Podcasts about first john

The Robertsons address the decay of America's biggest and most beautiful cities, pointing to lawlessness, failed leadership, and what happens when humanity gives in to its darkest desires without restraint. Jase admits that trusting Amish healing advice briefly turned him into something resembling a human blowtorch. The guys explore the difference between idolatry and dominion, arguing that when people surrender control to creation instead of cultivating it under God, chaos follows. They reflect on how God's light reveals truths we can't understand when we're determined to live in our own darkness. In this episode: Genesis 1, verses 1–4; Genesis 1, verse 28; Psalm 19, verses 1–6; John 1, verses 1–5; John 9, verses 35–41; Colossians 3, verse 4; Ephesians 2, verses 8–10; Second Corinthians 6, verse 1; First John 1, verses 1–7 “Unashamed” Episode 1243 is sponsored by: https://texassuperfood.com — Get 35% off your first order with code UNASHAMED today! https://ponchooutdoors.com/unashamed — Get $10 off your first order and free shipping! https://myphdweightloss.com — Find out how Al lost 80+ pounds. Schedule your one-on-one consultation today by visiting the website or calling 864-644-1900 and mention "FIX MY WEIGHT LOSS" https://smartcredit.com/unashamed — Get a 7-day trial for just $1 and see how many points you can add to your credit score! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://open.spotify.com/show/3LY8eJ4ZBZHmsImGoDNK2l Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters: 00:00-4:53 Al undermines Zach's parental authority 04:54-13:17 Jase becomes a human blowtorch 13:18-21:23 The reality of our perishable bodies 21:24-29:58 Pain becomes a platform for the Gospel 29:29-36:20 God doesn't play Blind Man's Bluff 36:21-47:25 Idolatry vs. Dominion  47:26-55:57 Jesus makes joy & possibilities endless — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This week in our 2025 Christmas message, pastor Blake opens up First John chapter four.We look at how the fact that God sent love into the world through Jesus Christ changes the way that we love those around us.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 John 1-5 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Merry Christmas, friends! On this special episode of the Daily Radio Bible, Hunter invites us to celebrate the birth of Jesus and reflect on the true light that has entered our world. As we journey through First John chapters 1-5, Hunter encourages us to experience the transforming love and life of Christ, the one who was born in humble circumstances to bring light into our darkness. Join us for heartfelt prayers, rich passages of Scripture, and thoughtful reflections on how the coming of Jesus brings hope, love, and joy to every corner of our lives. Settle in with your coffee, savor the Christmas spirit, and let the message of God's love fill your heart on this sacred day. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. On Christmas Day, we remember that the true light is Jesus Christ. His arrival was as humble as anyone could imagine—a tiny baby born to a couple of teenagers, the mother a virgin, in a small town, in a manger. Who could have imagined that God would arrive in such a lowly way? But Jesus' gentle entrance brought back light into a world darkened by sin. At first, perhaps only family, some shepherds, and a handful of wise men took notice, yet the dawn had come. As we read the words of First John, we draw a line from the birth of Jesus, the light of the world, all the way back to Genesis, chapter one, when God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good. The God who spoke light into darkness has now made this light shine in our hearts, so we might know the glory of God seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Consider today, as you look upon the birth of Jesus, how the light of Christ has entered into your own dark places. Let that light stand in your heart and offer it to others. And as you do, imagine a future when the glory of God will fill everything, when there will be no more darkness—only light. This is my prayer for my own soul. It's my prayer for my family—for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And it's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Jase hijacks an eight-hour road trip with a nonstop deep dive sparked by one simple question, and Al reveals the surprising and touching secret hidden in the walls of his home for decades. The guys unpack how ordinary people become the place where heaven and earth meet, why forgiveness is spiritual warfare, and why anointing still carries real power. The guys close with a prayer for Zach and for listeners facing illness. In this episode: 2 Peter 1, verses 3–4; James 5, verses 13–16; First John 2, verses 18–29; John 13, verse 35; John 14, verses 26–27; John 15, verses 26–27; John 16, verses 7–15; John 17, verses 20–26; John 20, verses 19–23; Genesis 28, verses 10–22; Exodus 30, verses 22–33; Isaiah 11, verses 1–10; Isaiah 42, verses 1–9; Isaiah 53, verses 1–12; Matthew 1, verse 18; Matthew 16, verses 13–20; Mark 1, verses 9–15; Ephesians 2, verses 19–22; Psalm 2, verses 1–12; Psalm 3, verses 1–8; Psalm 20, verses 1–9; Psalm 21, verses 1–13; Psalm 22, verses 1–31; Psalm 51, verses 1–19 “Unashamed” Episode 1234 is sponsored by: Stand firm for values that matter. Join the fight today at https://www.frc.org/unashamed Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/UNASHAMED. https://www.puretalk.com/unashamed — Through your generosity PureTalk was able to donate over half a million dollars to America's Warrior Partnership! https://preborn.com/unashamed — Visit the PreBorn! website or dial #250 and use keyword BABY to donate today. https://andrewandtodd.com or call 888-888-1172 — These guys are the real deal. Get trusted mortgage guidance and expertise from someone who shares your values! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters: 00:00-07:31 Jase holds an 8 hour Bible study 07:32-17:15 How to “participate in the divine nature” 17:16-26:31 What does it mean to be anointed?  26:32-35:30 Believers are a portal between worlds 35:31-48:45 Arming ourselves for a spiritual battle 48:46-56:38 A prayer of anointing for the sick — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These verses are vitallyimportant to the unity of the church, to the growth of the believer, and to thewitness of the church in the community. That's why we're taking so longcontinuing to look at this passage of Scripture. Remember the leaders of thechurch are told to lead and teach the people to grow in their Christianmaturity, to grow in faith, and to understand how that as a body of believersthat are diverse, that have different opinions, have different ideas, maybeeven different cultural backgrounds, that it is vitally important that they loveone another, and care for one another.  Readthe New Testament. Read the book of First John. Read all the Epistles. Almostall of them speak about this love for one another. Jesus, in His last words inthe upper room were that His disciples might be one. His prayer was that theywould be one (John 17). That they would be one in Christ, one in unity, one inlove, caring for one another. Then they would be a witness to the world aroundthem. That's why this passage in Ephesians 4 is so important. Now,one of the things that will happen whenever God's at work, you can rest assuredthat the devil is also at work and he has his angels, agents of false teachersto lead people astray. Today, my friend, the internet and churches are full offalse teachers who would cause people to follow after them with false doctrines.That's why Paul, Peter and others writers of the New Testament wrote aboutthese people. Even in the first century church, Jude wrote about them. John, warnedof them in his epistles of 1st and 2nd John. Almost everyNew Testament Apostle, teacher, leader warned about these false teachers. Evenhere in Ephesians 4, where Paul is saying to build up the people in the unityof the faith he goes on to say in verse 14 that we should “no longer bechildren tossed to and fro”. Tossed to and fro by what? Because we would be“carried about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and cunningcraftiness of deceitful plotting”, by the false teachers. In Acts 20:28-31,Paul in his last visit to the church at Ephesus, warned the elders: “Thereforetake heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit hasmade you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with Hisown blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come inamong you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up,speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.  In2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter warned the believers he's writing to about these false teachers:“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will befalse teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, evendenying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. Andmany will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth willbe blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words…”.  Like Paul, he is warning us not to be deceivedby false teachers with their false doctrine. Acharacteristic of a Christlike Christian is that he is not only bathed in thetruth, living in the truth, walking in the truth, but he is stable. He issteadfast. He's not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Everybody thatcomes along with some new teaching about this or that or especially about theLord Jesus Christ and who He is. My friend, you must be careful what you'relistening to and make sure you look at everything in light of the context ofthe entire word of God. Then listen to faithful teachers and preachers who havestayed the course over many many years. Again,these are very important words because the devil is at work to destroy theunity of the church with false teachers. We must be aware of them. They'reeverywhere. So be aware, don't be children about this danger. Grow up, listento the truth, and walk in the truth. 

Send us a textComfort can feel like blessing until Jesus calls it poverty. We take a hard look at the church in Laodicea from Revelation 3 and the modern habits that mirror it—equating status with favor, growth with health, and noise with worship. Together we unpack why Christ calls a self-assured community wretched, poor, blind, and naked, and how His remedy—refined gold, white garments, and eye salve—redefines success as tested faith, righteousness, and spiritual sight.The conversation traces a biblical thread through James, Timothy, and First John, warning against corrosive riches, false knowledge, and the sobering reality that many who “went out from us” were never of us. We explore Matthew Henry's piercing insight that lukewarmness is more offensive than honest coldness, because it masquerades as devotion while refusing surrender. A vivid metaphor carries the point home: the body expels what harms it. So does Christ with a faith that sickens His body—faith that plays both sides and calls compromise wisdom.We also sit with practical discipleship. Being a Christian is hard, often costly, and sometimes marked by suffering. Yet the path is clear: no shortcuts, no muted truth, no backdoor into heaven—only Christ on His terms. We talk about speaking when the Spirit prompts, ministering with presence, and trusting God to use ordinary obedience as an instrument of grace. A brief exchange on Solomon and vanity sharpens the call to zealous repentance that rejects shameless worldliness and embraces worship in spirit and truth.If this resonates, share it with someone who needs a wake-up call. Subscribe for thoughtful, Scripture-rich conversations, and leave a review to help others find the show. What's one area where you'll trade comfort for refined gold this week?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

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Jase looks fondly back on Phil's last hunt, and Al shares breaking news about the upcoming movie telling his and Lisa's full redemption story. Al's daughter Alex joins the guys to talk about revisiting painful family history, healing through transparency, and how to face and talk about generational trauma with honesty and grace. The guys wrap with a deep dive into John 19 and 20 and the meaning behind the water, blood, and renewal found in Jesus' death and resurrection. In this episode: Romans 1, verse 21; John 3; John 10; Psalm 22; Exodus 12, verse 46; Numbers 9, verse 12; John 19; John 20, verse 1; First John 5; Acts 1–2; Genesis 1 “Unashamed” Episode 1219 is sponsored by: Stand firm for values that matter. Join the fight today at https://www.frc.org/unashamed https://netsuite.com/unashamed — Download the free business guide, Demystifying AI today! https://on.auraframes.com/UNASHAMED — Get exclusive offer of $35 off Carver Mat with Promo Code UNASHAMED https://myphdweightloss.com — Find out how Al is finally losing weight! Schedule your one-on-one consultation today by visiting the website or calling 864-644-1900. https://cozyearth.com/unashamed — Get 40% off at Cozy Earth dot com and use code UNASHAMED from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters: 00:00-06:56 Willie's ADHD & Zach's MIA  06:57-14:14 Announcing a new project 14:15-20:34 The nitty gritty of infidelity20:35-29:11 Why telling your story matters 29:12-33:32 Al must repent for being a hypocrite 33:33-42:00 Teaching kids to embrace thankfulness 42:01-51:07 The brutality of being crucified 51:08-57:00 Heavenly death = earthly life — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the only letter in the New Testament addressed to a woman has been hiding in plain sight? As one of the shortest texts in the New Testament, Second John is often overlooked and dismissed as a condensed version of First John. Traditionally, its opening line has been read as addressed "to an elect lady"–a phrase understood metaphorically as the Church personified as a woman. This interpretation has dominated Greek editions of the New Testament for over 150 years, reinforcing the view that the letter was not directed to an individual but to a community.  In this episode, associate dean of research in Religious Education, Lincoln Blumell, discusses his recently published scholarship that challenges this long-standing assumption. Drawing on evidence from papyri, manuscripts, and other sources, Dr. Blumell argues that the text should instead be rendered "to the lady Eclecte," identifying a named woman as the recipient. This reinterpretation not only clarifies the meaning of the letter but also makes Second John the only text in the New Testament canon addressed directly to a woman, reshaping its significance and offering new insight into the role of women in the New Testament Church. Publications: Lady Eclecte: The Lost Woman of the New Testament (Fortress Press, 2025) Didymus the Blind's Commentary of Psalms 26:10–29 and 36:1–13 (Brepols Publishers, 2019) New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament (Religious Studies Center, 2019) "'Is Jesus's Yoke Easy"? Reconsidering the Translation in Matthew 11:30" (BYU Studies, forthcoming) "A Ptolemaic Petition from a 'Judeo-Egyptian' (Ἰουδαιοαιγύπτιος)," with Kerry Hull, in Journal of Jewish Studies, 75.2 (2024) "The Text of the New Testament," in The King James Bible and the Restoration (Religious Studies Center, 2011) "The Greek Texts of the New Testament," Y Religion Podcast, Episode 20 (2020) Website: https://lincolnhblumell.com/ Click here to learn more about Lincoln Blumell

Sermon on First John 5:1-21 for Randolph Baptist Church, November 30, 2025.

The book of First John has a lot to say about loving God, and about walking in fellowship with God. How are these two things related? What do that look like in real life? Find out next, as Ron continues his teaching series, “Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip Through the Bible.” 

You may already have a relationship with Jesus. But do you have a close, intimate relationship with Him? Well, the book of First John was written by the disciple whom Jesus loved. He was extremely close to Jesus, so close, in fact, that Jesus entrusted His mother, Mary, to John as He was dying four our sin on the cross of Calvary. Today, on Something Good, Dr. Ron Jones encourages you to develop that kind of relationship with your Savior, and shows you what that intimate fellowship looks like.  Stay with us now as Ron moves ahead in his series, “The Ultimate Road Trip Through the Bible: The General Epistles and Revelation.”  

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You can read the whole text here: https://dougapple.blogspot.com/ +++++++ I'm Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) My daughter was working the front counter at the Swan and Dolphin Resort at Disney World when a large family approached. An older woman stepped forward and simply said, “Shulas.” My daughter quickly intuited that they were coming for dinner at Shula's Steak House which was right around the corner inside the resort. So she pointed where to go, and off the woman went, the family trailing behind her, including an older man in a wheel chair. A few minutes later my daughter saw the family coming back. The older woman stepped forward again and said, “No, we ARE the Shulas. We're checking in to the resort.” My daughter hadn't recognized Florida royalty, the Don Shula family! She was talking to Don Shula's wife, and the Hall of Fame football coach himself was there in the wheelchair. I said he was Florida royalty, but every day people are born who have never heard of Don Shula. He was one of the best coaches in NFL history, and the only coach so far to lead his team to an undefeated season, which he did with the Miami Dolphins in 1972. The other day I was looking at a photo of one of their games. It was a photo of the Miami Orange Bowl taken high above the stadium. The people were just specks. I thought, “There's Don Shula, one of the specks.” Then I thought of Larry Csonka. He was a big, bruising running back and one of the stars for the Dolphins. He was a little bigger and a little stronger and that's why he was a star. But looking at the whole scene from just a few hundred feet above the stadium, it made no difference if one person was a little bigger or a little stronger. They were all just specks in the mass of humanity. In the end we are all just specks in the mass of humanity. What difference in the world does it make if one man is a little bigger or a little stronger? One person is considered better looking by mere millimeters of flesh being in this place rather than that place. We put our values, and even build our lives on these millimeters that in the long run don't matter. Second Corinthians 4:18 says that, as Christians, we should spend our time looking at things “which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” One translation says, “For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” The Miami Orange Bowl is gone. It was demolished in 2008. Most of the adults that were cheering on the Dolphins in 1972 are gone. Don Shula is gone. Even that Shula's Steakhouse inside the resort is gone. First John 2:17 says this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But whoever does the will of God will live forever. Lord, please help me do Your will; not my will, but Your will. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Lord, help me do this, set my mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Jesus said in Luke 16:15, “For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Lord, please, I want to highly esteem what You highly esteem. How can we get our values straightened out? We need to turn toward God and diligently seek Him. We need to get know His ways and His words. We need to spend time with God, like it says in Matthew 6:6, getting alone, shutting out distractions, and talking to our Father. One man said, “I worked so hard climbing the ladder of life, only to realize it was leaning against the wrong building.” Heavenly Father, please help me follow You closely. I want my values to be Your values. I want to focus on the main eternal things, and I don't want to waste time on things that You do not highly esteem. I am open to Your paradigm shift, and I am trusting You to lead me every step of the way. In Jesus' name. May God bless you today. I'm Doug Apple.

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We are studying the Book of Isaiah. What I hope I can impress on you is God's faithfulness and see some things in chapter 26 that I think are relevant to the time in which we live. Isaiah 26:19. See if this reminds you of any other passage you may have read. "Your dead shall live together with my dead body." Sounds like 1st Corinthians 15; sounds like 1st Thessalonians 4 sounds like John 14. What did Jesus say? "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In My father's house are many mansions. I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again." That's a promise. "... So that where I am, you may be also." He's preparing a place for us right now. We'll look at what Isaiah says. "Together with my dead body. They will rise awake and sing. You who dwell in the dust. For your dew is like to dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." Isaiah 26:20 "Come, my people, enter into your chambers, shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation is passed." What is the indignation? The indignation, of course, is the tribulation judgments. I call your attention to the little word "until" it's very important. In relation to the history of Israel. There are three "until's" in the Bible that have been given only to the nation of Israel. 1) Matthew 23:39. "You will not see me until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 2) Luke 21:24 "Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 3) Romans 11:25, "I would not have you ignorant," Paul says, "that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." What is the fullness of the Gentiles? What is the coming in? Well, the fullness of the Gentiles refers to the harvest of the Gentile church. And the coming in, I believe, coincides with the invitation here come and hide yourself, for a little while. Isaiah 26:21, "For the Lord is coming out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain." You and I have a bright future. Our world is not. The future for this world is grim. God is faithful. Ten areas God is faithful to you and I: 1) He is faithful to forgive our sins. First John 1:9. Thank God for that one. It's not just once for all. It's as often as we come and confess. 2) God is faithful to keep us safe. 2nd Timothy 2:13 "Even if we're unfaithful, as Paul says, "He remains faithful." 3) God is faithful to deliver us through our temptations. 1st Corinthians 10:13. 4) God is faithful to keep his promises to us. Hebrews 10:23. 5) God is faithful to us in times of suffering. 1st Peter 4:19 6) God is faithful in fulfilling his plan for us. This, of course, requires our cooperation. 1st Thessalonians 5:24 7) God is faithful to strengthen us in times of trial. 2nd Thessalonians 3:3 8) God is faithful as a partner to us in our union with Christ. 1st Corinthians 1:9. 9) Jesus Christ is a faithful and merciful high priest to us. Hebrews 2:17. 10) Last but not least, Jesus Christ is the synonym for faithfulness. Revelation 19:11, "I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. I can't wait. When we come back with him, we're going to be riding on white horses. Don't worry if you've never ridden. There will be riding classes during the tribulation, but. My friend, if I've done nothing for you today, that planted in your mind, and I hope that it's burned there indelibly. When you're struggling, when you're hurting, when you're overburdened, when your soul is aching. When you're lonely. When the world looks dark. When you can do nothing but cry. When you can't even lift up your head and look up. I want you to remember God is faithful. He always has been. He always will be. Trust him because he can only prove that faithfulness as you and I come to him with simple, childlike faith. Don't let the devil lie to you about who you are. Let God tell you who you are in Christ, and it'll make all the difference in the world.

Mike McCoy 10-12-2025 PM Join the congregation of Crossville First Free Will as Brother Mike does some expository preaching in First John. Crossville First Free Will Baptist Church www.crossvillechurch.com

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. My name is Spencer. I am one of the pastors here. We are continuing to go through our Remember series, which is an opportunity for us as a church to revisit our membership commitments and remember the things we're committing to. The first half of it was going through the first seven commitments of our membership commitment, which is the gospel. And these last seven that we're going through week by week are the practices that flow out of the gospel, the things that we commit to do as a church because Jesus Christ rose from the grave. So we're going to be in number nine this week, which reads, I will pursue deep, genuine relationships with others in the Mill City family through committing to regular participation in Sunday gatherings and a community group where I can love and serve others and ensure I am surrounded by people who love Jesus and love me.So last week we saw the importance of what it means to cultivate a personal relationship with Christ. And this week we get to see what it means to as Christians who've cultivated this relationship with Christ, where God has placed us in the context of community. We are made as image bearers in humanity. Like we're made in the image of a communal God who eternally exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who, when he made humanity, made him, made us in the image of our triune God. And he saw that it was not good that man would be alone. That's who we are. We're made to be in community in the same way that a fish is made for water in the context of what it is placed. Humanity is made to be in community.So that if you have a child who gets really excited about taking their pet fish to show and tell, and they don't do what every child or what every person who thinks about this has done is putting a fish in the bag, sealing the bag, and then taking it to school. If they just simply put the fish in their pocket and went to school, it's going to be a super tragic moment at show and tell when that fish is pulled out. Because fish are made for water. That's the context for which they are created. And we as Christians are made to be in community. And there are some folks who will say, yes, I think we're supposed to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I get that. But I don't love the church. I've got baggage, I got church hurt, or I decided. I don't really love organized religion. I think I can have a personal relationship with Christ. What I would say is that the scriptures don't bear that to Be true. That's a fish out of water. Like we're made to be in community. When you read the rest of the New Testament, it bears this out over and over again. So yes, we want to have a personal relationship with Christ, but the idea that you can do that disconnected from God's people is a very recent Western idea. It is foreign to the Scriptures. And I want us to see that today as we walk through this commitment to. I want us to see how we're called to live this out and what's at stake as we seek to commit to this.So let me pray for us and then we'll walk through this together. Heavenly Father, I pray that you might help us see the importance of what it means to have life together. God, I pray that you would speak to our hearts. I pray that you would help us be compelled to believe the Gospel and then live out the implications of it. Community. As a church, we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.All right. So why should we commit to deep, genuine relationships with one another in a local church? As I already said, part of that's how we're. How we're made. We're made to be in community, made in the image of a communal God. And the church has been doing this since day one. Our scripture reading that we had earlier is Acts 2, 42, 47. So we were in the previous verses leading up to that last week, coming into verse 42 or picking back up in 42 today. But it's it. This is what the church has done that after the church begins, it says in verse 42,> And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.So that when we look at our commitment, you can really put it side by side with this passage and really the pattern that flows out of this passage that when we say I will pursue deep genuine relationships with others in the Mill city family, we can see in verse 42 they devoted themselves the apostles teaching and the fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers, they were devoted to one another. They deeply valued fellowship together. That when we say through committing to regular participation in Sunday gatherings and a community group. We see that's what the church was doing. It says, day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts that they were as the church gathering together to go worship in the temple. Now later on, they're not invited. They end up having to. They're not invited to the temple anymore. They start to be persecuted. And then this forms into worshiping on the Lord's day, which is guided the church, as the church has come together to worship on Sunday, the day the resurrection happened for the last 2000 years. And also they gather together in homes, which is why we have community groups. We come together on Sunday and then we live in the. In the context of our community groups living out the implications of the gospel. We find it right here.And what flows out of this passage when we say, where I can love and serve others and ensure I'm surrounded by people who love Jesus and love me, we can see very clearly in verse 44, it says, and all who believe were together and had all things in common, and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need that they so radically loved one another and served one another. They were selling off property, they were putting in money just so others could. Their needs could be met. So we look at this passage as foundational for how we live out the implication of the Gospel as a church and the rest of the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament. When you read the letters that make up the rest of the New Testament, continue to teach this over and over again. That's why we have this commitment for our church.So what I want to do is I want to slow down. I want to walk through each part of our commitment and help us see how the rest of the New Testament helps us understand how we're called to live this out as a church. So let's deal with the first part. I will pursue deep, genuine relationships with others in the mill city family. Okay? That's very specific language for a reason. When you look at the New Testament, there's a lot of metaphors for the the church. So if you look at Ephesians chapter three, you see, the church is called a temple in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.> In him the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.This picture of the church is all different building blocks of the temple that the Spirit has come to live and dwell inside of the church is also called a body. It says in Romans chapter 12.> so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.That we're all collectively the body flowing into Christ, who's the head of the body. And all of us are just different members of that body. We get. In Ephesians 5, the church is called the bride.> Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.The idea of two becoming one flesh together, the bride, the church and Jesus Christ the bridegroom. It's called a holy nation.> But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession...1 Peter 2. There are all types of metaphors that we could choose to build off of with this language. We chose the language of family. There are passages like first Timothy, chapter three that says,> if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.That's the household family of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and a buttress of the truth. One of the most common words that shows up in the New Testament is the Greek word for brothers and sisters. Adelphoi over and over again referred to brothers and sisters in Christ. You'd be the passages that talk about fathers and mothers in the faith. So we went with the metaphor family that we are devoted. We want to be. Have deep, genuine, loving, Christ exalting relationships with others in the mill city family. And that's what you see in the early church. They were a family. So much so they believed that they were selling off possessions because you take care of your family, you make sure they don't have needs. They, they believe this and they lived like it was true. Because listen, you, you don't sell your stuff and give it away to someone if you don't believe it. Like you're not doing that with any other person. No, they, they, they believed the gospel and they lived as if it was true. Because they understood if Jesus rose from the grave, if the God man took sin upon the cross and judgment on our behalf and he actually walked out of the tomb and he ascended to the right hand of God the Father, that if that's true, then I'm all in that you live a radically different life. If you believe that is true. If you go into the casino and you are guaranteed, as the roulette table goes, that it is going to be on red and you got all your cash, that's a win. Put it on red. I'm all in on that. So they believe if Christ, he's alive. Well, I'm all in on this. So we're going to have all things in common. We're going to be a family together. They believe this and they live like it was true.So I don't want us to be a church that just throws around the word church family and then doesn't live like it is true. A couple of months ago, I saw a video compilation of a bunch of churches like ours doing their opening announcements. And they just took the same kind of clip over and over again from a bunch of churches. And it was the same thing. It was, hey, church family. Hey, church fam. Hey, church family. Good to see you, church family. And I heard it over and over again, and a part of me died because I hate. I don't ever want to seem cliche. And they just, in a rude clip, they just, absolutely, just belittled the use of that phrase over and over and over again. So part of me looked at that and was like, oh, goodness, should we, I don't know, should we? Do we ever use that? Should we not say that anymore? I said, oh. And then I thought more about it and I was like, no, no, that's only trite and played out and cliche. If we say it over and over again but don't actually believe it, if we use it over and over again but don't live like that is true. But if we say it and don't back it up, then, yeah, it's super cringe. But if we actually believe this and own this, then, yeah, we're going to keep using it over and over again. Because being a church family takes investment. Being a family is investing. It's this Acts 2 devotion devoted to one another, which you see in these relationships that they have as they go deeper with one another throughout the book of acts. So we want to be a church that pursues deep, genuine relationships with others and the Mill City family.And the next part says, through committing to regular participation in Sunday gatherings and a community group. Okay, let's tackle that one at a time. Tackle groups first. Committing to community groups, y', all, groups are not just an event that you put into your calendar. We say this quite a bit. It's not just a thing, a programmatic thing that you go to. No, your group is the people that you journey through life with. It's the localized expression of family in the church. So you walk side by side with and sure, we do. We have a time that is helpful for all the family. For us in our groups to come together. We have a group meeting time that we come to once a week, and that's good for us to do. To practice the rhythms that the early church practiced. Says they devote themselves to the apostles teaching, to studying God's Word. They devoted themselves to prayer. They devoted themselves to a fellowship meal. We want to do that. And that's what our groups do. They come together once a week and they eat a meal together, which is incredibly valuable. It is good for us to come together and eat a meal together. There's something that God has designed in eating a meal with someone else that brings depth and connection, that builds relationship that is valuable.If you bring your dishes, you're bringing a bit of your personality. So if you volunteer boldly to take the Mac and cheese for the week and you don't bring this wonderful creamy casserole esque, but not over the top, like just simplistically wonderful, tasteful Mac and cheese, and you, like, throw a bunch of lobster in it and stuff, that just doesn't belong there, then we know some things about you. We've gathered some things that honestly probably should change with sanctification over time in the context of community. So there's a little your personality that comes, but also you just in conversation over a meal. This is universal. Have you ever traveled the world? People sit down together, even more so than Western culture, because sometimes we treat it like it's a substance to be consumed and not an opportunity to enjoy someone else across the table. But it's a universal experience to come to sit down and to talk and tell jokes and to laugh and to hug and to even cry like that. There's something that God has built in that. So we have that, that built into our groups. We're gonna eat a meal, and we're also gonna study the Word together.We're gonna open up the Bible. And one of the things that I so deeply appreciate is that I can spend all week in a text studying it, getting to know it, putting together a sermon, and I can preach that text and I can show up to group. And then all of a sudden, when we have our time together and we're studying the Word, I'll hear someone say something that I didn't catch after hours and hours and hours and hours of being in it. And I love that that happens to all of us. When you study the Word. We should study the Word, as we said last week, privately. But we also. We're meant to do this corporately so that when you open up the scriptures together you're going to hear how the Spirit worked through this person to grab that insight, and you're going to go, oh, that's a wonderful. That's a wonderful interpretation. I hadn't heard that. I didn't see that. So we study the word together and it sharpens us and it grows us together. And then we pray together. Though our groups, we should pray and grow in praying together.My wife and I, we led groups for a decade, and a couple years ago, we transitioned out of group leading and I got to be a part of a group. And our last group leaders did this so well that at any given time, they just stop and pray. Not just someone share something difficult and then move on from it. Not even just share something difficult and do what is actually good too, which is to give good news before you give good advice, but actually to just stop and pray. And they stopped and prayed multiple times. And I've so appreciated that as an aspect of life, to just stop and actually pray. Not to just say, I'm gonna pray for that, but to pause and just say, let's pray right now. So we pray together and we practice these practices as a group. But again, it's not just something that we do at a meeting time. It flows out of that, that we're texting each other, that we're getting together, hang out afterwards, that we're living life together. Groups of the people that you belong to. And it's essential, so essential that we, as a church, run our membership through groups like, you cannot become a member of this church unless you belong to a group.And what happens over time is that as you have your people in your group and it is your people, like this is your people that you rock through the most difficult times, that they come alongside you, and then you get the opportunity to do the same thing with them that as you live with them over time, eventually, God willing, in the next, you know, a couple of years, like, your group's going to multiply. And that's always bittersweet. It's exciting because it creates more opportunity for space for new people, but also it's sad because you're not going to be seeing them every week, but you do that a couple of times as you belong to this church for a few years, and all of a sudden you've built genuine depth with a variety of people in different parts of the church. So that when you come here on Sundays, you see each other, and it's just wonderful. But our groups are essential. And if you have been coming around for a little bit and you are not plugged into a group, please, like we say this every week and we, we want you to stop by our connect table. We want to talk to you about our groups because this is where you get to see the goodness of the gospel lived outside by side in life together.So we commit to groups that's valuable and important for us to live out the implications of the gospel and also committing to Sundays. Let's talk about that for a moment.Hebrews chapter 10 says,> And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.So our church is a collection of community groups, but those aren't individual house churches. That's not how we practice. The other churches that do that, that's fine. We don't. Those aren't individual house churches. There are community groups. So in order for us to Collectively Obey Hebrews 10, we do what the church has done for 2000 years. And all of our community groups come together here for a few hours on Sunday morning where we come and we fellowship and we remember and celebrate like we just did about how good Jesus Christ is. So that's what we do. We come together on Sundays in the tradition of the church for the last 2000 years. And we also live out the teachings of the New Testament on what the church is supposed to do when we come together.Colossians chapter three says,> Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.So that's the command, Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. And then the unpacking of how the Word of Christ dwells in us richly is teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Which means that when we come together in order for the word of Christ to dwell in us richly, someone stands up here after spending time in the text and prayerfully discerning how this is going to apply to our people. And they teach and we sing songs together like we just did. Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. And what I appreciate about this is that the understanding here is that yes, that's all primarily to God in worship, but there's a one anothering aspect of that. It says admonishing one another in all wisdom with singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. I appreciate the horizontal nature of worship so that sometimes when I'm singing and if you sit in front of me, sometimes you hear that I'm a loud Singer. And I'm sorry, because there's a reason I'm not doing that. Okay. But sometimes I just, I stop and I just listen. And in a morning like this morning, I just so clearly hear the saints collectively singing joyfully, worshipfully. And that blesses my soul. It's wonderful to hear one another sing to the Lord.But this is what we come to do on Sundays as we continue, as we also have prayers and we fellowship, we spend time together. And so one of the things I love doing is getting here and seeing other people. I love my group, but also seeing people that aren't in my group and seeing people that I love and having times to hug and to laugh and to cut jokes and to also maybe get away and to talk and to cry and to do the things that Christians are called to do. But here's the deal. You can't accomplish any of that if you aren't here on Sundays. You can. There's a reason why I don't look at the camera back there and say, hey, online campus, that's never going to be a thing, ever. We were at times debated, like, should we just, like, not even film this? Like, just. And it's like, no, like, we think this is valuable for those who can't be here. Literally can't be here. You can watch this when you're on vacation. That's. Yeah, it's fine. But we prioritize here, being here together as the church, because it's not just the songs, it's not just the teaching. It's being here and being here early enough to fellowship, which you should do is get here early enough to see one another, not do the express version of just running through this, but actually embracing one another, serving one another. This is valuable. And we want to continue to live this out together as the church.So in groups and on Sundays, that's how we assemble as our church. So I want to focus on this last part that says where I can love and serve others and ensure I am surrounded by people who love Jesus and love me. Okay? So the church gets to do this, Love and serve one another. Now those are a few of the one another commands that we see throughout the New Testament. And there are a lot of them. And because we have to be concise with our commitment, otherwise you just say all the things some of the people that we had, even in this process, people make really helpful, like, what about this and what about that? It's like, yeah, no, that's great. We're trying to make this as concise as Possible, but yes, absolutely. So I could throw in a bunch of one another commands in here. We chose Love and service as kind of the header for all of that. But when you read the rest of the New Testament, you see all of these one another commands. I just want to go through a few of them. Let's start with what we got on the page, which is love one another. Should love one another, which means knowing how people are loved and truly loving them.There are folks in this church who know that I love baked goods. They know I love sweets because they know I love a sweet tooth. And they love me because they bring things that are baked and wonderful. And that's some version of that with so many other people. This happens over and over and over again. What I love is that as a pastor, I get to see all of that. Not all of it, but a lot of it, at a bigger view. And I get to see all these examples of how people love each other in profound ways. And part of it is like, I want other people to know this. I want to be able to tell them. But then there's a little bit of like, yeah, I know, but we're called to do all of this. Not the left know what the right hand is doing. And we need to do things in a way that's for the glory of God, not for ourselves. I get all that, which is why we don't publish all of that. But boy, oh, boy, to sit in my seat and to see all the ways that people love one another is amazing.Love one another. And that command goes from the Gospel of John all the way to the end. First John's loaded with it, and they keep going. Serve one another. Galatians 5, 13.> For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.Serving one another. This is you using your gift and your abilities for the service of others. And again, I get to see this all the time. I get to see mechanics who turn a wrench 40 hours a week and would rather not do that once they clock out. Go and fix cars for other people in our church. I see people who build houses and work a trade, go and serve others with their time and their talents. I see people that are gifted in math, sit down with someone who's a kid that's not good at math, which I so would have appreciated growing up, and teach them homework. And that's what we're called to do, is to use how God has gifted you in service and to serve one another. That's not just in the regular Things that happen on Sunday, though, you should do that as well. Specifically Kid City. But also, that happens. And the one another service opportunities that happen regularly, week in, week out, serving one another.It says, live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16, which is living at peace with one another, which means surrendering sometimes your preferences, because it's not all about you surrendering your preferences for the sake of others to live at peace with one another. Y'. All, I have opinions. If you know me, you know that I have preferences, which, again, if you know me, unfortunately, you probably know that. But I don't get all of my preferences, and I appreciate them. I do. I don't get my preferences on Sunday morning. I get a say in what gets sung. And I don't even get my preferences with all the songs. Every now and then I'm like, you know what? Not my favorite. This is not. But then I hear y' all sing it, and I'm like, boy, oh, boy, praise God. It's not all about me. We shouldn't get our preferences. We should live in harmony with one another. We should live at peace with one another in a way that's consistently yielding in preference for and to one another.We should bear with one another. Ephesians 4:2.> with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.That means being patient with one another even when that person is difficult, which is so valuable. And that's one of the things I appreciate about our church and our groups, is that if you've been in groups long enough, you know, this is that there are some people in your group that if you didn't have Jesus Christ in common, you would never hang out with them, ever. It just. It's just true. You can be in group. I can be in group with someone who's like, I don't really love football. I don't love sports. I don't love music. You know, I'm just like, what? What? What's wrong with you? I mean, I can just go down the list of, like, what are we even going to talk about? And then I have more depth with them than I do with someone who loves football and loves sports and loves hunting and loves all the things that I love, because the most important thing about me is the most important thing about them, and that's Christ. And when you build that kind of depth on him, you realize, oh, like this. This is what's most important. You can be in group with someone who is just difficult. Like, your personality and their personality. It's just. No, it's just like, I don't. You are so different than me. And what I appreciate is that in groups you get to die to your own sin, die to your own selfish desires, and bear with them in patience and love them, even though they are so much different than you.Bear with one another. Be kind to one another. Ephesians 4:32.> Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.To grow in kindness towards one another. Which means that when somebody on the group chat says, hey, will somebody watch my dog while I'm on vacation next week? And you know, their dog is the worst, is the kind of dog that absolutely will cause financial damage to your home and emotional damage to you and your family. You say, yeah, I'll do it absolutely. Because my life is more than my things and my comforts. And I want to be kind to you. Be kind to one another. Forgiving one another. Ephesians 4. 32. To practice forgiveness. Because we say this quite a bit, if you are in groups, if you're a part of our church, at some point sometime you're gonna get your feelings hurt. I have to say that to people I'm in group with that as your pastor, I'm also now side by side in group with you. And at some point I'm going to sin against you. Please do not be shocked. I am a sinner and you're a sinner. It's going to happen because that's what we do outside of the work of Christ in us and the Holy Spirit changing us, we. We are wretched. That's just the truth. So knowing that when it happens, and it will happen, we get to practice what Jesus commands us to do in forgiving one another. So important and so vital that in Matthew 18, that the parable that's given is, if you don't do this, you don't really know. You don't know God, you don't know his forgiveness. So that's what I love in seeing in our church, is people. I can see it. All of a sudden this person and this person have had friction, and then all of a sudden God moves in their heart and they go to a different part of the building and they just talk and they pray and they cry and they hug and they practice what it means to be a Christian and forgiving one another.Do a few more. Encourage one another. First, Thessalonians 4, 18, which, as I saw this week, and thinking about that, how that's directly used there in the verses that lead up to it, in verse 18, is talking about the work of Christ and the return of Christ, which is the gospel, out of the gospel, encourage one another, which that's good news before good advice. You guys, we're doing it. Encourage one another to look at people who are struggling to remind them of who Christ is and how he works, what he has done, and who they are in him. And going out of your way to bring encouragement to those who need it.Bear one another's burdens. Galatians 6:2.> Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.This is something that shows up in our care night content for groups that we should, as Christians, bear one another's burdens. That means y'. All. That means when someone is sharing something that is difficult to listen intently, do not, do not feel like you're being robbed because you don't have the opportunity to speak. Do not feel like you're just biding the time until they get done. Don't be thinking about other things. Don't be trying to move past them, to really sit in front of them and say, yeah, absolutely, I'm so sorry you're struggling with this sin. I'm so thankful that Jesus Christ died for that and he's empowered you to put that to death and I want to help you put that to death. To hear someone who's burying their sufferings and their trials and to just sit with them and to weep with them and to love them.Bear one another's burdens. The church is called to do. And I'll do one more. Outdo one another in honor. Romans 12:10,> Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.which for me, the way I think about this is almost competitive honor. And I see this, I see this in people in our church where they're showing deference here and deference here. And it's. Sometimes a part of me is like, oh, that's nauseating. Just someone just, just take someone, get in line and get the food. And I just like, no, but this is it. We're just showing honor and showing deference and caring about others more than ourselves. But this is what we're called to do as the church, to love and serve one another, growing in these practices together.And it's good for us to be knit like that together with this. When I was in high school, I got to do a trip with my stepdad, went out to California for a two week road trip. We started in Sacramento, we drove to San Francisco, we went down the one to la, but we stopped in a town called Big Sur south of San Francisco and we spent a night there. And there is the edge of the redwood forest. So if you've ever seen redwood trees, they're massive. We don't have these on the east coast, but I mean, any tree like this on the east coast, okay, these things are massive. They're like 300ft tall. They're huge. You look at them just like, whoa. And there's so many of them. And it may surprise you to know that redwood trees actually have a pretty shallow root structure. Like, that's a pretty shallow Beneath the surface root structure. It's not a deep tap root. It's a gigantic, massive tree that just has its roots just below the surface, spread out across the ground. You may wonder, how in the world is something that big, that tall, that massive, how in the world does it stay and stand when wind and rains and floods hit? And the reason is, is that they. They're. They're part of a redwood grove, and beneath the surface is a bunch of redwood roots interconnected, locked together in a system of support that they're tied together in a way that helps them as the. As. As they're growing taller and the seasons are getting harsher, that they're able to bear through storms together because. But no, beneath the surface, they're so deeply locked and interconnected and strengthening one another.And I cannot think of a more beautiful metaphor of what we're called to be as the church, as we serve one another, as we love one another, as we live out the implications of the gospel, to be so deeply knitted together and interlocked together in a way that when life is difficult and when suffering knocks us down and when sin is crouching at the door, that we're so deeply locked together as the church that when it hits, we stand. That when it hits, we might be moved for a moment, but we are built upon the rock that is Christ together in a way that we can get through anything. That's what the church is called to be as we live this out together. And that's why we have this ninth commitment written in the way that we do, that we are about one another, which means we need to be present. Like, it's bad when you're not here. It's bad when you're gone. It's bad when you. It's not just that. At group, if you volunteered to bring the meat for the meal, and then all of a sudden you just like, 10 minutes out say, God, I can't make it today. Busy. It's not just now we have to eat cheese tacos, which is the word, is that. No, like you, the Spirit works in you in a beautiful way that when you're not present, that's missing. It's not just that your seat is empty on Sunday. It's that the spirit works in you in a unique way, that when you're missing, it's lacking. We're called to be this together, and that takes devotion and commitment.So let me read number nine. Altogether, I will pursue deep, genuine relationships with others in the Mill City family through committing to regular participation in Sunday gatherings and a community group where I can love and serve others and ensure I am surrounded by people who love Jesus and love me.So as we as a church are considering in this recommitment process, as we're looking through all of this again, I want you to ask yourself, I want us to ask, am I committed to pursuing deep, genuine relationships? Am I committed to this? Am I hiding things from my life? Am I hiding the real me? Am I actually committed to pursuing deep, genuine relationships even when it is hard and sometimes it's hard? Am I committed to being here on Sundays? Am I committed to being here and worshiping y'? All? We have older saints that literally break bones and are just hobbling in here on Sunday because they see the value in this. They see how important it is. And at times when it's raining outside and it's cold, I just know I'm like, we're gonna have less numbers today. And it sometimes bears to be true. And I'm like, no, it's the rain. Am I committed to being here even though it's difficult? And we have the caveat, y', all, for those that are homebound and cannot be here, they literally cannot be here. We have the caveat for those who work jobs, they just literally cannot get out of the trying or they have an essential job. We have the caveat for those that are. That are ministering elsewhere on a Sunday morning, but that is a small, small minority. The rest of us should be committed. Let's commit at times for some of us, course correct. And being here on Sundays, am I committed to being to the people in my group? Am I committed to my people? Do I see the value in driving across town for our group meeting time, to actually showing up to the hangout times that we schedule at different times? Am I committed to actually reading the messages that come through on my phone and praying for that person? Am I committed to being a part of my group?And I'll tell you, one of the things I tell folks that are going through difficult periods of time, they're struggling with Suffering or sin or brokenness, anxiety, depression, lust, et cetera, is that at some point you've got to, as you are fighting sin, pick your head up and not just look at yourself, but look at the people that are around you. Because part of our spiritual health is developed through one another in and that happens mostly through groups. Am I committed to groups? Am I committed to loving and serving one another? Am I committed to the practices that God has called me to practice? About a year ago at a family meeting, Chet printed out all the one another commands. And then our group leaders at the time, I think they made a magnet of all of that and gave it to us and putting it on the fridge and seeing these over and over again was just so helpful and so encouraging to see this is what Jesus calls us to be. And I get to, by the power of the Holy Spirit, live these out even when it is difficult.So all of this, all of this is difficult and it cuts against the grain of culture, a culture that's so drunk on itself and the betterment of self. This is difficult. But if the gospel is true and if Jesus is alive and he is, it's worth it. It's worth the effort. It's worth from the hope of the gospel leveraging our lives for the sake of him and one another.Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you might help us live out the implications of the good news that you came to save sinners and call them into a church that belongs to you to declare the excellencies of you who called us out of darkness into marvelous light and God. I pray that that you would help us see the value of that. I pray that there are folks here that do not belong to a church. I pray they would see the importance of trusting in you as their Savior and belonging to a church. I pray that there's anyone here that is hurting and suffering from bad experiences in the past. They would not grow in cynicism or fear, but they would take a leap of faith and belong. And that in all of us. You would grow in us a radical belief in the hope of the resurrection that empowers us to. To be not about ourselves, but about one another. In Jesus name, Amen.We're going to come and we're going to close and sing and one final song. As I said earlier, may we be a people that as we worship, we worship joyfully. That may our souls be ministered to as we sing and as we listen and as we worship.

When my two nieces were younger, they’d coax me into a game after dinner. They’d turn off all the lights in the house, and we’d shuffle through the darkness, clutching each other and laughing. They enjoyed scaring themselves by choosing to walk in the dark, knowing they could turn on the light anytime. In his letter to the early believers in Jesus, the apostle John talked about choosing to walk in a different kind of darkness. First John 1:6 refers to sin as “darkness.” Walking in darkness isn’t a momentary lapse, but a choice to keep engaging in wrongdoing. John reminds us that our holy God “is light” and “in him there is no darkness” (v. 5). So when we claim a relationship with Him yet willfully continue sinning, “we lie and do not live out the truth” (v. 6). Jesus, the light of the world, came so that “whoever follows [Him] will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). By God’s grace, after we’ve wandered in spiritual darkness and we turn to Him in repentance, we can walk in His light again—in His ways and purposes. He will “forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Only when we live in obedience to God can we enjoy the full blessing of relationship with Him and with other believers (v. 7).

Notes - https://www.generationword.com/notes/Epistles/14-First%20John-the_Epistle.pdf

Ref: SM1725

A 15-minute podcast of Bible teaching, Monday - Friday, by the President and Editor of the Sword of the Lord Publishers, Dr. Shelton Smith.

A 15-minute podcast of Bible teaching, Monday - Friday, by the President and Editor of the Sword of the Lord Publishers, Dr. Shelton Smith.

What does it look like to truly feel clean and innocent again, no matter what our past holds? In today's episode, host Lauren Alessi invites us into a conversation about what it means to be cleansed completely, drawing inspiration from the song “Innocent” and the promises found in First John 1:9. Together, we'll explore the idea of childlike innocence, discuss how God's forgiveness can purify us from all unrighteousness, and reflect on how confession and repentance restore our hearts.Come join our community as we lean in for a peaceful moment of prayer and devotion, trusting God to make us whole and innocent again. Let's grow together in grace and faith.Want to get resources related to this episode? Enter your info at https://www.mymorningdevo.co/newsletter/ and we'll send it to your inbox!https://open.spotify.com/track/0uaUFY1rExSrHUMkXgyzlQ?si=wyHUmVv8QR6TUQ6wt1hURQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A3WnCd6U3mnNa9QA9h4O1zOTap HERE to send us a text! BECOME A FOUNDING "MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL" MEMBERIf you enjoy your 5 minute daily dose of heaven, we would appreciate your support, and we have a fun way for you to partner with the MMD community! We've launched our "Buy Me a Coffee" membership where you can buy us a latte, OR become a founding member and get monthly bonus video episodes! To donate, go to mymorningdevo.co/join! Support the showNEW TO MY MORNING DEVOTIONAL? We're so glad you're here! We're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in a church in Miami, FL, and we're so blessed to partner with the My Morning Devotional community and continue the great work done by the show's creator and our friend, Alison Delamota.Join our Community Subscribe to the show on this app Share this with a friend Join our newsletter and get additional resources Follow Us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Leave a review Support Our Friends and Family Connect with the original host of MMD Alison Delamota Follow our family podcast The Family Business with The Alessis Check out our Worship Music Hear the new music project "Praise the Lord EP" from Metro Life Worship and Mary AlessiListen on SpotifyWatch on YouTube

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Join us for Pastor Frank's bible study of First John

It’s become more and more difficult to distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit. A.I. has us all scratching our heads and wondering whether we should believe what we see. But the father of fakery is none other than our spiritual adversary. He’s referred to as the Great Deceiver. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us spot his deceptions, and stop his influence in our lives. It’s part of his encouraging series in First John . . . a series called Unshakeable. Listen on harvest.org --- Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s become more and more difficult to distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit. A.I. has us all scratching our heads and wondering whether we should believe what we see. But the father of fakery is none other than our spiritual adversary. He’s referred to as the Great Deceiver. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us spot his deceptions, and stop his influence in our lives. It’s part of his encouraging series in First John . . . a series called Unshakeable. Listen on harvest.org --- Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ref: SM1723

Pastor Ray Bentley takes us to First John for an important message in the last hours of the last days. We are living in an hour of crisis, and what John is writing this letter about is that believers must be on guard against the attacks of the enemy. And the last hour actually began in John's day. After the last hour started 2000 years ago.

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Today, pastor Ray Bentley says First John is a book that encourages us but also holds us accountable. We need to know and understand that the Book of First John is a book of proofs. It isn't so much what I say, it's what I do. I can say one thing and do another. So what I say only carries so much weight.

Ref: SM1721

A Critique of Practicing the Way, Part 19 - Dangerous Deluding Practices from Church History, presented by Bob DeWaay and Barb Gretch. We contrast Comer's teaching on abiding in Christ and "practicing the presence of God" with the biblical definition of "abiding" as found in First John 4:12-16. Comers practices are appealing to unbelievers, but they aren't biblical means of grace. (duration 00:24:13) Click here to play

Ref: SM1720

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred continues his on-site coverage of the 2025 Veterans Florida Expo and Battle of the Pitch event in Tampa, where veteran entrepreneurship takes center stage. Tom interviews Navy veteran John Gibson, founder of Just Right IT, a Tampa-based company providing specialized cybersecurity services. John shares how his business journey began in San Diego and why he chose to relocate to Tampa for its strong veteran support network. With the rise of digital threats and the upcoming Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements for government contractors, John stresses the growing importance of cybersecurity for small businesses. He provides practical insights into protecting small enterprises, including affordable solutions like email security, employee training, and basic cyber hygiene. John also highlights the role AI plays in both improving and complicating the cybersecurity landscape. This episode is a must-listen for any business owner looking to stay ahead of today's cyber threats. This podcast episode was recorded live at the 2025 Veterans Florida Expo and Battle of the Pitches hosted at the Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: https://justrightit.com

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 31-32; 1 John 4 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this episode for August 23rd, 2025, your Bible Reading Coach, Hunter, guides us through a rich journey in the Scriptures, exploring Jeremiah 31 and 32, followed by First John 4. As we listen to God's promises of restoration, Hunter unpacks the profound declaration of a new covenant—a covenant not written on tablets of stone, but on our very hearts. We also pause with John's letter to consider the nature of true love, the assurance we have as God's children, and the freedom that perfect love brings from fear and shame. Join us for moments of scripture, insight, and heartfelt prayer as we reflect on God's everlasting love, the invitation to live in peace and gratitude, and the challenge to let love—God's own love—shape every part of our daily lives. Whether you're seeking encouragement or a deeper connection with God, this episode offers a fresh reminder: you are loved, and God has made a way for you. Let's spend these few moments together, listening and growing in the presence of the One who is love. TODAY'S DEVOTION: A new covenant, a new heart, a new hope. Jeremiah is given a prophecy from the Lord about a coming day—a day when God himself will do something entirely new. God promises to write his covenant, not just on tablets of stone, nor simply in laws and rituals, but deep within his people, written upon their very hearts. The old covenant—well-intentioned, but forever frustrated by human weakness—would give way to something greater. The life that this first covenant called for would finally be lived out in perfection, not by us, but by His Son. Jesus, the spotless Lamb, lived a life of love and obedience, fulfilling what Israel and all of us could not. By his loving sacrifice, he has reconciled us—broken, exhausted, rebellious exiles—back to God. This is God's new work: he has taken the old, hardened heart of Adam and replaced it with a new heart, a heart that desires fellowship, love, and communion with God. Where shame, guilt, and fear once reigned, God plants a new covenant, a new hope, a new person. He does not merely repair us; he remakes us. “I will put my instructions deep within them,” Jeremiah says. “I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” This is not something we accomplish—it is something God has done for us, out of his unending love. The apostle John says it so plainly: “God is love. And all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” God's perfect love has made a way for us to live free—free from condemnation, free from shame, free from fear. As we continue to trust, to abide, and to participate with Him, our lives are gradually transformed. Our love grows more perfect. We begin to live as those who are truly loved, loving others, and living with confidence. Fear loses its grip, because perfect love expels all fear. This good news—the news of a new covenant written on our hearts, of lives made new in love—is for us and for the world. Let us awaken each day to this reality. God's love is not just something we hear about; it has been poured into our hearts, making us new people, with a new purpose and a new hope. That's a prayer I have for my own soul, to live in this love, to participate in it, to let it drive out fear, condemnation, shame, and guilt. I pray that for my family—my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's the prayer I have for you, too. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Almighty and ever loving God, you have brought us to the light of a new morning. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may walk this day in peace. Guard our steps from temptation. Shield us from the weight of fear and shame, and lead us deeper into the joy of your presence, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Christ, light of the nations, shine in every place where shadows dwell. Call the scattered home, heal the wounds of division and gather all people into the communion of your grace. May the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Amen. And now, Lord, make my hands ready for mercy. Make my eyes quick to see the hurting, my ears open to the cry of the lonely, and my feet swift to bring good news. Let me seek to bless, not to be noticed, to serve, not to be praised, to forgive, not to hold back. For in your way is life, in your mercy is healing, and in your love is the peace this world cannot give. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to Pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 21; 24; 27; Psalm 118; 1 ohn 2 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this episode, recorded August 21st, 2025, we journey through powerful passages in Jeremiah, Psalm 118, and 1 John 2. Your host, Hunter, guides us through stories of exile, hope, and God's enduring love, reminding us that while the cravings of this world leave us empty, a life rooted in Christ brings true satisfaction and meaning. Listen in for a heartfelt prayer, thoughtful reflections about moving beyond self-focused desires, and encouragement to embrace the little, everyday ways Christ's love shapes our lives. As summer comes to a close, take a moment to rest, reflect, and remember: you are deeply loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Cravings. We all get them. The world offers us strong cravings for physical pleasures, possessions, pride, and our achievements. But like all cravings, they are never satisfied. We are left empty in the end, wanting more. They never deliver. These cravings are self-focused. They are self-indulgent. When we give in to them, we get stuck. We become shallow, hollowed out, empty people—people who are always craving more. And the more we crave, the emptier and more hollow our lives become. But John wants to direct us to another way—a way made available to all by the presence of Christ's Spirit within us. Because of his life in you, you can live a life that goes beyond yourself, a life that truly satisfies, a life fully focused on walking with God, serving, and loving others. Our response and our participation to the life of Christ in us is the beginning of living Christ-focused. It enables us to move beyond the endless cycle of craving, emptiness, shame, and despair. Instead, we experience hope, love, kindness, joy. We experience a fruitful and meaningful life. The cravings of this world are strong, but there's something far more powerful and that's available to you, and that is Christ in you—your hope and your glory. And Christ's life in us isn't always expressed in something big and loud and flamboyant. In fact, most often it leads to something common and every day and humble, like being kind, sharing with those in need, listening to others, exercising your unique gifts, recognizing the gifts of others. These things, as well as others, are common markers of Christ's life in us. The exercise of these common acts of kindness, humility, and love are what leads to a truly satisfying life. May you find your satisfaction there with him today. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Jesus is my shepherd. You have called me by my name into the life of the Beloved. Here in the stillness, I remember that I am not alone. I belong to you and to the great communion of saints and sinners held together in your love. Remind me, Lord, that every breath is grace, every encounter is a chance to give what I have received—mercy without measure. When I forget who I am, when I lose my way, lead me again to still waters. Restore my soul, renew my hope, reroute me in the joy of simply being yours. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the Glory forever and ever. Amen.   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

On todays Show Texas Jim and the Gang talk about Eternal security, theistic determinism, double predestination, reformed theology, salvation by faith, sanctification, justification, libertarian free will, God's sovereignty, human choice, biblical evidence, relationship with God, perseverance, apostasy, Holy Spirit., predeterminism, libertarian free will, genuine faith, sanctification, Romans 8:28, perseverance, Holy Spirit, First John, faith versus works, personal relationship with God, expanding God's kingdom, warning passages, salvation, Hebrew verb, Pharaoh's heart. Don't miss this lively discussion. 

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 67; 1 John 1 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, and thank you for joining us on August 20th, 2025, for day 232 in our journey through the Scriptures. I'm your host, Hunter, your Bible reading coach and companion as we explore God's Word together. In today's episode, we'll be diving into some powerful passages from Jeremiah 48 and 49, where we hear God's prophetic messages to the nations of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and more—emphasizing both judgment and ultimate restoration. We'll then lift our hearts in praise with Psalm 67 and finish with the life-giving words of First John chapter 1, where we are reminded that “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” Join me as we reflect on what it means to live in the light and love of God, leaving behind shadowed understandings of who He is, and embracing a faith that is anchored in His compassion and grace. As always, we'll close with prayers together, seeking God's blessing and strength for the day ahead. Whether this is your first episode or you've journeyed with us all year, I pray today's reading will refresh and encourage your soul. Let's get started! TODAY'S DEVOTION: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. That's the clear testimony of John in his first letter, and it's one he insists on with careful simplicity. There's no shadow in God, no hidden intentions, no darkness lurking behind His actions, not in some corner of His heart. God is light, and only light. And, John says, he and the other witnesses saw Him with their own eyes, touched Him with their own hands. In Jesus, the fullness of that light shone. Yet, many of us grow up with an uneasy sense that there's a second side to God—light and love on one hand, but wrath, anger, and darkness always close at hand. We might hear it in phrases like, “God is love, but He's also just,” or “God is love, but He's also holy.” We're left wondering if there is a line we might cross, a dividing point between God's kindness and God's judgment, and so we live in a sort of anxious balancing act, trying to stay in His favor and avoid the hidden, darker side of His character. But John sets the record straight: God is light, and God is love. Everything that flows from Him—His holiness, His righteousness, and yes, even His judgments—comes out of that light and love. There's nothing hiding behind Jesus' back; He's not the good cop while the Father is the bad cop. The nature of God is fully revealed in the face of Jesus, and that revelation is pure goodness. The very light of God has invited us, every one of us, into fellowship with Himself. We don't need to fear bringing our brokenness, our sin, and our shadows into the presence of His light. In fact, that is the invitation—bring it all to Him, let His love do what only love can do: expose, forgive, transform, heal, and invite us into real fellowship. Even as there remains darkness in us, it does not change who God is. We are to learn, like John, to see Jesus as He is, to experience Him with our own eyes and hands—to step out of the shadows and walk in the light. That's the prayer for today: to learn the ways of shadow-free living and shadow-free believing; to see God as He truly is, and to let that truth change the way we see ourselves and others, to let it dissolve our fear and shame. May we all come to know—deep in our hearts—that God is only and always light and love. That's my prayer for my own soul, for my family, for my wife and daughters and son, and that's my prayer for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Dear Lord, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your spirit on all flesh and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. And now, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, joy. O Lord, grant that I might not seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life. Amen. Almighty God, father of all mercies, we, your grateful children, give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us and all you have made. We bless you for your creation, preservation and all the blessings of this life. And above all, for your immeasurable love and your redemption of the world through our Lord Jesus Christ. For the means of grace and the hope of glory, Lord, we pray, give us such awareness of your mercies that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but with our lives, by the giving up of ourselves for your service in holiness and righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory through all ages. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Ref: SM1719

In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the biblical prophecies surrounding Israel, end times, and the rise of the Antichrist. The conversation dives deep into Ezekiel 38, examining how ancient nations like Russia, Iran, and Turkey could be part of a future war against Israel, potentially triggering a global conflict. We discuss how God's miraculous defense of Israel could spark mass revival among Jewish people and how this could pave the way for the Antichrist to rise as a false peacemaker. The speakers unpack different views on the rapture, biblical symbolism, and the connection between First John, Daniel, and Revelation. We also wrestle with modern political concerns about Israel's leadership, U.S. foreign policy, and even theories involving Mossad and the CIA. Ultimately, this episode challenges listeners to stay faithful, discerning, and focused on living out the gospel in turbulent times.

First John has one of the most succinct and clear summaries of what it means to be a Christian. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior or if you've not yet met Him, this study will make it very clear to you what this life of following Jesus is all about.