeming disconnect between God'sgoodness and the presence of evil, then we're not really getting to the heart of the matter. We wouldn'tsee how evil and suffering fit in to the broader Biblical narrative, nor understand how suffering fits intothe Christian's life, now and in the future.Let's look at Philippians 3. These verses help by giving us a perspective on suffering. They do thatthrough an underlying understanding of the world and our situation, but also they give God's answer tosuffering and death.Let's consider three things here. Let me list them, and then we'll go through them as the intellectualresponse to evil:• First, the presence of suffering and death• Second, a perspective of reality beyond this world• And third, God's resolution to suffering and deathI'll restate each as we go through them.Again, number 1, the presence of suffering and death.Nowhere in the Bible is evil, suffering, and death minimized. These verses are a great example of that.The apostle Paul has experienced persecution, tragedy, and loss. In fact, at the point in his life when he'swriting this, he's been stoned, left for dead, and imprisoned multiple times, including his presentimprisonment. He bears many scars from being tortured. He speaks about his suffering, here, and healludes to his own future death. It's all very real.The presence of evil in the world goes all the way back to the beginning chapters of the Bible. Originallythe relationship between God and man was intimate and their communion was pure and untainted. Butthen sin and death entered the world. Mankind, through the first man and woman, Adam and Eve,broke communion with God by breaking his command. And from that point on, the whole worldchanged. Besides death, the corruption affected all of creation. The whole world groans, as the apostlePaul wrote in Romans 8.But from the very moment when sin, suffering, and death entered the world, God began his plan ofredemption. That plan is being worked out all the way to a future day when, as the book of Revelationtells us, there will be no more tears, no more suffering, no more evil, and no more death.What I'm saying is that central to the Christian message is the reality of suffering, evil, and death in theworld. They do not disprove Christianity or the Christian God. On the contrary, those hard realitiestestify to the reality of Christianity.Second. These verses in Philippians 3 give us a perspective that goes beyond this world - beyond thephysical world of time and space. Paul makes that clear in these verses. He considers his worldly pursuitsfor the sake of his fame worthless. They are all loss to him. That's what he says. Verse 8. Paul gave themup and suffered because of it. Why? Because there's something greater. There's something greater thanthis life. He speaks about it in verse 11 - a resurrection from the dead. It's an acknowledgement that thisworld and all the trappings of the world are temporary. Life is fragile and we die. That theme is veryconsistent throughout the Bible. The momentary afflictions of this world compared to the glory of thelife to come. The Bible speaks over and over about heaven and hell. About life beyond the grave. Abouta heavenly home. As Jesus said, “in my father's house are many rooms, I go there to prepare a place foryou.”The difficulty is that we live in the world now. We are bound by time and space. So when we think ofevil, we are naturally disposed to think within the box of our world. Of course, it can be verydiscouraging. Hope can be elusive as we see and experience the vanity of life. Yet the Scriptures speakclearly of a hope and peace that can be experienced now because of a future life where there is nosuffering. That's what the apostle Paul is referring to – a future resurrection to a new heavens and earth.One, as I mentioned earlier without the burden of evil.That brings us to the third intellectual response to the problem of evil. And that's God's resolution tosin, suffering, and death.The heart of God's response is the resurrection of Christ. It's why Paul says in verse 10 that he “mayknow [Christ] and the power of his resurrection.”The very hinge upon which all Christianity turns is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Why do wesay that? Because it's through the resurrection that God reversed the trajectory of sin and suffering anddeath. And God accomplished that great reversal not through a mere man, but through the God man,Christ Jesus. The fulness of God dwelling in the fulness of man. In fact, Christ is the one through whomGod created all things, in heaven and earth. That is clear in Scripture. Hebrews 1, Colossians 1, John1.Jesus subjected himself to torture and death at the hands of his very own creation in order to redeemhis very own creation.Did you hear that? God triumphed over evil through evil and suffering. In the book of Acts, which isabout the New Testament church, it says that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan andforeknowledge of God,” It says he was “crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” But then itsays, “God raised him up.” Through the resurrection, God triumphed over evil.And just to be sure, the resurrection of Jesus was not just the return of his body to the same physicalstate before his torture and death. No, it was a resurrection to a renewed imperishable body. A physicalbody which would last forever, a body through which even now he is ruling and reigning.This is the power of the resurrection. Sin, suffering, death, and evil have ultimately been dealt withthrough it. And through it, there is a guaranteed hope beyond the pain and miseries in this life.How so? Through his resurrection, Christ has secured an imperishable resurrected life for us - one withno pain or loss or fear or evil. Without the resurrection, there is no hope beyond this life. But, as we say,Christ IS risen. Many, many bore testimony to his resurrection.The death and resurrection of Christ is the Bible's resolution to the problem of evil.Let me recap the intellectual responses to suffering and evil:• First, evil and suffering are real. Christianity speaks very clearly into that reality, revealing thewicked heart of man and the effect of sin on all creation. Evil, sin, and suffering do not undermineChristianity, but rather testify to Christianity.• Second, the Bible speaks of life beyond our present fallen condition. We are not bound andtrapped in a corrupt world with no hope. There is life beyond this life. One that is incorruptible, freefrom all evil, and death.• And third, the resurrection is the means through which God has dealt with sin and suffering. It'sthe basis of our sure hope. That's why the resurrection is the pivot point in all of history. Through it, Godis and will make all things right and new.The Personal Problem of EvilIf I ended this sermon here, it would be lacking. It's one thing to talk about evil and sin and suffering, butit's another to experience it. Some of you know that suffering all too well.Amy can tell you, when we pray for our children, one of the things I pray for almost every time is for Godto protect them from evil. I think that's what made the Nashville tragedy particularly hard for me.Especially since the pastor of the church lost his 9-year-old daughter.You see, we cannot merely work through these hard questions in our minds. No, dealing with evil andsuffering is very personal.One thing is clear in Philippians 3. These matters were also very personal for the apostle Paul. Over andover, he talks about his own pursuits… about knowing Christ and attaining that resurrection life in him.Let me highlight what he says:• First in verse 8, he writes about “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.” (hesays)• Later in that verse, he writes about sacrificing in this life, why? He says “in order that I may gainChrist”• He continues that in verse 9, “and be found in him”• Verse 10, “that I may know him”• Then he says, “that I may share in Christ's suffering, becoming like him in his death”• And Paul concludes in verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection fromthe dead.”Let me note this. If you have been with us in our recent series through 1 John, you will be very familiarwith the word “know.” Verse 10. “that I may know him.” The original Greek goes way beyond ourmodern sensibilities. In English, the word “know” focuses on an intellectual understanding. We processinformation. We read words. Knowledge to us today is categorizing and knowing information. Being ableto recall the information and analyze it.But knowledge of something or someone in the world of the New Testament times goes far deeper. Tobe sure, it includes a head knowledge, that we talked about, but it also comes with an intimate personalheart-felt belief. Truly knowing Christ. Not just knowing of him, but communing with himThat kind of intimate knowledge of Jesus is not optional. Paul is implying in these verses that we cannotmerely assent to Christianity's answers to sin and suffering. We can't just say that it sounds good, or justsay that its answers to evil align with the reality around us.Rather, in order to have the hope of the resurrection in your sufferings and death, you have to know theOne who suffered and died.To say it in another way, the power of the resurrection for you only comes through knowing Christ.“Knowing” in the full Greek sense of verse 10.And the way you know Christ is answered in verse 9. It's through faith in him. It's recognizing, as it says,that you cannot have a righteousness of your own, but rather you need Christ's righteousness.Let me put it in the terms that we've been talking about today. You cannot save yourself from evil, fromsuffering, or from death. Suffering itself does not save you. You cannot resurrect yourself. Rather, thereis only One who can… the One who himself triumphed over evil, and sin and death. To triumph with himrequires faith in him.And when you come to know him, and the power of his resurrection, then you will share in his sufferingand his death and will share in his resurrection. That is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Christianfaith. In our grief, in the evil we experience, and in our death, in all those things, we share in Christ'ssuffering and death. When you know Christ, he ministers to you in those sufferings… because he hasgone before you in them and has triumphed over them. Your hope for a future resurrection is found inthe power of his resurrection.It doesn't take away the tears, the suffering, or the evil in this world now, but if you come to know himand the power of his resurrection, then you will have that immoveable rock upon which to stand. Andyou will have that future resurrection hope knowing that you will triumph in him.A couple of weeks before his daughter was killed, pastor Chad Scruggs was preaching on Jesus raisingLazarus. The profound moment in that story was when Jesus wept. Jesus knew that he was about toraise Lazarus, yet he wept. Pastor Scruggs said these words as he preached, “Do you see that a strongconfidence in the end of the story does not undo or justify the absence of grief in the middle. A maturefaith adds its tears to the sadness in our world. Jesus says blessed are those who mourn… all the whilenot losing confidence how that sadness will eventually be overcome in him.”Following the passing of his daughter, Pastor Scruggs lived out that belief. He wrote, "Through tears wetrust that she is in the arms of Jesus who will raise her to life once again."I don't know how each of you deal with the presence of evil, sin, and suffering in the world… or itspresence in your own life.On an intellectual level, if the problem of evil trips you up as you consider Christianity, know this: theBible is not silent. Rather, evil and suffering's very presence is why Christ came and it's why Jesus' deathand resurrect is the linchpin of Christianity.On a personal level, each of us experiences the corruption of the world and the heart of man, includingour own hearts. At times, it will be very painful and sad. In those moments, hope in three things.• First, God has, himself, experienced pain and evil. God the Father gave up his son to suffer anddie. And the Son of God, Jesus, endured the evil of this world. We're invited to share in his suffering.• A second hope - this world is not all there is. One day, evil, sin, and suffering will all come to anend.• Third, through the resurrection, God triumphed over evil. If you know Christ and the power ofhis resurrection, you will share in Jesus' triumph… along with your family and friends who also know andbelieve in Christ.May we each have the same heart and mind as the apostle Paul: faith in the risen Lord. May we have hissame confidence, comfort, and hope. If you do not know the resurrected Christ, may today be the daythat you come to know his comfort and hope.Prayer

Should you give to your church-- Should we focus on giving to the church organization today-- What about giving to the Body of Christ---Is it God-honoring to give-- Is it a sin not to give. To get a precise answer to these questions, please listen to -Worshipping by Giving- taught by our Pastor Jamie.

As God's children, we are called to live in love. What does that mean? Today, let's study together the apostle Paul's words to the Ephesians as we learn to love like Jesus. (Ephesians 5:1-14)   *****   Welcome to Walking in the Word, a Women World Leaders' podcast – I'm Julie Jenkins, and I am excited you have joined us today! Our prayer is that through this trio of podcasts, your intimacy with God will grow and your love for one another will flourish, enabling you to live out a courageous purpose driven life, fueled by the Word, led by the Spirit, and propelled forward into your God given destiny through fearless faith! This is our Wednesday edition of the Women World Leaders' podcast – Walking in the Word – where we study the Bible as we pray that God will show us how it applies to our lives today. Today, we are going to take a step into Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 1-14. Let me begin by praying for us… Dear Heavenly Father – today I thank you for your wisdom. You never fail to guide us and lead us in the path we should go. Your light always shines bright, leading us to a path that is perfect and is beyond our wildest imaginations. I ask you to shine that light right now – give us the wisdom that only you can provide as we walk through this passage together and as we carry this Word in our hearts all day. We praise you and thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen. I invite you to sit back and listen as I read Ephesians 5:1-14, from the New Living Translation… Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don't participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper,     rise up from the dead,     and Christ will give you light.”     This section of scripture is taken from Paul's letter to the Ephesians. He is writing to them about unity in the body of Christ – and he is reminding us that we who are now Christians, are held to a higher standard of living than that which was expected of us before we were followers of Christ. Now, we are called to be GOD'S people – which looks VERY different than being the world's people. Because holding ourselves to this standard doesn't come naturally, Paul provides instruction as to how we can take steps to look more like Christ. And looking like Christ IS the ultimate goal of the Christian – both in Paul's day and today. First, Paul says, imitate God! I love this! I can remember growing up and getting SO frustrated when someone else would copy my ideas – and my mom always told me, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The word imitation means the action of using someone or something as a model. Ooo – I like that word picture! Still – when we think of imitations, we can have mixed feelings. An imitation diamond certainly isn't as nice as a real diamond – unless, perhaps, you are the one paying for it! But in this case, imitation is good – because our God is perfect in holiness, and being holy is what we long for. So Paul ENCOURAGES us to imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Notice the order – we are NOT God's children BECAUSE we imitate Him, but we imitate Him because we are His children. And as His children with the Holy Spirit living in us, we have a front row seat to WHO God is – and His goodness and light draw us, and create a desire in US for goodness and light. Have you ever seen a child doing everything he our she can to look like mom or dad? Maybe it's a young child trying on high heels and lipstick like mom, or wanting to wear a tie like dad. As children grow, they see deeper into the souls of their parents, and often their longing to be like them grows deeper, too. Perhaps the daughter, as she grows, wants to reach out and help others like her mom, or to become as generous as his dad. When we first confess our belief in Christ and give ourselves to Him, we may WANT to look like God, but often at that point we can only see God and His attributes from the surface. As we grow and mature in our Christian walk, and God opens our vision more and more as we study him from our front row seats, we long to be like God on a deeper and deeper level. One of the deepest wells in God's being is His unfathomable love. Paul tells us to imitate God by living a life of love. God loves YOU! Jesus loves you so much that He offered HIMSELF as a sacrifice for YOU. Do you realize that Jesus could have called on THOUSANDS of angels to whisk Him away from the Garden of Gethsemane, to lift the cross He carried off His shoulders, and to usher Him down from the cross in glory? Just one utterance from Jesus' mouth would have kept Him from the pain and humiliation He endured at the end of His physical life here on earth. But instead, when Jesus was in the Garden being arrested, He went willingly. He endured insults and jokes made on his behalf. He stood resolutely while people spit in his face repeatedly. He allowed his body to be beaten to within an inch of death. He withstood emotional humiliation as he was tied up and led like cattle from one leader to another – all claiming Jesus' GUILT, but no one quite agreeing what he was guilty of. Jesus resolutely carried His cross for YOU, even when He could barely walk. And then He allowed Himself to be killed and experienced separation from God so you and I will never have to. Jesus did this all out of His love for us. How in the world do we imitate THAT? We can't imitate WHAT Jesus did – and we aren't called to. But we can and should remember WHY Jesus suffered and endured for us – because He LOVES us. And by seeking to respond with LOVE for others…the Holy Spirit will guide us into the path He has for each of us. 1 Peter 4:8 teaches us “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” Our love for others is our response to, and a reflection of, God's love for us. Perhaps as you are listening, the Holy Spirit is convicting you – and you immediately KNOW where and how you can love better. If you are getting a message from the Holy Spirit now, I encourage you to turn off this podcast and tune into Him, resolutely determined to follow His will. For those of you still with me…allow me to continue… because Paul continues, giving us instructions as to what love looks like… 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. We live in a society where sexual immorality, impurity, and greed are – at the very minimum, widely accepted. But there is nothing loving or godly about any of these actions or desires. Sexual immorality and impurity are sins that harm others deeply and create ripple effects of pain. The hard truth is we never know how far-reaching the effects of our sin will be. And greed, wanting more and more, threatens to undo our love for others, causing jealousy and hurt! We don't need to have feelings of greed simply because our God is perfect – and as such, He is the perfect giver of all good gifts! He knows exactly what we need, and we can trust His perfect provision. Freeing ourselves from our greedy desires makes room in our hearts for love to grow.   Paul continues…saying stay away from obscene stories, foolish talk and course jokes. In other words…use positive, uplifting words! God is pure, and to look like Him, our stories, speech and jokes should be pure as well. Paul says, if you don't know where to begin, begin with giving God thanks – what a great way to use our words! The next verse, verse 5, may be a bit of a conundrum for some, it says:  5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. To understand this verse, we need to follow two guidelines to studying the Bible: First, always interpret Scripture WITH Scripture, knowing that the Bible will never contradict itself. And second, always evaluate the meaning of scripture based on the original intended audience. So first…what does OTHER scripture say about this topic? We are taught in many places throughout the Bible that God's forgiveness, when we give our lives to him, is complete and everlasting. 1 John 1:9 says “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” And Romans 8:16 and 17 says “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs.” – so how do we reconcile that THIS verse seems to say that if we are immoral, impure or greedy, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Let's look at our 2nd guideline – what did this mean for the original, intended audience? This letter was written to the Ephesians, and some of them were arguing that believers could live in sin and get away with it – that since God offers the Christian grace, it doesn't matter what we do, we will always be forgiven. Paul is responding to this claim, saying this is not so! He states that a TRUE Christian WILL be struck with the desire to WANT to be like and follow God – just like the child who idolizes his or her parent and wants to, at a very basic level, BE like them by dressing like them, so the true Christian WANTS to be like God. So, Paul is not saying that sin breaks the Christian's eternal bond with God, but unchecked sin may be a sign that the individual has not given his or her life to Christ in the first place.  As Christians, we WILL still sin, but as we mature in our Christianity and yield to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we WILL want to sin LESS. Paul explains further… 6 Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Child of God – our Father WANTS you to be like Him – and the overriding way that we can be like Him is to love. When we give our lives to Christ, we are infused with the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives us His light so that we can see more clearly what God's love looks like. He gives us eyes to see Him more deeply each and every day that we walk with Him. And, the more we know, the more He holds us accountable. Like the parent who expects GREAT things from her child because she knows that God has created her to make an impact on the world, God has created you to make an impact by reflecting His love and light to a hurting and broken world. God wants YOU to be part of the solution – He has a job for you! So, in Paul's words… 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.  “Awake, O sleeper,     rise up from the dead,     and Christ will give you light.” Let's pray… Dear Father God – we WANT to look like you! We want to walk in your ways and shine your light in this ever-darkening world. As we walk today, help us put our own agendas aside, and instead walk by YOUR agenda. When we are persecuted, give us the grace to show love. When we see evil, let us speak the truth in love. When we see injustice, give us wisdom to react as you would have us react. Thank you for calling us your dearly loved children. Let us never forget that that is the most important title that we hold. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Introit: Ps. 2:1-2, 4-6; antiphon: liturgical text Gradual: Ps. 98:3b, 4a, 2 Old Testament: Is. 9:2-7 Psalm 96 (antiphon: v. 2)rEpistle: Titus 2:11-14 ProperVerse: Ps. 95:1a, 6b Gospel: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) The Light of Christ Shines Forth in the Darkness Heaven and earth rejoice on this night because the glory of the Triune God is manifested in the human birth of "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). In Him, the Father's grace, mercy and peace rest upon the world. The silence of death is broken by this "good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). And all we who have gone astray like lost and wandering sheep, who have "walked in the darkness" of doubt and fear and sinful unbelief, behold "a great light" in the nativity of Christ (Is. 9:2). In Him "the grace of God has appeared" (Titus 2:11). For this Child of Mary who is born for us, this dear Son of God who is given to us, will bear the burden of our sin and death in His own body on the cross. He thereby establishes a government of peace, "with justice and with righteousness," which shall have no end; not by any work of man, but "the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this" (Is. 9:7).

A new MP3 sermon from McDonald Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Fear Not, Christ Is with You! Subtitle: Revelation Speaker: Grover Gunn Broadcaster: McDonald Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 9/25/2022 Bible: Revelation 1:9-20 Length: 37 min.

Paul Robson is the Co-Founder and Leader of the European men's work organization Maniphesto, which hosts a podcast, men's coaching, and men's events. I've spoken with him twice on his podcast, and I got the sense that beneath our American vs. European cultural differences, we'd find common ground. Because as I've discovered, Americans and Europeans are mirror images of each other. American externalize what is internal to Europeans, and vice versa. In that, we have a great deal to share with each other, and also a great deal to learn. In our conversation Paul and I discussed: His story from Burning Man and New Age practice to Jordan Peterson and Christianity Mastering your attention The difference between efficiency and happiness The modern separation between the head and the body The path of the monk vs. the path of marriage The core of reality being driven by story And finally, how the story of Christ IS the cosmic story for all. As I think you'll hear, through the art of speaking and listening, we as men can find the healing, transformative, and mutually-binding truths we're searching for. WATCH THIS EPISODE AND CLIPS ON YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/qS-3MkvgKlA https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRenaissanceOfMen MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST Army of Lovers - "I'm Crucified" Pop is Porn - ReWire the West Deeper Heaven - Christiana Hale Maniphesto Daily Journaling Practice Finding Your Ur-Father Justin Martyr Letter to Emperor CONNECT WITH PAUL AND MANIPHESTO https://maniphesto.com/ Spotify Podcast https://www.instagram.com/maniphestomen/ SPONSOR: The Renaissance of Men Coaching and Group If you feel a call unheeded in your life, I understand. I was once the same. I would have waited forever for life to come to me, but instead I made the choice to live. I made that choice in the company of men. I'm starting a new online men's group, "The Forum." And I have spaces opening in my Men's Renaissance coaching program. THERE IS MORE IN YOU. Email info@renofmen.com to find out what THE RENAISSANCE OF MEN https://www.renofmen.com https://www.instagram.com/renofmen/ https://twitter.com/renofmen https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRenaissanceOfMen

Throughout the letter to the Colossians, Paul is stating the most radical thing that could happen to a human being. He challenges our modern, materialistic, scientific conditioning with the claims of Christ and his rescue plan for the cosmos. Just a few statements to provide context. 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). 1:16 For by him [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (1:16-20). What could read like an epic fantasy, through faith becomes the power of God unto salvation. The Gospel of Jesus Christ addresses our deepest needs and longings and speaks to the disorder of creation and our passions, the problem of evil in the world, and the mystery of origins. And Paul is saying to the church at Colossae and to us this morning that what is true of Christ IS true of us. HOW IS THIS SO? If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Fellow risen ones, last week we looked back in 2:11-12 to understand Paul's bold statement, since you have been raised with Christ… What resurrection is he referring to? 2:11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. What is true of him is true of us. “You may not feel like it. Learning to believe what doesn't at the moment feel true is an essential part of being a Christian… This is what the life of faith is all about.” N.T. Wright, Paul, for Everyone, the Prison Letters, p. 175.

Today, we read CCC, 659 - 682 which discusses some wild things - the "end times", the "Anti-Christ", "the "final coming" of the "glorious Messiah"... As we've discussed before, life with Christ IS wild and dramatic, but it is ALSO simple and mundane. There will be a decisive moment after which there are no more moments of choosing; however, the decisive moments come to us one at a time, day by day. The Church is not being a Drama Mama - she simply reminds us that those daily choices are important and will, in fact, one day end.

Outline PowerPoint The post Colossians 2:16-23 – “Christ IS the REALITY” appeared first on Open Door Bible Church.

Sermon Title- Christ the Door--Outline- -1. Christ Is the Only Way In-2. Any Other Way Is Death-3. Christ is Abundant Life

Sermon Title- Christ the Door--Outline- -1. Christ Is the Only Way In-2. Any Other Way Is Death-3. Christ is Abundant Life

Nothing Else MattersBy Tammy Lacock “Yeah doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ: my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung so that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:8) Warren Litzman begins this week's podcast with One Baptism, one of several main points Apostle Paul reveals in his “excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ.” Warren explains that there is only one baptism for the believer. That is, being fully immersed in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Completely immersed as one body of believers in Him. Paul goes on to say that we were made for just this, for all believers to be baptized, fully immersed, into Christ. We are brought back to Him through this baptism, no longer of water but of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit into Christ supersedes any water baptism. This is the only baptism we need. And we need only to believe. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13, KJV) What a glorious gift! By just believing, we are now one in Him. He becomes and is our new life, even as we walk our daily lives. To the ongoing believer, this is where our love affair with Him grows. This is where we begin to truly understand Him as Savior. This is where our minds begin to renew as we learn more of Him and our new life in Him. Paul tells us that once we believe, we are an entirely new creation. Our old lives, our histories, are dead. Christ IS our new life and it's now time to get to know Him. It becomes a personal relationship now that we understand there is no separation between us and Him. He's our life!

[Theme song not included, all music on this episode by Andy Squyres]“Joey Svendsen here.  This is a conversation for the ages for me and the epitome of where I'm at in how I view my faith, God and my church .  May we all accept the freedom from our arrogance.  May we strive to progress in our love."Musician/song-writer Andy Squyres discusses with Joey the following post he made on his Instagram:  The good news of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is always given by people who only partially understand it, and it is received by people who probably know a little less.  The preaching of the Gospel is the active work of displaying our partial understanding (or misunderstanding) of God to those who also have only a partial understanding. There is no systematic theology or statement of belief which provides ultimate understanding of God. It is not impossible to understand the Gospel, but it is never accurate to claim to have all understanding of it.  All communication of Christ IS the communication of our limited understanding of him.  Or in other words, it is the bold proclamation of our misunderstanding.The communication of the Gospel, whether by word or deed, can in no way happen perfectlybecause the God story can only come through imperfect vessels with limited understanding. This is the brilliance of God and is a testimony to his reliance on patient love rather than on control.  His good news always travels by imperfect means and yet it never stops producing peace.  This isn't to say that all presentations of the gospel are on equal footing or that we should never wrestle through theological systems of thought.  We should always seek the face of Christ in order to see him better.  But we can trust that God's grace is sufficient at the point of our limited understanding and we can rely on the fact that he is the author and finisher of our faith.  So who is the preacher you don't like?  What is the church, mega church, denomination that you have proclaimed judgement upon? I have my list.  I am guilty of holding court in my mind and pronouncing guilty verdicts on many different communities of faith who have come to different conclusions that I have.  This is arrogance which came to set us free from.  In the Church, we are witnessing a massive “leaving church” movement and I can actually see the justification for it, but I worry that there is no place to go.  Because here is the actual truth: hypocrisy abounds EVERYWHERE.  There is no human community that has eradicated hypocrisy from its midst.  Progress in love is our only aim. Andy Squyres:https://twitter.com/andysquyreshttps://andysquyres.com/https://www.instagram.com/andysquyresJoey/PWNA Instagram:  www.instagram.com/joeysvendsenCurrent DonorSee giving opportunity: https://donorsee.com/pwnahelpsSupport Us:Join us as a patron! https://www.patreon.com/pwnapodor leave a Venmo tip right @  https://venmo.com/joey-svendsenJoin the discussion:https://www.facebook.com/groups/PWNAtalkTheme song courtesy of Derek Minor:  http://www.derekminor.comSupport the show

Mother Miriam Live - March 16, 2021 Mother tackles the issues of the Catholic perspective on: Are damaged Rosaries still effective? Is artificial impregnation a good or bad thing? How serious does the church take Lenten promises? If Mary had said no to God, would she have been a sinner? Is it okay for Catholics to attend a Protestant funeral? Is failing to touch the ground while genuflecting a sin if caused by physical limitations? Silent vs verbal prayer Bringing Jewish friends into Communion with Christ Is it right for a young child to receive communion and confirmation at the same time?  

Topic – Bounce Back PLAYLIST Derek Minor – Clean Ty Brassel – Destiny K-Drama – That's a Lie A.I. ft B. Angelique – Grwn Woman Mike Teezy – Computer Love  Mitch Williams – Stayed With Me Alphein & Christ Is […]

His passion must be our passion. His mission must be our mission. We discuss what truly dying to our flesh and embracing the mission of Christ Is.