Podcasts about faith in jesus

Father speaks to our hearts today to encourage our faith in Jesus.

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we are celebrating with you!Click below to fill in your information so we can connect with you!New to Church: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631827I've Decided to Follow Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631829Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHNDPb5XMkf1LyqoTU30vg Help Support and Grow our Ministry to reach people around our community and spread the love of Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/giving Stay connected with us through our:Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tvInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at:Rutherford Location- The Williams Center9AM, 11AM, 1PM 15 Sylvan St, Rutherford NJLyndhurst Location- 10AM, 12PM525 Riverside Ave, Lyndhurst NJ

Discover the profound journey of a man born blind who receives not only physical sight but also spiritual vision through an encounter with Jesus, challenging the misconceptions of the religious leaders.In this episode, Jesus heals a man born blind, revealing the power of faith and the transformation that comes from divine intervention. As the man gains his sight, he faces skepticism and hostility from the religious leaders, but ultimately finds true vision and faith in Jesus.Today's Bible verse is John 9:25, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we are celebrating with you!Click below to fill in your information so we can connect with you!New to Church: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631827I've Decided to Follow Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631829Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHNDPb5XMkf1LyqoTU30vg Help Support and Grow our Ministry to reach people around our community and spread the love of Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/giving Stay connected with us through our:Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tvInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at:Rutherford Location- The Williams Center9AM, 11AM, 1PM 15 Sylvan St, Rutherford NJLyndhurst Location- 10AM, 12PM525 Riverside Ave, Lyndhurst NJ

In this special celebratory episode, we honor an incredible story of hope, and the power of second chances. Join me as I sit down with my friend, Sean Johnson, who was unexpectedly released from prison this week, 40 years earlier than his original sentence.Shawn shares his heart —from the moment he received the life-changing news to how he's adjusting to newfound freedom, and the true power of putting your faith in Jesus. Plus, we want to hear what his first meal was when he got out.We also honor New Jerseys Governor Phil Murphy and the trailblazing work he is doing with incarceration reform. This is a must listen episode..Follow Nina Here: https://www.instagram.com/ninapalmertexas/Checkout the new Hopecast website:https://thehopecastnetwork.com/Buy Merch here:https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-hopecast-network-swag/This show is brought to you by The Hopecast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/hopecastnetwork/

Once upon a time there was a queen named Esther. Being a queen sounds great, but sometimes it can be dangerous! What would you do if you found out someone was planning to do something bad? Listen to hear what Esther did!EstherHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson about Esther with your child after they've watched the video service!Who was today's Bible story about?Esther. God made Esther and she loved God.What did Esther wear on her head?A crown! The crown showed everyone that Esther was a queen.One day, she heard someone was going to do something bad. Uh oh! Did Esther stop the bad thing from happening?Yes! She stopped the bad plan. Shake your head “no” because the plan was not good.Esther had to do something brave and tell the king to stop the bad plan. Can you be brave, too?Yes! God helps us be brave. Show me your strong arms because God made us to do good and brave things.Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage your toddler to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:God, thank you for loving us and wanting to be our friend. Thank you for making us. Help us do good things and be brave like Esther! We love you! Amen.Parent Encouragement - EstherHey parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!DownloadToddler Craft – Esther Character StickIn this craft, your toddler will create their own Esther Character Stick to remind them of the main character from the Bible story. God made Esther, and God made them!DownloadToddler Activity – Talk Like EstherIn this activity, your toddler will bring the craft they made to life. They will practice saying and doing things with their Esther Character Stick to remember this Bible story about Esther.DownloadToddler Coloring Page - EstherWe have a variety of coloring pages to help your child remember familiar faces from this month's lesson!DownloadNavigating Parenthood - EstherHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about how to foster healthy obedience in our children that comes from a place of love and respect rather than rules they follow out of obligationDownloadAt Saddleback Kids we believe every kid should be known, connected, equipped and empowered. KNOWN by another kid and a leader. CONNECTED to a group where they can grow spiritually. EQUIPPED with the tools and the knowledge to develop a strong faith in Jesus. EMPOWERED to serve others and share Jesus in the world.To sum it up, Saddleback Kids exists to connect kids to God and others while helping them live a purpose driven life.

Join us to witness the miraculous healing of ten lepers by Jesus and the profound lesson on faith and gratitude taught through the actions of a grateful Samaritan.In this episode, Jesus heals ten lepers, showcasing the power of faith and gratitude. As the lepers are miraculously cleansed, only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks, highlighting the transformative power of gratitude and faith in Jesus.Today's Bible verse is Luke 17:19, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is our prayer that today's word would encourage and challenge to walk out your faith in Jesus, shine brightly in darkness and experience Kingdom impact in all you do! Stay connected with Belmont Church on our Facebook page, website or on the Church Center App.

After the flood, God made a covenant with humankind. In Genesis 17, He renewed that covenant with Abraham. But what does that mean for us thousands of years later? Join John Bradshaw for “The New Covenant,” and learn about the saving relationship God offers His children under the new covenant and how we can experience transformation through faith in Jesus.

After the flood, God made a covenant with humankind. In Genesis 17, He renewed that covenant with Abraham. But what does that mean for us thousands of years later? Join John Bradshaw for “The New Covenant,” and learn about the saving relationship God offers His children under the new covenant and how we can experience transformation through faith in Jesus.

Today on The Shawn Bolz Show: We're taking a prophetic and practical look at two major stories shaping the culture right now. First, we break down President Trump's newly announced immigration policies and his move to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization — and what these decisions could mean for everyday Americans. Then we shift gears with a surprising, light-hearted deep dive into the transformation of UFC legend Conor McGregor. Once known for his crass, anti-religious persona, he's now openly professing faith in Jesus — and his journey may be one of the most unexpected redemption stories of the year. Join us as we explore where politics, culture, and faith collide, and what God may be highlighting through it all. Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/7E9jAeeRAc0 Come join me on my Social Media:  Facebook: Shawnbolz Twitter: ShawnBolz Instagram: ShawnBolz TikTok: ShawnBolz YouTube: ShawnBolzofficial Find me on TV: TBN: https://www.tbn.org/people/shawn-bolz Watch my series on the names of God: Discovering God series: https://bit.ly/3erdrJ9 Watch my series on hearing God's voice: Translating God series: https://bit.ly/3xbcSd5 Watch my weekly series/Vodcast on CBN News Network: Exploring the Marketplace https://bit.ly/3B81e41 Join me for my podcasts on Charisma Podcast Network: News Commentary: Prophetic Perspectives:  https://bit.ly/3L9b5ej Exploring the Marketplace: https://bit.ly/3QyHoo5 Exploring the Prophetic:  https://bit.ly/3QyHoo5 Take a class or attend an event at our Spiritual Growth Academy: Our 4 week classes and monthly events are designed to do the heavy lifting in your spiritual growth journey. Learn how to hear from God, stay spiritually healthy, and impact the world around you: https://bit.ly/3B2luDR Take a read:  Translating God - Hearing God's voice for yourself and the world around you https://bit.ly/3RU2X3F Encounter - A spiritual encounter that will shape your faith https://bit.ly/3tNAW4Y Through the Eyes of Love - http://bit.ly/2pitHTb Wired to Hear - Hearing God's voice for your place of career and influence https://bit.ly/3kLsMn9 Growing Up With God - Chapter book and kids curriculum https://bit.ly/3eDRF5a Keys to Heaven's Economy - Understanding the resources for your destiny: https://bit.ly/3TZAc7u Read my articles: At CBN News : https://bit.ly/3BtwSdp At Charisma News : https://bit.ly/3RxPJtz Email My Assistant: events@bolzministries.com Our resources: resources@bolzministries.com Our office: info@bolzministries.com

What is the unpardonable sin? In episode two of "The Holy Spirit," Duane Sheriff teaches the three major functions Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would fulfill when He came. According to John 16, the Holy Spirit is our helper sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This conviction of sin isn't about individual transgressions, but rather the sin of unbelief in Christ. The Holy Spirit reveals our righteousness through faith in Jesus' resurrection, freeing us from the burden of earning our salvation. Finally, the Holy Spirit convicts of judgment, revealing that the devil has been defeated and judged.Click for FREE offer ➡️https://pastorduane.com/landing/the-holy-spirit/

Join Kelly as he visits with Gaby Reid, wife of Torchbearers General Director Peter Reid. Gaby shares how she came to faith in Jesus, how the Lord carried her through the loss of her first husband, what it looked like to trust the Lord as a single mom, and how the Lord ultimately brought her and Peter together. She also explains what it's like to minister alongside her husband today.www.instagram.com/thehishillpodcast/www.hishill.orgkelly@hishill.org

Danielle (00:02):Hey, Jenny, you and I usually hop on here and you're like, what's happening today? Is there a guest today? Isn't that what you told me at the beginning?And then I sent you this Instagram reel that was talking about, I feel like I've had this, my own therapeutic journey of landing with someone that was very unhelpful, going to someone that I thought was more helpful. And then coming out of that and doing some somatic work and different kind of therapeutic tools, but all in the effort for me at least, it's been like, I want to feel better. I want my body to have less pain. I want to have less PTSD. I want to have a richer life, stay present with my kids and my family. So those are the places pursuit of healing came from for me. What about you? Why did you enter therapy?Jenny (00:53):I entered therapy because of chronic state of dissociation and not feeling real, coupled with pretty incessant intrusive thoughts, kind of OCD tendencies and just fixating and paranoid about so many things that I knew even before I did therapy. I needed therapy. And I came from a world where therapy wasn't really considered very Christian. It was like, you should just pray and if you pray, God will take it away. So I actually remember I went to the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, partly because I knew it was a requirement to get therapy. And so for the first three years I was like, yeah, yeah, my school requires me to go to therapy. And then even after I graduated, I was like, well, I'm just staying in therapy to talk about what's coming up for my clients. And then it was probably five years, six years into therapy when I was finally like, no, I've gone through some really tough things and I just actually need a space to talk about it and process it. And so trying to develop a healthier relationship with my own body and figuring out how I wanted to move with integrity through the world is a big part of my healing journey.Danielle (02:23):I remember when I went to therapy as a kid and well, it was a psychologist and him just kind of asking really direct questions and because they were so direct and pointed, just me just saying like, nah, never happened, never did that, never felt that way, et cetera, et cetera. So I feel like as I've progressed through life, I've had even a better understanding of what's healing for me, what is love life like my imagination for what things could be. But also I think I was very trusting and taught to trust authority figures, even though at the same time my own trauma kept me very distrusting, if that makes sense. So my first recommendations when I went, I was skeptical, but I was also very hopeful. This is going to help.Jenny (03:13):Yeah, totally. Yep. Yeah. And sometimes it's hard for me to know what is my homeschool brain and what is just my brain, because I always think everyone else knows more than me about pretty much everything. And so then I will do crazy amount of research about something and then Sean will be like, yeah, most people don't even know that much about that subject. And I'm like, dang it, I wasted so much effort again. But I think especially in the therapy world, when I first started therapy, and I've seen different therapists over the years, some better experiences than others, and I think I often had that same dissonance where I was like, I think more than me, but I don't want you to know more than me. And so I would feel like this wrestling of you don't know me actually. And so it created a lot of tension in my earlier days of therapy, I think.Danielle (04:16):Yeah, I didn't know too with my faith background how therapy and my faith or theological beliefs might impact therapy. So along the lines of stereotypes for race or stereotypes for gender or what do you do? I am a spiritual person, so what do I do with the thought of I do believe in angels and spiritual beings and evil and good in the world, and what do I do? How does that mix into therapy? And I grew up evangelical. And so there was always this story, I don't know if you watched Heaven's Gates, Hells Flames at your church Ever? No. But it was this play that they came and they did, and you were supposed to invite your friends. And the story was some people came and at the end of their life, they had this choice to choose Jesus or not. And the story of some people choosing Jesus and making it into heaven and some people not choosing Jesus and being sent to hell, and then there was these pictures of these demons and the devil and stuff. So I had a lot of fear around how evil spirits were even just interacting with us on a daily basis.Jenny (05:35):Yeah, I grew up evangelical, but not in a Pentecostal charismatic world at all. And so in my family, things like spiritual warfare or things like that were not often talked about in my faith tradition in my family. But I grew up in Colorado Springs, and so by the time I was in sixth, seventh grade, maybe seventh or eighth grade, I was spending a lot of time at Ted Haggard's New Life Church, which was this huge mega, very charismatic church. And every year they would do this play called The Thorn, and it would have these terrifying hell scenes. It was very common for people to throw up in the audience. They were so freaked out and they'd have demons repelling down from the ceiling. And so I had a lot of fear earlier than that. I always had a fear of hell. I remember on my probably 10th or 11th birthday, I was at Chuck E Cheese and my birthday Wish was that I could live to be a thousand because I thought then I would be good enough to not go to hell.(06:52):I was always so afraid that I would just make the simplest mistake and then I would end up in hell. And even when I went to bed at night, I would tell my parents goodnight and they'd say, see you tomorrow. And I wouldn't say it because I thought as a 9-year-old, what if I die and I don't see them tomorrow? Then the last thing I said was a lie, and then I'm going to go to hell. And so it was always policing everything I did or said to try to avoid this scary, like a fire that I thought awaited me.Yeah, yeah. I mean, I am currently in New York right now, and I remember seeing nine 11 happen on the news, and it was the same year I had watched Left Behind on that same TV with my family. So as I was watching it, my very first thought was, well, these planes ran into these buildings because the pilots were raptured and I was left behind.Danielle (08:09):And so I know we were like, we get to grad school, you're studying therapy. It's mixed with psychology. I remember some people saying to me, Hey, you're going to lose your faith. And I was like, what does that mean? I'm like 40, do you assume because I learned something about my brain that's going to alter my faith. So even then I felt the flavor of that, but at the time I was with seeing a Christian therapist, a therapist that was a Christian and engaging in therapy through that lens. And I think I was grateful for that at the time, but also there were things that just didn't feel right to me or fell off or racially motivated, and I didn't know what to say because when I brought them into the session, that became part of the work as my resistance or my UNC cooperation in therapy. So that was hard for me. I don't know if you noticed similar things in your own therapy journey.Jenny (09:06):I feel sick as you say, that I can feel my stomach clenching and yeah, I think for there to be a sense of this is how I think, and therefore if you as the client don't agree, that's your resistance(09:27):Is itself whiteness being enacted because it's this, I think about Tema, Koon's, white supremacy, cultural norms, and one of them is objectivity and the belief that there is this one capital T objective truth, and it just so happens that white bodies have it apparently. And so then if you differ with that than there is something you aren't seeing, rather than how do I stay in relation to you knowing that we might see this in a very different way and how do we practice being together or not being together because of how our experiences in our worldviews differ? But I can honor that and honor you as a sovereign being to choose your own journey and your self-actualization on that journey.Danielle(10:22):So what are you saying is that a lot of our therapeutic lens, even though maybe it's not Christian, has been developed in this, I think you used the word before we got on here like dominion or capital T. I do believe there is truth, but almost a truth that overrides any experience you might have. How would you describe that? Yeah. Well,Jenny (10:49):When I think about a specific type of saying that things are demonic or they're spiritual, a lot of that language comes from the very charismatic movement of dominion and it uses a lot of spiritual warfare language to justify dominion. And it's saying there's a stronghold of Buddhism in Thailand and that's why we have to go and bring Jesus. And what that means is bring white capitalistic Jesus. And so I think that that plays out on mass scales. And a big part of dominion is that the idea that there's seven spheres of society, it's like family culture, I don't remember all of them education, and the idea is that Christians should be leaders in each those seven spheres of society. And so a lot of the language in that is that there are demons or demonic strongholds. And a lot of that language I think is also racialized because a lot of it is colorism. We are going into this very dark place and the association with darkness always seems to coincide with melanin, You don't often hear that language as much when you're talking about white communities.Danielle (12:29):Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, it's interesting when you talk about nuts and bolts and you're in therapy, then it becomes almost to me, if a trauma happens to you and let's say then the theory is that alongside of that trauma and evil entity or a spirit comes in and places itself in that weak spot, then it feels like we're placing the victim as sharing the blame for what happened to them or how they're impacted by that trauma. I'm not sure if I'm saying it right, but I dunno, maybe you can say it better. (13:25):Well, I think that it's a way of making even the case of sexual assault, for instance, I've been in scenarios where or heard stories where someone shared a story of sexual assault or sexual violence and then their life has been impacted by that trauma in certain patterned ways and in the patterns of how that's been impacted. The lens that's additionally added to that is saying an evil entity or an evil spirit has taken a stronghold or a footing in their life, or it's related to a generational curse. This happened to your mother or your grandma too. And so therefore to even get free of the trauma that happened to you, you also have to take responsibility for your mom or your grandma or for exiting an evil entity out of your life then to get better. Does that make sense or what are you hearing me say?Jenny (14:27):Well, I think I am hearing it on a few different levels. One, there's not really any justification for that. Even if we were to talk about biblical counseling, there's not a sense of in the Bible, a demon came into you because this thing happened or darkness came into you or whatever problematic language you want to use. Those are actually pretty relatively new constructs and ideas. And it makes me think about how it also feels like whiteness because I think about whiteness as a system that disables agency. And so of course there may be symptoms of trauma that will always be with us. And I really like the framework of thinking of trauma more like diabetes where it's something you learn to moderate, it's something you learn to take care of, but it's probably never going to totally leave you. And I think, sorry, there's loud music playing, but even in that, it's like if I know I have diabetes, I know what I can do. If there's some other entity somewhere in me, whatever that means, that is so disempowering to my own agency and my own choice to be able to say, how do I make meaning out of these symptoms and how do I continue living a meaningful life even if I might have difficulties? It's a very victimizing and victim blaming language is what I'm hearing in that.Danielle (16:15):And it also is this idea that somehow, for instance, I hate the word Christian, but people that have faith in Jesus that somewhere wrapped up in his world and his work and his walk on earth, there's some implication that if you do the right things, your life will be pain-free or you can get to a place where you love your life and the life that you're loving no longer has that same struggle. I find that exactly opposite of what Jesus actually said, but in the moment, of course, when you're engaged in that kind of work, whether it's with a spiritual counselor or another kind of counselor, the idea that you could be pain-free is, I mean, who doesn't want to be? Not a lot of people I know that were just consciously bring it on. I love waking up every day and feeling slightly ungrounded, doesn't everyone, or I like having friends and feeling alone who wakes up and consciously says that, but somehow this idea has gotten mixed in that if we live or make enough money, whether it's inside of therapy or outside of healing, looks like the idea of absence of whether I'm not trying to glorify suffering, but I am saying that to have an ongoing struggle feels very normal and very in step with Jesus rather than out of step.Jenny  (17:53):It makes me think of this term I love, and I can't remember who coined it at the moment, but it's the word, and it's the idea that your health and that could kind of be encompassing a lot of different things, relational health, spiritual health, physical health is co-opted by this neoliberal capitalistic idea that you are just this lone island responsible for your health and that your health isn't impacted by colonialism and white supremacy and capitalism and all of these things that are going to be detrimental to the wellness and health of all the different parts of you. And so I think that that's it or hyper spiritualizing it. Not to say there's not a spiritual component, but to say, yes, I've reduced this down to know that this is a stronghold or a demon. I think it abdicates responsibility for the shared relational field and how am I currently contributing and benefiting from those systems that may be harming you or someone else that I'm in relationship with. And so I think about spiritual warfare. Language often is an abdication for holding the tension of that relational field.Danielle  (19:18):Yeah, that's really powerful. It reminds me of, I often think of this because I grew up in these wild, charismatic religion spaces, but people getting prayed for and then them miraculously being healed. I remember one person being healed from healed from marijuana and alcohol, and as a kid I was like, wow. So they just left the church and this person had gotten up in front of the entire church and confessed their struggle or their addiction that they said it was and confessed it out loud with their family standing by them and then left a stage. And sometime later I ran into one of their kids and they're like, yeah, dad didn't drink any alcohol again, but he still hit my mom. He still yelled at us, but at church it was this huge success. It was like you didn't have any other alcohol, but was such a narrow view of what healing actually is or capacity they missed. The bigger what I feel like is the important stuff, whatever thatBut that's how I think about it. I think I felt in that type of therapy as I've reflected that it was a problem to be fixed. Whatever I had going on was a problem to be fixed, and my lack of progress or maybe persistent pain sometimes became this symbol that I somehow wasn't engaging in the therapeutic process of showing up, or I somehow have bought in and wanted that pain longterm. And so I think as I've reflected on that viewpoint from therapy, I've had to back out even from my own way of working with clients, I think there are times when we do engage in things and we're choosing, but I do think there's a lot of times when we're not, it's just happening.Jenny (21:29):Yeah, I feel like for me, I was trained in a model that was very aggressive therapy. It was like, you got to go after the hardest part in the story. You have to go dig out the trauma. And it was like this very intense way of being with people. And unfortunately, I caused a lot of harm in that world and have had to do repair with folks will probably have to do more repair with folks in the future. And through somatic experiencing training and learning different nervous system modalities, I've come to believe that it's actually about being receptive and really believing that my client's body is the widest person in the room. And so how do I create a container to just be with and listen and observe and trust that whatever shifts need to happen will come from that and not from whatever I'm trying to project or put into the space.Danielle (22:45):I mean, it's such a wild area of work that it feels now in my job, it feels so profoundly dangerous to bring in spirituality in any sense that says there's an unseen stronghold on you that it takes secret knowledge to get rid of a secret prayer or a specific prayer written down in a certain order or a specific group of people to pray for you, or you have to know, I mean, a part of this frame, I heard there's contracts in heaven that have agreed with whatever spirit might be in you, and you have to break those contracts in order for your therapy to keep moving forward. Now, I think that's so wild. How could I ever bring that to a client in a vulnerable?And so it's just like, where are these ideas coming from? I'm going to take a wild hair of a guest to say some white guy, maybe a white lady. It's probably going to be one or the other. And how has their own psychology and theology formed how they think about that? And if they want to make meaning out of that and that is their thing, great. But I think the problem is whenever we create a dogma around something and then go, and then this is a universal truth that is going to apply to my clients, and if it doesn't apply to my clients, then my clients are doing it wrong. I think that's incredibly harmful.Yeah, I know. I think the audacity and the level of privilege it would be to even bring that up with a client and make that assumption that that could be it. I think it'd be another thing if a client comes and says, Hey, I think this is it, then that's something you can talk about. But to bring it up as a possible reason someone is stuck, that there's demonic in their life, I think, well, I have, I've read recently some studies that actually increases suicidality. It increases self-harming behaviors because it's not the evil spirit, but it's that feeling of I'm powerless. Yeah,Jenny (25:30):Yeah. And I ascribed to that in my early years of therapy and in my own experience I had, I had these very intensive prayer sessions when therapy wasn't cutting it, so I needed to somehow have something even more vigorously digging out whatever it was. And it's kind of this weird both, and some of those experiences were actually very healing for me. But I actually think what was more healing was having attuned kind faces and maybe even hands on me sometimes and these very visceral experiences that my body needed, but then it was ascribed to something ethereal rather than how much power is in ritual and coming together and doing something that we can still acknowledge we are creating this,That we get to put on the meaning that we're making. We don't have to. Yeah, I don't know. I think we can do that. And I think there are gentler ways to do that that still center a sense of agency and less of this kind of paternalistic thinking too, which I think is historical through the field of psychology from Freud onwards, it was this idea that I'm the professional and I know what's best for you. And I think that there's been much work and still as much work to do around decolonizing what healing professions look like. And I find myself honestly more and more skeptical of individual work is this not only, and again, it's of this both, and I think it can be very helpful. And if individual work is all that we're ever doing, how are we then disabling ourselves from stepping into more of those places of our own agency and ability?Danielle (27:48):Man, I feel so many conflicts as you talk. I feel that so much of what we need in therapy is what we don't get from community and friendships, and that if we had people, when we have people and if we have people that can just hold our story for bits at a time, I think often that can really be healing or just as healing is meaning with the therapist. I also feel like getting to talk one-on-one with someone is such a relief at times to just be able to spill everything. And as you know, Jenny, we both have partners that can talk a lot, so having someone else that we can just go to also feels good. And then I think the group setting, I love it when I'm in a trusted place like that, however it looks, and because of so many ethics violations like the ones we're talking about, especially in the spiritual realm, that's one reason I've hung onto my license. But at the same time, I also feel like the license is a hindrance at sometimes that it doesn't allow us to do everything that we could do just as how do you frame groups within that? It just gets more complicated. I'm not saying that's wrong, it's just thoughts I have.Jenny (29:12):Totally. Yeah, and I think it's intentionally complicated. I think that's part of the problem I'm thinking about. I just spent a week with a very, very dear 4-year-old in my life, and Amari, my dog was whining, and the 4-year-old asked Is Amari and Amari just wanted to eat whatever we were eating, and she was tied to the couch so she wouldn't eat a cat. And Sean goes, Amari doesn't think she's okay. And the four-year-old goes, well, if Amari doesn't think she's okay, she's not okay. And it was just like this most precious, empathetic response that was so simple. I was like, yeah, if you don't think you're okay, you're not okay. And just her concern was just being with Amari because she didn't feel okay. And I really think that that's what we need, and yet we live in a world that is so disconnected because we're all grinding just to try to get food and healthcare and water and all of the things that have been commodified. It's really hard to take that time to be in those hospitable environments where those more vulnerable parts of us get to show upDanielle (30:34):And it can't be rushed. Even with good friends sometimes you just can't sit down and just talk about the inner things. Sometimes you need all that warmup time of just having fun, remembering what it's like to be in a space with someone. So I think we underestimate how much contact we actually need with people.Yeah. What are your recommendations then for folks? Say someone's coming out of that therapeutic space or they're wondering about it. What do you tell people?Jenny (31:06):Go to dance class.I do. And I went to a dance class last night, last I cried multiple times. And one of the times the teacher was like, this is $25. This is the cheapest therapy you're ever going to have. And it's very true. And I think it is so therapeutic to be in a space where you can move your body in a way that feels safe and good. And I recognize that shared movement spaces may not feel safe for all bodies. And so that's what I would say from my embodied experience, but I also want to hold that dance spaces are not void of whiteness and all of these other things that we're talking about too. And so I would say find what can feel like a safe enough community for you, because I don't think any community is 100% safe,I think we can hopefully find places of shared interest where we get to bring the parts of us that are alive and passionate. And the more we get to share those, then I think like you're saying, we might have enough space that maybe one day in between classes we start talking about something meaningful or things like that. And so I'm a big fan of people trying to figure out what makes them excited to do what activity makes them excited to do, and is there a way you can invite, maybe it's one, maybe it's two, three people into that. It doesn't have to be this giant group, but how can we practice sharing space and moving through the world in a way that we would want to?Danielle (32:55):Yeah, that's good. I like that. I think for me, while I'm not living in a warm place, I mean, it's not as cold as New York probably, but it's not a warm place Washington state. But when I am in a warm place, I like to float in saltwater. I don't like to do cold plunges to cold for me, but I enjoy that when I feel like in warm salt water, I feel suddenly released and so happy. That's one thing for me, but it's not accessible here. So cooking with my kids, and honestly my regular contact with the same core people at my gym at a class most days of the week, I will go and I arrive 20 minutes early and I'll sit there and people are like, what are you doing? If they don't know me, I'm like, I'm warming up. And they're like, yeah.(33:48):And so now there's a couple other people that are arrive early and they just hang and sit there, and we're all just, I just need to warm up my energy to even be social in a different spot. But once I am, it's not deep convo. Sometimes it is. I showed up, I don't know, last week and cried at class or two weeks ago. So there's the possibility for that. No one judges you in the space that I'm in. So that, for me, that feels good. A little bit of movement and also just being able to sit or be somewhere where I'm with people, but I'm maybe not demanded to say anything. So yeah,Jenny (34:28):It makes me think about, and this may be offensive for some people, so I will give a caveat that this resonates with me. It's not dogma, but I love this podcast called Search for the Slavic Soul, and it is this Polish woman who talks about pre-Christian Slavic religion and tradition. And one of the things that she talks about is that there wasn't a lot of praying, and she's like, in Slavic tradition, you didn't want to bother the gods. The Gods would just tell you, get off your knees and go do something useful. And I'm not against prayer, but I do think in some ways it seems related to what we're talking about, about these hyper spiritualizing things, where it's like, at what point do we actually just get up and go live the life that we want? And it's not going to be void of these symptoms and the difficult things that we have with us, but what if we actually let our emphasis be more on joy and life and pleasure and fulfillment and trust that we will continue metabolizing these things as we do so rather than I have to always focus on the most negative, the most painful, the most traumatic thing ever.(35:47):I think that that's only going to put us more and more in that vortex to use somatic experiencing language rather than how do I grow my counter vortex of pleasure and joy and X, y, Z?Danielle (35:59):Oh yeah, you got all those awards and I know what they are now. Yeah. Yeah. We're wrapping up, but I just wanted to say, if you're listening in, we're not prescribing anything or saying that you can't have a spiritual experience, but we are describing and we are describing instances where it can be harmful or ways that it could be problematic for many, many people. So yeah. Any final thoughts, Jenny? IJenny (36:32):Embrace the mess. Life is messy and it's alright. Buckle up.Kitsap County & Washington State Crisis and Mental Health ResourcesIf you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 911.This resource list provides crisis and mental health contacts for Kitsap County and across Washington State.Kitsap County / Local ResourcesResourceContact InfoWhat They OfferSalish Regional Crisis Line / Kitsap Mental Health 24/7 Crisis Call LinePhone: 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://www.kitsapmentalhealth.org/crisis-24-7-services/24/7 emotional support for suicide or mental health crises; mobile crisis outreach; connection to services.KMHS Youth Mobile Crisis Outreach TeamEmergencies via Salish Crisis Line: 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://sync.salishbehavioralhealth.org/youth-mobile-crisis-outreach-team/Crisis outreach for minors and youth experiencing behavioral health emergencies.Kitsap Mental Health Services (KMHS)Main: 360‑373‑5031; Toll‑free: 888‑816‑0488; TDD: 360‑478‑2715Website: https://www.kitsapmentalhealth.org/crisis-24-7-services/Outpatient, inpatient, crisis triage, substance use treatment, stabilization, behavioral health services.Kitsap County Suicide Prevention / “Need Help Now”Call the Salish Regional Crisis Line at 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://www.kitsap.gov/hs/Pages/Suicide-Prevention-Website.aspx24/7/365 emotional support; connects people to resources; suicide prevention assistance.Crisis Clinic of the PeninsulasPhone: 360‑479‑3033 or 1‑800‑843‑4793Website: https://www.bainbridgewa.gov/607/Mental-Health-ResourcesLocal crisis intervention services, referrals, and emotional support.NAMI Kitsap CountyWebsite: https://namikitsap.org/Peer support groups, education, and resources for individuals and families affected by mental illness.Statewide & National Crisis ResourcesResourceContact InfoWhat They Offer988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (WA‑988)Call or text 988; Website: https://wa988.org/Free, 24/7 support for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, relationship problems, and substance concerns.Washington Recovery Help Line1‑866‑789‑1511Website: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/suicide-prevention/hotline-text-and-chat-resourcesHelp for mental health, substance use, and problem gambling; 24/7 statewide support.WA Warm Line877‑500‑9276Website: https://www.crisisconnections.org/wa-warm-line/Peer-support line for emotional or mental health distress; support outside of crisis moments.Native & Strong Crisis LifelineDial 988 then press 4Website: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/suicide-prevention/hotline-text-and-chat-resourcesCulturally relevant crisis counseling by Indigenous counselors.Additional Helpful Tools & Tips• Behavioral Health Services Access: Request assessments and access to outpatient, residential, or inpatient care through the Salish Behavioral Health Organization. Website: https://www.kitsap.gov/hs/Pages/SBHO-Get-Behaviroal-Health-Services.aspx• Deaf / Hard of Hearing: Use your preferred relay service (for example dial 711 then the appropriate number) to access crisis services.• Warning Signs & Risk Factors: If someone is talking about harming themselves, giving away possessions, expressing hopelessness, or showing extreme behavior changes, contact crisis resources immediately.Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that. Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that.

What would happen if you actually bet on yourself for one month? In this episode of the Life Insurance Academy Podcast, Roger sits down with Clark Stanley of Anchor Point – a brand-new dad and former corporate sales manager who just wrapped up the biggest month of his life: $101,000 in final expense AP 71 applications 25 days All while still making time for faith, family, and community But this conversation isn't just about big numbers. It's about the Principled Sales Process, the power of framework over scripts, and how the right community can completely change your life and your family's future. Clark embraced the Life Insurance Academy system, coaching, and became one of our best students. We watched him steadily grow his game from a struggling start to an industry top producer in less than 12 months.   In this episode, you'll hear: How Clark went from a safe corporate job with a newborn at home… to betting on himself and going all-in on life insurance Why his first few months were full of chargebacks, self-doubt, and "just trying to write anything" The principled sales framework that helped him: Stop chasing "perfect scripts" Find his own voice Raise his placement and persistency The story of Miss Shirley, an 86-year-old client whose day-one coverage paid out just days after Clark wrote the policy How one persistently called lead turned into more coverage and $200+/mo in savings for a family Why mindset, consistency, and community mattered more than any lead vendor or contract The real math behind: Leads (Caboom Leads) Investment (~347 leads) 12+ hour days 100k in a holiday month How Clark balances building a team, being a husband and dad, and staying in the trenches producing You'll also hear Clark shout out the people and organizations that shaped his journey: True Wealth (Mike & Jalen), Lasting Mark, Dana Nesen, Elvir Bazdarevic, Anchor Point, his brother Jack, his parents, and his faith in Jesus. If you're a new or struggling agent, or someone sitting in a corporate job wondering if there's more – this episode will challenge your beliefs, your goals, and your excuses.  

You must act in accordance with your faith in Jesus and glorify Him as you continually experience the goodness of His grace in salvation.

A Roman centurion reveals a profound faith in Jesus that echoes in our response at every Mass to this very day. (Lectionary #175) December 1, 2025 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we are celebrating with you!Click below to fill in your information so we can connect with you!New to Church: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631827I've Decided to Follow Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631829Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHNDPb5XMkf1LyqoTU30vg Help Support and Grow our Ministry to reach people around our community and spread the love of Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/giving Stay connected with us through our:Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tvInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at:Rutherford Location- The Williams Center9AM, 11AM, 1PM 15 Sylvan St, Rutherford NJLyndhurst Location- 10AM, 12PM525 Riverside Ave, Lyndhurst NJ

This week Pastor Brandon kicks off our Christmas series, "It's Finally Christmas!". Today, Pastor Brandon focuses on what hope looks like for us as we place our faith in Jesus.Support the show

The difference between inside and outside is more than just a word. It means standing outside of faith, beyond the will and direction of God for your lives. It's also the difference between being in His will and being outside of His will for our lives. Initially, we pictured someone outside a city wall or closed door, with the King inside ready to welcome. The good news is now that the door is open. You no longer have to stay outside; you can enter where God's presence, promises, and pleasure dwell through faith in Jesus. Where are you right now? Do you find yourself on the outside, or have you crossed the threshold through faith? Today, I want to encourage you to take that step. Enter in. The King is calling, and His arms are open wide. Step into His will, by faith, and find the abundant life that only He gives.

December 1, 2025Today's Reading: Matthew 21:1-9Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 7:10-8:8; 1 Peter 3:1-22“And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!'” (Matthew 21:9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Wait, how did a Holy Week reading break into December? Palm Sunday happened the week of Good Friday and Easter, not four weeks before Christmas. Maybe the Bible-reading calendar (the lectionary) goofed up! Don't worry. This is not a mistake. At the beginning of this new Church year, we are supposed to hear about Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem as King, about Jesus' appearance as Savior, and recognize Jesus' presence not only in Jerusalem but with the whole Church. That day, Jesus entered on a humble donkey to the shouts of the crowds. During this season of Advent, we also look at how Jesus was born and laid in a manger at Christmas, and how Jesus will come again in glory on the Last Day.What those events all have in common is that Jesus is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. In Jerusalem, the crowds shouted the Hebrew word “Hosanna!” which means “Save us now!”  Psalm 118:25 teaches us to pray like this, and it continues to be the prayer of Christ's Church today.  In Advent, in Holy Week, and for every day throughout the year, you need Jesus. You need a Savior. The world threatens you, the Devil attacks you, and your own sinful flesh and mind try to get you to doubt God. You fall into sin; no matter how hard you try, you cannot live perfectly. By yourself, you are a lost cause. You can't do what God has called you to do in His Law. That's why He has come. He has come to save you. The Lord of all, present in the manger. The One who humbly rode a donkey into Jerusalem as an answer to prayer. The One who was subject to death, even death on a cross, for your forgiveness. The One who rose from death to give you the promise of everlasting life with Him. Jesus has come to save you.Keep praying! Keep singing with the crowds, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Save us now, Lord!”  Confess your faith in Jesus, your Savior. He has come to rescue you from sin and every evil. Rejoice, because He is the Savior you need, and He will never leave you nor forsake you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“Hosanna in the highest!” That ancient song we sing; For Christ is our Redeemer, The Lord of heav'n our King. Oh, may we ever praise Him With heart and life and voice And in His blissful presence Eternally rejoice!” (LSB 443:3)Author: Rev. Peter Ill, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you'll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

It is our prayer that today's word would encourage and challenge to walk out your faith in Jesus, shine brightly in darkness and experience Kingdom impact in all you do! Stay connected with Belmont Church on our Facebook page, website or on the Church Center App.

John 12:1-8,Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And the Lord, in verse 7, defends the way Mary of Bethany expresses her devotion to him.What Mary does in verse 3 is good and right, and I think we can learn from her. So that's the goal of this sermon. All last week, my prayer for today has been that through Mary's example in John 12, the Spirit would reawaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus. I want us to learn from Mary how to be more like Mary for the glory of Jesus. To that end, this morning I want to show you seven truths of Mary-like devotion.1. Mary-like devotion is surprising. Verse 1 opens with the setting: we are six days away from Passover, and Jesus has come back to Bethany. Now remember that Bethany is where he raised Lazarus from the dead in Chapter 11, verse 43, but then when the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus, John tells us in verse 54 that Jesus “no longer walked openly” among them, because they were looking for him. The Pharisees wanted to arrest him. So Jesus left that area and went to Ephraim, which gave him more distance from Jerusalem. (Bethany was 2 miles outside Jerusalem, Ephraim was about 15 miles). So by the end of Chapter 11, Jesus is laying low.But Chapter 12 opens here and he's back in Bethany, where news travels quickly to Jerusalem, which means this is dangerous — why would he do it? Why would he come back to Bethany now? It's because Passover is six days away. Remember Jesus has a purpose to accomplish in Jerusalem, and now he's getting closer. But since Jesus is in Bethany they throw a special dinner for him. And because it's Bethany, we would expect our favorite Bethany family to be there. We saw these three siblings in Chapter 11 — Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Now, John knows we'd expect their attendance, so he takes roll in verse 2. Look what he says:“So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served [check her name off — she's there], and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him as table [check his name off — he's just happy to be in the room].And right away that's Martha and Lazarus. Which sibling is missing?Mary. Now look at verse 3 (verse 2 was just a build up to this):“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.”The first thing I want you to see is that this was not expected. This is a dinner! People are sharing a meal. Martha is staying busy like she does. Lazarus is at the table (you know he's getting seconds). And then Mary, finally, enters into this dining room with a bottle of ointment (or perfume) and she does this extravagant display of worship.Most of us had big dinners a few days ago. Imagine for a minute if something like this happened! It was not on the menu. It's never happened before. This was a surprise! That's the first thing to know about Mary-like devotion. This is not what most people would expect — because it responds in the moment to the glory of Jesus regardless of the context.2. Mary-like devotion is costly.We can see in verse 3 that this perfume was expensive. John tells us that plainly. But he also gives us two details that explain why. It has to do with quantity and quality.First, with quality, this perfume was made from “pure nard.” That's a plant that's grown in India. The root of this plant produced an oil that was collected to make this perfume.So it's a product derived from nature, created by a process, imported from far away — that sounds expensive. (This is why many scholars believe this Bethany family was well off — this perfume would have only been owned by the luxury class of the Mediterranean world.)Second, notice the quantity. John tells us it was a pound — and that's a Roman pound. The Greek word is litra — and it's equivalent to about 12 ounces. So imagine the American pop can. (I don't know the last time you turned a can of pop upside down to pour it out, but it takes a little longer to empty it than you might think.)Twelve ounces is not a little bit. And Mary doesn't have pop, it's perfume — 12 ounces of perfume — that's a lot of a really nice thing. And to give us more of an idea of how precious it is, John tells us the number value in verse 5. Judas says it's worth 300 denarii — which is about a year's wages.So to draw a parallel to our day, this is what we'd call an annual salary, and the average annual salary in the Twin Cities, Google says, is between $80,000–$90,000. So translate this in your imagination... Picture this: Someone at dinner this past week walks into the dining room and pours out $90,000 on somebody else's feet … Again, this is stunning. And the costliness amplifies the surprise! Those two things go together in Mary-like devotion. It's surprising because it's costly.3. Mary-like devotion is humble.Now, for our imagination's sake, it helps to know how people ate together at this culture and time. They didn't use raised tables and chairs like we do, but they used low tables, and sat on cushions on the floor. They “reclined” on the table, like verse 2 says, and their feet were stretched out behind them, away from the table. So Mary approached Jesus, verse 3, while he was sitting like that, and she anointed his feet.This is a key detail. Because with the extravagance of her gift, we might imagine Mary's actions to be surrounded by pomp. Like maybe Mary enters the room and first clears her throat, and makes sure somebody's getting the video, and then she does it. But it's just the opposite.Mary comes into the room, and stays at the feet's distance away from the table. She's not the center of attention. Nobody was probably even looking in her direction, and then she pours the perfume on Jesus's feet and wipes his feet with her hair. This is borderline undignified. She definitely looked a little silly. To everyone's surprise, with likely the costliest thing she's got, she humbles herself at the feet of Jesus in worship — but then the most vivid display of her humility is the use of her hair.In the ancient world, a woman's hair was her glory. It was her honor. This was Mary's strength, but here she turns her strength into a servant's towel … Her radiance into a rag. Her splendor into a sponge. Her crown becomes a cloth. … to wipe feet.Which means, Mary gives the best part of herself for the least part of Jesus. The highest aspect of her presentation (hair) is submitted to the lowest aspect of his (feet).This is profound humility.Mary is not even audacious enough to pray here: “Jesus, take my utmost for your highest.” She just says, “Jesus, take my utmost!” — And I don't care what anybody else thinks. I'm not concerned about appearance. It doesn't matter what people might say. This is all about Jesus. Mary shows us a marvelous self-forgetfulness. Mary-like devotion is humble.4. Mary-like devotion is fitting.This is #4 of 7, and it really is the central truth in Mary's example.So far we've seen that Mary-like devotion is surprising, costly, and humble, but here's where we need to be clear that the only reason any of this makes sense is because of Jesus. And Jesus doesn't just make Mary's actions make sense, he makes them right. Because of who he is, what Mary does is fitting. John calls her act an “anointing,” which is something done to set someone apart for a certain office. The examples we have in the Old Testament are individuals anointed as a priest or king, and we should think especially of kings in the Gospel of John. If you remember, way back in Chapter 1, when Nathaniel first met Jesus he confessed right away that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel (1:49). Then in Chapter 6, verse 15, after Jesus fed the five thousand, the crowd wanted to take him by force and make him king.So we've seen a kingship theme already.But then right here in Chapter 12, the very next day after Mary anoints Jesus, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey, and the crowd paves the way for him with palm branches, and they say — in verse 13 — “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”So we have every reason to see that Mary's anointing of Jesus is anointing him as King.Because that is who he is. It'll be explicit and public tomorrow in this story, in Jesus's ‘triumphal entry,' but tonight, at this dinner, with Mary, it's implicit and private. In the moment, even Mary doesn't know the full extent of what she's doing, but we as readers can see it. In Chapter 11, we saw her fall at Jesus's feet in grief, here she bows at Jesus's feet in worship.Last chapter she came to Jesus needing his help; now she comes to him just giving him glory.This doesn't mean we ever stop coming to Jesus for help — we do! We always need his help! But sometimes we can also just come to him in simple worship.This is when we come to him, not to ask him for things, but to give him whatever we can because he is worthy — just because he's our king and he's a good king! It is fitting to worship him!Think about this: When was the last time your heart moved toward Jesus, not for what he gives, but for who he is? When was the last time you were simply compelled by the worth of Jesus?The Little Drummer BoyMary's devotion here in Chapter 12 actually reminds me of what used to be one of my least favorite Christmas songs. “Santa Baby” is dead bottom, but not far from there used to be “The Little Drummer Boy.” And the reason I didn't like the song is because for years it didn't make sense to me, and it was kinda irritating. The pa-RUM-pa-pum-pums are distracting. But if we can get rid of that part and focus on the real words in the song, it's actually beautiful. It's a song about a boy who is invited to meet the newborn Jesus (and it's fictional; didn't really happen; we're supposed to use our imaginations). The boy starts the song by saying:Come, they told meA newborn king to see, Our finest gifts to bring,To lay before the king,So to honor himWhen we come You get it? The boy is invited to come meet Jesus, so he does. And in the second stanza he's at the manger, and he speaks to the infant Jesus:Little baby,I am a poor boy tooI have no gifts to bringThat's fit to give a KingShall I play for you on my drum?See, I imagine that's what Mary of Bethany thought. While Martha was busy serving and Lazarus was sitting at the table, Mary thought: The king is here. He's in the room. What do I have that's fit to give a King?And the technical answer is nothing. Nothing we have is enough to match the glory of this King, but Mary thinks I've got that bottle of perfume — just like the boy thought, I've got this drum. And the boy says, “Shall I play the drum?” Mary thinks, “Shall I pour the perfume?” So the boy plays his best, and Mary pours it all. I don't have enough to give you, but I'll give you my best because you're worthy.That's what the song is about. That's what Mary does here. And it's fitting because of the King!And John tells us that the fragrance of her worship fills the entire house. Which means: her personal reverence and self-forgetfulness in recognizing the glory of Jesus becomes uncontainable. Everybody around her can literally sense her devotion for Jesus.5. Mary-like devotion is criticized. This is verses 4–5: But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”Apparently, Judas caught the aroma, but instead of recognizing Mary's act as a surprising, costly, humble, and fitting act of devotion, he criticized her. He immediately liquidated the value of the ointment in his head, and he corrected her decision. That could have been used for something better! That could have been a lot of money to help poor people! Mary is being unwise!Now, before we look closer into the criticism, I just want to note that it happened, and right away, because that's just how things go — even things as wholesome as Mary's devotion.The Bible gives us no impression that devotion to Jesus will be easy — it actually ensures the opposite. There's a Forest Frank lyric my younger boys love. It goes: Jesus promised that the bad would come along, ‘Cause if life is always easyProbably doin' something wrong.That's true. I want everybody to know: when your devotion to Jesus meets difficulty, that's a good sign. The question for us is about our willingness to endure difficulty. Are we willing to be criticized? Are we willing to express devotion to Jesus that others would call wasteful but Jesus calls beautiful?6. Mary-like devotion is vindicated.Let's look closer at what Judas said in verse 5.At face-value, we might think Judas is onto something, because what he says is not untrue. That perfume was worth a lot of money — three hundred denarii/$80–90K — that's a lot of money you can do a lot with. Judas names one possibility. The problem, though, is that he's thinking about it all the wrong way. See, he's thinking about gifts from the giver's perspective, not from God's perspective. He's thinking about everything from earth looking around, not from heaven looking down.In his mindset — the ‘Judas mindset' — all value is monetary, and all that is monetary is a zero-sum category: which means I'm always thinking, “whatever I give here is what I cannot give there.” And see, Judas is so caught up in this mindset — he cares so much about the optimal management of the gift — that he's blind to the One the gift is for. That is what is most striking about verse 5 — it's the absence of anything to do with Jesus. Judas says nothing about him. So Judas not only rebukes Mary here, but he also registers how little he thinks of Who she worships.And if that wasn't clear, John adds in verse 6. He wants us to know that Judas said what he said:“…not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”Judas was part of a program called ‘Feeding Our Future' …Greed is an ancient sin — it's the root of all evil, and it ruined Judas. (And it's behind the ruin of our state. God help us.)In verse 7, Mary doesn't say anything back to Judas, but Jesus speaks up on her behalf, and he says, first, “Leave her alone.”Which is amazing. Jesus doesn't argue with Judas. He doesn't explain why his mindset is wrong, he first just tells him to stop. Jesus defends Mary, and he makes the issue about himself, because it is!With this perfume Mary has prepared Jesus for the day of his burial, because, verse 8:“…the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And it's clear now, with the mention of his burial and that he won't always be here, Jesus is talking about his death. Which raises the question for us: Was Mary anointing Jesus as king or preparing him for his death? And the answer is Yes.Again, Mary is doing more here than she realized. She is anointing Jesus as King — it's just that he's a king who will sacrifice his life for his people.He's a King who has come to die. His reign will conquer the grave for good — remember Lazarus — but first Jesus's reign will come through the grave. Our triumphant King will also be a slain Lamb. And John wants us so badly to get this! He gives us hints here in Mary's devotion, but then later in the Book of Revelation he tells us about a vision when saints and angels together pour out their praise to Jesus, and they say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)Listen: I want you to know that the final vindication of our every sincere act of devotion to Jesus will come on that day when we see him. If it's Mary-like devotion, it is never wasted. Jesus is worth it. And this brings us to the last point.7. Mary-like devotion is instructive. We're gonna finish how we started: I think we can learn from our sister Mary. It is a gift to us to be able to see her gift to Jesus, and I want us to be more like her. That's been my prayer: that the Spirit would reawaken or awaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus.Devotion that is surprising because it responds to Jesus in the moment, even if it doesn't fit the setting. Costly because it brings Jesus our best, humble because it doesn't worry about what others might think, fitting because Jesus is the King and nothing given to him is too much, criticized because it's not supposed to be easy, and vindicated because the King who Mary worshiped is the Lamb who was slain and one day we will see his worth with our own eyes.Mary's devotion is instructive because it shows us what it looks like when a heart is overcome by the worth of Jesus.And what's incredible for us, is that we know more about Jesus's worth than Mary does here. We already know the end of the story! That Jesus who has come will die, will be resurrected, and will come again.So in closing, I want to invite you to ask yourself this: For Advent, in this season of waiting, what is Jesus calling you to do that would simply reflect his worth?That's what brings us to the Table.The TableWe come here to this Table to rest in the worth of Jesus Christ. Let his glory be your comfort by taking refuge in him. That's what it means to trust in Jesus, and that is who this table is for. If you're here and you have put your faith in Jesus, we invite you to eat and drink with us and give him thanks.

Do I have a real faith in Jesus that can withstand the trials and tests that fill this life?

Do I have a real faith in Jesus that can withstand the trials and tests that fill this life?

A miracle happens in Acts 3, but it isn't the main event. The miracle points to the gospel, celebrates lives changed by the gospel, and opens the door for people to repent and believe. In this, Acts 3 shows a gospel demonstration followed by a gospel explanation that leads others to a gospel invitation, and through Peter and John we learn that faith in Jesus shines bright for Jesus!

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptIf you will, grab a Bible and go to Acts chapter 17. It's our first week of our Give series. Recently, Starbucks released a barista cup and it's precious. That's it. That's the barista cup. There was an article about it in Forbes titled Starbucks Barista cup frenzy leaves big lessons for brands. So I just want to read the beginning of this article for you. It says the Starbucks barista cup caused a frenzy online and in stores. I don't exactly know what an online frenzy looks like, but that cup calls one. When Starbucks announced the release of limited edition holiday merchandise, including the bear shaped $29.95 glass cold cup, which you thought that the temperature of your cup was up to, you Incorrect. This is a cold cup. Actually, I think what it means is if you put hot coffee in it, you're going to burn your hand. So it's a cold cup. It says as part of their holiday menu, few people expected overnight queues in store brawls and a booming resale market. People camped out and fist fought each other. Then it says, beyond the surreal headlines, there are some valuable marketing lessons from the Starbucks bear cup drama. Starbucks barista cup has tapped into an undeniable human truth. I was on the edge of my seat reading this article. The barista cub has tapped into an undeniable human truth. And I had a lot of guesses, none of which prepared me for the answer. So here's the answer. People are obsessed with cuteness. Starbucks released 12 holiday items, but only one captured the public imagination. Cuteness is the primary explanation for the barista cup frenzy. Overnight cues, fist fights, cuteness, which makes a little bit of sense because you know you've seen like a baby so cute before that you punched its mother.I would argue that Forbes analysis is incomplete. Cuteness may have contributed, but I think there are other undeniable human truths at work here. You know, as a pastor, I'm going to float sin out there. I also think that one of the things that this indicates to us is the absolute human ability to, to get our priorities out of line, to misplace value in things. That if you're punching someone for a cup because of the cuteness, your value system is off. And it's a real danger that we're all in. I think when I read these, sometimes I think like I'll read and go, oh my goodness, laugh at it and think, that would never, I would never do that. But really what I'm saying is I would never do that for a bear shaped Starbucks cup. I just have other things I'm willing to punch you for. I have other things that I've misplaced value in. Like, it just should give us the undeniable human truth that we are able to get our priorities out of, out of line. We're able to misplace value. We're able to suddenly think that something is more important than it is and to spend our time and our energy and our money on it. And that that is one of the primary reasons that we have our Give season, our Give series every Christmas season is that we're going to be pushed and pulled in a million different directions and told repeatedly that certain things have value that do not. And we want to always take this time to consider what actually is valuable and are we sending our effort and our money in the right direction.So let's pray then we're going to start in on trying to figure this out together this morning. Lord, we ask for wisdom. We ask for discernment. We ask for the work of the Spirit to help us make correct valuations so that we do not waste our time and specifically for what we're talking about today, that we do not waste our money on things that have no real value. In Jesus name, Amen. Because of our ability to get this wrong, it's always very helpful for us when the Bible just tells us this has value, when it just steps in and explains to us this thing is valuable, it helps us know, okay, then that's something to pursue. That's something worth giving energy towards. I don't want to give away all of what we're doing in our Give series, but we're about to talk about Paul's missions efforts in the Book of Acts. So we're going to walk through. What we're going to do is walk through some of Paul's missionary journey, discuss it, see what's going on here, and then we're going to see something that's behind it, something that's at work in it that the passage doesn't talk about, but that we find out later as we read Paul's letter. So we're going to be in Acts chapter 17. We're going to watch Paul as he goes, who have just been in Philippi, in Acts 16, saw a few people converted to Christianity, got arrested and was beaten and then released. So he leaves. We're going to follow him as he goes to Thessalonica, Berea, and then on a boat down to Athens and then from Athens over to Corinth. And we're going to move pretty fast because It's a couple chapters of text, and we're just trying to follow along and see some of what's going on here.So. Acts, chapter 17, verse 1.> it says now, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom. And on three Sabbath days, he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead, saying, this Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.So part of Paul's missionary strategy was when he went to a city, if there was a synagogue, he went to the synagogue because they were going to be studying the Scriptures. And so he would go and start showing them in the Scriptures that Jesus had fulfilled the promises of the Messiah. It's one of the things that we do around Christmas time. We read some of these passages like we read earlier, and we see that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises made to the Jewish people that he is their Messiah. And that's what he's doing. He's saying, the Christ has come. Jesus has fulfilled this. And he does this for three weeks every Sabbath day. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous. And that's where it goes into. After that verse, it's going to talk to us about. As people start to believe, some of the people in the area begin to fight against Paul. They actually attack them. And Paul and Silas sneak out at night. And so they were only there for a couple of weeks. They're seeing people believe and they're run out of town. So let's pick back up in verse 10 as the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.> As the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.So the brothers being the people who have just believed, it's just the beginnings of a church. And they're like, hey, we live here, but y' all, don't they want to hurt you, not us. Y' all get out of here. And we're going to keep following, figuring this out. And when they arrived, this is in Berea, they went into the Jewish synagogue. So Paul was like, I know my strategy. We're going back. Didn't work well last time, but we're going to do it this time. And it did work in some ways, because people believed. He's like, this is working. Even though some people hated me and wanted to Kill me. So he keeps going.> Now, these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness.I just love that that note was in there. Just like these people were better than the ones in Thessalonica. And that's in Scripture, and it's there forever, you guys. All right? Many of them therefore believed with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there, too, agitating and stirring up the crowd.So we don't exactly know how long he was in Berea, but. But he was there long enough for people to believe and for that to become such a thing that's happening there that they find out in Thessalonica. So they're like, oh, well, he's just going to keep at it. So they head over there to run him off out of Berea. Then it says, the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea. But Silas and Timothy remained there. And those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens. And after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.So Silas and Timothy stay. They sneak Paul out to a boat and ride him down to Athens. And then he says, when y' all get back, tell Silas and Timothy to come to me. And then he's hanging out in Athens by himself. While he's in Athens, he finds out that there's a place in Athens. There doesn't seem to. He does go to a Jewish synagogue. Then he also finds out that there's a place in Athens where they just gather and share news and anything new and debate new topics and new ideas. So he goes there and starts proclaiming the Gospel. And we're going to pick up in that.> The times of ignorance God overlooked. But now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.To Paul, as he's concluding, he says God overlooked ignorance, but not anymore. Now there's a man who's going to judge the whole world in righteousness. And he says, and God's proven this by raising him from the dead. So he's proclaiming the gospel that everyone everywhere needs to repent, which Just so you know, that's essential to the gospel, that everyone, everywhere needs to repent. Sometimes we'll pick specific isolated sins and someone will say, well, you think this is bad? And it's like, I don't know how to tell you this. We think everyone everywhere needs to repent, that you can't. If you just pick an isolated one, we're like, probably, yes, that's a sin. And that's a sin. And that's a sin. We believe that everyone has fallen short of the glory of God and needs Christ, that we aren't going to moral ourselves into this. We're not going to work our way into this. And this is what he's proclaiming to them. And he says that it's proven by. By the resurrection of Christ from the dead.> Now, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, but others said, we will hear you again about this.So Paul went out from their midst, but some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. So several people believe he proclaims the Gospel. He goes to a new place, begins proclaiming the Gospel, and more people believe.Chapter 18. After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.> After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.So he jumped across out of. He was on Athens and then he jumped across Corinth, had to take a boat, and he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to them. And because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.> When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.So now, instead of making tents, his occupation, what he's at work in now is proclaiming the Gospel. He's had enough room now to share it. And he's spending his time trying to articulate to them this. And he's studying with them and proclaiming it to them.> When the Jewish people opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, your blood be on your own heads. I am innocent. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles.And he left there, and he went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. I just appreciate that a whole lot. He's like, fine, I'm gonna go to the Gentiles. He walks out. He turns the corner. He walks in that house and is like, boom, Setting up shop. Here we go. So he's right next to the synagogue. He didn't go far away. He's like, I'm telling people about Jesus. I don't know. Right here next to y'. All. That's what he starts doing. Then it says, crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord. So he was next door. He was overseeing that. He just is like, I'm going to. And he heads over to the other house together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision.> Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.And he stayed a year and six months teaching the word of God among them. So he's been chased all along. He's in Corinth. Jesus shows up and says, stay here. Keep preaching. Because there are many people in this city who are mine, but not yet. So Paul is in a spot where Jesus says, there are people here who belong to me, but they don't know it yet. I know it. They don't know it. And you've got to stay and you've got to tell them. You've got to proclaim the gospel. You've got to explain what's happened, and then they will belong to me. To me, because they already belong to me. That's what he's saying. And that's one of the things that undergirds missions. One of the reasons we go, one of the reasons we plant churches, one of the reasons we send, one of the reasons we go to places where people have never heard. One of the reasons we go to places that are difficult is because all over the place, there are people who belong to Jesus. And we've got to go tell them. We've got to go tell him who he is. And the Spirit goes to work in their heart, and Jesus claims them it's not something that happens without their knowledge. They are going to come to genuine faith in Jesus that will be tangible and real in their life. But what Jesus is saying is that he sins at times and he puts somebody in a place at times because there are people there who belong to him. They just haven't heard about him yet. That ought to give us courage. We ought to begin to beg the Lord. Lord, are there people at work? There are people at my job. Are there people in this class? Are there people on the street who belong to you that I'm supposed to stay and proclaim the gospel to? And we ought to start praying over maps, and we ought to start going to places and saying, lord, there's gotta be people here who belong to you. Put me in the right spot, Send me to the right place. Help me to be there to proclaim the gospel.Now, there's something else that's happening in this text that I think we need to consider. Alfred Hitchcock was a director. He did movies like Psycho and the Birds, and he had a concept that he called the refrigerator test. He just said he wanted all of his movies that he made to pass the refrigerator test. The point was, you'd go see a movie, you're in it, soaking it up. It's great. You leave, you go home, you open your refrigerator to grab a snack before you go to bed, and suddenly you're like, wait a second. How did they get on the train in the first place? And you realize that the movie just skipped a thing. It didn't explain something to you, or there's a logical problem. You're like, why didn't the bad guys just shoot him? They shot his wife. Why'd they shoot her and then leave him alive? Were they running out of bullets? You open your refrigerator and you think, why don't they ever shoot at Captain America's legs? You know, I've played paintball before. I picked up a pallet one time. I got shot in the legs, like 45 times. Seems easy enough. And as we're reading this passage, there's a little hint at it in one place, but I think there's a thing that we should go. Hold on a second. How does Paul survive not just not get killed, but we've watched him travel around for years at this point. There was one moment where they said he went and made tents. And unless he sold the most extravagant, amazing tents, that he just did that for a couple of weeks, and then he was set for several years. It feels like there's something else going on here now, you could say, well, it's fair to assume that the people that are believing are starting to tend to him, they're going to feed him, they're going to help him have a place to stay. And it's like that. That's reasonable. But there's places where he shows up and there's nobody. That hasn't happened yet. And so this is one of those things where you go, well, how does. How is he doing this? Is he independently wealthy, like Bruce Wayne or something? What's going on? And then it doesn't talk about it in this text, but it does show up in Paul's letters. And so I want us to go to. It's mentioned in Corinthians, but it's talked about directly in Philippians. And I want y' all to see this. This is the end of Philippians chapter four. He's writing to the church in Philippi. So that was the first dot on our map. And he says, and you, Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the Gospel. So this is right when I first started, was proclaiming this.> When I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again.So he's writing to this church, and he's saying, y' all partnered with me from the very beginning you entered into partnership with me. Meaning that the work that Paul did, they had a hand in it. They had a share in it. Even though he's the one traveling around the church in Philippi is helping make sure that's possible. And y'. All. He says something crazy. Look at this. That's Philippi. The whole big section here is Macedonia. When he gets out of Macedonia, he's in Corinth. So he says, nobody helped me when I left Macedonia except for y'. All. So he's like, y' all helped provide for me while I was in Corinth. And that's why he mentions it to the Corinthians, because I didn't take anything from y'. All. He says, I worked. He mentioned that. And then he says, and the churches in Macedonia helped me. But he also says, when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help. That was right after he left Philippi. He went through two towns, and the next town that it says he was in for three weeks was Thessalonica, which means that the Philippians, as soon as they believed, started helping Paul be a missionary. As soon as it happened, what they said Was, oh, we want everybody to know this. And if you're gonna go and tell people, we want in on that. We want to be a part of making sure that everybody knows what we now know. And it started immediately with them.> Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.You know how that works, right? With your money, there are certain things where it's like your wallet magically appears in your hand that you're just willing to pay for. Usually people who get married to each other, those things are wildly different. So your spouse seems to have infinite money for this stupid category. When you know that you should never spend money on that. You should spend money on this brilliant category that you love. And that seems to be what happens. And what happens with the Philippians is as soon as they know about Christ and they find out that Paul's gonna go check, share it with other people, their wallet's just in their hands. They're just like, oh, yeah, we want this to happen. Make sure he has what he needs. And they do it the whole time. They find out he's in Corinth, and they're like, make sure he has what he needs so that he can tell more people about this. And Paul says that they've partnered with him. And then he says this. Not that I seek the gift, because they've just given him a gift. And he's telling him, thank you. That's what he was doing earlier. He says, not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. He says. So he was telling him, thank you. He said, I appreciate it. He said, but that's not what it's all about. What it's about is that you are doing something that's valuable and that you receive credit for doing this good thing. He's basically saying to the Philippians, this is something you ought to do. It's a good thing to do. And I'm glad that you're doing it. Which if you've ever talked to missionaries, they do have that weird. They're really thankful, but they're also trying, like, they don't trying to be about money. So they'll say like, thank you so much. We also are just trusting the Lord, but thank you. But also, it's good for you to give. But also it's not all about, like, they have these weird. If you read this section in Philippians, you can see Paul being like, you should do this. But I'm not super worried about it. Cause Jesus is gonna take care of me. But not being worried about it doesn't mean I'm not thankful. I'm very thankful. And he just is trying to articulate all these things at once. And he says, I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent.> A fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God, and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus,so that they're getting to be stewards of God's provision for them by providing for Paul. And Paul says, God sees it, God knows it. It's a sacrifice pleasing to him. Now, I would argue that there are things we put money towards that do not fit the category of a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Not to say that everything we spend our money on is bad. And I think that there are things that are, you're perfectly fine to exist and pay your bills and do things. But I think that when we see that there are things that the Lord delights for us to participate in, that we get to join in partnership with missionaries, that we get to enjoy partaking in the endeavor that they're after, and that we get to do something that the Lord looks at and is pleased with than we ought to. When he sets our valuation of something, take him up on it. When he says this is good and valuable, take him up on it. And when Jesus is talking about this, at one point he says it's not about the amount. He just says not even a cup of cold water will be forgotten. That if you give anything to try to participate in this, if you give anything to care and to love and because you're a disciple and because they're a disciple and because they're going, he says, not a thing's forgotten. So every penny is remembered and every penny is worth it. But then he says this in Philippians 4:20, then this is why we do this to our God and Father. Be glory forever and ever. Amen.> To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.That's the point. That's the reason the Philippians want a partner. It's because they want everyone everywhere to give glory to God. To know who Christ is, to know what he's done, to know how good he is, to know how wonderful he is, to know how much he loves, to. To know the grace that he offers. When you ever consider how merciful and kind he's been to you, if you consider the weight of your sin, the weight of your failings, the weight of your shortcomings, the depth of the destruction that we deserve and how loving and good and wonderful he is, and that he's designed so that we would belong to him and so that he can lavish his riches and kindness on us for all eternity. And that that's offered to all who will call on him, then we want all to call on Him. That's why John Piper says that missions exist because worship doesn't. He says worship is the goal and fuel of missions. That's why we go, because we have tasted of the joy of worshiping Jesus and we want all the families of the earth in included.So while everything around you is going to push and pull you in a different direction and tell you, you need this, you need this, you should have one of these in order to be happy, you'll need this. My sons asked me, they said Halloween hadn't happened. Why are all the commercials, Christmas commercial? I said, oh, boy, they want money. Our whole economy runs off of you buying things you don't need. And we're trying to take a moment to just go, look, we want to celebrate well, we also want to pause and go, is my money going in the right direction? Do I have my priorities right? Is my value system correct? Do I look like a person who knows the delight and the goodness of Christ? Does that show up in how my money and my budget works? And that's what we want to pause and do every year in our gift series.So this year what we do. Not this year. I started the wrong sentence. I'll start that sentence in a second. What we do every year is we pick a project or two one time, three, I think, and we just say we want to give money to this. It's just an opportunity for our church to rally together and be generous. So we've done different things. Sometimes we do local things, sometimes we do further away things. This year we're going to partner, hopefully Lord willing, with two different organizations to do some foreign missions work. So I'm introducing the first project today. So this year we're going to do two. I'm introducing the first project today, we'll introduce the next one next week. And then over the next few weeks we'll try to raise money to support these agencies in the efforts that they're doing in foreign mission work. So the first one we're going to partner with is elam. It is a missions organization in Mexico. When we started praying about this and looking, we were like, we want to do something with foreign missions. We want to give some effort in this direction. Scott and Kit's Hill's son Scotty, also Isaac Hill, is one of our pastors. It's his uncle also Isaac Hill's wife Lydia, it's her uncle in law, works with Elam in Mexico. So we just called him up and started trying to talk to him about what would it look like if we partnered with you? What kind of work are you doing? What's the labor looking like right now in where you are? So this is a picture. One of the things, as we said, just start dreaming a little bit if we partner with you now. It's an EFCA organization. So the money's going towards an organization that is very transparent in how they handle their finances. ELAM is they pick that name because it's the name of Oasis mentioned in the book of Exodus and what they do. I'll read some of this specifically. I can find my notes here. Yeah. ELAM is a mission development and mobilization organization in Mexico that focuses on equipping and mobilizing local churches. They do this through trainings and through short term missions trips to indigenous communities. So one of the things they do is they'll partner with a local church in a harder area and they show up and help do missions trips to try to help that church serve the community and have an opportunity for evangelism, have an opportunity to build goodwill with the community as that church is trying to develop. So what they've been doing recently is, is medical mission, short term missions programs. And so they'll go to a community and do medical missions for a couple weeks to try to help a local in partnership with a local church in a community. So the core activities are they do general medical exams and treatment, dental care and hygiene education, vision screenings and the distribution of eyeglasses. And then throughout that they're doing church support and evangelism as a part of it.So they currently have a donated auto refractor which is a machine you put on your face and it tells you what your prescription is. And then someone donated to them 6,000 pairs of glasses. So they show up to places, stick an autorefactor on people's faces, find out what the prescription is, find it and give them a pair of glasses. And so they're able to go to these rural places and under resourced places and help people see. They also have two mobile dental machines and chairs. And then they're using all this on supplies on borrowed trucks and on the open bed trailer covered with tarps. They've been going to Sierra Mezateca where there's about 300,000 Mezatecos and only a few local churches. They've been in Partnership with a church called Amigos de Fe. And they've planted churches and trying to plant churches in eight communities. They've done five medical trips in that area with about 80 to 120 medical patients, 40 to 50 dental patients, and then they were given out 20 to 30 glasses. And then in the areas near Veracruz and hidalgo, there's about 490,000 people. They have two medical trips they've done this past year. They've got a third one scheduled. On their first two, they had about 100 to 150 medical patients, 60 to 100 dental patients, and they gave out 50 to 100 pairs of glasses, which I don't know if you've ever tried to live without glasses and then got glasses, but it's magical. Just ask third grade Chet. So for them to show up to places where people have not been able to see and just outfit them, they walk in and walk out with glasses is a wonderful thing.And so we just said, what would you need if we were going to give you money? What would you use it for? What would this look like? And so the biggest, they said the current biggest limitation is the logistics problem for them. They have an open bed trailer that they've just been throwing a tarp on. And so they said we'd love. Yeah, that. They said they have lost equipment due to rain. And some of the places that they go to, they end up having to park and hike up mountains. I mean, they're going to hard to reach places and difficult to resource places. And so they said they'd love to have an enclosed trailer. And so they sent us this sort of thing now just to help you all out. That 98,500 is pesos. So if you're like, nah, we're gonna have to smuggle in one of our trailers. We ain't paying that. That's in pesos. So don't stress out over that.So here's what we said. We just said, start telling us what you would need. And they gave us a list. We said, dream. We've learned as a church that we want to. We want to get some options. We want to get some things in front of us and we'll see what the Lord does and what we're able to do together. Like we said, our hope is to knock this out, to be able to do what they've asked and do another one. But we'll see. We're happy to get to partner together however we're able to. But this is what. This is how the money would work for this Group the trailer is about $6,000. So the first $6,000 we raise, they're going to go get a trailer. After that, they would use 1250 for insurance, taxes, maintenance of the trailer. So they said if we're able to give them about $7,000, 7,500, they'll get a trailer and they'll be taken care of for a year, and then they'll, you know, just continue to operate with it. But they would be blessed by that because they'd be able to load it up, they'd be able to lock it up, they'd be able to show up to the place, unload what they needed to unload, keep. Like they just said this would bless their souls and their ability to get in and out of places and. And not lose equipment. So we said that sounded smart to us. So we thought, yes, let's try to get them a trailer if we're able to keep giving. Here are other things. They were like, well, look, y' all give us money, we're going to spend it. So they would love another auto refractor, which helps them to do multiple trips or to be able to just handle more people when they're coming in, getting them glasses. A lensometer is actually what you use to shine through glasses to make sure it is the right prescription. So auto refractor goes on the face, lensometer goes on the glasses. A diagnostic kit and a retinoscope is just the ability to try to actually check eyes, see what's going on. If they could have a mobile dental X ray with a computer, that would be amazing so that they could actually do X rays right there, see what's going on inside. And then they said dental chairs and lights, 600 general dental tools and supplies, 1500 general medical equipment, 500, for a total of $22,250. We'd love to be able to raise that for them. We'd love to get to join in partnership in a way that we get to be a part of people in areas of Mexico we'll never step foot in being cared for, loved, and getting a tangible picture of the gospel. As a group of people is trying to plant churches to articulate the gospel.Just so y' all know, we don't do a whole lot as a church in partnership with any kind of foreign missions organization that isn't trying to plant churches and articulate the gospel. We think it is incomplete if we're just doing physical things, but we love to partner where they're doing some physical work, some. Some tangible help in connection with local church planting and church organization and these sort of things going forward. So as a church, every year we do every year at Christmas we partner with the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, which is, you see it on the tables and it's in your bulletin, which is a part of missions efforts for the Southern Baptist. We do that every year and then we pick a give project and then sometimes we pick as a give project a missions opportunity. And we've got two in front of us this year. This is the first one we're going to be able to get after we're excited to be able to partner in this specific way in Mexico for the sake of what they're doing and would love for you to begin praying about what does it look like for you to partner in helping see other people come to know Jesus and tangibly see what he does among a group people, let's pray.Father, we're thankful. We're thankful that you have met us in our need. We're thankful that you have redeemed us and called us into something eternal. We ask that your spirit would be at work so that our church might be a blessing to those who are out and doing international efforts. We pray, Lord, that you would stir in the hearts of our church family so that we might be able to send people and we pray that you would stir in our hearts that we might be able to send money to the people who are already there. But may we be a part of what you are doing around the world in the places where people belong to you. There just hasn't been someone who's told them about you yet. In Jesus name Amen. Band's gonna come up. We're gonna sing. If you desire to give, there are there is a drop down menu online that you can give directly to it already. You can also give via an envelope or just put on the check that it's for our gift project. But we ask you to begin to pray and hopefully, Lord willing will be able to begin to move on this and then get into some of the other stuff, see what the Lord does.

In this twenty-second sermon in the series "The Word Become Flesh: Jesus Alive in Us", Pastor Phil Kim shares a sermon entitled, “Put Your Faith in Jesus (John 7:25-36).”Link to Sermon notes and Wednesday Bible Study page: ⁠https://waialaebaptist.org/worshipservices/Join us on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. for a Bible study led by the preaching pastor on the upcoming sermon passage. Attend either in person or via Zoom. Please ⁠contact us⁠ if you would like to receive the Zoom link.Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://waialaebaptist.org/⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/WaialaeBaptistChurch⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/waialaebaptistchurch/⁠YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/c/WaialaeBaptistChurch

Jesus Followers Know the Cornerstone of Christianity Is: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus is The Door and The Gate by which you must enter the Kingdom of God. In John 14:6-7, Jesus answers a question by the Apostle Thomas with the fundamental tenant of Christianity when He tells us all: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.'". Also, in John 10:9-10, Jesus tells us: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief {Satan} comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Also, Jesus said, in Matthew 7:13-14, that He was "the Narrow Gate", and whomever enters the Kingdom through Him will be saved and have Eternal Life: {You} “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.". Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection are the events, of about two thousand years ago, that provided us all, by God's Grace, with access to The Narrow Gate, which is Jesus. Through Jesus' death on the cross for your sins and His Resurrection, He has given you eternal life, if you choose to enter The Narrow Gate. You may ask: “How do I enter this ‘Narrow Gate' of Jesus?”. By God's Grace you can enter Eternal Life, through Jesus, by your true belief and faith in Jesus as God along with your prayerful confession of your sins to God. With your belief, faith, and confession, you have entered through the narrow and only door to your Salvation. However and after your entry through the door, you must continue, in your faith and obedience, to follow Jesus – this is the only, and it is The Way provided by God's Grace through Jesus.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will entrust to Him my future. I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.  From 2 Timothy 1:12 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 7:13-14; John 14:5-7; Psalms150:1-6; John 10:9-10. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Turkeys and Eagles, Part 5: Following Jesus Changes Everything in Our Families” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus said greater things shall you do and If Jesus could feed 5000 , they could do a million! Terry inspired by his Faith in Jesus took that literally. In this episode we sit down with Terrence Mugova a faith driven entrepreneur in the education, finance and creative space as he share his amazing story on finding his purpose and delivering 1 million meals to the poor. Radiant Culture

Since Your Judgment Is Coming, Are You Doing All You Can to Continue Growing Your Relationship with God? MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus tells you about the certainty of your Judgment in John 5:25,29: “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live . . . and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.". Since Judgment is coming, are you doing all you can to keep your relationship with the Lord growing? Given certain Judgment for all, a primary purpose of the Church is to lead people into a growing relationship with the Lord. You must be constantly growing and nurturing your faith in Jesus. There is a day when we will all be judged by the Lord – do not you think you can wait until the last minute to have a real relationship with Jesus.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, when I read even part of the story of Job, I too am overwhelmed by your “wildness.” Your ways and timing are beyond me. Job moved from hearing about you to having “seen you.” Lead me, Lord, on a pathway so that I too can pray as Job prayed: “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 89). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Insensitivity. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Gentleness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Isaiah 24:19-22; Matthew 7:21-23; John 12:48-50; Psalms149:1-9. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Turkeys and Eagles, Part 5: Following Jesus Changes Everything in Our Families” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

This weekend we are entering a new church year with the season of Advent. Advent means "coming" and is a season of preparation for the celebration of the coming Savior at Christmas. It is also a time of reflection and repentance. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the Savior through a preaching of "repentance for the remission of sins" (Luke 3:4), so we also prepare through repentance over our sin. In the hymn "Ye Sons of Men, Oh, Hearken" we are reminded of the need for sinners to receive forgiveness through the work of Jesus. Without Jesus there can be no forgiveness, no hope of eternal life. God desires the salvation of every sinner, which is why He planned salvation through the incarnation and death of His own Son. He also sends His Spirit to work in our hearts to prepare us for receiving that gift, through true understanding of our sin, sorrow over it, and faith in Jesus' work for us. Through His Law and Gospel, this important work of preparation is carried out. "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:6). With Valentinus Thilo, we join in praying: "Prepare my heart, Lord Jesus, Turn not from me aside,  And grant that I receive Thee This blessed Advent-tide. From stall and manger low Come Thou to dwell within me; Loud praises will I sing Thee And forth Thy glory show." May the LORD prepare each of us through true repentance and faith in Jesus during this Advent season and always, and enable us to thank Him through the loud praises we offer Him in our worship and with our lives!

I discovered that Jesus could offer me something that nothing or no one else could offer.  He could quench my spiritual thirst.  He offered me a relationship.  He offered me purpose for my life.  As I began to sincerely follow him, my life was filled with contentment.  I realized that Jesus could satisfy the thirst and the longing that I had inside.Main Points:1. You and I have experienced physical thirst. But we have another kind of thirst. It's spiritual thirst, and yes everyone experiences it, sometimes without realizing it. Inside all of us there is a thirst that nothing in this world can satisfy.  There is a thirst within us that only God can fill.  2. All of us have tried to satisfy our thirst. If a person is thirsty, they are going to search for water.  It's the same way with our spiritual thirst.  We are all looking for a way to quench our thirst.  We search for meaning and purpose through a person, through possessions, or by pursuing pleasure…only to find that our souls are still parched. 3. We experience this living water when we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. It's only then that we can experience the satisfaction of our thirst being quenched.Today's Scripture Verses:John 6:35 - Jesus says, “He who believes in me will never thirst.” John 7:37-38 - : “‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Biographies may be just what your child needs to learn how to live out their faith in Jesus in real life! In this episode from the archive Carole Joy Seid sits down with acclaimed author and historian Dr. Lyle W Dorsett. He discusses the role biographies can have as a supplement to the stories in the Bible, in deepening your walk. Join us!RESOURCES+Click here for a complete list of the biographies listed in this episode+Build Your Family's Library: Grab our FREE book list here+Get our FREE ebook: 5 Essential Parts of a Great Education.+Attend one of our upcoming seminars this year!+Click HERE for more information about consulting with Carole Joy Seid!CONNECTHomeschool Made Simple | Website | Seminars | Instagram | Facebook | PinterestMentioned in this episode:The Biggest Story Holy Bible for Kids From CrosswayTry CTCMath-Half Price Discount

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we are celebrating with you!Click below to fill in your information so we can connect with you!New to Church: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631827I've Decided to Follow Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631829Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHNDPb5XMkf1LyqoTU30vg Help Support and Grow our Ministry to reach people around our community and spread the love of Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/giving Stay connected with us through our:Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tvInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at:Rutherford Location- The Williams Center9AM, 11AM, 1PM 15 Sylvan St, Rutherford NJLyndhurst Location- 10AM, 12PM525 Riverside Ave, Lyndhurst NJ

Daily Dose of Hope November 25, 2025   Scripture - Acts 5:17-42   Prayer:  Holy and Merciful God, Thank you for a new day during this Thanksgiving week.   We are so very grateful that your mercies are new every morning.  We are thankful for your mercy, grace, and patience with us.  Help us, Lord, gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you and your Word.  In these next few moments of silence, help us be still and know that you are God...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently walking through the book of Acts.  Today, we are finishing Acts 5.   The apostles are witnessing and people are coming to faith in Jesus.  They are seeing signs and wonders.  Even Peter's shadow falling on people is leading to healing.  The Holy Spirit is working in powerful ways to demonstrate God's glory and grow the young church.  Healing and deliverance are the norm, not the exception.    This really makes the Jewish leaders jealous and worried.  Afterall, they want to control their perceived grip on religious power.  The apostles are thrown in jail but freed by an angel.  They go right back to the Temple courts and witness to the Gospel.  When the Jewish leaders question and threaten the apostles, the believers are clear that they are going to follow God over man.  Their boldness is amazing.  It's clear the Spirit is in them in a powerful way.  But what I am always alarmed by is their joy at being suffering disgrace for the Gospel.  I mean they are flogged!  That's extremely painful.  And they praise God for this.    This leads to some pretty difficult questions for us.  First, when have you suffered disgrace for the Gospel?  Second, when have we experienced discomfort for the Gospel?  Seriously, what is the worst we have experienced for the Gospel? And finally, if you have experienced disgrace or discomfort, were you filled with joy?   I think we tend to go to great lengths to avoid disgrace and discomfort.  Why?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Perseverance isn't passive—it's choosing to stand firm when life pushes back. In this message, Pastor Robert and his wife, Carolyn, share how faith in Jesus gives us the strength to endure trials, overcome discouragement, and stay faithful until Christ returns.   One by One is the broadcast ministry of Pastor Robert L. Scott Jr. of Quench Life Christian Fellowship. To learn more about QLCF, visit quenchlife.org. To support our ministry as we spread the Gospel, visit quenchlife.org/giving.

Ever wondered how a Christian in India might experience persecution for their faith? Join Nathan and Gabe as we scratch the surface of the vast experience of Christians in India. With ancient ties to the Apostle Thomas, regions of India have a rich history of faith in Jesus. But today, 12 out of the 28 states have passed anti-conversion laws, and churches experiencing extreme forms of persecution is tragically common, with many believers incarcerated for their faith. Having recently connected with believers in India working to strengthen the Church, Gabe draws us close through their stories of faith, reminding us of God's abiding presence. 

Soul Food: Nourishment for the Spirit In the sermon titled “Soul Food,” delivered on November 23, 2025, the idea of soul food is explored in a spiritual context. Traditionally, soul food refers to the rich, flavorful cuisine developed by African Americans in the antebellum South, symbolizing resilience and cultural heritage. In this sermon, the focus shifts to the spiritual nourishment needed for a fulfilling life in Christ. The Two Food Groups of the Soul Pastor Chris teaches that there are two main types of “soul food”: junk food and health food. Junk Food: Complaining. Just as physical junk food harms the body, complaining harms spiritual vitality. It blinds us to God's blessings and opportunities, making us less sensitive to His presence and the needs of others. Health Food: Thanksgiving. Gratitude strengthens the soul. When we give thanks, our souls become more vibrant and alive to God's love and purpose. Thanksgiving is a recurring theme throughout the New Testament, showing its importance for spiritual health. Biblical Foundations The sermon draws on several passages to highlight the importance of thanksgiving: Colossians 3:15–17: Paul urges believers to let the message of Christ dwell richly among them and to teach and admonish one another with wisdom through songs and gratitude. James 1:17: Every good and perfect gift comes from above, reminding us of God's grace and constancy. 2 Corinthians 4:15: Paul explains that his hardships serve others and lead to an overflow of thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11: Generosity that flows from gratitude results in thanksgiving to God. Romans 1:21: Refusing to glorify God or give thanks leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts, showing the destructive nature of ingratitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18: Paul calls believers to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances—because this is God's will. Cultivating a Thankful Heart To develop a taste for the “health food” of thanksgiving, Pastor Chris suggests: Change Your Mind: Focus your thinking on God's goodness and grace. Recognize Him as the source of all good things. Change Your Diet: Practice intentional thanksgiving. The Jewish tradition of offering benedictions, or blessings, is highlighted as a way to foster gratitude. Conclusion Thanksgiving is not just a polite gesture but a spiritual discipline that aligns us with God's will and enriches our souls. It moves us to live out our faith with joy and purpose, reflecting the light of Christ in a world often overshadowed by complaint and ingratitude. The sermon closes with an invitation to place faith in Jesus, recognizing Him as the ultimate source of life and gratitude. By embracing thanksgiving, believers nourish their souls and live more abundantly in God's grace.

Do you believe that sin is a big deal? Do you believe in a final judgement? How can we be free from sin? In today's episode, Keith shares how 2 Kings 23:31-35 encourages us to put our hope and faith in Jesus. If you're listening on Spotify, tell us about yourself and where you're listening from! Read the Bible with us in 2025! This year, we're exploring the Historical Books—Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: 2 Kings 23:31-35

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we are celebrating with you!Click below to fill in your information so we can connect with you!New to Church: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631827I've Decided to Follow Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/631829Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHNDPb5XMkf1LyqoTU30vg Help Support and Grow our Ministry to reach people around our community and spread the love of Jesus: https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/giving Stay connected with us through our:Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tvInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at:Rutherford Location- The Williams Center9AM, 11AM, 1PM 15 Sylvan St, Rutherford NJLyndhurst Location- 10AM, 12PM525 Riverside Ave, Lyndhurst NJ

There are 8 billion people in the world. About 350,000 of them are Messianic Jews, Jewish people who believe that Jesus is the Messiah that was prophesied about in the Old Testament. On this weeks show, Kurt and Chad are joined by Jewish believer Rachel Kushner, founder of Links to Messiah https://linkstomessiah.com , a ministry that helps parents teach their children about Jewish traditions with a subscription that sends 4 kits a year to your home. Rachel talks about her grandfather‘s journey from Nazi occupied Austria, and his escape to America and now he became a believer in Yeshua, which led him to become an evangelist and pastor who ministered to the Jews and the gentiles about Jesus. Rachael talks about being a rare 3rd generation Jewish believer and why the Jewish culture and traditions matter today and how we as Gentiles can deepen our faith with the Jewish Messiah. Tune in to Rachel's podcast more about Jewish testimonies and traditions https://podcasts.apple.com/.../links-to.../id1718396867 (This is a repeat episode - enjoy!)

As soon as we place our faith in Jesus, we're indwelt by the Holy Spirit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is our prayer that today's word would encourage and challenge to walk out your faith in Jesus, shine brightly in darkness and experience Kingdom impact in all you do! Stay connected with Belmont Church on our Facebook page, website or on the Church Center App.

In week two of the Trinity series at Cherry Hills Community Church, Pastor Gary Thomas reflects on the central role of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith and what it means to truly know and follow Him. He emphasizes Jesus as the foundation of hope, faith, and spiritual life, encouraging listeners to move beyond surface-level belief into genuine trust and devotion. Through personal experiences and biblical teaching, the message highlights the power of Christ to bring peace, purpose, and transformation. The sermon reminds the congregation that faith in Jesus shapes every aspect of life, from everyday struggles to eternal destiny. Ultimately, it calls people to respond in worship and commitment, embracing Jesus as the guiding center of their lives.

Bob Schwahn | Lead Pastor | November 23, 2025 Referenced Scripture: Acts 1:3-8, 1 Peter 2:12, John 4:39-42 Reflection Questions: 1. Was there something from the sermon that stood out to you? Explain. 2. When you hear that you are God's plan A to TELL the world that Jesus is King and to SHOW what the world what the Kingdom of Jesus looks like, how do you respond to that? Thoughts, emotions, desires??? Why? 3. How have you seen God use you as a witness for Jesus and His Kingdom? How would you desire to see God use you? Explain. 4. What challenges or barriers have you faced in being a witness for Jesus? What would it take for you to overcome those challenges? 5. Being a ‘witness' means we SHOW and TELL. We SHOW the world what the Kingdom of Jesus looks like and we TELL the world how to make Jesus their King. Why is both SHOWING and TELLING essential to help people come to faith in Jesus and to follow Him? 6. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) he outlines what His Kingdom looks like. Read through that and make observations of what the world looks like when Jesus is King.Is that a compelling vision of the world to you? Do you imagine it would be compelling to others? Explain. 7. When telling the story of your life of faith, why would it be important to share authentically (joys, challenges, questions, failures, hope)? What is the cost of not being authentic about our faith? 8. Read John 4 about the Samaritan women. What made her an unlikely candidate for being a witness for Jesus? How did God use her INVITE to change the world? 9. Read John 4:39-42 How could God use you to INVEST and INVITE someone in your world to “come and see” the King and the Kingdom? Who are at least 5 people you could pray for and invite to join you at Journey between now and Christmas? What's your next step? * Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard * Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children * Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students * Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give * Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman * Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app * Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozeman  Chapters (00:00:00) - How God Uses You in the Life(00:00:55) - The kingdom of God(00:07:17) - Being Jesus' Witnesses: Show and Tell(00:14:46) - What Does It Look Like When Jesus Is King?(00:21:43) - The Need for a Comforter(00:26:43) - How to Show the Kingdom of God to Your Life(00:31:16) - The Woman Who Called the Kingdom(00:37:44) - Jesus Bringing Heaven to This Earth

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” (John 15:19 NLT) God is faithful. As with some of His other attributes, His faithfulness isn’t always apparent to us. Sometimes His ways seem harsh, but if we trust in Him, eventually, we will recognize the unshakable faithfulness behind them. “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8–9 NLT). We can’t always trust our feelings when it comes to God’s faithfulness. What seems like callousness may in fact be evidence of God’s commitment to us and to our spiritual well-being. God doesn’t promise to make our lives free from pain and struggle. He promises to make our lives spiritually fruitful if we remain faithful to Him. I heard a story about some fish suppliers who were having problems shipping cod from the East Coast. By the time it reached the West, it was spoiled. They froze it, but by the time it arrived, it was mushy. So, they decided to send it alive, but it arrived dead. They tried sending it alive again, but with one difference: They included a catfish in each tank. You see, catfish are the natural enemies of cod. By the time the cod arrived, they were alive and well because they had spent their trip fleeing the catfish. Maybe God has put a catfish in your tank to keep you alive and well spiritually. He’s faithful that way. Maybe there’s a person at work who always has eight hard questions for you every morning regarding spiritual things. Maybe it’s that neighbor who is giving you a hard time for your faith in Jesus. Maybe it’s a spouse or a family member who doesn’t believe. You are wondering why this is happening. It’s like that catfish. That person is keeping you alert. Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples, “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:19 NLT). God will allow persecution in the life of a believer. If you’re experiencing persecution, here are two things to remember: First, persecution confirms that you are a child of God. Second, persecution causes you to cling more tightly to Jesus. That’s God’s faithfulness at work. Embrace it. Give thanks for it. And when you’re suffering persecution for your faith, remember, this world isn’t your real home anyway. If you persevere with a steady, peaceful spirit, trusting in Jesus to help you, your welcome into Heaven will be more glorious than you can imagine. You can depend on it because God is faithful. Reflection question: When have you experienced God’s faithfulness in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, we are able to read the letters written by Paul to the church in Thessalonica. Paul encourages them to continue in their pursuit of a quiet and peaceful life that honors God. This story is inspired by Acts 17. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Acts 17:23 from the King James Version.Episode 233: Paul, Silas, and Timothy were teaching at a synagogue in Thessalonica. Crowds from all over gathered there to hear what they had to say and many came to a saving faith in Jesus. Yet some of the Jews were angered by this change and hired a mob to find Paul and kill him. When the mob couldn’t find Paul they brought out Jason instead and had him beaten. Meanwhile, the rest of the believers encouraged Paul, Silas, and Timothy to flee to Berea. There was peace for Silas and Timothy there, but Paul moved on to Athens where he would reason with God-fearing Greeks and be brought before the Areopagus.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was an atheist and a thriving legal editor at one of the country’s top newspapers. And his search to disprove the Bible led him to faith in Jesus. Today on Chris Fabry Live, author Lee Strobel has turned his investigative mind to the miraculous. A new film is coming to theaters that shows evidence of the supernatural. If you’re a skeptic or you’re curious if miracles happen today, don’t miss the conversation with Lee Strobel on Chris Fabry Live. Featured resource:The Case for Miracles film, in theaters Dec 15-18 November thank you gift:The Little Christmas Carol Coloring & Activity Book by Joe Sutphin and Erik M. Peterson Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here. Care NetBecome a Back Fence Partner: https://moodyradio.org/donateto/chrisfabrylive/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I sit down with 22-year-old Dylan Mandell, who is walking through his fourth cancer diagnosis with unshakable faith in Jesus. We talk trials, daily prayer, Scripture, surrender, and the strength of family as Dylan shares why he believes his healing was already paid for on the cross in full.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction06:13 Facing Cancer with Faith11:27 Dylan's Journey: From Diagnosis to Faith15:24 The Role of Family and Upbringing31:22 The Importance of Discipline and Preparation41:41 Choosing Pain Over Medication44:31 Miraculous Recovery45:09 Keeping the Fire of Faith Alive49:50 The Potter and the Clay: Embracing Suffering57:48 The Power of Words and Discipline01:06:38 Living with Integrity and Faith01:10:31 Finding Peace in Faith01:18:56 Trusting God's Plan01:22:52 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsORDER MY BOOK HERE:https://www.amazon.com/Go-One-More-Intentional-Life-Changing/dp/1637746210FOLLOW:Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 20% off FOR LIFEhttps://bpn.team/memberIG: instagram.com/nickbarefitness/YT: youtube.com/@nickbarefitness