Podcasts about christian podcast

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael A. Youssef reveals the key to freedom whatever your circumstances.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Looking Up When Life's Got You Down, Part 1: LISTEN NOWFOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTFor those who feel battle-worn—disheartened by society's moral decline, burdened for their children and grandchildren, weary from fighting the same battles—Dr. Michael A. Youssef's NEW book Winning the Invisible Waroffers timely hope. Speaking directly to those wondering if evil is winning, Dr. Youssef assures us although the war isn't over, victory is already secured in Christ. With Biblical clarity and pastoral compassion, he reminds readers that we can stand strong—not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. Pre-order your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through November 10, 2025.

What does the Bible really say about demons, witchcraft, and the occult?In this powerful episode of Behind the Mike Podcast with Mike Stone, we go beyond Hollywood myths and cultural trends to expose the real spiritual battle happening all around us.You'll learn:• Where demons come from — and what they're actually capable of• Why “harmless” occult practices like astrology, crystals, and manifestation are more dangerous than they appear• How Satan disguises himself as “light” to deceive the world• Biblical stories that reveal the truth about demonic influence and possession• How believers can find freedom and stand firm in Christ's authorityWhether you've dabbled in occult practices or simply want to understand what's happening in our culture, this episode will equip you with truth, courage, and discernment.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael A. Youssef challenges us to consider the object of our confidence.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon series It's Contagious . . . Pass It On: LISTEN NOWFOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTFor those who feel battle-worn—disheartened by society's moral decline, burdened for their children and grandchildren, weary from fighting the same battles—Dr. Michael A. Youssef's NEW book Winning the Invisible Waroffers timely hope. Speaking directly to those wondering if evil is winning, Dr. Youssef assures us although the war isn't over, victory is already secured in Christ. With Biblical clarity and pastoral compassion, he reminds readers that we can stand strong—not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. Pre-order your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through November 10, 2025

In this profound episode of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb delve deeply into the Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30), exploring its implications for Christian assurance. Building on their previous discussion, they examine how this parable speaks to the mixed nature of the visible church, the sovereignty of Christ over His kingdom, and most significantly, the doctrine of assurance. Through careful theological reflection, the hosts unpack how true believers can find solid ground for assurance not in their own works or fruit-checking, but in the promises of Christ and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. This episode offers both encouragement for those struggling with doubts and a sobering challenge to those resting in false assurance. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Tares teaches that the visible church will be mixed until the final judgment, containing both true believers (wheat) and false professors (tares) who may appear outwardly similar. True assurance is not based primarily on good works but on the promises of Christ, the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, and the evidences of grace in our lives. False assurance is a real danger, as many who think they belong to Christ will discover at the final judgment that they never truly knew Him. The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18) provides a helpful framework for understanding biblical assurance as the proper possession of every Christian. Christ's role as the divine Master of the house (the world) and Lord of the angels is subtly yet powerfully affirmed in this parable, grounding our assurance in His sovereignty. Good works are the fruit of assurance, not its cause—when we are secure in our salvation, we are freed to serve Christ joyfully rather than anxiously trying to earn assurance. The final judgment will bring perfect clarity, revealing what was hidden and separating the wheat from the tares with divine precision that humans cannot achieve now. The Doctrine of Assurance: Reformed Understanding The Reformed tradition has always emphasized that believers can and should have assurance of their salvation—a conviction recovered during the Reformation in contrast to Rome's teaching. As Tony noted when reading from the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18), this assurance is "not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation." This assurance rests on three pillars: the promises of God in Scripture, the inward evidence of grace, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit witnessing with our spirit. What makes this understanding particularly comforting is that it shifts the foundation of assurance away from our performance to God's faithfulness. While self-examination has its place, the Reformed understanding recognizes that looking too intensely at our own hearts and works can lead either to despair or to false confidence. Instead, we're directed to look primarily to Christ and His finished work, finding in Him the anchor for our souls. The Problem of False Assurance One of the most sobering aspects of the Parable of the Tares is its implicit warning about false assurance. Just as the tares resemble wheat until maturity reveals their true nature, many professing Christians may outwardly appear to belong to Christ while inwardly remaining unregenerate. As Jesse observed, "The tares typically live under false assurance. They may attend church, confess belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical, it's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual." This echoes Jesus' warning in Matthew 7 that many will say to Him, "Lord, Lord," but will hear the devastating response, "I never knew you." The parable teaches us that this self-deception is not always conscious hypocrisy but often the result of spiritual blindness. As Jesse noted, referencing Romans 1, Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 2, the unregenerate are "not merely ignorant, they're blinded... to the spiritual truth by nature and by Satan." This understanding should prompt humble self-examination while simultaneously driving us to depend not on our own discernment but on Christ's perfect knowledge and saving work. Memorable Quotes "Assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions." - Thomas Brooks, quoted by Jesse Schwamb "When we are confessing, repenting, seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ, then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance." - Jesse Schwamb "The sacrifice and the service that a husband performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him, that is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it." - Tony Arsenal on how good works flow from assurance rather than cause it Resources Mentioned Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 7:21-23, Romans 1, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 2, 2 Timothy 3:5 Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter 18 "Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation" Thomas Brooks: "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" YouTube Channel: My Wild Backyard Khan Academy: Educational resource recommended during "Affirmations and Denials" segment Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 466 of the Reform the Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. We're going back to the farm again. Can't stop. Won't stop. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I'm stoked. [00:01:02] Discussion on the Parable of the Tears Tony Arsenal: The last week's discussion was interesting and I think, um, it's gonna be nice to sort of round it out and talk about some things you might not think about, uh, when you first read this parable. So I'm, I'm pretty excited. Jesse Schwamb: Oh, what a tease that is. So if you're wondering what Tony's talking about, we're hanging out. In Matthew 13, we are just really enjoying these teachings of Jesus. And they are shocking and they're challenging, and they're encouraging, and they're awesome, of course. And so we're gonna be finishing out the Parable of the Tears and you need to go back and listen to the previous conversation. This, this is all set up because we have some unfinished business. We didn't talk about the eschatological implications. We have this really big this, this matza ball hanging over us. So to speak, which was the, do the TAs in this parable even know that they are tarry, that they are the TAs? And so in this parable, the disciples learn that the kingdom itself, God's kingdom, the kingdom that Jesus is enumerating and explaining and bringing into being, they are learning that it's gonna be mixed in character. So that's correcting this expectation that the kingdom would be perfectly pure and would have, would evolve righteous rule over all of the unrighteous world. And so it's a little bit shocking that Jesus says, listen, they're gonna be. Tears within the wheats that is in the world, the seed that God himself, the sun has planted and that they're gonna exist side by side for a long time. And so we, they have to wait patiently and give ourselves to building up the wheats as the sons of the kingdom and be careful in their judgment, not to harm those who are believers. We covered a lot of that last week, but left so much unsaid we couldn't even fit it in. This is gonna be jam packed, so I'm gonna stop giving the tees instead start moving us into affirmations and denials. [00:02:45] Affirmations and Denials Jesse Schwamb: It's of course that time in our conversation where we either affirm with something really like or we think is undervalued or we deny against something that we don't really like or is a little overvalued. So as I usually say to you, Tony, what have you got for us? [00:03:00] YouTube Channel Recommendation: My Wild Backyard Tony Arsenal: I am affirming a YouTube channel. Um, I, I think the algorithm goes through these cycles where it wants me to learn about bugs and things because I get Okay, like videos about bugs. And so I'm, I'm interested. There's been this, uh, channel that's been coming up on my algorithm lately called My Wild Backyard, and it, it's a guy, he's like an entomologist. He seems like a, a like a legit academic, but what he does is he basically goes through and he talks about different bugs, creepy crawlies, looks at like snakes, all that kinds of stuff. It seems like his wheelhouse is the stuff that can kill you or hurt you pretty bad. Nice. But, um, it's interesting and it's. It's good educational content. It's, you know, it's not sensationalized, it's not, uh, it's not dramatized. Um, it's very real. There's occasionally an instance where he, he's not, sometimes he will intentionally get bit or stung by an, uh, by an animal to show you what it does. So he can experience and explain what he's experiencing. And sometimes he just accidentally gets bit or stung. And so those are some of the most interesting ones. So like, for example, just looking at his, his channel, his most recent, um, his most recent video is called The most venomous Desert Creatures in the US ranked the one previous was. The world's most terrifying arachni isn't a spider. And then previous to that was what happens if a giant centipede bites you? So it's interesting stuff. If you are one of those people that likes bugs and likes creepy crawlies and things, um, this is definitely the channel for you if you're not one of those people. I actually think this probably is the channel for you too. 'cause it kind of demystifies a lot of this stuff. Um. You know, for example, he, he will commonly point out that, um, spiders don't wanna bite you and they just wanna leave you alone. And, and as long as you leave them alone, even, even something like a black widow, which people are terrified of, and I think, right, rightfully so. I mean, they can be scary. Those can be scary bites. He'll, he'll handle those, no problem. And as long as he's not like putting downward pressure on them, uh, they have no interest in biting, they really just want to get away. So even seeing that kind of stuff, I think can help demystify and, and sort of, uh, make it a little bit easier. So my Wild Backyard, he can find it on YouTube. Um, he's safe for kids. He's not, he's not cussing even. I mean, I think occasionally when he gets bit on accident, you might, you know, you might have a beep here or there, but, um, he's not, he's not regularly swearing or things like that. And he does a pretty good job of adding that stuff out. Jesse Schwamb: What a great title for that, isn't it? This, yeah. Confluence of your backyard. That space that seems domesticated is also stealing its own. Right. Wild. And there's a be Yeah. Both those things coming together. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It, it's interesting stuff and it's really good. I mean, it's really compelling videography. He does a good job of taking good photos. You'll see insects that you usually won't see, or spiders you usually won't see. Um, so yeah, it's cool. Check it out. [00:05:51] Discussion on Spiders and Creepy Crawlies Jesse Schwamb: What are you, uh, yeah, I myself would like to become more comfortable with the arachni variety. If only be, I mean, I don't know. It's, it's a weird creature, so my instinct is to be like, kill them all. And then if I can't find them and I know they're around, then we just burn everything that we own. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: They just can't sink into the ground fast enough. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. There's something about the way they move, like their, their bodies don't move the way you would anticipate them to. Right. And it freaks, it just weirds out human sensibilities, so. Right. Jesse Schwamb: They're also like, I find them to be very surprising. Often. It's not kind of a, a very like, kind of measured welcome into your life. It's like you just go to get in the shower and there's a giant spider. Yeah. Oh yeah. Although I guess that spider, he's, he or she's probably like, whoa, where'd you come from? You know, like, yeah. He's like, I was just taking a Tony Arsenal: shower. You know what's interesting? Um, I saw another video was on a different channel, um, like common jumping spiders. Yeah. Which there are like hundreds of species of common jumping spiders. Jesse Schwamb: True. Tony Arsenal: Um, but spiders and jumping spiders specifically, actually you can form almost like a pet bond with, so like the, that jumping spider that like lives in your house and sees you every day. He, he probably knows who you are and is like, comfortable with you. And they've done studies that like you can actually domesticate jumping spiders, so they're not as foreign and alien as you might think. Although they certainly do look a little bit strange and weird. And the way their bodies move is almost designed to weird out people like it just the skinness, like the way their legs skitter and move it, it just is, it's, it triggers something very primal in us to That's wild. Be weirded out by it. Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: It's wild. I love it. That's a good, a affirmation. I'm definitely gonna check that out. I, any, anything? I really want to know what the, what like the terrifying arachni is. That's not a spider. Tony Arsenal: It's a, well, it's called a camel spider, but it's not really a spider. Oh, Jesse Schwamb: I know what you're talking about. That is kind of terrifying. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. They, they actually don't have any venom. Um, yeah. Check out the video. I mean, it, it was a good video. Um, but yeah, they're freaky looking and, um, but even that, like he was handling it No problem. Yeah. Like it wasn't, it wasn't aggressive with him once Wow. Once it figured out it wasn't, he wasn't trying to hurt him and, and that it couldn't eat him. Um, it, it just sort of like hung out until he let it go. So Jesse Schwamb: yeah, just be careful if you watch it one before bed or while in bed. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Probably not right before bed. Yeah. You'll, you'll get the creepy crawlies all night. Jesse Schwamb: I love it. But there's something somewhat. Like invigorating about that isn't there? Like it's, it's kind of a natural, just like kind of holy respect for the world that God has created, that they're these features that are so different, so wild, so interesting and a little bit frightening, but in the sense that we just draw off from them because they're so different than what we are. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And you know, again, there's places you would be happy to see them, but maybe your bathtub or like shooting out, like, you know, like where you live, the jumping spiders are legit and they will just pop out on you, you know? Yeah. You're just doing your own thing and then all of a sudden they're popping out. I think part of that is just that what, what gets me is like them just, you know, like I remember in my basement here, once one popped out from a rafter and then I was holding, happened to be holding up broom. My instinct just naturally was to hit it. I hit it with the broom and it went across the room and fell on an empty box and sounded like a silver dollar had hit the box. Like it was just a massive, I mean, again, like, it's like fish stories, like it's a massive spider. It was a big spider. Yeah. But you just don't expect to, to see that kind of thing. Or maybe, maybe I should, but anything that moves in that way, and again, like centipedes, man, forget it. We have those too, like in our basement. Like the long ones. Oh yeah. Yeah. That thing will come like squiggling down the wall at you, like eye level and you just wanna run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, you do run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. It's not that you want to, it's that usually you do. I don't mean like you specifically, although probably you specifically. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. There's, yeah, you just react. Well, j Jesse enough freaking out. I mean, we're getting close to Halloween, so I suppose it's appropriate, but, uh, enough of that. What are you affirming or denying today? Jesse Schwamb: Once again, without like any coordination, mine is not unlike yours. I know you and I, we talk about the world in which we live, which God has created, and this lovely command, this ammunition to take dominion over that. And one of the things I appreciate about our conversations is I think you and I often have maybe not like a novel. Kinda perspective on that, but one that I don't hear talked about often and that is this idea of taking dominion over what it is possible to know and to appropriate, and then to apply onto wisdom. [00:10:27] Affirmation: Khan Academy Jesse Schwamb: And so my information is in that realm. It's another form of taking ownership of what's in the wild of knowledge that you can possess. And again, equal parts. What an amazing time to be alive. So I'm affirming with the website, Khan Academy, which I'm sure many are familiar with. And this website offers like. Thousands of hours. Uh, and materials of free instructional videos, practice exercises, quizzes, all these like really bespoke, personalized learning modules you can create for topics like math, science, computing, economics, history, art. I think it goes like even starting at like. Elementary age all the way up into like early college can help you study for things like the SAT, the LSAT AP courses, and I was revisiting it. I have an open account with them that I keep in love and I go back to it from time to time. And I was working on some stuff where I wanted to rehearse some knowledge in like the calculus space, do some things by hand, which I haven't done. And I was just like, I'm blown away at how good this stuff is. And it's all for free. I mean, you should donate if you. You get something from this because it's a nonprofit, but the fact that there are these amazing instructional videos out there that can help us get a better understanding of either things we already know and we can rehearse the knowledge or to learn something brand new essentially for free. But somebody's done all the hard work to curate a pedagogy for you. Honestly, this is incredible. So if you haven't looked at that website in a long time or maybe ever, and you might be thinking, what, what do I really wanna learn? Lemme tell you. There's a lot of interesting stuff there and it's so approachable and it's such a good website for teaching. And if you have children in particular, even if you're looking for help, either helping them with their own coursework or maybe to have like kind of a tutor on the side, this is so good. So I can't say enough good things recently about Khan Academy 'cause it's been so helpful to me and super fun to like just sit and have your own paced study and in the private and comfort of your own home or your desk at work or wherever it is that you need to learn it. To be able to have somebody teach you some things, to do a little practice exercises, and then to go on to the world and to apply the things you've learned. Ah, it's so good. Tony Arsenal: Nice. Yeah, I've, I've never done anything with Khan Academy. I'll have to check it out. There's, um, there's some skills of needing to brush up on, uh, at work that I am probably not gonna be able to find in my normal channels, so I'll have to see if there is anything going on there. Um, but yeah, that's, that's good stuff. And it's free. Love freestyle. It's, and of course, like Jesse Schwamb: things like this are legion. So whatever it is, whatever your discipline or your field of study or work is, there's probably something out there and, uh, might, I humbly maybe encourage you to, if you use something like that and it's funded by donations, it's worth giving, I think, because again, it's just an amazing opportunity to take dominion over the knowledge that God has placed into the world and then to use it for something. I mean, I suppose even if all it is is you just wanna learn more about, like for me, I, I find like the subjects of, of math and science, like just endlessly fascinating and like the computing section I was looking at, I, I don't know much about like programming per se, but there is such a beauty. Like these underlying principles, like the, the organization of the world and the first level principles of like physics for instance, are just like baffling in the most glorious kind of way. How they all come together. So having somebody like teach you at a very like simplistic level, but allow you to grasp those concepts makes you just appreciate it leads me to doxology a lot when I see these things. So in a weird way, it ends up becoming maybe not a weird way and the right way. It becomes worship as often as I'm sitting at my desk and working through like a practice problem on like, you know, partial differential equation or, or derivatives is what I was working on today. And ah, it's just so good. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one. I, it's not be super nerdy, but you, are you ever like at your desk studying something? And it might not be like theological per se, but you just have a moment where you're overcome with some kind of worship. Do you know what I'm talking about? Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, um, this we're the nerdiest people on the planet, but let's Jesse Schwamb: do it. Um, Tony Arsenal: when I find a really fun, interesting. Uh, Excel formula and I can get it to work right. Uh, and it, and then it just like everything unlocks. Like, I feel like I've unlocked all the knowledge in the universe. Um, but yeah, I hear you like the, the Excel thing is, is interesting to me because, like, math is just the description. Like it's just the fabric of reality is just the way we describe reality. But the fact that we can do basically just take math and do all these amazing things with it, uh, in a spreadsheet is really, uh, drives me to praise. Like I said, that's super nerdy, but it is. Oh, you're speaking my language. Jesse Schwamb: I, we have never understood each other better than just this moment right now. We, we had some real talk and, uh, a real moment. Tony Arsenal: Yes. Welcome to the Reformed math cast. Jesse Schwamb: We're so glad that you're here. Tony Arsenal: Yes. We're not gonna do any one plus one plus one equals one kinds of heretical math in, up in here. Jesse Schwamb: No. Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, I have a feeling that, excuse me. Wow. Jesse Schwamb: We don't edit anything out. Listen, I'm choked up too. It's it, listen, love ones just so emotional. The moment Tony and I are having it. We're gonna try our best right now to pivot to go into this text, but it's, it's tough because we were just really having something, something special. You got, you got to see there. But thank you for trying to Tony Arsenal: cover for me for that big cough. Jesse Schwamb: This is like presuppositional editing. You know, we don't actually do anything in post. It's not ex anti editing. It's, it's literally presuppositional. [00:15:52] Theological Discussion on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: But to that end, we are in Matthew 13. This is the main course. This is the reason why we're here. There's lots of reasons to worship, and one of them is to come before and admire and love our God who has given us his specific revelation and this incredible teaching of his son. And that's why we're hanging out in Matthew 13. So let me read, because we have just a couple of really sentences here, this really short parable and that way it'll catch us up and then we can just launch right back into we're, we're basically like, we're already in the rocket. Like we're in the stratosphere. We're, we're taking it all the way now. So this is Matthew chapter 13. Come hang out here. It's in the 24th verse. And this is what we find written for us. This is the word of the Lord. He put another parable before them saying. The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the weeds and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also, and the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servant said to him, then, do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, no less than gathering the weeds, you root up the weed along with them. Let both grow until the harvest. And at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn. Tony Arsenal: That's good stuff. That's good stuff. Um, you know, we, we covered most of. I don't know, what do you wanna call it? The first order reading of the parable last week. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: On one level, the parable, uh, as Christ explains it, uh, a little bit down further in the chapter is extremely straightforward. It's almost out, it's almost an allegory. Each, each element of the parable has a, a, a figure that it's representing. And the main purpose of the story is that the world and specifically the church, um, is going to be a mixed body until the last days, until the end of time. And so there's, there's the Sons of God or the Sons of the Kingdom, uh, and then there's the sons of the evil one. And we talked a lot about how. These two figures in the parable, the, the, the weeds or the tears? Um, tears is a better word because it's a specific kind of, uh, specific kind of weed that looks very much like wheat at its immature stages. Right. And you can't actually discern the difference readily, uh, until the weed and the wheat has grown up next to each other. Um, and so, so part of the parable is that. The, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the enemy, or the sons of the evil one, they don't look all that different in their early stages. And it's not until the sort of end culmination of their lives and the end culmination of things that they're able to be discerned and then therefore, um, the, the sons of the devil are, are reaped and they go off to their eternal judgment and the sons of the kingdom are, uh, are harvested and they go off to their eternal reward. What we wanted to talk about, and part of the reason that we split this into two episodes. Is that we sort of found ourselves spiraling or spiraling around a question about, uh, sort of about assurance, right? And false assurance, true assurance. And there is an eschatological element to this parable that I, I think we probably should at least touch on as we we go through it. Um, but I wanted to just read, um, it's been a little while since we've read the Westminster Confession on the show. So I wanted to read a little bit from the Westminster Confession. Um, this is from chapter 18, which is called of assurance of grace and salvation. This is sort of the answer to Jesse's question. Do the, do the tears know their tears or, or could they possibly think that their wheat? So this is, uh, section one of chapter eight. It says, although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presuppositions or presumptions of being in favor with God in the state of salvation. Which hope of their shall perish yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed. And so we, in the reform tradition at least, which is where we find ourselves in the reform tradition, um, we would affirm that people can. Deceive themselves into believing that they're in proper relation with God. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Tony Arsenal: And so it's not the case that, uh, that the weeds always know they're weeds or think they're weeds. It's not even the case. And this was part of the parable. It's not even the case that the weeds can be easily distinguished even by themselves from, uh, from the weeds. So there is this call, uh, and this is a biblical call. There's a call to seek out assurance and to lay claim to it. That I think is, is worth talking about. But it's not as straightforward as simple proposition as like, yeah, I'm confident. Like it's not just like, right, it's not just mustering up confidence. There's more to it than that. So that's what I wanted to start with, with this parable is just maybe talking through that assurance. 'cause I, I would hate for us to go through this parable. And sort of leave people with maybe you're a weed and you don't know it. 'cause that's not right. That's not the biblical picture of assurance. Um, that's the, that's the Roman Catholic picture of assurance that like, yeah, there's no such thing as assurance and people might not realize, but assurance of salvation is actually one of the, one of the primary things that was recovered particularly by the Reformed in the Reformation. Um, and so I think we, we often sort of overlook it as maybe a secondary thing. Um, but it really is a significant doctrine, a significant feature of reformed theology. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I'm glad you said that because it is a, is a clear reminder. It's a clearing call as the performers put forth that it is. Under like the purview of the Christian to be able to claim the assurance by the blood of Christ in the application of the Holy Spirit in a way that's like fully orbed and fully stopped. So you can contrast that with, and really what was coming outta Catholicism or Rome at the time. And I was just speaking with a dear brother this past week who. Grew up in the Catholic church and he was recounting how his entire religious experience, even his entire relationship, if we can call it that in a kind of colloquial sense with God, was built around this sense of deep-seated guilt and lack of true performance, such that like assurance always seemed like this really vague concept that was never really fully manifested in anything that he did. Even while the church was saying, if you do these things, if you perform this way, if you ensure that you're taking care of your immortal sins and that you're seeking confession for all the venial stuff as well, that somehow you'll be made right, or sufficiently right. But if not, don't worry about it. There's always purgatory, but there'd be some earning that you'd have to accomplish there. Everywhere along the way. He just felt beaten down. So contrasting that with what we have here. I don't believe, as you're saying, Tony, that's Jesus' intention here to somehow beat up the sheep. I, I think it is, to correct something of what's being said about the world in which we live, but it's at the same time to say that there are some that are the TAs is to say there are some that are the children of God, right? That there are some that are fully crisply, clearly identified and securely resting in that identity without any kind of nervous or anxious energy that it might fall out of that state with God that, that in fact their identity is secure. And as I've been thinking about this this week, I, I'm totally with you because I think part of this just falls, the warning here is there's a little bit of the adventures in Romans one here that's waiting for us, that I like what you said about this idea of, of self deception and maybe like a. Subpart to this question would be, are the, are the terrors always nefarious in their lack of understanding? So we might say there's some that are purposely disruptive, that the enemy himself is, is promulgating or trying to bring forward his destruction, his chaos by way of these tears. But are, are there even a subgroup or another group, uh, co-terminus group or, you know, one in the same hierarchy where there's just a lot of self deception? I, I think that's probably where I fall in terms of just trying to explain that. Yes, I think it was present here is a real quantity, a real identity where they're self-deceived. Imagining themselves to be part of God's people, yet lacking that true saving faith. And this just, I'm gonna go in a couple places where I think everybody would expect in the scriptures, if we go to like Ephesians four, they're darkened and they're understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. And one Corinthians, when Paul writes, the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God, and he's not able to understand them because they're spiritually discerned. And then the book that follows the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. And of course then like everything in Romans one, so I bring all that up because E, even at the end, we're gonna get there, the Es, this eschatological reality when you know God is separating out the sheep and the goats. Still, we find this kind of same trope happening there. But the unregenerate, what I'm reading from this. Importantly is that the unregenerate, they're not merely ignorant, they're blinded, as we all were on point to the spiritual truth. Yeah. By nature and by Satan. That that is also his jam. He loves to blind, to lie, to kill, steal, and destroy. So thus, even if they're outwardly belonging to the church, they're outwardly belonging to the world. They're outwardly belonging to some kind of profession. They cannot perceive the reality of their lost condition apart from divine illumination. Who can, that might be stating the obvious, but I think that's like what we're getting after here. I I, I don't know if there's like any kind of like conspiracy here. It's simply that that is the natural state of affairs. So why wouldn't we expect that to be reflected again in the world and that side by side, we're gonna find that shoulder to shoulder. We are, there are the children of God, and there are those that remain blind and ignorant to the truth. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And, and you know, it, again, I, I, um, I don't know why I'm surprised. Uh, I certainly shouldn't be surprised. Um. But Matthew is like a masterful storyteller Yeah. Here, right. He's a masterful, um, editor and narrator. Um, and he's, he's put together here, of course, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Um, and, and there's some good reason to think in the text we're not gonna get too, in the nitty gritty here, there's some good reason to think in the text that Christ actually delivered these parables as a set as well. So it's not just, it's not just Matthew coating these, although it could be. Um, but it, it seems like these were all delivered probably as like a common set of parables. And the reason I say that is because when we start to look at this parable and the one we previously went through, the parable of the soils, um, or the parable of the sower. Um, what we see is the answer to your question of why do some people, you know, why are some people deceived? Well, yes, there is secondary causation. The devil deceives them. They blind themselves. They, you know, suppress the, the, the truth and right unrighteousness. But on a, on a primary causation level, um, God is the one who is identi, is, is identifying who will be the sons of the, you know, devil and the sons of the kingdom. Mm-hmm. This is another, and yet another example of election is that the, the good sower sowed good seed, and the good seed was the elect and the enemy. Although in God's sovereignty, God is the one who determines this. The enemy is the one who sows the reprobate. Right? So all, all men. Star, and this is, I, I guess I didn't really intend to go here, but this is good evidence in my mind for, um, infra laps, Arianism versus super laps. Arianism, right infra laps, arianism or sub lapse. Arianism would say that God decrees, uh, to permit the fall and then he decrees to redeem some out of the fall, right? Logically speaking, not temporally speaking. Super laps. Arianism, which is the minority. It's the smaller portion of, of the historic tradition, although modern times, I think it's a little bit louder and a little bit more vocal, but super relapses. Arianism would argue that God, um, decrees. Sort of the, the decree of election and reprobation is logically prior to the decree of the fall. And so in, in that former or in the super laps area model, the fall becomes a means by which the reprobate are justly condemned. Not, um, not the cause of their condemnation, but a way to sort of justify the fact that they will be separated from God, right? Because of their reprobate. [00:28:36] Exploring the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares Tony Arsenal: I know that there's, there's probably some super lab streams that would nuance that differently and some that are probably just screaming straw man, uh, in a coffee shop somewhere and, and people are thinking you're crazy. Um, but by and large, that's actually a rel, a relatively accepted, um, explanation of it. There are certainly potential problems with, uh, sub, sub lapse agonism as well. But in this, in this parable, what we see is the people who are, um, who are elect, are sowed into the field and the people who are reprobate are also sowed into the field. And so God saves the people who are sewed into the field that are, they elect, he saves them out of this now mixed world by waiting and allowing them to grow up next to the reprobate, um, in sort of this mixed world setting. And then he redeems them out of that. Um, and, and, and so we have to sort of remember. Although it is a pretty strict, sort of allegorical type of parable, it's still a parable. So we shouldn't, we shouldn't always draw like direct one-to-one comparisons here. It's making a theological point, but, um, but it's important for us to re remember that, that it is ultimately, it is God who determines who is the elected and who is not. But it's, it's our sin. It's the devil deceiving us. It's the secondary causes that are responsible for the sons of the devil, right? It, the, the men come to the, to the sower and say, who is done this? He says it was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Right. Tony Arsenal: He doesn't say like, well, actually I put the seed there and so, you know, I'm, I, it's not an equal distribution. He's not sowing good seed and bad seed. He sows the good seed and the devil sows the bad seed. [00:30:24] Theological Implications and Assurance Tony Arsenal: Um, and, and that's a, I think that's an important theological point to make. And as far as assurance goes. We, we can't depend on our ability to perceive or sort of like discern election in a raw sense, right? We have to observe certain kinds of realities around us. Um, and, and primarily we have to depend on the mercy and, and saving faith that God gives us. That's right. Um, you know, our, our assurance of faith does not primarily come from fruit checking. Um, we have to do that. It's important, we're commanded to do it, and it serves as an important secondary evidence. But a, a, a person who wants to find assurance. Of salvation should first and foremost look to the promises of Christ and then depend on them. Um, and, and so that's, I think all of that's kind of wrapped up into this parable. It's, it's, it's amazing to me that we're only like two parables in, and we're already, you know, we're already talking about super lapse arianism and sub lapse arianism, and it's, it's amazing. I, I love this. I'm loving this series so far, and we're barely scratching the surface. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's all there. I think you're right to call that out. It strikes me, like, as you were speaking, it really just hit me higher that I think you're right. Really the foundation on this, like the hidden foundation is assurance and it's that assurance which splits the groups, or at least divides them, or it gives us, again, like the distinct, kind, discrete compartments or components of each of them. So. Again, I think it's help saying, 'cause we wanna be encouraging. That's, that's our whole point here is when the Apostle Peter says, be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing of you. That herein we have the scripture saying to us, time and time again, be sure of what God has done in your life. Be confident in that very thing. And so if assurance is, as we're saying, that's the argument hypothesis we're making. That's the critical thing here. [00:32:11] False Assurance and True Faith Jesse Schwamb: Then the division between the children of God and the children of the devil is false versus true assurance. So the tears, I think what we're saying here, basically they typically live under false asserts. They may attend church, confess, belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical. It's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual. And of course, like just a few chapters before this, we hope those famous verses where Jesus himself drops the bomb and says, listen, many of you, he's talking to the people, the, the disciples around him, the crowds that we're gathering and thronging all about. He says, many of you're gonna say to me, Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy your name? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And then I will declare to them, I never knew you depart from me. These are not people who knew they were false, they thought they belonged to Christ. Their shock on judgment day is gonna reveal this profound self-deception. And that self-deception is wrapped up in a false type of assurance, a false righteousness. So I think one of the things that we can really come to terms with and grab a hold of is the fact that when we are. Confessing, repenting seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ. Then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally, Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance. [00:33:38] Historical Perspectives on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: You know, I was reading this week from Thomas Brooks and did incidentally come across this, a quote, an assurance and reminded me of this passage, and here's what he writes. You know, of course he's writing in like 16 hundreds, like mid 16 hundreds. It's wild, of course, but we shouldn't be surprised that what you're about to hear sounds like it could have been written today for us. In this conversation, but, uh, he writes, assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions. However, most Christians live between fears and hopes and hang, as it were, between heaven and hell. Sometimes they hope that their state is good. At other times they fear that their state is bad. Now they hope that all is well and that it shall go well. Well with them forever. Then they fear that they shall perish by the hand of such corruption or by the prevalency of such and such temptation. They're like a ship and a storm tossed here and there, and. I think that he's right about that. And I think the challenge there is to get away from that. I love where it starts, where he says, what wonderful turn of phrase assurance is the believer's arc or Noah, like, you know, we're sitting and the commotion, the destructions, the commotion, the confusions of all the world. That's why to get this right, to be encouraged by this passage, to be challenged by it is so critical because we're all looking for that arc. We all want to know that God has in fact arrested us so completely that no matter what befalls us, that everything, as we talked about before, all of our, all of the world, in fact is subservient to our salvation. But that's a real thing that cannot be snatched away from us because God has ordained it and intended it, built it, created it, and brought it to pass. And so I think that's all like in this passage, it's all the thing that's being called us to. So. I, I don't want us to get like too hung up. It's a good question, I think to ask and answer like we were trying to talk about here, but you're right. If we focus too much just on the like, let's gaff for these tears. Who are they? Like let's people's, like Readers Digest in People's magazine these tears. Like who are they? Do we have a list of them? Who do we think they are? How could it be me? Is it really me? Am I, am I anxious about that? Really what we should be saying is following what Peter calls us to do that is to be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and his choosing. So even there like our emphasis and focus, isn't it like you're saying Tony about like, let me do some fruit inventory. I got like a lot of good bananas. I got a lot of ripe pears. Like, look at the tree. This, this is good. Even there, the emphasis is to turn our eyes on Jesus, as it were, and to make certain about his work, his calling and his choosing of us. And I think when we do that, we're falling down in worship and in yielding and submission to him, rightfully acknowledging that the righteousness of Christ is the one that is always in every way alien to us and imputed. And that is what makes us sons and daughters of God, that good seed sown by Jesus himself. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I just wanna read, I wanna um, round out a few more paragraphs here out of the Westminster confession because I do think, you know, when we even talk about assurance, we're not even always all saying the exact same thing. And I think that's important because when we talk about assurance of faith, we need to be understanding that this is the rightful, not only the rightful possession of all Christians, but it's the rightful responsibility of all Christians to seek it. So here's, here's section two of that same chapter. It says, this certainty referring to assurance. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a, a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the spirit of adoption, witnessing with our hearts that we are the children of God, which spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption. So. One of the, the things that I think is, is important here is people read this and say the inward evidences of those graces unto which these promises are made. They read that and they think that it's referring to like good work and like spiritual renewal, but it's, it's not, it's the inward evidence of those graces unto which of the promises are made. So it's this inner, inner renewal. It's the spirit testifying to our spirit. And then, um, chapter, uh, section three here, it says. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it, yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given of God. He may without extraordinary revelation there, right there is response to Roman Catholicism in the right use of ordinary means at attain there unto. And therefore, it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence, to make his calling and election. Sure. And thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and in joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience. The proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to looseness? Right. [00:38:53] The Role of Good Works in Assurance Tony Arsenal: So we often hear and and I, I think there are good, um, there are good reformed Christians that put. The emphasis of assurance on, or they, they put an overemphasis, in my opinion, on how good works function within our assurance. Right. They, they often will ask us to look to our good fruit as sort of, not the grounding, but as a strong evidence. But at least in terms of the confession here, the cheerfulness in the duties of obedience is the fruit of assurance. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Not Tony Arsenal: the cause or grounding of assurance. So rather than, this is what this last line says. It says so far, is it from inclining? Mental looseness assurance should drive us to obedience and fruitfulness in Christ. And so yes, it is in a certain sense an evidence because if that fruitfulness and obedience is absent from our lives, there's a good reason for us to question whether this infallible assurance is present in our lives. But the assurance is what drives us to this obedience. Um. You know, like, I think you could use the analogy of like a married couple. A married couple who is very secure in their relationship and in their, uh, love for one another and their faithfulness to each other is more likely to cheerfully serve and submit to each other and to respect each other and to sacrifice for each other than a couple that's maybe not so sure that the other person has their best interest in mind. That's or maybe isn't so sure that this thing is gonna work out. I think that's the same thing, like the sacrifice and the service that a husband, uh, performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him. That is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it. It's good evidence that that love exists, but it's not caused by it. And assurance here is the same kind of dynamic assurance is not. We can't assure ourselves of our salvation by doing good works. No matter how many good works you do, there are lots and lots of people who are not saved and who will not be saved, who do perfectly good works in appearance. Right. They have the, the outward appearance of godliness, but lack its power. Right, right. Out of right outta Paul, writing to Timothy there. Yes. So that's, that's important for us as we continue to parse all this out, is yes, the fruit is present. Yes. The wheat is to, is discernible from the tears by its final, fruitful status. Right? It grows up to be grain, which is fruitful rather than weeds and tears, which are only good to be burned, but it is not the fruit that causes it to be wheat. It's wheat that causes the fruit to grow. If, if it wasn't wheat, it wouldn't grow fruit, not because the fruit makes it grain, but because it is in fact wheat to start with. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah, that's right on. So I think like by summation we're kind of saying. At least the answer to this question. You know, do the tears know that they're tears? Yes and no. Some do, some don't. I think, yes, there are some that are gonna be consciously hypocritical, willfully rejecting Christ while pretending for worldly gain. I think that's, that's certainly plain to see. And at the same time, do the tears know the tears? Sometimes? No. There's self deceived under spiritual blindness and they have some kind of false assurance. And this idea of, again, coming in repentance before God and seeking humbly to submit to him is I think one of those signs of that kind of true assurance, not a false assurance. And you already stole where I was thinking of Tony by going to Second Timothy again. Thomas Brooks in precious remedies against Saint's device is one of like the best. Books ever. I know that he's really outspoken. He loves to harp on the fact that one of Satan's most effective snares is to make men and women content with a form of godliness without its power. Yeah. And that's often what we're talking about here, I think, is that Satan loves to fish in the shallow waters a profession. And really that can happen in any kind of church or religious culture, that there is this shallowness where that loves religious appearance, prayer, knowledge fellowship, but not the Christ behind them. And so whether we're looking to somebody like Brooks or Jonathan Edwards and we're trying to parse out what are our true affections, not in a way again, that somehow leans well, I feel enough, then somehow that justifies, not inwardly, but again, definitely trying to understand our conviction for conversion tears. For repentance that. Really what we're after is not like just the blessings of Christ, but Christ himself, which I think really leads us to this eschatological perspective then to round all everything out because you know, we talked about before, there's an old phrase, it's like everywhere. A lot of people talk in heaven. Not everybody's going there. And so this idea of like, people will talk about be so great to be there and it's sometimes this, the heaven that they speak of is like absent Christ, you know, as if like, if Christ wasn't there, at least in their perspective, it still wouldn't be half bad. And so I think that does lead us to understand what is this in gathering? What is this? You know, bringing everything into the barn and burning everything else up. And like you just said, if at the beginning you cannot tell the injurious weed aside from that beautiful kernel of wheat that's coming up, but if in the end you can see what's happening in the end, then that brings us all to consummation. What does it mean in this parable? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:44:19] Eschatological Judgment and Assurance Tony Arsenal: And, and I think this actually sort of forces us to grapple a little bit with, with another sort of persnickety feature of this parable that, that I think, I think personally sometimes gets overlooked is we are very quick to talk about this parable to be about the church. And it is. Right. And, and there's reasons to talk like that. But when Christ explains the parable, he doesn't say the field is the church. He says the field is the world. Right. And so we have to, we have to, we have to do a little bit of, um. We have to do a little bit of hermeneutics to understand that this is also speaking of the church, right? It's not as though the church is some hermetically sealed off body that the dynamics of the world and the, the weed and the tears like that, that doesn't happen in the church. But when we talk about the end of the age here, he says the son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom. All causes of sin in all lawbreakers. Right? So, so the, the final eschatological judgment, it's all encompassing. And I dunno, maybe I'm, maybe I'm becoming a little bit post mill with this, um, the, the world is already the Kingdom of Christ. Right? Right. That's right. It, it's not, it's not just the church on earth that is the kingdom of Christ. And so when we talk about this eschatological reaping, um, what we see is, is very straightforward. There are those who are, uh, who belong to Christ, who were sown by him into the world, who were, uh, were tended by him, who were protected by him, who he intended to harvest from the very beginning, right? The good sower sows good seed into the field, and that good seed is and necessarily will be wheat. It's not as though, um, it's not as though, and again, this is one of those ways where like the parables sometimes, uh, are telling a little bit of a different story. Even though they're sharing some themes in the first parable, in the parable of the sower, he sows the same seed into the world. But the seed in that first parable is not the, is not the person receiving the seed. The seed is the one is the word of God. Yes. And so the word of God is sewn promiscuously, even to those who will be hard soil and who will be rocky soil and have thorns. The word of God is, is sewn to all of those people. Across the whole world in this parable. The seed that is the good seed that is sown is and always was going to be weed that was, or wheat, which was going to grow into fruitfulness and be gathered into the barn. Right? That was a foregone conclusion. The, the, when the sower decided to sow seed, all of that said he is the one who did that. He's the one that chose that. He's the one that will bring us to completion, right? And then also the ones that are not of his kingdom, the sons of the devil, they will also be reaped at the end. Actually we'll be reaped before the, you know, they'll be reaped and gathered and, and tossed into the furnace before the sons of the kingdom are gathered together. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: So it, again, this is a parable and even though this is Christ's explanation of the parable, I don't think that Christ was intending to give us like a strict timeline. Right. I don't think he was encouraging us to draw a chart and try to map out where this all happens in order. Um, I do think it's relevant that, that, at least in the explanation of this parable, I mentioned it last week, that, that the rap, the rapture is actually the wicked being raptured. They're the ones that are gathered and taken out of the world and cast into the fiery furnace before the, before the righteous are gathered together and, and brought into Christ Barn. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, there's a great unmasking that's happening here in this final stage. I mean, that's critically the point. I think there's a lot of stuff we could talk about open handedly and kind of hypothesize or theorize what it means. But what is plain, I think, is that there's this unmasking, this unveiling of the reality of the light of Christ's perfect judgment. But that judgment is for both parties Here it is coming and what was hidden beneath outward religion or more, a facade is gonna be revealed with eternal clarity. That's just the reality. It is coming. So in some ways it pairs. I think at least well in this, well purposely of course in this teaching because Jesus is saying, hold on, like we talked about last time. Do this is not for you to judge. You are ill-equipped. You are not skilled enough to discern this. And therefore though, you wanna go in hot and get spicy and try to throw out all the weeds. Wait for the right time. Wait for the one like you're saying, Tony has from all of eternity past intended for it to be this way. Super intending his will over all things in the casting of the seed. And as we say, Philippians, of course, finishing that good work, which was started, he will finish. It is God's two finish again. And so he says, listen, that day is coming. There's gonna be a great unmasking. Uh, get ready for it. And the scriptures bear witness to that in so many other ways. So. There's such a journey in these like handful of verses, isn't there? I mean, it's really wild. The things that not like we come up with or we read into the text, but as we sit in it a little bit, as we just spend even a cursory amount of time letting it pour over us, that we find there's like a conviction in a weight in these things that are beyond just the story and beyond just even like the illustrations themselves. What we find is, again, it's as if Jesus himself in his brilliance, of course, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is illuminating the mind in the spirit to open up our conception, understanding of the kingdom of God by bringing it to us through his perspective in our own terms, of course, which is both our language and like the context of the world in which we live, and that simple example of farming and seed. And again, even just that there are these interest weeds that look like wheat. I went on this like rabbit hole this week and did a lot of research on like tears and Yeah, like especially people in like the Midwest United States who like know a lot more about agriculture than I do have a lot to say about this. It's not just like we shouldn't be surprised like. Isn't it incredible that like there are actually weeds out there that look like, yeah, it's a brilliance of just knowing that this teaching is so finely tuned. Like we can even just talk about that. Like the world is finely tuned. This teaching is so finely tuned to these grant theological principles that we can at one point be children and appropriate them enough and assume them into our own intellectual capacity so that we can trust in them. And yet even as like adults with like, let's say like the greatest gift of intellectual capacity, still find that we cannot get to the bottom of them because they're so deep. They draw us into these really, really grand vistas or really like extremely deep cold theological waters. And I just find. That I am in awe then of what Jesus is saying here because there's a truth for us in assurance that we ought to clinging to. And there's also like stuff that we should come back to. We shouldn't just stop it here and put it out of our minds until the next time we, we want to just be stimulated by something that's interesting or that we want to just grab somebody and shake them cage style, cage two style and say like, look at this great thing that I just learned about this, this particular parable. But instead, there's so much here for us to meditate on. And in that, I think rather than the Christian finding fear in this parable, what they should find is great comfort. We should be Noah alike sitting in the ark saying, it is well with my soul. And our reason for that is because we know God has cast a seed through his son Jesus Christ. And to be a child, a child of God is the greatest thing in all the universe. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I, I think that, um, transitions nicely to, uh, I'll make this point quick because we're coming up on time here. Um. [00:52:04] Christ's Divinity and Sovereignty Tony Arsenal: The other little subtle thing that Christ does here in this parable is he, he absolutely asserts his divinity and sovereignty overall creation. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Yep. Tony Arsenal: Right. It, it's almost like a throw. There's a couple little like lines that are almost throwaway lines, right in the, the first, the beginning of the parable here. Um, the parable itself, uh, he says, um, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed into a field. And then he says, um, the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, right? And then when he interprets the parable, he says, well, the, the servants are, the field is the world, right? So he's the master of the world, and the servants are the angels. So he's the master of the angels. And then if, if there was any doubt left in your mind. Says in verse 41, the son of man will send his angels. That's right. And they will gather out of his kingdom, which is the world, all the causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. Right? So we have this, this robust picture that there is election. The the good sower sows good seed into the world, and the good seed will necessarily grow into wheat and will be preserved and protected and ultimately harvest Well, why can we have assurance that that will be the case? Well, because the master of the house is the son of man who is the Lord of the universe and the creator of all things. And his angels do his will. That's right. So, so the whole thing is all wrapped up. Why can we have assurance? Because God is a good God and Christ is a good savior, and the savior of the world is the creator of the universe, right? If any of those facts were not true. Then we couldn't have assurance. If God wasn't good, then maybe he's lying. If Christ wasn't the savior of the world or the God of the universe, the creator of the universe, then he wasn't worthy to be the one who saves. All of this is wrapped up in the parables, and this is what's so exciting about the parables. In most of the instances that we look up, especially of the sort of longer parables, these kinds of dynamics are there where it's not just a simple story making a simple point, it is making one primary point. Usually there's one primary point that a, that a parable is making. But in order to make that primary point, there's all these supporting points and supporting things that have to be the case. If the, if the good sower was not the master of the house and a, a competent, uh, a competent landowner who knew the difference between wheat and weeds, even at the early stage, right? His, his servants go and go, what happened? What's with all of these weeds? They can tell the difference somehow, Jesse Schwamb: right? Tony Arsenal: He's immediately able to go, well, this was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Tony Arsenal: And while they're bumbling around going, should we go rip it all up and start over? He is like, no, no, no, no. Just wait until, wait until it all grows up together. And when that happens, the Reapers will come and they'll take care of it and they'll do it in my direction, right? Because he's competent, he's the savior, he's the creator, he's the good master, he is the good sower. Um, we can be confi

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael A. Youssef calls us to surrender all our idols to Christ.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Life at Its Best, Part 9: LISTEN NOWFOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTFor those who feel battle-worn—disheartened by society's moral decline, burdened for their children and grandchildren, weary from fighting the same battles—Dr. Michael A. Youssef's NEW book Winning the Invisible Waroffers timely hope. Speaking directly to those wondering if evil is winning, Dr. Youssef assures us although the war isn't over, victory is already secured in Christ. With Biblical clarity and pastoral compassion, he reminds readers that we can stand strong—not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. Pre-order your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through November 10, 2025.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael A. Youssef looks at John's exhortation to believers to intercede for one another.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Life at Its Best, Part 9: LISTEN NOWFOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTFor those who feel battle-worn—disheartened by society's moral decline, burdened for their children and grandchildren, weary from fighting the same battles—Dr. Michael A. Youssef's NEW book Winning the Invisible Waroffers timely hope. Speaking directly to those wondering if evil is winning, Dr. Youssef assures us although the war isn't over, victory is already secured in Christ. With Biblical clarity and pastoral compassion, he reminds readers that we can stand strong—not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. Pre-order your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through November 10, 2025

In this episode, Chris McCurley talks with Lindsy Bailey, a loving mother and coach in the Lebanon School District (MO), about the powerful journey of adoption. Lindsy shares her personal story of faith, family, and how God's love is beautifully reflected in the adoption process. Together, they discuss the challenges, blessings, and deep spiritual lessons that come from opening your heart and home to a child in need.   Connect with Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearchurch_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564673680147 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DearChurch   Website: https://www.rippleoflight.org/ ROL Facebook: http://facebook.com/rippleoflight ROL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rippleoflight ROL YouTube: http://youtube.com/rippleoflight ROL Rumble: http://rumble.com/rippleoflight   Have a question? Email Chris at chris.mccurley@rippleoflight.com.   #DearChurchPodcast #Adoption #FaithAndFamily #ChristianParenting #RippleOfLight

I present the historical evidence for Jesus' resurrection and demonstrate how to defend it in the public square. That You May Know Him, Episode 276.

In today's devotional, Dr. Michael A. Youssef discusses the confidence we have in prayer.If you would like more insight into today's devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Life at Its Best, Part 9: LISTEN NOWFOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNTFor those who feel battle-worn—disheartened by society's moral decline, burdened for their children and grandchildren, weary from fighting the same battles—Dr. Michael A. Youssef's NEW book Winning the Invisible Waroffers timely hope. Speaking directly to those wondering if evil is winning, Dr. Youssef assures us although the war isn't over, victory is already secured in Christ. With Biblical clarity and pastoral compassion, he reminds readers that we can stand strong—not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. Pre-order your copy today for your gift of any amount!*Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada through November 10, 2025.

Maybe it's not your compatibility; maybe it's your game plan...or lack thereof. Marriage coach Tondra Gregory joins AllMomDoes host Julie Lyles Carr to explore where marriages are struggling today and why you need a game plan to help you succeed in love.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/48Pbsc3 Takeaways:Churches often lack dedicated marriage ministries.Marriage is a key part of reflecting God's image.Conflict resolution is a critical skill for couples.Social media presents new challenges for trust in relationships.Setting boundaries around technology is essential.Couples need to adjust their roles as life changes.Communication is vital for a successful marriage.Using sports analogies can help men understand marital concepts.Flexibility in marriage plans is necessary for success.Resources and tools are available to help couples thrive.  Sound bites:"We need to talk about all of this.""We need to adjust our game plan.""We are always looking for more tools."    Chapters:00:00 The Importance of Marriage in Faith Communities02:53 Conflict Resolution: A Timeless Challenge05:57 Navigating Modern Relationships in the Digital Age09:05 Balancing Responsibilities in Marriage11:58 Using Sports Analogies to Enhance Communication15:01 Resources for Strengthening Marriages  Keywords: marriage, faith communities, conflict resolution, social media, relationship advice, communication, marriage ministry, modern challenges, responsibilities, sports analogies

In part two of this conversation with Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell, we go even deeper into what it means to keep your faith steady when following God feels hard.We unpack what it looks like to stay rooted in truth when emotions run high, to surrender control when the outcome is unclear, and to believe that God's still writing beauty from what feels broken.Pastor Philip shares powerful biblical insight on endurance, spiritual maturity, and the refining fire that shapes every believer who chooses faith over comfort.If you've ever felt stretched, tested, or uncertain of what God is doing in your waiting, this conversation will meet you right where you are, reminding you that faith isn't failing when it's being refined. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

WATCH & SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE @chosenbyJesusCBJ How do you hold onto faith when everything around you feels unstable? In this powerful episode Kelley & Taylor get real about what it looks like to trust God in a world that often feels unsafe- school shooting, church violence, cultural division, and fear. As a mother & daughter walking through life together, they open up about the emotional weight of raising children and navigating today's chaos- and how to stay anchored in peace when everything around you feels uncertain.  Through scripture, honest stories, and Spirit-led encouragement, they reveal the key to living with unshakeable faith in an unstable world: trusting the ONE who never changes. Even when institutions crumble, and headlines break your heart, God's promises remain firm.  The world may shake, but your faith doesn't have to, and remember this: Jesus has you. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He will give you the strength to walk through any situation, and He will break the demonic fear that's been trying to hold you back.  KEY SCRIPTURES: Hebrews 12:28-29 "since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken..." Isaiah 26:3-4 "you will keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are steadfast." Psalm 18:2 "the Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my deliverer.." Even when the world feels unsafe, God's presence is still our refuge and strength. Faith doesn't remove the storm, it reminds us who's in it, with us.  Watch more faith filled episodes and subscribe here > chosenbyJesusCBJ Connect on Instagram > @chosenbyJesusCBJ Weekly Newsletter - Kelleytyan.com/newsletter Linkedin @kelleytyan Unshakeable faith, faith over fear, Christian podcast, women empowerment podcast, faith development, Spirit-led podcast, leadership, prayer, worship, breaking fear, Jesus has you, raising kids in faith, Christian encouragement, faith in uncertain times, trusting God, overcome anxiety, hope in Jesus, faith & family

Description:In this episode of the Compared to Who? podcast, Heather Creekmore continues her Fear Free Fall series with a deep dive into the fear of failure. Heather unpacks the difference between perfectionism and fear of failure, revealing how each shows up in the ways we approach life, our goals, and our body image struggles. She explores how our definitions of success can become idols and how God’s grace redefines our worth. Heather shares personal experiences, practical examples from her coaching, and biblical encouragement to help listeners break free from the grip of performance-based living and find freedom in Christ. Key Topics: Difference between perfectionism and fear of failure Identity issues at the root of both struggles How fear of failure shows up as avoidance, hesitation, and "analysis paralysis" The role of “success” as an idol and how it influences body image Processing where personal standards and God’s standards diverge God’s grace as the answer to our endless striving for worth Practical encouragement for stepping out in faith, even when failure feels likely Encouragement:Heather challenges listeners to reflect on where fear of failure might be holding them back and offers gospel-centered strategies to reframe their thinking and experience freedom in Christ. Resources & Links Listen to Previous Episodes: Compared to Who? Podcast Fear Free Fall Series: Kickoff Episode: Faith Over Fear (October 7th) Episode on Fear of Rejection, Perfectionism, and People Pleasing 40 Day Body Image Journey:Join the next round in January or start now and catch up!➡️ improvebodyimage.com — 40 Day Journey Heather Creekmore’s Books:Find all of Heather’s books on body image and Christian living.➡️ improvebodyimage.com/books 10 Days of Encouragement:Free daily scripture-based encouragement sent to your inbox.➡️ Sign up here In His Image ConferenceNovember 15th, Dallas, Texas. Drop Heather a note if you’re coming! ➡️ In His Image Conference Info (Check for upcoming dates and details!) Body Image Coaching and Workbook:Want practical help? Try the 40 Day Body Image Workbook Connect With Heather & Show Website: improvebodyimage.com Podcast Network: Life Audio If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend, discuss it together, and leave a review to help others find gospel-based body image encouragement! P.S. Want to stop comparing and start living? Dive into more encouragement at improvebodyimage.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Nerds are amazing at experiencing wonder, seeing past the mundane into the Reality God has made, and avoiding the typical traps that come with pursuing purpose in the daily grind. Today we'll celebrate how God has made nerds, and how you as a parents can celebrate your child, your own nerdiness, or maybe even grow in the area of faithful imagination.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4h99rJE 

In this episode of the Blended Kingdom Families Podcast, Scott and Vanessa Martingale discuss the sacred calling of raising godly sons in today's world.They discuss the biblical role of fathers and mothers, including single moms, in shaping boys into godly men of strength, humility, and integrity. Discover how to instill discipline, accountability, and a love for God's Word while creating a home that models truth and faith.Whether you're a dad striving to lead your family well or a mom guiding your son with prayer and wisdom, this conversation will encourage and equip you to raise sons who stand firm in Christ.We pray this episode blesses you today! Want to join the Blended Kingdom Families Community? Connect with us: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, To support this ministry and help ensure that blended families around the world continue to receive biblical equipping click here: https://blendedkingdomfamilies.com/donate/ For more resources visit: Blended Kingdom Families Website

Faith That Faces Fire: Unshakable Trust in Hebrews 11In this episode, Jamie and Mallory wrap up Hebrews 11 with a powerful look at verses 30–40 — a portrait of unshakable faith under fire. From the walls of Jericho to the fiery furnace, this passage reminds us that true faith doesn't always lead to comfort, but it always leads to God's glory. Join the conversation as they unpack how ordinary believers faced extraordinary trials, trusted God through uncertainty, and found His strength in the struggle. Discover how your faith story fits into the same legacy of those “of whom the world was not worthy.”____________________________________Connect with Jamie:Website: www.jamieklusacek.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieklusacekConnect with Jane:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewwilliams____________________________________ Get Jamie's Newest Book:Living Loved: An 8-week Journey to Living Fully Loved

In this episode, Chris McCurley sits down with Dr. Christie Southerland, Director of Schools for the Dickson County School District, to discuss the powerful intersection of faith and education. Dr. Southerland shares insights from her years in public education, exploring how faith shapes leadership, decision-making, and the way we influence the next generation. Together, they discuss the challenges and blessings of serving in education while holding firm to Christian values.   Connect with Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearchurch_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564673680147 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DearChurch   Website: https://www.rippleoflight.org/ ROL Facebook: http://facebook.com/rippleoflight ROL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rippleoflight ROL YouTube: http://youtube.com/rippleoflight ROL Rumble: http://rumble.com/rippleoflight   Have a question? Email Chris at chris.mccurley@rippleoflight.com.   #DearChurchPodcast #FaithAndEducation #ChristianLeadership #PublicSchools #RippleOfLight

Pastor Luke St.Clair unpacks the practice of praying over the spirit, soul, and body, emphasizing full submission to God as essential for fruitful and effective leadership. Drawing from 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and the tabernacle model of prayer, he outlines a structured, scripture-based approach that deepens spiritual alignment. St.Clair highlights the difference between gifts and fruit, urging leaders to prioritize internal growth over external validation. He encourages consistency in prayer, not as ritual, but as a pathway to transformation—affirming that structure helps eliminate excuses and cultivates a lifestyle of daily surrender and spiritual clarity.  Purchase The Christian Leader Blueprint book today: https://www.ryanfranklin.org/blueprintbook Download The Christian Leader Blueprint – Short Guide (Free): https://www.ryanfranklin.org/blueprint Take the Christian Leader™ Self-Assessment (Free):https://www.ryanfranklin.org/clselfassessment Learn more about Christian Leader™ Community Coaching:https://www.ryanfranklin.org/communitycoaching YouTube and Audio Podcast: https://www.ryanfranklin.org/leaderpodcast Connect with Ryan: Email: info@ryanfranklin.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/rnfranklin/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rnfranklin/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rnfranklin/ Audio mastering by Apostolic Audio: https://www.apostolic-audio.com  #leadership, #thoughtleadership, #ministry, #pastor, #pastors, #churches, #leadershiptraining, #churchleader, #churchleaders, #influence, #leadershipdevelopment, #coaching, #executivecoach, #leadershipcoaching, #productivitycoach, #productivity, #growthmindset, #theproductiveleader, #ChristianLeader, #ChristianLeadership, #LeadershipPodcast, #FaithAndBusiness, #PodcastInterview, #ChristianEntrepreneurship, #KingdomImpact, #PodcastInspiration, #LeadershipJourney, #PurposeDriven, #ChristianPodcast, #LeadershipEssentials, #LeadershipFundamentalsSend us a text

In this episode, we're giving you a peek behind the curtain with real-life updates and our unfiltered takes on everything from reality shows and parish bingos to social media, smartphones, and DIY projects. We even get serious for a moment about how we use technology, faith, and the “thoughts and prayers” culture online. If you've ever wondered what we're like when the mics aren't scripted—this one's for you. Fun, honest, and a little unpredictable, this episode mixes laughter with reflection on living faith in everyday life. Writing projects mentioned: "The Surrender Journal (https://www.drawnear.me/drawnearshop/p/the-surrender-journal)" "Near to You: (https://www.drawnear.me/drawnearshop/p/near-to-you-a-10-date-marriage-retreat-at-home-pre-order)" Marriage retreat at home Book Fred and/or Kara to speak by visiting the Draw Near "booking page (https://www.drawnear.me/booking)." Click here (https://www.patreon.com/c/drawnear/membership) to become a patron! Patrons are essentially "sponsors" and co-producers or Draw Near as it could not happen without them. "Like" and follow us on Facebook! (https://www.facebook.com/fredandkara). Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fredandkara/)! Who are "Fred and Kara?" Find out by visiting our home page. (https://www.drawnear.me/) Like our podcast? Hit that “subscribe” button AND the notification button/bell to know when new episodes are posted! Give us a rating! Leave a review! Tell your friends! Even more, pray for us! Draw Near Theme © Fred Shellabarger & Kara Kardell

Tune in to this captivating episode of ChristianPodcast.com as host Beto Gudiño sits down with Jesús Canchola Sánchez, a Chicago-born Mexican-American writer whose journey from a gay-identified, secular life to rediscovering his Catholic roots is nothing short of inspiring. From publishing a short story at age seven to penning the bilingual children's book Pepito Has a Doll and directing the indie film Bittersweet Waters, Jesús has a vibrant creative legacy. In this raw conversation, he opens up about his past, including childhood trauma, his years exploring radical ideologies, and how his grandmother's unwavering love guided him back to faith. His latest work, Escape from Natura Meta (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or local bookstores), is a gripping dystopian novel about a young man's quest for faith in a godless world, mirroring Jesús's own redemption. Join us as we explore themes of Mexican heritage, resilience, and the power of storytelling to reconnect with God. Visit http://www.christianpodcast.com to subscribe, share, and dive into more faith-driven stories. Follow Jesús at JesusCanchola.com or on X for updates on his upcoming projects, including a Spanish translation and the sequel Escape from False Prophets!

James Series  Message: 14 Episode: 3 of 3 Broadcast: October 16, 2025 Key Verses: James 5:1-6 In this episode of Walk in Truth, Pastor Michael Lantz continues his teaching in the book of James with a message called “Moth and Rust” from James 5:1-6. These verses deliver a sobering warning about the dangers of greed and misplaced trust in wealth, reminding us that earthly riches fade—but what's stored in heaven lasts forever. Pastor Michael unpacks how this truth can shape our daily lives, helping believers keep their focus on God's eternal priorities instead of temporary treasures. This message will equip you to walk through life with a heart anchored in faith, contentment, and the lasting hope found only in Christ. Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture.  Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com

Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast

Eric Terry, Sr. is a Certified Marriage Coach and Relationship Specialist, and he's the author of “Real Talk: The Making of a Man.” Eric has been an ordained minister over the past 20 years, and he's happily married to his soul-mate, Deborah.   Together, they operate Real Talk Consulting, a multi-service firm that focuses on building and maintaining healthy relationships. You can find out more about Eric on Facebook, via his radio show on Blog Talk Radio called "Real Talk" and through his website at http://www.RealTalkConsultants.com .  His book is also available on Amazon.com   To check out our Marriage Secrets for Men Boot Camp, just click on the link: http://www.MarriageSecretsforMen.com    And to stay connected to Real Men Connect, go to http://www.RealMenConnect.com by signing up for our email updates and also receive a FREE copy of the Real Men Victory Tracker.   ---------------------------    Talk with Dr. Joe 1-on-1: Are you tired and stuck? Want to go to get your faith, marriage, family, career and finances back on track?  Then maybe it's time you got a coach. Every CHAMPION has one. Schedule an appointment to chat with Dr. Joe. He takes on only a few Breakthrough Calls each week.  The call is FREE, but slots are limited to ONE call only.  NO RESCHEDULES.  Just click on the link below and select the BREAKTHROUGH CALL option to set up an appointment: http://TalkwithDrJoe.com  If no slots are available, please check back in a week.   Also join us on: Online Podcast Community (on Station):  https://station.page/realmen Facebook: @realdrjoemartin YouTube: http://www.RealMenTraining.com Instagram: @realdrjoemartin Twitter: @professormartin Website: https://RealMenConnect.com

She was the host of a popular parenting podcast and good church girl. So why did it make her have a panic attack? Heather MacFayden joins AllMomDoes host Julie Lyles Carr for an honest and vulnerable conversation about the one thing we're doing as moms that is working against us.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/46RdzdN 

When one woman says “yes,” the ripple can reach across oceans. In this inspiring episode, Tracy sits down with Anne from Edinburgh, Scotland, whose life was forever changed by a simple invitation to host an awareness night. What followed was a 28-mile walk, over £10,000 raised, and a community awakened to the reality of human trafficking. Hear how Anne's obedience, courage, and community created a movement of prayer, action, and hope. Be inspired to cast your own stone and watch the ripples grow.Prayer resource mentioned: Disturb us, Lord, whenWe are too pleased with ourselves,When our dreams have come trueBecause we dreamed too little,When we arrived safelyBecause we sailed too close to the shore.Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,To venture on wilder seasWhere storms will show Your mastery;Where losing sight of land,We shall find the stars. Amen.-Sir Francis Drake 1577----Watch the interview: https://youtu.be/KbgJtAKFguoRead the blog: www.thefreedomchallenge.com/blogposts/2025/10/12/respond---Want to learn more? The Freedom Challenge US: thefreedomchallenge.comOperation Mobilization USA: omusa.orgInstagram: @freedomchallengeusa / Facebook: @thefcusaSupport the show

The Supreme Court just heard a case that could redefine what “conversion therapy” really means — and whether Christian counselors are allowed to help people live according to biblical truth. In this episode, Brady Cone breaks down the history behind these controversial bans, how activists have redefined the term, and why the Colorado case could set a major precedent for religious freedom and free speech.

James Series  Message: 14 Episode: 2 of 3 Broadcast: October 15, 2025 Key Verses: James 5:1-6 In this episode of Walk in Truth, Pastor Michael Lantz continues his teaching in the book of James with a message called “Moth and Rust” from James 5:1-6. These verses deliver a sobering warning about the dangers of greed and misplaced trust in wealth, reminding us that earthly riches fade—but what's stored in heaven lasts forever. Pastor Michael unpacks how this truth can shape our daily lives, helping believers keep their focus on God's eternal priorities instead of temporary treasures. This message will equip you to walk through life with a heart anchored in faith, contentment, and the lasting hope found only in Christ. Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture.  Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com

     In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis read Hosea chapter 8, where the prophet declares that Israel has “planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind.” Through Hosea's message, God warns His people that their idolatry, self-appointed kings, and misplaced alliances will lead to destruction. Israel has built altars meant to remove sin, yet those very altars have become places of sin. They've forgotten their Maker and trusted in their own strength, seeking security in palaces, fortified cities, and foreign powers instead of the Lord.      As Sally and Curtis reflect, this passage reveals the danger of turning to anything other than God for hope and stability. Like Israel, we may strive to secure life through our own works or alliances, but these efforts are fruitless apart from the Lord. Curtis draws a parallel to modern faith, noting how our attempts at righteousness can drift into legalism when we depend on our own strength rather than Christ's finished work. Sally reminds us that life and fruitfulness come only from seeking God first—echoing Matthew 6:33: “Seek the kingdom of God above all else…”      Even amid judgment, there is grace. God still sends warnings—signs of His steadfast love calling us back to Him. As the hosts conclude, the true hope of this chapter is not in avoiding discipline but in trusting the Maker who loves, warns, and redeems His people.

Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast

I'm joined by Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell for a powerful conversation about what it means to suffer well in seasons of warfare.In this episode, we unpack how God uses pain to refine our hearts, reveal hidden places of brokenness, and draw us closer to His presence when life feels heavy.We talk about how to discern what battles are worth fighting, how to stay silent when the Spirit says “be still,” and how to see purpose in the storms we never asked for.Pastor Philip shares deep biblical wisdom on navigating rejection, spiritual attack, and the tension of being both blessed and broken, often at the same time.If you're feeling weary from the fight, misunderstood in your calling, or ever wondered where God is in the middle of your suffering, this conversation will remind you that even here, He is working something holy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this powerful episode, Heather Creekmore continues October’s "Fear Free Fall” series by digging deep into the often-hidden fear of rejection and how it influences our lives. She unpacks how perfectionism and people-pleasing are tightly related to our need to feel accepted and loved. Through personal stories, relatable examples, and biblical truth, Heather unravels the underlying self-protective strategies we adopt—and how the gospel offers real freedom and grace. Key Topics Covered: What is the Fear of Rejection?Heather explores how this fear drives us and manifests as perfectionism and people-pleasing. She explains that these are self-protective strategies formed by our desire for secure love, belonging, and worth. Perfectionism:Often, we think, “If I get it right, then I’ll be enough.” Heather shares a personal story from college when a single missed typo made her feel immense shame, showing how perfectionism can lead to exhaustion and shame rather than peace. People-Pleasing:The fear that “If I make everyone happy, I’ll be safe.” Heather discusses how people-pleasing is not true peacekeeping or biblical peacemaking and how it can even impact our ability to follow God’s call if the opinions of others control us. Where Does This Come From?Heather highlights how these tendencies usually aren’t intentional—they’re often formed in childhood, at school, or through life experiences that taught us we’d be safer if we kept everyone happy or never made mistakes. How It Affects Others:Unchecked, perfectionism and people-pleasing can also lead us to have unrealistic expectations of others, continuing the cycle for those around us. The Gospel’s Answer:True freedom is found not in earning love and acceptance from people (or God), but in embracing grace. Heather reminds us that Jesus took on ultimate rejection so we can be fully accepted by God, no matter how we perform. A Challenge to Listeners:Heather encourages us to check our motives—are we striving for approval from people or resting in God’s approval? She challenges listeners to shift their perspective from a “people-big, God-small” view to a “God-big, people-small” mindset for greater confidence and peace. Memorable Quotes: “Perfectionism is a fear of inadequacy dressed up as excellence.” “People pleasing is not biblical peacemaking—it’s a form of self-protection.” “You can never be perfect or please everyone, but you are already fully accepted in Jesus.” “Freedom comes when you realize you can’t earn grace—it's a gift.” Resources & Next Steps: Visit heathercreekmore.com for free resources, courses, coaching, and Heather’s books Sign up for the free 10-day encouragement email series! Learn more about the In His Image Conference in Dallas, TX (November 15th) — details in show notes If you struggle with people-pleasing, perfectionism, or fear of rejection, this episode is for you. Learn how to find freedom and confidence in who God says you are—not in what you do or how others respond. Thanks for listening to Compared to Who? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sometimes the hardest part of healthy screen time is knowing what to do instead. So how do we know if our child has too much screen time, and what can we do instead? There are three questions we need to ask, and then four activities we can use to quickly point our children back to analog adventures.  1. Are screens babysitting?  2. Does my child content with screen time?  3. Is tech a consistent battle for our family?The average school-aged child has six "blocks" of discretionary time a day. We will look at four possible analog adventures: books, board games, art, and baking.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4nNUQWC 

Ep 46 - Series: Identity Unlocked - Pt 2About This Episode: Why You Can't Feel God's Love (Knowing vs Believing, Love vs Fear & Living Victoriously)You know God loves you in your head—but do you believe it in your heart? Most Christians struggle to feel beloved, chosen, and special in God's eyes. This episode reveals why knowing isn't enough and how to make the transition from head knowledge to heart conviction that transforms everything.In this episode, you'll discover:The crucial difference between knowing and believing God's love (1 John 4:16)Why "God shows no favoritism" actually means you're His favoriteHow to surrender the lies blocking intimacy with GodWhy love (not fear) is the true motivator for obedienceThe key to living victoriously as more than conquerorsTurn this episode into real change: The Kingdom Shift newsletter gives you one specific way to apply this week's Kingdom truth. Weekly delivery. 4-minute read. One simple action step included. Join at https://tekoaproject.com/newsletter/About This Series: This is Part 2 of our "Identity Unlocked" series. Over the next few episodes, we'll dive deep into what sonship really means, how to walk in it daily, and how to recognize when you're slipping back into orphan or slave thinking.The Tekoa Project exists to help believers move from religious performance to authentic relationship with God. Learn more at https://tekoaproject.com/Episode Chapters:0:00 - Why You Can't Feel God's Love2:30 - The Difference Between Loved and Beloved5:45 - Are You God's Favorite? (Understanding No Favoritism)10:30 - Knowing vs Believing: The 1 John 4:16 Distinction17:45 - Rooted and Grounded in Love (Ephesians 3)25:15 - Nothing Can Separate You from God's Love (Romans 8)32:20 - Surrendering the Lies That Block His Love38:45 - Love vs Fear: The Real Motivation for Obedience44:30 - Living Victoriously as More Than Conquerors

Episode Overview:“Our primary problem...is not that we lack self-worth. It's that we lack awe.”In this episode, Lisa and Dan unpack the Happiness Trap: the belief that your purpose is tied to feeling good or curating the perfect life. But true vocation often forms us in the slow, hidden work of faithfulness, not fleeting emotional highs. Tune in to escape the trap, rediscover joy, and move forward with a deeper sense of vocation.Up Next:The Hero Trap – Learn how to pursue your calling without trying to "save the world" or carry more than God has asked you to.Helpful Resources: Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: https://soul-makers.kit.com/traptracker Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo Read Samuel Wells' book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and theExperience of Vocation by Chris Keeton Read the article, Understanding Vocation: Discerning and Responding to God's Call by Don Thompson Read the Blog Post by Jen Wilken, Trading Self-Worth for Awe and WonderConnect & Share: Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. to keep following the Vocation Traps series Share this episode with a fellow artist or spiritual seeker Join the conversation on social using #VocationTrapsPodcast Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Radical obedience is more than a moment. It's a lifelong posture of trust. In this powerful episode, Dr. Paul and Dr. Carol Alexander reflect on a global life of ministry marked by faith, perseverance, and God's providence. From unexpected callings to remote Samoa to building a graduate program in Ellendale, North Dakota, their story is a compelling reminder that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will.If you're wrestling with next steps, calling, or what it really looks like to surrender your plans, their insights will encourage and challenge you. This conversation draws from their book Radical Obedience: The Chronicles of Two Global Pilgrims and their leadership at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School.

James Series  Message: 14 Episode: 1 of 3 Broadcast: October 14, 2025 Key Verses: James 5:1-6 In this episode of Walk in Truth, Pastor Michael Lantz continues his teaching in the book of James with a message called “Moth and Rust” from James 5:1-6. These verses deliver a sobering warning about the dangers of greed and misplaced trust in wealth, reminding us that earthly riches fade—but what's stored in heaven lasts forever. Pastor Michael unpacks how this truth can shape our daily lives, helping believers keep their focus on God's eternal priorities instead of temporary treasures. This message will equip you to walk through life with a heart anchored in faith, contentment, and the lasting hope found only in Christ. Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture.  Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com

When you forget who you are, the enemy wins. In this powerful message, Pastor Demetrius Johnson unpacks how the enemy has been attacking identity since the Garden of Eden — and how Jesus gave us the blueprint to stand firm. From God's affirmation to Jesus' unshakeable trust, discover how to reclaim your God-given identity and walk confidently in your purpose. If you've ever wrestled with doubt, insecurity, or comparison — this message is your wake-up call. Because when you know who you are in Christ, you can boldly say: “Miss Me With That. I Know Who I Am.”

Why do you want to sit at tables that God has not prepared for you?

Stop allowing their threats to move you. Be obedient to what the Lord has told you to do.

Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast

Change can feel both exciting and overwhelming at the same time.  In this episode, Kelley & Taylor are sharing their real life journeys through major life transitions: Kelley becoming an empty nester, and Taylor moving into a studio apartment alone.  They unpack why change feels so hard, how to invite God into the process, and practical ways to walk through new seasons without fear. This conversation is anchored in Isaiah 43:19, Philippians 4:6-7, and Joshua 1:9, and will encourage you to embrace change with courage, confidence, and peace.  Reflection Question: What change are you navigating right now, and how can you invite God into the journey? WATCH & SUBSCRIBE TO YOUTUBE! @chosenbyjesus-CBJ Grab our FREE resource "Stop Overthinking & Start Trusting God" www.kelleytyan.com Follow CBJ on Instagram @chosenbyJesusCBJ

This week's conversation is full of fall break fun including Angela's recent trip to Chicago and Fran's next adventure.  Fran shares more great questions we can ask our children (and ourselves) as we consider who are becoming.  We also contemplate the difference in ruminating vs. meditating as we consider our memory verse for October, 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind." We hope that with each and every episode, you will find us talking about Jesus while also learning, being challenged, and growing together while loving and laughing about what makes up our everyday lives.  We are so thankful Jesus is right there with us in the middle of it all.  Favorite quotes and books referenced in this episode: "Leadership is easy to visualize and harder to actualize." Dr. Dub Oliver Leadership is a journey, it's never a destination.  We should always be learning and growing and evolving.   If you are experiencing a spirit of fear, that is not from the Lord.  We have to know the difference between the two.  God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold, loving and sensible. Are you ruminating, meditating or marinating? Giddy Up, Eunice! Because Women Need Each Other by Sophie Hudson Entrusted Bible Study: A Study of 2 Timothy by Beth Moore Each episode is recorded on the campus of Union University! If you have a student looking at colleges, schedule a visit and let us know you are coming.  Follow us on all the socials: Facebook IG TikTok

Learn more about Christian Leader® Community Coaching:https://www.ryanfranklin.org/communitycoaching In this episode of the Christian Leader Made Simple Show, Dr. Tom Trimble joins Ryan Franklin to unpack his book Digital Dominion. Together they explore how technology, especially smartphones and social media, is shaping our minds, families, and faith in ways we often don't notice. From powerful personal stories to the STAIRS framework, Dr. Trimble offers biblical wisdom and practical steps for keeping technology a tool for the Kingdom rather than a trap for the soul. This conversation will challenge you to reclaim your time, refocus your relationships, and live under God's dominion in a digital world.Purchase Digital Dominion:https://amzn.to/3JZaK17 (affiliate link)https://overflowcoffee.square.site/shop/dr-tom-trimble-book/2XSK3L2BSIGXVNCW4VB4QFWS (purchase hardcover here)Purchase The Christian Leader Blueprint book today: https://www.ryanfranklin.org/blueprintbookDownload The Christian Leader Blueprint – Short Guide (Free): https://www.ryanfranklin.org/blueprint Take the Christian Leader® Self-Assessment (Free):https://www.ryanfranklin.org/clselfassessment YouTube and Audio Podcast: https://www.ryanfranklin.org/leaderpodcast Connect with Ryan: Email: info@ryanfranklin.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rnfranklin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rnfranklin/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rnfranklin/ Audio mastering by Apostolic Audio: https://www.apostolic-audio.com#leadership, #thoughtleadership, #ministry, #pastor, #pastors, #churches, #leadershiptraining, #churchleader, #churchleaders, #influence, #leadershipdevelopment, #coaching, #executivecoach, #leadershipcoaching, #productivitycoach, #productivity, #growthmindset, #theproductiveleader, #ChristianLeader, #ChristianLeadership, #LeadershipPodcast, #FaithAndBusiness, #PodcastInterview, #ChristianEntrepreneurship, #KingdomImpact, #PodcastInspiration, #LeadershipJourney, #PurposeDriven, #ChristianPodcast, #LeadershipEssentials, #LeadershipFundamentalsSend us a text

Register for the GearTalk Bible Reading Plan here. For other resources related to biblical theology, visit handstotheplow.org and jasonderouchie.com. To support the work of Hands to the Plow, visit handstotheplow.org. 

Lesson 82 of Heart Dive's Heartbeat of God and HEART WORK, where we are finding how God's heart beats throughout His Word, so we can find Him in the world. Today we are studying Joshua 1-4 in the Old Testament.HEART WORK PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mciGdV7PV1uAEWD6JGbu4pdZVmT9Frbg/view?usp=sharingVISIT OUR SHOP: heartdiveshop.com2024 videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdqyC_w_7Gwgd93fCHH-OZdxB3fYuPXIW&si=nvsUzGRu71ISQ8bsFREE RESOURCES: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1Tvms_gB-OWMum61DiCXvFV8R8jKXpIVIMy Bible Notes: https://heartdive.org/daily-notes-with-kanoe/2025 Digital and Print Planners: https://heartdiveshop.com/ 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/ Support the Ministry: https://heartdive.org/support/ 

What does it really mean to be the church? In Acts 20:28, Paul reminds believers that the church belongs to God, bought with His own blood, and that every follower of Jesus is called not just to attend, but to belong. This message explores foundational truths about what it means to live as part of God's people and to carry His mission forward. You'll learn: 1. Why the church is essential to spiritual growth and obedience 2. How God speaks to and through His church today 3. What it means to belong to a community shaped by love and purpose 4. Why the church is called to be a light to the world 5. How being planted in God's house leads to lifelong fruitfulness If you've ever wondered what the church really is or why it matters, this message will remind you that God's plan has always been His people, together, living out His mission.

Welcome to the sermon. Last week, we explored Moses's question, "Who am I?" Today, we tackle the other great question from the burning bush: "Who are you, God?" We're diving into Exodus 3 to explore the profound meaning behind the name God reveals for Himself—a name full of mystery and power, which is ultimately and most clearly revealed in the person of Jesus.Scripture ReferencesExodus 3:13-15: Moses asks for God's name, and God reveals Himself as "I AM WHO I AM."John 8:56-59: Jesus declares, "Before Abraham was, I AM," identifying Himself as Yahweh.Hebrews 12:29: "For our God is a consuming fire."Colossians 1:15-20: A description of Jesus as the supreme and exact image of the invisible God.Key Points1. Why Moses Asks for a NameMoses wasn't just asking for a label. In a world of many gods, he needed more than a title; he was asking for God's character and power. He needed to understand who this God was so he could confidently lead the Israelites. It was a request for a deeper revelation of God's very nature.2. The Mysterious Name: "I AM" (YHWH)God's answer is a profound riddle: "I AM WHO I AM." This reveals His personal name, YHWH (often translated as "the LORD"), which points to His self-existence, His eternal and unchangeable nature, and His power as Creator. Like the burning bush itself, God's name is both inviting and holy—the fire draws us in with fascination but also warns us with its power. It's an invitation to spend a lifetime getting to know this mysterious, all-powerful God.3. Jesus is the Answer to the RiddleThe mystery of God's name finds its ultimate answer in Jesus. In the New Testament, Jesus repeatedly uses "I AM" statements ("I am the good shepherd," "I am the vine," etc.) and makes the staggering declaration, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). He wasn't just pointing to Yahweh; He was identifying Himself as Yahweh in the flesh. If the name YHWH was the introduction, Jesus is the full story.ConclusionThe name of God, Yahweh, is not just an ancient fact; it's an invitation into a relationship with the self-existent, all-powerful Creator. Jesus is the final and clearest revelation of this name. He is Yahweh in the flesh, the perfect image of the invisible God, making the mysterious known. To truly know the great "I AM," we must know Jesus.Calls to ActionBow to Jesus: If you have never surrendered to Him, recognize Him today as the one true God, Yahweh in the flesh.Ask for the Fire: If your faith has grown stagnant, pray for the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn away your boredom and fascinate you with God's presence anew.Go Deeper: Move beyond knowing facts about God to pursuing an experiential relationship with God through Jesus. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

In this episode, Chris McCurley sits down with Hunter Walcott, a professional golfer whose journey combines talent, perseverance, and a deep faith in God. Hunter shares how his time as a student-athlete at the University of Tennessee shaped his discipline, accountability, and spiritual growth — and how he continues to rely on his faith while pursuing a career in professional golf. Together, they discuss what it looks like to honor God in a competitive world and keep faith at the center of life's pursuits.   Connect with Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearchurch_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564673680147 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DearChurch   Website: https://www.rippleoflight.org/ ROL Facebook: http://facebook.com/rippleoflight ROL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rippleoflight ROL YouTube: http://youtube.com/rippleoflight ROL Rumble: http://rumble.com/rippleoflight   Have a question? Email Chris at chris.mccurley@rippleoflight.com.   #DearChurchPodcast #FaithAndSports #ChristianLiving #GolfAndFaith #RippleOfLight #golflife  

The Night Is Normal: A Conversation with Dr. Alicia Britt Chole – Hebrews 11In this powerful episode of Divine Table Talk, Jamie and Jane sit down with Dr. Alicia Britt Chole, author of The Night Is Normal, to explore the timeless truths of Hebrews 11. Together, they discuss what it means to live by faith when life feels dark or uncertain and how to wait well when God's promises seem distant. Dr. Chole shares profound insights on spiritual formation, trust, and finding God's presence in seasons of waiting and silence. This conversation will renew your hope and deepen your understanding of what real, enduring faith looks like.____________________________________Connect with Jamie:Website: www.jamieklusacek.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieklusacekConnect with Jane:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewwilliamsConnect with Dr. Alicia Britt Chole:Website: www.aliciachole.com____________________________________ Get Jamie's Newest Book:Living Loved: An 8-week Journey to Living Fully Loved

This week, I'm sitting down with Justin Giboney to have an honest conversation about what it means to choose grace in a world that thrives on outrage. Together, we unpack how believers can respond to offense with Christ-like wisdom, especially when tension, politics, and faith collide in public spaces.We talk about what it looks like to pause before reacting, how to discern truth in a noisy culture, and why guarding your witness matters more than winning an argument. Justin shares biblical insight on engaging the culture without losing compassion, and how the posture of our hearts reveals what we truly believe about Jesus.If you've wondered how to respond when the world feels divided, or what faithfulness looks like in a polarized time such as now, this conversation will meet you right where you are.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.