Podcasts about drawing near

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with. If it were possible for a created soul fully… to ‘appreciate', that is to love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in supreme beatitude… To see what the doctrine really means, we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God—drunk with, drowned in, dissolved by, that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable, hence hardly tolerable, bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression, our joy no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds. The Scotch catechism says that man's chief end is ‘to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.' But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.”~C. S. Lewis, English theologian and writer, from Reflections on the Psalms“Here are the two best prayers: ‘help me help me help me' and ‘thank you thank you thank you.'”~Anne Lamott, American author, from Traveling Mercies SERMON PASSAGEHebrews 10:19-25 (ESV) 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

"Drawing Near to the Holy God"Exodus 19:1-25God is Near: We are His treasured possessionGod is Holy: We must be perfectly pure to be near GodGod is Savior: We are represented by our faithful Mediator, Jesus Christ!

Support us to save souls via the news: https://sjwellfire.com/support/ or scott@sjwellfire.com paypal Save Souls with a OfGod TShirt: https://sjwellfire.com/shop/ Connect: Join our alerts: https://sjwellfire.com/ Do you Know Him? Brother Larry's message, "Drawing Near to Christ," emphasizes the importance of a close relationship with God, equating it to wearing the spiritual armor of God and living a "spirit-filled life." He stresses that truly knowing God is the essential element, just as knowing a spouse deepens love. This knowledge, he explains, comes from understanding who God is, what He has done for us, and how He has loved us first. Brother Larry refers to Ephesians 1:18 to highlight Paul's prayer for believers: "That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." He explains that once saved, our spiritual eyes are opened to discern God's ways and Satan's tactics, and to understand God's perspective of us. He encourages believers to hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6), mourn over sins, turn to humility, and be poor in spirit to "see God." The study then shifts to a "diagnosis" of what keeps believers from drawing near to God. Brother Larry cites 1 Corinthians 11:28, "But let a man examine himself," and 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" as commands to self-examine. He identifies "double-mindedness" as the primary obstacle to drawing near to Christ, referencing James 1:8, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." Brother Larry concludes by expressing his prayer that resolving this issue will lead to maturity in Christ, resisting the devil, experiencing joy and peace, and ultimately being victors in the Lord, sensing His presence daily, and dying with a testimony of faith.

Below The Iron Gate: A Journey to Spiritual FreedomIn this episode of the Teen Draw Near to God Poetry Podcast, host Shirah Chante, Relationship Artist, reads an original poem titled Below: The Iron Gate. She discusses the spiritual implications of the poem, drawing from biblical texts, notably the story of Peter's miraculous release from prison as narrated in Acts 12:10. Shirah Chante examines themes such as overcoming obstacles, the spiritual journey of Israel becoming a state, and how love triumphs despite hate. She shares personal reflections on her love at first sight and invites listeners to participate in the Relationship Rescue Plan to foster a deeper connection with God. The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer for freedom from life's symbolic iron gates.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:39 Drawing Near to God02:10 Introducing the Poem 'Below'02:52 Reading and Analyzing the Poem04:06 The Story Behind 'Israel Became a State'07:04 Love Stories in the Bible13:50 The Iron Gate in the Bible19:41 Praying for Freedom and Guidance22:46 Conclusion and Invitation

In this inspiring message, Senior Pastor Charles Stock reminds us that God is always faithful— and because He's faithful, we're invited to draw near to Him. Through powerful scripture and personal testimony, discover how His promises sustain us, His presence empowers us, and His Spirit fills us for victorious living.

Pastor Brian unpacks and applies Hebrews 10:19-25

 "Drawing Near by the Blood of Christ" is the 11th episode of Craig Ford's series through the book of Hebrews.        May 25, 2025

Topics: Closer to God, Misconception of Earning God's Closeness, Understanding the New Covenant Closeness with God, Why Church Attendance Doesn't Equal Closeness to God, The Role of the Cross in Our Closeness to God, Old Covenant vs. New Covenant Closeness to God, Animal Blood vs. Jesus' Blood for Drawing Near to God, Hebrews on Drawing Near to God, Why Reading the Bible Doesn't Automatically Make You Closer to God, Understanding Bible Context for True Closeness, Jesus' Rebuke of Scripture Misuse for Closeness, The Obsolete Nature of the Old Covenant, The New Covenant Based on God's Promise to God, Why Sinning Less Doesn't Achieve Closeness to God, The Finality of Jesus' Sacrifice for Forgiveness, God Doesn't Leave You Based on Your Physical Location, Why Following the Law Doesn't Bring You Closer to God, Prayer and Fasting, The Old Covenant's Trade-Off System with God, The Obedience of Faith vs. Behavioral Holiness, Understanding Holiness in the New Covenant, You Are the Church, Your Identity as One Spirit with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17), The Permanence of Your Closeness to God Through Jesus, Hebrews 10:25 and the True Meaning of Assembly, The Significance of Hebrews 7-10 on Christ's Accomplishments, Colossians 3:3 and Being Hidden in Christ, The Truth About God's Dwelling Place Within You (1 John 4:13), The Difference Between Grieving God and Him Leaving You, The Meaning of Being Holy as God is Holy (1 Peter 1:16, Hebrews 12:14)Support the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

05/25/2025 Josh Bennett "Drawing Near to God" James 4

This week, I speak with Rose McCombs Jordan, who is the creative heart behind Beneath The Fig Tree, a movement that helps women discover devotional practices they truly love. She also serves as the Director of Tourism for a charming North Texas town, leads worship at her church, and—together with her husband Brandon—hosts at their favorite state park. Married for 30 years, Rose is the proud mom of one son and daughter-in-love. She understands how challenging it can be to balance a busy life with the desire to connect with God. By sharing practical insights and fostering community, Rose empowers women to embrace a meaningful, life-giving relationship with God—one that refreshes their spirit and fuels their everyday journey. We look at her childhood up to the present to find the beautiful thread of Jesus in her life. You won't want to miss this inspiring episode!www.beneaththefigtree.org*Theme Music "Blessed Time" by Ketsa

In this episode of Teens Drawn Near To God, host Shirah Chante welcomes teens, parents, and youth workers for an inspiring session centered around a poem, The Flesh Is a Mess. Shirah Chante explores themes of bondage and liberation through faith, discussing the significance of spiritual release from various forms of captivity such as addiction, sexual sin, and emotional struggles. The session includes a reading from Luke 4:16-22 and encourages listeners to follow Jesus for true freedom. Shirah Chante also shares her personal testament of liberation and offers her Relationship Rescue Plan to help others develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:46 Purpose of the Podcast01:41 Drawing Near to God Through Poetry05:19 The Flesh is a Mess: Poem Reading08:05 Discussion on Bondage and Freedom17:08 Spiritual Release and Prayer23:22 Conclusion and Resources

EP02: ၀ိညာဥ်ရေးရာ အာသီသ| Drawing Near | Ps David Kim_________________________သင်ဘုရားနှင့်နီးခြင်းကို ဆာငတ်သလား? အရင်ကနီးခဲ့ပေမဲ့ အခုဝေးနေပြီလား? ဘုရားက သင်နှင့်အမြဲ မိဿဟာရဖွဲ့လိုတဲ့ဘုရားဖြစ်ပါတယ်။ ဆာငတ်မှုတွေကျဆင်းတဲ့အဓိကအချက်က လောကအရာတွေနဲ့ ဝမ်းဝနေလို့ပါ။ ဘုရားသခင်ကို ဆာငတ်ဖို့ ဘာတွေကို လုပ်ဆောင်ရမလဲဆိုတာကို ဆရာ David Kim က ရှင်းပြထားပါတယ်။⛪ To support our Ministries:PAYPAL - https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=Q7AK6KQERABXA

EP01: အကြီးဆုံးကမ်းလှမ်းမှု| Drawing Near | Ps David Kim_________________________ကမ္ဘာဦးကတည်းက ဘုရားသခင်ဟာ လူနှင့် မိဿဟာရဖွဲ့ဖို့ အမြဲတမ်းအလိုရှိခံသလို ဒီကနေ့မှာလည်း သင်နှင့် မိသဟာရဖွဲ့ဖို့ ဖိတ်ခေါ်နေပါတယ်။ သာ၍နီးရာစီးရီးမှာတော့ ဘုရားသခင်ရဲ့ကမ်းလှမ်းချက်ကို ဘယ်လိုသိနိုင်မလဲ? ဘယ်လိုတုန့်ပြန်ရမလဲဆိုတာကို ဆရာ David Kim နှင့် ဆရာမ Mercy Kim တို့က ဝေမျှထားပါတယ်။ ⛪ To support our Ministries:PAYPAL - https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=Q7AK6KQERABXA

Drawing Near to God.

Are you ready for the coming of Jesus, evidenced by the oil in your lamp? Listen as Pastor Ray lays out the upcoming events for us on today's Pilgrim's Progress.

Leviticus shaped the community of ancient Israel as they sought to draw near to God and longed for God to draw near to them.

The Importance of Drawing Near to GodIn this episode of the Teens Draw Near to God Poetry podcast, host Shirah Chante discusses the significance of Easter and Passover, emphasizing the importance of drawing closer to God. She leads listeners in a confession of faith and shares her personal baptism experience. Shirah Chante recites her poem The Flesh is a Mess, inspired by her prayer leader, and breaks down its meaning, focusing on the challenges of human existence, the importance of loving oneself, and maintaining a spiritual connection with God. She concludes by urging listeners to read the Bible, meditate on God's word, and cultivate a healthy self-love.00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:30 Easter and Passover Reflections03:34 The Significance of Baptism07:13 Drawing Near to God13:47 The Flesh is a Mess - Poem and Analysis20:19 Loving God, Yourself, and Others29:24 Concluding Thoughts and Invitation

In this Palm Sunday message, Pastor Jason Dunn explores Hebrews 10:19–25, a pivotal passage that transitions from the theological foundations of Christ's priesthood to practical exhortations for the church. Through the imagery of a train journey shared with his twin brother, Pastor Jason illustrates how many of us feel spiritually hesitant—bound by conscience, shame, or fear. Yet, Hebrews reminds us that we have confident access to God through the blood of Jesus and a faithful advocate in Christ.The sermon unfolds around three central imperatives: draw near, hold fast, and stir up. Believers are invited to approach God with assurance because Christ has cleansed their hearts and secured their access. In holding fast to our confession of hope, we are reminded that our endurance does not rest on our strength, but on God's faithfulness. And finally, we are exhorted to stir up one another toward love and good works—something that only happens in the context of regular, intentional Christian community. Pastor Jason closes with a vision of the church as a place of encouragement, a relational home that combats the isolation and spiritual drift of the modern "de-churched" world, and he calls the congregation to reengage in relationships that reflect the love and advocacy of Jesus.

In this sermon, Bro. Steve Lammons shares a heartfelt message about the struggles of life, emphasizing the importance of faith and resilience in the face of adversity. He reflects on personal stories of pain and loss, drawing parallels with biblical figures like Joseph, Moses, and David, who faced their own trials yet found purpose and strength through their faith in God. Sturgis encourages listeners to draw near to God, reminding them of the foundational truths that provide hope and comfort amidst life's challenges.TakeawaysLife can be painful, and many people are hurting.God is still doing great things, even when we don't see it.Sad circumstances can turn around quickly, often for good.The stories of Joseph, Moses, and Daniel illustrate resilience.David's faith in Psalm 63 shows trust amidst trials.Grace is still available at the cross for salvation.The Holy Spirit empowers believers through hardships.Heaven is a promise for those who trust in God.Justice will ultimately prevail in the world.Drawing near to God is essential in difficult times.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections04:24 The Story of Joseph: From Pain to Purpose14:29 Examples of Resilience: Moses and Daniel19:18 David's Faith Amidst Trials27:20 Foundational Truths for Hope31:23 Drawing Near to God in Difficult TimesKeywordsfaith, resilience, hope, God, trials, justice, scripture, personal stories, encouragement, church

Drawing Near to God: Strengthening faith Through PerseveranceIn this episode of the Teens Draw Near to God poetry podcast, Shirah Chante discusses how teenagers and their parents can strengthen their relationship with God through poetry. She reads and analyzes her original poem God's Plan, exploring themes of apprehension, faith, and divine love. She underscores the importance of drawing close to God by spending time in His presence and reading the Holy Bible. She also shares personal anecdotes and reflects on maintaining faith during challenging times. The episode concludes with an encouraging message for listeners to keep faith and run the race set before them, coupled with an introduction to a Relationship Rescue Plan to help those struggling with their faith.00:00 Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast00:57 Understanding the Concept of Drawing Near to God03:40 Exploring the Poem 'God's Plan'06:17 Apprehension and Faith in Relationships16:28 The Importance of Trusting God Through Pain21:42 Encouragement to Keep Faith and Run the RaceFollow Shirah ChanteInstagramFacebookLinkedInYoutubeBlog

A new MP3 sermon from Grace Community Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Are You Drawing Near to God—or Content at a Distance? Subtitle: James Speaker: Tim Conway Broadcaster: Grace Community Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 4/6/2025 Bible: James 4:6-8 Length: 54 min.

In this last in our Drawing Near series, we discuss the benefits of utilizing Sabbath, regular retreats, solitude, fasting, and some patterns of communal prayer. 

Many Christians live content at a distance from God—satisfied with formality, unmoved by His absence, unaware that nearness has been offered. In this sermon, Tim Conway preaches from James 4:8, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you," calling us to wake up to the stunning reality of this promise. This is no light invitation. It is a summons into the manifest presence of the living God—a call to approach with humility, honesty, and holy expectation.

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: Hebrews 4:16BIG IDEA: Because of our Sympathetic Savior, we can…OUTLINE:1. Possess Confidence In Prayer2. Enjoy Communion In Prayer3. Receive Care Through PrayerRESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary: Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner; Crossway Classics: Hebrews by John Owen; Reformed Expository Commentary: Hebrews by Richard Phillips; Holiest of All: A Commentary on the Book of Hebrews by Andrew Murray; The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin; Gentle & Lowly: The Heart of Christ For Sinners & Sufferers by Dane Ortlund; A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller; Rejoicing in Christ by Michael Reeves; Enjoy Your Prayer Life by Michael Reeves

Many Christians live content at a distance from God—satisfied with formality, unmoved by His absence, unaware that nearness has been offered. In this sermon, Tim Conway preaches from James 4:8, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you," calling us to wake up to the stunning reality of this promise. This is no light invitation. It is a summons into the manifest presence of the living God—a call to approach with humility, honesty, and holy expectation.

God has provided a way to draw near to him through the blood, both on the earth and in the heavens. The post Drawing Near Through the Blood appeared first on Emmaus Road Fellowship.

wE MP3 April 2025 - 02

This month is about resurrection life and the beauty of what Jesus not only did for us but who He is. He is close to the broken hearts and in this weeks episode of Driving with Jev series, she shares scriptures and encouragement on what it could look like to draw near to Jesus in your waiting journey. Don't let go of what He has said. Checkout Jevanna's Devotional here: https://a.co/d/dtsKTWQ

Part of our series of verse-by-verse studies through the Bible.Drawing Near is a ministry of FBC Tipp City.Reggie Osborne: Pastor/Teacher. regosborne1@gmail.com 

Are we ready to draw near and to be done with a distant relationship with God? This week Pastor Wayne encourages us to experience renewed communion and closeness with God through prayer. The post Drawing Near appeared first on Smythe Street Church.

Exodus 24:1-2

Part of our series of verse-by-verse studies through the Bible. Drawing Near is a ministry of FBC Tipp City. Reggie Osborne: Pastor/Teacher. regosborne1@gmail.com 

Topics: Sanctification Is Complete (Hebrews 10:10), Sanctification Happens Once, Sanctification Is Not Lifelong (Hebrews 10:14), Jesus' Blood Sanctified, The Bible Doesn't Sanctify Us, Faith Sanctified Us (Acts 26:18), Works Don't Sanctify, Good Deeds Don't Sanctify, Repentance Isn't Sanctification, Animal Blood Sacrifices Foreshadowed Sanctification, Hebrews 9-10, Jesus' Sacrifice Is Final, Christians Are Perfected, Saints Are Sanctified, Sanctification Isn't Self-Improvement, Holiness Is Sanctification, Purification and Consecration, Growth Isn't Sanctification, Salvation and Sanctification Are Simultaneous, Identity Sanctification Isn't Behavior Change, The Law Doesn't Sanctify, Sacrifices Were Temporary, Jesus' Sanctification Is Eternal (Hebrews 10:12), Sanctification Isn't Progressive, Effort Isn't Required, Traditions Distort Sanctification, The Bible Doesn't Sanctify, Jesus Alone Sanctifies, We Are Set Apart, Sin Doesn't Undo Sanctification, We Don't Sanctify Ourselves, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Works Are Not a Requirement for Sanctification, Holiness Is Christ's Work, Ephesians 5:25-26, Jesus' Blood Secures Sanctification, Sanctification Isn't Drawing Near, We Are Already One With God, Saints Aren't Still Being Sanctified, The Temple Foreshadowed Christ, Christ's Blood Sanctifies Once, Hebrews Confirms Finished Sanctification, Hebrews 9:24-26, Jesus Completed Holiness, Sanctification Is Eternal, It's Not Achieved in Heaven, Jesus Ended Sacrifices, The Old Covenant Couldn't Permanently Sanctify, Christianity Isn't Self-Sanctification, False Humility Doesn't Sanctify, The Gospel Is Finished Sanctification, Sanctification Is by Grace, True Sanctification Is by FaithSend Matt a text about this episode!Support the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

Having just rebuked the Pharisees and their hypocrisy over declaring things clean vs unclean, Jesus travels to the "unclean" Gentile regions where he encounters a woman with a demon-possessed daughter and a deaf man who couldn't speak. These stories in MArk 7:24-37 have odd and strange elements in them but help form a picture of what it looks like to draw near to Jesus. In these accounts, we see that drawing near to Jesus will give us a persevering faith and a praiseworthy message.

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 4:14-16 Sermon Points: Holding Fast Drawing Near

The post Drawing Near in Fear to Here / Watch Your Step! (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7) appeared first on First Baptist Church of Olney.

Hebrews 10:19-22 — In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the topic of prayer and its challenges, focusing on Hebrews 10:19-22. The preacher begins by addressing the context of the epistle to the Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians who were becoming discouraged in their faith. He emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian life and highlights the difficulties that can arise when attempting to pray. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines three main obstacles to prayer: entering into God's holy presence, dealing with an evil conscience, and overcoming a sense of unworthiness due to sin's pollution. He argues that these difficulties make prayer one of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life. The sermon then presents the solution to these challenges through the "new and living way" provided by Jesus Christ. This way is described as new, living, and based on the foundation of Christ's incarnation, perfect obedience, atoning death, resurrection, and heavenly intercession. Dr. Lloyd-Jones stresses that this doctrinal understanding is essential for effective prayer. He explains how this new way addresses the three main obstacles to prayer: it is God's own appointed method, it satisfies the demands of God's law and our conscience, and it provides cleansing from sin's pollution. Dr Lloyd-Jones also touches on how this approach helps believers overcome accusations from Satan. In conclusion, Dr. Lloyd-Jones exhorts his listeners to rely solely on Jesus Christ and His finished work for access to God in prayer, rather than on human efforts, rituals, or earthly intermediaries. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and embracing this "new and living way" in order to approach God with boldness and assurance, especially in times of uncertainty and potential persecution.

Hebrews 10:19-22 — In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the topic of prayer and its challenges, focusing on Hebrews 10:19-22. The preacher begins by addressing the context of the epistle to the Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians who were becoming discouraged in their faith. He emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian life and highlights the difficulties that can arise when attempting to pray. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines three main obstacles to prayer: entering into God's holy presence, dealing with an evil conscience, and overcoming a sense of unworthiness due to sin's pollution. He argues that these difficulties make prayer one of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life. The sermon then presents the solution to these challenges through the "new and living way" provided by Jesus Christ. This way is described as new, living, and based on the foundation of Christ's incarnation, perfect obedience, atoning death, resurrection, and heavenly intercession. Dr. Lloyd-Jones stresses that this doctrinal understanding is essential for effective prayer. He explains how this new way addresses the three main obstacles to prayer: it is God's own appointed method, it satisfies the demands of God's law and our conscience, and it provides cleansing from sin's pollution. Dr Lloyd-Jones also touches on how this approach helps believers overcome accusations from Satan. In conclusion, Dr. Lloyd-Jones exhorts his listeners to rely solely on Jesus Christ and His finished work for access to God in prayer, rather than on human efforts, rituals, or earthly intermediaries. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and embracing this "new and living way" in order to approach God with boldness and assurance, especially in times of uncertainty and potential persecution. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29

We continue to explore the value of seeking God's guidance in our lives. He is Truth, Life and Love. His character is such that He can not lie, He is eternal and He is the source of Love – His very nature. The gift of His Holy Spirit to us, placed in us, is priceless and always available, always listening. Are we? Take these moments as you listen, and listen for Him – it is His words we are hearing – teach us the proper path, Lord. We will draw near – tell us the secrets of Your promises. Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this time of meditation, please consider supporting us.Contributors: Michelle DeChant, Adam Maddock, and Phil Reaser

In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, Mike Schoettle, Director of Spiritual Wellness and Discipleship, shares a powerful message: What if drawing closer to God were simpler than we make it? During this Lenten season, we unpack the profound simplicity of spiritual connection—one that transcends denominational boundaries and religious complexity. While Lent is often associated with Catholicism, it is observed by many Protestant traditions as a 40-day journey of spiritual formation, echoing the biblical significance of the number 40 as a period of testing and transformation.Rather than focusing solely on giving something up, this conversation explores meaningful ways to create space for God—whether through intentional kindness, quiet reflection, or simply being present in the moment. Inspired by Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century monk known for finding God in ordinary tasks, we are reminded that spiritual connection doesn't require grand gestures, only a willingness to turn our hearts toward Him. No matter the challenges we face, this discussion offers practical wisdom on sustaining a meaningful relationship with God, not just during Lent, but throughout our daily lives.To learn more about TRM, Click Here!To support TRM, Click Here! Send us a Message!

What does it really mean to be spiritual? In today's episode, Dr. John explores this question by looking at Hebrews 11:4-7, where the faith of Abel, Enoch, and Noah shines as an example. Spirituality isn't about rituals or good works, but about trusting God fully, offering our best, and living in obedience. It's only through faith that we can draw near to God and please Him.Defining Faith: How should someone approach God? Do they offer a scorecard of their successes or an inventory of their better qualities? The Bible is clear. We come to God by faith, and we live our lives with God through faith. Since faith is central, we should understand what it is and how it works. In this series Dr. John teaches through Hebrews 11, a chapter on faith. Listen, not for stories of faith in the past, but as a guide for your life today.

Pastor of Formation & Mission Benjamin Kandt continues our sermon series on Hebrews, preaching from Hebrews 4:14-5:10, emphasizing two main commands: "hold fast" and "draw near." He highlights that believers facing trials and cultural pressures should firmly hold onto their confession of faith, openly affirming Jesus as their Savior, even when it's difficult. Jesus, as our "great high priest," uniquely qualifies for this role because He is sinless, fully human, and has personally experienced trials and temptations. Jesus learned obedience through suffering, showing believers how to faithfully endure their own hardships by trusting, honestly expressing their desires, and ultimately surrendering their will to God.Furthermore, believers are invited to confidently "draw near" to God, trusting Jesus' sympathy and gentleness toward human weakness. Unlike humans who often respond harshly or critically, Jesus responds with compassion. This gentle, sympathetic posture invites Christians to approach God's "throne of grace" freely, expecting mercy and timely help in their moments of need.

A new MP3 sermon from Mukhanyo Theological College is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Drawing near to Christ the high priest of the new covenant Speaker: Given Ngoma Broadcaster: Mukhanyo Theological College Event: Devotional Date: 2/27/2025 Bible: Hebrews 4:14-16 Length: 26 min.

BJU equips students to impact the world as they live for truth, seize opportunities and embrace life experiences.Standing on the authority of the Bible, BJU shapes heads, hearts and backbones for Christ by equipping students to lead lives of integrity and influence others for God's glory.www.bju.edu