Podcasts about gentiles

Read Online“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17–19Saints Peter and Paul are often referred to as two of the great “Pillars of the Church.” They each played an incredibly essential role in the establishment of the early Church. And though each of their roles was essential and foundational, their roles were as different as they were different as persons.Peter was a family man, a local fisherman, uneducated and quite ordinary. From what we know about him prior to being called by Jesus, there was nothing that made him uniquely qualified to become one of the pillars of the new Church to be established by the Son of God. Jesus simply called him, and he responded. Jesus got into Peter's boat, ordered him to lower the nets, and produced a huge catch of fish. When Peter saw this miracle, he fell down at Jesus' feet and acknowledged that he was “a sinful man” who was unworthy of being in Jesus' presence (See Luke 5:8). But Jesus informed Peter that he would from now on be catching men. Peter immediately left everything behind and followed Jesus.Paul describes himself as “a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili′cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama′li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day” (Acts 22:3). Paul was well educated in the strictest interpretation of the Jewish law, understood philosophy and was quite zealous as a young man. Recall, also, that prior to becoming a convert to Christianity, he “persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). In many ways, Paul would have been seen as the most unlikely person to be chosen to be a pillar of the Church, because he so vigorously opposed it at first. He even supported the killing of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Though each of these men would have been considered by many as very unlikely founders of the Christian Church, this is exactly what they became. Paul, after his conversion, traveled far and wide to preach the Gospel, founding several new Churches throughout Asia Minor and Europe. Eventually he was arrested in Jerusalem, brought to Rome for trial and was beheaded. Over half of the New Testament books are attributed to Paul and half of the Acts of the Apostles detail Paul's missionary journeys. Paul is especially known for his missionary activity to the Gentiles, those who were not Jews. Peter's role was truly a unique one. His name was changed from “Simon” to “Peter” by Jesus. Recall Jesus saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church…(Matthew 16:18). “Peter” in Greek is Petros. However, the Greek word petra means a rock as a solid formation that is fixed, immovable, and enduring. Therefore, Jesus chose to make Peter a solid foundation of immovable rock on which the Church was to be built.You, too, have been called by our Lord to a unique mission within the Church that has not been entrusted to another. In your own way, God wants to use you to reach certain people with the Gospel as He did with Saint Paul. And like Saint Peter, God wants to continue to establish His Church upon you and your faith. Reflect, today, upon these two holy and unique pillars of our Church. As you do, ponder how God may want to use you to continue their mission in this world. Though Saints Peter and Paul are among the greatest and most consequential Christians within our world, their mission must continue, and you are among the instruments that God wants to use. Commit yourself to this mission so that the preaching of the Gospel and the rock foundation of our Church will remain strong within our day and age just as it was of old. Saint Peter, you were uniquely chosen to be a rock foundation of faith upon which the Church was established. Saint Paul, you went forth to preach this faith far and wide, establishing many new communities of faith. Please use me, dear Lord, to continue the mission of Your Church so that the faith may be firmly planted in the minds and hearts of all Your people throughout the world. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Jusepe de Ribera, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Send us a textActs 15:5-21But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,“‘After this I will return,and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;I will rebuild its ruins,and I will restore it,that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.'Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”Support the show

Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:20b-The Gentile Christian Community Learned About the Christ Through Personal Experience-Lesson # 265

Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:20b-The Gentile Christian Community Learned About the Christ Through Personal Experience-Lesson # 265

Presented by Julie Busteed We've explored what it means to practice hospitality in everyday life, but how does that translate to our jobs? Today, there's an entire hospitality industry—hotels, restaurants, travel, and event services. You can even earn a degree in hospitality management! For those working in that field, hospitality is built into the job: welcoming strangers, serving with kindness, offering guidance, and meeting the practical needs of guests. But even if you don't work in that industry, the call to hospitality still applies. In the workplace, it might look like showing patience and grace to coworkers and clients, offering help when someone is overwhelmed, or simply pausing your own agenda to listen. It's that same outward focus—seeing others and responding with care. The greatest example of hospitality is Jesus himself. He consistently met people's practical needs with compassion and love. In Mark 8, he responds to a hungry crowd. “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance” (Mark 8:2-3). Jesus saw their need—and he acted. He miraculously provided food when none was available. In Mark 1, a man with leprosy begs Jesus for healing. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,' he said. ‘Be healed!' Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed (Mark 1:41-42 NLT). Jesus saw the unseen people. He touched the untouchable, welcomed the outcasts, and made space for the overlooked—women, children, lepers, Gentiles, and sinners. Then of course when Jesus washed his disciples' feet at the last supper he beautifully demonstrated how to practice hospitality—to show God's love in practical ways and serve them—all for his glory. Hospitality isn't all about entertaining. It's about seeing others and serving them with love. Whether it's a kind word, a helping hand, or a listening ear, it's all for God's glory. I hope you're encouraged to practice hospitality wherever you are—including your workplace. Because when we serve others, we reflect the heart of Christ.

Is Modern-Day Israel the Israel of the Bible? • Friday Service To Give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Website: www.PastorTodd.org Scripture References: Ezekiel 36:24 (NKJV) “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.” Jeremiah 31:10 (NKJV) “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.'” Jeremiah 16:14–15 (NKJV) “‘Therefore behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, ‘that it shall no more be said, “The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.” For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.'” Amos 9:14–15 (NKJV) “I will bring back the captives of My people Israel… I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God. Ezekiel 37:21–22 (NKJV) “…I will take the children of Israel from among the nations… and bring them into their own land… and they shall no longer be two nations.” Romans 11:1 (NKJV) “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite…” Romans 11:25–26 (NKJV) “…Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved…” Romans 11:29 (NKJV) “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Jeremiah 31:35–37 (NKJV) “‘If those ordinances depart… then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever,' says the Lord.” Romans 1:3 (NKJV) “…Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh.” Revelation 5:5 (NKJV) “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed…” Zechariah 14:3–4 (NKJV) “Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations… and His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives…” Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV) “Then they will look on Me whom they pierced… and mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son.” Matthew 23:39 (NKJV) “…You shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'” Psalm 122:6 (NKJV) “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Send us a textActs 15:1-4But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. Support the show

Friday, 27 June 2025   But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. Matthew 11:9   “But what you went out to see? A prophet? Yes! I say to you and superabounding a prophet” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that those wearing the fines, they are in the king's houses. He continues referring to John by asking again, “But what you went out to see?”   As with the previous time He asked, it indicates that the people, in fact, did not go out to see someone dressed in the fines. Rather, they had a different purpose entirely. Knowing why they went, He asks rhetorically, “A prophet?”   The people heard about John's crying in the wilderness, proclaiming the coming of the Lord –   Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,”' as the prophet Isaiah said.” John 1:22, 23   The people had heard of John's call to repentance and went into the wilderness to hear his prophetic message. Of him, Jesus continues, saying, “Yes! I say to you and beyond a prophet.”   John was asked who he was by the priests and Levites from Jerusalem. His response to them indicated that he was more than a prophet because he was the subject of prophecy. Isaiah said there is the voice of one crying in the wilderness. John said that voice was referring to him. Therefore, Isaiah was referring to him as the subject.   But more, he was not only the subject of the word, but he was the one to continue conveying the word. The words of John were uttered, and they have been recorded in Scripture for us. His role was to fulfill prophecy and to continue to proclaim the prophetic word of God concerning the coming of the Lord.   And yet, there is more. Not only would he fulfill the prophetic word while continuing to speak out the prophetic word, but he would personally acknowledge that his prophecies were fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus –   “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.” 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.' 32 And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'” John 1:29-34   The other prophets of God spoke and wrote about the coming of the Messiah, but John personally beheld Him and proclaimed Him to be the One. Jesus will explain further about the greatness of John and his prophetic office in the verses to come.   Life application: The Bible is the main way that God specifically expresses Himself to the people of the world. It is true that He expressed Himself through nature and creation (general revelation). He has also revealed Himself through those who then prophesied His word (special revelation). He has further revealed Himself specifically through Jesus, who is the epitome of special revelation.   However, these instances of special revelation were limited to certain times and locations. Isaiah, Daniel, and the other prophets transmitted the word of God. Their words have been compiled into Scripture. Jesus came and fulfilled His ministry before ascending. Since then, the record and explanation of what He did and will continue to do is recorded in the New Testament.   The Bible is the record of those things. As the Bible is completed, there is no longer a need for special revelation apart from it. This logically tells us that when someone claims a word from the Lord, such a person is either deluded or lying. Why would God continue to give instructions apart from His word?   Look at the history of the church since the completion of the Bible. Those who have claimed prophecy have only brought disorder, not further harmony. And yet, despite not receiving further prophecy, because of how the Bible is written, we are a part of the fulfillment of prophecy.   If you think your situation isn't of any value in the stream of church history, consider that the Lord, through Isaiah, spoke of you –   “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.” Isaiah 42:1   Verses such as this came when the Gentiles were without hope, separated from the covenant promises. And yet, the Lord prophesied that at some point, both Jews and Gentiles would be included in what God would do for humanity through His Messiah.   Even if it is a distant reference to you, it still applies to you. Feel confident that the Lord planned and He has fulfilled His word partly through you if you have trusted in Jesus. What a comforting thought.   O God, thank You for having looked upon us and saved us. While we were Your enemies, You made the first move, sending Jesus to bring us back to You. All You asked us to do was to believe the gospel. And we do! Thank You for saving us and promising us restoration and eternal life. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comRomans 7 Paul explores the believer's relationship with law and the ongoing struggle with sin. He explains that through Christ, Christians have died to the Old Law and are no longer bound by its demands, enabling them to bear fruit for God. The law itself is not sinful, but it reveals sin, emphasizing man's inability to achieve righteousness on his own. Paul shares his personal struggle, acknowledging the inner conflict between his desire to do good and the sin that too often resides within him. This tension exemplifies the human condition: even with a desire to obey God, sin remains a problem. If justification depends on perfectly adhering to the Law of Moses or any law, then there would be no hope. But “thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Marriage illustrates that God's laws, be it matrimony, Moses's Law, or the law of conscience, bind for life. However, death severs this bond, allowing union with another. We should thank God daily for Jesus' death, which frees us from the burden of law and unites us with Him. No law apart from Christ—whether the law of Moses or Gentile morality—can save us, as we all fail to keep the law perfectly. While Christ's law does exist, our justification comes through grace, not perfect obedience. This truth is crucial as we continually wrestle with sin. Like Paul, we often stumble in frustrating, repeated ways. This struggle should deepen our thankfulness for Jesus, where forgiveness and hope are found. Dear Lord, we praise You for the freedom bestowed upon us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for liberating us from the burden of law. None of us can perfectly uphold any law, and without Christ, there would be no hope of redemption for our sins. We honor You for redeeming us in Him and guiding us to follow His will and produce fruit of gratitude for You. Father, we mourn our sins. Too often, we wish to obey but still find ourselves falling short. Thank You for freeing us from the penalty of our failures through Jesus.  Thought Questions: -       Paul uses marriage as an example of the life-long intent of law. Does this principle of honoring marriage for life still hold today? -       Does redemption from the burden of the law mean we now have no law? Why must we still “bear fruit for God” in Christ's church?  -       Do you know the misery of choosing sin in the flesh when your spirit only wants to do right? How does Christ help you through such times?

Have you ever wrestled with God? Have you wrestled with God and prevailed? Few wrestle with God, fewer wrestle with God and win. Jacob wrestled with God for one night, and his life was changed forever. He was given a new name, a new identity, and the name God gave him was given to a whole nation. The Israelis are forever a passionate people, full of fight. When will we, as Gentiles, direct our fight and passion toward our relationship with God? 

Send us a textActs 14:24-28Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples.Support the show

Does God feel like a distant thought? Or do you feel like God has pulled away from you because of something you've done? You might feel far from God, but He isn't far from you. Ephesians 2 tells us that because of the work of God's Son, Jesus, on the cross, we are brought near. Jesus came and preached peace to us who are far and to us who are near. That word, peace, means wholeness. Jesus reconciles us to God to bring us near. And it doesn't depend on us; it depends on Him, and the work is done. If you feel far from God, why don't you just turn your heart to Him today? Say, “Jesus, I feel far. But I know you've done all that is needed for me to be near. Thank you, Lord. Forgive me. In the name of Jesus, amen.” Always remember there is hope with God. "He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near." Ephesians 2:17 radio.hopewithgod.com

Galatians 2:1-7a, 8b, 10 - [Paul wrote:] “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the Gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the Gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel … to the Gentiles … and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the [Jews]. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”

Galatians, Grace, and Gospel: Paul's Passion and Our Freedom In this episode of the Exploring More Podcast, Michael Thompson and SJ Jennings open a brand-new journey through the book of Galatians. With passion and insight, they explore Paul's missionary travels, his dramatic transformation from Pharisee to apostle, and the cultural tension between Jewish and Gentile believers in the early church. This episode lays the foundation for the Galatians series—a deep dive into one of Paul's most emotional and urgent letters. Michael and SJ unpack themes of identity, freedom, grace, and spiritual warfare, and examine how Paul's personal encounters with the resurrected Christ shaped his bold message of salvation by grace, not by works. Alongside historical and theological context, the conversation gets personal: What are we adding to the gospel? Where are we still performing for acceptance? Through honest reflection and practical application, the hosts invite listeners to confront performance-based faith and embrace grace as the empowering presence of God. Whether you're listening alone or with a small group, this series invites you into the heart of the gospel—a life of freedom, identity, and unshakable belonging in Christ. We hope you enjoy this episode and invite you to connect with us!

Galatians 1:15-17But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

So how does it end? How do the pieces of Isaiah fit together? Well, today we dive into Isaiah 66 and see the Lord's glorious plan for His Servant, His people and His kingdom. Join us in this exciting conclusion to this wonderful book! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    As we wrap up our study in the book of Isaiah, what key truths were taught about sin in the following verses:  a.    Isaiah 1:3 b.    Isaiah 59:2 c.    Isaiah 64:6  2.    What key truths are taught about the New Kingdom and her King in the following verses:  a.    Isaiah 2:2 b.    Isaiah 7:14 c.    Isaiah 9:1 d.    Isaiah 9:7 e.    Isaiah 11:2 3.    In Isaiah 66, verse 1, what can mankind make for God to dwell in? Why? According to verse 2, where does the Lord abide? Who might abide with Him? What does it mean to tremble at the Word of God? Would you say that this phrase describes your disposition to the Lord and His Word?  4.    Verse 3 describes the religious hypocrisy of Isaiah's day. What does it sound like the people were doing? Why was this the equivalent of sacrificing dogs and pigs? Does God embrace this kind of worship? How do people make up their own worship today? Why might the Lord reject that worship too?  5.    How does verse 4 show that the people's worship was truly hypocritical? How might a person today act like they are listening to God when they're really not? 6.    In verse 5, the people who tremble at God's Word even face persecution from their own family. What does it look like in this verse? Have you ever seen this kind of persecution in our world today? How does a person's resilience in the face of persecution demonstrate the genuineness of their trust in the Lord?  7.    In verse 6, what is the Lord's response to those who revile His people? What kind of confidence should this give to God's people when they're facing persecution for the Lord? 8.    Verses 7 to 9 is speaking of how the Lord will form a new people and give birth to a new nation. In light of everything we've studied so far in the book of Isaiah, what is this new nation being spoken of here? What kind of hope do you think the Lord intends to convey to His people in these verses? Why would they need this kind of encouragement?  9.    In verses 10 to 14, what is the appropriate response to this work of God? How was the Lord guiding Jerusalem to fulfill her purpose to be a spiritual mother to the nations of the world? 10.    How does the arrival of this new nation also bring judgment in verses 15 to 18? Why?  11.    Verse 19 speaks of how the Lord will send messengers throughout the world. What will be the result of their ministry in verse 20? What is a grain offering? What is the significance of these people being grain offerings to the Lord? 12.    Think about the statement in verse 21 that these people from the nations will be legitimate priests and Levites. Under the Old Covenant, how did a person become a priest? What kind of selection process did they undergo? Why are these Gentiles given such a privileged role and place in this new nation? 13.    In verse 23, how long will this new nation and these new people last? What will all mankind do before the Lord? What does this also say about the endurance of the people's worship? 14.    Read over verse 24, what is the final point of the Book of Isaiah? How is this still a warning to the world today? 15.    Think back to what we have learned from Isaiah about this coming kingdom. Has this kingdom come yet? In this study of Isaiah, how have you seen what it means to be living in light of this future kingdom? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Paul loves Israel dearly, and wants them to know that Jesus is, in fact, their promised Messiah. In preaching about putting the law to death, he doesn't want to communicate that Israel has somehow been forgotten or rejected in the process. While not all of Israel will be saved, there will be a remnant chosen by grace. Paul turns to address the Gentiles of Rome directly to show them how important Israel is to their salvation. They, and all who are not of Jewish decent, have been grafted into Israel, which means that the roots planted and secured through Israel are what allow us to thrive and flourish in the life-giving faith that comes through submitting to Jesus, our Deliverer who comes from Zion. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Host Richie Tevlin talks with James Gentile, Head Brewer at Workhorse Brewing Company and former Head of Brewing Operations at Victory Brewing. With over a decade of experience in large-scale craft production, James brings a deep knowledge of brewing science and operations.   Workhorse Brewing: https://www.workhorsebrewing.com/ @WorkhorseBrewing _______________________________________ THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR: Zilka & Co Brewing Supplies: https://zilkaandcompany.com/elementor-1120/   Brad Adelson - Technical Expert brad@zilkaandcompany.com 818-400-7323 _______________________________________ EPISODE NOTES: Mentioned Breweries Dogfish Head Brewery - Milton, DE Sierra Nevada - Chico, CA Riverhorse Brewing - Ewing, NJ Capitol City Brewing Co. - Washington, DC Victory Brewing - Downingtown, PA Second Story Brewing - Philadelphia, PA - CLOSED New Belgium Brewing - Fort Collins, CO Oskar Blues Brewery - Brevard, NC Sixpoint Brewery - Brooklyn, NY Russian River Brewing - Santa Rosa, CA Mentioned People Lew Bryson - Legendary Alcohol Writer Steve McMillon - Former Brewer of Victory Ron Barchet Jr - Co-Founder of Victory Brewing Bill Covaleski - Co-Founder of Victory Brewing Pete & Gus - Head of Food at Workhorse Brewing Mentioned Businesses Princeton Homebrew - Homebrew Shop One Village Coffee - Coffee Shop Orvis - Fly Fishing Company _______________________________________ What We Drank? West Coast IPA IPA | 7.5% | Citra, Simcoe & Centennial Workhorse Brewing ---------------------------------- Golden Lager Helles Lager | 5.0% Workhorse Brewing ---------------------------------- West Coast IPA IPA | 7.5% | Citra, Simcoe & Centennial Workhorse Brewing ---------------------------------- Speckled Stream Hazy IPA | 6.0%  Workhorse Brewing (Collab with ORVIS) ---------------------------------- Sip Tripp Imperial IPA | 10.0%  Workhorse Brewing (Collab with ORVIS) _______________________________________ STAY CONNECTED: Instagram: ⁠⁠@brewedat⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠@thebrewedatpodcast⁠⁠ Tik Tok: ⁠⁠@brewedat ⁠⁠/ ⁠⁠@thebrewedatpodcast⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠@brewedat⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠@thebrewedatpodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠BrewedAt Website: ⁠⁠www.brewedat.com

Join Kyle and Tony for an insightful conversation on the spiritual benefits of struggle and God's sovereign plan in Acts 10. We also discuss Peter's internal wrestling and the encouragement found in his obedience through doubt. Learn about the customized gospel presentation for Gentiles and practical advice on focusing evangelistic energy. This episode emphasizes the profound unity God is forming between Jew and Gentile in Christ.For the study resources and manuscript go to VBVF.ORG

Paul continues his defense of his ministry to the Gentiles, proclaiming that he had faithfully carried out God's commission to him as the Apostle to the Gentiles, of which the church in Rome was a recipient.

In this short section of Romans, Paul speaks of his ministry to the Gentiles by quoting several passages in the Old Testament that speaks of God's blessings being poured out on Gentiles, not just the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation had assumed, wrongly, that they were the only recipients of God's blessings, however, God had never intended His blessings to end with Israel, but to encompass all people.

Romans 1:16-17 — What is salvation? Christians may use this word out of context and Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses what the Bible means by the terms “being saved” and “salvation.” Romans 1:16–17 is filled with meaning regarding what happened as a result of the fall of humanity. In the sermon “God's Great Plan for Salvation,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones conveys that the Christian has a three-fold deliverance from sin through the power of salvation: deliverance from the guilt of sin, the power of sin, and the pollution of sin. Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes on to explain that salvation also has an implication of time: the Christian has been saved, is being saved, and will be saved. Paul glories in this because it emphasizes his point that he is not ashamed to preach this message of reconciliation and deliverance. This gospel applies to both the Jews and the Gentiles, those who followed the law and those who did not, and it shows that all have hope in Christ by grace through faith. Christians were previously under the wrath and destruction of God, but salvation restores them again in the hope of glory.

Acts 15:1, 2b-4a, 5-12 - [After many Gentiles came to faith in Jesus,] some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And … Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed … But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Romans 1:16-17 — What is salvation? Christians may use this word out of context and Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses what the Bible means by the terms “being saved” and “salvation.” Romans 1:16–17 is filled with meaning regarding what happened as a result of the fall of humanity. In the sermon “God's Great Plan for Salvation,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones conveys that the Christian has a three-fold deliverance from sin through the power of salvation: deliverance from the guilt of sin, the power of sin, and the pollution of sin. Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes on to explain that salvation also has an implication of time: the Christian has been saved, is being saved, and will be saved. Paul glories in this because it emphasizes his point that he is not ashamed to preach this message of reconciliation and deliverance. This gospel applies to both the Jews and the Gentiles, those who followed the law and those who did not, and it shows that all have hope in Christ by grace through faith. Christians were previously under the wrath and destruction of God, but salvation restores them again in the hope of glory. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Why am I here? Who am I supposed to be? What is the point of life? These are great questions and I am sure we have all wrestled with them at some point, but they all come down to one main question… and that question is???? Thats where we are going today.    The question that answers every question…    Matt. 6:33 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.   Seek the kingdom of God… right up front Jesus is saying change your perspective. Look eternally…      No purpose Fall into petty fears, worries, troubles, poor choices, self pity,  Which leads to weakness Which leads to sins Which leads to a flat and void existence full of failure, unhappiness, and questions of doubt.   You can have energy, you can have brains, you can have God, you can have money, you can have friends, you can have good looks, you can have titles… but if you have no purpose it feels even more meaningless.    What happens when you have a purpose?  Goals start to align. Systems start to form. People start to show up. Steps start to be taken. Resources start to flow, new ideas start to grow… a purpose is the dirt inwich you grow everything else. I can grow anything, anywhere just about anytime if I have dirt… but without dirt it aint going to happen.    How do you find your purpose… Ok, we know our overall purpose is to seek the Kingdom of God (that is doing things Gods way, with his heart and his commands… reach the world for Christ)  Great Garth, but can you be a little more practical… I will tell you what works for many…  Combine your passions, your gifting and your highs and ask yourself what people group does this line up with up best.  My passion is winning people to Christ My gifting is speaking, leading and equipping My high comes from seeing other people win. When I see someone that I spoke into, taught, equipped, loved on, poured into… when I see them succeed in their purpose… it fires me up!  And finally All of this is best suited for men. So… again.  Passion winning people to Christ Gifting speaking, leading equipping My high seeing other succeed Who is my audience? Im drawn specifically to men

Join Paul and Barnabas as they embark on a bold journey to unite Jews and Gentiles under Christ, fulfilling the Great Commission amidst persecution and trials.In this episode, Paul and Barnabas set out on their mission to spread the gospel, facing resistance and hardships but remaining steadfast in their calling. As they witness the growing movement of believers in Antioch, they prepare for greater challenges and an emerging role as leaders of the early church.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 28:19, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

" I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household. to the end of the chapter." Romans 16

In the second half of Ephesians chapter 2, Paul explains how Christ has brought the Gentiles near by his blood. Jesus has reconciled Jew and Gentile and builds them together as a holy temple to the Lord. Rev. Peter Lebhar | June 22nd, 2025 ________________________________________________ We're Incarnation Tallahassee! Visit our website! www.incarnationtlh.org/
 Watch the Livestream youtube.com/live/ZSeuKYY3J2w

Neither Jew Nor Gentile - A New Creation AltogetherIn the kingdom of God an individual becomes reborn into his son or daughter, no matter what they used to be. 

We are back with Episode 94 of the Camerosity Podcast.  For this episode, we decided to revisit a topic we covered all the way back in Episode 30, which is talking about camera stores with people who work in camera stores. Joining us for the discussion are Meredith and Corey Reinker from Roberts Camera (aka UsedPhotoPro) in Indianapolis, Indiana and Zeb Andrews from Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland, Oregon.  Of course, two of the Camerosity hosts, Paul and Stephen both used to work in camera stores too, so between those four, we were well represented. Much has changed in the photography space since we did our last camera store episode.  Releases of new cameras like the Pentax 17, Rollei 35 AF, and recent announcements of a new "film like" digital Yashica SLR have caused a lot of ruckus and it will be interesting to hear how actual camera store people see these latest developments. Joining Paul, Stephen, Theo, Mike, and our special guests was a long list of callers including A.J. Gentile, Betty Ann Cochrane, Brad, Dan Hausman, Hong Lee, Howard Sandler, Larry Effler, Miles Libak, Pat Casey, Shane from  Discord, and Will Pinkham. During the show we ask Meredith, Corey, and Zeb a wide range of questions ranging from what differentiates their stores which has allowed them to remain successful well into the era of digital photography.  We cover what the modern camera store customer looks like today and what makes photography appealing to a younger crowd.  We cover both lab and home developing, what one camera both camera stores wish there was an unlimited amount of, how they acquire their inventory of used cameras, and Zeb shares a cool story about how Blue Moon developed a roll of film which had images of Mount St. Helens erupting. Mike gets excited that he received a bottle of the new Adox Syrup 110 developer and attempts to break down the myth that C41 home developing is difficult.  Theo and Zeb counter that you shouldn't be shamed into developing your own film and that the consistency of a professional lab is worth it. While most episodes are a lot of fun to record, while doing this one, it was amazing how fast the two hours went, and I wish we could have talked to Meredith, Corey, and Zeb longer.  Who knows, maybe we'll return for a third Camera Store episode some day! As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you!  Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show.  We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining! The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you'd like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance. For our next episode, we don't have a dedicated topic and will open up the Zoom recording to anything you'd like to discuss.  If there have been any questions or topics from previous shows you'd like to revisit, or share with us your latest camera GAS pick up, we'd love to hear from you!  This next one will be a free for all!  We will record Episode 95 on Monday, July 7th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time. In This Episode Introducing Roberts Camera / They Used to Sell Jewelry UsedPhotoPro Was Started with Corey and Nelson Kopech in 2011 Blue Moon's Origin Story / Blue Moon's Owner Jake Has a Passion for Vintage Typewriters Blue Moon Slits Their Own Minox Film / They Source New Cartridges Direct from Minox What Does the Typical Camera Store Customer Look Like Today? What Inspires the 18-24 Crowd to Buy a Particular Camera? / Is there an Upgrade Path to a Leica? Mike Breaks Down All Film Shooters into One of Three Broad Categories How Were Roberts and Blue Moon Able to Navigate the Film to Digital Switch When Others Failed? Blue Moon Developed Film from an Argus C3 Showing Mount St. Helens Erupting Robert's Early Experience with Mail Order Helped them be Successful Selling Online How Does Roberts Get Their Used Inventory / Burgess Auction in Carmel, Indiana Recommendations for Local Camera Stores How Hard is it to Get Film Processing Labs Repaired? Everyone Talks About Developing Machines How Common is it For People to Develop Film at Home? Mike Gets a Bottle of the New Adox Syrup 110 Overcoming the Myth that Developing C41 Film at Home is Difficult How Do you Handle Developing So Many Different B&W Films at the Same Time? Camera Stories that Depended on Development and Services Struggled the Most What Camera Do Roberts and Blue Moon Wish they had Unlimited Supply Of? Upcoming Roberts and Blue Moon Events Links The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm. If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server. Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/ Roberts Camera - https://robertscamera.com/ Used Photo Pro - https://usedphotopro.com/ Blue Moon Camera and Machine - https://bluemooncamera.com/ Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/ Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/ Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Daily Dose of Hope June 24, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 16:13-28   Prayer:  Holy God, Thank you for this day and thank you for the ways you provide and care for us.  We rejoice in your powerful and mighty name.  As we read through the Scripture today and reflect on what it means for us, help us hear a new word from you.  Help us set aside the distractions of the day and really listen for your voice.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are covering the second portion of Matthew 16.   Jesus has taken his disciples on a retreat of sorts, and they have traveled away from Judea, further north into Gentile territory.  Maybe it's to get away from the crowds, maybe it's so they can speak more freely.  Caesarea Philippi is pretty far north in Israel.  It was a quiet place at the headwaters of the Jordan River but also a place filled with idol worship and signs of Roman occupation everywhere.  And it's here that Jesus decides he is going to settle his identity with these men.  So he asks each of them, “Who do people say I am?”    Over the two years that the disciples had been with Jesus, people had all kinds of thoughts about who Jesus was.  Some thought he was the precursor to the Messiah, others (like King Herod) thought he was John the Baptist reincarnated, others thought he might be one of the prophets returned.  But Jesus presses them, “who do you say I am?”  Now, it doesn't matter what the others say – who is it you say I am?  That's really the question for all of us, isn't it.  It doesn't matter who others say Jesus is.  If I were to do a man on the street interview right now, I'm sure I'd get all kinds of answers to who is Jesus?  A teacher, a healer, a crazy person, Son of God, the Savior.  But it doesn't matter what others say, what matters is what you believe and what YOU say about Jesus.  And that's what Jesus is asking his disciples.  What do you say about me?  What are you willing to confess about me?  This was really a rubber meets the road question for them, as it is for us.  What are you willing to confess about me, to others, publicly?   Jesus asked all of them but it was Peter who spoke up.  And he says, “You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God.”  The word Messiah means anointed one or God's anointed.  And the term “Messiah” was the Hebrew word for God's anointed, the term “Christ” was the Greek word for it.  Messiah and Christ mean the same thing, different languages.  I know this might come as a surprise to some of us but Christ is not Jesus' last name.  It is a title.  And Peter is giving Jesus this title, you are the Messiah, the anointed one.   What's the big deal with being anointed?  In ancient Israel, when someone was given a position of authority, oil was poured on his head to signify his being set apart for God's service. I Samuel 10:1 is an example, Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?  Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed in this way. Anointing was a symbolic act to indicate God's choosing.  Although the literal meaning of anointed refers to the application of oil, it can also refer to being chosen or set apart by God, even if oil is not literally used.  So, Peter is saying you are the anointed one, chosen, set apart by God, the Messiah.   But there is more to this.  Throughout the OT, there are many, many verses that point to the Messiah delivering the Hebrew people from captivity, from pagan kings.  The Jews expected the Messiah to deliver them from Roman occupation via military might.  That was the expectation.  The Christ, the Messiah is the one who God sent to deliver his people, to make things right for them – the one they had been waiting for hundreds of years.  So when Peter says this, you are the Messiah, he probably doesn't quite understand how Jesus is going to deliver them.  No one really got it that the Messiah would be the one to deliver people, not from the Roman occupiers, but from their own sin.    Peter says that Jesus is Messiah but then he says that Jesus is the Son of the living God.  Just to clarify something, in the OT, there are a number of men, particularly prophets, who are called a son of God.  That was not an uncommon title for a Godly man.  But that is not what Peter is saying, Peter says that Jesus is THE son of the living God.    Let's clarify something here because I think we can get confused - Jesus is not God's Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God's Son in the sense that He is GOD in human form – John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Keep in mind, the term “Word” is referring to Jesus.  Jesus was there in the beginning.  Jesus was there with God in the beginning.  Jesus was there with God and Jesus is God.  Brain cramping yet?  Let's read v. 14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  So, the “Word”, Jesus, became human and lived among us.  Of course, that is the Christmas story, Jesus became a human being, was born to a woman named Mary, who became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.  When the angel comes to Mary in Luke and explains the situation, he tells her that this holy one you will give birth to will be called the Son of God.   This clearly separates Jesus from the prophets. He is not a son of God but the Son of the living God.  Jesus walks with a very distinct, specific authority.  I mean, look at his miracles.  He heals people with a word or touch.  He rebukes a storm and it listens to him.  He could read people's minds.  He raises Lazurus from the dead.  He doesn't argue with demons.  Think about it – when Jesus encounters a demon, they tremble.  Colossians 1, The son is the image of the invisible God…  He walks in a distinct, divine authority.  Because he is the Son of the living God – the second person of the Godhead.    So, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and he is Lord.  I didn't count this myself, but I read that Jesus is referred to as Lord almost 300 times in the New Testament.  Lord was the most common title for Jesus in the early church.  Why is that significant?  When the Hebrew Bible, what we call the OT, was translated from Hebrew to Greek, the term Yahweh (which was the Hebrew word for God) was translated to Lord in the NT.  That means, to say that Jesus is Lord is to say that Jesus is God.  It is saying that Jesus is divine – he is God – and Caesar is NOT, a claim that was quite dangerous at the time.    To say that Jesus is Lord means that Jesus has claim over all things; he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is LORD over all things – over the cosmos, over the whole earth, over all nations and their leaders, he is Lord over Vladimir Putin, he is Lord over Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, he is Lord over all the celebrities in Hollywood, he is Lord over Florida and Brandon, he is Lord over each of us.    Now, here is where I'm going to get kind of personal.  At least I'm giving a warning.  What I've found working in ministry is that people like the idea of Jesus as Savior.  Yes, I've said yes to Jesus as my Savior so I'm going to heaven.  That feels good and it should.  But man, do people struggle with this concept that Jesus is Lord.  Because saying Jesus is Lord is one step further.  It's saying that he is Lord over everything and he is Lord over my family and me.  That means, I defer to him in every area of my life.  I trust him with everything.  That means, before I make a decision, I ask Jesus for his will.  It means I have given my job over to him, my children and grandchildren over to him; it means I have given the words I speak, my actions, my thoughts over to Jesus.  My finances belong to him.  That means that tithing isn't an issue because, well, it all belongs to Jesus anyway.  I have no claim on my life.  I belong to Jesus.    I struggled with this for years.  In a culture that tells us that its all about us, how hard WE work, the fruits of our labor, its OUR money, OUR children, OUR lives.  Maybe it sounds weird, but turning over my money to Lord Jesus wasn't that difficult.  I made a decision.  We are supposed to tithe so we are going to do it and I had been around people who tithed for a long time.  What was hard for me was giving my marriage to Jesus, giving my kids to Jesus.  I might have had a bit of a control issue.  And if you have a control issue – teenagers will humble you.  And it was in the midst of some real struggles that I just turned it all over to him.  They are your kids first, Lord.  They were never mine to begin with.  If I make it sounds easy, it isn't but it's life changing.  It's a shift in perspective that really brings a tremendous amount of peace.  Alright, that was pretty important, but so is the next portion of text.  Jesus is beginning to reveal to the disciples that he will die; he will be leaving them.  They aren't quite getting it.  And when they do get a hint of where he is going, Peter isn't happy.  And the Scripture says that Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him.  Here is where we miss something significant in English.  In the Greek, this word rebuke is much stronger.  Peter is really laying into Jesus here, saying “This is not the way it's going to be.  You are supposed to be the messiah who saves us from the Romans. This is not what we signed up for.”  And Jesus' response to him is interesting.  Jesus rebukes Peter right back, same word in the Greek, and says, “Get behind me, Satan!”  He tells him that he is setting his mind on human things, not on the things of God.  This is one of those moments in Scripture that highlights the vast distance between us and God. Though Jesus is God with us (he was God in human form), we cannot tame him or make him over into our image. We would like a savior who is a winner, and one who makes us winners, but Jesus insists on identifying with the lowliest of losers. He will allow himself to be judged and condemned as a blasphemer by Jewish religious leaders. He will allow himself to be mocked, tortured, and executed as a criminal by the Romans. And that's not all. Jesus actually expects his disciples to follow him on this path of suffering and death.  After telling them that they don't understand the mind of God, he says this very hard thing, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  We tend to think of taking up our cross as dealing with really annoying circumstances.  In Jesus' day, no one thought of beating one's cross as a persistent annoyance or burden. So bearing our cross does not mean we need to have patience with difficult neighbors or coworkers.  Furthermore, Jesus is not talking about the suffering that is part of living in a broken world, things like serious illnesses, broken relationships, and even natural disasters. That isn't what he is talking about.  Nor is he telling us to seek out suffering or martyrdom. We don't have to become monks and live in the desert.  Jesus did not go seeking suffering, although he ended up having to endure it for his mission.  To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by crucifixion. And the Romans made the people who were about to be killed carry their own cross to the execution location.  It was humiliating and horribly painful and the condemned person had no choice but to submit. Bearing one's cross was and is a show of complete and utter submission. A call to bear one's cross as part of following Jesus, then, is a call to be as submitted to Christ as the condemned criminal was to his death.  When Jesus says this, he's claiming authority. Following Christ means disowning the self and giving allegiance to him instead. And it means giving him allegiance down to the very depths of our being.   Are you willing to surrender all to follow Jesus?  What needs to change in your life and thinking to be more consistent with the ways of Jesus Christ? Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Galatians 3:23-29 - Children of God 23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Study 24 - Luke 19:28–48 The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Jesus cannot complete his mission without entering Jerusalem and confronting the authorities there. This he does, first with actions and then with words Please read Luke 19: 28-38. It seems likely that Jesus had made some arrangements the twelve knew nothing about. Perhaps he had 2 sets of supporters: the apostles in spiritual matters and a group of organisers or deacons.) Question 1: What makes that a reasonable thing to say? Are there any alternative explanations? There is something a bit mysterious about the account of Jesus sending two disciples to get the colt. It is hard to be sure but there does seem to have been a prior arrangement made by Jesus that the two disciples did not know the details of. To think that Jesus knew through his divine powers that the colt would be there is probably to over-emphasize the divine in Jesus and forget that he was also human. The account of the way Jesus entered Jerusalem is full of hints of OT passages. Three of the most important are: 1 Kings 1:33-35 which reads: "Take your lord's servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah." Psalm 118:26-27 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession. Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Each of these is important in that Jesus did things that ensured that he fulfilled these prophecies. Jesus often fulfilled prophecies without having any apparent control on what happened but this is totally deliberate. Question 2: Why did Jesus make sure these prophecies were fulfilled? Why did he make his entry into Jerusalem into such a public spectacle? He did not always do this. In John 7: 10 we read that after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Jesus knew he would die in Jerusalem. He did not want to die quietly. This was the most important event in the history of mankind. It had to be witnessed by many people. Those people needed to have all the necessary and sufficient evidence that he was indeed the Messiah, the Anointed One, even if they did not believe the evidence. Question 3: What will each of the following have been expecting: an ordinary member of the crowd? one of the disciples? one of the priests, lawyers or leaders of the people? a watching centurion of the Roman guard in charge of keeping the peace? This is something interesting to use our imaginations on. I reckon a member of the crowd would have been caught up in the excitement, possibly not knowing much about Jesus but sensing that something important was happening. One of the disciples would have realised the significance of what was happening, have been exceedingly excited and wanting to be ready for anything including fighting. One of the leaders of the people would have been annoyed and worried, concerned that there might be a full blown riot before long. A centurion would have been making sure his sword slid easily out of its scabbard, that his men were all lined up and waiting, and relishing the prospect of a fight against a largely unarmed crowd. Luke's account continues with Jesus prophesying the total destruction of the city and the destruction of the temple. All of which actually happened in AD 70, just about the time Luke was writing, and involved the slaughter of most of the inhabitants of the city and the surrounding countryside. We read Luke 19:19-48. What Jesus said in Luke 19:46 is a combination of Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7: 11. I will read rather more verses than these because in both cases the context adds important ideas to those in the exact words Jesus used. Listen out carefully for those extra ideas, which form the next question. Question 4a: Read Isaiah 56:3-8. What extra ideas are there in those verses that would have been of interest to the more knowledgeable people in the crowd. Isaiah includes both foreigners and eunuchs, those who were excluded from the temple worship that governed all of life at Jerusalem feast days. Question 4b: Read Jeremiah 7: 3-11. What extra ideas are there in those verses that would have been of interest to the more knowledgeable people in the crowd. Jeremiah places conditions of good behaviour on temple worshippers. He is saying it is not enough just to be a Jew or an Israelite. Jesus was saying it was not who you were but what you were that mattered. If your worship at the temple was to be of any significance at all before God it was your life of faith that mattered, not whether you were a Jew, or not, or any particular sort of Jew. Perhaps Jesus and his disciples were just entering the court of the Gentiles, the great outer court of the temple from which the disabled (eunuchs) and foreigners were excluded, as he spoke. No race, or language, is any more important than any other to the Christian. The Bible Jesus used was a translation from the Hebrew to the Greek. We rejoice in the translation of the Bible into more and more languages. The way Jesus clears the temple in Luke 19:45 is a symbolic picture of the destruction of the temple. So that destruction was not accidental or due to the will of the Roman general. Question 5: What then is the significance of the temple ruins in Jerusalem now, for Jews, for Muslims, for Christians? The temple ruins are of absolutely no real significance for anybody any longer except as interesting relics of something which is now meaningless. Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 audio file

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comRomans 4 Righteousness before God comes through faith in Jesus, not through perfect adherence to the Old Law or any law separate from Christ. Paul illustrates this with the example of Abraham, who was justified by faith before both circumcision and the Law of Moses. God's promises have always flourished among those who believe in Him and obey Him out of trust in His power. This message was true for Abraham and remains true for all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile. Abraham's faith in God's promise of a son, despite his old age and Sarah's barrenness, was credited to him as righteousness. Paul connects this to believers in Christ, explaining that righteousness is similarly credited to those who trust in God, the One who raised Jesus from the dead for our justification.  “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” If we follow in the footsteps of Father Abraham, we too are justified and blessed by our heavenly Father. Unlike other New Testament chapters concerning Abraham, this passage says little about acts of obedience. The emphasis is on trust. When God spoke, Abraham believed Him. In “hope against hope,” he trusted in God's promises. As a result, Abraham glorified God with his life, showing immediate and complete obedience. While this text was written to demonstrate that salvation comes through Christ and not through the Law of Moses, the message remains powerful for us: we are justified by faith in the resurrection of Jesus, not by perfect law keeping.  God of enduring promises, we praise You for Your kindness and love. Thank You for the promises of justification and eternal life through Jesus Christ. We believe in His life, His resurrection, and His kingship in heaven. Father, help us strengthen our faith in the days ahead. Lead us to urgent faith like Abraham, trusting in Your promises and Your power, even in “hope against hope.” We are not righteous on our own; however, by Your grace, we are saved as we trust You and strive to follow Your will. We rejoice in being justified as righteous through Your beloved Son.   Thought Questions: -       What does it mean to say that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”? Do you trust God as Abraham did? -       If we are justified apart from the works of the law, does that mean there are no laws for us to follow in Christ? Why must we still obey His law? -       When have you had to trust in God “in hope against hope”? What have been the outcomes when you have held strong in belief?

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com        Here are the key themes and teachings: 1. God's Impartiality as a Model: The Bible frequently states that God shows no favoritism or partiality. This is a foundational aspect of His character and justice. Deuteronomy 10:17: "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes." Romans 2:11: "For God does not show favoritism." Acts 10:34-35: Peter, recognizing a significant theological truth, declared, "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." Because God is impartial, His judgment is fair and applies to everyone equally, regardless of their background, status, or identity. 2. Condemnation of Favoritism and Partiality: The Bible explicitly condemns showing partiality, particularly based on wealth, social status, or outward appearance. James 2:1-4: This passage is a strong rebuke against favoritism within the church, illustrating the sin of giving preferential treatment to the rich over the poor. It states, "My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' while you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there,' or, 'Sit down at my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:9: "But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers." This verse elevates favoritism to the level of sin. Leviticus 19:15: "You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor." This Old Testament law highlights the importance of fairness in judgment. Proverbs 24:23: "These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good." 3. Call to Impartiality and Love for All: Believers are called to emulate God's impartiality in all their dealings. 1 Timothy 5:21: Paul charges Timothy, a church leader, "I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing out of partiality." Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This verse emphasizes the unity and equality of all believers in Christ, transcending social and cultural distinctions. Matthew 7:1-3: While not using the word "bias" directly, Jesus warns against being a critic "full of bias toward others," emphasizing that we will be judged by the same standard we use for others. Love your neighbor: The "royal law" (James 2:8) to "love your neighbor as yourself" implicitly demands impartiality, as it means treating others with the same care and respect you desire for yourself, regardless of who they are. In essence, the Bible views bias, partiality, and favoritism as contrary to God's righteous character and a hinderance to justice, love, and unity among people. It calls believers to strive for impartiality, treating all individuals with fairness, dignity, and love, reflecting the nature of God.     mind like water-when you drop a pebble, stone or a boulder into a lake lt always responds appropriately.

Witness how Peter's obedience to God's vision opens the door for the Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit, transforming lives and expanding the reach of the gospel beyond boundaries.In this episode, Peter receives a divine vision challenging long-held beliefs about clean and unclean, ultimately leading him to share the gospel with the Roman centurion Cornelius and his household. Through this encounter, the Holy Spirit moves powerfully, breaking down cultural barriers and extending God's grace to the Gentiles.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 5:6, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz recently reignited a centuries-old theological debate: Should Christians automatically support the modern nation of Israel? In this thought-provoking episode, Joel Settecase dives deep into the Scriptures—Genesis, Romans, Galatians—to dissect whether the Bible actually teaches unconditional support for the state of Israel. What does it mean to be a descendant of Abraham? Has the land promise already been fulfilled? And how should Christians view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in light of the Gospel?This is not just a political episode—it's a biblical one. Whether you're pro-Israel, skeptical, or just want biblical clarity, this episode will challenge and sharpen your understanding.

Acts 4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.  4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. 5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest's family.  7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,  10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.  11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.' 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.  14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.  15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.  16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.  17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!  20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.  22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.  24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.  25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.' 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.  28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.  29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.  30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) — 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Put Off the Old Self (Eph 4:17-19) Paul warns believers not to live like the Gentiles, whose thinking is futile and whose hearts are hardened. Their lifestyle is marked by having a darkened understanding, ignorance, insensitivity, and moral corruption that is driven by selfish desires. Be Renewed and Put on the New Self (Eph 4:20-24) Paul claims that the old way of life is not how believers have learned Christ. Rather believers are to: Put off the old self (i.e. the former way of life). Be renewed in the spirit of their minds. Put on the new self (i.e. new way of life in righteousness and holiness). Practical Instructions for New Life (Eph 4:25-32) Paul lists specific ways to live out this new self: Speak truthfully instead of lying. Control your anger and deal with it promptly. Do honest work so you can help others. Speak words that build up, not corrupt speech. Avoid bitterness, rage, slander, and malice. Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving, just as God forgave you in Christ. Imitate God and Walk in Love (Eph 5:1-2) Believers are called to be imitators of God as His children. We should walk in love, following the example of Christ, who gave himself as a sacrificial offering for us.The post Ephesians Part 8: The New You first appeared on Living Hope.

God's grace is scandalous, as demonstrated in the story of Rahab—a pagan prostitute who became the first person saved in the Promised Land. Despite being a Gentile, an Amorite, and a prostitute, Rahab responded in faith to the little she knew about God, risking everything to protect the Israelite spies. God not only saved her but also elevated her to become an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ. This powerful example shows that no one is beyond God's reach, reminding us that the church is not for the righteous but a hospital for sinners touched by divine grace.

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Send us a textActs 14:1-7Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.Support the show

For the past several days, we've been looking at the kingdom that our Lord will establish one day. Today, in our study of Isaiah 55, we'll see that as amazing at it is, our Lord offers the nations a place in this kingdom. So, Isaiah 55 is a key chapter because is shows us that God's plan, all along, was for both Jews and Gentiles to be one people under God.  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS:  1.    Verse 1 opens with an invitation. What is the invitation and who is it given to? Why is this important for the overall theme and perspective of the Book of Isaiah?  2.    Verses 1 & 2 also talk about the payment required to embrace this offer. What is the payment required? What New Testament term speaks of this kind of payment?  3.    What is the “everlasting covenant” spoken of in verse 3? Considering your answer to question 1, from verse 1, who is this covenant being made with? 4.    The term “Everlasting Covenant” was also used in Isaiah 61, Jeremiah 32, Ezekiel 16 & 37 and then in Hebrews 13:20. What covenant is this referring to?   5.    The podcast pointed out that the Everlasting Covenant was specifically made with individuals. Although the Old Covenant (the Mosaic Covenant) was also individual in nature, it was ultimately made with the nation of Israel. How is the New Covenant different? Why is this difference important to understanding what it means for us to personally and individually enter into covenant with the Lord?  6.    Take a moment to read over verse 6 and rewrite this in your own words, making a special point to apply this principle to your own life.  7.    Verse 7 gives a clear picture of repentance. Does this describe your walk with the Lord? What wicked ways have you forsaken? What unrighteous thoughts have you turned from? What is the promise of verse 7 to those to repent like this?  8.    What is the point behind verses 8 & 9? Why is it important for us to know these truths if we're going to walk faithfully according to our covenant with the Lord?  9.    What impact does God's Word have, in verse 11? Why is this important for us to know when we're teaching God's Word to others?  10.    Verse 12 pictures the kind of joy that will accompany those who enter into covenant with the Lord and follow Him. Why does following God have this result in our lives? Have there been times when you have not felt like this? In light of Christ's exhortations for us to pick up our cross and follow Him, how would you counsel someone who is following God but suffering pain as a result?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

All across social media this week, there has been on topic and subject that's been getting more attention than anything else, and surprisingly, it has little to do with Trump authorizing airstrikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities. The main thing people are talking about is Replacement Theology, and how Christians have replaced the Jews as God's chosen people, and the Church has replaced Israel as the apple of God's eye. The fact that these things are not true does not stop people like Catholics and Calvinists from believing it. In my message today, I want to talk to you about the current state of the Jews and Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” Romans 11:25 (KJB)Today we held our very first Sunday Service at the Bible Believers House Church in the Bookstore, we had a full house and it was a blessing. The old hymns were sung, a strong message was preached, and when it was over we had a nice little Open Forum Q&A to close out the service. We praise the Lord for this open door, and invite you to come and be a part of what the Lord is doing at the Bookstore every Sunday morning at 11:00 AM EST. Please follow our Facebook page for event information.

Romans 1:7-15 — Despite Paul's great power given by the Holy Spirit, the authority given by Christ to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and his extraordinary experiences, the apostle Paul never put himself up on a pedestal. He expected to pour into the church at Rome, but he also wanted to be encouraged by them as well. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in the sermon “The Fellowship of Believers,” this is a glimpse of the doctrine and nature of the Christian church in Romans 1:7–15. Paul's depiction of the communion of the saints is one which consists of fellowship in the Holy Spirit. Neither color of skin, nor social status, nor education matter. What matters to Paul and constituted his desire to fellowship with them was that they were fellow members of the body of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the human desire to limit fellowship to certain types of Christians – perhaps those Christians found to be most interesting or stimulating. The encouragement from Dr. Lloyd-Jones is to enjoy the fellowship of all Christians. This, he says, is the New Testament understanding of fellowship. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains what the apostle Paul found so encouraging about these simple Christians in Rome, and the dangers of contemporary “movements” as they often replace the role of the church in the Christian life.

Romans 1:7-15 — Despite Paul's great power given by the Holy Spirit, the authority given by Christ to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and his extraordinary experiences, the apostle Paul never put himself up on a pedestal. He expected to pour into the church at Rome, but he also wanted to be encouraged by them as well. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in the sermon “The Fellowship of Believers,” this is a glimpse of the doctrine and nature of the Christian church in Romans 1:7–15. Paul's depiction of the communion of the saints is one which consists of fellowship in the Holy Spirit. Neither color of skin, nor social status, nor education matter. What matters to Paul and constituted his desire to fellowship with them was that they were fellow members of the body of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the human desire to limit fellowship to certain types of Christians – perhaps those Christians found to be most interesting or stimulating. The encouragement from Dr. Lloyd-Jones is to enjoy the fellowship of all Christians. This, he says, is the New Testament understanding of fellowship. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains what the apostle Paul found so encouraging about these simple Christians in Rome, and the dangers of contemporary “movements” as they often replace the role of the church in the Christian life. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29

By Jonathan Garnant - As we enter Acts 25-26, Paul's road from Damascus has seen multiple defenses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before Jews, Gentiles, mobs, Romans and now Roman King Agrippa II. This will be his last defense. Will he be freed or remain chained? Where does this road lead? Rome? Are there applications for

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comRomans 3 The Jews have the unique privilege of being God's chosen people who receive the “oracles of God.” However, this does not excuse their sin, nor does their unrighteousness diminish God's goodness. Paul explains that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin, showing that no one is righteous and that all need God's grace through Jesus Christ. Citing Old Testament scriptures, Paul demonstrates that God has always known humanity could not achieve righteousness through the law. The solution is found in righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, who provides propitiation through His blood. God justifies believers as a gift of grace through Christ's redemption. God's righteousness is on display, as He is just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. In this, all personal boasting is excluded.   The Jewish people are special because God chose to reveal scripture through them. For some, this belief led to a mistaken notion that they could sin without fearing judgment from God. However, God is a righteous judge who will punish all those condemned by sin. This serves as a needful lesson for some Christians. Understanding the truth and being part of God's people does not excuse sin. The reality is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Furthermore, none will be justified by their heritage, church affiliations, or knowledge. God alone is righteous, and He chooses to demonstrate this by granting us redemption as we live by faith in Jesus. We must choose humility over boasting.   Holy God, we confess that we have sinned and fallen short of Your glory, and we are completely dependent on Your grace. Thank You for the gift of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, who redeemed us through His sacrifice. Help us to live humbly, acknowledging that we cannot earn salvation but receive it as Your loving gift. Teach us never to misuse Your grace with willful sin but to choose faithfulness so that we may glorify and praise You with our allegiance. Lead us to someone today who is burdened by their imperfections and in need of Your grace.   Thought Questions: -       God is patient with His people. Does this mean you can sin as often as you want and be covered by His grace? Why not? -       If no one is righteous, and all fall short of God's glory, how do you maintain confidence that He has saved you? Where is your confidence? -       Justification is a gift of grace from the righteous Judge. How does your daily life demonstrate your gratitude for this incredible gift?