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Introduction: The Warning Signs of Fake Repentance (Numbers 14:39-45) Regret Without CHANGE . (Num 14:39-40) 2 Corinthians 7:10 - For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Resistance to CONSEQUENCES . (Num 14:41) Reliance on SELF . (Num 14:42-45) John 5:6 - When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! For Our Example: Ancient Warnings for the Church Today - Do Not Be Fake Repenters Taylor Brown Download Audio Transcript 00:48Please turn your Bibles to Numbers chapter 14 verses 39 through 45. Numbers chapter 14 verses 39 through 45. It can be hard to spot something that is fake if you don't sit up and pay attention to the warning signs. Raise your hand if you've ever been tricked into believing that an AI generated image or video was actually real. It's okay, you're among friends. We've all been bamboozled.01:17and no, I have too. We've all been tricked. So many people are fooled by AI on social media. So many friends and family members have sent me a new trailer for a new movie that is completely fake. I have to awkwardly break them. The bad news. A reel will pop up on social media or Facebook and it looks legit, but if you sit up and pay attention to the warning signs, you'll see that something, is off.01:48There are lighting inconsistencies.01:51A person's hand has seven or six fingers instead of five.01:55A car crashing doesn't obey the law of physics.02:00Or maybe someone's mouth moving doesn't line up with what they're saying.02:05I don't want to lecture you about the dangers of AI because you are very well aware.02:10Slander, misinformation, cyber attack, even framing people for crimes that they didn't actually commit. With each passing year, AI is getting more and more advanced, and it's getting more and more difficult to tell the difference between what is genuine and what is fake, what is real and what is not, what is true and what is phony. AI is a really serious issue in 2026, isn't it?02:41But do you know what's an infinitely more serious issue that has spanned the entirety of human existence? Sin and a person's response to it. The Bible commands you. The Bible commands me. The Bible commands everyone to repent. Repentance is a total change of mind and direction. You are called to turn away from your sin and to turn towards Jesus Christ.03:10You are commanded to repent, not just on the day of your conversion, but every single day after that as well. But here's the problem. How can you tell if a person's repentance is genuine or not? How can you tell if your repentance is the real deal or not? Similar to AI, you need to sit up and pay attention to the warning signs.03:39You'd be on the lookout for the warning signs of phoniness. We have taken a brief pause on our series in the book of 1 Corinthians to focus on the books of Exodus and Numbers. We're in the third week of our latest series for our example, Ancient Warnings for the Church Today. We have been studying some serious cases of sin and disobedience. The Israelites have provided negative examples for us to avoid, and the Lord has provided warnings for us to heed. Warnings such as, do not be idolaters. Do not be doubters.04:17This morning, the Lord has another warning for you and me.04:22That warning is, do not be fake repenters.04:27Do not be fake repenters.04:31And the stakes of this warning are extremely high.04:34The ramifications are a matter of life or death.04:38Heaven or Hell. So I beg you to not lean back and daydream during this sermon. Instead, sit up and pay attention. Be on the lookout for the warning signs of fake repentance in your life. Because the Lord may convict you today that you've never truly repented. Or the Lord may convict you that you haven't truly repented.05:08in a very long time.05:11So let's go to the Lord and ask for His help.05:14Please pray for me that I will faithfully proclaim God's Word.05:18And I will pray for you that you will faithfully receive God's Word.05:24Father, we come before You today to acknowledge our many sins.05:30We come before You to acknowledge the reality that we so often do not deal with our sins in the ways that You want us to.05:37We so often don't deal with our sin. Or we deal with our sin in the way that we want to. Lord, today, may we truly deal with our sin in the way you called us to in your word. And that way is genuine repentance. By the end of this service, Lord, may we all be able to say before you with integrity that we are genuine repenters. May your Holy Spirit move in a great and mighty way. May he seek and save the lost. May he He give faith where there is none. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen. The warning signs of fake repentance. The warning signs of fake repentance. Number one in your outline, regret without change. Regret without change. Last week we studied the story of Israel's doubt and their refusal to enter into the promised land.06:37to scope it out, to see where the enemies were and where their cities were as well.06:42And they're commanded to be of good courage, but many of them choose to be cowards.06:48Ten of them came back with a very bad report.06:53And this bad report led the Israelites to doubt the Lord, to grumble against Him, and to refuse to enter the Promised Land.07:04There are immediate consequences for this disobedience. Immediately, the ten unfaithful spies are killed by a plague. And the Lord shares the long-term consequences of their disobedience. The older generations will not enter the promised land. The only two people who will are Joshua and Caleb. Because they were the two faithful spies who gave a good report and were faithful to the Lord.07:34Everybody else, 20 or older, will never enter the Promised Land. The younger generations will see the Promised Land, but they have to wait for 40 years. They have to wander in circles for 40 years. Now it's time for Moses to break that bad news to the Israelites. God has shared that with him. Now he has to share it with them. How do you think that's going to go? Is it going to go well?08:04Are they going to respond positively or negatively? Are they going to respond with genuine repentance or fake repentance? Let's see their response in verse 39. When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. This seems positive, right? This seems like a good development. The people seem crushed. They aren't grumbling.08:35anymore. They aren't shaking their fists at the heavens. They aren't kicking the sheep in anger. They are crying. That's good, right? But are these tears genuine? Is this genuine repentance? That is the question. And we find the answer to that question in verse 40. And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country saying, here we are. We will go up to the place the Lord has promised for we have sinned.09:07The Israelites still are not getting it. They still are not listening. They are not doing what God tells them to do. At first, God says, go into the promised land. And they say, you know what? We're not going. Now he says, do not go into the promised land. And what do they say? Oh yeah? Well, we're going. It's the same disobedience dressed up in different clothing.09:33They still are not repentant. They still are not changed. They may have some regrets. But they are not truly sorry for their sin. And we see this kind of fake repentance all throughout the Bible. Esau regretted that he sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a stupid bowl of stew. He even put on the waterworks show.10:031217, Esau never truly repented of his ungodly behavior. He never truly changed. King Saul disobeyed the Lord and his throne was stripped from him. Sure, on the outside, Saul looked upset. He looked sad, but on the inside, he was still stubbornly disobeying the Lord. He was not changed. He was not truly repentant. What about Judas?10:33Judas betrayed our Lord for 30 pieces of silver. He immediately regretted the worst betrayal in human history, but he didn't turn to the Lord for forgiveness as Peter did when he denied Jesus three times. The Bible is very clear that Judas was not saved. He was not repentant. He was not changed. The mourning of Esau, Saul, and Judas, meant nothing. And it led to nothing good. The Israelites' repentance in this passage, their regret, means nothing. And it leads to nothing good. Listen to what Paul has to say about this in 2 Corinthians 7.10. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. Whereas worldly grief produces death.11:33So many people live with regret every single day, don't they? So many people feel bad about their bad decisions. They try to numb their pain. They try to ignore it. They try to push it down. Are any of those plans a good idea? Are any of those plans biblical repentance? Not at all.12:05While true sorrow, true brokenness over your sin produces a repentance that leads to internal transformation and eternal life. If you are truly, genuinely repentant and saved, then you will not regret that you repented. You will not regret that you put your old life of sin in the rearview mirror. If you are truly repentant and saved, then you will not remain the same You will not remain unchanged. The genuineness of your repentance is proven by how you think, how you speak, how you act, and how you react. For those of you who don't know me very well, I have two children, Sam and Emmy. Sam is almost seven years old and Emmy is four and a half. I have to say that half because that means a lot to her. She would get mad if I didn't say it. She's four and a half. For the most part, our kids, get along. But there are some moments when they brawl. They're mean to each other. Hands are used for shoving. On occasion, Emmy's fingernails are used for scratching. And when I separate them, I'll say, what happened? Sam was rude to me. Emmy scratched me. And I'll say to Sam, Sam, was that okay? He goes, no, I'm sorry. I'll say to Sam, It's great that you say that you're sorry. But how can you show us that you're sorry? He'll say, but not being rude to Emmy. Right. Exactly right. You show me that you're sorry for being rude to Emmy by not being rude to her in the future. But I'll take Emmy aside. Emmy, was that right to do that to Sam? No. I'm sorry. Emmy, how can you show me that you're sorry for scratching your brother? And she'll say, by not scratching Sammy. That's exactly right.14:03You show that you're sorry for scratching your brother by not scratching him in the future. It's that simple. These examples may seem ridiculous to you, but this principle applies to your life as well. Yes, you should say that you're sorry, but that's not the end goal. That's just the beginning. That's just the first step. You must show that you're sorry.14:33How can you show that you're sorry for being harsh with your wife? Stop being harsh with her. Stop saying rude and unkind things to her. Stop belittling her to her face. Start building her up with your words. Start showing her that you love her. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show her that you're sorry. How can you show that you're sorry for belittling your husband?15:03Stop belittling him. Stop making fun of him behind his back. Stop making fun of him to his face. Stop putting him down in private or in public. Instead, start building him up in private and in public. When he's faithful at home, when he's faithful at work, encourage him. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show him that you're sorry. How can you show your kids that you're sorry for losing your temper yet again and blowing up at them. Stop losing your temper and blowing up at them. Stop acting like a child. Act like an adult. Start walking away and gathering your composure before you deal with their behavioral problems. Don't just say that you're sorry to your kids. Show them that you're sorry. How do you show a friend that you are sorry for lying to him?16:04Stop lying. Stop stretching the truth. Stop exaggerating. Stop saying what they want to hear. Start telling the truth no matter what. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show him or her that you're sorry. How can you show that you're sorry for an impure and out of control thought life? Stop allowing your mind to wander in every direction. Start cleaning up your thought life.16:35Stop consuming mass quantities of garbage on TV and social media. Start consuming mass quantities of God's Word. Biblical podcasts, good Christian books. Don't just say that you're sorry. Show that you're sorry. This is so simple in theory, isn't it? Is this easy in execution? No. Repentance.17:03is hard. Changing is hard. It's inconvenient. It's humbling. It's an up and down roller coaster. It's a two steps forward, one step back process. And sometimes even a two steps forward, two steps back journey. You will fail. You will fall along the way. But brothers and sisters, genuine repentance is worth it because it leads to life both now and forever.17:32Changing leads to blessing in the present and in eternity. Do not be a fake repenter by just saying that you're sorry. Prove that you are a genuine repenter by showing that you are truly sorry for your sin. The warning signs of fake repentance. Number two, resistance to consequences. Resistance to consequences.18:06Moses is not pleased with the Israelites' attempt to take the promised land that was taken away from them. Check out what he says to them in verse 41. He asks a question. But Moses said, why are you now transgressing the command of the Lord when that will not succeed? Moses is frustrated. He asks this question in frustration. Why in the world would you Would you try to take the promised land if you know that you're not allowed to and that you will not succeed? Moses just told them the consequences for their actions. They cannot enter the promised land for 40 years and most of them will die. But do they accept these consequences? No, instead they push against the consequences. They resist with everything in them.19:02They are resisting the consequences of their actions. Since childhood, you have learned about the relationship between cause and effect. Action and consequence. Finish this sentence with me. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. All right, action. I throw this ball up in the air. What is the consequence?19:32I come back down due to gravity, right? Action. I go out onto the stone patio and join your kids in their favorite activity, throwing rocks. Action. I lob this rock into the parking lot. It heads directly for your passenger side window. What's the consequence? It shatters the window and makes a huge mess that I am personally responsible for. Action. Consequence.20:03But here's the question.20:05Am I going to accept the consequence for my action?20:09Or will I resist it?20:12Will I be a fake repenter or a genuine repenter?20:16Here's what fake repentance looks like.20:20I mean, yeah, I probably shouldn't have thrown that rock, but your window should have been able to take that hit.20:26Obviously, your window is flimsy and faulty.20:29You should have parked far away like I do.20:31You know the kids play with rocks. Anyway, it was an accident. I didn't mean to. I'm not going to pay for that. Fake repentance. Resisting the consequences. Whereas genuine repentance looks like accepting that consequence. It was stupid and wrong for me to throw that rock. I am so sorry. I will cover the damages. We can go through my insurance or I can just give you cash or a check right now.21:01Genuine repenters do not resist the consequences of their actions. Genuine repenters accept the consequences of their actions. Let me give you some examples of what this actually looks like. You betray a fellow church member by gossiping about her behind her back. And she finds out what you said and she confronts you about it. Fake repentance looks like this.21:30What I said wasn't that bad. It wasn't that big of a deal. I was just concerned about you. I was sharing that concern with somebody else. Don't be upset with me. The woman, in turn, is upset with you. And you act very inconvenienced that she's upset with you. You cut this woman out of your life. You exit your small group. You tell everyone this woman is bitter, angry, and toxic. Fake repentance.22:00What does genuine repentance look like? I should not have said that about you. I am so sorry. There is no excuse. You have every right to be upset with me. Genuine repentance. You let that member of your family down yet again. You keep telling this guy that you'll be there for him, and you keep letting him down. And in turn, he no longer thinks you are dependable.22:31by saying, well, sorry, my whole life doesn't revolve around your schedule. Come on, man. You know I have so much going on in my life. Or you can be a genuine repenter and say, I let you down again. No excuse. I shouldn't have done it. I know my word doesn't mean very much to you, but I hope that it will again someday. I understand if I won't be the first person that you call when you need something.22:58You get together with your friends and you drink way more than you should. At family get-togethers, you say dumb things and you do dumb things because of your drinking. You can be a fake repenter and resist the consequence by pointing the finger at others. Oh, come on, just relax. Life's so stressful, I just need to cut loose sometimes. You all need to just calm down. It's not a big deal.23:28people don't invite you to family activities anymore.23:32Because they don't like to see you when you're drinking.23:36Whereas genuine repentance looks like this.23:38I do have a problem.23:40I have wrecked so many relationships.23:42I have ruined so many moments.23:44I have destroyed trust.23:45I'll do whatever it takes to rebuild that trust with you.23:52Genuine repenters do not put a timeline on the healing of other people.23:58Genuine repenters give those they have wronged the space they need for the relationship to be restored. Genuine repenters do not demand forgiveness. They ask for forgiveness. I may not have addressed your particular situation with all these examples, but I hope and pray the Holy Spirit has laid His hand of conviction upon you because I guarantee you, there is a situation in your life when you are not repenting. I had to deal with situations in my life this week when I was not truly repenting. I pray that God has revealed how you may be harming yourself. How you may be hurting others. How you may be hindering a close relationship with the Lord by refusing to submit to the consequences you brought upon yourself. By trying to escape.24:58the effects that you have caused.25:02Do not be a fake repenter by resisting the consequences of your sin.25:08Prove that you are a genuine repenter by accepting the consequence of your sin.25:17The warning signs of fake repentance.25:19Third and final warning sign.25:21Reliance on self.25:23Reliance on self.25:29In verses 42 through 43, Moses gives the reason why the Israelites will fail if they try to take the promised land. He says, do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the Lord, the Lord, will not be with you.25:59Why will the Israelites fail?26:02Why will they not succeed?26:03They try to take the promised land?26:05Because God will not be with them.26:08Because God will not fight for them.26:12They will lose because God will not give them victory.26:17Israel's effort minus God's help equals defeat.26:22They cannot fight this battle on their own.26:25And the same is true for you and me. Your effort minus God's help equals defeat. You are not strong enough to fight your battles on your own. Do you believe that? Do you live like you believe that? The Israelites don't seem to believe it. They certainly don't live like they believe it. This message should stop the Israelites' dead in their tracks, but it doesn't. Once again, they ignore his command and do whatever they want to do. In verse 44. But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although not the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp. The Israelites do not seem to care that they are going into battle without two essential ingredients. The Ark of the Covenant and Moses himself. The very presence of God, rests upon the ark, on the mercy seat, in between the two golden cherubim. Moses is God's chosen leader. God is the boss, and Moses is the manager. God expresses his commands and his plans for Israel through Moses. So let's cover Israel's battle plan one more time. The people of God are going to wage war without God's blessing, without God's presence and without God's chosen leader. This is a purely human effort and endeavor. The Israelites are relying on their own strength instead of God's strength. Let's see how that plays out for them in verse 45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them even to Hormah.28:26It shouldn't shock us that Israel lost because Moses told them that they would. They pushed their chips all in on themselves and the gamble did not pay off. They pay a massive price. So for the third week in a row, our story ends on a down note. And you may be thinking, oh man, this series is just so heavy. I need like a nice and fluffy conclusion. Come on, I really need, If you feel that way, think about how I feel. I've been studying this for three weeks. I understand that desire. I understand that feeling. But I encourage you to instead answer this question. What should I learn from this sad ending? What should I learn from this sad ending? When you rely on yourself, you will disappoint yourself.29:25When you rely on yourself, you will disappoint yourself. Self-reliance leads to self-destruction. Fake repenters try to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, while genuine repenters ask God to pull them out of the pit that they have dug for themselves. Fake repenters fight their battles in their own strength, while genuine repenters fight battles in the Lord's strength.30:01We know what it looks like for the Israelites to rely on themselves. We see it right here. What does it look like for you to rely on yourself? How are you trusting in yourself rather than the Lord right now? Maybe you never pray.30:24You rarely ask other people to pray for you. Prayer says a lot about you because prayer is the major metric of faith. Bible reading, Bible meditation, and memorization are negotiable tasks instead of non-negotiable things that are blocked off in your schedule. Church attendance, participation, and fellowship are add-ons and not essentials to your life. Maybe you will not commit to this church or any other church.30:53You've been a free agent for a long time and responsible to no one. Maybe it's not hard to convince you to skip on Sunday morning. You're too tired. You need to rest. You had a busy weekend. You have plans later today. You're just not feeling it today. You show up to church occasionally, and when you do show up, you make no effort to build up other relationships with other believers. You make no effort to make genuine connections.31:26Maybe you always come up with reasons why you can't join a small group. Or you've been a part of a small group in the past, but you've just been shut off. And you didn't really share anything. As a result, you have no accountability in your life. You are not known by anyone in this church, and you do not know anyone else in this church. An unknown Christian, is a dangerous Christian. An unknown Christian is an accident waiting to happen. You need God's strength. And one of the greatest ways to receive God's strength is to ask his people for help. When I came on staff four years ago, Pastor Jeff taught me to ask people in counseling the same question that Jesus asked the paralyzed man in John 5, 6.32:22And the question is this. Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be made well? Does that seem like a strange question to you? It seemed like a strange question to me for a little while. But time and experience have proven to Pastor Jeff and myself that it's really not a strange question because most people do not want to be healed. Most people do not want to be made well.32:51Most people really do not want help. They are fine with staying right where they are, even though right where they are is a terrible place to be. Fake repenters do not share their struggles with others. Instead, they keep their sin a secret. Is that what you're doing today? How's that working out for you? I'm guessing not very well.33:21People know what they are going through because they want to save face. They want to look spiritual. They don't want other people to know what's going on. They want to solve their problems on their own. Genuine repenters do not keep their sin a secret. Genuine repenters share their struggles with others because they want to find God's solution. Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be made Well, are you willing to admit that you need help? Do not be a fake repenter by relying on your own strength because you have none. Prove that you are a genuine repenter by going to the Lord for His strength because He has it in abundance and He wants to share it with you right now. In Numbers 14, verses 39-45, the Israelites refused to change.34:22They refuse to obey. They refuse to accept the consequences of their sin. And they end up experiencing even more consequences. They refuse to rely on God. They refuse to genuinely repent. That's them. What about you? As you've evaluated your heart over the course of this message, has your repentance proven to be fake?34:51or genuine, real or phony. Maybe you've come to grips with the fact that you've never repented even once in your life. If that's you, it's not too late. You can repent today. You can repent right now. Stop trying to hide your sin because God already knows your sin and He is willing to forgive it. Stop trying to save face and look good to other people around you while you are withering away and dying on the inside.35:26What is the point of saving face if your soul is not saved?35:30It's pointless.35:34Turn from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, for new life.35:38I promise you, if you turn to Christ in faith, He will never turn you away.35:45Tell the Lord that you're sorry for your sin.35:48and show that you're sorry by humbly reaching out and accepting the free gift of salvation that he offers in his son. Maybe you are a genuine believer who genuinely repented in the past. But your repentance has been anything but genuine lately. You've been going through the motions you've been putting on the show, you've been playing the part, you've been pretending. You've been giving into temptation and holding.36:18on to sin.36:20What should you do?36:24As one pastor said many years ago, you need to repent of your repentance.36:31You need to repent genuinely of your fake repentance.36:36Tell the Lord that you're sorry and show Him that you're sorry by taking the steps of change today.36:45Please bow your heads and close your eyes.36:49Whether you need to repent for the very first time or for the millionth time, spend the next several minutes in prayer. Push aside every other concern in your life because nothing else matters more than dealing with your sin. If you need someone to pray with you, we have someone in the prayer corner. We also have someone back in guest reception. We have one of our elders, Brian Behe. For you men and for you ladies, Marina Kraus will be.37:17back there as well.37:20They're there to judge you and make you feel bad.37:23They're there to help you and point you to the grace of Jesus Christ.37:28I beg you, don't worry about saving face.37:32Don't worry about what other people might think.37:34Because you know what? Their eyes are closed.37:36And they're going to be focused on their own issues.37:40So do business with the Lord by praying in your seat.37:43Or going to pray with one of the people in the back.37:48Father, all of us in this room need to repent. All of us in this room need to change from the heart level. We have sinful thoughts, sinful motivations. We also say sinful words and do sinful things. But Lord, we thank You for Your mercy and Your grace, which is more than enough to cover all of our sins and cover all the sins of anyone who trusts in your Son and what he accomplished through his perfect life and his death upon the cross. Lord, I pray that there are men and women in this room who have not bowed the knee to your Son and repented. Lord, give them restlessness until they find rest in you today. And for the rest of us, Lord, may we take the path to change.38:46in our lives. May we be honest about who we have wronged and how we have wronged them. Father, may we not just feel bad right now. But may that godly grief produce genuine repentance that truly lasts. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead Numbers 14:39-45What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What are the warning signs of fake repentance? Are any of these warning signs present in your life?How is the Lord calling you to change right now?Why are we so slow to ask other believers for help? BreakoutPray for one another.

CheckoutThe God Centered Concept Academy Training Community to learn what growth in Christ ishttps://api.tuvu.com/redirectGroup/6a2ac0e2c9f728027338244cCheck out this link to view Kingdom Cross Roads on TV.https://jesussaid.tv/?affiliate=tswright_gccTo get a copy of our new book "Embracing the Truth" or to have TS Wright speak at your event or conference or if you simply want spiritual or life coaching or just a consultation visit:www.tswrightspeaks.comVisit our website to learn more about The God Centered Concept. The God Centered Concept is designed to bring real discipleship and spreading the Gospel to help spark the Great Harvest, a revival in this generation.www.godcenteredconcept.comKingdom Cross Roads Podcast is a part of The God Centered Concept.ulxAQZRaXv8JcJ1jbZV5In this episode, TS Wright welcomes Old Testament scholar Joshua Spatha back to Kingdom Cross Roads to examine one of the Bible's most overlooked warnings—Israel's demand for a king in 1 Samuel 8.Together they discuss:Why Israel's request for a king was actually a rejection of God's ruleSamuel's warning about centralized power and human governmentThe contrast between biblical servant leadership and worldly leadership modelsHow churches often adopt culture instead of transforming itWhy discipleship—not celebrity ministry—is Jesus' model for growing His KingdomThe importance of accountability and spiritual formationWhy Christians are called to influence culture through evangelism rather than legislationLessons from Saul, David, Solomon, and Israel's kingsThe role of prophets in speaking truth to powerWhy humility is essential for every believerHow the Great Commission begins with making disciples—not simply making convertsPractical ways believers can return to authentic New Testament discipleshipKey Scriptures Discussed:1 Samuel 8Romans 12:1–2Matthew 28:18–20Luke 9:23–24John 18Matthew 13 (Parable of the Sower)Ephesians 4Resources Mentioned:Joshua Spatha — Mere SpiritualityMPerspective.orgSEO Keywords1 Samuel 8, Samuel warning, Joshua Spatha, Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast, biblical leadership, Christian discipleship, servant leadership, church leadership, Israel wanted a king, Old Testament teaching, Bible prophecy, Christian podcast, Great Commission, biblical government, Romans 12, disciple making, church renewal, Kingdom of God, Bible study, TS Wright

Introduction: 1 Corinthians 10:6 - Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 1 Corinthians 10:11 - Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. My Idolatry... (Exodus 32:1-35) Disgraces ME and Dishonors the LORD. (Ex 32:1-6) Exodus 20:3 - “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:4 - “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath.” Exodus 20:7 - “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” Exodus 20:14 - “You shall not commit adultery.” Will Not Go UNNOTICED . (Ex 32:7-14) Cannot Be EXPLAINED AWAY or BLAMED ON OTHERS. (Ex 32:15-24) Leads to SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES . (Ex 32:25-29) Can Be FORGIVEN . (Ex 32:30-35) 1 Timothy 1:15 - The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. Titus 2:11-12 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age... Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! For Our Example: Ancient Warnings for the Church Today - Do Not Be Idolaters Taylor Brown Download Audio Transcript 00:48So please turn your Bibles to Exodus chapter 32.00:52Exodus chapter 32.00:57Have you ever been warned against doing something, but you did it anyway?01:02Have you ever been given the option between learning the easy way or the hard way and chosen the hard way?01:11Every single one of us would say yes to both those questions.01:16Do you want to hear about a time when I had to learn the hard way? When I was warned against doing something, but I did it anyway. Well, in 2018, my side of the family planned a vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina. But there was one problem. The trip went from Saturday to Saturday, and my wife Kate and I were booked to photograph a wedding on that first Saturday. So we were already going to miss a big chunk of the vacation.01:44And I thought to myself, I have a great idea. That ended up not being so great. My idea was after working a 12-hour day in the hot sun, let's drive 12 straight hours through the night to Hilton Head, South Carolina. I'll be fine. Every single person I shared that plan with said that's a really bad idea and you shouldn't do it. I heeded none of those warnings and I took a risk.02:13And again, I was totally fine until about 5 a.m. At that point, Kate had been asleep for hours, and I was trying to keep myself awake with caffeine and true crime podcasts, but my eyes were heavy. I was trying, I was opening my eyelids, I was slapping myself, I was trying everything. And I kept thinking to myself, this isn't good, this is going to be bad, but then I kept telling myself, just a few more minutes, just a few more miles.02:43Everything will be fine.02:46As it turns out, everything would not be fine.02:48One moment, I was conscious and kind of alert.02:53And then one minute, I was awakened by the sound of slamming into multiple traffic barrels on the highway.03:01Worst wake-up call in the history of my entire sleeping career.03:06Thankfully, I was able to steer away from the traffic barrels and get over to the shoulder.03:10I checked on my wife who had woken up and was not very happy with me. And I went out to inspect the damage. Our entire hood was destroyed. There was a traffic barrel shoved under the front of the car. I was able to get it out and put it back where I found it. It wasn't as good as new. It looked pretty bad. But the car was drivable. So Kate said, I'm driving. So I get in the passenger seat while mentally beating myself up while Kate drove the rest of the way.03:40And no, I was not able to fall asleep during the rest of the trip. Learning the hard way isn't a fun road to drive on. But many of us willingly drive down it anyway, don't we? Learning the easy way is a far simpler path, but for some reason, it doesn't appeal to us in the moment. It doesn't seem like the best route to take on the journey of life. Thankfully, the Lord knows.04:10our destructive tendencies.04:13And he fills his words with warnings of what we shouldn't do.04:17He fills his word with warnings of where we shouldn't go.04:23And many of these warnings take place in the Old Testament.04:27As we see the Israelites make the same mistakes over and over and over again.04:34A few months ago, Pastor Jeff preached on 1 Corinthians 10, verses 1-13, in which Paul makes it clear that Israel's shady past of disobedience should cause us to be obedient today. We should look to their negative examples and avoid what they did. Listen to what Paul says in verse 6 of chapter 10. He says, these things took place as examples for us that we might not desire evil as they did. And he goes on to say, now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instructions. The Israelites learned the hard way so that you could learn the easy way. This morning we are starting a brand new series called For Our Example, Ancient Warnings for the Church Today. We will study the books of Exodus and Numbers that we can receive four specific warnings from God Himself. Do not be idolaters.05:39Do not be doubters. Do not be fake repenters. Do not be complainers. And this morning we're going to focus on the first warning from God. Do not be idolaters. Do not give other people and other things the worship and love that God alone deserves. Do not put anything or anyone else on the throne of your heart. Do not take God off the top of your priority list.06:10I know what some of you are thinking at this point. Pastor Taylor, I don't want to obnoxiously call you out, but Pastor Jeff did preach a sermon on idolatry pretty recently. I guess you weren't paying attention. You know what? Pastor Jeff, you did preach a sermon on idolatry, didn't you? That was a good sermon. Let me ask you, have you committed idolatry since you heard that sermon? You have?06:39Me too. Have you committed idolatry many times since hearing that sermon? Yeah, me too. It sounds like we need to hear it again. It sounds like we need to receive this warning from the Lord again. So let's go to the Lord and ask for His help. Please pray for me that I will faithfully proclaim God's Word while I pray for you that you will faithfully receive it.07:10Father, we come before you as your people to acknowledge we so often forget what you say.07:17We do not live in light of what you say.07:20We've heard this kind of sermon many times, but we often fail to keep it.07:26Lord, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, a heart to receive, and hands and feet that are willing to do what your word says this morning.07:35May your word do your work.07:37May you bring transformation and change because I cannot. We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. So before we dig into Exodus chapter 32, we have to rewind to the beginning of the books that we can understand the backstory. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. For years they were mistreated, abused, and sentenced to back-breaking labor.08:07Pharaoh even commands the Egyptians, yeah, get the Hebrew boys and throw them into the Nile River whenever they are born. They are suffering. The worst fate imaginable. But God did not forget them. God heard their cries for help. He saw their suffering and he raised up Moses to deliver them out of Egypt. He told Moses, tell Pharaoh to let my people go. And Pharaoh repeatedly refused.08:38that command. So God sent ten plagues upon the nation of Egypt. And eventually Pharaoh said, fine, get out of here. The people of God pack up and head out. And they are led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. And at one point Pharaoh's sitting there thinking, what have I done? My entire workforce is gone. I've made a huge mistake. So he stalled up his army and they went after the people of God.09:07Did that go well for Pharaoh? Was that a great plan? No. The people of God pass through the Red Sea by a miracle and then the Egyptians are swallowed up by that same water. And after this divine intervention, the Israelites are brought to Mount Sinai. They're commanded, stay at the base of the mountain while Moses goes up for 40 days and 40 nights to receive the Ten Commandments and other instructions from God.09:37Backstory leads us to one of the most depressing stories in the entire Bible. In Exodus chapter 32. After experiencing God's goodness and provision over and over and over again, the Israelites quickly lose sight of God and they turn to idolatry. And as we move forward, I want to encourage you to resist the temptation to look down upon the Israelites. To feel superior to them.10:07Instead of thinking, yeah, they did this horrible thing way back then, I want you to instead think, yeah, I do this horrible thing all the time. I want you to honestly evaluate yourself and make this admission, my idolatry is no better than their idolatry. Actually, in a lot of ways, my idolatry is worse than their idolatry.10:37So on your outline, let's get personal, let's get specific by focusing on my idolatry. My idolatry. First up, my idolatry disgraces me and dishonors the Lord. My idolatry disgraces me and dishonors the Lord. Let's pick up the story in verse 1, chapter 32. When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. Have you ever noticed that when you are impatient, you forget a lot of basic facts? You make a lot of dumb decisions. You believe a lot of untrue things. You come home from a long day of work.11:37Your family's too excited to see you. You get impatient with them because they seem rude, so you act rude in response. You get the rumbly in your tumbly. You get impatient. You get hangry. You start getting snippy with people. That's what happens in this passage. Dad is away on a business trip with God, and the Israelites get restless. They get impatient. They forget that God is the one who who rescued them from slavery and will go before them into the promised land. They believe the ridiculous lie that they have no idea how long Moses will be gone and when he's going to come back because he told them exactly what the plan was in Exodus chapter 24 verse 14. And they make an extremely dumb decision. And they corner Aaron and tell him, make us gods who will lead us from now on.12:36We don't want God anymore. We want new gods. And sadly, Aaron goes along with their really dumb decision in verses 2 through 4. So Aaron said to them, take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me. So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, these are your As I said before, this is one of the saddest passages in the entire Bible. Aaron collects the earrings of the people, and with that gold, he makes a golden calf. I have to ask you, how are the people able to have these earrings in the first place? Who gave it to them?13:35God allowed them to plunder the Egyptians as they left. They twist, abuse, misuse God's good gifts for their evil purposes. When you commit idolatry, you use God's gifts to worship what is not God. You use the gifts of waking up and being above ground to worship at the altar of greed. Money.14:08You abuse the gifts of breath in your lungs and active vocal cords to mistreat others with your words. To lie and deceive because your idol is the praise and opinion of others. You use the gift of a mind that God has given to you and instead of using it to trust in Him, you use it to be anxious, to be worried, to stress out about versions of the future that God is not in control of.14:40You misuse the precious gift of time by giving next to none of it back to the Lord.14:47You act like a rebellious teenager who takes advantage of his or her parents' kindness by using his or her allowance money to buy alcohol to party with underage friends.14:59You take advantage of God's kindness to you, and in the process you disgrace yourself.15:06and you dishonor God.15:09You disgrace yourself and dishonor God by abusing His good gifts.15:12You also disgrace and dishonor God by believing that idols can provide you something that He cannot.15:20Look again at the end of verse 4.15:22And they said, these are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.15:28Isn't that a devastatingly wicked thing to say and think?15:34The Israelites actually believe that these false gods, this idol, can do something for them that God cannot. That this idol that can't move is capable of things that God is not capable of. You and I convince ourselves the same exact lie all the time.16:04or a married guy in this room and you are facing extreme sexual temptation right now. Instead of turning to the Lord for help and fleeing from sexual immorality, you are turning to pornography and fleeing from the Lord's help. You think to yourself, this will fulfill me, this will satisfy me, this will meet my needs. But the more you give yourself over to it, the deeper and deeper deeper into the hole of addiction you find yourself. It gets worse and worse and worse. You believe that the idol of lust will provide you with something that God cannot. Maybe some of you have a spending disorder. Your idol is the idol of more. You think more and more money will make you happy. More and more stuff will solve your problems. A bigger and better trip.17:04will scratch that itch for adventure and rest. A new car, a new upgrade to your house, that will do it. You think the idol of more will give you what God cannot. Maybe you are amusing yourself to death. You're living for the weekend. Your primary passion is your hobbies. And this idolatry is negatively affecting you and your entire family. You neglect your duties at home, or even worse, You draw your kids into this idol. The most important thing in their lives becomes their travel team, their sport, their activities, and not the Lord. You think the idol of fun will give you and your family what God cannot. But no matter the idol, no matter the addiction, the result is always the same. You lose out on joy, and God is shortchanged of the glory.18:04he deserves every single time.18:10You not only disgrace yourself and dishonor the Lord by abusing his good gifts and believing that I can provide something he cannot, you also disgrace yourself and dishonor the Lord by allowing sin to take you further than you ever expected.18:27Look at verses 5-6.18:30When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, before the calf. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast day to the Lord. And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. So while the Ten Commandments are being written onto stone by God Himself at the top of the mountain, the Israelites are breaking at least four of the Ten Commandments.19:00At the base of the mountain.19:02The first commandment is broken.19:04You shall have no other gods before me.19:09Strike one.19:10The second commandment is broken.19:13You should not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath.19:20Strike two.19:22The third commandment is broken.19:24You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.19:29Aaron tries to make the best of a bad situation. He tries to salvage this whole thing by rolling the worship of this idol into the worship of God. But by doing so, he broke the third commandment and took the Lord's name in vain. Strike three. I know in baseball you'd be out by now, but they have one more strike. The seventh commandment is broken. You shall not commit adultery. And you may be thinking, wait a minute.19:58They break that commandment.20:01Look again at verse 6.20:02And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings.20:06And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.20:11The original Hebrew, sat down to eat and drink, doesn't bring to mind a peaceful and innocent meal with family and friends.20:18It brings to mind a drunken party.20:21And the rose up to play phrase doesn't bring to mind a game with your friends on a Friday night.20:28It's detailing sexual sin.20:34That escalated quickly, didn't it?20:36One minute, Israel is impatiently waiting for Moses at the base of the mountain, and the next minute, they're worshiping false gods and committing gross acts of sexual immorality with one another.20:50That's how sin works.20:52It escalates. It jumps to the next level.20:55It gets worse, worse, worse.20:57You drift further and further away. You break more and more commandments. Until one day you look in the mirror and you don't even recognize yourself anymore. You look at your sin. You look at what you've done and you think to yourself, how did I get this bad? I never thought this would happen. Brothers and sisters, you have to snap out of it and calculate the costs of your idolatry. Consider what you are doing.21:27to yourself. Consider what you are doing to your God.21:35My idolatry disgraces me and dishonors the Lord. Secondly, my idolatry will not go unnoticed.21:45My idolatry will not go unnoticed.21:51Let's read verses 7-10.21:55And the Lord said to Moses, go down your people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.22:01They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.22:05They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it and said, these are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.22:15And the Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.22:21Now therefore, let me alone that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them in order that I may make a great nation out of you. Does this blasphemous and immoral party escape the attention of God? No, it does not. Is he pleased with what he sees and hears? Not one bit. The first hint that God is upset comes in verse 7 when he says, go down for your people whom you brought to the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. Throughout Exodus, God He constantly refers to Israel as my people. Now what is He calling them? Your people. You know what this reminds me of? When the kids are over the top obnoxious and bad, and your spouse calls or texts you to say, you wouldn't believe what your kids have been up to today. Your kids have been a real treat. Exactly what's happening here in this passage. The Lord instructs Moses to back away because he's about to clear the board of these stubborn idolaters and start over with a new nation for Moses. Put yourself in Moses' feet. How would you respond to that? What would you say back to God? Moses' reaction in verses 11 through 13 may surprise you. Look at what he says. But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people?23:57whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand. Why should the Egyptians say with evil intent that he bring them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self and said to them, I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the heaven. In all this land I have promised, I will give to your offspring.24:26and they shall inherit it forever.24:31Moses could respond in a much different way than he does.24:36He could say, you know what, God, I'm going to take you up on your offer.24:40These people stink.24:41All they do is nag and complain.24:43I could really use some new recruits.24:47Is that what Moses says?24:50Is that how he responds?24:52No, he asks the Lord for mercy.24:55He points the Lord back to His past investment in Israel, His promises to Israel, His reputation among the nations pleads for mercy. Let's see how God responds in verse 14. And the Lord relented from the disaster that He had spoken of bringing on His people. God hears this passionate plea and He chooses to show mercy.25:26upon his idolatrous people.25:30I really don't want you to learn the wrong lesson from this passage.25:35I don't want you to read this and say, well, I guess idolatry is not that big of a deal.25:39God let them off scot-free, so whatever.25:42I can do it and have no consequences.25:48Sure, Israel is not wiped off the map instantly, but there will be consequences.25:54They will have to answer for what they have done. God has noticed their idolatry. It's the same today. Your idolatry is noticed by God, even if no one else notices. You may be able to fool your friends. You may be able to fool your wife, your husband, your kids. You may even be able to fool Pastor Jeff, myself, and the other elders.26:24You cannot fool God.26:28Do you realize He hears every thought that you think?26:34He hears every word that you speak.26:38He sees every action and reaction that you carry out.26:43You can hide nothing from Him.26:46Don't try.26:48My idolatry disgraces me and dishonors the Lord.26:52My idolatry cannot be explained away or blamed on others. My idolatry cannot be explained away or blamed on others. So Moses has heard about the people's idolatry, but now he's about to come face to face with the people's idolatry. We all know that hearing about something and seeing something horrible bring about very different reactions, right? Hearing that your house has been vandalized is much different than seeing the results of the vandalism. Hearing that your dog has made a massive mess on the carpet is much different than stooping down and cleaning up the mess yourself. Check out Moses' response to seeing their idolatry in verses 15 through 20.27:52and the two tablets of the testimony in his hand. Tablets that were written on both sides, in the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God and the writing was the writing of God engraved on tablets. When Moses heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, there is a noise of war in the camp. But he said, it is not the sound of shouting for victory or the sound of the cry of defeat, of singing that I hear.28:24And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot.28:30And he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.28:34He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.28:47Moses gets why God is so angry.28:49In verse 11, God was burning hot. And in verse 19, Moses is burning hot. You may think that Moses overreacts here by breaking the Ten Commandments and making an idle smoothie for the people to gulp down. That may seem harsh, but I have to tell you this is not an overreaction. This is the guy who just got on his knees and begged for these people not to be turned to a massive crater.29:20He cares for these people. There has to be a response. And what He does is not senseless. It has great purpose. By physically breaking the Ten Commandments, He is showing the Israelites, you have spiritually broken the law of God. By force-feeding them this idol smoothie, Moses is showing the people how disgusting and bitter idolatry is to God.29:53And after these public demonstrations, Moses turns to his brother Aaron, who he put in charge while he was gone, to see how this could have happened.30:04Sadly, Aaron does not respond in the right way.30:07In verses 21 through 24.30:10And Moses said to Aaron, What did these people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?30:16And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my Lord burn hot.30:19You know the people. They are set on evil. For they said to me, Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. So I said to them, Let any who have gold take it off. So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf. Aaron acts like a victim and shifts the blame. And he makes the worst excuse in the history of excuses.30:49This is worse than the generic, my dog ate my homework. This is worse than an excuse I heard as a library collector, library debt collector years ago in seminary. I told this woman on the phone, you return your book, your fine will go away. And she said, well, I can't return the book. I said, why? She said, well, it, It burned up in my boyfriend's meth lab. Bad excuse. Not an acceptable excuse. But here's the doozy that Aaron gives to Moses. I took the earrings from the people and I threw it into the fire and the melted gold formed in the image of a cow and just hopped out of the fire. Isn't it crazy when those things happen? When was the last time you threw some leftover food and garbage in to a fire and an idol jumped out against your wishes. It's never happened and it will never happen. Again, it's easy to come down on Aaron for the things that we do all the time. You and I give Academy Award winning performances in playing the victim. You and I are expert blame shifters. You and I are professional excuse makers.32:19Instead of accepting responsibility for your bad decisions, you blame your past. Oh, it's not my fault. It's how I was raised. Well, it's not my fault that I lie. I had to lie growing up to survive in my family. My overdrinking isn't an active choice that I make. It's just a family disease that I cannot get away from. Listen, past hurts can explain present behavior. But past hurts can never explain.32:49Excuse present behavior. Past hurts cannot excuse your present behavior. You also cannot blame your present behavior on current challenges. Work is just so overwhelming right now. I'm so stressed out. My spouse never encourages me. My spouse never supports me. I feel so alone. I need something to get me through the day. Well, my health and the health of people I care about is really bad right now.33:19I have a lot of bad influences around me and they keep pressuring me to do the wrong thing. Hey, hey, the excuses end today. Sin can never be justified. Sin can never be explained away. Avoid Aaron's negative example and refuse to say my idolatry is everyone else's fault. Instead, own your sin.33:49and say, my idolatry is my fault and no one else's. Mine alone. My idolatry disgraces me and dishonors the Lord. My idolatry will not go unnoticed. My idolatry cannot be explained away or blamed on others. My idolatry leads to serious consequences. My idolatry leads to serious consequences.34:23The idle smoothie is not the only consequence. The people of Israel will suffer. A much worse penalty falls upon them in verses 25-29. And when Moses saw it, the people had broken loose, for Aaron had let them break loose, the derision of their enemies. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, put your sword on each side of you and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor and the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses and that day about three thousand men of the people fell and Moses said today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord each one of you at the cost of the son of his brother so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day 3,000 are put to death by the sword. Most likely, these were the ringleaders of the idolatry. These are the men who pressed upon Aaron and led this immoral rager. But once again, you may be thinking to yourself, 3,000 people dead? That seems so harsh. The judgment of God always seems harsh to those who do not fully appreciate the character of God. God is holy. God is pure. God cannot stand the sight of sin. God must punish sin or he would not be God. 3,000 seems like such a big number on its own, doesn't it? But compare it to how many Israelites there were. Two to three million. I'm not a math guy, but I crunch the numbers.36:19is.1 or.15% of the population. Does that seem harsh now? Does that number seem too big now? Imagine during service someone hacks all of your various accounts and takes away.1 or.15% of all your money. Would that be hard? Would that be difficult? Would that be a concern? Sure.36:49Would you be destitute financially? No, because it's such a small amount in comparison to what you could have lost. And these 3,000 dead are such a small number in comparison to what God could have done because 100% of them deserve to be dead. 100% of the Israelites deserve to be wiped out, but God shows mercy.37:19as they deserve.37:22But God still needs to demonstrate that sin leads to serious consequences.37:26He needs to prove that idolatry invites injury.37:32I have to ask, what consequences are you experiencing right now for your idolatry?37:41What injuries have you invited into your life?37:46Maybe you've convinced yourself that your anxiety is not that big of a deal. Being stressed out and worried all the time, not a big deal. It gives you some semblance of control, but all it's doing is hollowing you out and making your life miserable. Maybe your sexual sin has isolated you, created distance in your marriage and devastated your spouse. Maybe no one really wants to be around you right now because you constantly blow your top and the idol of your wants and your preferences is not met. Maybe you're dealing with the physical consequences of a lifetime of bad decisions. Are you going to learn the lesson that God is teaching you through these consequences? Or will you continue in your rebellion? Will you open your eyes to the warnings of the Lord that are all over your life and all over His Word?38:46to what He wants you to see.38:50Will you pay attention to the consequences?38:54My idolatry disgraces me and dishonors the Lord.38:57My idolatry will not go unnoticed.39:00My idolatry cannot be explained away or blamed on others.39:05My idolatry leads to serious consequences.39:08Finally, and most importantly, my idolatry can be forgiven.39:15My idolatry can be forgiven. Moses gathers the people for a quick meeting in verse 30. The next day Moses said to the people, you have sinned a great sin. And now I'll go up to the Lord. Perhaps I can make atonement. I can make payment for your sin. The people have messed up big time. And Moses isn't sure if he can atone or pay for their sin on himself. He's not sure if God's going to rubber stamp this plan that he has. Let's see what God has to say in verses 31 to 35. So Moses returned to the Lord and said, alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now if you will forgive their sin, but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written. But the Lord said to Moses, whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.40:16But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you.40:20Behold, my angels shall go before you.40:23Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.40:28Then the Lord sent a plague on the people because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.40:35As it turns out, Moses himself cannot pay for the sins of the people.40:40The people do experience God's merciful forgiveness to a certain extent, but they will continue to suffer the consequences for what they have done. God sends a plague upon the people, and we're not told how bad this plague was or how devastating the results were. And that is the end of the chapter. And you may be thinking, that's it? That's the end? Where's the hope in this passage?41:10is the hope. Well, I can tell you this. Moses is not the hope in this passage. He's a great leader. He tries to clean up Israel's mess, but he can't. Moses was used as a savior during the exodus out of Egypt, but he is not the Israelites' ultimate savior. He cannot pay for their imperfection before a perfect God. The only hope in this passage is the only hope in your life.41:42The only hope in this story is the only hope in your story.41:47This hope is a leader far greater than Moses.41:50This hope is a savior far greater than Moses.41:53Moses could not go up the mountain to pay for Israel's sin.41:57But there is one who came out of heaven to pay for your sin.42:04To take the penalty for your idolatry.42:08Who is this hope?42:09Who is this savior?42:10Jesus Christ, God Himself. Paul cruelly spells out the mission of Jesus and shows how this mission personally affects Him. In 1 Timothy 1.15, the saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost. You see the personal language there?42:40I am the worst of sinners. Christ came to save me. Can you say that this morning? Jesus Christ came to save me. Jesus came to live the idol-free life that you never could. Unlike you and me, He always put His Father first in everything. Jesus came to pay the penalty for your idolatry upon the cross so that you would not have to pay the penalty Penalty in hell. Jesus came to rise again so that the idols in your life could be smashed to pieces and have no power over you. You know, this passage, this sermon has been very personal. It's focused on my idolatry. But as we end this morning, I want you to answer a very important question. Has my idolatry been forgiven?43:43It's the most important question you're going to answer today. Has my idolatry been forgiven? If your answer is no, I want you to understand that it can be. Your idolatry can be forgiven by Jesus Christ if you ask Him to. Reject your sin and receive Jesus as Savior. Smash your idols and submit to Jesus as Lord. He alone can give you what you are looking for. He alone can give you peace with God. He alone can secure your position in heaven. Has my idolatry been forgiven? If your answer is yes, live in the awareness of your forgiveness. Remember what Jesus has done for you. Rejoice in what Jesus has done for you. Be empowered by what Jesus has done for you.44:40Listen to what Paul says about this in Titus 2, 11-12. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. Christian, walk upon the conquered ground that Jesus secured on your behalf. In Christ, you are not helpless. In Christ, you are not hopeless. In Christ, you can't be can learn the easy way instead of learning the hard way. In Christ, you can avoid the negative examples of the Israelites in your past self. In Christ, you can say no to idolatry and yes to godliness. Let's pray. Father God, we come before you and we acknowledge our sin. We acknowledge our idolatry.45:40We acknowledge that we deserve nothing from You except Your judgment. We deserve nothing from You except eternal punishment. But we thank You that You sent Your Son to take that punishment upon Himself. To take Your wrath as rightly ours. In exchange, we receive His perfection. We receive His holiness. We receive all that He has.46:10doesn't make sense, but we thank you that it's true.46:15We thank you that there is more mercy in you than sin in us.46:20Father, if there's anyone in this room who has not truly accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, may today be the day.46:29May today be the day when the idols are set aside, the idols are cast down, and Jesus Christ is worshipped.46:38Jesus Christ is loved and served. And for the rest of us, Lord, help us to not put anyone or anything in your rightful position in our lives. May you be most important because you are the most important. We ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Let us stand and worship the Lord together. Small Group DiscussionRead Exodus 32:1-35What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What is idolatry and why is it so serious?How are you using your God-given talents and resources to worship false gods?What excuses do you make for your sin? How have you blamed others for your sin? BreakoutPray for one another.

What does it actually mean to be a man? In this episode of The Impossible Life Podcast, Nick Surface and Garrett Unclebach confront the crisis of feminized men and the way modern culture, including much of modern Christianity, has softened masculinity. This is not a conversation about making women less or turning men into caricatures of toughness. It is about recovering God's divine design for masculinity so Christian men can become who they were created to be: strong, responsible, faithful, courageous, and full of purpose.Nick and Garrett unpack the difference between biblical masculinity and the passivity often mislabeled as peace, kindness, or emotional authenticity. Scripture shows that men were made to work, be strong, protect, provide, and stand for truth. A feminized man avoids responsibility, lacks emotional control, abdicates provision and protection, compromises morally, and refuses to fight for what is right. But the answer is not for men to attack women or obsess over feminism. The answer is for men to become masculine in the way God designed, because when men become men, women are free to become the women God designed them to be.This episode closes with the questions every man must answer: Will I accept responsibility? Will I master myself? What is my mission? What do I fear? What will I fight for? And will I endure? For fathers, husbands, leaders, and men of faith, these questions are not theoretical. They are answered every day through obedience, discipline, courage, and sacrifice. If you are a man who wants to live with purpose, lead your family well, and reflect the strength of God's design, this episode will challenge you to stop settling for soft, passive Christianity and become the kind of man who can fight, build, protect, provide, and endure.Get With NuWave Home Lenders By Clicking HereGet a Free 7 Day Trial On The Tailored Training App By Clicking HereJoin a group of likeminded Impossible Life listeners in our FREE Skool community by clicking here.Get the Purpose Playbook by clicking hereGet the FREE Basic Discipline Training 30 Day Program by clicking hereJoin us in Mindset Mastery by clicking hereLevel up your nutrition with IDLife by clicking hereGET IN TOUCHSocial Media - @theimpossiblelifeEmail - info@theimpossible.life

Today on Rise & Shine: We're talking about animals and pets in church, should we start making that a thing? Also, we're reflecting on Friday's World Cuo Game!Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amongst the multiplicity of various religions, the church one reads about in the Bible can be found today. It is out there and it exists! To God be the glory!

What does it look like for the Church to faithfully live in the world without becoming shaped by it?In this episode, Daniel Williams sits down with Phil Metzger, Lead Pastor of Calvary San Diego and featured speaker at the CGN International Ministry Conference, to discuss mission, culture, church planting, and the role of the Church in today's world.Drawing from over twenty years of missionary service in Eastern Europe, Phil shares how God has shaped his understanding of ministry, the importance of listening across cultural differences, and why the Church must remain sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in every generation.Phil also offers a preview of his upcoming conference message, exploring what it means for the Church to engage the world missionally, methodologically, and as a movement—while remaining distinct from the values of the world around us. 

In this episode, we will discuss the topic of women in ministry with the main question centered around 1 Corinthians 14 and if women should be silent in the church today. Join Mike and Karla as they converse with Dr. William Spencer and Dr. Aída Besançon Spencer to get your questions answered!   To check out Dr. William Spencer and Dr. Aída Besançon Spencer's resources mentioned in this episode, visit these links:   The Exegetical Process: How to Write a New Testament Exegesis Paper Step-by-Step: Spencer, Aida Besancon: 9780825449161: Amazon.com: Books   Beyond the Curse   Three in One: Analogies of the Trinity   The Digital Evangelist: Expanding Your Ministry by Writing for Publication      

When we change the Bible to fit one aspect of sinful culture we are setting a precedent for our offspring to do the same. 

Mary, Mother of the Church Today's Homily reflects on the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, . . . . . . highlighting the Church's growing recognition of Mary's unique role in salvation history. The Homily explains that Mary's motherhood of the Church begins with her “yes” at the Annunciation, where she became the New Eve and cooperated in God's plan of redemption. Her presence at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus entrusted her to the beloved disciple, reveals her spiritual motherhood over all believers. Mary is also present at Pentecost, praying with the first Christian community as the Holy Spirit descends upon the Church. As the one assumed into heaven, she serves as a model and guide for all Christians on their journey toward eternal glory. The feast celebrates Mary as the mother, protector, and spiritual companion of the faithful, leading us ever closer to Christ. Listen to this Meditation Media. Mary, Mother of the Church ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gospel Reading: John 19: 25-34 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Art Work The Madonna of the Roses: French Artist and Painter: William-Adolphe Bouguereau: 1903 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why was this image selected: This painting presents Mary as a tender and protective mother. The image beautifully reflects the Homily's central theme that Mary nurtures and guides all believers as Mother of the Church.

Is the Holy Spirit today the same Holy Spirit that fell upon the Apostles?

On the Feast of Pentecost, May 24th, 2026 Fr. Joshua Fons challenges us to look to Pentecost for the source of the Church's renewal. Pentecost is part of our tradition, in fact, it is the very start of our Church. To ignore Pentecost is to ignore what Christ has given to us: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who gives us the courage and strength to live out the Church's mission: making disciples of all nations.

Faith is not supposed to be blind, reckless, or detached from reality. In this episode, J. Warner Wallace (cold-case detective and Christian apologist) takes a hard look at the way many Christians think about "faith" and shows why some popular versions of faith are not just weak—they're dangerous to the church. He explains the difference between unreasonable faith, blind faith, and reasonable (forensic) faith, and why only one of these is actually biblical. Drawing on years of courtroom experience, Jim unpacks how juries reach verdicts "beyond a reasonable doubt" and why that same standard makes sense for the Christian worldview. He addresses why so many churches avoid apologetics, how "just have faith" can become a license for intellectual laziness, and why that's leaving our kids vulnerable to every counterfeit worldview that comes along. He also tackles commonly misused passages like Hebrews 11 and the story of "Doubting Thomas" to show that Scripture consistently presents a thoughtful, evidential faith—one that welcomes investigation rather than fleeing from it. If you've ever felt like the only person in your church who cares about evidence, or you've struggled with the idea that faith means shutting off your brain, this episode will help you reframe biblical faith as a reasoned trust grounded in what God has already revealed in history. If this conversation is helpful, please remember to subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend—your reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the major platforms really do help more people discover the show and join us in making the case for the Christian worldview.

Check out the Theology in the Raw Patreon Community for bonus episodes, event footage and more! Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt has a Ph.D. from St. Andrews University and is the Franklin S. Dyrness Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Wheaton College. She's the author of several books, including her most recent: The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of the Westminster Podcast features Blake Franze and Randy Caldejo in conversation with Nate Shannon, reflecting on their experience at the 1700th anniversary conference of the Council of Nicaea in Istanbul. The discussion explores the enduring theological significance of the Nicene Creed as both a historical response to heresy and a continuing model for faithful doctrinal clarity grounded in Scripture. Drawing from the global and ecumenical nature of the conference, the conversation highlights the unity and diversity of the worldwide church, the urgent need for theological education amid rapid church growth, and the importance of recovering a robust, Scripture-shaped theological method. The episode also reflects on how ancient confessional truths continue to inform modern challenges, from ministry in closed countries to emerging issues like artificial intelligence, calling the church to ongoing reformation and faithfulness in every age. If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

John 4:1-2 "The Struggle with Making Disciples in the Church Today." (Part One) with Pastor Michael Petit. Thank you for listening to Pastor Michael Petit from Calvary Chapel Devine, Texas. We hope you enjoy our podcast, Sunday and Wednesday Teachings. You can get more information from http://calvarydevine.org   Listen to our radio, Son-Salt-Light Christian Digital Radio. Two Radio Stations all in One App. We have great teachers of the Word of God and Christian Contemporary music. https://www.sonsaltlightradio.com/

John 4:1-2 "The Struggle with Making Disciples in the Church Today." (Part Two) with Pastor Michael Petit. Thank you for listening to Pastor Michael Petit from Calvary Chapel Devine, Texas. We hope you enjoy our podcast, Sunday and Wednesday Teachings. You can get more information from http://calvarydevine.org   Listen to our radio, Son-Salt-Light Christian Digital Radio. Two Radio Stations all in One App. We have great teachers of the Word of God and Christian Contemporary music. https://www.sonsaltlightradio.com/

Why should pastors come to Freedom Con? Pastor Josh McPherson and Pastor Kyle McMullen call pastors out of isolation and into bold, biblical leadership. From tackling discouragement and fear to rethinking the church's role in politics & statesmanship, this episode is a rally cry. If you've felt alone, uncertain, or hesitant to speak truth—this is your invitation to step up and stand firm. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!          Freedom Con 2026: Rise of the Statesman          June 19-20, 2026 • Father's Day Weekend          The Gorge Amphitheater, George, WashingtonREGISTER: https://www.FreedomCon26.comSupport the showThanks for listening! Go to www.StrongerManNation.com for more resources. 

Don't be put off by all of Jennifer McNutt's impressive credentials. Besides being a brilliant scholar and theologian, Jennifer is engaging, delightful, and deeply inspiring. You will love hearing her story and her passion for Jesus.Featured Resource:The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Can Teach the Church Todayby Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt (Brazos, 2024)2025 ECPA Book of the Year FinalistAbout Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt:Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt holds the Dyrness Chair of Biblical and Theological Studies and serves as Professor of Theology and History of Christianity at Wheaton College's Litfin Divinity School. She is an award-winning professor, author, and internationally recognized speaker on theology, church history, and Scripture.Her book, The Mary We Forgot, invites the church to reconsider the biblical witness of Mary Magdalene and what her life and testimony reveal about faithfulness to Jesus. Jennifer and her husband, Rev. Dr. David McNutt, serve in the Presbyterian church and co-founded McNuttshell Ministries.

Don't be put off by all of Jennifer McNutt's impressive credentials. Besides being a brilliant scholar and theologian, Jennifer is engaging, delightful, and deeply inspiring. You will love hearing her story and her passion for Jesus.Featured Resource:The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Can Teach the Church Todayby Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt (Brazos, 2024)2025 ECPA Book of the Year FinalistAbout Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt:Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt holds the Dyrness Chair of Biblical and Theological Studies and serves as Professor of Theology and History of Christianity at Wheaton College's Litfin Divinity School. She is an award-winning professor, author, and internationally recognized speaker on theology, church history, and Scripture.Her book, The Mary We Forgot, invites the church to reconsider the biblical witness of Mary Magdalene and what her life and testimony reveal about faithfulness to Jesus. Jennifer and her husband, Rev. Dr. David McNutt, serve in the Presbyterian church and co-founded McNuttshell Ministries

Msgr. Roger J. Landry Successful Fathers Conference Dallas Country Club, Dallas, Texas March 28, 2026 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/catholicpreaching/3.28.26_The_Mission_of_Christian_Fathers_Today_Part_III_1.mp3 The post Models for Christian Fathers in the Rebuilding of the Church Today, Successful Fathers Conference, Dallas, March 28, 2026 appeared first on Catholic Preaching.

•Carl B. Phillips & Rashyeda "Rocky" Lewis •Carl is an award winning, internationalgospel-recording artist, songwriter and producer from Detroit, MI.  His 2016 debut cd “Great Rain”, features thesingles “Great Rain”, “I Know What God Did Last Summer”, “Prove Me” and “Meeting In The Air”.  In 2020 hereleased a remake of Stevie Wonders “Heaven Help Us All”. Carl is a 50-year gospel music veteran which includes on-air announcer for Detroit Gospel Radio, local booking coordinator for one of Detroit's largest outdoor gospel music festivals and he has been serving in his local church music department since1976.•Rashyeda "Rocky" Lewis is a lifelong vocalist with a heart for worship and a passion for ministry through song. Afaithful member of Greater Christ Temple Church, she was raised in a family of musicians and singers, cultivating her love for music at an early age. With heartfelt expression and vocal agility, Rashyeda ministers in a way that uplifts, encourages, and ushers listeners into the presence of God. •Her sound is beautifully influenced by gospel greats such as Kim Burrell and Fred Hammond, along with the soulful artistry of Musiq Soulchild. With heartfelt expression and vocal agility, Rashyeda ministers in a way that uplifts, encourages, and ushers listeners into the presence of God.•She is honored to serve as the featured soloist on “Good to See You in Church Today” and remains committed to using her voice for God's glory.•"Good To See You In Church Today" is available for download & purchase on all digital platforms.•Awarded a “Top Gospel Music Podcast” Badge from Feedspot which has named Let's Talk: Gospel Music Gold oneof the Top 10 Gospel Music Podcasts on the web! •LET'S TALK: GOSPEL MUSIC GOLD RADIO SHOW AIRS EVERY SATURDAY 9:00 AM CST / 10:00 AM EST ON WMRM-DB INTERNET RADIO STATION  AND WJRG RADIO INTERNET RADIO STATION 12:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM CST •There is a Let's Talk: Gospel Music Gold Facebookpage ( @LetsTalk2GMG ) where all episodes are posted as well.    •The Podcast and Radio shows are heard anywhere in theWorld on the Internet! •ANSONIA'S BOOK RELEASES•"If We Can Do It, You Can Too!"•“Legacy of James C. Chambers And his Contributions to Gospel Music History”•"Molding a Black Princess"Order Information https://www.unsungvoicesbooks.com/asmithgibbs

As we look at the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches this week, we see a pattern of seven components in each one and how they are relevant to us today.​

In this powerful Sabbath Lounge interview, we sit down with Jeff Brannon, author of The Rise of Marcion in the Fall of the Faithful, to discuss the lasting impact of Marcion's theology on the modern-day church.   Jeff shares his personal faith journey —from his “normie Christian” background to becoming a Torah follower—and what inspired him to write his book. We explore: Who Marcion was and why his teachings still matter today How Marcionism has influenced mainstream Christianity Key quotes and themes from The Rise of Marcion in the Fall of the Faithful Modern-day pitfalls within both the church and the Torah movement   The resources available at www.thewayremnant.com.   This conversation challenges believers to examine the foundations of their faith and consider how historical theology continues to shape the church today.   Learn more and find resources at: https://thewayremnant.com   Get the book: The Rise of Marcion in the Fall of the Faithful:  https://a.co/d/03obb1yw   If you enjoyed this discussion, please like, share, and subscribe to Sabbath Lounge for more in-depth faith conversations.   #SabbathLounge #JeffBrannon #Marcion #TorahMovement #BiblicalFaith #ChristianTheology   https://linktr.ee/Sabbathlounge  

In this episode of the Decisions Podcast, host Trent Dunham welcomes Adam Rasmussen from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University to discuss the shifting perceptions of sin in America. Building on a previous conversation from 2023, Adam shares new research that explores how Americans define sin, the cultural and generational factors influencing these views, and the implications for the church and society.  Together, they dive into the challenges of biblical illiteracy, the rise of syncretism, and the critical need for discipleship within the church. Adam also highlights encouraging trends, including how intentional teaching environments can foster a stronger biblical worldview.  Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on faith, culture, and the role of the church in shaping a biblical understanding of sin and morality.

Who do you think you are? Not the mask you wear on a good day, not the collapse you fear on a bad one—but the person whose thoughts shape feelings, whose feelings drive actions, and whose actions can be changed by a wiser rhythm. We trace a clear line from identity to behavior and show why life isn't as random as it feels: see yourself one way, and the pattern follows; shift the lens, and healing becomes possible.Join Jeremy Jeremiah, Mario Andrew, and Cloud of Witnesses special guests Father Deacon Anthony, an ordained deacon in the Antiochian Orthodox Church, and associate marriage and family therapist, Jacob Sadan (https://jacobsadan.com/) in this frank and inspiring discussion of sin.We explore how identity shapes feelings and actions, why guilt heals while shame condemns, and how the church's ordered practices offer a reliable path from chaos to wholeness. Stories from Scripture, honest talk on pride and despair, and a call to stillness make the way forward clear and practical.• identity as the lens that drives emotion and behavior• order in Scripture and the church as a healing system• fasting as meaning-filled practice tied to memory and love• Peter's guilt vs Judas's shame as a map for repentance• pride hiding inside despair and perfectionism• rhythm and stillness re-regulating a dysregulated life• engineered emotion contrasted with prayerful quiet• objectivity through tradition and the witness of saints• shame withering in light and communityWe unpack the difference between guilt and shame through the stories of Peter and Judas. Guilt invites repair and repentance; shame condemns the self and hides in the dark. Along the way, we confront the hidden pride that fuels despair—“backwards pride” that says we should have been above failure—and we offer a kinder, truer stance: you are not uniquely good or uniquely bad. You are human, loved, and in need of a system that helps you grow.That system has roots. From order in Scripture to the structure of worship, fasting, and community, the church provides reliable practices that re-regulate a restless heart. We contrast engineered emotion with drawn-out stillness, arguing that while loud rooms can stir real feelings, quiet prayer forms real people. Listening becomes a two-way relationship where we stop only asking and start hearing the “small voice” that clarifies who God is and who we are.Finally, we make the case for objectivity in the spiritual life. Tradition and the witness of saints give us a mirror that doesn't flatter but frees, helping us see our true place on the path without shame or pretense. When light replaces secrecy, shame shrinks, and habits of love take root. If this conversation helps you swap chaos for rhythm, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with the line that stayed with you—what truth do you want to keep in the light?Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Good morning! This episode features a recording from our Live Q&A with Dr. David Garner, Chief Academic Officer and Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. We discuss his journey in ministry and academia, the role of seminary in the life of the church, family and vocation, and several pressing theological questions facing Christians today.

In this episode of El Niño Speaks, José Niño sits down with Dark Enlightenment for a candid discussion about the corruption of the Catholic Church and the modern forces that hollowed out what was once the West's most powerful illiberal institution.Follow Dark Enlightenment and his work:* Gab: https://gab.com/enlightdark* Telegram: https://t.me/DE_uncensored* Telegram: https://t.me/Dark_Enlightenment* Substack: If you liked the show, feel free to continue supporting my work. Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/joseninoVenmo: https://venmo.com/u/Jose-Nino-14 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.josealnino.org/subscribe

In this week's EPISODE 444 WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR WORLD? AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME OF TROUBLE? WHAT DID JESUS TELL US ABOUT TODAY'S WORLD? IS WHAT HE PREDICTED BACKED UP BY OTHER SCRIPTURES? WHAT'S GOING ON IN GOD'S CHURCH TODAY? Author and host Elbert Hardy of itellwhy.com, examines and explains Bible prophecies about what is going on today in our world. He want is trying to build faith in God and give us hope for a better future for us all when Jesus returns to set his Kingdom in motion here on Earth.Go to itellwhy.com to read Elbert's books free of charge, no Ads and no requests for money or Email addresses. You can watch faith building YouTube Links to Videos and the listen to Elbert's Life of Christ Audio Book in 30 minute Episodes arranged and read by the author straight from the Bible, but rearranged in logical harmony of the Gospels, Revelation and other scriptures. All FREE of charge in the public interest.

In this Episode:Oklahoma Leadership and the Catholic ChurchThe First Reading and Gospel for the Third Sunday of AdventHallow partners with the Diocese of TulsaIn this Advent episode of Tulsa Time, Bishop David Konderla and Fr. Gary Kastl explore the themes of hope, watchfulness, and renewal as the Church prepares for Christmas. Bishop Konderla also shares insights from his recent trip to Baltimore for the U.S. Bishops' Fall Plenary Assembly, including the election of Oklahoma's own Archbishop Paul S. Coakley as USCCB President.Watch Tulsa Time on YouTubeStream, Download, and Listen on Your Favorite PlatformFollow @dioceseoftulsa The Eastern Oklahoma Catholic Podcast is brought to you by The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma.

This sermon addresses the deep ache for "home" we feel during the holidays—a longing for the permanent and perfect that the world cannot satisfy. This desire points to the central theme of Scripture: Emmanuel, God with us. This is not just a Christmas slogan; it is the entire storyline of the Bible, from the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem.Scripture ReferencesGenesis 1-3: Eden, the first temple where God walked with humanity.Exodus 25:8 & 29:45: God commands a sanctuary be built so He may dwell among His people.1 Kings 8:10-11: The glory of the Lord fills Solomon's Temple.John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."1 Corinthians 3:16: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"Revelation 21:1-27: The New Creation, where God dwells with man permanently.Key PointsThe Journey of God's Presence The Bible traces God's dwelling place through history:Eden: The original design where God walked with man.The Tabernacle/Temple: "Mini-Edens" where God's glory dwelt, guarded by boundaries.Jesus: The true Temple; God in the flesh.The Church: Today, the Holy Spirit fills believers. We are the temple of God.New Creation: The final stop where heaven and earth merge, and there is no temple because God's presence is everywhere.You Are a Priest on Duty Just as Adam was called to "work and keep" the garden, and priests were called to minister in the temple, believers are a "priesthood" called to keep and cultivate the presence of God. Every believer houses the Holy Spirit and has a ministry to the Lord that will last forever.Longing for Home is Longing for God Our holiday homesickness is actually a spiritual longing for the New Creation. Earthly pleasures are just appetizers (or "little pink spoons") meant to arouse our desire for the real thing: face-to-face communion with God.ConclusionWe are currently living as temples of the Holy Spirit, the "embassies" of the coming Kingdom. The next event on God's timeline is the return of Christ and the establishment of the New Jerusalem, where we will finally be "home" with Him forever. Until then, our purpose is to house and cultivate His presence in a world that desperately needs Him.Calls to ActionCultivate His Presence: Ask yourself, "How am I tending to the presence of God in my life?" Make time for "face time" with Him amidst the holiday busyness.Be Filled with the Spirit: Instead of being filled with wine, fear, or greed this season, intentionally ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).Clean House: Remember you are God's temple. If there are habits or thoughts that grieve the Spirit, clean them out to honor His presence. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt, Ph.D., FrHisS, is the Franklin S. Dyrness Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Wheaton College, IL, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian tradition. A Fellow in the Royal Historical Society, she received her PhD from the University of St. Andrews, her MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a BA in Religious Studies from Westmont College. Noted for her award-winning teachings and writings, she has received accolades such as the Sidney E. Mead Prize and the Frank S. and Elizabeth D. Brewer Prize. Known for her prolific authorship, her upcoming book "The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today" is already a 2025 Christian Book Awards finalist. Additionally, her co-authored work "Know the Theologians" was a Christianity Today 2024 Book Awards finalist. Dr. McNutt, alongside her husband, the Rev. Dr. David McNutt, also co-edited the Oxford Handbook of the Bible and the Reformation and co-founded McNuttshell Ministries, a movement aimed at bridging the church and academy. Find more from Jennifer Powell: The Mary We Forgot: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/553627 Website: https://jenniferpowellmcnutt.com The McNuttshell: https://substack.com/@jenniferpowellmcnutt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpowellmcnutt/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@jpowellmcnutt Ministry Website: https://mcnuttshellministries.com Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy.m.peterson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TammyPetersonPodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tammypetersonpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tammy1Peterson Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/TammyPetersonPodcast  

As we continue taking you're listener questions, today we have a question about the role of prophets and apostles in the modern church. From the New Apostolic Reformation to online YouTubers who claim to be prophets, there seems to be a growing interest in apostleship and prophecy. In our discussion, pastor Jim and I explore what the Bible has to say about these roles, their function as offices in the church, and how Christians can discern the proper use of these gifts. 

David, Lakshmi, and Erin dig into the intersection of wealth, faith, and community, particularly from the standpoint of middle-class Christians. Sparked by Lakshmi's seminary research on Christian engagement with wealth accumulation in a neoliberal capitalist system, we explored theological and practical approaches to wealth: What does it mean to have or accumulate wealth? What are the impacts of capitalism? the role of intentional Christian communities? and the balance between personal finances and larger systemic (in)justice? Can we create alternative economic systems grounded in Christian values of mutuality and relationship?Check out Lakshmi's work on communities at her Substack Dwelling Place!★ Resources/Links/References:* Wealth as Peril and Obligation by Sandra Eli Wheeler * The Principle of Maximums by Roger L. Stichter* True Riches by John Cortines and Gregory Baumer* Beyond Charity by John Perkins* The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer* Practicing the King's Economy by Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt, and Brian Fikkert* The Unjust Steward: Wealth, Poverty, and the Church Today by Escobar, Miguel* When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner (illustrated by David Catrow)★ Timestamps(00:00) Introduction and Guest Introductions(01:37) Lakshmi's Journey and Thoughts on Wealth(03:33) Erin's Perspective on Wealth and Justice(05:10) Who Is Wealthy? (09:45) New Challenges in Neoliberal Capitalism(12:32) Community and Economic Systems(23:49)  Wealth as Peril and Obligation according to the New Testament(27:32) Possessions, Wealth and Practical Faithfulness(33:53) Joy beyond Guilt(35:47) Approaches to Faith and Wealth(40:16) Personality, Character, and Wealth(48:44) Challenging Assumptions About Wealth and Virtue(49:52) Economic Justice and Personal Responsibility(50:59) Middle Class Mindset and Community Investment(52:38) Navigating Power Dynamics in Personal Relationships(53:36) The Role of Reciprocity in Building Community(54:56) Class Perception and Social Mobility(01:03:44) Intentional Christian Communities and Wealth(01:05:45) Effective Altruism vs. Relational Giving(01:07:19) Is Guilt Good for Generosity?(01:09:35) The Importance of Relocation and Local Impact(01:17:53) Final Reflections on Wealth and Responsibility—★ Send us feedback, questions, comments, and support! || Email: communionandshalom@gmail.com | Instagram: @newkinship | Substack: @newkinship—★ Credits || Creators and Hosts: David Frank, TJ Espinoza, Tyler Parker | Audio Engineer: Carl Swenson, carlswensonmusic.com | Podcast Manager: Elena F. | Graphic Designer: Gavin Popken, gavinpopkenart.com ★ Get full access to New Kinship at newkinship.substack.com/subscribe

​ ⁨@NYTPodcasts⁩  Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic https://youtu.be/gMdGA8LuFvA?si=F36H202HMhHOihe7 ​ ⁨@WhiteStoneName⁩  What should you do when people just won't get on board? https://www.youtube.com/live/j1Z6f5bChhY?si=mICY1MD9D83cmxso The Pope Who Would Be King https://amzn.to/4nHE9Mp Why is the Church Today so Sex Positive when the Ancient Church was so Sex Negative? https://youtu.be/vmq-AcRN9DY?si=M0vIFXS5qYadQpBB Why is the Church Today so Sex Positive when the Ancient Church was so Sex Negative? Livestream! https://youtube.com/live/DaaDihjp0gM Bless Me Father for I have Sinned https://youtu.be/JdlyDmcLamw?si=_ZaKqOfrIqpZUwaR https://www.youtube.com/@thehappywifeschool/videos  https://www.southeastuary.com/ https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Bridges of meaning https://discord.gg/3KSvYAvN Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give  

You don't find too many Secular Humanist Christians; or Buddhist Christians, or Hindu Christians. But there is one worldview that should be an oxymoron like these others, but sadly it is not. It's in the church. What is it? Take a listen and find out!-Feel free to email us with any questions at info@servingbb.org or for more information check out our website at https://servingbeyondborders.org-Follow us on:Instagram - @servingbeyondbordersYouTube - Serving Beyond BordersFacebook - Serving Beyond Borders-"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. . ." Mark 10:45-TUNE IN: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-radical-christian-life-with-doug-and-paula/id1562355832#podcast #podcasting #podcasts #spotify #applepodcast #podcaster #interview #newpodcast #spotifypodcast #missions #jesus #god #love #bible #faith #jesuschrist #christian #church #christ #gospel #holyspirit #prayer #christianity #pray #theradicalchristianlife

Here is either free access or order information for three of Jason DeRouchie's writings on Zephaniah. In addition, you'll find a link to the original video interview. (1) "Zephaniah." TGC Commentary (free online). (2) "Zephaniah." Pages 561–604 in Daniel–Malachi. ESV Expository Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: Crossway, 2018 (to order online). (3) Zephaniah. ZECOT 32. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2025 (to order online). Original Video Interview with BooksAtAGlance.com.  or resources connected to biblical theology, visit handstotheplow.org and jasonderouchie.com. To support the work of Hands to the Plow, visit handstotheplow.org. 

Fr. Patrick preached this homily on September 18, 2025. The readings are from 1 Timothy 4:12-16, Psalm 111:7-8, 9, 10 & Luke 7:36-50. — Connect with us! Website: https://slakingthirsts.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCytcnEsuKXBI-xN8mv9mkfw

https://x.com/DrDaniS/status/1960716937518100974  @thehappywifeschool  The Surprising Secrets Your Wife Holds About Sex | The Happy Wife School Show Ep. 76 https://www.youtube.com/live/ZXnj36wZmqY?si=NWL1xujOX3zzt-0c  @OrthodoxEthos  Honoring God In Sexual Relations — According to St. Porphyrios https://youtu.be/BjJI6SL4B6g?si=-__gRsfV2kZHfq6F https://www.drpsychmom.com/author/samrodman/  https://www.drpsychmom.com/what-men-think-about-sex-versus-reality/ https://www.drpsychmom.com/women-sex-vs-reality/ Why is the Church Today so Sex Positive when the Ancient Church was so Sex Negative? Livestream! https://www.youtube.com/live/DaaDihjp0gM?si=wvdPQ1WMYCx5AkpC Why is the Church Today so Sex Positive when the Ancient Church was so Sex Negative? https://youtu.be/vmq-AcRN9DY?si=KuA2ydCu9GjwWkkA Fertility Suppression by Elite Women. What is the Source of this Assault on Humanity's Future? https://youtu.be/wu56e0Ds9wo  @BenjaminABoyce  Female Psychology & The End of Empires | with Dr. Dani Sulikowski https://youtu.be/sRY_1JRRcNU?si=A3C5vu73PEu4t83J   @radicalhealthradio  Reacting to Aubrey Marcus Polyamory (“Radical Monogamy”) https://youtu.be/Vas3iUub4SY?si=c4WJMEqCgx9RYHcW  @AubreyMarcusPod  An Evolution of Sacred Union | Vylana, Alana Beale, Dr. Marc Gafni https://youtu.be/q_4_WD6-9MI?si=XHogGN-Ue2m6doh3 https://www.southeastuary.com/ https://www.southeastuary.com/ https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Bridges of meaning https://discord.gg/cfwxQ96Q Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ If you want to schedule a one-on-one conversation check here. https://calendly.com/paulvanderklay/one2one There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give  

On this episode of the Older Pastor/Younger Pastor Podcast, Dave gives his input on what he believes is the greatest challenge facing the Western Church today.

On this episode of the Older Pastor/Younger Pastor Podcast, Ryan gives his input on what he believes is the greatest challenge facing the Western Church today.

Ben talks to pastor and content creator Landon MacDonald. Landon is the pastor of Mission Community Church in Phoenix, AZ. They discuss an experiment Landon did involving billboard ad space which made him go viral, and why biblical illiteracy often plagues the church today.----------------------Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach those who may never step foot in a church. Packed with real-world insights and practical strategies, this book could be the breakthrough you've been searching for.Don't wait—get your copy today!Click HERE to check it out on Amazon.For more information, go to: jesusinthesecularworld.com------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Click HERE to receive news, thought-provoking articles, and stories directly in your inbox from Ben, David, Luke, and Chad!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend us a text

During my recent trip to Germany in conjunction with the BGEA European Congress on Evangelism, I had the immense privilege of traveling to Wittenberg, Germany and walking with one of my favorite pastors—Skip Heitzig—through the very same square where Martin Luther famously nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the church door. As we walked, we reflected on how what was intended as a discussion-starter by a monk frustrated with the problems he was seeing in the Catholic Church ultimately became a revolution that would change Christianity as we know it today. Together, Skip and I discussed why the Reformation Luther started over 500 years ago should still matter to the Church today, and how we as the Church can uphold what Luther so boldly gave his life for. Luther pointed the Church back to the free gift of grace—emphasizing the Bible, not the Church, as the ultimate authority for believers. In a time when churches all over the world seem to be leaning more towards performance versus scriptural truth, Luther's message is more relevant than ever before. Church, it's time to fearlessly stand for our faith just as Luther did all those centuries ago. 

The Church was never meant to be stagnant, divided, or distracted. In this urgent and inspiring devotional, Victoria Riollano shares her perspective as a pastor’s wife and spiritual leader, reminding us that revival doesn’t begin in a building—it begins in the hearts of believers. Too often, churches are caught in petty divisions or cultural debates, losing sight of the Great Commission. Drawing from Matthew 28:19-20, Victoria calls the Church back to its original mission: to go, make disciples, and teach the truth of the Gospel. True revival demands action, humility, and a renewed commitment to live and proclaim the good news of Jesus. Revival is possible—but it starts with us.

What parts of the world are the most challenging for believers today? How has the relative comfort of American Christianity impacted spiritual growth, compared to communities experiencing persecution? What habits could American Christian adopt to more regularly remember and support our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world? We'll answer these questions and more with our guest, Brian Orme, CEO of Global Christian Relief. Brian Orme is CEO of Global Christian Relief, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the persecuted church around the world. He founded ChurchLeaders.com, served as Senior Editor at Outreach magazine, and spent over a decade in pastoral ministry—equipping churches for both local and global impact. Join us for ANCHORED: A Conference for Pastors, Church Leaders and the Community June 9-11, 2025. Hosted by Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in Southern California. Learn more and register at https://www.biola.edu/anchored ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.