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Motion Church | Warrior Poet Society, Week 3: "The Downstream Effect of Sin" Happy Father's Day from Motion Church — "I think strong men are the backbone of any good society" — and then right into a tough but important topic in the David series: what happens after forgiveness. This week picks back up exactly where Nathan left off with David after the Bathsheba confrontation. Nathan didn't just say "you are that man" — he also told David what would follow. "The sword shall never depart from your house... I will raise up adversity against you from your own house." Translated: "Because you chose sin... because you despised me, there will be downstream consequences for those actions." Here's the tension the message sits in: God's forgiveness is instant and complete. "First John 1:9 says, if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us of those sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is that good. It is that true." But forgiveness doesn't erase consequences. "We can be forgiven immediately and instantaneously, but that doesn't mean that there won't be a wake." Like a muddy dog getting a bath — clean, but the tub still needs cleaning up. "Spiritually, we can be forgiven, but relationally, there may be much work to do." And David's family lived that out in devastating ways. His son Amnon assaults his half-sister Tamar. His son Absalom, consumed by two years of quiet rage, orchestrates Amnon's murder in revenge. Eventually Absalom turns against his own father, manipulating the people of Israel — "Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel" — and seizing part of the kingdom. "All of this is in David's house, and all of this is because of sin." It's Galatians 6:7 playing out in real time: "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Sow violence, reap violence. Sow scheming, reap scheming. There's a striking detail in Absalom's story too — he was famous for his flawless looks and his luscious hair, which he cut once a year, "200 shekels" worth. That same hair is what gets him caught in a tree branch while fleeing on his mule, leaving him dangling and vulnerable — and it's there that Joab kills him. "Absalom was hanging by the hair that was a key feature in his rise to power." The lesson: "What got him to a certain point was also what got him caught up in that point... what took you there is not enough to keep you there." Talent, charm, looks — gifts from God, genuinely — "will get you to certain places in life, but it will not sustain you in those places. Character is the only thing that will sustain you." A sobering reminder follows: none of us are exempt. "The cross is level. The ground at the foot of the cross is level." No one gets special privileges, and no one is above the standard just because of unique gifts or success. As one young man once put it in a moment of real wisdom: "but for the grace of God, that could have been any one of us." So what do you do with all this? Two things, plus one final word of hope. First, avoid sin and even its appearance wherever possible — "if it looks like sin, at all costs, if at all possible, just avoid it." Second, if you're already dealing with consequences of past sin, lean into mercy. "His mercy triumphs over judgment." Your future is greater than your past, and God doesn't waste even the hardest seasons — "he's going to use those things that you've gone through to help you and to help others."
Today, we continue our mini series called Kingdom First! This series will teach you to prioritize what God prioritizes. In this message, take a look at excuses we love to make to NOT put God's kingdom first.
May 20, 2026 - Wednesday PM Bible Class This episode is a teacher-led Bible class focused on First John chapter 5. Hiram walks the group through the chapter's major themes: how Christians can know they currently possess eternal life, what constitutes true faith, and how faith should be demonstrated in a believer's life. Topics covered include: the meaning of being "born of God," the relationship between faith and obedience, the two chief commandments (love God and love one another), and the idea that God's commandments are not burdensome. The class emphasizes that faith is more than intellectual assent — it produces transformed life, love for God's children, and victory over the world through union with Jesus. The speaker carefully unpacks John's testimony about Jesus — the three witnesses (the Spirit, the water, and the blood) — and connects these witnesses to biblical proofs (miracles, the Father's testimony, scripture, and the resurrection) that establish Jesus as the Son of God. Practical questions are addressed: how to receive the Son, how to be assured of salvation, and why believers sometimes struggle to feel confident despite biblical assurances. Key practical points include the privilege of prayer and confidence before God (asking according to his will), the distinction John draws between sins that lead to death and those that do not, and the call to keep oneself from idols. The lesson concludes by urging listeners to internalize the assurance of eternal life so they can faithfully share the gospel with others. This episode features an instructor-led Bible study with class participation. Expect clear explanation of Scripture, cross-references to the Gospel of John and other New Testament passages, and pastoral application aimed at encouraging confidence in Christ and active Christian living. Duration 44:19
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. The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! Stay updated on all important event details. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee 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. The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! Stay updated on all important event details. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chris Paul and Burning Bright tackle David Ayer's 2014 World War II film Fury, starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Pena. Burning Bright picked it as a Memorial Day rewatch and argues it is one of the most underrated war films of the modern era, deserving way more credit than Saving Private Ryan style lionization tends to allow. The guys dig into the five very different spiritual approaches of the tank crew, the dehumanization of war daddy, bible, gordo, kunas, and the painfully innocent Norman, and why the infamous early execution scene is not the glorification it gets accused of being. They unpack the central biblical passage from First John chapter two, do not love the world or anything in the world, as the real moral spine of the film and the heart of all discernment. From there they go big picture, hitting Jevons paradox and how better military tech just means more efficient mass sacrifice, why World War II had the cleanest cartoon story of any modern war, the controlled opposition Nazi op being run on MAGA right now, narrative shielding through Donald Trump's hyper Zionist posture, and the fiery tank as a birth canal delivering Norman into a second chance.
The Apostle Paul described our days with one word: perilous. The Greek is chalepos, and it appears only twice in the entire New Testament. The second occurrence is in Matthew 8:28, describing the demoniacs of Gadara, exceedingly fierce, broken chains in the dust, men who could not be bound or calmed by any human means. That is the force of the word Paul reaches for to describe the last days. Not inconvenient. Demonically energised. In this prophetic Sunday sermon, Pastor Olubi Johnson opens the full biblical framework: what the end-time perils are, why they are intensifying, and precisely how the mature believer overcomes them. The diagnosis of 2 Timothy 3:2-5 reads like a news feed: lovers of themselves, proud, unthankful, without natural affection, fierce, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. The most dangerous peril, Pastor Olubi Johnson notes, is not outside the church walls but the drift from living faith to empty form. The why is spiritual: Ephesians 2:2, the prince of the power of the air working in the sons of disobedience. As collective rejection of God intensifies, the earth opens as a theatre for spiritual deception and destruction. But Romans 8:19 reveals the answer creation has been waiting for: not politicians or scientists but the manifestation of the sons of God, a mature Church so saturated with the love and fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ that His power flows through them without resistance into every sphere of human need. The how is Psalm 91:1: he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High. Not visits. Dwelling. The chashaq love, the deliberate daily clinging to God above every competing loyalty, produces the dwelling, and the dwelling produces the protection. Perfect love casts out fear because fear is not merely an uncomfortable emotion but a spiritual weapon, the mechanism through which the enemy gains access. First John 4:17 is the anchor: as He is, so are we in this world.
The Apostle Paul described our days with one word: perilous. The Greek is chalepos, and it appears only twice in the entire New Testament. The second occurrence is in Matthew 8:28, describing the demoniacs of Gadara, exceedingly fierce, broken chains in the dust, men who could not be bound or calmed by any human means. That is the force of the word Paul reaches for to describe the last days. Not inconvenient. Demonically energised. In this prophetic Sunday sermon, Pastor Olubi Johnson opens the full biblical framework: what the end-time perils are, why they are intensifying, and precisely how the mature believer overcomes them. The diagnosis of 2 Timothy 3:2-5 reads like a news feed: lovers of themselves, proud, unthankful, without natural affection, fierce, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. The most dangerous peril, Pastor Olubi Johnson notes, is not outside the church walls but the drift from living faith to empty form. The why is spiritual: Ephesians 2:2, the prince of the power of the air working in the sons of disobedience. As collective rejection of God intensifies, the earth opens as a theatre for spiritual deception and destruction. But Romans 8:19 reveals the answer creation has been waiting for: not politicians or scientists but the manifestation of the sons of God, a mature Church so saturated with the love and fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ that His power flows through them without resistance into every sphere of human need. The how is Psalm 91:1: he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High. Not visits. Dwelling. The chashaq love, the deliberate daily clinging to God above every competing loyalty, produces the dwelling, and the dwelling produces the protection. Perfect love casts out fear because fear is not merely an uncomfortable emotion but a spiritual weapon, the mechanism through which the enemy gains access. First John 4:17 is the anchor: as He is, so are we in this world.
The Apostle Paul described our days with one word: perilous. The Greek is chalepos, and it appears only twice in the entire New Testament. The second occurrence is in Matthew 8:28, describing the demoniacs of Gadara, exceedingly fierce, broken chains in the dust, men who could not be bound or calmed by any human means. That is the force of the word Paul reaches for to describe the last days. Not inconvenient. Demonically energised. In this prophetic Sunday sermon, Pastor Olubi Johnson opens the full biblical framework: what the end-time perils are, why they are intensifying, and precisely how the mature believer overcomes them. The diagnosis of 2 Timothy 3:2-5 reads like a news feed: lovers of themselves, proud, unthankful, without natural affection, fierce, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. The most dangerous peril, Pastor Olubi Johnson notes, is not outside the church walls but the drift from living faith to empty form. The why is spiritual: Ephesians 2:2, the prince of the power of the air working in the sons of disobedience. As collective rejection of God intensifies, the earth opens as a theatre for spiritual deception and destruction. But Romans 8:19 reveals the answer creation has been waiting for: not politicians or scientists but the manifestation of the sons of God, a mature Church so saturated with the love and fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ that His power flows through them without resistance into every sphere of human need. The how is Psalm 91:1: he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High. Not visits. Dwelling. The chashaq love, the deliberate daily clinging to God above every competing loyalty, produces the dwelling, and the dwelling produces the protection. Perfect love casts out fear because fear is not merely an uncomfortable emotion but a spiritual weapon, the mechanism through which the enemy gains access. First John 4:17 is the anchor: as He is, so are we in this world.
In John 11, we walk through one of the most powerful moments in all of Scripture — the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Why did Jesus wait? What does His response teach us about suffering, faith, grief, and the glory of God? And what did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life”?In this Bible study, we break down the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus verse by verse and look at the deep spiritual truths found in this chapter. We also discuss one of the shortest yet most meaningful verses in the Bible: “Jesus wept.”Whether you're walking through a difficult season, wrestling with unanswered prayers, or simply wanting to grow deeper in your understanding of Scripture, John 11 is filled with hope and encouragement.
What do you do when guilt weighs heavy on your heart after sinning? Do you readily confess to God through Christ, or do you try to manage and hide your sin while spiraling deeper into poor decisions? First John 2:1-6 reveals that believers don't have to linger in guilt or try to manage their sin alone. You have a righteous advocate who stands with you and an atoning sacrifice whose blood covers every sin. Stop lingering in guilt and start living in grace. What sin are you trying to manage instead of confessing?
What do you do when guilt weighs heavy on your heart after sinning? Do you readily confess to God through Christ, or do you try to manage and hide your sin while spiraling deeper into poor decisions? First John 2:1-6 reveals that believers don't have to linger in guilt or try to manage their sin alone. You have a righteous advocate who stands with you and an atoning sacrifice whose blood covers every sin. Stop lingering in guilt and start living in grace. What sin are you trying to manage instead of confessing?
This recording is a graduate level class lecture taught at Chafer Theological Seminary during the Spring 2026 semester. This lesson provides an overview of 1 John. If you desire deeper theological training and a more comprehensive understanding of God's word, you are encouraged to apply to Chafer Theological Seminary and pursue formal coursework through the school. Click here for my lecture notes: https://thinkingonscripture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Survey-of-Hebrews-Through-Jude.pdf Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.
The fastest way to drain joy from your faith is to turn it into a grading system. When we start believing that God approves of us because we performed well today, we do not just carry that pressure internally, we bring it into our Christian marriage, our parenting, and our daily home life. We get stuck on the performance treadmill, chasing a personal “it” that promises relief but delivers more fear, guilt, and constant self-evaluation.We dig into how legalism works, why it can feel so convincing, and why Paul warns that it spreads like yeast in Galatians 5. We also ask a question many believers are afraid to say out loud: can a true Christian still be legalistic? From there, we name what happens when we “become judge,” set our own bar, and swing between determination and condemnation. If you have perfectionistic tendencies, or you feel like you and your spouse are always measuring each other, this conversation puts language to what is happening beneath the surface.Then we pivot to hope and a practical way forward. John 15 reframes spiritual growth as abiding in Christ, not straining to earn love, and First John 4 draws the line clearly: legalism runs on fear, but obedience grows from love. We close with a real marriage moment and a challenge to talk honestly with your spouse about the “pit” you fall into, inviting support without making them your rescuer.If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels crushed by performance, and leave a review so more couples can find grace-filled, Christ-centered marriage help.Support the showFor episode transcripts, click HERE.For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FBApple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.
This week on Book It!, we fantasy book what the first John Cena Classic could look like as WWE brings the concept to life. We put together our ideal card featuring standout matchups between WWE NXT and the main roster, and break down who should be part of Cena's signature event.Listen now and let us know what matches you'd book for the first John Cena Classic.https://linktr.ee/bookitawrestlingpodcast
Welcome to Day 2861 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Testing All Things: Why Respecting Pastors Includes Accountability Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2861 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2861 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website theologyinfive.com. Today's lesson is titled: Testing All Things: Why Respecting Pastors Includes Accountability. In many churches today, there is an expectation that pastors be given honor and respect. Scripture affirms this respect, but it does not call for blind obedience. Some leaders suggest that questioning their teaching is a form of rebellion or a refusal to submit to authority. Yet the Bible makes a different claim. Holding leaders accountable to the Word is not undermining their authority, but honoring the authority of Christ to whom they themselves must answer. The real issue is not whether we respect pastors, but whether we allow anyone's words to stand above Scripture. The first segment is: The Commendable Discernment of the Bereans. Acts 17 verse eleven praises the Bereans because they listened eagerly to Paul and then turned to the Scriptures daily to confirm what they had heard. Paul was an apostle who had encountered the risen Christ, yet even he was not beyond examination. The Bereans were not skeptics undermining his authority. They were faithful believers guarding against error. Their discernment was a form of respect, showing that they valued the truth of God's Word above all else. That same principle applies today: questioning what a pastor teaches is not rebellion, but obedience to God's call to weigh everything by Scripture. The second segment is: Testing Teachers and Spirits. John warned the church, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). This assumes that false teachers would exist, even within the church. Paul echoed the same truth when he wrote, “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (first Thessalonians 5 verse twenty one). These commands are given to every believer, not just church leaders. If pastors were meant to be unquestioned authorities, these passages would be meaningless. Instead, Scripture shows that discernment is part of faithful obedience. To test teaching is not to reject authority, but to protect it by making sure it remains under Christ. The third segment is: Pastors as Servants, Not Masters Pastors and elders are entrusted with the care of the church. They are to lead, teach, and shepherd, but their authority is not absolute. It only exists when it aligns with the Word of God. Titus 1 verse nine says a leader must hold firmly to the trustworthy word and be able to refute error. James 3 verse one warns that teachers will be judged more strictly, reminding us that they are accountable to God for their words. Even Hebrews 13 verse seventeen, a passage often cited to demand unquestioning obedience, frames leadership in terms of accountability. Leaders “will have to give an account” to God. True authority in the church is never independent. It is always grounded in Scripture and subject to Christ. The fourth segment is: Even Apostles Faced Correction Galatians 2 records a striking moment when Paul confronted Peter publicly for compromising the gospel. Peter, one of Christ's closest disciples, withdrew from Gentile believers out of fear of criticism. Paul opposed him “because he stood condemned.” This was not a rejection of Peter's authority but a defense of the truth he was called to uphold. If even Peter could be corrected for straying from the gospel, then no modern leader can claim to be beyond question. Correction is not rebellion. It is an act of faithfulness that preserves both authority and truth. The fifth segments is: Christ's Warning Against Elevating Leaders Jesus warned His disciples not to seek titles or exalted positions, saying, “You are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers” (Matthew 23, verses eight through ten). Authority belongs to Christ alone. Pastors are not mediators between God and man. That role belongs to Christ. Instead, leaders are to shepherd with humility, “not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5 verses two and three). The danger is not in respecting leaders, but in elevating them above their proper place. When pastors are treated as unquestionable, they cease to reflect the servant leadership of Christ. In Conclusion The Bible never calls believers to submit blindly to a pastor's words. Instead, it calls the church to test all things and to hold fast to what is true. This is not a rejection of authority but a recognition of where true authority lies, in Christ and His Word. Pastors are to be respected, encouraged, and followed when they lead rightly. But they are also accountable, and when their teaching strays, questioning it is an act of obedience to God. A healthy church is not one where questions are silenced, but where questions are welcomed as part of keeping leaders and people alike rooted in Scripture. To test teaching is not to dishonor a pastor, but to honor the Lord who gave His Word as the final standard for all. For additional study, consider these Discussion Questions. Why does Acts 17 verse eleven praise the Bereans for testing Paul's teaching, and how does this show that discernment strengthens rather than rejects authority? How does First John 4 verse one call every believer to responsibility in testing the spirits, and what would happen if this responsibility were ignored in the church? In Galatians 2, Paul rebuked Peter for compromising the gospel. How does this account demonstrate that correction is not rebellion but a way of preserving true authority? What dangers arise when a congregation confuses loyalty to a leader with loyalty to Christ and His Word? How can a church create a culture where questioning teaching is welcomed as faithfulness to God's Word, while still showing respect for pastoral leadership? Join us next Theology Thursday to learn Testing All Things: Why Respecting Pastors Includes Accountability. If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.' Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this Trek of life together, let us always: Liv Abundantly. Love Unconditionally. Listen Intentionally. Learn Continuously. Lend to others Generously. Lead with Integrity. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day. I am Guthrie Chamberlain, reminding you to, “Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy your journey, and create a great day, every day! Join me next time for more daily wisdom!
You picked a good day to join us, as together we wrap up our study of First John. So let's say you have a friend or family member that is living in unrepentant sin! Maybe living with their boyfriend or girlfriend. Or perhaps using drugs. What do you do? We'll get some much needed help with that today as pastor John looks at a critical conclusion to this epistle. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
First John is one of the best examples of unitarian theology in the New Testament. This episode examines how the Elder who composed 1 John and his recipients agree that God is one person, the Father alone. Christ is portrayed as the son of the one true God, and the Spirit is illustrated as God's own personal presence. First John is inconsistent with the doctrine of the Trinity. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/1Ejh1vTc4ds Visit Amazon to buy your copy of A Systematic Theology of the Early Church: https://amzn.to/47jldOc Visit Amazon to buy your copy of Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://amzn.to/3JBflHb Visit Amazon to buy your copy of The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus: https://amzn.to/43DPYey To support this podcast, donate here: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks Episode notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mMyXMEZWjYCm2UrfdKwt6Fp4LKUTXF5rLCFOv1avzJY/edit?usp=sharing Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BiblicalUnitarianPodcast Follow on Instagram: https://Instagram.com/biblicalunitarianpodcast Follow on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/OneGodPodcast
Maranatha: Our Lord is Coming! The Rapture of the Church In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3) The scene is etched forever in the sacred record of Scripture. It is the night of betrayal. The Passover supper has been eaten. The traitor has gone out into the darkness. The eleven remaining disciples sit in stunned silence as the weight of impending loss presses upon their souls. Their Master has spoken plainly of His departure. He has washed their feet. He has given them the new commandment of love. And now, with the shadow of Gethsemane already falling across His face, the Lord Jesus Christ turns to address the deepest fear in their hearts. He does not offer vague religious platitudes. He does not speak in the language of uncertainty. Instead, He utters words that carry the full force of divine certainty, words that have echoed down through two thousand years of church history as the unbreakable promise of His personal return. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. These verses stand as the cornerstone of the doctrine of the Rapture of the church, the blessed hope that has sustained persecuted saints, comforted grieving families, and ignited holy urgency in every generation of believers. Yet the full power of this promise is often missed in English translation. The blazing heart of the passage lies in the Greek construction of the words “I will come again,” and it is there that the exposition must linger with scholarly precision and devotional weight. The verb translated “I will come again” is the present indicative active of the Greek word erchomai—literally, “I am coming.” It is not the simple future tense that one might expect for a distant event. It is the present tense employed in a manner called the futuristic present tense. This is no grammatical accident. It is a deliberate choice by the Holy Spirit through the pen of the apostle John. In classical and Koine Greek, the present tense can be used to describe a future action when that action is viewed by the speaker as so certain, so inevitable, and so imminent that it is as good as already unfolding before the eyes. The futuristic present tense does not weaken the promise; it intensifies it. It lifts the event out of the realm of mere prediction and plants it squarely in the realm of divine declaration. Jesus does not say, “I might come someday if conditions allow.” He declares with the full authority of the Son of God, “I am coming.” The present tense shouts certainty. It breathes imminence. It carries the weight of a future so fixed in the eternal counsels of the Godhead that the Speaker can speak of it as already in motion. This futuristic present is not unique to this verse, but its placement here is profound. The same construction appears elsewhere in the Gospel of John when Jesus describes events that are absolutely assured in the divine plan. The grammar itself becomes a theological hammer, driving home the truth that the return of Christ for His own is not a distant possibility but a present reality in the mind of the Savior. He is even now, from the vantage point of eternity, in the act of coming. The promise is so certain that the tense of the verb collapses the future into the present. This is the grammatical foundation upon which the entire doctrine of the Rapture rests. The Rapture is not an afterthought in the plan of God. It is the next great event on the divine calendar for the church of Jesus Christ, an event so fixed and so near that the Lord Himself can announce it in the present tense: “I am coming.” The Rapture of the church is the personal, visible, and audible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds to receive unto Himself every believer, both living and dead, and to take them to the place He has prepared in the Father's house. It is distinct from the Second Coming, which will occur at the end of the Tribulation when Christ returns to earth in power and great glory to judge the nations and establish His millennial kingdom. The Rapture is the moment when the Bridegroom comes for His bride before the wrath of the Lamb is poured out upon a Christ-rejecting world. It is sudden. It is secret to the world but glorious to the saints. It is the fulfillment of the promise given in the Upper Room, and it stands as the great hope of every blood-bought child of God. No passage of Scripture unfolds this event with greater clarity and comfort than the words of the apostle Paul in First Thessalonians chapter four, verses thirteen through eighteen. These verses were written by divine revelation to correct the ignorance of the Thessalonian believers concerning those who had died in Christ. The apostle writes: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Consider the weight of each phrase. The apostle begins by lifting the veil of ignorance. Death is not the end for the believer; it is merely sleep for the body while the spirit is present with the Lord. The sorrow of the Thessalonian Christians is real, but it is not hopeless sorrow. It is sorrow anchored in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He died and rose, those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. The dead in Christ are not left behind. They will not miss the Rapture. Their spirits, already in the presence of the Lord, will be reunited with their resurrected bodies at this moment. Then comes the heart of the revelation: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.” This is not human speculation. This is not apostolic opinion. This is direct revelation from the ascended Christ Himself. The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. Notice the personal emphasis. It is not an angel. It is not a representative. The Lord Himself— the same Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee, who hung upon the cross, who burst from the tomb, who ascended from the Mount of Olives—He Himself shall descend. And He shall descend with a shout. The Greek word for “shout” is keleusma, a military command, a royal summons, a cry of authority that will pierce the heavens and shake the graves. Accompanying that shout will be the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. The trumpet does not signal judgment here; it signals assembly. It is the signal for the final gathering of the redeemed. The sequence is precise and powerful. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Their bodies, sown in corruption, will be raised in incorruption. The graves will surrender their prey. Then—and only then—we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. The word “caught up” is the Greek harpazo, a word that means to seize, to snatch away by force, to carry off suddenly. It is the same word used in Acts 8:39 when the Spirit caught away Philip, and in Revelation 12:5 when the man child is caught up to God. It pictures a violent, irresistible removal from this earth. No believer will be left behind. No one who has trusted Christ will miss this moment. Living and resurrected saints will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The meeting place is not on the earth. It is in the air, in the clouds, the very atmosphere where the Lord will receive His own unto Himself exactly as He promised in John 14:3. And then the final, glorious declaration: “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Not for a thousand years. Not for a million years. Forever. The Rapture is not a temporary event. It is the beginning of an eternal union. The bride will be taken to the place prepared in the Father's house, and there she will remain with her Bridegroom throughout the ages of ages. This is the comfort with which the apostle commands believers to comfort one another. It is not a doctrine for debate. It is a doctrine for consolation in the face of death and for courage in the face of life. The same apostle who received this revelation also unfolds the mystery of the bodily change that will occur at the Rapture. In First Corinthians chapter fifteen, verses fifty-one and fifty-two, he writes: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This is the mystery that was hidden in ages past but is now revealed. Not every believer will die. There will be a generation of Christians alive at the moment of the Rapture. Those believers will not sleep; they will be changed. The change will be instantaneous—“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” The Greek word for “moment” is atomos, from which we derive the English word “atom.” It means an indivisible unit of time, the smallest possible fragment of a second. Faster than the eye can blink, faster than the mind can comprehend, the transformation will occur. The corruptible will put on incorruption. The mortal will put on immortality. The bodies that have groaned under the weight of sin and sickness will be glorified, conformed to the image of the risen Christ. The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised, and the living will be changed. This is the power of the Rapture. It is not a gradual process. It is a sudden, sovereign act of God that will leave the world stunned and the saints transported. The early church lived in the constant expectation of this event. They faced persecution, imprisonment, and death with the cry of “Maranatha” upon their lips. That single Aramaic word, preserved for us in First Corinthians chapter sixteen, verse twenty-two, carries the heartbeat of New Testament Christianity: If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. “Maranatha” is not a curse. It is a prayer. It is a declaration. It means “Our Lord, come!” or more literally, “The Lord is coming!” The persecuted believers of the first century did not merely believe in the return of Christ as a distant doctrine. They cried out for it as the solution to every trial. They lived every day with the expectation that before the sun set, the trumpet might sound and the Lord might appear. That same expectant cry has been the distinguishing mark of every faithful generation since. The futuristic present of John 14:3 fueled their hope. Jesus is not merely going to come. He is coming. The present tense makes the future certain and the certain future near. Additional passages of Scripture reinforce this truth with unyielding clarity. The apostle Paul describes the Rapture as the believer's “blessed hope” in Titus chapter two, verse thirteen: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not the appearing of wrath. It is the appearing of the great God and our Savior. It is blessed because it delivers the church from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world. It is glorious because it reveals Christ in His full majesty to those who love Him. The apostle also writes in Philippians chapter three, verses twenty and twenty-one: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. The word “conversation” means citizenship. The believer's true home is in heaven, and from that heavenly realm the Savior is expected at any moment. The transformation described here is the same as that in First Corinthians fifteen. The vile body—literally the body of humiliation—will be fashioned like unto His glorious body. The power that will accomplish this is the same power that will one day subdue all things under His feet. Nothing is too hard for the One who spoke the universe into existence. The doctrine of the Rapture is further confirmed in the closing words of the New Testament. In Revelation chapter twenty-two, verse twenty, the ascended Lord Himself declares: He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. And the response of the apostle is immediate and fervent: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Once again the language of certainty and imminence rings out. “Surely I come quickly.” The same Lord who used the futuristic present in the Upper Room now seals the entire canon of Scripture with the promise of His soon return. This constellation of biblical texts forms an unbreakable chain of truth. The futuristic present of John 14:3 is the grammatical foundation. The detailed revelation of First Thessalonians four is the doctrinal exposition. The mystery of First Corinthians fifteen is the physiological description. The cry of Maranatha is the devotional response. The blessed hope of Titus two is the purifying motivation. The citizenship of Philippians three is the practical orientation. And the final prayer of Revelation twenty-two is the expectant climax. Taken together, these passages challenge every believer to live in the white-hot expectancy of the Lord's return. The Rapture is not a doctrine to be debated in academic halls while life drifts on in complacency. It is a command to holiness. The apostle John makes this explicit in First John chapter three, verses two and three: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. The hope of seeing Christ and being made like Him is not an abstract idea. It is a sanctifying force. The one who truly believes that Jesus may come at any moment will not toy with sin. He will not waste his days on the trivial and the temporal. He will purify his life with the same purity that characterizes the Lord Himself. Expectancy produces urgency. It produces separation from the world. It produces devotion to the Word. It produces zeal for the gospel. It produces love for the brethren. It produces a life lived with eyes fixed on the eastern sky. The early church understood this. They did not build elaborate systems of prophecy to delay the return of Christ. They did not resign themselves to the idea that the Rapture was for some future generation. They lived as though today could be the day. That same spirit must characterize every generation of believers until the trumpet sounds. The futuristic present tense in John 14:3 is not a curious footnote for Greek students. It is a divine declaration that resounds through the corridors of time: “I am coming.” The Lord is coming. Maranatha. The Bridegroom is on the way. The Rapture will be a moment of indescribable glory. In one atom of time the graves of the righteous dead will burst open. Bodies long decayed will be reconstituted in splendor. The living saints will feel the sudden surge of immortal power coursing through their veins. Then, together, they will be caught up. The clouds will become their chariot. The air will become the meeting place. The Lord Himself will receive them. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more death. Only the eternal embrace of the One who loved them and gave Himself for them. The place prepared in the Father's house will at last be occupied by the redeemed of all ages. The marriage supper of the Lamb will begin. The church will be presented faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Until that day, the Scriptures call every follower of Christ to live in the light of this imminence. The doctrine of the Rapture is not an escape clause for the lazy. It is a summons to vigilance. It is a call to watchfulness. It is a mandate to occupy until He comes. The believer who has fixed his hope on the appearing of Christ will order his life accordingly. He will speak the truth in love. He will labor while it is day. He will warn the wicked. He will strengthen the weak. He will lift up the hands that hang down. He will keep his garments unspotted from the world. He will cry out with the saints of old, “Maranatha—Our Lord, come!” The futuristic present tense of John 14:3 still echoes across the centuries. Jesus is not planning to come. He is coming. The grammar itself testifies to the certainty. The supporting texts confirm the details. The early church embodied the expectancy. And the Holy Spirit today stirs the hearts of all who will listen with the same urgent cry: the Lord is coming. Maranatha. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The promise stands. The place is prepared. The trumpet is ready. The Bridegroom is at the door. Let this truth sink deep into the soul. Let it shape every decision. Let it fuel every act of obedience. Let it purify every motive. The Lord Himself shall descend. The dead in Christ shall rise. The living shall be changed. The redeemed shall be caught up. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. This is the Rapture. This is the blessed hope. This is the promise of John 14:1-3, sealed by the futuristic present tense and proclaimed by the infallible Word of God. Maranatha. Our Lord is coming. Amen.
Pastor John Randall is nearing the finish line in his study in First John. We're in chapter five. So how do you really know you're a Christian and on your way to heaven? It's an important question, and God doesn't want to leave us wondering. He wants us to know where we stand, and wonderful assurance. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
We take you back into the heavenly courtroom today on a Daily Walk. If you'll recall, last time we were together the witnesses were called to the stand. The Word, the water, the blood and the Spirit. And they were powerful and convincing. But today we want you to pause and consider whether or not you've received and believed these witnesses of heaven? If you haven't, that can change today. Turn to First John chapter five. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Pastor John Randall is on the final leg of a journey through First John. And in chapter five you might say we're entering God's courtroom! We'll be considering whether or not the ministry of Jesus is valid! Witnesses are brought to the stand, and this evidence demands a verdict. You'll be left with undeniable proof that Jesus is the son of God, savior of the world. Will you receive or reject it? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Pastor John Randall is at the tail-end of his study in First John. Find your place in chapter five. Life is a battle. And maybe you're in one as we speak. They can be hard to handle. But take comfort in this today, the Lord wants to fight for you, and we're not along in the battle. There is also a way to overcome. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
We're at the tail-end of First John chapter four today. Last time we learned that the invisible God reveals Himself through the visible love of believers. We talked about the presence of God's love, the proclamation of this love and then the proof of God's love. Now today, pastor John will go on to discuss the power of love over fear and then the practical application of God's love. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Pastor John Randall is leading us through the New Testament, and today we stop in First John chapter four, verses twelve to twenty-one. We have daily interactions with people… whether it's at work, in the supermarket, or hanging out with friends or family. Those people may never crack open a Bible, but they are watching us. And today we'll learn how the invisible God reveals Himself through the visible love of believers. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Why Confession and Repentance Are Essential for Christian GrowthAuthor: Dave JenkinsShow: Anchored in the Word with Dave JenkinsDate: April 30, 2026Show SummaryWhy are confession and repentance essential for Christian growth? In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins explains why repentance is not merely the beginning of the Christian life, but its ongoing rhythm. Drawing from passages such as 1 John 1:9, Mark 1:15, Psalm 32, Romans 8:13, and James 5:16, Dave shows how confession restores fellowship with God, repentance produces spiritual fruit, and the grace of God leads believers into deeper holiness, joy, and assurance in Christ.Audio PlayerVideo PlayerKey Scriptures1 John 1:9Mark 1:15Revelation 2–3Matthew 3:8Psalm 32Romans 8:13Ezekiel 36:26–27Hebrews 12:6James 5:16Acts 11:18Romans 2:4Episode HighlightsRepentance is the ongoing rhythm of the Christian lifeConfession restores fellowship with GodRepentance is more than simply saying “I'm sorry”Unchecked sin hardens the heart and hinders communion with GodRepentance produces humility, joy, and spiritual clarityThe Holy Spirit empowers believers to put sin to deathRepentance and assurance go togetherConfession within Christian community helps strengthen believersFull ArticleEvery Christian desires to grow. Every believer wants to mature in Christ, to walk more faithfully with the Lord, and to know deeper fellowship with Him. But the Word of God is crystal clear: there is no spiritual growth without repentance, and there is no close fellowship with God without confession of sin.Repentance is not something we do only once when we first come to Christ. It is the ongoing rhythm of the Christian life. Martin Luther famously said that the entire Christian life is one of repentance, and John Calvin likewise emphasized that repentance is not merely the start of the Christian life, but the Christian life itself. Scripture confirms this truth. In 1 John 1:9, confessing sin is taught as a continual practice. In Mark 1:15, Jesus begins His ministry by calling people to repent and believe the gospel. In Revelation 2 and 3, the risen Christ calls entire churches to repentance. Repentance is not optional. It is essential.Confession restores fellowship with God. When a Christian sins, his union with Christ is not broken, but his fellowship with God is hindered. Our security in Christ remains sure because it rests on the finished work of Christ, but our communion with the Lord can be interrupted by unconfessed sin. This is why confession matters so deeply. First John 1:9 tells us that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Confession is not informing God of something He does not know. It is agreeing with God about what He already knows and sees.Biblical repentance is more than saying, “I'm sorry.” Repentance involves acknowledging sin honestly, without excuses or blame-shifting. It means turning away from sin with a deliberate break from it, and turning toward Christ in faith. Repentance is not merely stopping sinful behavior; it is returning to the Lord. Matthew 3:8 makes clear that repentance bears fruit. It produces change—not perfection, but real direction toward God.Christians must practice continual repentance because sin blinds and hardens the heart. We do not always see our sin clearly until Scripture, the Holy Spirit, or faithful believers bring it into the light. Left unchecked, sin becomes increasingly comfortable. We begin to treat it lightly, even respectably, instead of seeing it as the rebellion against God that it truly is. Repentance breaks that pattern. It humbles us before the Lord and reminds us daily of our need for the grace of God in Christ.Repentance also leads to joy. Psalm 32 shows that unconfessed sin crushes the soul, but forgiveness restores gladness and peace. Repentance is not the enemy of joy; it is the pathway to it. The believer who walks in repentance is not walking in despair but in the freedom of grace.This repentance is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Biblical repentance is not self-improvement or moral reform. Ezekiel 36:26–27 tells us that God gives a new heart and causes His people to walk in His statutes. Romans 8:13 teaches that by the Spirit believers put sin to death. We repent because God is at work in us, giving us grace to turn from sin and walk in obedience.Repentance and assurance also belong together. Many Christians struggle with assurance not because they are outside of Christ, but because they are not walking in the light of repentance. Hebrews teaches that the Lord disciplines those whom He loves. His discipline is not cruel or distant. It is fatherly, loving, and purposeful. God disciplines His children because He cares for them and desires restored communion with them. Repentance brings renewed clarity, peace, and confidence in Christ.Confession is also important within Christian community. While private confession before God is essential, James 5:16 teaches that believers are also to confess their sins to one another. This is not about public humiliation, but about accountability, prayer, help, and restoration. God often uses mature believers and faithful pastors to help us see our sin clearly and walk in repentance more fully.At the heart of all of this is the gospel. Repentance is not punishment. It is grace. Acts 11:18 calls repentance a gift. Romans 2:4 says that God's kindness leads us to repentance. The Lord does not call His children to repentance to crush them, but to restore them. In Christ, repentance is not a burden to dread but a gift to receive. It is God's gracious invitation away from sin and into renewed fellowship, peace, holiness, and joy.Christians do not outgrow repentance. They grow through it. The more we walk honestly before God, confessing our sin and turning afresh to Christ, the more we grow in humility, assurance, and joy. Repentance is not a sign that grace has failed. It is one of the clearest evidences that grace is at work.Takeaways / Reflection QuestionsDo you view repentance as a burden, or as a gracious gift from God?Are there sins you have been minimizing instead of confessing honestly before the Lord?How does 1 John 1:9 encourage you to walk in daily confession?In what ways does repentance restore joy and fellowship with God?Who are the mature believers or pastors in your life who can help strengthen you in repentance and accountability?Related ResourcesAnchored in the Word ArchiveAnchored in the Word YouTubeCall to ActionThank you for listening to this episode of Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins. We pray this episode helps you remain anchored in the truth of God's Word and anchored in Christ. Please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with others.
Audio Transcript I’m really glad that you’re with us today. It’s a special day today because we have another baptism. So if you came for that, we’re really glad you’re with us, especially those in navs. We’re happy that you’re with us today. So if you’d open up your Bibles to Luke. Continuing our study of Luke texture study. Today is going to be Luke 8, 1621. And as you’re tuning there, I just want you to know how encouraged I have been yesterday morning and then again this morning. So yesterday morning I came into my office and came in. There’s a number of folks working around the church building and cleaning things up, finishing projects both inside and outside. And I was just really encouraged by them. And a lot of them are actually serving again today. And I go inside the building and then Uncle Wes is leading a next steps class and send people at that. And that was just really encouraging. And after being downstairs in my office for a bit, head back upstairs. And then Caleb and he had a crew making meals for students. And so that was really encouraging. And by the way, kind of on that note, if you didn’t know, so Caleb’s one of our interns. Him and Alyssa got engaged. So if you don’t know that now, you do. And so make sure you congratulate them at the end of service. So that was all yesterday morning. Then this morning, you know, we had the breakfast club going on, Sunday school going on, you know, all the other things going on in the church where there’s so many people involved and serving in a lot of different ways. And that doesn’t even count all the things that goes on throughout the week of, you know, caring and serving one another. And I was just so encouraged, particularly as we get to the text today. You’ll hear why in just a bit. And so let me read our passage. It’s Luke 8, 16, 21. It’s on page 504. If you don’t have a Bible with you, there’s a few Bibles scattered throughout. And if you’re visiting. So we do a style of preaching here called expository preaching. So I’m going to read through the passage and then the rest of our time here, I’m just going to try to walk us back through the passage to try to explain what the passage is saying to us, us. And so open up your Bible and keep them open. Okay, so Luke 8, starting verse 16, this is what God’s word says, says no one, after lighting the lamp, covers it with a Jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden to not be made manifest. Nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear. For the one who has more will be given from the one who has not even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. And his mother and his brothers came to him, but they cannot reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, your mother and your brothers are standing outside desiring to see you. But he answered them, my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. That’s God’s words for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? God, thank you for bringing us here today. Lord, this is a sweet providence that you brought us here every Sunday that we are able to gather together as your church. It is sweet, Lord, please bless this time here, this time where we work through your word. Please help me to be a good communicator. Help me to speak truth. Help me not to stumble over my words. Lord, pray for the church. Please give them ears to hear that. You’d use this time to just enlarge our hearts for Christ. You bring much glory to him. In his name we pray. Amen. Okay, so throughout the Scriptures, there are many different metaphors that are used to communicate, like bigger spiritualities. So, for instance, just to name a few. So our Lord refers to Himself, like, as a door by which we are to go through to find his great salvation. Lord also refers to Himself as a shepherd who shepherds his sheep, which is a metaphor to describe us, his people. As the Lord shepherds us with his tenderness and his care, in his love and in his mercy. The Lord declares Himself to be our rock and our fortress, which he is the one, the only one which we can find true safety and security. If you’re with us. Last week in our study of Luke, Jesus gave a parable where he used the process of planting seeds as a metaphor to teach a bigger spiritual truth with us. You may remember in that parable, Lord spoke about a sower who would sow seeds in a field where the seeds would fall on different types of ground. Some of the ground would be trampled down underfoot in a path. Some of the ground was like a rock, some with thorns. And as the seed fell on those types of ground, for different reasons, it caused the seed to die. But then you may remember that in that parable, there also was good soil by which the seed would Fall upon which was soil, where the seed would grow, plant roots, and you’d bring forth a huge harvest. In our text last week, as Jesus then interpreted the parable for us, after he spoke it, he told disciples, told us how the seed is a metaphor for God’s word. The soil is a metaphor that represents, like, our hearts and how we respond to God’s word, which for some, in different ways, like, we actually reject God’s word as our hearts remain hard towards God, hard because of sin. But others, they receive God’s word, and they do so because of God’s gracious work in their life. And they receive God’s word in ways like they actually, like, bear fruit, with fruit also being a metaphor, describe, like, the actions or results that come from one’s life that are in step with keeping with the work that God has done in life. And the fruit come out of God’s people. There’s a whole bunch of results that just reflect the heart of our good God. So in the scriptures, there are a lot of different metaphors that are used almost as illustrations to communicate, like, important spiritual truths to us. This morning as we gather together in our text to study, we actually come to two of my favorite metaphors in scriptures. Metaphors, actually, I’ve thought about often. So first is the metaphor of light, where light is used as a metaphor to illustrate, like, God’s work in the world around us, which is God’s work is like light shining into darkness, where darkness itself even cannot overcome it. No matter how sinful or evil, however deep the darkness might be, the light of God will always win out. Then the other metaphor in our text to study today is a metaphor of a family where for all those of all time who have faith in Jesus Christ, they’re viewed as family. Christian scripture is a family to be lived on in local levels, like as the church, where the local church should be viewed as a church family that is knit together by blood, not blood connected by ones like ancestors. But the blood that connects us as a family is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the blood that he spilled for us on the cross, which is the blood by which we find forgiveness of our sin. Scripture tells us without the shedding of the blood, there actually is no forgiveness of sin. And also, as mentioned, this blood connects us together as family, which is a blood that’s much more thicker than water. So this morning in our passage, we’re gonna be working through these two metaphors, light and family, which are metaphors that actually do work together, as we’ll see in just a bit. So if that was an intro, please look back with me in our text starting in verse 16. As mentioned, we’re going to be walking ourselves back through. So please keep your Bibles open, keep your nose in the Bible right here, Jesus is continuing to preach in parable form. Read. The Lord preached to the crowd around him, saying that no one after lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar. No one after lighting a lamp, then like puts the lamp under a bed. Just a few things here, just to understand what Jesus is getting at. So first, just on a very practical level of this metaphor, which is practical even for us, who I assume we probably don’t use lamps that often at night to shine in our homes, but even we understand that after lighting a lamp to cover it or to hide it, that’d be kind of a foolish thing to do. And really what’s the point of doing that? So even we, like, we understand the foolishness here. But for this crowd, as Jesus spoke with this metaphor, to them, they would even start even more so how foolish this would be. So in this time frame, practically speaking, light during nighttime hours was not always easy to find, as it is for us. For us, night comes, we usually find a switch, we flip it, and our homes are lit up. However, light in this time period is much harder to find, much more of a precious commodity that for some days of poverty, like light during night have been a luxury perhaps that they could not afford. So light was like much more precious. Furthermore, in this time period, light had to be handled with great care for it to be present and to continue to be present. So from what I was reading this week in Different Commentaries, so lamps in that time period, so there’s a bit of a process to get them lit. Most of the process involved like kind of getting the wick ready to get properly trimmed. And then after it’s properly trimmed, it’d be like dipped into olive oil, which is the fuel used to light the lamp. And while the lamp itself probably would be big enough to hold enough olive oil for the entire night, the wicks of the lamp would last maybe just a few hours before the wicks would start to like, smolder and be in danger of going out, which meant throughout the night for light to be present, someone have to get up and tend to the wicked, replace the wick just to keep the light shining. So in this time period, there’s a lot going on for a lamp to be lit and stay lit all night long. So again, this isn’t like simply flipping the switch on and off with ease. So for the crowd around Jesus in this text, for them to hear him say this in verse 16, practically, yeah, it would have been absolutely foolish, ridiculous to think of going through the entire process to pay the expense required to pay to light the lamp, only then to like cover it up or put it under a bed instead. When someone had light the clearing, obvious thing that they would do in verse 16 was to put it on a stand to maximize the light, to get the most out of it so that the light would shine brightly to illuminate the entire house. So those who would enter in, no matter what time of night they entered in, they would enter in ways that they could see the light. The light would penetrate the darkness even at the darkest point of the night. So practically they could walk with freedom. Not running into things that are hidden by darkness would cause them to stumble and fall and get hurt. That’s the practical reality of this metaphor, I think does make sense to us. But then second, the light here does seem to have like maybe a twofold meaning. So the practical reality we just talked about by scholars I read this week imply there’s also a theological reality here, one that’s found in the Old Testament scriptures, where inside the Old Testament tabernacle, then later temple, there were lampstands. The priest would light, so the light would shine and fill the room, which is a room that was filled with God’s unique presence, his unique work was there. So theologically, the priests would minister in the tabernacle, they light the lampstand, they will not cover up that light. Then rather the light would shine, reveal the work of God, the kingdom of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God. Right. This is a great theological truth, I think, also tied to this as God is light, in him there is no darkness. So kind of hold on to these things as it relates to light. We’ll probably pick up more of this as we go. Let’s keep going back the text, verse 17. Because the light is not hidden, but because it’s to be placed on a stand for all to see. Jesus told the crowd tells us that because the light shines, because it illuminates, because it penetrates darkness. For nothing is hidden. Rather, as the light shines, it illuminates the entire room. It puts everything in plain sight, so nothing will remain hidden. Acts verse 17. The light ensures that nothing will not be made manifest, everything revealed, nothing able to hide in the corner or hide beside something in secret. Keep saying, the light will expose everything, the light will touch everything. Everything will come into light so that everything will be known. And now for us, this reality, I think we actually see this both as a terrified, but also a freeing and healing reality. So the light is a terrifying reality because we can’t keep secrets of wrongs that we’ve been done, we can’t keep hidden like lies that we have perpetrated or sins that we. We have committed. And we can’t keep them hidden no matter how hard we work to cover them up, to hide them from others, to hide them from the Lord. Once again, everything will be revealed, including things we work the hardest to remain hidden in darkness. Scripture is clear that our sins will find themselves out. Light will expose them. For working really hard to keep things hidden in secret, we’re here this morning trying to hide things that we don’t want the Lord or maybe others to know about. This text here, this is actually terrifying for us to hear. Yes, maybe for a time. We can keep things hidden. We can lie, we can cover things up where it appears we’re keeping things in the dark. But that can only last for so long. All things will come into light, some of which won’t be until the day of judgment when Christ returns. But I do think a significant amount come to light even in this present life. We’re in times, we’re in time, we actually are exposed. By the way, I actually think the longer we try to keep things hidden, the harder we work to try to keep things in secret. It’s actually the more terrifying and more devastating it is when the light finally exposes us. Man, it’d be as often as we try to keep things hidden and in secret, there’s often like more and more sinful or deceitful things that we need to do just to try to keep things hidden. But if we just brought things to light right away on our own, things would not be so bad. Ongoing covering up, ongoing keeping things in secret only make things worse actually leads to why exposing light can also be freeing and healing to us. But even this morning, if you know that you’re constantly trying to keep things hidden in secret, I just want to encourage you to bring things into light so you can find freedom and healing. Now let me give you a couple reasons why it’s such freedom, such healing, to bring things to light on our own, rather than waiting for, like, the Lord to expose it. So first, trying to hide things, trying to keep things a secret. We know this. Those are incredibly stressful realities to try to live with that we’re losing sleep, we’re feeling all sorts of anxieties of things like being made manifest. Perhaps they are on the edge of various relationships, worried, like what would happen if others found out the truth about a situation. They were nervous, terrified. Things came to light. However, as we understand and accept that the light will expose that which we’re trying to hide, you understand it’s gonna happen, so we just bring it to light on our own, friends, there’s freedom there. It’s gonna happen. So humbly, just bring things to light on your own, like confess it. And yes, as we do that, there could still be some consequences we might have to endure, but there’s freedom to do that now, rather than being bound up, waiting to be exposed. We’re at wit’s end, stressed out, always trying to think, keep things covered. Second, even more importantly, as relates to freedom and healing, when with humility, we bring things to light, and that’s where we find forgiveness. Forgiveness that Jesus offers to all who by faith come to him. So listen to this. This is from First John 1. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all our sins. We say we don’t have sin, we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us. Listen here. If we confess our sins, bring things to light, he’s faithful, he’s just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So yes, the light is terrifying for trying to keep things hidden in secret. But friends, if with humility we bring things to light, there’s freedom, there’s healing. Even if there’s consequences we have to deal with as we breathe. Things to light, friends, that’s where we find forgiveness for us because of these two realities, the terrifying reality or the freedom healing reality. Because of that, either you will hate the light, hate what the light does. Hate always exposes what you’re trying to keep hidden. We always try to hide from it, which we can’t do. Light will expose all things. Or you will love the light. As the light brings that which is hidden, that’s what’s secret, brings it to light so it can be dealt with, which God promises to do as we come to him by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ, where as he come to him through Jesus Christ, all of our secret hidden sins, they’re nailed to the cross so we might have deeper fellowship with him. Keep going. Verse 18. After Jesus gave this parable or metaphor on light, similar to what he said in our text in Verse eight from last week. I’m going to take your eyes back up there. So after giving this parable of the sower, Jesus then cried out to the crowd in the passage, saying, he who has ears to hear, let him hear now. Similarly, in our text today, after speaking about the light, Jesus once again calls out, saying, take care. Then how you hear, how you hear, how you understand how we respond to this teaching on the light. It matters, so take care. This is on the positive. You hear, you understand, by faith, you respond to the light, to Jesus Christ in the text. For the one who has you see, more will be given. Which is more can be a host of different things, including, like, more freedom, more healing, more enjoyment with fellowship with God and others. Then on the negative, for those who do not hear, do not understand, who not by faith respond to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the text. For the one who has not even what he thinks he has, which can be a host of different things as well, things that we’re tempted to believe that in order to keep these things, we must keep them hidden in secret, for even what he thinks he has will be taken away, which by the way, will put one in even greater states of misery as things are taken away, which no doubt will create, like, even more anxiety and more stress, which for me, on the negative end, this illustration, I just thought about, like the maddening reality of others talked about, like, trying to hold onto sand or like, you know, the harder you try to hold onto it, the more the sand slips through one’s fingers. That’s what happens when we try to keep things hidden from the light, try to keep things in secret, where we simply try to hold on and control whatever it may be. That’s almost like an idol to us that means everything to us. In the end, the light will take more and more away for us this morning. That’s the first illustration or metaphor in this text of light, which I’ll talk about more in the end. But to keep going the text, then we get the second illustration or metaphor, which is family. As mentioned, both these illustrations, light and family work together as we speak to spiritualities, because those who are in the light are family. Those who are family are in the light. Just read in one John. But if we walk in fellowship as he, or walk in light as he is light, we have fellowship with one another. Verse 19. Take your eyes there. After Jesus finished up the shine of light, we see that his mothers and his brothers came to him. Now, a few things already. So first regard to this family here. So his mother this is Mary, who we met in the beginning of our study of Luke. She was the virgin who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, gave birth to Jesus the Christ. The nature of the brothers has been debated kind of throughout church history, where some have argued, there’s maybe more in lines of like cousins of Jesus. But the most natural reading of this passage is brothers, brothers in flesh and blood, which indicates that Mary and her husband Joseph, we also met in her study of Luke. They had children after our Lord was born. So these are Jesus like physical brothers, or I guess you could say like half brothers, as they shared Mary as the mother. As mentioned, Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit as the brothers came through Joseph. Second, we also mentioned we don’t know where Mary and Joseph or Mary and the brothers were prior to this. And we also don’t know if there was something that prompted them to come to the Lord, possibly came to Jesus simply because they haven’t seen him in a while. The public ministry that he was in was taken from place to place. Maybe it’s been a bit. So they came to Jesus. They kind of catch up and to reconnect as family. Perhaps they came to Jesus maybe in similar ways. The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus in chapter seven, if you’re with us in that study, maybe remember that story. So John the Baptist was in prison for proclaiming the word of God. And while he was in prison, he was starting to have like, some confusion, some doubts concerning Jesus, if indeed he was the Christ or if there was another who was to come. So he sent some of his disciples to Jesus to get some clarity. So perhaps that’s what’s happening here with Mary and his brothers trying to get some clarity from our Lord. Or perhaps that we see in other parts of Scripture of when Jesus family came to him, even in the context of the passage about to get to maybe Mary and Joseph or Mary. Mary and the brothers came to Jesus to actually question him or even rebuke Jesus for his ministry that was rapidly growing and spreading all over the region. On the text, Luke doesn’t give us the details of why they’re there. Jesus knows where they came from, but we do know in the text is that they came. They cannot easily get to Jesus to reach him, to talk with him, with whatever they wanted to talk to him about. And the reason why is because the great crowd surrounding Jesus was just too great now for us. The scene, I think, is actually probably pretty easy for us to picture in our mind’s eye. So I think, like, maybe Jesus in The middle of a huge crowd, and he’s preaching and teaching about the light. And as a crowd of people were standing around him, it’s like in layers upon layers upon layers. So as Mary the brothers arrived on the scene, you know, you can maybe picture them trying to like, make their way through the crowd. Or maybe people are getting annoyed at them for trying to move ahead. Or maybe they’re getting annoyed because they’re just trying to get to Jesus, but they can’t. No success in doing so. Only for Mary the brothers to like, throw their hands up in the air in frustration, recognize there’s no way they can make it through the crowd. So back to the text. As all this is taking place, we see that word now start to spread among this great crowd. Jesus, mother, his brothers were there and they’re trying to make their way up to them, but having no success. As this news is spreading in the midst of the crowd, maybe like a game of telephone, eventually the news makes its way up to the Lord that the family is in town. Verse 20. If you take your eyes there as it told to Jesus, hey, Jesus, sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off here, but your mother and your brothers are here, but they’re all the way in the back, standing on the outside. They’re unable to penetrate the crowd. And Jesus, they’re here because they’re desiring to see you. And we understand there’s something they really need to talk to you about. Again, don’t know what they want to talk about, but one of the reasons I tend to think that maybe they wanted to confront Jesus about something was simply how Jesus responded as this information came to his ear, by answering them in verse 21. My mother, my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Now, there’s a few things here. First, I don’t want you to see this response to Jesus as like, like him trying to discredit the nature of like one’s family or even like his own family. There’s so many passages in Scripture that speaks towards the importance of like one’s family. Family is there from like Genesis on forward. It’s a great building block of society. There’s passages, Old Testament and New Testament to speak how important one’s family, like their family, blood, family ought to be to them. So don’t see Jesus here saying that family is not important. It is. It’s something we should cherish and protect and invest in. However, second, do read this as Jesus is stressing the centrality of one’s spiritual Family, Right. So not discrediting one’s family, rather, Jesus is emphasizing how central one’s spiritual family ought to be, which is a spiritual family made up of all those who seek to follow God’s Word, which starts with following the call of Scripture to put one’s faith in Christ for forgiveness and salvation. Just like we’re talking more about the spiritual family as we live out in local church settings. But before we get there, third thing I just want to notice here is how important it is to hear and keep God’s word. So once again, back to our text last week. He who has the ear to hear, let him hear. Also in our text last week, the good soil are the hearts of those who hear the word of God, a text from last week says, and hold fast to it earlier in our text today, verse 18. Take care how you hear. And now, as we close this passage, my mother and brothers that make up the spiritual family are those who hear the word of God and do it, which is the hope that I have for all of us this morning to hear what God is saying to us through the metaphors. That is our passage as we end in the text. But before I close the sermon, I do want to just give us a couple thoughts on these metaphors of light and family. Just keep saying we’re together. Those who are in the light are family. Those are family because they are in the light. So first, by faith, just humbly receive the light. In Scripture, the light is a metaphor for God’s word. It’s a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. It’s a metaphor of what God is doing in the world, including our own hearts. But ultimately, the light is a metaphor that is about the Lord Jesus Christ, the very one who is the light of the world, the light of men, the true light is Jesus Christ, the one who shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. And Scripture is clear that all who received him, the Lord Jesus, the true light, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God, which further speaks to his spiritual family, those who are born, not of blood, nor the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. This morning, for us, as we consider this passage, this parable, these metaphors, may we consider in ways that we hear what it says about Christ and humbly receive him as our light by calling upon Jesus to save us from our sins, to save us to Himself, by believing that indeed he did come for us and that he did die for us, only to rise again from the dead. Friends, when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, one day, when he returns to set up his kingdom, we’re all going to meet him because he’s coming to judge, justly, judge the living and the dead. And for those who reject Jesus as the light, friends, that day is going to be terrifying, because you’ll meet Jesus as the judge, and on that day, he will bring everything fully into light. All the sins that we’ve committed will be exposed, made manifest. Nothing will be kept in secret, and we’re gonna have to give an account. And without Jesus, his blood shed for us. There’s no forgiveness before the judgment seat, and that’s terrifying. But for those who humble themselves, who confess their sins to him by faith, trust in him who receive him as the light. On that day, when our Lord returns, it’s going to be a day of great rejoicing, because we will know that through him, through the blood that he shed for us, we know that before his judgment seat will be forgiven, for his righteousness is going to be counted as our righteousness. So this morning, by faith, receive the light. Receive him as your great treasure, trusting in his promise that on that judgment day, because of faith in him, you’ll be welcomed into his kingdom as his people, as his precious children. So receive the light, and receive it in ways that you spend all of your days, like walking in that light. And if you stumble and you fall, friends, don’t try to cover it back up. Rather, continue to bring your sins before the Lord to find forgiveness, find freedom, to find healing, which even this morning. Say it again. Bring whatever sin that you’re trying to hide, bring it to him who is the light. Second, before we close, boldly shine the light. No, we’re not the light. But as his people, we bear witness to the light, knowing that now that Christ has come, the light of God does not shine uniquely in the tabernacle or temple. But God has chosen to shine the light of Christ. How? Through us, through his people. By reflecting the light of Christ to the world around us. So, friends, don’t cover up the light of Christ that is in your heart. Don’t put it under a bed. Whether it’s because you’re, like, isolating yourselves from others or because you’re silent about Christ to others, rather, for the glory of Christ, set your life up on a stand to shine brightly for all to see that our lives may be like that old gospel song, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Everywhere I go I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine for us, that light we’re to shine to shine in places where God has already placed us, including the places where you work or your classrooms or the activities or hobbies that you’re in. Shining your light to your family, to those who you live next to in your neighborhood. By the way, if I continue on this end, as the weather warms up, just host some type of neighborhood party or some type of, like, summer social event and just invite those who God’s already placed in your life to it with hopes that through that event you can, like, shine your light through your words, your deeds, that those who see your life see you reflect the light, that they would give glory to God. In addition, for us as a church, VBS is not that far away. Invite people to come with the prayer that people ultimately would come to the light of Christ through VBS and by faith, join the church family. That’s actually the last thing I just want to mention here. Third, joyfully embrace your church or joyfully embrace your spiritual family. Now, I want to be clear. Yes, family is important. Scripture is so abundantly clear in that. But Scripture is also clear, including our text today, that the spiritual family of God is to be central for those who are in Christ Jesus. We’re not to live apart from others who believe in Jesus. Rather, we’re to live with them as family. The New Testament. See, this is particularly to be lived out in the church. This is where our joy may be complete. Now for us, call Red Village Church Home. Obviously, I hope you’re joyfully embracing this church family where you’re embracing in ways you’re seeking to connect with others, certainly others you’re already close with. But if you encourage us here, let’s also try to intentionally connect with others that maybe you don’t know as well who are part of your family. Again, as the weather warms up, it’s a great time, right, to connect with others. In addition, joyfully embrace the church family by using your gifts, by serving others. So I mentioned at the start, I was so encouraged yesterday, so encouraged again this morning, to see so many different people serving in so many different ways. Friends, serving is just really a great and important way. Not only way we worship God, but how we embrace our church family. If you’re looking for ways to serve, come find me. I’d love to talk to you more on this end. Furthermore, friends, if we’re going to joyfully embrace our church family, we need to love and continue to love one another, even during the times that we might not like each other. By the way, in my many years of church life, of the different things that we must continue to bring to light, it’s actually kind of at the top of the list because it’s so easy, like to do things in secret or harbor hard feelings in secret that can divide us as a family. So we’re going to joyfully embrace our spiritual family. We must love God and we must love each other. Lastly, we also just mentioned to joyfully embrace the church family. So for us, we do think imports involves like, membership. So if that’s something that you’re interested in, being like a member of our church family, in a couple weeks, J. Tuck’s actually be leading the class we call the Next steps. For those who are interested in becoming a member of Red Village. There’s a lot more I could say here. Actually would love to say more about the local church, but let me just remind us of one other metaphor that the Lord uses to describe the church. It’s his bride, the bride of Christ, the bride that Jesus died for and is washing clean. And for us, if we’re going to love what Jesus loves, Jesus loves his bride. Jesus loves his family. For us to love Jesus, we will also love his bride and love our spiritual family. So, yes, lots of parables, lots of metaphors, all throughout Scripture. They’re there for us to see and to hear and understand. And this morning, by faith, may we see and hear and understand that Jesus is the light. And may his light shine in us in every corner of our heart, so that through his light we might find freedom and healing and forgiveness. And may that light not only shine in us, but may that light also shine through us that we would indeed be lampstands for the cause of Christ to the world around us and church. May that light of Christ, may that shine through us together as family, we shine more brightly together than apart. And may we shine in ways that our joy may be complete. Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for your word. And Lord, I do pray that through your spirit, if there are sins that need to be brought to light, that we’ve been working tirelessly hard to try to keep covered up in secret, that today, by your grace, you give us humility to trust in you and to confess our sins, indeed we might find freedom and healing and forgiveness. And Lord, please forgive us when we hide the light in our own hearts. We keep them hidden where we’re ashamed or embarrassed or whatever it may be by you, Lord. I do pray also by the power of your spirit, that you would help us to set our lives on a lampstand, that we’d shine brightly for your cause, not only here in Madison, but all the way to the ends of the earth. Lord, thank you just for your wisdom to give us a family, a spiritual family, a church family. Lord, I do pray you help us to joyfully embrace our church family and help us to love each other well. Pray, Lord, that you would use us to shine brightly. It’s in Christ’s name we pray. Amen. The post A Lamp Under a Jar – Luke 8: 16-21 appeared first on Red Village Church.
Not everything we hear is true. So it's incumbent upon us to test what we hear with the truth of the Word of God. Pastor John Randall will help us with that today on a Daily Walk, as we go deeper into First John. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
We're back in First John today, giving our attention to chapter three, and verses four to fifteen. How can you tell for sure that you know God and are on your way to heaven? The apostle John says look at how you live! A true believer won't have a life that's marked by continual unrepentant sin. That doesn't mean we won't occasionally stumble, but we don't continue in it. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
I'm sure you know of someone who claims to be a Christian, and yet they're willfully engaging in a lifestyle of unrepentant sin! Are they really a believer? The book of First John speaks to this very clearly, as the Lord doesn't want us to be deceived. Today on a Daily Walk we'll look in the mirror and receive a good test to help us determine our real spiritual condition. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
We're in First John chapter three marveling at the Amazing Love of God.In the first three verses the apostle John helps us understand who we are right now, see the promise of who we will be in the future, and then instructs us on how to live as we wait. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Send us a one-way message! (or visit outloudbible.com/contact to start a conversation)We walk through 1 John 1 to 3 to trade anxiety and guesswork for real assurance grounded in Jesus, truth, and love. We look at the signs John gives for knowing we belong to God and how to spot faith that is only talk. • John's purpose for writing 1 John as assurance of being God's child • eyewitness testimony about Jesus as the foundation for confidence • God as light and what it means to walk in the light • confession of sin and God's faithfulness to forgive and cleanse • Jesus Christ as advocate and atoning sacrifice for the whole world • obedience to God's commands as evidence of knowing him • love for fellow Christians as a non-negotiable marker of life • warning against loving the world and its desires • deception, Antichrist language, and denying the Son • remaining in the Son and the Father as a stability test • children of God identity and the difference between stumbling and practicing sin • love in action, generosity, and compassion as proof of truth • confidence before God, conscience, and prayer tied to obedience • encouragement for spiritual stages like children, young people, fathers Join me next time and we'll tackle the second half of First John. At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.
We're back in First John today, considering the Amazing Love of God. A Love that is unconditional, infinite and eternal. Pastor John Randall will present both a description and the demonstration of God's love in the time we have together. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
As you look at all that's going on around us comparing it to what we read in the Bible, it's not a stretch to conclude, we're living in the last hour! Does that excite you or frighten you? Today on a Daily Walk, we'll learn that as we're abiding in Jesus and anointed by God we have nothing to fear, but every reason to be at peace. Pastor John Randall has an eye on First John chapter two. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
In the Kairos moment, you will find yourself in an unknown place.And a person will appear.This person is known among storytellers as “The Old Man in the Woods.”His job is to prepare you for all the challenges you will face on the next segment of your adventure.Mr. Miyagi was the Old Man in the Woods for Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid.Obi-Wan was Luke Skywalker's first Old Man in the Woods, and Yoda was his second.Have you noticed how every James Bond movie begins with 007 visiting “Q”?“Q” is the armorer who supplies 007 with precisely the gadgets he will need to accomplish his next mission.“Q” is James Bond's “Old Man in the Woods.”Luke chapter 4 tell us of how Jesus, immediately after his baptism, spent 40 days in the wilderness of Judea. When he emerged from that wilderness, he revealed himself to the world. Verse 14 of that chapter says, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.”Would it be fair to say that Jesus spent 40 days with the ultimate “Old Man in the Woods” prior to doing what he famously did?John bar Zebedee sat next to Jesus during The Last Supper. He was the only one of Jesus' followers to witness the crucifixion. And was entrusted by Jesus – from the cross – to care for his mother, Mary, while He was away.John bar Zebedee, in chapter two of First John*, writes about the Three Stages of Life.He speaks of the Child, the Young Man, and the Old Man.I am writing to you, dear Children,because your sins have been forgivenon account of his name,and because you know the Father.I write to you, Young Men,because you are strong,and the word of God lives in you,and you have overcome the evil one.I am writing to you, Fathers,because you know Himwho is from the beginning.Because you know Himwho is from the beginning.Children spend a dozen or more years preparing to become the strong Young Men and strong Young Women who, full of zest and zeal and zip-a-dee-doo-dah, will face challenges, overcome difficulties, and leave their fingerprints on the world.And every one of them will need an advisor – an older and wiser friend – to counsel them, encourage them, and prepare them for what lies ahead.John bar Zebedee was not speaking of biological Fathers and Mothers when he wrote the letter that we call the book of First John.The people John calls “Fathers” are those who have already wandered the pathless forest and found their way to the other side.The people John calls “Fathers” are those who already “know.”The American Dream promises that when you have finished your journey and completed your task, you can recreate, luxuriate, and selfishly celebrate your success for the rest of your life.And that certainly remains an option, if it appeals to you. But I believe that it will not.I believe that you will choose to advise, encourage, and counsel the next generation who must blaze a new and different trail through a new and different wilderness than the one that you and I faced.I believe that you will find fulfillment in your occasional role as “The Old Man” or “The Old Woman” in the woods.Roy H. Williams*I consolidated and reorganized what you will find in chapter two of First John, but if you read it closely, I believe you will agree that my retelling is faithful to the message of that original text.
The Bible often refers to the last days or last hour. And one can't help but wonder, are we living in the last hour? And how do you know? There are some signs to look out for, and we'll tell you about them today on a Daily Walk. Pastor John Randall is leading us through the Bible, and today we pay a visit to First John chapter two. We're learning how to live in the last hour today. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Who do you love, and how do you live, a couple of key questions we'll explore today on a Daily Walk as we continue through First John. This would be a good time to look in the mirror and examine our affections to see if they need to be realigned with God's will! The fact of the matter is there are a good number of people in love with the world, or the things of this world, and that will all pass away one day. But those who do the will of God will live forever. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Pastor John Randall is in a study in First John. We're in chapter two today. Maybe you've had someone say to you, “You're the spitting image of your Mom or Dad!” That's because we tend to resemble those we're closest to. And that should be the case in our relationship with Jesus. The more we walk with Him and abide in Him, well the more we'll look like Him. Today we'll observe the changes that God brings to a human life, and our call to imitate Christ. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Pastor John Randall is in the early stages of a study in First John. We left off in chapter two. Do you know Jesus? And how can you be absolutely sure? A careful look at your daily walk will help you answer that. We'll learn today that it's more than what a person says. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
“Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.’” (Romans 4:1–3 NLT) The Bible doesn’t teach that if you’re a Christian, you’ll never stumble or periodically fall short. But it does teach that if you’re a true believer, when you’ve had a lapse or a stumble, you will always get up and move forward. That’s the way to determine whether a person is really a believer or not. When God came to Abraham in Ur and told him to break away from his family, Abraham basically refused and didn’t go for years. Even after he left, he only partially obeyed God by dragging his nephew Lot along. This only resulted in more friction down the road, when he and Lot eventually parted company. Abraham told his beautiful wife, Sarah, to say that she was his sister because he was afraid someone would kill him if they realized he was indeed her husband. He did that on two occasions. After God promised him a son—an heir to continue his lineage—Abraham tried to force the Lord’s hand by fathering a child with Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. That decision resulted in immeasurable heartache and strife. These were just a few of the lapses of faith and acts of disobedience that marked Abraham’s life. It’s important to note, however, that although Abraham deviated from God’s path on occasion, he always came back. He never drifted too far from the One who made a covenant with him. That’s why the apostle Paul wrote, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Romans 4:3 NLT). No stumble is too great, no fall is too steep, to recover from. First John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (NLT). Acts 3:19 says, “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away” (NLT). When you turn to God and away from the sin that caused you to stumble, you regain your forward momentum on the right path, just as Abraham did time and time again. If a person says he or she is a believer and falls away and never comes back, then that person is not a believer. The apostle John put it this way: “When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us” (1 John 2:19 NLT). But if a person is a true believer, then he or she will be miserable in sin and eventually will beat a quick path back to the cross of Calvary. Reflection question: What does moving forward after a spiritual fall look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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As cultural division deepens and politics dominate everyday life, Jase, Al, and Zach turn to First John to ask a harder question: if we claim to love God, do we love people who disagree with us? John writes, “This is how we know,” pointing back to two simple commands — believe in Jesus and love one another. In a polarized world fueled by outrage, love is the real test of faith. Plus, Jase has an unexpectedly emotional encounter in an airport terminal that leaves tears flowing and a life changed. In this episode: 1 John 1, verses 6–9; 1 John 2, verses 1–6; 1 John 2, verses 28–29; 1 John 3, verses 1–3; 1 John 3, verses 10–24; 1 John 4, verses 2–13; 1 John 5, verses 2–3; 1 John 5, verse 20; Romans 4, verses 18–21; Matthew 18, verses 1–4 “Unashamed” Episode 1273 is sponsored by: https://www.bruntworkwear.com/unashamed — Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code Unashamed at checkout. https://myphdweightloss.com — Find out how Al lost 80+ pounds. Schedule your one-on-one consultation today by visiting the website or calling 864-644-1900 and mention "AL" https://trustandwill.com/unashamed — Get 20% off and protect your legacy today! 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 Airport Altar Call with No Sermon 06:05 When “If” Becomes “When” 12:40 Mercy & Defense From Jesus 17:55 “This Is How We Know” — John's Refrain 24:30 The Two Commands: Believe & Love 31:20 Loving Your Brother in a Divided Culture 37:50 When You Want to Want God 43:30 Love in Action Through Suffering 49:40 Knowing Him as Father, Son & Spirit — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jase, Al, and Zach recount days without power, dangerous cleanup, and how quickly ordinary life can turn into survival mode. Jase shares a sobering close call with a chainsaw that he didn't even realize happened until later, forcing a hard look at how fragile life really is. The guys shift to Jelly Roll's bold Jesus moment at the Grammys and why shining publicly for faith is often met with resistance. In this episode: Genesis 1, verse 3; First John 1, verses 5–7; John 15, verses 1–2; Romans 1, verses 21–25; Second Corinthians 4, verses 16–18; Mark 4, verses 39–41 “Unashamed” Episode 1261 is sponsored by: https://texassuperfood.com — Get 35% off your first order with code UNASHAMED today! https://smartcredit.com/unashamed — Get a 7-day trial for just $1, see how many points you can add to your credit score! https://bravebooks.com/unashamed — Save 20% on your first order with code UNASHAMED https://cozyearth.com/unashamed — Take advantage of an exclusive deal only available January 25th- February 8th with code UNASHAMEDBOGO! 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: 0:00 Life after the ice-pocalypse & eight days without power 5:40 Zach gets stranded & surviving the freeze 12:05 Jase's in-laws move in! 19:30 Clearing roads, fallen trees, & how dangerous the storm really was 27:10 Light vs. darkness & why storms reveal what you believe 33:40 Jelly Roll's public faith moment at the Grammy's 40:10 Being prepared physically & spiritually when control disappears 47:00 Lessons from the storm & an eternal perspective — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jase shares how an unexpected compliment went straight to his head and briefly made him feel a little too much like Willie Robertson. The guys ease into what is one of the most overlooked ideas in First John—that eternal life isn't just a future promise, but a present reality. Linking Hebrews to the Old Testament, the guys explore how Jesus bridges heaven and earth in a way most people miss. In this episode: First John, chapter 1; First John, chapter 2, verse 1; John, chapter 17; First John, chapter 5, verses 4–11; Genesis, chapter 28, verses 11–18; John, chapter 1, verse 51; Isaiah, chapter 54, verses 2–3; Hebrews, chapter 2, verse 10; Hebrews, chapter 5, verses 8–10; Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 28; Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 12 “Unashamed” Episode 1255 is sponsored by: https://homechef.com/unashamed — Get 50% off and free shipping on your first box plus free dessert for life! http://fastgrowingtrees.com/unashamed — Get 20% off your next purchase with code UNASHAMED at checkout! 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. 0:00 – Mondays with Jase are always interesting 4:10 – A duck blind compliment Jase wasn't expecting 8:45 – Fellowship, life, and why First John hits different 13:30 – Afternoon duck hunts and finally hitting full limits 18:10 – Jesus as our advocate and what that means right now 23:05 – Heaven and earth colliding in First John and Hebrews 28:40 – The testimony of water, blood, and the Spirit 34:15 – Jacob's ladder and the portal between heaven and earth 40:20 – Why God's kingdom grows through suffering 46:15 – Jesus as the perfect high priest and eternal life — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Al shares how he ended up on Fox News defending his podcast comments about liberal policies in major cities, while the guys laugh about the media repeatedly crediting the wrong Robertson for the same quotes. Bill Maher's growing distance from woke orthodoxy sparks curiosity and even has Jase joking about inviting him into the studio for a real conversation about Jesus. The guys turn to Jesus' prayer in John 17, exploring eternal life as active participation with God that reshapes how believers live, suffer, and face death. In this episode: Acts 2, verse 42; 1 Corinthians 1, verses 8–9; 1 Corinthians 10, verses 16–21; 2 Corinthians 6, verses 14–18; 2 Corinthians 13, verse 14; Philippians 1, verses 5–6; Philippians 2, verses 1–2; Philippians 3, verse 10; Galatians 2, verse 9; Philemon, verse 6; Hebrews 13, verses 12–16; Psalm 131, verses 1–3; Romans 6, verses 3–5 “Unashamed” Episode 1250 is sponsored by: https://texassuperfood.com — Get 35% off your first order with code UNASHAMED today! https://chministries.org/unashamed — See why Christians are ditching health insurance for good. Get a simpler alternative at half the cost! Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code Unashamed at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/unashamed #Bruntpod https://netsuite.com/unashamed — Download the free business guide, Demystifying AI today! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale CollegeListen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. 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 Chapters: 00:00 Fox News give Jase credit for Zach's genius 09:38 Jase trades a few ducks for a new boat 16:48 First John in reverse 25:47 Fellowship equals participation, not transaction 36:40 Darkness creates a spiritual death spiral 45:40 Neutrality with evil doesn't exist 50:05 Death through the lens of resurrection — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jase skips duck season for a few days to go treasure hunting and stumbles into a reminder about how quickly towns—and priorities—can disappear. Uncle Si's joke about having the “wrong weapon” resurfaces, and Jase finally understands after it took decades to land. The guys pivot into a deeper discussion of wisdom, drawing from Proverbs to argue that wisdom isn't a list of rules, but the grain God built into creation itself. In this episode: Genesis 9; Acts 10; Leviticus 18; John 1, verses 1–14; Hebrews 1, verses 1–4; Proverbs 8, verses 1 and 22–31; Matthew 11, verse 19; First Corinthians 1, verse 24; First Corinthians 1, verse 30; Colossians 1, verse 15; Colossians 1, verse 28; Colossians 2, verse 3; Ephesians 2, verses 8–10; First John 1, verses 1–3; First John 2, verse 6; First John 3, verse 5; First John 3, verse 24 “Unashamed” Episode 1245 is sponsored by: https://meetfabric.com/unashamed — Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family. https://bravebooks.com/unashamed — Get 20% off with code UNASHAMED https://chministries.org/unashamed — See why Christians are ditching health insurance for good. Get a simpler alternative at half the cost! 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: 00:00-09:10 Jase hunts with the wrong weapon 09:11-15:00 “Unashamed” gets censored?! 15:01-24:02 The key to understanding the whole Bible 24:03-34:19 Is wisdom a person or an ideal? 34:20-44:48 Jesus as the “firstborn” of creation 44:49-54:24 How to wrap your brain around being forgiven — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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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