Podcasts about faith in jesus

In this powerful message, Pastor Robert shares three keys to strengthening our faith in Jesus.

Sermon

The opening question of this Psalm resonates with all of us.  To be a human being, so often means having to face numerous problems and challenges in life.  No one is immune from that.  Sooner or later, we all find ourselves asking: Who's going to help me?  How am I going to get through this?  How will I cope?  These kinds of questions naturally come up when we're faced with difficulties in life – when we're pulling a heavy load and it all seems a bit too much for us. Where will my help come from when I get sick?  Or when my loved ones get sick?  Where will my help come from when my business fails?  Or my marriage fails?  Where will my help come from when I feel overwhelmed and afraid?  When I don't think I can cope anymore?  Where will my help come from when I don't know what to do?  And when I feel like giving up?  Where will my help come from when I feel crushed by guilt?  Or when I've been deeply wounded by others? With the Psalmist, we can confidently say, “My help comes from the Lord!”  These problems may indeed be too much for us to handle on our own, but God promises to be with us, and nothing is too much for Him to handle! The take-home message for us, is that we can trust in God because He is trustworthy.  We can have faith in Jesus because he is faithful to us – always and in all things!  This same confidence in God's faithfulness and goodness to us, is repeated in Romans 8:37-39, where we are reassured that whatever life throws up at us, whatever we have to go through, God will always be with us, and He won't let us down.  God will continue to be faithful and trustworthy.  And His love for us will never fail! Pr. Richard Haar

The opening question of this Psalm resonates with all of us.  To be a human being, so often means having to face numerous problems and challenges in life.  No one is immune from that.  Sooner or later, we all find ourselves asking: Who's going to help me?  How am I going to get through this?  How will I cope?  These kinds of questions naturally come up when we're faced with difficulties in life – when we're pulling a heavy load and it all seems a bit too much for us. Where will my help come from when I get sick?  Or when my loved ones get sick?  Where will my help come from when my business fails?  Or my marriage fails?  Where will my help come from when I feel overwhelmed and afraid?  When I don't think I can cope anymore?  Where will my help come from when I don't know what to do?  And when I feel like giving up?  Where will my help come from when I feel crushed by guilt?  Or when I've been deeply wounded by others? With the Psalmist, we can confidently say, “My help comes from the Lord!”  These problems may indeed be too much for us to handle on our own, but God promises to be with us, and nothing is too much for Him to handle! The take-home message for us, is that we can trust in God because He is trustworthy.  We can have faith in Jesus because he is faithful to us – always and in all things!  This same confidence in God's faithfulness and goodness to us, is repeated in Romans 8:37-39, where we are reassured that whatever life throws up at us, whatever we have to go through, God will always be with us, and He won't let us down.  God will continue to be faithful and trustworthy.  And His love for us will never fail! Pr. Richard Haar

Do you consider yourself a servant? I am Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. This is actually the second episode of two parts that we're talking about Ephesians 4:12, and I want to read verses 11 and 12, and I'm reading from the 1995 New American Standard Version. "And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. Our work as saints is to be servants. Our work is service. It's the work of service that we've been called to do. It's not just to be chipping in and helping out around our church. I believe service is the way Jesus made us so that we could communicate the truth of his salvation. I'm stumbling a bit. And I apologize about that, but I'm thinking through this, as I talk. The holy spirit guides us to serve other people. And when we do that, because we are being led by the holy spirit because we followed Jesus. And because we're listening to God, then other people ask us, why are you doing that? It's not natural for fallen people to want to serve one another. It's natural for people who followed Jesus to be challenged by the holy spirit to serve other people. I'm careful how I say that because I feel like it's not natural for me to want to serve other people. I tend to want to be served. And you know, every day you get an opportunity to learn more about the guy who you're listening to on this podcast, but I can tend to be pretty selfish. And I believe if you're honest with yourself, you can too. When we serve other people, especially when our motive is our faith in Jesus, it causes confusion. It challenges them a little. And that's part of the reason why our fifth daily activity is to speak for yourselves. This work of service gives us an excuse to tell people why we did it. When they ask us, why are you doing this? Why did you stay late? Or why did you pay for something that I didn't have the money to cover? Why are you going out of your way to do these things? When we do those things and they ask those questions and we can say, why do that? Because I felt like Jesus wanted me to do that. I'm a follower of Jesus. And that's what I thought he wanted me to do. You introduce Jesus into the real world. We make him visible in our world when we live, because we're obeying him. When we live like we're obeying him, I believe this business of equipping the saints is a big deal. Pastors and apostles and profits, all those people help. They serve the believers. They serve people who are Christians and they help us serve others. And when we serve others, each of us, what we're doing is we're helping people move one notch closer to Jesus. I would like tin challenge us as followers of Jesus Christ. Let's find ways to serve, ask Jesus how he would have used serve as your pastor and your Bible study and the things that you do as a Christian, equip you to serve other people. They equip you to serve them by knowing the scriptures and understanding what the Bible teaches. They also equip us to serve other people because that's what Jesus did. As I mentioned in yesterday's podcast, Mark 10:45, Jesus said, "even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life, a ransom for many." all of us are called to do what Jesus did. Let's serve. Let's serve others. I'm convicted because I think of things that I don't do well when I serve others. And so let's get better at what we're doing. Let's continue practice. Again today, if you want to do this on a regular basis, then you need to be part of a community of people who are exercising this challenge, who are working our servant muscles out and trying to get stronger at serving others. That community is https://followerofone.org. Go to https://followerofone.org and click on the community link and join us. Thanks so much for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for making a difference in your work. What we do as Christ followers matters. Thanks very much.  

How would you feel if I told you that the job of every Christian is to serve other people? Hi, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me today on the Follower of One podcast. I was surprised when I realized that I hadn't spoken about this passage before on the podcast. Ephesians 4:11-12 "and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ." That's Ephesians 4:11-12 from the English Standard Version. I actually memorized that passage in the 1995 version of the New American Standard, which uses a slightly different word there. Often this passage is. , interpreted in the times that I've heard it talked about or in the commentaries that I've read, I see people and I hear people talking about how this passage is about the structure of the church. The apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and the teachers are the leaders in the church. Those are the people whose job it is to equip the saints, that's the rest of us, us chosen ones, us, people who are called to follow Jesus. Those people equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ. In my years, as a Christ follower, I've heard this passage explained a variety of different ways. So the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and the teachers being the staff of the church are equipping the rest of us for the work of ministry. And I've heard people talk about that as being I'm supposed to serve in the church in the 1995 New American Standard, It even says the work of service it's equipping us for the work of service. And so I've had people tell me that I need to serve in the church. I need to serve on Sundays or work in the nursery or teach a Sunday school class or do something associated with my church organization, with my local church. And that's been what I was told to do because I'm building up the body of Christ. I'm building up the whole local church. I'm not sure that's exactly what this passage means. In fact, the local church was a kind of a different organization back when Paul wrote this letter. It was a community of believers in the same general vicinity. So it was a local church, but I think it was a little less of an organization that we make it to be. I wonder if we don't take this a little too simply and keep it in the context of church when we ought to apply it to where we are and what we do every day, or you would think that I would come up with that kind of a conclusion just based on what you might know about Follower of One. Our job, I believe is to help other people move one notch closer to Jesus. And I believe the way God created us to do that is to serve others. I think that's his strategy. In Mark 10:45 Jesus says "even the son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life, a ransom for many." And the word translated ministry in verse 12 is actually the same Greek word that is often translated service. You see our job isn't ministry, our job is service. That's the work we're supposed to be doing. The job a pastor or an apostle or a prophet does is they equip the saints. The job that the saints do is serve other people. We serve them and when we serve them well, and when we serve them, because we follow Jesus. Then they're prompted to ask, Hey, why are you doing this? Why would you do something like that? And then we get to tell them about our faith in Jesus and when they become Christ followers, when they become disciples that builds up the body of Christ. I wonder if it's not that simple, I've gone a little long today. Thank you for considering this idea. Let's talk a little bit more about the ministry of saints on tomorrow's episode is. Thanks for joining me again today on the Follower of One podcast. If you want to be part of a community committed to growing as servers of people so that Jesus might become visible, then check us out at https://followerofone.org. Thanks very much.  

Your story of how Jesus transformed your life is powerful! Never underestimate or pass up an opportunity to share what Jesus did in your life. This Sunday join us as we hear stories of transformation, as many declare their faith in Jesus through water baptism! For more info about Aberdeen First Assembly check out our website: https://www.afa.church/

God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows. Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:11-17)   Psalm 7: another real good example of the deeply rooted faith of the Psalms that takes God and evil seriously and that finally rests in submission to God and his justice. At the beginning of this Psalm, David brings his case before God, his refuge, by saying: “Arise, Lord, in your anger… Awake, my God; decree justice.  Let the Lord judge the peoples.  Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High” (vv. 6-8)  But, David also leaves room for his own presumption of innocence to be overturned by the God who is Judge, by saying: “…if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—then let my enemy pursue and overtake me…” (vv. 3-5).  And here we have a picture of how the faith of the Psalms understood God's wrath and judgement to be enacted practically, especially through the final verses of the Psalm that I've included in our reading today. God's deadly weapons of wrath are displayed, says David, not in activity, but in passivity.  God enacts his wrathful judgements by allowing the one who has dug a pit to fall into it, by allowing the trouble one has caused to recoil on them, and by allowing the violence one has committed to come down on their own heads.  The fact that God does not save from these calamities of one's own making, is the evidence that God has passed judgement. I've been struck often in these last years by how many Biblical narratives in the Old Testament and the New portray this exact movement of God's judgement: a judgement and wrath enacted not by the addition of punishment, but by the removal of presence.  The narrative of the Ark of the Covenant we preached through from 1 Samuel earlier this year is an excellent example.  The people wished to fight their battles on their own, and so God lets them.  It doesn't turn out well. Our conception of hell and final judgement fits this picture too.  In 2 Thessalonians 1, Paul writes that those who were shutting the Christians of Thessalonica out of society for their faith in Jesus would themselves be “shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” which would be their destruction.  C.S. Lewis puts it the same way as he writes: “There are only two kids of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'thy will be done.”    This is far from the picture of an angry, vengeful God that we catch on first blush when reading Psalm 7 or any number of other passages in the Bible.  It is a God who sounds rather more just.  A God who does not step in to keep troublesome people from receiving the trouble that they seek, but also a God who actively grants salvation and mercy for those who seek to find salvation and mercy in him.  So like David, let us be exactly that sort of people.  

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we want to give you a free gift! Click below to fill in your information so we can mail you your gift or you can pick it up at one of our in-person services at 9AM, 11AM or 1PM. https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/129025 Subscribe 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://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/K4SJC6#/ Stay connected with us through our: Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/ Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at 525 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ: https://goo.gl/maps/CfVXbCxbQg6qW4ss7

I had a great conversation with Enneagram coach Kelsey Taylor where we dove into some layers that lie underneath “The Number” . We talked about skepticism, application, her personal testimony, and how Christians sometimes look on self help tools like this one with suspicion. Kelsey patiently walked me through my questions ..as she does :) …and now YOU get to benefit from her expertise. Take Aways: The same tools and skills that are promoted through in depth study of yourself through the lens of your enneagram number are present in The Gospel Your enneagram number does not predict what you will do …you have full authority over that. The enneagram gives you the scouting report on your specific formula for motivation When you learn what you focus on, you will become aware of what you tend to miss. Whit and Jake are Christian Life Coaches at Steadfast Life Coaching. We bridge the gap between the secular wisdom of the self-help world and the transformative power of faith in Jesus. Apply for a FREE breakthrough Session: https://oykk2m84esb.typeform.com/to/aoDyvObT Learn about VIP coaching: https://www.steadfastlifecoaching.com/vip-coaching-page Join our Monthly Membership "Trust U": https://www.steadfastlifecoaching.com/trust-u FB: https://www.facebook.com/SteadfastLifeCoaching IG: https://www.instagram.com/steadfastlifecoaching/ Want to get your own Steadfast Gear? Visit the new store: https://steadfast-life-gear.launchcart.store/shop

Abundant Life Episode 35 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss saving faith and why this is foundational to all Christians. Freedom That Lasts definition Saving faith is believing that Jesus Christ is my only Savior. Many believe that there are many ways to get to heaven but there is no saving faith in that.  Webster's 1828 FAITH - is a firm, cordial belief in the veracity of God, in all the declarations of his word; or a full and affectionate confidence in the certainty of those things which God has declared, and because he has declared them. There is a lot to unpack with that definition of faith but it is saving faith that allows us to say that there is one God and that we take Him at His Word. Jesus Christ is the only Savior! Key verse Acts 4:12 What is saving faith? Saving faith is what cleanses a sinner of sin and sets his/her eternal destination. We call this justification and sanctification. When you place your faith in Christ, you are justified and set apart, sealed as a child of God. To have faith in Jesus simply means you trust Him and Him alone that He is God in the flesh and that died and resurrected to atone for our sin. Obviously this trust must be authentic.  Often times the Bible uses the word believe, in fact John uses "believe" in the Gospel of John and it turns out its there 100 times within 86 different verses. The new testament found 248 times within 220 verses (all KJV). The greek word pist-yoo'-o means to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in John 1:1 It is extremely important to identify that Jesus is God. Jesus is the second person of the trinity, co-equal with God the father. Some religions will tell you that they believe in Jesus, but the "Jesus" they identify with is either not God, or is not eternal. John 1:14 Another huge point is that Jesus became man, God in the flesh. Jesus is the keeper of the law, he never sinned once and is the reason that we can have salvation. Romans 10:9-10 Salvation requires that you place your faith or your trust in Jesus, the correct Jesus, and that you are trusting in his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sin. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 John testifies that those who have placed their faith in Jesus are sons and daughters of God. 1 John 5:1 This foundational saving faith is the key to becoming and living as a Christian, if you miss this, then you may have a false hope. Is Jesus the only way? There is no other way to get to heaven, only one way, and that is through Jesus.  People look to a lot of things in this world as their savior but there is only one way.  Matthew 7:13-14 Matthew 7:22-23 People look to a lot of things for their Savior, but they miss out on the one true Savior. The one who died for you and seeks to rescue you from your condemned condition. John 19:30 John 14:6 Acts 4:12 Once saved always saved! Jesus knew all of the sin we would commit but He still loved us with an everlasting love and there is nothing that will separate us from this great love.  Romans 8:35, 38-39 Every Christian at some point doubts their salvation. Typically when you are in sin, or perhaps just not reading your bible, or maybe it's just that Satan is whispering lies in your ear, it's inevitable that you will experience doubt. John 10:28-29 Ephesians 4:30 There are some Christians that believe you can lose your salvation. However, it really wouldn't make sense. When you get saved you are granted eternal life. It wouldn't be eternal if it can be broken or haunted. The scripture is clear, we are sealed and sanctified even until the day of redemption. Once saved, it's very likely that we will sin, but the beautiful thing is that God does not throw us away like some broken piece of trash. When we sin, we definitely cause a rift in our relationship with God, but the solution is simple, repent and confess. Sins brings about doubt of in our lives,

The Trust Fall.  A simple, yet profound exercise in testing a person's faith in another.  This test requires one person to face a certain direction, looking straight ahead, not looking behind them.  A second person then stands directly behind the first person and tells that person to blindly fall backwards.  There is always a moment of uncertainty for the first person as they slowly fall, wondering if this second person will catch them. To up the ante, have a person stand on a chair or table, and then have a group of four or five people stand underneath them, promising to catch them.  Then ask the person on the table to fall backwards!  It doesn't take long to see who is trusting and who is not (or who is a bit crazy!).  Every day as we go about our lives, we are playing a form of "Trust Fall".  As followers of Jesus, we know that Jesus has some very specific things to say about how to live life; he instructs on money, possessions, sexual ethics, anger, how we treat people, serving other, forgiving enemies...and many other things.  The problem is that what Jesus teaches is often counter intuitive to how culture teaches us to live.  So there is this moment of tension.  This moment of trust.  Will I do what Jesus instructs or will I do what everyone else is doing? In this sermon we will continue with part three of our study of James.  In chapter one, verse twenty-two says this: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says." ~ James 1:22 Just like The Trust Fall exercise reveals our level of faith, so do these simple yet powerful words from James.  If you want to deepen your faith in Jesus, you do what he says.  Do you want to learn more?  Make sure and join us for another step in our series, All Day, Every Day. 

Christian music couple Jenny and Tyler love to perform songs about the love of Christ. When they're at home, this husband and wife enjoy sharing God's Word with their four children through CBN's Superbook. With your support, you're ...

Christian music couple Jenny and Tyler love to perform songs about the love of Christ. When they're at home, this husband and wife enjoy sharing God's Word with their four children through CBN's Superbook. With your support, you're ...

Christian music couple Jenny and Tyler love to perform songs about the love of Christ. When they're at home, this husband and wife enjoy sharing God's Word with their four children through CBN's Superbook. With your support, you're ...

Christian music couple Jenny and Tyler love to perform songs about the love of Christ. When they're at home, this husband and wife enjoy sharing God's Word with their four children through CBN's Superbook. With your support, you're ...

Christian music couple Jenny and Tyler love to perform songs about the love of Christ. When they're at home, this husband and wife enjoy sharing God's Word with their four children through CBN's Superbook. With your support, you're ...

Hebrews is like a hub where the Old and New Testaments meet. Many Jewish Christians were being persecuted and were considering abandoning their faith in Jesus. Join us as overview this amazing letter when encourages them (and us) to hold fast to Jesus and see the whole Bible through Him.If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, rate, review, & share!For more information, in-person or online studies, or if you have questions, please reach out to us:(717) 585-0949 call/textCapitalCityChristians@gmail.comCapitalCityChristians.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him.  Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”  John 6:66–68What a perfect response from Peter.  The context of this story is quite fascinating and revealing.  Jesus had just completed His beautiful and profound discourse on the Holy Eucharist stating clearly that His flesh is real food and His blood is real drink and that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you have no life in you.  As a result of His teaching on the Eucharist, there were many who “returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with Him.”  In other words, Jesus' teaching on the Eucharist was difficult for many to accept and believe.Interestingly, after Jesus speaks this profound teaching on the Eucharist, and after many leave Him as a result, He does not backpedal or change what He said.  Instead, He asks His Apostles if they wish to leave also.This question by Jesus to the Apostles is important to understand.  By asking it of them in a very direct way, Jesus is giving them complete freedom to choose.  He does not pressure them to believe what He just taught.  This is significant because the level of detachment that Jesus offers is a way of inviting a completely free acceptance, on the part of the Apostles, of His glorious teaching on the Eucharist.  They are truly free to accept or reject it.  It is this freedom that allows them to radically deepen their faith in Jesus.Peter speaks up and gives a wonderful response.  “Master, to whom shall we go?”  These words of Peter reveal clearly two things.  First, this was a difficult situation in that people were walking away from Jesus.  But secondly, Peter and the other Apostles were aware that they must believe despite the difficulty.  Just because many left Jesus and refused to accept His words was no reason for the Apostles to leave Him, also.  In fact, we can hear in Peter's words a manifestation of faith that they have come to believe in Jesus so completely that leaving Him would be utter foolishness.  Where would they go?  Why would they leave?  Peter reaffirms his faith in Jesus even though following Him at that moment was not the “popular” thing to do.Reflect, today, upon your own level of commitment to Jesus.  Know that you are completely free to follow Him or to leave Him.  But if you choose to follow Him, do not do it half way.  Know that Jesus' words are powerful, challenging and demanding.  He wants you to believe in Him and follow Him with your whole heart and with profound commitment.  Jesus alone has the words of eternal life and we must accept and believe those words with all our might.Lord, to whom else shall I go if I do not follow You?  You and You alone are the One whom I choose to believe in and follow.  Help me to embrace all that You have taught and help me to freely choose You each and every day of my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Pastor Cameron closes the "Struggle Towards Hope" series by reading one of his writings from December 2020 - Caleb may have lost some of his expected days on earth, but he is in a place that is infinitely better! The same is true for all of those who depart with faith in Jesus.  If you have questions or comments for a future episode that you would like Pastor Cameron to answer, please send them to us at the8minutedevotion@gmail.com

Doubts. We all have them. While it's easy to keep doubts to ourselves, use them to push us away God or even feel ashamed for having them, Jesus invites us to not only have doubts, but to bring them to Him. He is not afraid of our questions or frustrations. This Sunday we begin our new series, Surprised by Jesus, taking a look at preconceived ideas we might have about Jesus and how he not only confronts them but flips them on their head. Join us as we take a look at how Jesus speaks into the doubts of one of the apostles who genuinely struggled with his faith in Jesus.Support the show

God sees you totally righteous and holy because off faith in Jesus!

As our world becomes more and more unstable, our only hope for peace and security comes from letting our roots grow deep down into Jesus. today's episode describes what that looks like. Listen in. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like our world is getting more and more unhinged as the days and months go by. I lived through the ‘60s and early '70s during the Vietnam War, a really unstable time in our history. This era saw the assassination of a US president, the slaying of a presidential candidate, and the murder of the greatest civil rights leader of our time. And to top it off, the leader of the free world was forced out of office because of a scandal he created. Pretty rocky times. There followed a period of relative peace, but ever since the current decade started in 2020, things are becoming more and more unstable and are reminding me of those tumultuous years I lived through earlier in my life. And I don't like it. I bet you don't either. How then are we to cope and live well during times like this? Today's episode tries to answer this question. I'll begin with a story. Bulbs that bloom in the spring Earlier this spring, our daughter sent me some paperwhite narcissus bulbs for my birthday. To grow them you place the bulbs in a shallow bowl of pebbles, propping them up as best you can with small stones, and then add water to the bowl. The roots on the bottom of the bulbs will draw from the water to grow. It's that simple. When they are fully grown their tall spindly branches bloom fragile fragrant white blossoms. They're beautiful. I've grown paperwhites before so I knew what to do, but when I placed these particular bulbs in among the pebbles they were all wobbly and it took some effort to get them situated upright. When they looked as best as I could get them, I added water, set the planter aside, and forgot about them. The wobbly state of the bulbs reminded me of that famous quote from Margaret Thatcher. It was August of 1990 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and President George H. W. Bush, was considering how the US should respond. Wisdom from the Margret Thatcher, the “Iron Lady” The former British Prime minister advised President Bush with this famous line, “Remember George, this is no time to go wobbly.” Back to my story about the paperwhites. A few days later after adding water to the bowl of bulbs I went to check on them. I thought I might have to straighten them upright again. To my surprise, the bulbs had stabilized themselves and were perfectly straight. I tried to gently move one of them, but it was firmly positioned on top of the stones. It wouldn't budge. I don't know why I would have expected anything different because I've grown this type of bulb before. If you're not familiar with paperwhites you might wonder, how did they stabilize themselves? The answer is found in the roots. Once water was added to the bowl, just enough to cover the bottom of the bulbs, the tiny roots took over. They begin to seek out the water in the crevices between the pebbles in the bowl, and in doing so, the roots grow longer and longer. They wind themselves around the stones and go deeper into the water, all of which secures the bulb on top of the pebbles. What was once wobbly becomes firm, stable, and sure. And the plant begins to grow straight and tall, becoming what it was designed to be. All because of the roots. And just as the original wobbly nature of the bulbs when I first placed them in the bowl of pebbles reminded me of that Margaret Thatcher, “this is no time to go wobbly” quote, the roots reminded me of another quote. It's from the Bible in the Book of Colossians, chapter 4: God's answer to our problem And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Now that the paperwhites are growing, I look at them frequently. No blossoms yet as of this recording. But they will come. I'm actually more intrigued at the moment by the roots and the work they are doing to make the plants grow. They so remind me of what the Bible says about letting our own roots grow down into Jesus. The roots of the paperwhites are largely unseen. They have to wind themselves around the significant obstacles of stones to find that which keeps them alive - water. So it is with our relationship with Jesus. The roots of our individual faith are not obvious to others. They are the internal beliefs, convictions, and values we hold that manifest themself in the face of formidable forces impacting our life. How it works If we let the roots of our faith in Jesus grow down deep into him they will give us life and keep us stable in our increasingly unstable world. When the culture cancels us, when we lose our job, when we get a cancer diagnosis, our roots will keep us upright and stable. When our church marginalizes us, when our spouse betrays us, our roots in Jesus, our deep roots, will keep us alive and even grow us. A stock market decline and our kids getting in trouble will not upend us if we've let our roots go down deep into Jesus. When we see the atrocities of the war in Ukraine on our screens day after day, our roots in Jesus will guide us in responding to this evil. When our car breaks down and we have no money to fix it our roots of faith and trust in Jesus will not send us off the edge. As the unintended consequences of public policy related to Covid begin to rise to the surface, our roots sunk down into Jesus will help us respond to the fractures in our culture that are separating us from each other in destructive ways. So what does all this mean for YOU? There's certainly a lot to be wobbly about with all that's going on in our world. Are you coping the best you can with your own resources? Or are you sinking your roots down into Jesus to depend upon Him for the peace, and stability we all desire? When all manner of obstacles to our peace comes against us, it's not the time to go wobbly. Pay attention to our roots in Jesus. Trust them. Draw strength and wisdom from them. Nurture their deepening growth. Here's the main takeaway I hope you remember from today's episode It's from Colossians 4:6-7, which I will quote again here And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Let me know what you think about all this. I'd love to hear from you. Closing In closing, I hope your thinking was stimulated by today's show, to think about how you can let your roots go down into Jesus. Doing this will draw you closer to God. It's what you were made for. You were made for this! And while you're doing this, spread a little relational sunshine around this week. It will spark joy in you and the people you meet. That's it for today. I'll see you again soon next time. Related episodes you may want to listen to 139: Why Should I Listen to This Podcast? 111: How to Find Rest in Difficult Circumstances 058: How a Crisis Can Bring Out the Best in Us Our Sponsor You Were Made for This is sponsored by Caring for Others, a missionary care ministry. We are supported by the generosity of people like you to continue this weekly podcast and other services we provide to missionaries around the world.

Whit headed out to California to grow her mind with some of the best in the world, and I got to spend 96 hours with my son who needs a bottle every 3rd one. I decided to use the same technique we coach clients with: Plan, Execute, Evaluate, Adjust …and I documented it as I went so we can ALL learn from the film room :) Lessons: Plans are better held loosely otherwise I spend my energy trying to bend reality to meet the fantasy I created rather than adjusting my response to the situation I'm actually in Taking authority over my experience of life is about building skills and learning to use tools, not getting to the top of a mountain so I can check it off my bucket list. Beating myself up for feeling out of control is an indication that I am misunderstanding this journey It takes energy to interrupt the pattern you're in, but if you don't like what the pattern is producing, that is energy well spent. Whit and Jake are Christian Life Coaches at Steadfast Life Coaching. We bridge the gap between the secular wisdom of the self-help world and the transformative power of faith in Jesus. Apply for a FREE breakthrough Session: https://oykk2m84esb.typeform.com/to/aoDyvObT Learn about VIP coaching: https://www.steadfastlifecoaching.com/vip-coaching-page Join our Monthly Membership "Trust U": https://www.steadfastlifecoaching.com/trust-u FB: https://www.facebook.com/SteadfastLifeCoaching IG: https://www.instagram.com/steadfastlifecoaching/ Want to get your own Steadfast Gear? Visit the new store: https://steadfast-life-gear.launchcart.store/shop

There will come a day when your faith in Jesus will be challenged… …So remember what true faith is …Most importantly remember that your faith is grounded in Him who has saved you not your own doing ✨ Faith is central to all things we hope in …we do not have the ability of knowing all things, or observing all things from the beginning to end ✨ Faith is a trust that comes from God …who builds assurance in our lives, that what we are trusting in is reliable, what we know is sufficient & that what we believe is sure …what gets us into trouble is thinking that our faith is something that we generate. ✨ Faith is simply the avenue by which we come to God and trust Him for our salvation because He has persuaded & convinced us though His love, grace & faithfulness. Without faith it is impossible to please God for we are not holy and beyond that if our faith comes from the righteousness of Jesus than the only things that pleases God is the faith we possess in Jesus who is the author and the protector of our faith. We would love to pray with you today! https://www.emmauslutheran.org/prayer Fill out our virtual Connection Card: https://emmauslutheran.churchcenter.com/people/forms/152121 Be apart of Emmaus' Mission through giving! http://emmauslutheran.org/give Connect with us online… www.emmauslutheran.org www.facebook.com/Emmausaflc www.instagram.com/emmausaflc www.twitter.com/EmmausAFLC

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we want to give you a free gift! Click below to fill in your information so we can mail you your gift or you can pick it up at one of our in-person services at 9AM, 11AM or 1PM. https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/129025 Subscribe 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://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/K4SJC6#/ Stay connected with us through our: Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/ Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at 525 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ: https://goo.gl/maps/CfVXbCxbQg6qW4ss7

Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, pastor at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX, and 3rd Vice President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 3:1-26. The lame man in Acts 3 had a prime spot for begging for alms, yet on the day recorded by St. Luke, Peter and John had a far better gift for the man. In the name of Jesus, they gave this man the gift of healing; the man promptly began walking and leaping and praising God. As the gathering crowd realized who this man was, Peter took the opportunity to proclaim Jesus to them. He spoke to them concerning what the God of their fathers had done in raising Jesus from the dead; it was through the name of this same Jesus that this man had been made well. Though the people had acted in ignorance in crucifying Jesus, God had accomplished what He had foretold. Jesus is the prophet to whom they must listen; Jesus is the offspring of Abraham through whom they would be blessed. Peter proclaimed these things in order that these people might receive that blessing of God through faith in Jesus. “To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things that Jesus continued to do through the ministry of His Church. By the end of the book, the proclamation of the Lord's Word that began in Jerusalem grows all the way to Rome. By God's grace, even now, that same Word is proclaimed to us.

This week we start a new series, "Intersections of Faith." Pastor Blake will focus on how our faith in Jesus is to intersect with every part of our lives. This week we focus on work, and the calling God has placed on our lives to do so faithfully.   To watch a version of this sermon, check out our online service: www.declarationchurch.net/live.

We've all had bad days, haven't we? Something goes wrong, we have a conflict with a family member or co-worker, and we're upset or ‘off' the rest of the day. We go on, though, and the next day is usually better. How do you react, though, when something happens of a more serious nature? Do you fret and worry, even cry? Do you talk to others? Or does it put you in a bad mood, to the point where you are rude or dismissive towards others?   The Apostle Paul had many ‘bad days;' in fact, he sometimes had bad days that ended up hurting him for some time – and in a couple of instances, they affected him for several years! Here's what he learned to do:   First, he reminded himself of how God had worked in the past and of the ways God's Word addressed specific fears and situations. Of course, this didn't really change the situation, but it helped his perspective.   Another thing he did when the ‘bad day' affected others was encourage them with his faith-based perspective. He knew that if he was suffering, so were others – and he wanted to help them!   Finally, he learned to make the best of a situation and talk to others about the way God has acted in history to help us deal with our struggles and even the sin that tends to make things worse.   People need to hear about Jesus, of course, but they also need encouragement as they go through the struggles of this life. Let's follow Paul's example – especially in the bad days of this life! Paul became an encourager based on his faith in Jesus and his love for people.   The best way you can support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.   We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/   If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/   Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.

When we are facing tough transitions in life, what does it look like to have faith in Jesus? It is not having blind faith, in fact, far from it. God has called us to have faith knowing His presence precedes us. We also have the works of God through out all of history to reflect on. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/charles-hegwood/message

We are justified by faith in Jesus and nothing else.

In this teaching, Brad explains from Hebrews 8:1-2 that the main point of Hebrews is Jesus sat down after providing purification of sins. The priest under the law of Moses could never sit down. They were always sacrificing animals for the forgiveness of their own sins and the sins of the people. Therefore, they always stood and preformed their daily and yearly sacrifices. Yet Jesus with one sacrifice for sins for all people and for all time sat down. Jesus sat down because through his sacrifice he secured for all time, for all people, and for all sins, eternal forgiveness and cleansing from sins. His forgiveness and cleansing from sins is received by faith in Jesus. For Brad's books and other resources on grace, see the information below. Brad's books are all available on Amazon in Paperback. Books: https://www.amazon.com/Brad-Robertson/e/B08746JQSK/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1 Addicted To Grace: A New Life Awaits - https://www.amazon.com/Addicted-Grace-New-Life-Awaits/dp/0578407760 Forgiven and Cleansed: 1 John 1:9 In Context - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N3NBPPR Return to Grace: A Commentary on Galatians - https://www.amazon.com/Return-Grace-Commentary-Brad-Robertson/dp/B08HV8HRTC Strategic Church: Reaching The World With Grace - https://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Church-Strategy-Reach-World/dp/B08733MRWW The Story of Grace: Your Life Will Never Be The Same - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692084940 Website: https://www.gracereach.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bradr1966 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClip-czxRgZbxtWg-w2YL7A Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gracereach-podcast-with-brad-robertson/id1503583444 (You may listen to Brad's podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, and most all podcast platforms.) If you would like to donate to Brad's ministry, Gracereach, to help reach more and more people with the good news of God's grace. click here: https://www.gracereach.org/donatetogracereach Thank you!

Have you ever experienced a difficult season where you are looking for direction, healing, or just some hope? Maybe you've prayed, but nothing seems to change. After a time, you might wonder if God sees you or if He's really there. If you've experienced that, be assured you are not alone, and there is a way forward. We can navigate these seasons and deepen our faith in Jesus.

Is our faith in Jesus so real that demons know our name? Is our life so surrendered to Jesus that demons know our name? Are we having an impact on this world for Jesus so much that the demons actually know our name? We hope so and because they know our name the good news is they are probably terrified of us!

CONTACT AMYThe Wednesdays With Watson Podcast is honored to bring Amber Cullum, host of Grace Enough Podcast to our microphone. Amber has a message for all of us. "You don't have to have the Amy Watson story to experience trauma that needs to be addressed and has consequences". Does trauma occur in seemingly healthy, two parent families? How does said trauma affect our parents and what is the trickle down as children watch their parents respond?  Amber does a great job of helping us understand trauma as it occurs in two parent, in tact, "culturally Christian" homes. "sometimes we can know why they feel because we hold space for people who don't believe like we do."--Amber CullumAmber shares this podcast's mission and that is to provide Hope for those who feel like their trauma doesn't matter because it's not "the Amy Watson story". We understand that not all listeners share our faith in Jesus. However, it is important to provide a safe place for people to process trauma. We are that place.Don't miss this episode as it is vital that we understand trauma in all its forms. Books Referenced:Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.Peter ScazerroSacred RestDr. Sandra DaltonScripture ReferenceJohn 3:16Joel 2:25

Today I talk about the Podcasts that are encouraging me this year. Listen and find some edifying programming to strengthen your faith in Jesus!!! Share with a friend! :)

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we want to give you a free gift! Click below to fill in your information so we can mail you your gift or you can pick it up at one of our in-person services at 9AM, 11AM or 1PM. https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/129025 Subscribe 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://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/K4SJC6#/ Stay connected with us through our: Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/ Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at 525 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ: https://goo.gl/maps/CfVXbCxbQg6qW4ss7

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we want to give you a free gift! Click below to fill in your information so we can mail you your gift or you can pick it up at one of our in-person services at 9AM, 11AM or 1PM. https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/129025 Subscribe 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://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/K4SJC6#/ Stay connected with us through our: Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/ Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at 525 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ: https://goo.gl/maps/CfVXbCxbQg6qW4ss7

If you placed your faith in Jesus, we want to give you a free gift! Click below to fill in your information so we can mail you your gift or you can pick it up at one of our in-person services at 9AM, 11AM or 1PM. https://churchalivenj.churchcenter.com/people/forms/129025 Subscribe 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://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/K4SJC6#/ Stay connected with us through our: Church Alive Website: https://churchalive.tv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchalivenj/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchAliveNJ/ Plan your next in-person visit. We are located at 525 Riverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ: https://goo.gl/maps/CfVXbCxbQg6qW4ss7

Jesus said in John 6:41-59 “I am the bread of life.” The crowd murmured in disagreement. But that didn't stop Jesus from teaching truth. What did this statement mean to the Jewish people and what does it mean for us today? Let's unpack this together. ****** Last week we focused on the blessing after the miracle – that is, Jesus using the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 to point to the glory of God. Now Jesus moves from the area of Genessaret to teach in Capernaum, his home base and a prosperous town of about 1000 people. The lesson He shared is difficult for us to understand TODAY, but if we put ourselves in the shoes of the Jewish people who were contemporaries of Jesus, we can barely begin to imagine the difficulty they would have had with His words. Which is why John states in chapter 6 verse 41 as written in the New Living Translation… 41 Then the people[a] began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” I can hear it now…What was that He said? Some translations say that the people “grumbled” which can give us a different picture…my dad would have called that “belly aching” … and that can make us think that the crowd may have even been speaking belligerently; but the correct interpretation, I believe, is that they were all kind of whispering to each other, a bit shocked and in unbelief, not knowing what to make of this statement that was said openly in the synagogue. “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” To give you some background, after the Israelites left Egypt, and as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, God provided them manna every single day. The actual word manna means “what is it?” – because the people didn't know what it was! They quickly learned that manna was bread from heaven that would keep them alive if eaten daily but would only last for a single day. They were to gather what would sustain them for the upcoming 24 hours – or 48 hours if it was the day prior to the Sabbath. If they collected more than that, it would rot in a disgusting way. So they had to trust that God would provide more for them every single day. Later, the Jews were taught that when the Messiah came, He would also bring manna, or bread, that was capable of giving them life. So now Jesus said, not “I BRING the bread of life,” – which is what they would have been expecting from the Messiah… but “I AM the bread of life – sent down FROM heaven.” What could this mean? Instead of trying to understand Jesus' words, however, they simply dismissed Him by attacking His character. Verse 42…  42 They said, “Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven'?” They didn't understand what Jesus said, so their response was to dismiss His authority. As WE study the Bible and apply it to our lives, there are certainly going to be things we don't understand. Our job is to keep seeking God's answer and to trust Him AS the authority even when we don't understand. Have you ever heard a word from God, and then questioned whether you heard it at all? Any relationship counselor will tell you that the key to a good relationship is listening. If something confuses you about God or the Bible, keep seeking…keep listening…keep asking questions. Our God is not a God of confusion, and He knows better than we do how we learn and grow. We can always trust His timing and revelation to us. Jesus didn't answer their murmurs that dismissed His authority. Instead, He told them to focus in…He wasn't done explaining. Verse 43… 43 But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. 44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. Anyone who hears about Jesus or feels the pull of faith in Jesus, does so because God has had them in His sight since the beginning of time. We cannot draw ourselves to God – that is one of the reasons we marvel at how gracious and loving He is! Just like the Israelites could do NOTHING to make the manna that would sustain them fall from the sky, we cannot bring God closer to us. On the contrary, God has positioned HIMSELF in our lives – He has OFFERED Himself – our job is to say yes. To accept the manna and ingest it…to receive Jesus, THE bread of life, into our very lives. But unlike manna, which lasted only 24-48 hours, the one who openly receives Jesus, receives life eternal. Jesus is THE bread that will sustain us for ETERNITY. Jesus backs up this bombshell with the news that He is now their direct access to God the Father. Isaiah and Jeremiah both had prophesied that a time would come when the people would have a direct connection with God  … something they had always had to rely on the high priest for…and Jesus is saying that HE is now that direct contact…verse 45  45 As it is written in the Scriptures,[b] ‘They will ALL be taught BY God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.  And Jesus gives them further revelation, saying… 46 (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.) This was huge! The process of meeting with God prior to Jesus was extreme. God is so holy that a strict prescribed protocol had to be followed for the high priest to enter the holy of holies, where the ark of the covenant was kept and God resided. And that could only happen one time a year. And yet Jesus states that not only is He the Bread of Life sent from God, but He has actually seen God. I imagine the murmuring was hushed as He underscored this revelation…vs 47 47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” 52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. There is little doubt in my mind that the Jewish people did not understand these puzzling statements. I say that because it is difficult for us to understand, and we've had 2000 years to digest and analyze them. In hindsight and in view of history and the rest of the Bible, it is evident that Jesus was referencing His upcoming death and crucifixion as an offering of His body and blood. Life was considered to be in the blood, and flesh represented humanity. Jesus, as a human, died, giving up His flesh and His blood. We assume that death is a part of life – what's that saying…the only sure things in life are death and taxes, right? But death is only a given because of sin. When God created humankind, His purpose was that we would spend eternity with Him. Life was perfect. The earth was perfect. But then man sinned, and the effects of sin ushered in not only death, but disease, corrosion, pain, suffering, rain … I could go on and on. The penalty for our sin is our death. We sin. So our death IS sure. But JESUS lived a perfect, sinless life, and should have never died. He gave up HIS life, in payment for ours. And He rose again, that we might be resurrected if we accept the gift of salvation that He offers us. Remember that I said that like manna that fell from the sky through no effort of the Israelites, God comes to us through no effort of our own? God CHOOSES to come to us. Jesus CHOSE to come to us. Though no effort of ours, Jesus died for us. Our role is to believe – to accept the gift of His body and blood as a sin offering. Jesus' body is our true food, that can bring us eternal life. Jesus' blood is our true drink that will keep us from thirsting for eternity. Jesus reiterates beginning in verse 56…  56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” We must receive Jesus to live. As complicated as it seems, it really is that simple. There have been theologians throughout the years who use this passage to say that to receive salvation, Christians must literally eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus via communion where the bread and wine miraculously become the flesh and blood of Jesus. There are others who also believe that salvation hinges on communion, but consider communion as a symbolic ingesting of the flesh and blood of Jesus. But there are many, and I am in this camp, who believe that this teaching is separate from the teaching of communion. At the last Passover supper, Jesus told His disciples to eat and drink in remembrance of Him, but nowhere linked the physical eating and drinking to attaining salvation. Instead, receiving communion is an act of worship and praise as we remember all that Jesus has done for us. In this passage, however, Jesus was teaching that to receive the true bread of life, we must repent and surrender our lives to Jesus. We must live by faith, believing that Jesus died for our sins. To eat the bread of life is to accept Jesus into your life and to live with the Holy Spirit inside – guiding you, directing you and sustaining you. We live in a sinful world, and our bodies will die. But when we yes to Jesus, we begin living a life that will last forever – just as God originally intended. Our commitment seals us to Him as wedding vows seal a bride to her groom. And Jesus will walk us into God's presence on His arm – from now until eternity. Jesus is the Bread of Life. The only sustenance our souls will ever need. Will you pray with me… Dear Most Holy Jesus…we come to you today repenting of our sins and giving our life to you. You are the Bread of Life – your promise to sustain us into eternity is sure – we just need to hold out our hands to you. God help us to surrender. Help us to listen in faith when we don't understand. Help us to trust your perfect timing when we think we know the best way. Help us to always cling to you. Quiet our murmurs and help whatever unbelief we still hold in our hearts. We give you our lives and trust in your ways. In Jesus mighty name, I pray. Amen.  

Aqeel Glass is a former Alabama A&M quarterback who is a 2-time Deacon Jones Trophy winner and a 2-time SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. During his time with Alabama A&M, he passed for 12,136 yards and 109 touchdowns.  In 2021, Glass was there SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and passed for 3,568 yards and 36 touchdowns in leading his team to a 7-3 record. After his college football career finished, Glass played in the 2022 NFLPA Bowl All-Star Game and the HBCU Legacy Bowl. He is currently preparing for an opportunity in the NFL. Today on the podcast, we talk to Aqeel Glass about his faith in Jesus and how it guides him as a person and a football player. We also talk through his desire to play in the NFL and why he believes he can make an impact on the next level.  Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports." 

Having a front row seat to Whitney's journey through a new type of difficult time, I wanted to share some observations on the specific qualities that both inspired and blessed me in hopes that you will be inspired to bless others. I unpack: Her relentless pursuit of “Eureka” as she navigates the 2 great pitfalls of self growth What massive action looks like when it is a value rather than a means to and end Whitney's powerful why - the one that is so powerful that sometimes I am just a passenger on the train her passion is driving She has no idea I'm recording this - and probably wouldn't approve, don't miss your opportunity to hear how amazing she is behind the curtain. Whit and Jake are Christian Life Coaches at Steadfast Life Coaching. We bridge the gap between the secular wisdom of the self-help world and the transformative power of faith in Jesus. Apply for a FREE breakthrough Session: https://oykk2m84esb.typeform.com/to/aoDyvObT Learn about VIP coaching: https://www.steadfastlifecoaching.com/vip-coaching-page Join our Monthly Membership "Trust U": https://www.steadfastlifecoaching.com/trust-u FB: https://www.facebook.com/SteadfastLifeCoaching IG: https://www.instagram.com/steadfastlifecoaching/ Want to get your own Steadfast Gear? Visit the new store: https://steadfast-life-gear.launchcart.store/shop

JOHN 20: 19-31We are slow to trust because we have trusted in the past, and we have been hurt or let down. Is there a way to have a faith in Jesus that is strong enough to hold us through the storms of life?

As we wrap up the Easter series, we notice something... Something strange happens when you put your faith in Jesus.  You expect that you will experience new power in your life - and some do.  But most the time, you wake up the next day and life seems exactly the same as before you put your faith in Jesus.  Why?  How can we experience the power of Jesus in our life?  In this message we will uncover the goal of discipleship - surrender: In order to experience the power of the resurrection, you must die.

In the conclusion to his letter to the Galatians, Paul could not sign off the letter without one more final appeal to the Galatians to stay away from the false legalism of the Judaizers and stay in the Biblical gospel of faith. Faith in Jesus and His work at the cross is our only hope […]

In today's episode, John Piper discusses how he himself came to saving faith in Jesus—and how his view of that faith has changed over the years. John is the author of What Is Saving Faith?: Reflections on Receiving Christ as a Treasure. Read the full transcript. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show! Complete this survey for a free audiobook by Kevin DeYoung!

Discussion QuestionsHow has God used the last few months of studying the theme of renewal in your life? Where has God shown you that your life is in need of renewal?What are some common misconceptions regarding the church? In what ways are you prone to think wrongly about the church? Why?What does it mean that the church is a spiritual entity, not merely a human endeavor? Put another way, why is it important to remember that the church only exists because of and for Jesus?What are some things that you appreciate about our specific local church? And what are some ways that God has gifted and equipped you to help our church in this season of renewal?Prayer PointsPray that God would continue to renew our local church so that we could be effective witnesses to his gospel in our region.Pray for the various leadership transitions that are coming up in the months ahead. And pray for God to continue to raise up new leaders to serve this church.Pray specifically for the church renewal team as they work to help clarify our mission, vision, and focus for the season ahead.Pray that God would use our meager endeavors to bring much glory to himself, and to bring many people to saving faith in Jesus.

Old Testament: Joshua 21–22 Joshua 21–22 (Listen) Cities and Pasturelands Allotted to Levi 21 Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 2 And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance. 4 The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. 5 And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. 6 The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 7 The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 8 These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. 9 Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, 10 which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first. 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it. 12 But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession. 13 And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands, 14 Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 15 Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 16 Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities out of these two tribes; 17 then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, 18 Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities. 19 The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. 20 As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities; 23 and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, 24 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities; 25 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities. 26 The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands. 27 And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities; 28 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasturelands, En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities; 30 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 31 Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities; 32 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities. 33 The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. 34 And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, 35 Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities; 36 and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities; 38 and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 39 Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all. 40 As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. 41 The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. 42 These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities. 43 Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. The Eastern Tribes Return Home 22 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, 8 he said to them, “Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” 9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the LORD through Moses. The Eastern Tribes' Altar of Witness 10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel heard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.” 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them. 13 Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15 And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD? 17 Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you too rebel against the LORD today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'” 21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? 25 For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the LORD.”' 28 And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.”' 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!” 30 When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD.” 32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. 34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.” (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 105:26–45 Psalm 105:26–45 (Listen) 26   He sent Moses, his servant,    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27   They performed his signs among them    and miracles in the land of Ham.28   He sent darkness, and made the land dark;    they did not rebel1 against his words.29   He turned their waters into blood    and caused their fish to die.30   Their land swarmed with frogs,    even in the chambers of their kings.31   He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,    and gnats throughout their country.32   He gave them hail for rain,    and fiery lightning bolts through their land.33   He struck down their vines and fig trees,    and shattered the trees of their country.34   He spoke, and the locusts came,    young locusts without number,35   which devoured all the vegetation in their land    and ate up the fruit of their ground.36   He struck down all the firstborn in their land,    the firstfruits of all their strength. 37   Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,    and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.38   Egypt was glad when they departed,    for dread of them had fallen upon it. 39   He spread a cloud for a covering,    and fire to give light by night.40   They asked, and he brought quail,    and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.41   He opened the rock, and water gushed out;    it flowed through the desert like a river.42   For he remembered his holy promise,    and Abraham, his servant. 43   So he brought his people out with joy,    his chosen ones with singing.44   And he gave them the lands of the nations,    and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,45   that they might keep his statutes    and observe his laws.  Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 105:28 Septuagint, Syriac omit not (ESV) New Testament: Romans 3–4 Romans 3–4 (Listen) God's Righteousness Upheld 3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,   “That you may be justified in your words,    and prevail when you are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. No One Is Righteous 9 What then? Are we Jews1 any better off?2 No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:   “None is righteous, no, not one;11     no one understands;    no one seeks for God.12   All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;    no one does good,    not even one.”13   “Their throat is an open grave;    they use their tongues to deceive.”  “The venom of asps is under their lips.”14     “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”15   “Their feet are swift to shed blood;16     in their paths are ruin and misery,17   and the way of peace they have not known.”18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being3 will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. The Righteousness of God Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. Abraham Justified by Faith 4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in4 him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7   “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,    and whose sins are covered;8   blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” 9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. The Promise Realized Through Faith 13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness5 of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Footnotes [1] 3:9 Greek Are we [2] 3:9 Or at any disadvantage? [3] 3:20 Greek flesh [4] 4:5 Or but trusts; compare verse 24 [5] 4:19 Greek deadness (ESV)

Today's guest on The Shane Sams Show is the amazing Nick Vujicic! Nick is a Christian evangelist and motivational speaker born with no arms or legs. He is co-founder of Life Without Limbs, a non-profit organization that enables him to speak around the globe about his faith in Jesus and share the message of how God has a plan for every person. He's been on 3,500 stages in 74 countries drawing in-person crowds as large as 800,000, reaching 2 billion people globally through digital and print mediums. On this podcast, we talk about how Nick was bullied as a child and the struggles of living without limbs. Nick's parents challenged him to build a business for himself, and he got into stocks and options trading as a teenager. We also talk about how a janitor wanted Nick to share his story, which has turned into an amazing speaking career! Find more about Nick at NickVujicic.com or LifeWithoutLimbs.org! In this episode we discuss: Nick Vujicic's inspirational story of living a life without limbs How Nick uses an attitude of gratitude to be successful What it takes to be a public speaker How to turn obstacles into opportunities 6 funnels for a full life If you need help starting, building, and growing an online business, check out all of the support and resources for entrepreneurs at https://www.ShaneSams.com and https://www.FlippedLifestyle.com!  Follow Shane on twitter @shane_sams.

Jase returns to social media after a break and tries out Twitter with a Bible verse, and the response was not what he was expecting. Phil can't help but bring up his faith in Jesus when he finds himself in the middle of a crowded casino. Jase tells a story about the worst injury he has ever had, involving a three-legged race with a short person. And Al discusses Christians who tend to isolate within their churches into groups who think just like they do. Sign up to watch the Unashamed overtime show, only on BlazeTV: https://BlazeTV.com/Unashamed Visit https://BollandBranch.com/Robertson and get 15% off your first set of sheets Visit https://OmegaXL.com/PHIL and buy one bottle and get a second bottle free - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices