Podcasts about gentiles

Christmas and Easter: The second reading makes clear that Christmas is ordered toward Easter. Christ comes for both Jews and Gentiles, and His birth leads directly to His saving sacrifice.

Daily Dose of Hope December 23, 2025   Scripture – Acts 22   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you this morning with awe and humility.  Help us remember all you have done for us.  We are nothing without you.  We need you desperately, Lord.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts today as we focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us remember that we belong to you.  Help us lay our worries and cares on the throne of your grace...We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading.  We have been on a journey, reading through the Gospels and the book of Acts.  Today, we walk through Acts 22.   The chapter starts with Paul speaking to the crowd in Aramaic.  His knowledge of their language demonstrates that he is one of them.  All the lies are just that, lies.  He shares his background as an educated Jew and then tells his conversion story.  Remember, no one can ever argue with your conversion story.  It's your story!  Paul uses this time to talk about how Jesus led him to share the Gospel with the Gentiles.    But when he gets to this part --- mentioning the Gentiles --- things get heated again.  They demand that he be killed for his blasphemy.  It's now that the Roman commander demands that he be arrested and flogged.  But just as this is about to take place, Paul mentions that he is a Roman citizen by birth.  This changes things.   The scholars have mixed opinions on how being a Roman citizen in that day and time determined one's treatment by governing authorities.  Certainly, in Paul's case, it kept him from being flogged and lynched. In fact, the commander seems frightened when he finds out that the man he is about to whip is a Roman citizen by birth. (I would have hated to see what they did to the non-citizens. It was a brutal world.)    But one thing Paul could not get out of was being sent before the Jewish high council. I'm sure the Roman commander would be relieved to give Paul to the Jewish leaders. Let them be the ones faced with the repercussions of dealing with such a controversial figure. What will it mean for Paul to go before the high council? The council, also referred to as the Sanhedrin, was led by the high priest and consisted of Pharisees and Sadducees.  This group had broad authority, overseeing criminal, civil, and religious cases. This was a group that would not be sympathetic to Paul. Part of their role was to discern when the Messiah returned and they clearly did not think Jesus was it. Hearing Paul preaching Jesus as Lord would be deemed blasphemous.   Will their distain keep Paul silent or make him soften his message? I think we can all guess that the answer is no! Paul is resolute in what God has called him to do. No amount of persecution, oppression, or intimidation will keep him from teaching about Jesus. So our question for the day-what keeps us from speaking boldly about Jesus?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Merry Christmas from the Jew and Gentile Podcast foiequip.org

Tuesday, 23 December 2025   Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Matthew 15:14   “You leave them! They are blind, blind-conductors. And blind, if they should conduct, both – they will fall into a pit” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told His disciples that every plant His heavenly Father had not planted would be uprooted. He now says, “You leave them!” The words are imperative. Their instruction is based on corruption, not the truth. What the Father plants is truth, but the devil only sows lies, confusion, etc. To explain further, Jesus says, “They are blind, blind-conductors.”   A new word is seen here, hodégos. It is from hodos, way, and hégeomai, to lead. Thus, it speaks of one who leads in the way, and thus a conductor. With the adjective blind attached to the thought, they are conductors of the blind.   And yet, Jesus notes that they, too, are blind. Paul, speaking to the Jews in Romans 2, uses the opposite terminology to describe the way they felt about themselves, even though they acted contrary to their teachings –   “Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,' do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,' as it is written.” Romans 2:17-24   This is the attitude that Jesus rebukes in these leaders of Israel. They were blind leading blind people. It is a recipe for disaster. He next says, “And blind, if they should conduct, both – they will fall into a pit.”   It is an obvious truth. When a blind person is conducted, it is where the conductor takes him. He is placing his trust in the one leading him. But if the conductor himself is blind, any step he takes could bring him to the edge of a pit. The next step will see him tumbling in along with the one he was charged to lead.   Now imagine one who is willfully blind, like these leaders of Israel. They were disregarding the law and causing others who were untrained in the law to follow them –   “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. 10 Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; But the blameless will inherit good.” Proverbs 28:9, 10   Isaiah prophesied of Israel's blindness. It was a chronic condition with them –   “Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see. 19 Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the Lord's servant? 20 Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” Isaiah 42   Life application: Think of the variety of doctrinal disputes between Christian instructors:   *Israel are God's people vs. Israel are not God's people. *The church replaced Israel vs. Israel and the church are separate entities. *Salvation is eternal vs. Salvation can be lost. *There is such a thing as the rapture. There will be a pre-trib rapture. There will be a mid-trib rapture. There will be a post-trib rapture. *The church began at Pentecost vs. the church began with Paul's conversion. *Believers are free from the law. Believers must adhere to the law. Believers are free from the civil law but are bound to the moral law. *The Sabbath must be observed. A Christian Sabbath must be observed. No Sabbath is necessary. *Bacon is bad vs. bacon is good.   On and on it goes, with ten thousand points of doctrine. When a teacher is wrong in his doctrine, he is blind, at least in that area. But he is now leading others who are blind because they have never been taught to see properly. Imagine something as critical as law observance, and what Paul says about that –   “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8, 9   People who teach observance of the law, the subject of Paul's letter to the Galatians, are exactly the type of people Jesus was speaking about. They are blind, and they are leading others into the same pit they are in.   How can you know if you are being taught something incorrectly? The only way to even have a hint of it is by at least being aware of the source of what you are being taught. In the case of Christianity, the source is Jesus. The place to find instruction about Him is in His word. So be sure to read your Bible daily. It is important.   Glorious God, wisdom is found within You. Help us to pursue You and to desire to know the truth of what Your word tells us. So many people teach so many different things. So, Lord, as we read Your word, give us sound and proper insight into what it says. Help us to be wise as we look for instructors of Your word to guide us. Amen.

Todaywe are moving into a new section of Ephesians 4:25-32. In these verses, theApostle Paul gives us very practical applications for how to live out what hehas already taught in the earlier part of the chapter. That is why verse 25begins with the word “therefore.” This is the fourth “therefore” in thischapter. Paul follows a familiar pattern: he establishes a spiritual principle,reminds us of our position in Christ, and then says, because of this, here ishow you are now to live. Since we are no longer to walk as the Gentiles walk,and since we have been taught to put off the old man and put on the new man inverses 20 through 24, Paul now shows us what that looks like in everyday life. Paulalways applies truth to specific areas where the power of the Word and Truthmust be worked out. And in this passage, he is not afraid to name sins—specificsins. Can you imagine a pastor or preacher naming sins that people in thecongregation might actually be committing? Paul was not afraid to do that, andneither was God. These things are in Scripture for our instruction. InEphesians 4:25–32, Paul identifies five specific sins: Lying, Anger, Stealing, CorruptSpeech, and Bitterness. These are serious sins because they destroy unity,damage fellowship, and ruin a church's witness. Paul names them plainly becausethey must be dealt with honestly. Thefirst sin he addresses is lying and is found in verse 25: “Therefore,putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with hisneighbor," for we are members of one another.” Now, what is a lie? Alie is a statement that is contrary to fact and is spoken with the intent todeceive. Some people lie so regularly that all you have to do is see their lipsmoving to know deception is taking place. In some cases, people believe theirown lies because they themselves have been deceived by the evil one. Letme give you an example. If I tell you it is noon, and later discover that mywatch was wrong, I did not lie—I was mistaken. But if I tell you the wrong timebecause I want to deceive you, perhaps to make you late for a meeting so itbenefits me, then I have told a lie. The difference is intent. My friend, Satanis a liar. In John 8:44, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You are of yourfather the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murdererfrom the beginning, and abode not in the truth… for he is a liar, and thefather of it.” Whatis interesting is that Satan wants us to believe that God is the liar. The veryfirst lie in the Bible appears in Genesis chapter 3, when Satan said to Eve,“Yea, hath God said?” He implied that God did not really mean what He said andwas holding something back. Satan was saying, in effect, “God is the liar, notme.” That was a lie. And Satan continues to deceive people into believing thatGod cannot be trusted. Wheneverwe speak the truth—to others or even to ourselves—the Holy Spirit is at work.But whenever we speak a lie, Satan goes to work, using that deception to leadpeople into sin and destruction. Sometimes people think they are helping othersby lying, but that is never true. The consequences may not show up immediately,but they will come. Deception always leads to trouble. That is why it is soimportant that we know—and live—the truth. Yearsago, I read a helpful book titled “Telling Yourself the Truth” by WilliamBackus. He later wrote another companion book called “Telling Each Other theTruth”. Both emphasize the importance of truth grounded in the Word of God. Itall begins with telling ourselves the truth as God defines it. Oh,my friend, when you know the truth—who is Jesus Christ—and when you live thattruth, it makes all the difference in the world. We will continue our study onlying tomorrow, because there are many powerful Scriptures that go along withthis subject. Until then, God bless you and may you have a wonderful day as youlive in the truth of God's Word. Godbless!

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness o... More...

Who Is the Holy Spirit? • Sunday Service Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give The Holy Spirit is not a vague influence or an optional topic in Christianity. He is God Himself—personal, powerful, and present. Many believers struggle to understand who the Spirit is, yet He is the One who makes Christ real in us. Without Him, our faith becomes mechanical and powerless; with Him, it becomes alive and victorious. Let's look at 10 truths about who the Holy Spirit is, with Scripture and clear explanation. 1. The Holy Spirit Is God  Acts 5:3–4 (NKJV): But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 2. The Holy Spirit Is a Person Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV): And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 3. The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper John 14:26 (NKJV): But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 4. The Holy Spirit Is the Spirit of Truth John 16:13 (NKJV): However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 5. The Holy Spirit Is the Empowerer Acts 1:8 (NKJV): But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 6. The Holy Spirit Is the Sanctifier  (NKJV): …that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 7. The Holy Spirit Is the Teacher 1 Corinthians 2:13 (NKJV): These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 8. The Holy Spirit Is the Giver of Gifts 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 (NKJV): But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 9. The Holy Spirit Is the Spirit of Adoption Romans 8:15–16 (NKJV): For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. 10. The Holy Spirit Is the Spirit of Revival Joel 2:28 (NKJV): “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” The Holy Spirit is God Himself—personal, present, and powerful. He comforts, teaches, empowers, sanctifies, and equips us. He makes the Christian life not just possible but victorious. As Galatians 5:25 (NKJV) says: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” To know the Spirit is to know God. To walk with the Spirit is to walk in step with heaven. CCLI: 21943673

Send us a textStrong Women Strong WorldPriscilla | Part 7Senior Pastor Keith StewartAugust 10, 2025She's a teacher, leader and a valued coworker of the Apostle Paul. She is also the second most mentioned person in the writings of Paul (only Timothy has more mentions). Yet very few Christians know her story or why she matters. This Sunday, our series on strong women brings us to Priscilla____________Discussion Questions 1. Priscilla and Aquila were a couple who served God together and worked alongside each other in the tent making business. If you're married, how well would that arrangement work out between you and your spouse? Are there ways you presently serve God together? What is that like?2. Working regular jobs as tentmakers did not interfere with the calling of God on the Apostle Paul's life or that of Priscilla and Aquila. Yet so many today often view their work as unspiritual and an impediment to doing the work of God. How do we change the way we see our jobs and do our jobs so that it fits better with the plan of God for our life? How do I turn even the most mundane tasks into something meaningful for God? 3. It's obvious, based on how Luke inverts the names of this couple whenever they're mentioned in a ministry context, that Priscilla is the one who leads the way and is operating in her primary gifting. How do you respond when your spouse's gift outshines your own? What qualities would you expect to see in Aquila that allowed him to support his wife in her spiritual gifting?  4. Priscilla's example of teaching the gifted Apollos is one of the best repudiations of the idea that what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 14.34-35 and 1 Timothy 2.12 was an attempt to silence women and forbid them a role in teaching men (If you haven't listened to the first message in this series, it's imperative that you do so). Furthermore, that the churches in Corinth and Ephesus (where the Timothy passage is addressed) both started in Priscilla and Aquila's home, is another major hurdle in making these verses say women can't teach. Why is the example of Priscilla ignored? Glossed over? Or distorted? What did you learn today about Priscilla that stood out to you most? How does her example encourage you? 5. There is no question that Priscilla and Aquila were foundational in the establishment of the church especially among the Gentiles. Paul said so himself. They were a key presence in three of the churches that were most instrumental in spreading the gospel message. We'd love to know more than what we do about their lives and influence. But most of the work this couple did was out of the limelight and without extensive records. How content are you to serve in relative anonymity as Priscilla and Aquila did? What are you doing with your life right now that will outlast this life? 

We all love to tell the story of Jesus' birth. We love the vulnerability behind God's choice of Mary, the young woman who was engaged to Joseph to be Jesus' mother. We love the humility of his being born in a stable because there was no room at the inn. We love the magnificence of the angel announcing his birth to shepherds and then having the heavenly host of angels praising and glorifying God. We love the reverential sobriety of the wise men coming with gifts for the small child, Jesus. Some of the things we don't focus as much attention on are how God used specific individuals surrounding all of these events to speak in a prophetic way and outline in great detail what this series of incredible experiences would mean. Today we pause and consider the words of Zacharias and Elizabeth who were the parents of John the Baptist, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Simeon the prophet and Anna the prophetess. Zacharias Let's begin with Zacharias, the Jewish priest who, because of his initial doubt, was struck mute by the angel Gabriel until the birth of his son John. This silence became a period of reflection, enabling him to connect Old Testament prophecies with Gabriel's announcement. At John's circumcision, Zacharias was again able to speak. He prophesied about both John's role as forerunner and Jesus as the "horn of salvation." His prophecy was powerfully based upon the words and promises of the Old Testament. Elizabeth and Mary His middle aged and childless wife, Elizabeth, rejoiced at God's mercy in giving her a son. Filled with the spirit, she recognized Mary's child as her Lord and humbly celebrated Mary's blessing. Mary herself responded with faith and praise, further echoing Old Testament themes of God's mercy, strength and justice. Simeon After Jesus' birth, Simeon, an aged and devout man who had been promised he would see the Messiah before death, prophesied about Jesus as salvation for both Israel and the Gentiles. Again, Old Testament prophecies were clearly linked to the work that Jesus would later accomplish. Anna Anna, an elderly prophetess, added her testimony, giving thanks and speaking of redemption to those awaiting Jerusalem's deliverance. Together, these accounts show God's spirit orchestrating events and inspiring faithful individuals to proclaim truths that connected Old Testament promises with New Testament fulfillment. Their obedience, humility and prophetic insight highlight the broader plan of redemption for all, unfolding through Jesus' birth.

Reading through Luke 2:1-38, we see both God's provision as well as his restraint in the events surrounding the birth of the Messiah. Instead of cluing in the elite and powerful, he worked through shepherds and the elderly to confirm Jesus's destiny to Joseph and Mary. God delights to work with the ordinary to do the extraordinary! Luke 2:1-5 Mary had learned that her child would not be an ordinary boy, he would sit on the throne of David (Luke 1:30-33). Nevertheless, she had to follow the laws of the land, which included traveling while pregnant to be counted in the census. Luke 2:6-7 Ancient houses typically had a space for animals on the first floor. A “manger” is a feeding trough. These were not ideal circumstances from a health and sanitation perspective, yet everything went well. Luke 2:8-12 These shepherds were probably bored watching their flock by night. Seeing an angel and hearing him announce the birth of the Messiah must have been quite the shock! Luke 2:13-14 I get the impression that the angels were bursting with joy at the baby announcement. Rather than keeping it a secret (Luke 9:20-21), they blasted out the good news that the Messiah had been born. Luke 2:15-20 After they found Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in Bethlehem, they recounted what happened, which must have affirmed Joseph and Mary's confidence that this baby really was who they thought he was. Luke 2:21-24 Joseph and Mary followed the commandments of the Torah, including circumcising the child on the eighth day (Lev 12:3), offering the sacrifice for purification on the 40th day (Lev 12:6-8), and paying the redemption fee for a firstborn son (Exod 13:13-15; Num 3:47). Luke 2:25-38 Simeon and Anna confirmed, once again, that this baby was special. He would bring a light to the Gentiles and glory to Israel. Pastor Sean uses the Bible version NRSVUEThe post What Child is This? first appeared on Living Hope.

Daily Dose of Hope December 22, 2025   Scripture - Acts 21:27-40   Prayer:  Dear God, We come to you today with sorrow.  We know that we are sinful and broken.  We know that we have fallen short.  We have been disobedient as individuals and as a church.  Lord, please forgive us and show us your better way.  How we need you.  We are lost without you and our behavior so often speaks to that.  Help us seek holiness.  Help us love others the way you love them.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, please help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...  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.  We have been on a journey, reading through the Gospels and the book of Acts.  Today, we finish with Acts 21.   It doesn't take long before people see Paul and get worked up.  Some Asian Jews, who saw Paul at the Temple, accuse him of bringing a Greek in the Temple (not true) and teaching people to not follow the law (again not true).  Who were these Asian Jews?  They were most likely from the province of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and quite possibly from Ephesus.  They could very well have remembered Paul from his extended stay in Ephesus and the various conflicts that arose.   It doesn't take long for a few rabble rousers to work up a riot.  Paul finds himself in the middle of it, being beaten by a mob.  When the Roman soldiers hear about the riot, they rush to figure out what's going on.  What's interesting is that they also make assumptions about Paul and have been bound, to be thrown in the barracks.  It seems no one really cares much for finding the truth.    The main charge brought against Paul was that he brought a Gentile into the Temple. This would be a serious offense. The Jews did not allow women or Gentiles into the central courts of the Temple, believing them to be unclean. Although the Law did not specifically forbid Gentiles from going into the Temple courts, by the first century, Herod the Great had expanded the Temple courts so that there was a large area where everyone was welcome, the Court of the Gentiles.    Despite the fact that the charge is false, no one comes to Paul's defense.  None of the Jewish believers, who must have seen the whole thing, say a word.  While this was out of fear, for sure, it is still surprising.  Silence, as we know, always empowers wrongdoers.   Let's talk about silence for a moment.  There is good silence, like being silent before the Lord, and then there is bad silence, like not standing up for what is right.  Bullies exist because the majority stays silent.  Martin Luther King, Jr., famously said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends," emphasizing that friends' lack of support is deeply painful and is what enables injustice.  Unfortunately, we have seen this over centuries in the church.  We saw it with Jesus and the disciples.  We see it in the early church.  We saw it during the persecutions of the first several centuries and through many wars.  How many Christians stood in fear and watched the Nazis murder millions of helpless Jews?  How many Christians have been silent in the face of slavery, racism, and gross injustice across our own nation?   What are the main forces of injustice in our world right now?  Where has the church stood up and done the right thing and where have we been silent?  What about you?   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

What if God's law moved from stone tablets to your heart? We walk through the end of Hebrews chapter 8 and venture into the beginning of chapter 9 to show why Jesus is the better priest who brings a better covenant with better promises—and why that changes everything about how we know God, obey, and worship. We unpack Jeremiah chapter 31's promise of an inner work of the Spirit, explore how the covenant speaks to Israel while blessing the nations, and clarify a key tension: the Mosaic Law is obsolete, yet God's moral will is fulfilled in us through the law of Christ.From there, we step into the tabernacle. Picture the outer court, the holy place, and the Holy of Holies sealed by a veil. Only the high priest entered once a year with blood for the mercy seat. Every detail shouted distance. Then the cross tore the veil. Jesus, our great High Priest, presented His own blood, opened a living way into God's presence, and continues interceding for us. The smoke of incense that once hovered before the curtain now imagery-richly belongs inside, because our Advocate is already there.This conversation connects theology to hope and practice. If the Spirit writes God's ways on our hearts, obedience grows from desire, not fear. If the law of Christ guides us, we live led by the Spirit rather than by ritual. If access is open, we come boldly to the throne of grace. Along the way, we address Israel and The Body of Christ [The Messiah], the promise of future belief, and how Gentiles share in covenant blessings without erasing the text's plain meaning. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Hebrews, and leave a review telling us: what part of the new covenant gives you the most confidence today?Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Philippians 4:8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things arelovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and ifthere be any praise, think on these things. Todaywe are looking at Ephesians 4:20–24. In these verses, Paul is speaking aboutputting off the old man and putting on the new man. He encourages us not towalk as the Gentiles—or the lost world—walks around us, but to live a new life,a different life, a life that reflects the glory of God in our speech, ourattitudes, and in everything we say and do. These verses are so important thatI feel we need to pause here for another day, especially verse 23, where Paultells us how we can live this kind of life daily, moment by moment. That versesays we are to “be renewed in the spirit of our mind”. We talked aboutthis yesterday, but today I want to make it more practical. AsI considered this verse, my thoughts went to Philippians 4. Paul says in verse4, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Then he adds,“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” He goeson to say that we are not to worry, fret, or be anxious about anything.Instead, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made known unto God.” Paul then gives this promise: “Andthe peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts andminds through Christ Jesus.” Thatpassage takes me back to Isaiah 26:3, which says, “Thou wilt keep him inperfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”Then verse 4 says, “Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in YAH, the LORD iseverlasting strength.”  When yourmind is stayed on the Lord, it means that you remember who Yahweh Jehovahis—the personal God who loves you, cares for you, and keeps His promises. Whenyou know that, you have His everlasting strength to face whatever comes yourway in life. Nowlet's return to Philippians 4:8 where Paul continues by saying, "think on these things.” He then adds in verse 9, “Thosethings, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me,do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Thatis exactly what we need in our lives today. Instead of worry, fretting, fear,and dwelling on things we should not be thinking about, we are to think on theright things so that we will live the right way. Let me say it this way: whenyou are thinking what you should be thinking, you cannot be thinking what youshould not be thinking. That is why Paul says, “Think on these things.”Thinking is a choice we make every day. Remember this simple principle: garbagein, garbage out. What are you spending time taking into your mind? What are youwatching on TV, social media, YouTube? What are you reading on Facebook, innovels? What are you listening to on the radio or from friends? Are youattending church faithfully? Are you spending time in the Word of God? Weare about to finish one year and begin another, and I want to encourage you tocommit yourself by God's grace to daily Bible reading. Make time to read theScriptures. Consider reading through the entire Bible at least once in 2026.Meditate on what you read. Think about it. Perhaps memorize one verse eachweek. By the end of the year, you will have fifty-two verses hidden in yourheart. Listento godly music. Listen to biblical teaching as you travel, rather than allowingyour mind to wander toward everything that is wrong, discouraging, or painful,or toward people who have hurt you in the past. Paul tells us to think on thesethings—the truths of God's Word and the person of Jesus Christ. When we yieldourselves in obedience to the Word of God, and we are filled and guided by theHoly Spirit, He helps us think rightly and live faithfully. And you will be “renewedin the spirit of your mind”. (Read Romans 8:1-16).

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251221dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-6 Family Matters For many people, these are days of preparation and travel to be with family for Christmas. Most will describe this as an essential and very enjoyable part of the Christmas celebration. Similarly, the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem was a family matter. His parents had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because “they were of the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4). In the very town that hundreds of years earlier David was anointed the king of Israel, came the one who would fulfill that promise. Jesus had a family. The apostle Paul wrote, “As to his human nature (he) was a descendant of David.” He “became flesh” (John 1:14). He became true man so he could live and experience life like one of us. He also “through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4). Jesus wasn’t just another human member of David's family tree; he is God himself. The result? We also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We have another family to celebrate with this Christmas—all those who realized their need for a Savior, and in whose hearts God’s Spirit has worked a conviction that Jesus is their Savior and Lord. While we enjoy time with our families this Christmas, may we also rejoice that we can trace our spiritual roots back to the Babe of Bethlehem and celebrate with the family of believers our joy in Jesus, who came into this world to be our Savior. Prayer: Dear Jesus, bless my Christmas worship this year and my time together with family as we come together to celebrate your birth. Fill me with the awe of your miraculous birth and the joy that comes from believing that you are my God and Savior. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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.

The magi, Gentile seekers from the east, remind us that God draws people from every background to Himself. As they searched for the newborn King, they discovered that human wisdom can lead us to the wrong places, but God's guidance never fails. When they finally encountered Him, their worship overflowed as they offered gold for His position, frankincense for His priesthood, and myrrh for His purpose. Their journey invites us to seek Jesus wholeheartedly and respond with worship when we find Him.

John 12:35–50,So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”One reason this season is the most wonderful time of the year is because it's the end of the year — and that means it's an opportunity to look back and reflect on what the year was like — What are some favorite memories of the year? What are some key themes of the year that stand out? What kind of music did I listen to the most? (I didn't ask that question, but my phone told me anyway).This is the time of year when we're in a review mindset, and that fits very nicely with where we are in the Gospel of John. Because here at the end of Chapter 12, it marks the end of Jesus's public ministry — and John, the Gospel writer, has a review mindset. Just to get our bearings again on this Gospel as a whole, there are two main parts:Part One is Chapters 1-12, which is Jesus's public ministry.Part Two is Chapters 13-20, which is Jesus's private ministry focused on his disciples.Part One has been called the Book of Signs, Part Two has been called the Book of Glory. And it's worked out for us that Part One has been our sermon series in 2025 (and Part Two, God willing, will be 2026).And so here at the end of Part One, it would make sense to look back and reflect on what we've seen this year — and John actually does that for us. In today's passage, John highlights three themes we've seen so far in this Gospel, and the plan for the sermon is to unpack each one and then ask What does it mean for us? It's one thing to understand what John is saying — we start there — but then we need to know what difference it makes in our lives. That's where we're headed. Here's the first theme. It is …1. The Problem of Unbelief (verses 37–41)We see this right away in verse 37. John says,“Though he [Jesus] had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him …”You can hear the summary tone in how John says it. Even after all this time, after all these miracles, after all his teaching, still the people did not believe Jesus. That (unfortunately) is consistent with what we've seen since the beginning of this Gospel. Remember how John started back in Chapter 1, verse 10: [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.And that idea just gets repeated:3:19, “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light …”6:36, Jesus says, “you have seen me and yet do not believe.”7:5, “not even his brothers believed in him.”10:25, the Jews said to him, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe…”So yeah, this unbelief is a big deal. It's been a problem from the start, and even after 12 chapters (after this whole year!), the people still don't believe. But now John is going to explain why: He takes us behind the scenes theologically and he tells us that the people's unbelief is in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Bringing in IsaiahJohn shows us this by quoting two different passages from the Book of Isaiah — and we could spend so much time on this because it's so good — but I just wanna show you two things:The first is in verse 38. Everybody find verse 38. And help me out: when you find verse 38, look at the indented quote that starts with the word “Lord.” So everybody: verse 38, the word “Lord” — if you see it, say got it. The quote says:“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”This is Isaiah 53, verse 1, and it's from the famous passage about the Suffering Servant. The context of that passage is that God has exalted his Suffering Servant and the nations are astonished by him, but the people of Israel reject him. Isaiah is saying the message has been announced, the signs have been seen, but still, Israel does not believe. In other words, Isaiah is saying the same thing John is trying to say! — and so John connects the dots: The unbelief we see in response to Jesus in his public ministry is the unbelief that Isaiah prophesied. That's the first thing to see here.Here's the second … It comes in verse 41, but track with me for a minute …John says, verse 39, in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:1, “Therefore they could not believe.” And then he quotes Isaiah again, this time from Isaiah Chapter 6 about God blinding the eyes of unbelievers and hardening their hearts. That's verse 40.But now look what John says in verse 41. And this is one you're gonna wanna see. Everybody find verse 41. Chapter 12, verse 41 — if you see it, say Got it.Isaiah said these things [what things? It's the things of Isaiah 6 that John just quoted!] because he saw his glory and spoke of him [Isaiah saw whose glory? Who did Isaiah speak of? — John is clear: it's Jesus].Seeing the King!And if you know Isaiah 6, we can never read that passage the same way again! Isaiah 6 is the famous vision Isaiah had in the year King Uzziah died. Isaiah describes it:I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple. And right away this vision includes a throne and a temple — which is interesting because the throne is the place of a king, and the temple is the place of a priest. So is this a vision of a priest-king? This is something!And the seraphim were there — these are wild-looking angelic creatures with six wings — and they called to one another (and maybe you've heard this before):Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!And the foundations shook at their voices when they called, and the whole place was filled with smoke. And Isaiah, seeing all this, was undone! He said: Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”And John says here that Isaiah was talking about Jesus. Isaiah saw Jesus — just like the people in this Gospel for 12 chapters have seen Jesus — but the difference is that Isaiah was changed, the people still refuse to believe just like God said they would. And what it means for us is this: just like there's no such thing as generic faith, there is no such thing as generic unbelief. If you persist in unbelief … if you continue to disbelieve … it means you are rejecting Jesus. It's personal to him …You are rejecting the one who has come to save you. You are rejecting the one who has come to show you God. And you have seen him — that's the point John stresses here.These unbelievers had seen Jesus — there are many unbelievers in our cities today who have heard the message of Jesus — and their unbelief is a rejection of him. That's the problem of unbelief.It's a theme in the first half of this Gospel.Here's the second theme:2. The Priority of Witness (verses 42–43)This is verse 42. Not every single person full-out rejected Jesus, because, verse 42:Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue …This is fascinating: these are people who ‘believed' in Jesus but did not confess him. Which means these people must've had some kind of mental agreement — the claims of Jesus were compelling to them, Jesus made sense to them, but they kept their stance on Jesus private.They didn't want others to know that they thought positively about Jesus, and the verdict of this kind of ‘faith' is that ultimately it's not real. It's not true faith.And that brings up something really important on the topic of faith: it's that true saving faith is always personal, but never private. True saving faith is personal as in you have to believe as an individual — your parents' faith doesn't count as yours, your spouses' faith doesn't count; you, each of you, have to believe) — true saving faith is personal.But true saving faith is never private. If it's real faith, you don't keep it to yourself. That's why the apostle Paul says, Romans 10, verse 9, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.See, faith in Jesus includes allegiance to Jesus, and allegiance doesn't remain hidden. This is one of the reasons Jesus gave us baptism!Baptism is a public witness to our faith in Jesus. It's a way for us to stake our flag in the ground and say, I'm with Jesus, whatever the social cost might be. And, historically, faith in Jesus has always included some kind of social cost. In the days of Jesus — and at the time that John wrote this Gospel — verse 42 says the threat was expulsion from synagogue. That was a cost for Jewish believers: If you were in with Jesus, you were kicked out of Jewish community. That was a real issue for Jewish converts in the early church. And there was a similar issue with Gentiles, because to say “Jesus is Lord” is to say that Caesar is not Lord — and that was a head-turning statement to make as a subject of the Roman Empire!So no matter how you shook it back in the day — it didn't matter who you were or where you were from — there was no way to truly believe in Jesus that did not involve a social cost, or at least risk. Now that's history, but it's also still the case today … In fact, true story …Social Pressure TodayI heard last week from a credible source that there has been an underground Bible study going on with a group of Somali Muslims and 12 of them have embraced the claims of Christ — which is amazing — however, currently, none of them are willing to make it public. Because could you imagine the cost? (This is real. And we should pray for these 12 individuals — that their faith would go all the way, not partial faith, but true saving faith in Jesus Christ.)True saving faith is not private, and it says Jesus is worth the cost.And we have to be careful here, because we can think that this cost is just out there and it doesn't really affect us. But that's not true. It doesn't matter if your context is Islam or Progressivism or Alt-Right politics, there is social pressure everywhere to not be all-in with Jesus.And it's in different ways and in different degrees, but you know it's there … in your workplace … at your school … on your team — And what's dangerous for us is that in many of our circles it's respectable to be okay with Jesus as long as we're not over the top. Like: being spiritual is good. Talking about your ‘faith' is fine. But don't be all about Jesus. Don't love him that much.That kind of pressure might be more subtle than the pressure of Islam, but the irony is that the dynamic is the same: it's allowing social pressure to dictate what we do with Jesus.And John tells us in verse 43 what the real issue is — it has to do with what you love the most. John says the reason these partial believers did not go all-in with Jesus is because, verse 43:“they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”And look, I don't know about you, but this gets my attention. I never want to do this. Never.But it makes me wonder if this disordered love that John is talking about is always part of failed witness. Like in those moments when we have opportunity to be public about our faith and we choose not to, do we choose not to because we love the glory of man more than the glory of God?What John is talking about is part of a universal human weakness — we care so much about what other people think.And that's one reason public witness is so important. Because it puts feet to our faith. It shows that we're not just here because our stomachs are full or because we're enamored by miracles, like the way we've seen people be in this Gospel. But we are truly all in with Jesus. We believe in Jesus, and we want people to know, whatever the cost. That's the priority of witness.Here's the third theme:3. The Purpose of Advent (verses 44–50)Now I'm not just saying this because it's Advent. Look at verse 44: And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.Jesus repeats that he has been sent — and of course, he is referring to his first Advent. He's talking about Christmas! That he came here — and what was its purpose? Why did Jesus come? He's very clear about it, verse 46: I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.That's clear enough, but Jesus really wants us to get this. So he tells us again, verse 47:If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.And that sounds a lot like what Jesus said in Chapter 3. Remember back in Chapter 3, verse 17, Jesus said plainly: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.There is no ambiguity in the first half of this Gospel. This is the purpose of Jesus's first Advent: Jesus came to save. The Miracle of ConversionAnd one of the reasons Jesus stresses so much that he came to save, not condemn, is because a lot of people end up condemned — and Jesus wants to explain why. Here's the reason: it's because they don't believe in him. In his first Advent, Jesus came to bring salvation, but judgment happens when people reject his salvation. Judgment is what people bring upon themselves by rejecting Jesus who came to save. And their unbelief is judgment already — the blinding and hardening that Isaiah talked about is God giving people over to what they want. This is how the theologian D. A. Carson puts it: God's judicial hardening is not the capricious manipulation of an arbitrary power that curses morally neutral or even morally pure beings, but it is the holy condemnation of a guilty people who are condemned to do and be what they themselves have chosen ( 448–449, abridged)Listen: If you don't want Jesus now, you don't get Jesus later.And that would have been every single one of us apart from the grace of God. Everyone of us who believes in Jesus has the same story if you go back far enough — it's the sovereign grace of God! He chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world and set his love on us, and in the fullness of time he sent Jesus to save us! But we're all born broken and bent away from God, and our only hope is if God does something about that. And he does. By his Spirit through our hearing the gospel, God brings dead hearts to life — we hear the announcement of who Jesus is and what he's done, and we believe. That's the miracle of conversion:Long my imprisoned spirit layFast bound in sin and nature's night;Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;My chains fell off, my heart was free;I rose, went forth and followed Thee.That is how Christians are made! Yes, God is at work. He's the one behind it, but what concerns us is what we do with the message of Jesus now.And that's what makes this passage so remarkable. One More InvitationVerse 44 — notice the first few words. John tells us, verse 44:“And Jesus cried out and said…”That might not seem like a big deal, but we need to compare it with how this passage started in verse 36. This is the end of last week's passage. Verse 36, Jesus said:“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” [Then John comments] When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.Jesus has been saying, I will not be here much longer, and while I'm here it's your chance to believe. And then he withdraws. He leaves. It's an exit. Verse 36 could be the end of Jesus's public ministry. It seems like it is!But in verse 44 Jesus comes back out. He shows back up to this crowd that's kept rejecting him, and he does it to make one more invitation. He cries out to give one more chance: I am here to save! Believe in me!Hey, I want you to know that I'm so thankful that Jesus is the kind of Savior who gives one more chance — second chances, third, fourth, fifth chances. It took a lot of chances for some of us, and I know it did for me. Look, my whole childhood was chances — chances to believe over and over again, and then one day, I did. I'm so glad Jesus didn't give up on me. Isn't it amazing that the last thing Jesus does to close out his public ministry is give that one more chance? To offer grace one more time. That seems to me like the best way to end the first half of this sermon series. …Maybe you're here and you've heard about Jesus a thousand times, here's one more invitation…Jesus Christ came to this world to save. That was the purpose of Advent. It's the purpose of Christmas. Jesus came to save, and everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Would you believe in him today? Just tell him:Jesus, I can't save myself and I'm tired of trying! You came to save me and I believe you!That's a prayer of faith, and that's the invitation for everyone, right now.And that brings us to the Table.The TableFor those of us who have trusted in Jesus, if you've put your faith in Jesus, this Table is a continued public witness each week that we belong to him. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are saying: We are united to Jesus Christ by faith, and we give him thanks!

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251221dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-6 Family Matters For many people, these are days of preparation and travel to be with family for Christmas. Most will describe this as an essential and very enjoyable part of the Christmas celebration. Similarly, the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem was a family matter. His parents had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because “they were of the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4). In the very town that hundreds of years earlier David was anointed the king of Israel, came the one who would fulfill that promise. Jesus had a family. The apostle Paul wrote, “As to his human nature (he) was a descendant of David.” He “became flesh” (John 1:14). He became true man so he could live and experience life like one of us. He also “through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4). Jesus wasn’t just another human member of David's family tree; he is God himself. The result? We also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We have another family to celebrate with this Christmas—all those who realized their need for a Savior, and in whose hearts God’s Spirit has worked a conviction that Jesus is their Savior and Lord. While we enjoy time with our families this Christmas, may we also rejoice that we can trace our spiritual roots back to the Babe of Bethlehem and celebrate with the family of believers our joy in Jesus, who came into this world to be our Savior. Prayer: Dear Jesus, bless my Christmas worship this year and my time together with family as we come together to celebrate your birth. Fill me with the awe of your miraculous birth and the joy that comes from believing that you are my God and Savior. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISAIAH 49:1-7 1 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor." 4 But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." 5 And now the LORD days - he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength - 6 he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." 7 This is what the LORD says - the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel - to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." NIV 84 LESSON NOTES Biblical Listening Means Obedient Listening When the Servant says, “Listen to me,” it is not an invitation to consider His words—it is a call to hear with the intent to obey. True listening to Jesus always leads to action, not mere admiration or reflection. God's Kingdom Advances Through Words, Not Weapons The Servant's mouth is described as a sharpened sword and a polished arrow. God does not establish His kingdom through force or power, but through truth, grace and the gospel penetrating hearts and transforming lives. The Servant Becomes What We Failed to Be The Servant is named “Israel” because He embodies everything Israel was meant to be. In the same way, Jesus becomes for us what we could never be on our own—righteous, faithful, and obedient. Faithfulness Matters More Than Fruitfulness Even the Servant experiences discouragement, opposition, and misunderstanding. Yet He entrusts the results to God. Our calling is not to produce results but to remain faithful and trust God with the fruit.  God's Salvation Is Too Big for One Nation Restoring Israel alone would be “too small a thing.” God's plan has always been global—salvation to the ends of the earth. Advent reminds us that Jesus did not come just for one people, but for all people. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. When you hear the words of Jesus, do you approach them as helpful guidance or as words to be obeyed? What makes obedience difficult in everyday life? 2. The Servant's words are described as powerful and penetrating. When have God's words challenged or changed your heart in a meaningful way? 3. Where in your life do you feel discouraged because you don't see results - parenting, ministry, work, relationships? What would it look like to focus on faithfulness and leave the outcome to God? 4. How does understanding that Jesus came to be what we could not be - instead of giving us another chance to "get it right" - change the way you view grace, salvation, and your relationship with God? 5. In what ways might your vision of God's work be "too small"? How can you participate - locally or globally - in God's mission to be a light to others?

What if Christmas wasn't about what we receive, but about what we offer? This exploration of Matthew 2:1-12 invites us to reconsider the story of the wise men through fresh eyes, revealing how their journey was actually centuries in the making. We discover that these wealthy, educated Gentile priests likely knew about the Jewish Messiah because of Daniel's faithful witness 600 years earlier, when he served as chief over the wise men of Babylon. Their knowledge wasn't accidental—it was the fruit of one man's legacy of faithfulness in enemy territory. The gifts they brought weren't random expensive items, but intentional declarations: gold proclaimed Jesus as King, frankincense declared His divinity as God, and myrrh announced Him as Love incarnate. We're challenged to consider what gifts we can bring to Jesus on His birthday—not material possessions we don't possess, but the surrender of our lives, the offering of our worship, and acts of mercy toward those in need. The message is clear: whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Him. This Christmas, we have the opportunity to move beyond cultural excess and truly honor the One whose birth changed everything.

“Jesus Christ Our Lord”Romans 1:1-7Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

Peace, justice, renewal, reconciliation, and redemptionthese are the things we all long for. From the beginning of human history, every generation has desired Eden. We long for a world where everything is as it should be: where God dwells with His people, where sin and death no longer reign, where justice and peace finally embrace. Yet life east of Eden often feels far more like wandering in the wilderness than living in paradise. Scripture reminds us that we were not only made for Eden, but for something greater than the first Edena redeemed world where God dwells with His people forever. If you read the Bible as one unified story, you quickly discover that this longing for Eden never disappears. After the death of Solomon and the division of Davids kingdom, Gods people endured centuries of instability, exile, and oppression. Kingdoms fell apart, kings failed, and the land itself was lost. Yet through it all, God preserved a single, persistent promise: redemption would come through a childa king, a deliverer, a son. From the serpent-crushing offspring promised in Genesis 3, to the blessing pledged to Abraham, to the scepter of Judah, to the covenant God made with David, and finally to Isaiahs promise of a virgin-born son, God repeated His word again and again: salvation was coming. The Deliverer would crush the head of the dragon. Into the darkness of Galilee and the nations, a great light would shine. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:67) Thenastonishinglyfor four hundred years, heaven was silent. Imagine being born, living, and dying without hearing a prophetic word from God, yet clinging to promises handed down from your fathers and grandfathers. Empires rose and fellGreek, then Romanuntil a paranoid ruler named Herod sat on the throne of Judah. The world looked anything but ready for redemption. And it was precisely then that God spoke againnot to a king, not to a priest, but to a young girl in an obscure town. The Promise We Can Trust Mary was likely between fourteen and sixteen years old. Joseph was a carpenterfaithful, quiet, and largely unnoticed. They were not influential, powerful, or impressive by worldly standards. Yet God chose them. This should not surprise us. Throughout Scripture, God delights in working through obscurity. He does not wait for ideal circumstances or impressive rsums. He chooses ordinary people who trust Him. Obscurity is not a barrier to obedience, and faithfulness in small, unseen places is often where God begins His greatest work. When Mary was told she would conceive by the Holy Spirit, her response was an honest question:How will this be, since I am a virgin?This is in contrast to Zechariahs response after the angel Gabriel revealed to him that he and his wife, Elizabeth would have a son in their old age who would prepare the way of the promised Deliverer. Here is what Zechariah said: How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years. (Luke 1:18-20). While Zechariah struggled to believe, Marys response was not unbelief; it was faith seeking understanding. Mary does not say, That cannot be, but How will this be? Biblical faith does not silence questionsit submits them to God. There is a world of difference between humble inquiry and hardened disbelief. Joseph, however, initially responded with disbelief. As a righteous man, he planned to divorce Mary quietly, sparing her public shame. But God intervened. Once Joseph understood that God was at work, he obeyed. He moved when God told him to move. He fled when danger came. He returned when it was safe. History remembers Herod as powerful; God remembers Joseph as faithful. Joseph is often treated as a footnote in Jesus story, but do not assume that there was not cost for him in following the will of God for his life. Think about the cost to his reputation, consider the courage he demonstrated from the news of Marys pregnancy throughout Jesus childhood years. There is a lesson to be learned through Josephs life in what faithfulness, fatherhood, and true masculinity really looks like. The gospel did not make Mary and Josephs lives easierit made them riskier. Gods promises often disrupt our plans. Obedience may cost comfort, reputation, and control, but it always leads us into Gods purposes. The Promise that Secures Our Good Gabriel proclaims five astonishing truths about Marys childeach one unveiling a facet of Christs unparalleled glory and majesty. First, His name will be Jesus (v. 31).JesusJoshuameans Savior and Deliverer. Before Gabriel speaks of crowns or kingdoms, he speaks of salvation. Jesus would exercise His kingship not by domination, but by deliverance. He did not come primarily to improve circumstances, but to rescue sinners. This is the heart of the gospel: a Savior before a Sovereign, mercy before majesty. Jesus will be great (v. 32).Gabriel offers no explanationonly a proclamation. Scripture later fills in the meaning. Jesus is Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Lord. He is the image of the invisible God, the One through whom all things were made and in whom all things hold together! Consider Colossians 1:15-20, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. He is the radiance of Gods glory, the exact imprint of His nature, who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Heb. 1:14). Words ultimately fail to capture His greatness. Gabriel simply declares it:He will be great.Jesus eternally existed within the fellowship of the Trinity, entered human history, clothed Himself in flesh, lived among us, died on a Roman cross for our sins, and rose on the third day. This is not a small Savior. This is a great one. Jesus will be called Son of the Most High (v. 32b). This does not mean Jesus was created or that He is merely another son of God like the angels. Gabriel is proclaiming something far deeper: Jesus is uniquely Gods Sonthe eternal Word, begotten not made, sharing fully in the divine nature from all eternity. When the Father spoke creation into existence, it was by Jesus and through Jesus that all things were created! Jesus is, before all things, and in Him all things hold together. It is the Son, who emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men...humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Phil. 2:7-8). The demons grasped with chilling clarity the truth that many humans do not. Consider their desperate plea in Luke 8:28: What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most Hight God? I beg You, do not torment me! Even the forces of darkness recognized that Jesus, as the Son of the Most High, possessed absolute authority and power over themHe alone holds the right to command, conquer, and torment the hosts of Satan. The spiritual realm itself trembles before His greatness. Jesus will inherit the throne of David (v. 32c). It is only fitting that Jesuswho is Savior, who is great, and who is the Son of the Most Highshould sit on the throne of David. Mary and Joseph were descendants of David, but this child would not merely restore an earthly kingdom. Jesus would reign over the nations as King. Isaiah foresaw this when he wrote, In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoplesof him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious(Isa. 11:10). When Simeon later held the infant Jesus in the temple, he declared that his eyes had seen Gods salvationa light for the Gentiles and glory for Israel. Yet Simeon also warned Mary that this child would be opposed and that a sword would pierce her own soul: Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be opposedand a sword will pierce your own soulto the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:34-35). Redemption would come, but not without suffering. Glory would be preceded by rejection and the cross. The Son would be despised, rejected, struck down, and afflicted for our sins through a cross, and it would be on the cross that the Son would be crushed by the Father (see Isa. 53:3-10). Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever (v. 33) Finally, Gabriel assured Mary that Jesus would not only inherit Davids throne, but that His reign would be everlasting. He would rule over Israel for all eternitythe ultimate and final King whose kingdom would never end. Yet His rule would not be confined to the twelve tribes of Israel. Like a mustard seed that grows into a great tree, His kingdom would expand to encompass the whole world, welcoming people from every nation. It is to this Jesus that all the nations will one day bow, for He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, just as the Scriptures declare:For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father(Phil. 2:911). The Promise that Will Not Fail Mary and Joseph were not sinless or perfect parents. They struggled as we do. Yet they were entrusted with the greatest news the world had ever received: salvation had come in the form of a child growing in Marys womb. One wonders whether, as Mary felt His small hands and feet and Joseph gazed at Him in awe, they ever reflected on Ezekiels promise that Davids servant would be king forever and that God would dwell among His people (see Ezek. 37:24-28). Their lives teach us four enduring lessons. 1) The Good News moved them to action. 2) They guarded what God entrusted to them. 3) They treasured the gift they received. 4) And they were faithful stewards, willing to step back and let Jesus be who He was sent to be. As Christians who have received the gospel, we too have been entrusted with this Good News. The question this story presses upon us is simple and searching:What will we do with the Good News we have received?Will it move us to action? Will we guard it as precious? Will we treasure it as the greatest news we have ever heard? And will we steward it faithfully, giving it away as ambassadors of the King of kings and Lord of lords? When Herod sought to kill Jesus, Joseph took his family to Egypt just as he was told to do to protect Mary and Jesus. Josephs obedience cost him something. Most of us will never be called to flee to Egypt, but we will be called to trust God when obedience costs us something! When Mary received the news that she was to be the mother of the promised Deliverer and Son of God, her response is simple and yet profound: I am the Lords bond-servant, may it be done to me according to your word (1:38). For centuries before Gabriel visited Mary, Gods people waitedthrough exile, through silence, through sufferingclinging to promises they could not yet see fulfilled. And then, in the fullness of time, God spoke again. Not with thunder, not from a palace, but through an angel sent to a young girl in an obscure town. The first coming of Jesus tells us something vital about the way God works. He does not bypass weakness; He enters it. He does not avoid suffering; He redeems it. He does not wait for the world to be ready; He comes to save it. The King arrived not with armies, but in a womb. The Savior came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. The child promised to Mary is the King who now reigns. The Savior who came in humility will come again in glory. The Jesus who was laid in a manger will one day return as Judge and King, and His kingdom will have no end. So we live now in the in-between. We wait as a people who know the promise is true, even when the world still feels broken. We wait with hope, not because circumstances are easy, but because Christ has comeand because Christ will come again. As you wait with hope, what kind of bond-servant will you be? What kind of bond-servant is Jesus calling you to be?What does faithfulness look like for you in 2026?

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251221dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-6 Family Matters For many people, these are days of preparation and travel to be with family for Christmas. Most will describe this as an essential and very enjoyable part of the Christmas celebration. Similarly, the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem was a family matter. His parents had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because “they were of the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4). In the very town that hundreds of years earlier David was anointed the king of Israel, came the one who would fulfill that promise. Jesus had a family. The apostle Paul wrote, “As to his human nature (he) was a descendant of David.” He “became flesh” (John 1:14). He became true man so he could live and experience life like one of us. He also “through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4). Jesus wasn’t just another human member of David's family tree; he is God himself. The result? We also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We have another family to celebrate with this Christmas—all those who realized their need for a Savior, and in whose hearts God’s Spirit has worked a conviction that Jesus is their Savior and Lord. While we enjoy time with our families this Christmas, may we also rejoice that we can trace our spiritual roots back to the Babe of Bethlehem and celebrate with the family of believers our joy in Jesus, who came into this world to be our Savior. Prayer: Dear Jesus, bless my Christmas worship this year and my time together with family as we come together to celebrate your birth. Fill me with the awe of your miraculous birth and the joy that comes from believing that you are my God and Savior. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

(This podcast was previously published on February 13, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   Jesus died for our sins.   But after we are enlightened by the Spirit of God to a sin, if we turn away from the truth from God and return to that sin, there is no more sacrifice for that sin.   Hebrews 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,   So if you were a drunkard and then born again and have been freed from being a drunkard and you are enlightened by God to drunkenness being a sin, if you fall away from the truth concerning this sin and return to being a drunkard, there is no more sacrifice for sins.   Jesus was crucified once for our sins.  To return to those sins after we have been enlightened by God to that sin would be to crucify Jesus afresh.   Hebrews 6:4-8   For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put HIM to an open shame.   7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:   8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.   The apostle Peter says it would have been  better if a person had never been enlightened to the truth of God rather than to turn away from that truth and return to old sins.   II Peter 2:20-21  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.   21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.   Jesus says:   Revelation 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.   After we are born again, to return to our old sins has dire consequences.   *****   Hebrews 10 warns us to exhort one another and even more as we see the day of the Lord approaching to help that brother in Christ to abstain from his past sins and keep from being swept away from the church in the last days.   Hebrews 10   23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for HE is faithful that promised;)   24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:   25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.   26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,   27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.   28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:   29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?   30 For we know HIM that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto ME, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge HIS people.   31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.   ***   II Peter 2   1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.   2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.   3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.   4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;   5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;   6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;   7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:   8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)   9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:   10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.   11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.   12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;   13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;   14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:   15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;   16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.   17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.   18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.   19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.   20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.   21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.   22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.   ***   The man who was our Bible teacher when I attended Word of Faith was secretly having sex with women outside of marriage.  This man was going to bars and women would proposition him and he would also "chase" women for sex.   None of us in our Bible class knew this was going on.   But a woman who owned a coffee shop mentioned his name to me.  I revealed to her that he was my Bible teacher at the church I attended.  She said to me, "Oh.  He is such a terrible influence on my boyfriend."   I was terribly shocked.  Here was a worldly woman telling me that our Bible teacher was a terrible influence for her boyfriend!   Then she mentioned his girlfriend.   None of us knew he had a girlfriend.  He was living a life at church and a life in private.   This is terrible.  We have one life and that is a life in Christ.  And we live openly and honestly before all.   I went to this man and asked him about this "girlfriend".  He tried to be evasive.   I then point blank said to him, "Are you having sex with this woman?"   He replied, "Of course."   I said, "You know the Bible as well as I do.  I can have no more to do with you."   He replied, "That's right."   I could no longer attend his Bible classes.   Is there any hope at all for this man?  He was definitely enlightened to the truth of God concerning fornication.   There is one possible way for him.   Paul said:   I Corinthians 5   1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.   2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.   3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,   4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,   5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.   I did learn later that this man who had been our Bible teacher could no longer have sexual intercourse.  I assumed his flesh had been destroyed by Satan.  That gives me hope for the salvation of his spirit in the day of the Lord.  

Todaywe are continuing our study in Ephesians chapter 4, focusing specifically onverses 22 through 24. The Apostle Paul has been explaining that because we nowhave a new position in Christ as believers, we should no longer walk the way weonce did—or the way the Gentiles around us walk. In other words, the worldwalks one way, but we are called to walk differently. As believers in Christ,we should live differently, speak differently, and have a different attitude.Why? Because we are now in Christ. Paulexplains it this way in verse 22: We are to put off our former conduct—the oldman—which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts. Then, in verse 23, we areto be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Finally, in verse 24, we are to puton the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness andholiness. Whatdoes this mean? To put off the old man means that, as believers, weintentionally reject the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. The old self iscorrupted by deceitful desires, as Paul describes here in Ephesians. This isnot merely about changing bad habits; it is about our core identity beforeChrist. Prior to salvation, we were enslaved to sin. InColossians 3:1–11, Paul gives specific examples of the old life—immorality,greed, anger, and lying. These practices once defined us, but they lead tospiritual death and bring about God's wrath. Spiritually speaking, putting offthe old man is like taking off filthy clothes after a long, grimy day. It is adecisive act of faith. When we trusted Christ, our old self was crucified withHim. Paul teaches this clearly in Romans chapter 6. We do not reform the oldman—we put him off, because in God's eyes he is already dead. This truth bringsreal freedom as we choose righteousness. I encourage you to read Romans 6,because it reminds us that we are no longer enslaved to sin. We are now free tolive a righteous life as followers of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:11-18). Conversely,when we put off the old man, we are also called to put on the new man. Thismeans we actively embrace our new identity in Christ. The new self is createdin Christ's likeness and is renewed in mind, spirit, and life. Ephesians tellsus this new man is characterized by true righteousness and holiness. The bookof Colossians adds that this new self is renewed in the image of our Creator,where divisions such as race, background, or status fade away—because Christ isall and in all. As Paul says, “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christis all and in all.” (Colossians 3:9-11). Spiritually,putting off the old man is like taking off dirty clothes, and putting on thenew man is like being clothed with something entirely new. We do thisconsciously—daily, even moment by moment—remembering that Christ is our lifeand our all in all. When we practice this as we should, it becomes a lifestyleof godliness. As Brother Lawrence spoke of practicing the presence of God, wemight also say we are practicing holiness—choosing Christ over the flesh, overthe old ways. We choose to read the Word of God, to follow Him, to love Him, tolive for Him, and to witness for Him. Oh,my friend, when this becomes our reality, we are truly free—free to do what weought to do: to love the Lord and to live a life of holiness and righteousnessbefore Him. That is exactly what Paul is teaching us here: put off the old man,put on the new man, and live in freedom for the glory of God. MayGod bless you as you dedicate and consecrate your life to Him. As Romans 12:1–2reminds us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by therenewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable andperfect will of God.” Godbless!

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:22–35 - And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord [23] (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) [24] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” [25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. [26] And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. [27] And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, [28] he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, [29] “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; [30] for my eyes have seen your salvation [31] that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, [32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” [33] And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. [34] And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed [35] (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

Paul preaches in Antioch to the joy of the Gentiles but to the wrath of the Jewish rulers. Persecution increases, so Paul and Barnabas move on to Iconium. Persecution follows, but the gospel continues to bear fruit. Have a listen. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education  What's New from 1517: Coming Home for Christmas: 1517 Advent Devotional Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird Remembering Your Baptism: A 40-Day Devotional by Kathryn Morales Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug More from the hosts: Daniel Emery Price Erick Sorenson

The God we serve is a gift-giver. He loves to give gifts to His children, but not just any gifts. He always gives good gifts. He will never give you a gift you don't need and can't use.  In fact, he knows what we need better than we do.Main Points:1. In Several places in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is called a gift.  To be filled with the presence and power of God is an incredible gift.  2. I've seen people be hesitant and even afraid of the Holy Spirit. Let's trust the character of our good Heavenly Father. He knows what we need and has wonderful gifts to give us, including the gift of the Holy Spirit.3. The Spirit is given to empower believers to be a witness for Christ. The task of evangelism we are called to cannot be accomplished in our strength alone. We need a power greater than our own. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. Today's Scripture Verses:James 1:17 - “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”Acts 2:38 - “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”Acts 10:45 - “And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.”Joel 2:28-29 - “ I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

The sermon centers on the necessity of maintaining a Christ-centered identity and spiritual vigilance amid escalating spiritual warfare, emphasizing that victory over darkness comes not through fear or obsession with evil, but through abiding in Jesus Christ, the Lord of Light. It critiques both paranoid overemphasis on demonic oppression and complacent cultural accommodation, calling believers to a balanced, biblically grounded eschatology rooted in Christ's finished work at the cross and the ongoing, proactive mission of the Church. The speaker warns of looming global and spiritual crises—including the rise of Babylonian systems, the Antichrist, and intensified persecution—while urging discernment, repentance, and unity, especially between Gentile believers and the Jewish people, as God fulfills His covenantal purposes. Ultimately, the call is to spiritual awakening, intercession, and faithful witness, trusting that God is sovereignly preparing His people for the culmination of history.

Daily Dose of Hope December 19, 2025   Scripture - Acts 21:1-26   Prayer:  Holy God, We sing your praises today... For to us a child is born,     to us a son is given,     and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called     Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace     there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne     and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it     with justice and righteousness     from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty     will accomplish this.  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 getting close to finishing this reading plan after going through the Gospels and now the book of Acts.  Today, we walk through the first portion of Acts 21.   I have to admit, I've always struggled with this passage. Paul is being warned repeatedly by believers, those who have the gift of prophecy, that he should not go on to Jerusalem because it is dangerous for him. Paul has experienced persecution and danger, but what is waiting for him in Jerusalem could certainly be the worst yet. And yet, he insists upon going. Was he ignoring warnings from the Holy Spirit or simply determined to courageously carry out what God called him to do?   Now, most of us will never, ever encounter the kind of resistance and persecution that Paul is experiencing. But how often have we felt the strong call of God in a particular area and then felt dissuaded by our Christians brothers and sisters to carry it out? So often, I think people react to our plans more out of fear for us and/or how our lives might be disrupted than from clear guidance from God. (There are certainly exceptions but I wonder how people's reactions might be different if we asked them to go home and pray about it specifically and diligently for a week.) Paul clearly felt God had called him to return to Jerusalem, minister to the Jews and Gentiles there, and face the authorities, so that God's Word could be preached to the powers that be no matter the consequences. The part of the chapter about Paul purifying himself with the four other men was kind of interesting and worth mentioning.  Why did he do this?  He wanted to show the other Jewish believers that, while the law was not necessary for salvation, he still wanted to honor Jewish traditions. Though these Jews had become Christians, they had not come to the realization that salvation through Jesus made the law of Moses inoperative as a redemptive system. Accordingly, these new Christians still circumcised their children (as a covenant sign), and they observed many of the "customs" of Mosaic law.   There were plenty of Jews who were disparaging Paul, saying he didn't want anything to do with the Jewish law.  Paul is still Jewish.  He has never preached or taught that.  Think about how Paul circumcised Timothy to show respect for the Jewish Christians in the churches for which they were working.  But rumors happen and they can be hard to break.    There were four Hebrew men who had placed themselves under a vow, probably a Nazarite vow. It was about time for their ritual to be concluded by a purification ceremony in the temple. It was suggested that Paul identify with them, paying their temple fees, and, "purifying" himself along with them. This would be done so that the Jews might see that Paul was being obedient to the law. We know that Gentiles, of course, were under no such constraints.  Paul isn't required to do this but he is trying to calm tempers.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Todaywe're continuing our study in Ephesians 4:20–24. These powerful verses remindus that we are no longer to walk as the Gentiles walk, or as the lost worldwalks. Paulsays in verse 20, “But ye have not so learned Christ.” Then he goes onto say, “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, asthe truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). My friend, everything changes whentruth is being absorbed into your mind and into your heart. For many years—overfifty years of counseling and talking with people as a pastor—I have observedthat the core problem in most lives is this: people have listened to the liesof the devil. They have listened to the lies and philosophies of the worldwhile trying to figure out what to do about life, about problems, and aboutdifficult decisions. As a result, they make choices based on deception,thinking they are making good decisions when in reality they are being ledastray by a lie. My role as a pastor is to bring people back to the truth ofGod's Word so they can make decisions based on truth. Whatis the truth? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John14:6). The truth is found in God's Word. Jesus also prayed, “Sanctify themthrough thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The Word of God is thetruth of God revealed to us—in the person of Jesus Christ and in the Scripturesof the Bible. That is why Paul says, “If indeed ye have heard him, and havebeen taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.” Have you heard Him? WhenJesus speaks, He calls us by name. In John 10, we are told that the Shepherdknows His sheep and calls them by name. And what is the evidence of thatrelationship? We hear His voice. When He calls us, we follow Him. We are notforced to follow Him—we desire to follow Him. Why? Because we are His sheep,and we belong to His fold. Jesus cares for His sheep. That's why we can trulysay, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). He leadsus in paths of righteousness—that is, paths that are right, paths that pleaseGod, paths that align with the principles and truths of God's Word. Those pathslead to life, and to life more abundantly (John 10:10), a life that isdistinctly different from the world around us. Iget excited when I think about this truth—that we have been taught by Him. Notonly does He speak to us and call us, but He also teaches us. And the truth Heteaches is found in Himself. Then in Ephesians 4:22–24, Paul tells us what thattruth looks like in daily living: “That ye put off concerning the formerconversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Andbe renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, whichafter God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”  Throughoutthe New Testament, Paul explains this process in his letters to the churches atEphesus, Colosse, and Rome. In Romans 5 through 8, he teaches us that, becauseof our salvation in Jesus Christ, we now have a new identity. We can livedifferently—because we are different. We have been made new creatures.We have put off the old man. Like Lazarus, we have been raised from the dead.The spiritual death that once consumed us, condemned us, and weighed us downwith guilt no longer has power over us. We were once condemned to eternity in aplace called hell, but now we have been set free. Weare alive in Christ. Because He lives, we live. And because of that, we canlive a different life. Oh, I encourage you today—study these verses carefully.We will come back to this truth of putting off the old man and putting on thenew man in the days ahead. But I trust you will be encouraged today to knowthat you have life in Christ. You learn the truth in Him and from Him. Hespeaks to you. He walks with you. He is your friend, and He desires to walkwith you every day. Today,will you let Him walk with you? That choice is up to you. Godbless!

One hundred years ago, many of the prophecies in this book were still obscure. Today as we are approaching the end, they become more understandable just as the angel told the prophet at the end of Daniel, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.” (Daniel 12:2) Daniel's prophecies provide us with a comprehensive and chronological prophetical view of the broad movement of history, from the Times of the Gentiles to the Messianic Rule of Messiah. It is also thoroughly practical as well. In the harsh environment of the captivity, the faith, prayer life, and the love for God Daniel had still stands today as a great example for us to follow.Welcome to Shalom Ariel and the continuing study in the Book of Daniel with Messianic leader, Jacques Isaac Gabizon. Be blessed as you listen, shalom. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1254/29?v=20251111

Keywords: Luke,Book of Luke,Revival, Character Of God,Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, Sermon Index, What Is The Truth, kjv bible, Audio Bible, Bible, God, God's Love, Scriptures, Holy Bible, Prophets, Apostles, KJV, Jesus,Christ, audiobook, book, holy life, love, bible verses, king james bible audio, audio bible KJV, king james bible online audio, bible audio, online bible kjv, audio bible kjv, daily bible verse, bible verse of the day, KJV audio, Remastered, Best Version, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, The Chosen, Salvation, Saved, Christian, Suffering Servant, Arm of the Lord, Plants Roots, Despised Rejected, Sorrows, Peace War, Crucifixtion, The Cross, Violence, Judgement, Master Servant, Life Death, Old Testament, Exposed, Music, Education, Great Tribulation, Top Bible Verses, Bible Topic Prayer, Evangelicalism, bible study, Word of God, scripture, scriptures, Matthew Henry's biblical commentary, bible commentary, Matthew Henry commentary, God's Word, Matthew Henry, studying the Bible, understanding the Bible, God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Spiritual, Hope, Jesus Answers Prayer, Answers to Prayer, Prayer, Pray, God Answers Prayer⚠️ Support our ministry: https://ko-fi.com/jesusanswersprayers❓️ How does this chapter apply to you?

Romans 9:4-5 — It is significant for the Christian to know how to approach God, to enter His presence, to take petitions and prayers to Him, and how to render service to the true and living God. Unlike the Gentile nations, Israel was given specific instructions on this. God had shown them special favor, despite their small number and unimpressive abilities. Moreover, God gave them promises. Through the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David), the children of Israel were children of promise. Unlike their pagan neighbors who worshipped idols, the apostle Paul says they were brought into a covenant. Why is the apostle Paul emphasizing this unique privilege of the children of Israel and what is his purpose? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer this question in this sermon on Romans 9:4–5 titled “Children of the Promise.” There is a tragedy in the story of the Jews, one that the Christian must acknowledge. They were a people of such hope and promise and yet they missed it all. Despite that, Christ's coming was abundantly clear in the Scriptures, most of the Jews could not see it. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones traces the promises made to Old Testament Israel and the tragedy that followed. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

we explore how all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory—yet through the boundless love of the Father, revealed in His only begotten Son, we are justified, made right, and restored. From the prodigal son's joyful return to the Father's embrace, to the call for every soul—Jew and Gentile, believer and seeker—to place unwavering faith in Christ alone, this message reminds us that salvation is a gift of grace, sealed by belief in the Savior who redeems and renews.Whether you're returning to the faith or sharing the Good News this Christmas season, let this episode stir your heart to trust in Jesus, partake in His holy mysteries, and live in the freedom of His righteousness.

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.

Hanukkah is the Feast Of Dedication, the Festival of Lights, but what does it have for a Gentile?

Christmas traditions such as December 25, the Christmas tree, Santa Claus, and the Magi are best explained not as borrowings from paganism but as developments rooted in early Christian theological reasoning, all ultimately pointing to Christ's incarnation drawing both Jews and Gentiles to worship the true King.Christmas Special // Michael Crosswhite

Todaywe've been looking at Ephesians 4:17–19, and now we're going to move on toverses 20–24. In these verses, the Apostle Paul follows up on his admonitionnot to walk as the Gentiles walk, but instead to walk in a way that pleasesGod. Paul describes the lost world as walking in futility—emptiness and vanityof mind. Their hearts are darkened. They lack spiritual understanding, and theydo not even know what they are stumbling over. Paul says, in essence, “Don't gothat direction. Don't live that way.” Thenhe gives us a powerful contrast in verse 20: “But ye have not so learnedChrist.” There is something fundamentally different about the believer. Youhave learned Christ. Many people may learn about Jesus, but they nevertruly learn Jesus Christ. Paul's argument is that genuine believers haveentered into a personal relationship with Him. Jesus Himself extended thisinvitation in Matthew 11:28–29: “Come unto me, all you that labor and areheavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn ofme; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto yoursouls.” To“learn Christ” means to enter into a personal relationship with Him. Ican know about historical figures—such as Abraham Lincoln. I can readbiographies and learn what he did and what he accomplished. But I don't knowhim personally. He is dead and gone. My friend, Jesus Christ is alive. He is aliving Savior. He lives today—first in my heart, and also in the Word of God.Sohow do we learn Christ? We learn Christ by spending time with Him—in the Wordof God and in prayer.Youwill never grow spiritually mature, never grow as you should as a believer, andnever dig deep down to the Rock unless you get into God's Word. We must hearHis Word, read His Word, study His Word, memorize His Word, and meditate on HisWord. I love Psalm 1:2–3, which says: “But his delight is in the law of theLORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like atree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in hisseason; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Whydoes that person prosper? Because they are planted by the river of livingwater—Jesus Christ Himself. He is the Living Water. He is the Word. He is theTruth. He is the Way. He is the Life. When you take time in the Word of God,you are fellowshipping with Christ. And when you add prayer, you are buildingan intimate relationship with Him. But learning Christ is not only aboutreading His Word—it is also about experiencing Him in prayer. Prayer is talkingto Him, but prayer also involves listening. Through the Holy Spirit, God speaksto us as we pray. Overthe years, I have learned how wonderful this is. Whether I am praying privatelyin my office, driving, walking through my house, or doing prayer walks throughmy neighborhood, I find that God speaks to me as I speak to Him—if I will taketime to be still and listen. Sometimes He says, “You need to do this. You needto write that letter. You need to call that person. You need to pray for thisindividual.” He places these things on your heart. You know it is Him. You hearHis voice. Other times, you may be discouraged and in need of comfort. As youmeditate on His Word and yield your fears and burdens to Him, He speaks to yourheart. He gives comfort. He gives courage. He gives exactly what you need inyour time of need. That is why Scripture tells us we can come boldly to thethrone of grace with confidence.  Ephesians4:20, “But you have not so learned Christ.” In other words, you nolonger live like the unsaved Gentiles because you have learned Christ. Becauseyou have learned Christ, your life is different. You have a different walk, adifferent talk, a different outlook, and a different attitude. You now seekthings from God's perspective rather than from the world's philosophies andopinions.  Itrust that you will have a heart to learn Christ—to truly know Him.

One hundred years ago, many of the prophecies in this book were still obscure. Today as we are approaching the end, they become more understandable just as the angel told the prophet at the end of Daniel, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.” (Daniel 12:2) Daniel's prophecies provide us with a comprehensive and chronological prophetical view of the broad movement of history, from the Times of the Gentiles to the Messianic Rule of Messiah. It is also thoroughly practical as well. In the harsh environment of the captivity, the faith, prayer life, and the love for God Daniel had still stands today as a great example for us to follow.Welcome to Shalom Ariel and the continuing study in the Book of Daniel with Messianic leader, Jacques Isaac Gabizon. Be blessed as you listen, shalom. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1254/29?v=20251111

In today's homily, Fr. Tyler Mentzer, MIC, reflects on the genealogy that opens the Gospel of Matthew — a passage we often rush past, yet one filled with profound hope. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1; NABRE) is not merely a list of names. It is the story of salvation unfolding through real people, real families, and real brokenness.This lineage includes saints and sinners, faithful patriarchs and corrupt kings, Jews and Gentiles, holiness and grave sin. Scripture does not hide the dysfunction. David's adultery, idolatrous rulers, exile, foreign bloodlines — all are present. And yet, this is precisely where Christ chooses to enter. God does not wait for a perfect family tree. He enters human history as it is and redeems it from the inside out.Father Tyler reminds us that Matthew deliberately frames this genealogy as a new beginning — a new Genesis. Just as creation began “in the beginning,” so now a new creation begins with Christ. Jesus stands at the center of history, time, and salvation. As Scripture teaches, “... whoever is in Christ is a new creation” (2 Cor 5:17; NABRE).This message is especially powerful as Christmas approaches. Many families carry wounds, strained relationships, and painful legacies. Yet the Gospel assures us that when Jesus is invited into a family, into a heart, into a life, everything begins to change.Sin does not have the final word. Grace does.As we prepare for Christmas, Fr. Tyler challenges us to ask honestly: Where is Christ still waiting to be invited in? When we say yes to Him, the Lord who “will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21; NABRE) begins a work of restoration that reaches backward, forward, and into eternity. ★ Support this podcast ★

When it came time to decide what to follow up our 100th episode, the guys made a comment that we should interview a prominent podcaster and blogger in the vintage camera realm.  With a long list of guests already, we thought hard about who we've missed, who is one person who has helped grow GAS as much as any one single person can?  Anthony spoke up and said, "Hey, it should be Mike"!  While I had my doubts about how interesting a whole episode about me could be, I thought that I do like to tell stories, why why not?! Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike this, our 101st episode are returning callers A.J. Gentile, David Palumbo, Fernando Villava, Ira Cohen, Mark Faulkner, Pat Casey, Rob Lattimer, William Ponder, and Will Pinkham. Over the course of the episode, I field a variety of questions from how I got started, what is my while whale camera, what cameras never clicked for me, what was an example of a camera that I felt overwhelmed trying to shoot.  Paul gets me to revisit my 2023 trip to Los Angeles when I went through the collection of Kurt Ingham and what it was like going through such a large collection.   We get into camera accessories, especially how difficult it is to adapt Kilfitt lenses and that the "Rear Window" Kilfitt lens was never made specifically with an Exakta mount, we talk about what is a good first camera is, and we get into how I am resisting the urge to collect carbon filament light bulbs and Nixie Tubes. Amazingly, we make it through the nearly 2 hour run time without repeating too much of what's been covered before, and while doing so managed to cover a whole lot of GAS! 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. We will be back shortly with our next episode, which is going to be two days before Christmas.  We'll call this one our "holiday eggnog episode" where we recap the year and open up the call in lines for whatever you all want to talk about.  Episode 102 will be recorded on Tuesday, December 23rd at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.  Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us! In This Episode Mike's T-shirt Sorting Techniques / It was Anthony's Idea to Interrogate Mike How did Mike get started? One night on eBay… He shares the cameras he used, and the ones that started his collection The origins of MikeEckman.com It all started with a Nikon EL2, then a Kodak No.1 Autographic Special, Model A An avalanche begins: Argus C3, FED-2, Konica Auto S2 The Meeting of the Bloggers / White Whales Just Keep Coming ‘What the hell is this?” The Hasselblad XPan Mike Damaged a Pentacon Six TL That Was Loaned to Him Flying to LA: Kurt Ingham's Collection Mike's Camera room (Cave? Bunker? Subterranean lair?) Cameras that didn't click for Mike / Konica AiBORG / Leia R8 Continuation/knock-off/replica cameras… Kiev vs FED and Zorki, Minolta Auto Press vs Plaubel Makina, Contax vs Nikon Rangefinders Hidden histories Clarus MS-35, Vokar II, thousands of 6x6 TLRs, and the King Regula Fernando Villava asks Mike about His Favorite Film / Anthony shares his bulk film lucky find William Ponder wants to know if finding accessories leads to discovering cameras The Kilfitt Konundrum that Mike created for Paul / Mark Faulkner's Rear Window Lens / Paul's NASA Lens Will Pinkham wants to know what rarities are on Mike's Wish List Rob Latimer wants to know Mike's Favorite Cameras Vinyl Records, Carbon Filament Bulbs, and Nixie Tubes / Theo wants to know Mike's other interests Cameras that can start a collection, and a good first rangefinder for the SLR shooter Is Mike a foodie? A coffee connoisseur? A traveler? The importance of keeping photography knowledge alive Could there be a Camerosity spin-off some day? Links The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, 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/ 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/

Hanukkah is the Feast Of Dedication, the Festival of Lights, but what does it have for a Gentile?

Todaywe're continuing our study of Ephesians 4:17–19. In these verses, the ApostlePaul shows us the difference between a saved person and a lost person—betweensomeone who is on their way to heaven and someone who is still on the path tocondemnation and an eternity without Jesus Christ, a terrible place calledhell. There is a difference, and that difference should be evident in ourlives. Thatis why Paul, after describing the wonderful blessings we have as believers inChrist in chapters 1 through 3 and the first part of chapter 4, now says, “Thatye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk” (Ephesians 4:17). He issaying, “Don't live the way you used to live. Walk and live differently,because now you can think differently.” Remember in verses 17 through 19, Paulfocused on the mind. He explains that the lost person's “understanding [is]darkened” and that they are “alienated from the life of God” (Ephesians4:18). Asbelievers, we now think differently because we have been enlightened by thegospel of Jesus Christ. We have come to know the truth of who Jesus really is.We now see life from a completely different perspective, and our desire is nolonger to please self or Satan, but to please the Lord. Paul goes on to saythat the lost person walks “in the vanity of their mind” (Ephesians4:17). Their life is empty and without purpose. It is vain—lacking truemeaning. Theirunderstanding is darkened. Proverbs 4:19 says, “The way of the wicked is asdarkness: they know not at what they stumble.” What a tragedy that is—towalk through life in darkness, never realizing what you're stumbling over. Paulexplains that this condition exists “because of the ignorance that is inthem” (Ephesians 4:18). The lost person cannot see the truth. They areblind to the Word of God because they are still living in spiritual darkness. Jesusaddressed this clearly in John 3. He said, “Except a man be born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Then He went on to say: “Andthis is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loveddarkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one thatdoeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds shouldbe reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may bemade manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:19–21). Inother words, the lost person lives in darkness. He is spiritually blind. 2Corinthians 4:4 tells us, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded theminds of them which believe not.” It is not that they cannot believe—it isthat they choose not to believe. They choose self, the world, the flesh, andsin over what God desires for them. Their hearts do not desire to do whatpleases God. So we see the terrible condition of a lost person. Theirunderstanding is darkened. They are alienated from the life of God. Because ofthe ignorance that is in them, they have no true knowledge of spiritualtruth—they cannot see it. Itis the hardness of the heart that keeps a person from opening their eyes to seewho God really is. Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure inheart: for they shall see God.” When we live without God, our hearts areblinded by sin and by Satan. We walk in darkness, not realizing what we stumbleover. We begin to value what doesn't truly matter. We focus on things that aretemporal and passing away. We simply don't understand—until we are born againand our lives are changed. Jesussaid it plainly: those who are born again can now see the kingdom of God. TheBible opens up. Spiritual truth becomes clear. Everything is different. Myfriend, this is what God desires for you and for me. I trust that today youreyes have been opened to see who Jesus really is—and that you are no longerwalking as the Gentiles walk, no longer living as the lost live, but livingdifferently. Godbless!

Romans 9:4-5 — What is the significance of the apostle Paul's use of the term 'Israelites' in Romans 9:4? Why didn't he use the term 'Jews' or 'Hebrews' instead? In this sermon on Romans 9:4–5 titled “Who are the Israelites” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the three terms which are often used to describe this people group: Jews, Hebrews, and Israelites. Each of these terms have a different meaning when used in Scripture and he details those three meanings. The term Jews is used to show the opposite of Gentile, which is the rest of the world. Hebrews describes a time in Jewish history when they spoke Hebrew. The term Israelites is the term given to God's chosen people in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then goes on to detail two other terms of supreme importance that Paul uses in this passage. Adoption is used in a general sense, but means that God has placed this people group in a whole new position as his children. Glory means how God presented Himself to His people, proving His faithfulness to them. All Gentiles have been brought into a share of this, becoming sons and daughters of Christ through adoption. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121625.cfmIn today's homily, Fr. David Gunter, MIC, draws us into the prophetic urgency of Zephaniah and the hope that follows divine correction. Speaking to a time of widespread apostasy and moral confusion, the prophet confronts a people seduced by false worship and corrupt leadership. Yet Zephaniah does not end with judgment. He announces restoration.Scripture reminds us that God never abandons His people:“But I will leave within you    the meek and humble.The remnant of Israel    will trust in the name of the Lord.” (Zeph 3:12).Throughout salvation history, the Lord preserves a faithful remnant — not the proud or powerful, but those supple to grace. Saint Paul echoes this truth when recalling Elijah's despair: “So also at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Rom 11:5). Advent places this message squarely before us. The birth of Christ sets the restoration of humanity in motion — for Israel and the Gentiles alike.Father Gunter challenges us to recognize that we are living in a new season of preparation, one that calls for silence, repentance, and humility rather than distraction and noise. Those who recognized the Messiah — Anna, Simeon, Joseph, Elizabeth, and above all the Blessed Virgin Mary — were humble souls formed by prayer and trust. The same humility is required of us today. As the psalmist declares, “God alone is my rock and salvation… my refuge is in God” (Ps 62:7a & 8c). This Advent, the question is not whether God is offering grace — He is — but whether we are prepared to receive it. Through Confession, prayer, and fidelity, let us become the remnant ready for Christ to be born anew in our hearts.Advent places this message squarely before us. The birth of Christ sets the restoration of humanity in motion — for Israel and the Gentiles alike. ★ Support this podcast ★

The bible says that there is neither Jew or Gentile, male or female, bond or free, meaning that salvation is available to everyone.Nathan Pearl teaches through Jude, verse 2

The manger sits inside a story older and bigger than a single night in Bethlehem. When we remember that Jesus was born a Jew—son of David, heir to the covenants—we recover the full weight of Advent and see how God kept precise promises to bless the whole world through Israel. That memory does more than enrich Christmas; it clarifies our mission and confronts the casual prejudices shaping today's conversations.We walk through Scripture's insistence on Jesus' lineage and why it mattered for every prophecy, festival, and symbol culminating in the cross and empty tomb. From there, we trace the historical turn: a church that began as a Jewish movement, a devastated Jerusalem, a rapid Gentile majority, and the sad rise of anti‑Jewish attitudes in Europe. Along the way, we examine how bad teaching, selective preaching, and cultural fear fueled scapegoating, and how law‑and‑gospel preaching resists that drift. You'll hear practical tests to separate political critique from hidden bias and a simple question that exposes team‑sports thinking masquerading as moral clarity.Most of all, we center the Christian posture Paul modeled—sorrow for unbelief, honor for Israel's gifts, and love that longs for salvation. That means real friendships, not isolation; bridges, not walls; and a mission mindset that treats every headline as a reminder of souls Christ died to save. Let this conversation upgrade your Advent: the Jewishness of Jesus is not trivia, it's the thread that ties promise to fulfillment and invites us to carry good news to both Jew and Gentile.If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then tell us: where will you start building a bridge this week?Support the showThe ministry of Christian Life Resources promotes the sanctity of life and reaches hearts with the Gospel. We invite you to learn more about the work we're doing: https://christianliferesources.com/