Podcasts about ephesians

To 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.Title: Rediscovering Faith: Mike Freezer's Journey to Spiritual RevivalIntroduction: In the latest episode of Kingdom Crossroads, host T.S. Wright engages in a heartfelt conversation with Mike Freezer, who shares his transformative journey of faith. From a difficult past to a renewed commitment to Christ, Mike's story inspires listeners to explore their own spiritual paths and the power of God's word.Main Content:1. **Early Struggles and Awakening** Mike Freezer's journey began before his teenage years when he first accepted Christ as his Savior. However, attending a spiritually stagnant church hindered his growth. After high school, he found himself on the wrong path, leading to a pivotal moment where he sought to realign his life with God. Through the introduction to a Bible-believing church, he experienced a profound awakening, hearing the Word of God preached with passion for the first time. This marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to understanding and living out his faith.2. **The Importance of Community** Mike emphasizes how vital it is to be part of a community of believers, referring to the church not as a building but as the body of Christ. He recounts how the encouragement and support from fellow believers helped him grow in his faith. "I realized what really marriage was about," he shares, reflecting on how his relationships within the church played a crucial role in his spiritual development.3. **Facing Adversity** Life took a challenging turn for Mike when he faced a divorce, a moment he describes as a significant upset. Acknowledging his part in the situation, he emphasizes that God remained with him throughout his struggles. This period pushed him to delve deeper into the Word of God, leading him to memorize scripture. Mike dedicates six months to memorizing Psalms 19 and 139, which ignited a new passion for God's Word, making it "living and active" in his life.4. **A New Calling** At 66, Mike and his wife started a home church, marking a new chapter in his ministry journey. He began writing a book titled "God Wins Again" to share how God has continually worked in his life. Although the book is still in progress, he transitioned to creating a 15-part video series titled "God Wins Again: Your First Love." This series aims to inspire viewers to reflect on their own faith journeys and recognize God's presence in their lives.5. **Memorizing Scripture** Mike highlights the significance of memorizing scripture as a means of spiritual revival. He shares his favorite passage from Ephesians 1:18-23, which speaks of the hope and power believers have through Christ. This practice not only deepens understanding but also strengthens the connection to God, affirming that each part of the body of Christ has equal importance.Conclusion: Mike Freezer's journey is a testament to the transformative power of faith and the Word of God. His story encourages listeners to seek revival in their spiritual lives, embrace community, and actively engage with scripture. Key takeaways include the importance of a supportive church community,...

The scandals in the charismatic movement have us examining: what is the difference between cover up culture and exposure culture? What is the biblical response? How do we stay in the radical middle, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability that listens to victims and doesn't hide predators without developing a culture of witch hunt? Joshua Lewis, Michael Miller & Michael Rowntree explore biblical principles for a healthy church and practical steps to build cultures of transparency that honor Scripture.0:00 – Introduction3:29 – Defining Coverup Culture4:37 – Anointing vs. Qualifications in Leadership9:23 – King David, Saul, and Church Leadership Structures17:04 – Mission and Vision Tied to Leaders19:44 – Defining Exposure Culture and Ephesians 5:1125:05 – Potential Dangers of Exposure Culture29:34 – Failure Exploitation34:04 – How Coverup Culture Views Congregants40:45 – Whistleblowers as Accusers of the Brethren45:16 – How Exposure Culture Views Victims53:57 – Discipline in Coverup Culture59:44 – When Public Exposure Is Necessary1:03:58 – Exposure Equals Destruction1:11:04 – Mob Justice and Cancel Culture1:17:02 – Role of YouTubers in Church Correction Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.Support the showABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO:

Psalm 31:1-6 Psalm 130 Ephesians 4:26-27 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners  James's reminder that faith with no works is itself dead, by itself.  Scripture References: Matthew 12:34; Ephesians 2:8-9; James 2:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; John 7:5; 1 Corinthians 15:1-7; Luke 9:23; Matthew 22:37-40; Matthew 5:17-18; Romans 10:4; James 2:14-26; 1 John 5:13; John 20:30-31 Scripture translation used is the NASB “Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1971, 1995, 2020 (only use the last year corresponding to the edition quoted) by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org”CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S NEW PODCAST- The First Love ProjectHere is the video introducing the podcast on You Tube-https://youtu.be/PhFY1moDDmsHERE IS A LINK TO THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR FIRST LOVE PROJECThttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdaujk1npuKR0BLSkTlKyxmuxavrZQHM6&si=dC10K4Qdh0xMKElU FIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishaffer DAILY MUSICAL DEVOTIONAL BY THE WORSHIP INITIATIVE:Text SING to 79316CHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z  BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://awordforthSupport the show

The Doctrine of Predestination explores Samuel Blair's 1742 defense of God's sovereign grace — a work praised by Archibald Alexander as the hand of a master. Writing during the era of the Log College and the Great Awakening, Blair answered objections to election not with speculation, but with Scripture — grounding the doctrine in Romans 9, Ephesians 1, and the justice and mercy of God.In this episode, we examine Blair's life, his pastoral purpose, and his argument that absolute election humbles the sinner, excludes boasting, and gives all the glory to Christ alone.

Send a textAt the beginning of this year, we decided to do a round table discussion with our friends and supporters on the topic of the "Armor of God". In the introduction from our last episode, Annette and I started with a word of prayer and by reading Ephesians 6:10-18. You will hear some of the people who are with us in our round table discussion and share what the "Armor of God" means in their lives, and what advice they shared, and why we should all wear it not only in the beginning of the year, but why we should wear it daily.Make sure to stay tuned because you don't want to miss the rest of our conversation. In our next episode, you will the hear a few more people discuss their thoughts on this topic. Thank you for listening, and we pray blessings to each and every one of our listeners. Thank you again to all our round table guests who were able to join us.We would love to hear from you: so, make sure to send us any comments or questions that you may have for us in any of our social media links. The question that Annette and I would like to hear your answer to these questions: what is the greatest takeaway you got from this episode? Why should you wear the "Armor of God." Feel free to answer this questions by connecting to any of our social media links.Connect with us through our Social Media Links:Email us at cometojesuswithannette.mahal@gmail.com Twitter and Instagram: @AnnetteMahal FB: Come to Jesus You can also send us a voice message if you are listening in Spotify or by sending your questions or comments to (571)601-0067. Thank you again for listening and always remember to Come to Jesus Daily!

As headlines warn that artificial intelligence could upend jobs, industries, and even human identity, Jase, Al, and Zach take a sober look at why the AI age feels so apocalyptic. From stock market panic to viral deepfakes and doomsday predictions, the guys acknowledge that massive cultural shifts are coming. But instead of giving in to a tailspin of fear, they pivot to Revelation and the steady promise that no technological revolution can dethrone Jesus. In a world drowning in information but starving for meaning, communion, love, and knowing Christ are the only answers that outlast every empire, every innovation, and every so-called “end of the world.” In this episode: Revelation 1, verse 1; Revelation 1, verses 4–8; Revelation 3, verse 3; Revelation 22, verses 7, 17, 20; Daniel 7; Ephesians 3, verse 10; 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 16–17; 2 Thessalonians 1; John 14 “Unashamed” Episode 1270 is sponsored by: https://myphdweightloss.com — Find out how Al lost 80+ pounds. Schedule your one-on-one consultation today by visiting the website or calling 864-644-1900 and mention "AL" https://ruffgreens.com — Get a FREE Jumpstart Trial Bag for your dog today when you use promo code Unashamed! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Chapters: 00:00 SAS Apocalypse & AI Panic 05:10 The Market Reacts to Artificial Intelligence 12:30 AI Fear vs. Resurrection Hope 19:40 Organic Bible Studies Will Be More Common 26:45 Is Anything Online Even Real Anymore? 33:50 Revelation: “He Is Coming Soon” 44:15 Judgment, Love & the Coming of Jesus 52:00 AI Can't Replace Communion 59:00 A Dollar General Love Lesson — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete and Jared are back! They kick off Season 10 of The Bible for Normal People with N.T. Wright, diving into the big, sweeping vision of Ephesians. Wright unpacks Ephesians as an invitation to embody unity across deep divisions and to reflect God's plan to bring heaven and earth together in Christ. They also explore the meaning of the “powers and principalities” and what it looks like for the church today to live out that cosmic, countercultural calling. Show Notes → https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episode-317-n-t-wright-the-book-of-ephesians/ Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/b0kmqfYD0hg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 6 of the 9941 Podcast, Granger, Tyler, Parker, and AntMan tackle a bold and often uncomfortable question: Can Christians cuss? After a CNN article claimed that swearing may signal intelligence, creativity, and honesty, the guys break down those cultural arguments and compare them directly to Scripture. From Proverbs and James to Ephesians and Colossians, this episode explores what the Bible says about the tongue, obscene talk, and the condition of the heart. Is profanity just a harmless habit—or does it reveal something deeper? Why do we excuse certain words in adults but cringe when children say them? And what does it mean when the name of Jesus is casually used as an expression of anger? This conversation moves beyond behavior modification and into transformation. The hosts discuss sanctification, heart posture, media influence, and how what we consume shapes what we speak. If you’ve ever struggled with your language—or wondered whether it even matters—this episode offers a thoughtful, Scripture-centered perspective. Follow the show: Instagram - https://www.Instagram.com/9941thepodcast Facebook - https://www.Facebook.com/9941thepodcast YouTube - https://www.YouTube.com/@9941ThePodcast Online - https://www.9941ThePodcast.com Shop - https://yeeyee.com/collections/faithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Alisa is coaching you through an endurance workout — and she's asking a bold question right up front: Are you down for different? It's time to shake up the plateaus and press into challenge. As you move, she'll guide you through the 4 P's of your inheritance while teaching from Ephesians 1:3–14: Presence. Positioning. Pardoning. Practicing new life. Along the way, Alisa leads you through two prayer prompts and creates space for silence. And if the quiet feels uncomfortable? She invites you to lean in. Because out of the silence, the heart speaks. So lace up your shoes — and let's get moving. New to REVING the Word? Press play and take this episode on a walk, run, hike, or to the gym. You pick how you want to move as you work out your body, and work in the good news! Playlist: Saltwater by Chicane O God Would You Move by Jesus Culture and KXC The Blood by Passion and JJ Hasulube Gratitide by Worship Portal

Hi, friend! Thanks for joining me today on the podcast. The world invites us to work hard, achieve, and prove our worth – society kind of demands we do. The problem is, no one can tell us how much is enough. How many accomplishments or good deeds does it take to offset our blunders and bad days? We'll find the answer in Ephesians 2:8: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

Does the Bible truly restrict women in leadership? In this thought-provoking Voxology Podcast episode, Mike Geary, Susie Lind, and Preston Sprinkle wrestle with this deeply significant theological question. Drawing from Preston's upcoming book, *From Genesis to Junia: What the Bible Really Says About Women in Leadership*, they explore the historical, cultural, and biblical contexts that shape complementarian and egalitarian debates. Are women called to lead, preach, and teach in the church? What role does cultural context play in interpreting scripture? With a blend of personal stories, rigorous scholarship, and honest dialogue, the hosts unpack passages like 1 Timothy 2 and Ephesians 5, illuminating how interpretations of authority, headship, and agency have shaped the Church's approach to women in ministry. Susie shares her lived experience as a pastor navigating these challenges, while Preston dives into the exegetical work that informed his book. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about how faith intersects with justice, theology, and cultural issues. Join the conversation as the hosts emphasize Jesus' inclusive teachings and challenge the commodification of women within religious structures. We encourage you to engage the discussion on Facebook and Instagram, or share your thoughts in the comments below. Let's continue to pursue understanding, humility, and critical thinking as we navigate these important topics together.  CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Our Break from the Lord's Prayer 05:03 - INTRO to Preston Sprinkle Interview 09:29 - This Weekend 10:39 - Poems 12:06 - Intro 13:56 - Origins of Our Faith 17:10 - Susie's Journey 18:34 - Preston's Journey 23:28 - Best Argument for Complementarianism 27:10 - Understanding 1 Timothy 2:12 28:00 - Analyzing 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 28:40 - Exegetical Laziness in Scripture 33:20 - Trusting English Translations 39:44 - Kephale: "Head" or "Source" 37:18 - Ephesians 5:23 Explained 38:18 - Insights on 1 Corinthians 11:3 39:18 - Meaning of "Head" in Context 41:04 - Greco-Roman Household Code 42:08 - Reexamining the Meaning of "Head" 48:54 - Process of Becoming a Pastor 52:00 - The Right Plumbing for Ministry 57:38 - Thank You 1:00:20 - Where to Find More of Preston's Work 1:01:06 - Upcoming Book Release 1:01:46 - Sign Off 1:05:05 - Support the Show As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/VOXOLOGY?ref=shop_sugg_market Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

This week Birmingham Lead Pastor, Mark Lamb, begins our conversation on love and marriage, teaching from Ephesians 5 on how two become one through mutual surrender and the ongoing formation of oneness.

Ever felt like this? You planned something special and everyone bailed—leaving you wondering if something's wrong with you? That crushing feeling of rejection can spiral fast. In this episode, we're diving into a total mental revolution—learning how to renew our minds to Christ and break free from the lies the enemy has been feeding us. Coach Jamie shares a raw, personal story about a Bible study that got canceled twice in a row, and how the enemy tried to use it to make her believe she wasn't liked or valued. But here's the truth: those thoughts of "not enough" and comparison? They're not from God, and you don't have to be a prisoner to them anymore. We're unpacking the difference between depression and spiritual oppression, hearing Rick Renner's powerful testimony of overcoming lies about his identity, and learning how to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6) to fight back. This isn't just about positive thinking—it's about wielding Scripture like a sword and taking every thought captive. You were made to be a daughter of the Most High King, and it's time to start believing it.

*Disclaimer* This episode contains adult content and is not recommended for young listeners.   Hebrews 12:15 NLT “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”   *Transcription Below*   About Dr. Morgan Cutlip:  It's hard to know where to start so I'll start with what matters most to me and that's my relationships.   I'm a mother to two kids, Effie (12) and Roy (9). They are hilarious, spirited, spicy, deeply thoughtful and emotional kids. I adore them and being their mother. They've challenged me in the most surprising and wonderful ways. I'm married to my high school sweetheart, Chad. I always feel like I lose a little street cred when I say that so, for the record, we didn't date that entire time and eventually reconnected years after college on MySpace (yup, now I've aged myself). He's the love of my life, an incredible man that loves others deeply, works so very hard, and continues to be open to growth and change.   I've worked in the field of relationship education for over 15 years alongside my father, Dr. John Van Epp, who is the founder of Love Thinks and developer of multiple relationship education courses that have been taught to over a million people worldwide. I started traveling to conferences with him when I was in junior high and so, in many ways, it feels like I've grown up in the relationship education field. He's amazing and brilliant and I'm blessed to have learned so much from him over the years we worked together and just cherish our relationship.   I distinctly remember a conversation with my dad over 20 years ago where I said that someday I wanted to support women, but I just wasn't sure how.   Fast forward 10 years and Effie (our oldest) was born and, holy moly, did motherhood hit me like a ton of bricks and I completely lost myself in motherhood (you can read the full story in my book).

In a theological landscape that often softens sin into "brokenness," Episode 480 re-establishes the biblical category of sin as debt. Jesse Schwamb takes us into the house of Simon the Pharisee to analyze the Parable of the Two Debtors. The central argument is forensic: sin creates an objective liability against God's justice that no amount of human currency—tears, works, or religious heritage—can satisfy. We explore the critical distinction between the cause of justification (God's free grace) and the evidence of justification (love and repentance). This episode dismantles the self-righteous math of the Pharisee and points us to the only currency God accepts: the finished work of Christ. Key Takeaways Sin is Objective Debt: Sin is not merely a relational slight; it is a quantifiable liability on God's ledger that demands clearing. Universal Insolvency: Whether you owe 50 denarii (the moralist) or 500 denarii (the open sinner), the result is the same: total inability to pay. God Names the Claim: The debtor does not get to negotiate the terms of repayment; only the Creditor determines the acceptable currency. Love is Fruit, Not Root: The sinful woman's love was the evidence that she had been forgiven, not the payment to purchase forgiveness. The Danger of Horizontal Math: Simon's error was comparing his debt to the woman's, rather than comparing his assets to God's standard. Justification by Grace: Forgiveness is a free cancellation of the debt, based entirely on the benevolence of the Moneylender (God). Key Concepts The Definition of Money and Grace To understand Luke 7, we must understand money. Money is a system of credit accounts and their clearing. When we apply this to theology, we realize that "religious effort" is a currency that God does not accept. We are like travelers trying to pay a US debt with Zimbabwean dollars. The Gospel is the news that Christ has entered the market with the only currency that satisfies the Father—His own righteousness—and has cleared the accounts of those who are spiritually bankrupt. The Pharisee's Calculation Error Simon the Pharisee wasn't condemned because he wasn't a sinner; he was condemned because he thought his debt was manageable. He believed he had "surplus righteousness." This is the deadly error of legalism. By assuming he owed little, he loved little. He treated Jesus as a guest to be evaluated rather than a Savior to be worshipped. A low view of our own sin inevitably leads to a low view of Christ's glory. Evangelical Obedience The woman in the passage demonstrates what Reformed theologians call "evangelical obedience"—obedience that flows from faith and gratitude, not from a desire to earn merit. Her tears did not wash away her sins; the blood of Christ did that. Her tears were the overflow of a heart that realized the mortgage had been burned. We must never confuse the fruit of salvation with the root of salvation. Quotes Tears don't cancel the ledger. Christ does that. Tears are what debtors do when Mercy lands. Grace received produces love expressed. A creditor doesn't need to be convinced you did harm. The ledger already stands. Transcript [00:01:10] Welcome to The Reformed Brotherhood + Teasing the Parable [00:01:10] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 480 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast for those with ears to hear. Hey, brothers and sisters, how great is it that we have these incredible teachings of Jesus? Can we talk about that for a second? Tony and I have loved hanging out in these parables with you all, and Tony will be back next week. Don't you worry. But in the meantime, I've got another parable for us to consider, and I figured we would just get. Straight to the points, but I have to let you in in a little secret first, and that is not even Tony knows until he hears this, which parable I've selected for us to chat about. And I knew that there might come a time where I would be able to sneak in with this parable because I love. This parable, and I love it because it's so beautiful in communicating the full breadth and scope of the gospel of God's grace and his mercy for all of his children. And it just makes sense to me, and part of the reason why it makes so much sense to me is. The topic which is embedded in this is something that more or less I've kind of built my career around, and so it just resonates with me. It makes complete sense. I understand it inside and out. I feel a connection to what Jesus is saying here very predominantly because the topic at hand means so much to me, and I've seen it play out in the world over and over and over again. So if that wasn't enough buildup and you're not ready, I have no idea what will get you prepared, but we're going to go hang out in Luke chapter seven, and before I even give you a hint as to what this amazing, the really brief parable is, it does take a little bit of setup, but rather than me doing the setup. What do you say if we just go to the scriptures? Let's just let God's word set up the environment in which this parable is gonna unfold. And like a good movie or a good narrative, even as you hear this, you might be pulled in the direction of the topic that you know is coming. And so I say to you, wait for it. Wait for it is coming.  [00:03:20] Luke 7 Setup: Simon's Dinner & the "Sinful Woman" Arrives [00:03:20] Jesse Schwamb: So this is Luke's book, his gospel chapter seven, beginning in verse 36. Now one of the Pharisees was asking Jesus to eat with him, and Jesus entered the Pharisees house and reclined at the table. And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner, and when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisees house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. And standing behind him at his feet crying. She began to wet his feet with her tears, and she kept wiping them with her hair over her head and kissing his feet and anointing them with perfume. Now, in the Pharisee, who had invited him, saw this, he said to himself saying, if this man were, he would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him, that she is a sinner. Let's stop there for a second. So this incredible dinner party that Jesus attends and here is this woman. Well, all we're told is that she's a woman who's identified as a sinner. Clearly moved by the presence of Jesus clearly wanting to worship him in a very particular way. By the way, loved ones. Can we address the fact that this goes back to something Tony and I have been talking about, I dunno, for like seven episodes now, which is coming outta Luke chapter 15. This idea that sinners, the marginalized, the outcasts, the down and out, they were drawn to Jesus. Something about him, his presence, the power of his teaching drew them in, but in a way that invited vulnerability, this kind of overwhelming response to who he was. And what his mission was. And so here maybe is like any other occurrence that happened in Jesus' day, maybe like a million other accounts that are not recorded in the scriptures. But here's one for us to appreciate that. Here's this woman coming, and her response is to weep before him, and then with these tears, to use them to wash his feet and to anoint him with this precious perfume. Now, there's a lot of people at this dinner party. At least we're led to believe. There's many, and there's one Pharisee in particular whose home this was. It was Simon. And so out of this particular little vignette, there's so much we could probably talk about. But of course what we see here is that the Pharisee who invited him, Simon, he sees this going on. He does not address it verbally, but he has his own opinions, he's got thoughts and he's thinking them. And so out of all of that, then there's a pause. And I, I would imagine that if we were to find ourselves in that situation, maybe we'd be feeling the tension of this. It would be awkward, I think. And so here we have Jesus coming in and giving them this account, this parable, and I wanna read the parable in its entirety. It's very, very short, but it gives us a full sense of both. Like what's happening here? It's both what's happening, what's not happening, what's being. Presented plain for us to see what's below the surface that Jesus is going to reveal, which is both a reflection on Simon and a reflection on us as well. [00:06:18] The Two Debtors Parable (Read in Full) [00:06:18] Jesse Schwamb: So picking up in, in verse 40, and Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I owe something to say to you. And he replied, say it, teacher a money lender had two debtors, one owned 500 in RI and the other 50. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more? Simon answered and said, I suppose the one who he graciously forgave more, and he said to him, you have judged correctly and turning toward the woman. He said to Simon, do you see this woman? I entered your house? You gave me no water from my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfume. For this reason, I say to you her sins, which are many have been forgiven for. She loved much, but he who is forgiven, little loves little. Then he said to her, your sins have been forgiven, and those were reclining at the table. With him began to say to themselves, who is this man who even forgives sins? And he said to the woman, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.  [00:07:42] What This Scene Teaches: Sin, Forgiveness, Love as Fruit [00:07:42] Jesse Schwamb: What a beautiful, tiny, deep, amazing instruction from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So in this just short 10 verses here, it's we're sitting inside. This dinner at Simon, the Pharisees house, and a woman known publicly only as a sinner, has shown some striking love toward Jesus, and Jesus explains her actions. Then through this mini parable of debt, two debtors, one creditor, neither can pay. Both are freely forgiven. Love flows. Then from that forgiveness. And so there's a lot within the reform theological spectrum here that helps us to really understand. I think the essential principles of what's going on here, and I just wanna hit on some of those and chat with you about those and hopefully encourage you in those as I'm trying to encourage myself. First, we get some sense about what sin really is like. We get a sense of the inability to cope with sin. We get the free forgiveness that's grounded in Christ, in Christ alone, and we get this idea of love and repentance as the fruit or the evidence, not the cause of justification. Now to set this whole thing up. [00:08:50] Why Talk About Money? Defining Money as Credit & Clearing [00:08:50] Jesse Schwamb: I do think it's so important for us to talk about money for a second, not money, like we're gonna have a budget talk, not what you spend on groceries or your vacation, not even what you do in terms of planning for your retirement or what you give to the church in way of tithe than offering none of that. I'm actually more interested to talk to you about money itself. One of the things I love to ask people. Especially when I was teaching students in money and finance is the question, what is money? And I bet you if you and I were hanging out across the kitchen table and I asked you, what is money? I'm guessing you would go in one or two directions. Either you would gimme examples of money, types of money. You might talk about the US dollar or the Zimbabwean dollar, or the Euro or the Yuan. That would be correct in a way, but really that's just symptomatic of money because that's just an example or a type of some money that you might use. And of course those definitions are not ubiquitous because if I take my US dollars and I go travel to see our Scott brothers and sisters, more than likely that money. That currency, those dollars will not be accepted in kind. There'd have to be some kind of translation because they're not acceptable in that parts of the world. That's true of most types of money. Or you might go to talking about precious metals and the price of gold or silver and how somehow these seem to be above and beyond the different types of currency or paper, currency in our communities and around our world. And of course, you'd be right as an example of a type of money, but. Gold itself, if you press on it, is not just money, it's describing as some kind of definition of what money is. The second direction you might take is you might describe for me all the things that money is like its attributes. Well, it must be accepted generally as a form of currency. It might must be used to discharge debt or to pay taxes, or it must have a store of value and be able to be used as a medium of exchange. And you would be correct about all of those things as well because. Probably, whether you know it or not, you're an expert in money because you have to use it in some way to transact in this lifetime. But even those are again, just attributes. It's not what money is in its essential first principle. So this is not like an economics lecture, I promise, but I think it is something that Jesus is actually truly drawing us to, and that is the best definition of money I can give, is money is a system of credit accounts and their clearing. It's a whole system of credit accounts and their clearing. So think of it like this, every time you need something from somebody else. Anytime you wanna buy something or you wanna sell something, what's happening there is somebody is creating a claim. So let's say that I go to the grocery store and I fill up the cart with all kinds of fruits and vegetables and meats, and I'm at the counter to check out. What I've just done is said that I have all of these things I would like to take from the grocery store, and now the grocery store has some kind of claim because they're handing them over to me and I need a way to settle that claim. And the way that I settle that claim is using money. It is the method that allows us to settle those transactions. And in my particular instance, it's going to be the US dollar, or maybe it's just ones and zeros electronically, of course representing US dollars. But in this case, the way I settle it is with money and a particular type of money. But, and I want you to keep this in mind 'cause we're gonna come back to it. This is my whole setup for this whole thing. The reason why this is important is because you have to have the type of money. That will settle the debt or settle the creditor. You have to have the thing itself that the creditor demands so that you can be a hundred percent released from the claim that they have on you. If you do not have exactly a. The type of money that they desire, then the debt will not be released. The creditor will not be satisfied. You will not go free, and that it's so critically important.  [00:12:52] Sin as Objective Debt: God Names the Claim [00:12:52] Jesse Schwamb: I think it's just like this really plain backdrop to what's happening here When Jesus addresses Simon with this whole parable. So he starts this whole idea by saying to Simon that he is something to say to him, which I think in a way is profound anyway, because Simon invites him to speak. But Jesus here is taking the initiative. Simon is the host. He socially, as it were, above this sinful woman. But Jesus becomes the true examiner of the heart in this parable. What we have is. Christ's word interrupts self-justifying narratives, and clearly there was a self-justifying narrative going on in Simon's head. We know this because we're privy to his thoughts in the text here. The gospel does not wait here for the Pharisee to figure it out, the gospel lovingly correct. Always goes in, always initiates, always intervenes as Christ intercedes. And here, before any accounting happens, Jesus sets the terms. God is the one who names the debt, not the debtor. And this really is probably the beating hearts, the center of gravity of this whole exchange. I love that Jesus goes to this parable. Of a money lender, a money lender who had two debtors, one owned, 500, one owned 50. Now of course, I would argue that really, you can put this in any currency, you can translate into modern terms, you can adjust it for inflation. It doesn't really matter. What we have here is one relatively small debt, another debt 10 times the size. So one small, one large, and that's the juxtaposition. That's the whole setup here. And I would submit to you something super important that Jesus does here, which flies in the face of a lot of kind of just general wishy-washy evangelicalism that teaches us somehow that sin is just not doing it quite right, or is just a little brokenness, or is just in some way just slightly suboptimal or missing the mark. It is those things, but it is not the entirety of those things because what's clear here is that Jesus frames sin as debt. In other words, it's an objective liability. A liability is just simply something of value that you owe to somebody else. And I am going to presume that almost everybody within an earshot of my voice here all over the world has at some point incurred debt. And I think there's, there's lots of great and productive reasons to incur debt. Debt itself is not pejorative. That would be a whole nother podcast. We could talk about. Maybe Tony and I sometime, but. What is true is that debt is an objective liability. The amounts differ, but both are genuinely in the red here. And what's critical about this is that because debt is this objective reality, whenever you enter into an arrangement of debt, let's say that you borrow some money to purchase a car or home or simply to make some kind of purchase in your life, that's unsecured debt. In all of those cases, the. The one lending you the money, the creditor now has a claim on you. What's important to understand here is that this kind of thing changes it. It provides way more color and contrast to really the effects of what sin is and what sin does in its natural accountability. And so in this way we have this nuance that there are differences in outward sin and its social consequences. That is for sure that's how life works, but all sin is ultimately against God and makes us debtors to divine justice. That is now God has a claim against us. And this shouldn't make sense because unless we are able to satisfy that claim, all have that claim against them all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And as a result of this, it's not just that we somehow have lived a way that is just slightly off the mark and suboptimal, but instead that we've heaped up or accumulated for ourselves an objective liability, which is truly. Owed to God and because it is truly owed him, he's the one who can only truly satisfy it. This is why the scripture speak of God as being both just and justifier. That is a just creditor ensures that the debt is paid before it is released, and the one who is justifier is the one who pays that debt to ensure it will be released. God does both of these things through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Praise be to his name. So here we have a really true understanding. Of what sin is. There's no mincing of words here. There's a ubiquity in all of our worlds about money lending and borrowing, and Christ leans into that heavily. We know for a fact that the ancient Mesopotamians learned how to calculate interests before they figured out to put wheels on car. And so this idea of lending and borrowing and indebtedness, this whole concept has an ancient pedigree, and Jesus leans into this. And so we have this really lovely and timeless example of drawing in the spiritual state into the very physical or financial state to help us understand truly what it means when we incur sin. Sin is not easily discharged, and just like debt, it stands over us, has a claim on us, and we need somebody to satisfy that claim on our behalf. By the way, this gets me back to this reoccurring theme of we need the right currency, we need the right money, as it were to satisfy this debt only that which is acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Our Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit is what will be acceptable in payment in full for this kind of debt. And so that's again, this whole setup, it's the spiritual realm being immediately kind of dragged into this corporal reality of the balance sheet, assets and liabilities, things of value that we owe to someone else. [00:18:50] Unable to Repay: Free Cancellation, Justification by Grace [00:18:50] Jesse Schwamb: Notice in Luke verse 42, that the reason why it's important to understand the full ferocity, the ferocious of sin and the weight of the debt that it incurs upon us, is that it cannot be repaid no matter what. So look at both of these borrowers. Neither could repay. Neither could repay. So think about that for a second. It doesn't even matter how much they owed. Both were way beyond their ability. It's not merely they didn't want to, but they didn't have the resources in the spiritual state. In other words, there was no surplus righteousness to pay God back and the creditor's action here is free cancellation grace, not a negotiated settlement, but free cancellation. So whether it was 50 or 500, it was irrelevant to the fact that these borrowers just like you and I, have nothing within our means, our wherewithal to actually satisfy the this cosmic debt that we have rightfully incurred against God. And so you should be hearing this align so closely with justification By Grace, God doesn't forgive because we eventually scraped together payment. He forgives because he's gracious and in the full biblical picture because Christ pays and bears that penalty. So this isn't, we have somehow, as you've heard, sometimes in kinda very again, wishy-washy, evangelical ways that we've somehow come forward at the right time. To receive from God some kind of gift or that we've somehow elevated ourself to the place of the deserving poor, or that we come with our own extended arms, empty, but outstretched so that we might receive something from God, in part because we make ourselves present before him, not loved ones. It's far better than that. It's not being able to pay and Christ saying, come and buy. Not being able to put food on the table and him saying, come and eat. It's him saying, you who are thirsty, come and drink from the fountain of life freely and unreservedly. Not because you have some way deserved it, because in fact you desperately do not. And because God has made a way in Christ a way that we could not make for ourselves, he's paid a debt that we just could not repay. It doesn't matter what it is that you think is outstanding against you. The fact of the matter is you cannot repay it. And so of course, that's why Paul writes in Ephesians, it's by grace through faith and not by works that you've been set free in the love of the Kingdom of Christ, that all of these things have been given to you by God because he loves you and because he's made a way for you. You may remember that when Tony and I spent some time in the Lord's Prayer. That we really settled, we sunk down into what we thought was the best translation of that portion where we come to forgiving debts and forgiving debtors, and we settled on that one because we feel it's the most accurate representation of the actual language there in the text. But two, because that language also comports with all this other teaching of Jesus, this teaching that. Emphasizes the debt nature of sin, and that when we think about the fact that we in fact have a giant loan or a lease or an outstanding obligation, something that has been that our souls ourselves in a way have been mortgaged. And we need a freedom that breaks that mortgage, that wants to take that paper and to satisfy the payment and then to throw it into the fire so that it's gone and no more upon us. That because of all of that, it's appropriate for us to pray that we be forgiven our debts, and that, that we, when we understand that there's been a great debt upon us, that we are willing to look at others and forgive our debtors as well. And so you'll see that in, I'd say it looks like verse 43 here, Simon answers. Jesus question appropriately. Jesus basically pegs him with this very simple, straightforward, and probably really only one answer question, which is, which one do you think loved the creditor more? Which of these borrowers was more ecstatic, which appreciated what had been done more? And of course he says, well, the one with the larger debt, that that seems absolutely obvious. And Jesus essentially here gets Simon to pronounce judgment and then turns that judgment into a mirror. This is brilliantly what Jesus often does with these parables, and to be honest, loved ones. I think he still is doing that today with us. Even those of us who are familiar with these parables, they're always being turned into a mirror so that when we look into the, the text we see ourselves, but like maybe whatever the opposite of like the picture of the Dorian Gray is like, well, maybe it's the same as the picture. You know, this idea that we're seeing the ugliness of ourselves in the beauty of Christ as he's presenting the gospel in this passage. And the issue of course here is not whether you and I or Simon can do math. It's whether Simon will accept the implication and you and I as well, that we are a debtor who cannot repay. That. That's just the reality of the situation.  [00:23:44] The Mirror Turns: Simon's Little Love vs Her Overflowing Gratitude [00:23:44] Jesse Schwamb: And so Jesus turns then, and this is remarkable, he turns toward the woman and he compares her actions with Simon's lack of hospitality, speaking to Simon while he stares intently at the woman. I mean, the drama unfolding in this quick small little passage is exceptional. It's extraordinary. And unlike some of the. Other teachings that we've already looked at here, there is something where Jesus is teaching and acting at the same time. That is the scripture is giving us some direct indication of his movements, of his direction, of his attentional focus. And here there's an attentional focus on the woman while he speaks to Simon the Pharisee. And first what we find is Jesus dignifies the woman by addressing Simon about her while looking at her. He makes the sinner central and the respectable man answerable. That's wild. And there's an angle here that still leads us back to debt, which is Simon behaves like someone who thinks that he is little debt. So he offers little love and the woman behaves like someone who knows she's been rescued from insolvency, and so she pours out gratitude. And then there's a whole host, a little list here, a litany of things that Jesus essentially accuses Simon of directly and pulls them back into this proper understanding of the outpouring of affection. That is a fruit of justification exemplified in the woman's behavior. For instance, Simon gave no kiss, and yet here's this woman. She has not stopped kissing Jesus' feet and then wiping her feet, washing his feet with her tears.  [00:25:19] Grace Received, Love Expressed (Not Earned) [00:25:19] Jesse Schwamb: Of course, in that culture, Simon withheld this ordinary honor and the woman lavish is extraordinary affection. You know, we would often call this an reformed theology, evangelical obedience. It's the kind that flows from faith and gratitude, not a plan to earn acceptance. And this is tough for us, loved ones because we want to conflate these two. It's easy to conflate these two, and we're well-meaning sometimes when we do that. But we have to be careful in understanding that there is an appropriate response of loving worship to one who has set you free. While at the same time understanding that that loving worship never should spill over and, and into any kind of self-proclaimed pride or meritorious earning. And this woman apparently does this so exceptionally well that Jesus calls it out, that all of this is flowing from her faith and her gratitude. Jesus says, Simon didn't anoint his head with oil and she anoints his feet with perfume again. Notice some really interesting juxtaposition in terms of the top and the bottom of the body here. Here's this woman's costly act, underscoring a pattern, grace received, produces love expressed. I love thinking of it that way. Grace, perceived, excuse me, grace received produces love expressed.  [00:26:39] Sin as Crushing Debt: Why It Must Be Paid [00:26:39] Jesse Schwamb: That is the point that Jesus is driving to here, that if we understand the gospel and the gospel tells us that there is a law. That we have transgressed and that this law has accumulated in all of this debt that we cannot pay. And so the weight of this means not just that, oh, it's, it's so hard to have debt in our lives. Oh, it's so annoying and inconvenient. No, instead it's oppressive. This debt itself, this grand burden is over our heads, pushing down on our necks, weighting us down in every way, and especially in the spiritual realm. And because of this, we would be without hope, unless there was one who could come and release us from this debt. And the releasing of this debt has to be, again, an A currency acceptable to the debtor, and it has to actually be paid. There's no wiping away. There's no just amnesty for the sake of absolve. Instead, it must be satisfied. And the woman here has received this kind of extraordinary grace has acknowledged, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, through opened eyes and unstopped ears and a clean heart, has been able to understand the severity of the situation. And then this produces in her love expressed, which again is not the means of her justification, but certainly is one of the fruit of it. And Jesus explains then the reason for her response.  [00:27:58] Forgiveness First: Clearing Up Luke 7's Logic [00:27:58] Jesse Schwamb: The reason why Grace received produces love expressed is because she and her many sins have been forgiven. Hence, her love is great, love the one forgiven, little forgives little. I think sometimes that verse is often misunderstood as if. Her love caused her forgiveness. But again, we want to hear clearly from Jesus on this. The logic he gives is forgiveness, leading to love. Love is evidence or fruits. And so her love is the sign that forgiveness has already been granted and is truly possessed, not the purchase price. And Simon's Lovelessness exposes a heart still clinging to self-righteousness, acting like a small debtor who doesn't even need mercy, like one who doesn't understand that they will never, ever be able to repay the thing that is over them. You know, I love that John Val is often quoted along the lines of something like this. Those forgiven much will love much. And in his writing to me, he captures so much of this moral psychology of grace and I think there is a psychology of grace here. There is a reasonable response. That moves us by the power of the Holy Spirit, from deep within this renewal of the man, such that we express our love to God in all kinds of ways. I think especially in our age, on the Lord's day, in acts of singing through worship and meditation, through worship, and listening through worship and application, through worship, all of these means in particular as our expression of what it means to have been received, having received grace, producing a loving response. [00:29:36] "Your Sins Are Forgiven": Jesus' Divine Authority [00:29:36] Jesse Schwamb: I love that all of this ends as it draws to a close. Jesus speaks these incredible words. He tells her that her sins are forgiven. You know, notice here that Christ speaks an authoritative verdict. This is justifying speech. It's God's court declaration. It's not some like mere the therapeutic. Like reassurance here. It's not like whistling in the dark. It's Jesus himself saying This woman has been forgiven. Blessed is the one whose sins are forgiven. And of course, like so many other times in Jesus' ministry, and I have to imagine by the way, loved ones that this question got asked all the time, and not just on the occasion in which it was a court of us in scripture, but the other guests ask the right question and that question is. Who is this? Who even forgives sins, and that is the right question. Only God can forgive sins against God. Jesus is implicitly claiming divine authority. Now, we finally arrived. This is God's currency. This is the currency or the money, so to speak, that is desperately needed, the only one acceptable to discharge the debt, the cosmic treason that has been done against God himself. So because of that, here's Jesus making the claim that the way that you are led out, the way that you are set free is through me. So even here in the course of just this confronting Simon speaking about sin, he's also providing the way he's saying, I am this way, I am this truth. I am this life. Come through me. [00:31:14] Jesus the Greater Moses: The Gospel as Exodus [00:31:14] Jesse Schwamb: What I find amazing about this is in the beginning. With Adam and Eve, they transgress God's law. And from that day in all days forth, we have been building this massive sin, debt that we cannot repay. And part of the, the repercussions of that debt were for Adam and Eve to be driven to be Exodus as it were, out of the garden. And ever since then, the grand narrative of the redemptive history of God's people has been an exodus instead. Not out of what is idyllic, not out of perfection, but instead. Out of sin, out of bondage, out of sin and death and the devil and the deaths that we have incurred. And so here we have Jesus representing. He is the, the new and better Moses, he is the exodus, so to speak, who comes and grabs us by the hand almost as in the same way that the angelic representations in the story of la. And Sonor grabbed his hand to pull him, maybe even kicking him, screaming. Out of that sinful place, into the glorious light, into safety and security out from underneath this grand debt that we cannot repay. I think of Jesus's acal meeting with Moses and Elijah on the mounts of transfiguration. That's also in Luke, right? And Luke tells us that they spoke of his deceased, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. And the word deceased there literally means Exodus. In Jesus, God would affect an infinitely greater deliverance than he had under Moses. And then interestingly, we see that even in all the way back in Psalm 23, you know David, he's writing as a rescue sinner who has been brought out. Brought to the Heavenly Shepherd, into the security and freedom of a sheep hold in love ones I submit to you. That is what Jesus is after here. He's after it in your life and he's after in mind that there is death, and he wants to take us out from underneath that debt by paying it off that he is the rescuer, the one who is just and justifier that he's the greater Moses, and that he leads us into Exodus. So we are transferred into the kingdom of a light. And that kingdom of light is also a kingdom of lightness in the sense that what was once a burden on our back, like it was for Pilgrim, has now been taken off. And so we are free. In that freedom, in that financial freedom, in that spiritual freedom as it were, to use both of the sides of this metaphor. What we find is our response is appropriately one of worship, that we weep and we cry for who we were, that we rejoice for who God is, and that we come proudly into His kingdom because of what he has done. And this changes us. It messes us up. You know, I think we've said before that. The joy of the Christian life of Christian lives is that the transformation process that God undertakes in each of us is very different, and some honestly are more dramatic than others. But what I think is always dramatic is one, the scripture tells us that it is a miracle. That even one would be saved. So hardhearted are we, and again, so great this debt against us that when God intervenes all get what they deserve. But some get mercy. And if we have been the ones who have received mercy, how joyful ought we to be toward the one who has granted it to us? And so here we have Christ, the the one who delivers, the one who leads out, the one who pays off, the one who pays it all.  [00:34:45] Behold the Cross: What Sin Costs, What Love Pays [00:34:45] Jesse Schwamb: I think what's clear is that the cross gives us this sense when we look upon it of just how deep and dark and heavy sin is, and that there is no easy way out of it. That what we find is that sin constantly wants to drag us down. It constantly wants to take us farther than we wanted to go, and it certainly costs us way more than we were willing to pay. So I think if we come and we behold the wood, if we behold the nails, if we look on this crown pressed into the brow that knew no guilt or disobedience, if we, not in our mind's eye, but by faith, behold, the hands that open, the blind eyes now being opened by iron. If we see the feet. Walked toward the hurting, now fixed in place for the healing of the world. If we look at the thirst of the one who is living water and the hunger of the one who is the bread of life, we ought to see the one who here, even in this passage, is just and justifier, and he invites us to say with him, come witness the death of death in the death of Jesus Christ. That is the glorious mission, right? As as, um, Horatio Spafford said, my sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Oh my soul of ones. This is the beauty of, I think of what Jesus is, is teaching here. It's the lamb. It's the one promise on the mountain provided in place of Isaac. It's the Passover marked with Crimson death passing over doors that were covered. Here's the suffering. Servant despised and rejected a man of sorrows. Who here is one who is truly well acquainted with grief? When we see Jesus lifted up, lifted up on the cross, lifted up between heaven and earth. Here the instrument of exalted torment but also unexpected triumph, the perfect God man, lifted up between earth and heaven, lifted up in shame so that we might be lifted up in grace, lifted up in cursing. We might be lifted up in blessing lifted up in Forsakenness so that we might be lifted up in divine communion with God the father lifted up to be stared at as he presents himself here, so that we could finally see what sin costs and what love pays. That is everything that he's teaching us in this passage, and I hope that you are as encouraged about this as I am because. When I think about the gospel framed in this way with the full severity of its repercussions, thinking about sin as debt objectively as a liability, that must be satisfied. My heart is instantly warmed, and I think the warming of that is not because this manufactured some kind of sentimentality around this, but there is something about this that's so resonant to me that in my professional career, in my business, I'm intimately familiar with, with debt and understanding how to manage it, but also the dangers of it. And what a liability it truly is. And so when I hear that sin not just is like this, but is this way, it makes complete sense to me and I see that this is really the, the true way that we ought to understand, I think the gospel message.  [00:38:18] Key Takeaways: Debt, Currency, and Canceling the Ledger [00:38:18] Jesse Schwamb: So here's what we should remember. Debt highlights objective guilt. I think I've said that a bunch of times and I just feel like it's, it bears repeating one last time. Sin is not only damage, it is consequences, but it's also a liability. A creditor doesn't need to be convinced you did harm. The ledger already stands and the ledger against us is not on our side. Loved ones. We are deeply in the red, and it really doesn't matter what the balance is because we just cannot repay. So it's really about our lack of ability, our inability, the no, we have no capability to pay this, and so it doesn't matter. We find ourselves in a place of hopelessness no matter what, and this debt highlights that inability none of these particular borrowers could repay. It's devastating to moral pride. We lean on this in our reform theological perspective. Even our best works can't erase guilt or generate merit sufficient to square the accounts. It's impossible. It's impossible with two ways, and this is some, I think really like the beautiful nuance of what Jesus after here in the one way that we are enabled to do this. Is because we just actually cannot earn enough. So in other words, the debt is too big. So think of the biggest number in your head that you could possibly think of, and that's at least minimally the outstanding debt. But then think about this. You don't even have the right currency. So you might find that you spend your entire lifetime working to the bone. It's like finding out that you have a million dollar loan or lien against you, and you work hard all your life, 50, 60, 70 years. And finally, on your deathbed, you've assembled enough cash with all of your savings to put toward and finally satisfy. So you might die in peace with this $1 million free and clear from your account, and you turn over the money and the creditor says, what is this currency? I won't accept this. I can't accept this. How debilitating. So it's not even the size of the debt. It's also that we don't have, we cannot earn the right currency. Only. God. God. I think this debt also highlights grace as cancellation. Forgiveness is not God pretending the debt doesn't exist. It is God releasing the debtor. This is him in triumph, being the greater Moses who walks us out through the waters outside of the city into the glorious light and the broader New Testament explains how God can do that justly. The charge is dealt with through Christ. You can go check out Colossians two. Read the whole thing of Love it. It's fantastic. I think lastly, this debt explains love, as shall we say, like a downstream effect. People love a little when they imagine that they have little needs and people love much when they were spiritually bankrupt and then freely pardoned freely in that it didn't cost you and I anything, but of course it cost our Lord and Savior everything, and so. In this way, our hopes to frame the fact that our love should be an outpouring of gratitude, uh, for the grace that God has given us through Jesus Christ.  [00:41:28] Putting It Into Practice: Don't Compare Debts, Watch for "Simon Symptoms" [00:41:28] Jesse Schwamb: Here's some things I would say that we should all walk away with to help us then both process what we've talked about here, and also put some of this into action. First thing would be, don't measure your need by comparing debts horizontally. That's a fool's errand, whether 50 or 500. The point is we cannot pay. And this levels the Pharisee and the prostitute alike. That is like Tony talked about elsewhere in the previous Luke 15, where we're talking about the PR prodigal of the father, the prodigal of the two lost sons. How there's like a great insult against the Pharisee there. And here's the insult, it's also a little bit cutting to us, and again, that the Pharisee and the prostitute are alike. Can't repay. It Doesn't matter what debt you think you have in the corporal sense, or again in this horizontal means, but you cannot repay it. And so therefore, guess what? We're all like, we need to let forgiveness lead and we need to let love follow. If you reverse that order like I'll love so I can be forgiven. You crush assurance and you turn the gospel into wages and that's again exactly I think what Jesus is against in this. He's making that very clear. The, the beauty of the gospel is this receiving that Christ has done all these things that we, uh, find ourselves by his arresting, by again, his intervening by his coming forward. He does all this on our behalf. You've heard me say before, I always like take that old phrase, what would Jesus do? That question that was on everybody's bracelets and everybody's minds and what, two decades ago? And turn that answer into what would Jesus do? Everything And it's already done. We need to watch for Simon symptoms. That's my clever way of saying this, like low love, high judgment. A chilly heart toward Christ often signals a warm heart towards self justification. And so we wanna be about the kind of people that are closely king, clinging to Jesus Christ as all of our hope and stay that the strength for today and hope for tomorrow comes from what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf. And therefore, there is a dutiful and meaningful and appropriate response for us. But that response again, is not obedience for merit. It is obedience out of warm heartedness for our savior. And for a sincere repentance because a sincere repentance is not payment. It's agreement with God about the debt. Tears, don't cancel the ledger. Christ does that. Tears are what debtors do when Mercy lands, and I think in some way the challenge here is that have we really meditated on the life of this woman and then more personally on our own experiences on what it means to be saved? Well, I'm not asking you to get yourself worked up into an emotional state, but what I am asking all of us to do is. Have we spent enough time recently meditating on what it means that Christ has set us free, that we are incredible debtors, and that Christ in our own ledger in this way hasn't just wiped out the debt, but he's filled up the account with righteousness. And so we can exchange these horrible soiled garments for garments of praise. Now, have we thought about that recently? The call here is to be reminded. That sincere repentance is an agreement with God about the debt, and in that agreement we're sensing that weight. There should be a response.  [00:44:42] Final Charge + Community & Support (Telegram / Patreon) [00:44:42] Jesse Schwamb: So I leave it to you loved ones, you've heard it here, or at least you've heard me talk for a little while about this parable. And maybe one day, maybe there'll be an episode one day about Tony's perspective on this, which I can't imagine will be too much different. But again, I saw my opportunity, loved ones. I said, oh, I'm gonna sneak in hard on this one because this one is particularly meaningful and special to me, and I hope that even though it involved a little bit of economics and maybe a lot of finance, that it didn't lose its resonance with you. I think this is the great weight of the way in which Jesus teaches that he's not just using practical means. But he's using these things to give greater weight and flesh, as it were, to these concepts of a spiritual nature that sometimes feel ephemeral. Instead, he wants them to sink in heaviness upon us. And I wanna be clear that. This whole parable is both law and gospel. It is the weightiness and the sharp edge knife of the law which cuts against us. And Jesus throwing his weight around literally at this dinner party and in this parable, and you and I should feel that weight. It should knock us around a little bit. And then. And then comes the reminder that there is good news and that good news, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, is that he has made a way that the debt that was incurred against us, that we ourselves added to, that we continue to want to try to borrow against, that Jesus has, in fact paid that debt in full and that he's done so in the currency of his own flesh and blood and his own passive and active obedience so that it may be paid in full. It's true what the hymn says. Jesus paid it all, all to him. I owe. So I hope loved ones that you'll be encouraged with that message that it is both law and gospel, but it ends in this high and elevated state, which is we have been made together alive with Christ for his own sake, for his glory, and for our good. So now that you know that go out into the world and live that way, meditate on that, enjoy that. Talk about it with a family member or a brother and sister, or you can talk about it with us. You didn't think that we'd get this far without me even a plug for telegram, did you? So if you. Haven't listened to us before, or if this is your 480th time, I say welcome and also come hang, hang out with us online. You can do that by going to your browser and putting in there. T me slash reformed brotherhood. T. Dummy slash reformed brotherhood, and that will take you to a little app called Telegram, which is just a messaging app. And we have a closed community in there, which you can preview and then become a part of. And there's lots of lovely brothers, sisters from all over the world interacting, talking about the conversations we're having here, sharing prayer requests, sharing memes, talking about life tasting foods on video. It's really. Absolutely delightful, and I know you want to be a part of it, so come hang out. It's one other thing you can do. If at any point you felt like this podcast, the conversations have been a blessing to you, may I ask a favor, something at least for you to consider, and that is there are all kinds of expenses to make sure that this thing keeps going on. Keeps going strong. And there are brothers and sisters who after they've satisfied their financial obligations, have said, I want to give a little bit to that. So if you've been blessed, I'm what I can I boldly ask that you might consider that it's so many people giving so many tiny little gifts because all of these things compound for God's glory in the kingdom. And if you're interested in giving to us one time or reoccurring, here's a website for you to check out. It's patreon.com. Reform Brotherhood, P-A-T-R-E-O n.com, reform slash reform brotherhood. Go check that out. Alright, that's it. Loved ones, you know what to do. Until next time, honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. 

For nearly 2,000 years of Christian history, this wasn't even a debated question. When the church gathered for worship, the whole family gathered together. But today, many parents wrestle with what Sunday mornings should look like for their children. In this episode of Family Vision, Dr. Rob and Amy Rienow explore what Scripture, church history, and personal experience reveal about children in corporate worship. From Old Testament feasts to New Testament letters addressed directly to children, the biblical pattern consistently points toward multi-generational worship. But this conversation goes deeper than logistics. It's about long-term discipleship, heart connection to the church body, and whether our children truly feel seen, valued, and spiritually formed within the gathered church. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - What the Bible reveals about children participating in corporate worship - Why this question did not exist for most of church history - How separating children from the main service may impact long-term faith - The difference between having kids present and truly valuing them - Practical encouragement for parents navigating Sunday mornings Scriptures Referenced: Exodus 12, Deuteronomy 16, Joshua 8, Joel 2, Ephesians 6:1–3, Colossians 3:20 Resources: Visionary Church – Discover how your church can strengthen families and the next generation. Start reading for free: https://visionaryfam.com/church Not So Perfect Mom – Encouragement for mothers seeking to raise their children with eternal purpose. Start reading for free: https://visionaryfam.com/mom Support the Philippines Mission Trip – Help provide clean water filters and share the Gospel. Donate at: https://visionaryfam.com/hope (Type "Filter" in the notes section) Join the Visionary Family Community – Become part of a global community of families committed to following Jesus: https://visionaryfam.com Upcoming Events – Visionary Family Conferences and Family Camp details: https://visionaryfam.com/events Connect With Us: We would love to hear from you. Send your questions or prayer requests to podcast@visionaryfam.com. Our prayer team would be honored to pray for your family.

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.We are at the half-way point of our Acts of Courageous Homemaking series today. We've discussed how God's sovereignty is the foundation for our courage. We looked at the importance of being informed and how to find trustworthy sources.And last week we talked about keeping the home fires burning; that is homemaking as an act of resistance and defiance of the enemy in a spiritual war zone. Today I'm going to talk about the impact we have as homemakers not just in our homes but on the culture as a whole. While the modern day Babylon we inhabit may cause us to want to hide away, we still have a call as Christians to stay salty and be lit.NOTES & RESOURCESMore in this SeriesMM #46 Acts of Courageous Homemaking | Our FoundationMM #47 Acts of Courageous Homemaking #1 | Be InformedMM #48 Acts of Courageous Homemaking #2 | Keep the Home Fires BurningOriginal Article with FootnotesScripture Referenced in Episode Daniel 1-6Jeremiah 28-29Jeremiah 29:4-7 (Settle Down in Babylon)Jeremiah 29:11 (God's plans for you)Matthew 5:1-6 (salt, light, lamp stands and hill tops)Philippians 4:8, Ephesians 2:12, Colossians 4:6 (how to be salty and stay lit)Support the showHOMEMAKING RESOURCES Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum Newsletter Archive JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide SUPPORT & CONNECT Review | Love The Podcast Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email Follow | Follow The Podcast Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

Every family will face moments of chaos. The question is what do you do when your circle is invaded?In this message, Pastor Luke DiBenedetto shares three biblical principles for restoring peace, connection, and order in your home: the Principle of Presence, the Principle of Conversation, and the Principle of Connection.If your marriage feels distant, your home feels tense, or silence has replaced connection, this message offers practical, biblical wisdom for fighting for what matters most.If this message encouraged you, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs hope for their home. Let us know in the comments how we can pray for you.Scripture: Genesis 1:1–5, Genesis 2:7–8, Proverbs 6:31, Proverbs 18:21, Ephesians 6:12, Matthew 5:9, Job 14

I want to share five lessons for living from Proverbs chapter three. This chapter gives us five important principles that will benefit you greatly if you intentionally apply them to your life, and each principle has a corresponding benefit. Today let's look at the first one, which we find in verses 1 and 2: My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity (Proverbs 3:1-2). First, Solomon says: “do not forget.” Are you prone to forget what you should remember? Learning happens because of repetition—that's how our brains work. So, if you want to remember what you should remember—specifically, remember God's principles—then you need to repeat them, reread them, memorize them, reinforce them in your mind frequently. That's why reading your Bible systematically and daily will create pathways in your brain to help you to remember God's truth. This principle for living goes on to say “keep my commands in your heart.” Again, we see the importance of repetition—keeping God's principles stored in your heart. That's why memorizing Scripture is so important to your spiritual progress. For example, I memorized Ephesians 4:29 years ago, which says: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. I recognized I needed control of my tongue, and after memorizing that verse, the Holy Spirit would bring it to my mind very often and stop me from saying something I shouldn't say or didn't need to be said. Because I keep that command in my heart, it helps to control my words. The benefits of keeping God's Word in your heart are long life, peace, and prosperity. Keeping in mind proverbs are principles, not promises, by living in obedience to God's Word and his principles, your life is going to be much fuller and far more peaceful, and your soul will prosper. That's a pretty good deal, if you ask me.

This week, we are continuing our series 'The Art of Relationships' by taking a look at marriage. As we look at Ephesians 5:22-33 together, we will see that God has designed marriage and given us instructions for loving each other well as husbands and wives. However, if you have been married longer than 30 seconds (enough time to have your first kiss and walk down the aisle), then you know that trying to implement those instructions is where things can get… well, complicated. This episode, Erich Erdman will look at God's design and directions for marriage, and how His glory is displayed when husband and wife love each other well.WebsiteFacebookInstagramSunday SetlistSunnybrook App (ios)Sunnybrook App (Google)Connect with us!How can we pray for you? Let us know.Giving

I Love You, But I Don't Get You Part #1 of Series: I Love You, But I Don't Get You (Understanding The People We Love) February 14 - 15, 2026 - Pastor Kerry Shook WISDOM UNDERSTANDING The difference between assuming and asking The difference between hearing and listening KNOWLEDGE Hebrew word for knowledge – Da'at: Unlike head knowledge, it's application knowledge. Questions to ask What was your high, low? What are your needs? How can I meet your needs better? What makes you feel treasured? What makes you feel valued? How can I lighten your load? How are we doing lately? What worries you the most? How can I pray for you today? Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:7, Ephesians 3:20, 1 Peter 5:6, John 20:25, Psalms 10:1, Psalm 10:17-18, Mark 9:24, Luke 7:31-32, 2 Timothy 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 6:7, Colossians 2:13-14 Topics: Love, Peace, Understanding

Today is day 47 and we are on the section on the First Article of the Apostles' Creed on God the Father Almighty. Today we are on the third line: “Creator of Heaven and Earth” and studying question 47. 47. What are the consequences of sin? Because of sin, those apart from Christ are spiritually dead, separated from God, under his righteous condemnation, and without hope. (Genesis 3:16–19; Psalm 90:3–12; Isaiah 53:6; John 3:36; Romans 6:20–23; Galatians 5:19–21; Ephesians 2:1–3) We will conclude today with Proper 14 found on page 618 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Star Trek Academy x Romans 8:29-30 x Ephesians 1:4-6 x 1 Timothy 2:3-4 x 2 Peter 3:9 x John 3:16 x Mark 8:34Your daily crossover of faith and fandom! Experience daily Biblical encouragement from nerdy Christian podcasters, bloggers, and content creators. Join the Nerd of Godcast community at www.NOGSquad.com

#growth #healthybelievers #spiritualmaturity Healthy believers grow in three ways, they grow together in unity keeping us connected to Jesus. They grow up in maturity keeping us reliant on Jesus, and they grow deeper in their spiritual lives making us more like Jesus. We hope you enjoy this message by Pastor Andre Sushchik, on maturing in the faith. Ephesians 4:12-13, Hebrews 10:25, Matthew 20:28, 1 Corinthians 3:2 Don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE for more biblical teachings!   Please follow our websites for more! Website: http://www.newlifechurchsf.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewLifeSF/ Youtube: https://youtu.be/7Ig-qXgVAmE/ Pastor Alex Klimchuk New Life Church 500 S 1st Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57104

What does it look like to parent with the gospel at the center? Stu Quackenbush opens Ephesians 6 and invites us to see parenting not as a pursuit of perfection, but as a daily opportunity to reflect the grace, truth, and hope of Jesus in our homes. As the gospel shapes our hearts first, it changes how we lead, love, and disciple the next generation.

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners  Jesus's letter to the church at Pergamum reminding them to repent of what they were doing and allowing.  Scripture References: Psalm 119:160; John 17:17; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 10:17;  Romans 2:16; Revelation 1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Revelation 2:12-17; Ephesians 2:8-9; Luke 9:23 Scripture translation used is the NASB “Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1971, 1995, 2020 (only use the last year corresponding to the edition quoted) by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org”CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S NEW PODCAST- The First Love ProjectHere is the video introducing the podcast on You Tube-https://youtu.be/PhFY1moDDmsHERE IS A LINK TO THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR FIRST LOVE PROJECThttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdaujk1npuKR0BLSkTlKyxmuxavrZQHM6&si=dC10K4Qdh0xMKElU FIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishaffer DAILY MUSICAL DEVOTIONAL BY THE WORSHIP INITIATIVE:Text SING to 79316CHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z  BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show

Prayer Moment 3 of 4 in FebruaryPrayer for Unity1. Unity Across Backgrounds: Pray that Buddhist background believers will be one as God the Father and Son are One (John 17:21).2. Unity in Engagement: Pray for believers to have unity in their interactions with Buddhists, despite differences they may have (Ephesians 4:2). 3. Unity in Mutual Support: Pray that believers will bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2).

The Bible gives us a standard by which we may discern truth from falsehood, especially when someone proclaims themselves to be a prophet (Deuteronomy 13; 18; Matthew 24:24; 1 John 4:1; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6). Watchman Fellowship has published free articles on our blog related to this topic. Visit and subscribe to our new blog today! Be sure to check out these articles. Testing Joseph SmithDiscerning False ChristsThis week and next on Apologetics Profile, we were privileged once again to have been able to interview former Latter-day Saint and the great, great granddaughter of Brigham Young, Sandra Tanner in Utah this past fall. Sandra shares her wisdom and experience from her decades-long research of the LDS Church. Her insights will help equip you to be better prepared to engage your Mormon friends, neighbors or missionaries who come to your door. If you are enjoying Apologetics Profile, be sure to leave us a nice review on your favorite podcast platform! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This week Pastor Michael continues our series teaching on being Marked by Childlikeness.  Ephesians 5:1-2, Romans 12:1-2.

Tired of the Valentine's Day script that swings between pressure and apathy? We take a deeper path, rooting marriage in the wide, long, high, and deep love described in Ephesians 3—and showing how that truth can turn a single holiday into a daily habit of generosity. Through honest stories of winter weariness and unmet expectations, we uncover how remembering God's faithfulness shifts love from performance to overflow, and how grace breaks perfectionism's grip so you can act with courage, even on hard days.We walk through Romans 5 to rediscover what it means to be loved when least deserving and how that transforms the way we treat our spouse when they are least deserving too. Then we bring theology to the kitchen table: practical, specific ways to study your spouse, create meaningful time, offer reassurance, rekindle physical affection, and plan thoughtful moments that reflect their unique needs. We also lean into spiritual intimacy—simple rhythms of prayer, Scripture, and community that strengthen connection and build hope that doesn't disappoint.Expect a clear mindset shift: love is gift, not transaction. Anchored in Galatians 2:20 and Luke 6:38, we explore why giving often leads to deeper joy and how God equips you right now with everything needed to love generously. If you're ready to trade the card aisle for a life of intentional care, this conversation will help you start today. Subscribe, share with a couple who needs encouragement, and leave a review with one practical step you'll try this week—we'd love to hear what changes first.Support the showFor episode transcripts, click HERE.For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FBApple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.

Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This study series is based on the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. In this teaching, Rabbi Berkson clarifies a couple of things, including the authority given to the husband in Scripture. It seems that some people misinterpreted what Rabbi said in the last teaching, to the point that it could be very troublesome in some marriages. So Rabbi Steve takes the opportunity to give some “Covenant-Live Coaching” for married couples, those looking to be married soon, and those who should not be in an intimate relationship yet, including teenagers. Then, moving into Ephesians chapter 6, Rabbi Berkson addresses the children and “servants”. Which commandment is for the children, and which is the only one with a promise? Could this commandment have a deeper, more far-reaching interpretation? Paul wrote to the fathers not to “provoke” their children…what does this mean? Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages so that you will have a deeper understanding of what Yah expects of you, so that you can do it and receive the blessings. https://mtoi.org The MTOI App https://mtoi.org/download-the-mtoi-app https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide admin@mtoi.org (423) 250-3020 Join us LIVE (all times Eastern): Torah Study, Fridays 7:30 pm Shabbat Service, Saturdays 1:15 pm Streaming available on YouTube, Rumble, MTOI App, and mtoi.org

Ephesians 5:19

Ephesians 5:18  

This week, we dig into Pastor Josh's sermon on Ecclesiastes 7, where Solomon lays out a surprising curriculum for learning wisdom — and the classroom isn't where you'd expect. We talk about why Solomon says dying, mourning, crying, and rebuke are better teachers than their opposites, and what that means for people who are wired to chase the good vibes and avoid the hard stuff.   From there, we unpack Solomon's warning about anger and nostalgia — two things we don't usually put together but that are referred to as the fuel of a fool's fire. We explore how both are really attempts to control a life that isn't ours to control, and why our smoky existence often has more to do with how we respond to the world than what the world does to us.   We spend time on one of the sermon's most challenging ideas: that God entrusts us with hard days just like He entrusts us with good ones, and what it actually looks like to trust His sovereignty when you can't understand it. That leads us into the passage's most surprising warning — "be not overly righteous" — and an honest conversation about the checklist trap, where good spiritual habits become tools for trying to earn God's favor instead of resting in it.   We close with the New Testament connection from Ephesians 5, and what it means to live from love rather than for love — that obedience flows from being loved by God, not from trying to get Him to love us more.

Hi, friend! Thanks for joining me today on the podcast. The world invites us to work hard, achieve, and prove our worth – society kind of demands we do. The problem is, no one can tell us how much is enough. How many accomplishments or good deeds does it take to offset our blunders and bad days? We'll find the answer in Ephesians 2:8: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

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Ephesians 2: From Death to Life — Remember Your Before Story (But God) In this message from Ephesians 2:1–3, the speaker urges the audience to open the Bible text and confront the reality of their “before story” apart from Jesus: being spiritually dead because of disobedience and sin. Using conversations with addiction recovery ministry leaders, he explains how recovery communities don't debate the seriousness of their past, while many Christians tend to edit their own stories, compare themselves to others, and place people in buckets. He connects Paul's words to the context of Ephesus in Acts 19, where believers turned from sorcery and idol worship, then emphasizes Paul's leveling statement, “all of us,” showing everyone shared the same condition outside of God. The sermon warns that forgetting why Jesus was needed leads to lost urgency and diminished evangelism. It highlights the turning point in the passage—“but God”—and the role of grace: salvation as God's gift, not earned by good works, described as both pardon from sin and power to obey. The message closes with two reflection questions—where listeners are still trying to earn what God has already given and where they are editing their story—and an invitation to changed life through Jesus, followed by prayer. 00:00 Wake Up, Journey: Phones Out & Open to Ephesians 2 01:02 A Recovery Ministry Story: No One Argues They Were ‘Dead' 03:19 Stop Editing Your Before Story: We're All in the Same Bucket 05:00 Read Ephesians 2:1–3 — ‘Once You Were Dead' 06:53 What ‘Dead' Really Means: More Than Physical or Eternal 11:15 Ephesus Context: Sorcery, Artemis, and the Power of Darkness 14:14 The Recovery Relapse Spiral: Layers of Death Unpacked 17:36 ‘All of Us' — The Level Ground & Why Forgetting Is Dangerous 20:48 The Turning Point: ‘But God' Mercy, Grace, and New Life 23:20 Grace Explained: Gift, Not Reward — Pardon & Power to Obey 25:54 Two Gut-Check Questions: Earning vs. Editing Your Story 29:13 Invitation to Jesus & Closing Prayer

Send a textPaul, continuing his letter to the churches in Galatia, now asks the believers "who hindered you from obeying the truth?"  Like the Galatians who were being deceived by false teaching bringing people under a religious legal system that was totally unnecessary, we too can fall victim to religious systems, traditions, dogmatic teachings and hinder our freedom in Jesus.  This brings us back into bondage of the world and the master of the world - Satan.  Paul clarifies certain behavior, like he did in his letter to the Ephesians and the first letter to the Corinthian believers, that is a disqualifier from the kingdom of God if we do not surrender that behavior to Jesus.  This is helpful in our lives to know what is expected of us but at the same time challenges our faith.  Do we really surrender all to Jesus?     

Ephesians 6:16

In this episode, we cover:The Joshua Generation Review: Reaffirming Line of Judah's apostolic mantle and the call to inner consecration.The "Hypocrite" Trap: Analyzing Matthew 6 to understand how pride can hijack our spiritual growth and negate our reward.The Secret Place: Practical advice on finding a "nook" to meet with God, whether you live alone or with four roommates.The Ephesians 6:18 Primer: A deep dive into praying in the Spirit, on all occasions, with all kinds of requests.Fasting as a Supercharger: Why fasting is more than just "not eating"—it is a long, uninterrupted prayer that brings hidden bondages to the surface.Key Moments:[00:00] Prophetic Declaration: Consecrating ourselves for the "amazing things" of tomorrow.[14:15] Warning: Danger! The wrong way to pray and fast.[28:30] Our Exceedingly Great Reward: Why the prize of following Jesus is simply Jesus himself.[45:10] The 5 Types of Prayer: Confession, Thanksgiving, Praise, Silence, and Requests.[01:05:00] Fasting 101: Understanding fasting as a channel of spiritual power and a breaker of bondages.Key Scriptures:Joshua 3:5: "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."Matthew 6:5-18: Jesus' instructions on prayer and fasting in secret.Ephesians 6:18: "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."Isaiah 58:6: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice..."Website: http://LeondeJuda.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cljofficial/#Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/congregacionleondejuda YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeondeJudaBoston

The kings of Judah were part of the genealogical line that ultimately led to Jesus the Messiah. Knowing that the promised Messiah would destroy him, the devil repeatedly sought to corrupt or eliminate that line. The lives of Uzziah and his forefathers show a consistent pattern: when they stood with God, blessing and prosperity followed; but when they turned away and embraced pagan worship, God's favor departed and calamity came upon them. Romans 15:4 …perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 2 Chronicles 26:1 Uzziah was 16 when he began to reign as King. 2 Chronicles 25:1-14, 27 Amaziah, his father, started good, turned to idolatry, then was assassinated. 2 Chronicles 24:2, 18, 25 Joash, his grandfather, started good, turned to idolatry, then was assassinated. 2 Chronicles 22:10 Athaliah, his great grandmother, killed all the royal family. She too was assassinated. Athaliah's mother was Jezebel. 2 Chronicles 26:3 Uzziah, also known as Azariah, began his reign at 16 and reigned for 52 years. 1. Jehoram was king of Judah and married Athaliah. 2. Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram and Athaliah, and he reigned one year. 3. Athaliah seized the throne and ruled as queen for about six years. 4. Joash was hidden and restored to the throne by the priests. 5. Amaziah then succeeded Joash as king. 6. Uzziah (Azariah) was the son of Amaziah and took the throne after him. These people are part of the genealogical line of Jesus! Why such turmoil? Genesis 3:15; 22:18; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Corinthians 2:8 2 Chronicles 26:3-23 pride was his demise, not idolatry but like his forefathers he did not persevere. 1 Corinthians 15:58; Ephesians 6:13-14; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-12 Romans 15:4 …perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Rev. Vince uses the Bible version NASB-95The post Forgotten Kings: Uzziah first appeared on Living Hope.

Send a textThis episode is the first in our series on the book of Colossians. IN this episode, Pastor Dom teaches us about Pauls conversion and entrance into the faith.Colossians 4:33“…for which I am in prison.”Colossians 4:18“Remember my chains.”Colossians 1:1-121 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.Acts 9:1-61 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”Ephesians 2:8-98 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.Psalm 119:105105 Your word is a lamp to my feetAnd a light to my path.Colossians 3:1515 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.Philippians 4:6-76 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:20-24

What if the “battle” you're facing isn't against the people you think it is?In this final message of our If/Then series through Ephesians, we unpack Paul's famous “armour of God” passage — and discover it's far less about spiritual aggression and far more about communal resilience, subversive grace, and the way of peace.If Christ reigns… then how should we live?Together we explore:Why unity is central to the Christian lifeHow Jesus redefines victory and powerWhat Paul really means by “our struggle is not against flesh and blood”Why the armour of God is about peace, not culture warsHow community protects us from both chaos and deceptionThis isn't a call to weaponize your faith.It's an invitation to reimagine strength, rethink your enemies, and rediscover the kind of victory that looks like love.Because if Jesus wins through self-giving grace…then everything changes.—

Our culture prizes the individual, from "personal brands" to hyper-customized lattes. But does this focus cause us to miss the bigger picture? Join us for a new series in Ephesians as we rethink identity, purpose, and ethics through the lens of community. It's time to see yourself—and the church—in a whole new light.   First time listening to our podcast? We'd like to get to know you!  Head over to: http://bit.ly/connectcardccc. Connect with us! Do you have any prayer request? Send us a message.  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capecodchurch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capecodchurch/  Website: http://capecodchurch.com Connect Card: https://bit.ly/connectcardccc

The Discipline of the Lord (Hebrews 12:5-11) For Believers, discipline is NOT PUNITIVE but redemptive (corrective, protective) Motive: God's Love: Hebrews 12:6; 1 John 2:2 The discipline of the Lord (correction) can “feel like” punishment. (Hebrews 12:11) (Remember and Trust God's motives. This will be tested! Hebrews 12:5b: rebuke: address inappropriate actions, words, attitudes. Blessings of God's Correction: Hebrews 12:7-11 Love, honor, treasures His child Preserved life (Hebrews 12:9) Partakers of benefits of holiness (1 Timothy 4:8; 1 Timothy 6:6) Holiness: set apart to the Lord and separated from the evil one; the flesh, the world's values, and ways of thinking, speaking, choosing The Holy Spirit is the Agent of conviction of our sin: (John 16:8,9) Our sin's root is our unbelief: i.e: fear (2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:16-18) Anxiety: (Philippians 4:4-7) The heart of God is that our discipline, correction is centered in our internal direction and correction! (The heart is “control center” of our lives!) [Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:18, 19] “Godly Sorrow”: true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11) [Recognize how our choices affect the offended and turn away!] If we won't listen and take corrective action internally, God may allow/direct correction from the “outside”. Hindrance from the enemy: if we engage in viewing, thinking, acting in line with the devil's territory, he will start operating in our space. (Spiritually illegal but given access by our cooperation or negligence) (Ephesians 4:27) This interference from the enemy can take various forms, i.e. physical, mental/emotional, relational, financial, etc. (1 Thessalonians 2:18; James 5:15) (Just because we are attacked by the enemy doesn't necessarily mean we are “out of order” in our relationship, fellowship with the Lord!) ASK THE LORD WHERE THE ISSUE IS! The Relationship Between Correction/Discipline and the spiritual law of Sowing and Reaping (Galatians 6:7-9) God's Grace to intervene (bring out) and to sustain (bring through) won't allow us to sink or skip the process! Withdrawn intimacy, distance; turbulence in relationships, resources, etc. Corrective words and action from others (2 Timothy 4:2) Correction from authority: Spiritual Leadership Home: leadership team – position of loving leadership, protection, “line drawing” (Ephesians 5:6) Church: Shepherds (servant leaders, feeders, protectors, overseers) (2 Timothy 4:2, John 10 – His voice by His word) Workplace order: (Ephesians 6:5-8) Legal Authority: (Romans 13:1-5) REMEMBER: His correction is from a heart of Perfect Love, for our benefit! (Hebrews 12:6, 10) ✸FAITH is in my spirit. It doesn't come from my mind. Faith in my spirit requires exercise to grow! (Mathew 17:20; Luke 17:5,6)

The letter to the Ephesians offers a sweeping vision of God's plan for the world—revealing Jesus, redefining humanity, and forming an “impossible” community rooted and established in love. In Ephesians 3:16–19, Paul prays that believers would grasp the depth of Christ's love, because history moves forward not by violent revolution or slow evolution alone, but through a new Spirit-formed people who embody the primacy of love and display God's wisdom to the world.

Ephesians 6:17“And take the helmet ofsalvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Todaywe're continuing in one of the most important passages in the New Testament forvictorious daily Christian living. That's Ephesians chapter 6:10-17. Thepassage that's on the whole armor of God. Today we come to a piece of theequipment that is absolutely essential if we're going to stand in victoryagainst the devil. Ephesians6:17 says, "And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of thespirit, which is the word of God." Now, up to this point, my friend,Paul has been describing the armor that's mainly defensive, the belt of truth,the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shieldof faith, and the helmet of salvation. All of those protect us. But now inverse 17, Paul gives us one piece of the equipment that's not just defensive.This one is offensive. It is the sword of the spirit. Paul tells us plainlywhat it is. It is the Word of God. Iwant you to notice something. Paul does not say that the sword is youremotions. He does not say the sword is your personality. He does not say thatthe sword is your experiences from the past. He does not say that the sword isyour opinion. He says the sword is the Word of God. If you and I are going tostand up against Satan and all his strategies, then we must learn to take upthe sword and know how to use it. I'vegot to remind you that the Christian life is a real battle. In Ephesians 6:10,remember Paul had said, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lordand in the power of His might." Then in verse 11, he says, "Puton the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles ofthe devil." The Christian life is not a playground. It is abattlefield. We're not fighting people. Remember in verse 12, Paul said, "Forwe do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, againstpowers, against the rulers of the darkness in this world, against spiritualwickedness in high places." We're dealing with a real enemy, aspiritual enemy, an intelligent enemy, a deceptive enemy. Then again in verse13, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you might be ableto withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Paul says thegoal is not merely to survive, but the goal is to stand. Thenwhen we come to verse 17 where we're looking at today, Paul says, "Andtake the sword of the spirit." Now the sword was a very powerfulwonderful piece of equipment for the Roman soldier's close combat weapon. Severalcommentators, with an understanding the original Greek language, point out thatthe sword that Paul is describing is the Roman “machaira”. It's a short sword,sometimes about six to eighteen inches long. It wasn't one of those long swords,that most of us have imagined as we have read this passage of scripture, forswinging wildly. No, it was a sword used in hand-to-hand combat, up close,personal, precise. Thisis very important to know and understand because Satan does not usually attackus from afar. He attacks us up close in your thoughts, in your fears, in yourtemptations, in your doubts, in your discouragements, in your private moments.That's why we don't need a vague knowledge of the scripture and the Bible. Weneed specific scriptures ready, sharp, and available. And we also need tonotice that it is “the sword of the Spirit”.  If are going to us this weapon effectively andefficiently, we must understand the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit thathas given us this piece of equipment. We will be looking at that tomorrow. Today,make sure you are putting on the “whole armor of God” and be ready to face allthe challenges of life that come at you! Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Ephesians 5:22-6:9 - A Godly Family by Calvary Chapel Irmo