Podcasts about god abraham

Send us Fan MailIf someone tells you, “Jesus saves you, but you still have to add this,” what are they really saying about the cross? We work through Paul's logic in Romans and push on a theme that hits every generation: the law can expose sin, but it cannot rescue sinners. When you turn commandments into a pathway to justification, the end result is not confidence and joy, but wrath, self-focus, and a faith that quietly depends on your performance.We talk about why “where no law is, there is no transgression” doesn't erase guilt, how “faith plus the law” becomes an oxymoron, and why adding requirements like circumcision, strict Torah observance, or making water baptism the final step of salvation changes the gospel itself. The difference matters because grace is designed to make the promise sure. Faith receives what grace gives, and the security of salvation rests on God's power and faithfulness, not on our ability to keep ourselves cleaned up.From Abraham as the father of all who believe to the claim that true Jewishness is inward, we keep circling back to the God Abraham trusted: the one who raises the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Then we zoom out to Christian apologetics. We explain what it means to defend the faith with “as it is written,” why every believer should be ready with an answer, and why the best way to detect counterfeit teaching is to handle the real Word of God so often that the fake stands out immediately.If you've felt pressure to earn what God calls a gift, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who feels stuck in religious performance, and leave a review telling us: where do you see “faith plus” thinking show up most?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

This week we are reading one of the Bible's most famous disputes with God – Abraham's insistence that God should have mercy on Sodom for the sake of its righteous, found in Genesis 18:16-33. Now, we love mercy as much as the next guy, but this time around we wrestled with the profound entanglement of the righteous and the wicked in this story. There is no discussion here about simply stopping the wickedness in one way or another, or even just eliminating the people perpetrating wickedness while leaving the righteous alone – they are all in it together. But if mercy in this case basically means ignoring the land's outcry and letting the wickedness stand ... what does THAT mean for the innocent who continue to live there? In a modern society that so values individual autonomy, how do we think about the ways in which our fates are inextricably tied?  

Pastor Drew Steele concludes our teaching on Living in the promises of God, looking at Heb 11 and 1 Peter 2.By stepping back and looking at the writer to Hebrews account of Abraham, Sarah and the promises of God, we see how it shaped their Identity, Activity and Perspective, and then we see likewise for us as Christians from 1 Peter a similar pattern how our faith and trust in the promises of God should shape our identity, activity and perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching in Genesis, looking at Genesis 23-25This week, as we look at this broad sweep across these chapters, we see God fulfilling His covenant with Abraham, and see how Abraham made his choices with covenant confidence, and we too should have confidence in the promises of God. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching in Genesis, looking at Genesis 22This week, we encounter Abraham, in the famous chapter where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, and the miraculous provision of ram. THroughout this encounter we see Abraham demonstrate his faith as he models how to trust and obey God. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching in Genesis, looking at Genesis 21Throughout our series to date we have seen time and time again God display His faithfulness, and keeps His promises. We see this again in Gen 21, with God's Faithfulness being see in Sarah's joy, Ishmael's protection, Abraham's provision, and how we also see this in Jesus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Many believe that we, in this century,” writes Ethel Rosenberg, “ are witnessing the dawn of a new spiritual epoch or era. A renewal of the Spirit is making itself felt in the Churches and in the religious and social life of all lands. This is in harmony with the teachings of the Bahais, and of their Great Leaders, now represented by Abdul Baha the ‘Servant of God,' known to the outside world as Abbas Effendi. Once again, the Light is shining forth from that land which may indeed be called the Holy Land: for have not its valleys and hills been trodden from the beginning by the feet of those great Messengers inspired of God—Abraham, Elijah, and last and greatest, Jesus of Nazareth? Is it strange that once more in this century of ours, in this ‘cradle of the race,' those that were sitting “in darkness have seen a Great Light,” the light of the Sun of Righteousness that rises with healing in his wings?”Ethel Jenner Rosenberg (1858-1930) was a prominent British Bahá'í, having been introduced to the Bahá'í Faith in 1899 by Mary Thornburgh-Cropper. She published two booklets on the Bahá'í Faith, of which “A Brief Account of the Bahai Movement” was one. She also presented a paper on the Bahá'í Faith at the International Congress for the History of Religions in 1908. She assisted Laura Clifford Barney in compiling Some Answered Questions and Lady Blomfield in compiling Paris Talks. She began to learn Persian and assisted Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, in translating the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh. She was described by Shoghi Effendi as ‘England's pioneer worker'. (Introduction by Nicholas James Bridgewater)Genre(s): Other religionsLanguage: EnglishKeyword(s): religion (744), Bahai (11), Bahá'í (10), Bahá'í (5), Bahá'í Faith (5), 'Abdu'l-Bahá (3), Abdul-Baha (3), Bahai Movement (2), brief account (1), Ethel Rosenberg (1), Bahá'u'lláh (1)

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching in Genesis, looking at Genesis 20In this passage Drew encourages us to see the Promise-Keeping God, and see how God preservers and fulfills His promise, despite Abraham showing a lack of trust in Gods protection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunday-5-3-26 Pastor Scott Hanson

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching in Genesis, looking at Genesis 18: 16 -19:38Drew continues to point us to the God we can know, who is sovereignly holy, and who we can resolutely follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching in Genesis, looking at Genesis 18:1-15.Drew encourages us that this encounter of Abraham and Sarah shows us of a God we can know, and that He is powerfully relational, and so we can worshipfully trust Him Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Series: God's Promises, Our JourneyTitle: "Where is your life going?"Subtitle: "2 Righteous Men, 2 Very Different Lives"Scripture: Genesis 19:1-38 NIV Ezekiel 16:49Matthew 7:24-27Luke 17:31-381 Cor 3:10-15Hebrews 13:22 Peter 2:6-10Jude 1:7Bottom Line: Your walk with God determines the trajectory of your life.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTOUTLINECONCLUSIONDISCUSSION QUESTIONSNOTESYOUTUBE DESCRIPTIONMAIN REFERENCES USEDMy opening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same. Opening Illustration (What do you want said about you at your retirement party?I know I'd like people to say nice things about me, my family and how I lived. I'd love to hear stories of good memories from family and friends.But most of all, I'd love to hear stories about how God did something beautiful in and through my life. Not bad desires.Because my walk with God determines the trajectory of my life. My grandson has started T-ball. He's learning how to aim and throw a ball so that it ends up where he intends for it to. Because he's learning that how he aims and throws it determines the trajectory of that ball. He'll need to improve his strength, aim, and skill to get the ball where he wants it to be. The same is true for our walk with God.The question becomes: Is the trajectory of my life headed to where I want it be? Am I living my life wisely or foolishly? Or does it just look like anyone else's in the world?Context (Opening Paragraph)Today we're looking at 2 righteous men with very different lives. By contrasting them, we will not see a Believer and a non-Believer. No, we'll see 2 Believers who live very differently and their lives end up having very different outcomes in the short-term and in the long-term.My prayer for you today is that you'll evaluate your life soberly and humbly. That you will make the changes needed to change the trajectory of your life. Why? Because your walk with God determines the direction of your life.Bottom Line: Your walk with God determines the trajectory of your life.OUTLINE (Genesis 19:1-38) Influenced by Warren WiersbeContrasting Abraham, Lot and JesusI. Abraham, friend of God. (Genesis 18)A. Abraham served the Lord. (1-8)B. Abraham served his wife. (9-15)C. Abraham served a lost world. (16-33)...as an intercessorFor Lot For the residents of SodomII. Lot, friend of the world. (Genesis 19) Contrasting these two's...A. Souls (position before God)"Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6Lot was righteous too. 2 Peter 2:6-7Neither was seen as righteous by God because of their righteous ways. Based on these verses, we see this. Otherwise, we'd assume Abraham righteous but not Lot, because Lot's actions did not show much righteous fruit (in our limited view).They were seen as righteous because of their faith in God's promises.The same is true for us.B. LocationsAbraham continues to live in a tent as a pilgrim, just passing through, on his way to his heavenly home. Lot, by contrast, leaves the tents of Abraham, in the Promised Land, and the favor of his God, and...Moves towards Sodom into the Jordan valley (looks like Egypt and Eden to him), Then into the city into a house, surrounded by the wicked,He stays even after they were captured by Babylonian Kings and rescued by Abram,Then is found sitting at the city gates with authority and position (judge, city administrator of some kind),While you could argue he was being a missionary, it appears he was more influenced by Sodom than Sodom was influenced by him.C. VisitorsOnly 2 angels visited Lot, for the Lord could not fellowship with Lot and his family as he did with A & S. Even though Lot was a believer, the Lord was not at home with him. This is the difference betweenRelationship, and FellowshipNot unlike a marriage where two people are in a covenant relationship but not always feeling the fellowship.D. HospitalityBoth showed hospitality, butAbraham's example was exemplary on multiple levels and Lot's showed skewed values re daughters.E. MessagesJoyful message to A & S--promised son in 1 year.Judgment and destruction for the people of Sodom (and Lot and his family, if they don't leave).God's message to a lost world is judgment as well. This event in history becomes the example people point to reminding them there's a holy God who will judge. (Jude 1:7) But he's also a merciful God saving all who repent, trust and follow him.F. InfluenceBecause of his faith and obedience, Abraham was a blessing to his family and the world. God blessed his family then and the world until he returns. Lot had little spiritual influence on his family nor the world. He had faith, which saved him, but he was more influenced by residents of Sodom than by the Lord. G. AttitudeLot was rescued first by Abraham, along with the people of Sodom. Yet, he went right back to them. Later he had to be pulled out of the city by the angels the second time. He loved the things which are seen more than the things which are unseen. (2 Cor 4:17-18)Abraham yielded even his one and only son as he obeyed by grace through faith. (Genesis 22)How You Respond to God?Abraham → Runs to obey (18:2 “hurried… ran…”)Lot → Hesitates to obey (19:16 “he lingered…”)H. ConsequencesThe Lord's visit to Abraham led to new hope and a future.The Lord's visit was judgment and destruction for Sodom and 2 evil nations who would oppose the very God who saved Lot and his daughters. That said, one day, a young Moabitess named Ruth would marry Boaz and become the grandmother of the Lord Jesus Christ. This would be part of the mercy of God for the world.Principle:Walking with God → blessing flows out; Righteousness leads to life and legacyWalking with compromise → damage flows out; Compromise leads to survival but lossHow Your Story Ends (Trajectory)Abraham → Future, promise, legacyLot → Escape, loss, regretIII. Jesus, friend of sinners.A. While Jude 1:7 tells us Sodom and Gomorrah will stand as the example of God's judgment on a wicked world,...B. It will also stand as a mark of his mercy for his covenant people. We see this through the Moabitess, Ruth, grandmother of Jesus.C. Jesus calls those saved, like Abraham, to:Abide in the Lord,Serve our faith family,Serve a lost world through intercession. D. When judgment day comes, will you be likeAbraham--no worries?How--saved by the skin of your teeth but a horrible legacy?Sodom--lost forever apart from your Creator?CONCLUSIONBottom Line: Your walk with God determines the trajectory of your life.Matthew 7:24-27 feels like it's written to the lost. And it certainly can be applied that way.But I now think it's written to the believer. As Jesus wraps up his Sermon on the Mount, he ends with how a follower of his should apply all that he has heard--not for salvation but for fruitful living. John 15:16 says...God chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last. That means he chose you to live a fruitful, influential, peaceful, transformative life. One that leaves people praising God at your funeral instead of searching for kind things to say about you.Questions (Write this down) - grab an index card and penWhat is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?Write this down on the index card in the seat pockets.DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastNOTESThe Legacy of AbrahamThis quote by John Lennox speaks to my part: “God first informs Abraham why he chose him. This is the only place in the Bible where he does so. The late Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, comments:This tells us three things about what it is to be an heir of Abraham.First, it means that we are to be guardians of our children's future. We must ensure that they have a world to inherit... Second, education - directing our children and our household after us - is a sacred task ... Third, how do you keep the way of the Lord? By doing what is right and just.It would be impossible to overstate the importance of these principles in a world where children so often bear the brunt of neglect, abuse and suffering.” Friend of God, p. 186YOUTUBE DESCRIPTION MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)"Genesis" by Briscoe (TCC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Pastor Drew Steele returns to our teaching series on the life of Abraham - Living in the promises of God.13 years have passed since the events of Chapter 16, and God arrives back on the scene - announcing I am the Lord Almighty. This chapter unfolds the establishment of Gods covenant with Abram and Sarai. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching series on the life of Abraham - Living in the promises of God.Having previously seen the example of Abram waiting in the gap, we see another example of a backward step from Abram, as we see the dangers of a Do It Yourself Faith, and not waiting on God.We see the mistakes that were made by many of the people in the passage, we see the grace that is offered and the praise that is given. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching series on the life of Abraham - Living in the promises of God.With waiting being an inevitable part of life, we see how God helps us in times of waiting between the promise and the fulfilment.We see God's promise, Abram's question, God's invitation, Abram's response, and God's gift in the promise of an heir and land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching series on the life of Abraham - Living in the promises of God.We are reminded that where we look, is where you will go, and contrast Lot and Abram as they are faced with decision over the land to enter. We see Abram demonstrate the faith in God, and Gods timing in fulfilling Gods promise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John 15:9-17,As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.Christianity is unlike every other religion in a lot of different ways, but one of the biggest differences is that Christianity is not really a religion at all, but it's a relationship.Maybe you've heard that before — ‘Christianity' is more than a religion, it's a relationship. I first heard that phrase years ago during some training about how to share the gospel. In my context at the time, pretty much everybody claimed to be Christians, and that actually made spiritual conversations harder … and really short — because if you started the conversation by asking, “Are you a Christian?”, most people would say Yes. But they were saying Yes to a religion.They were saying that they theoretically believed a few things, tried to behave a certain way, and checked the “Christian box.”But ‘Christianity,' according to the Bible, is much more than all that! At the very center is one's relationship with God — it's a relationship created by God, broken by our sin, and then restored by Jesus for those who believe.So a better way to start a spiritual conversation was to ask someone what they thought of Jesus himself — What do you think of Jesus Christ?What if I asked you that this morning? What would you say?There are a few good and true things that might come to mind — Jesus is Lord; He's King; He's the Savior of the world; He's the Treasure of my heart — all these are true (and they're all relational).But maybe one of the most biblical answers that doesn't come to mind right away is that Jesus calls us his friend.What do you think of Jesus Christ? He calls me his friend. Don't you want to be a friend of Jesus?The goal of this sermon is to tell you how. Looking at this passage in John 15, we're gonna answer the question: How do you become a friend of Jesus?There are three ways. First is this …1. He calls you his friend. (verse 15)This is the first thing we need to see, and it's the most foundational. What we need to understand is that being a friend of Jesus is not a self-declared title. We don't get to ‘up and decide' that we're friends of Jesus anymore than we get to decide that we are friends of LeBron James (the second greatest basketball player of all time). Now you can try to do that, but I don't think you'll get very far … if you flew to Los Angeles, drove to LeBron's neighborhood, and walked up to his gate. You hit the buzzer and say, “Hey, it's [me], I'm a friend of LeBron.” No chance you're getting in. Because the person you say you're a friend of has to claim you as their friend. That's what makes verse 15 so amazing. Look at verse 15. Jesus says:No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. And Jesus just tells us this — we didn't even ask for it — Jesus just tells his disciples, and he tells us, I have called you friends. And by itself, we might not be impressed by this … because we all have our own ideas of friendship, informed by our own experiences. So I'm glad that Jesus doesn't leave the meaning of friend up to us, but he fills it out. He puts it in color. More to the MeaningHe tells us that a friend is different than a servant. And this is where we need to pause for a minute. Jesus says he doesn't call us servants anymore, although we are still his servants. In fact, being a “servant of Jesus” is the most common self-designation of the New Testament writers. The apostle Paul says this about himself five times, and also James, Peter, John, and Jude. They all refer to themselves as servants of Jesus — and they were … we are. So here in verse 15, Jesus is not eliminating the reality of our servanthood, but he is deepening the relationship from his point of view.We are servants and friends — and so how do we hold these together? This was a big question for me … because I talk to Jesus everyday and felt like I needed to sort this out. So consider it like this:When we describe who we are, we rightly say we are servants of Jesus, but when Jesus describes who we are, he says friends. That's the way it should be: We say to Jesus, “I'm your servant.” Jesus says to us, “You're my friend.” And the reason why Jesus says that is in verse 15. It's because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. A servant has no right to know. A servant just does what he's told.But a friend gets let in on what's going on. And that's one way to think about the whole Farewell Discourse in these chapters. That's what Jesus has been up to on this longest Thursday night ever. He is making known to the disciples all that the Father has made known to him. And he's doing this because he wants to, not because the disciples deserve it. This is verse 16:“You did not choose me, but I chose you.” Jesus, on his own initiative, chose to reveal himself to the disciples.Like Abraham and MosesIn theological terms, this is special revelation: Jesus has revealed God to his chosen disciples. And this is fascinating: because what Jesus does here fits with the ‘friend-of-God concept' in the Old Testament. In the whole Bible, before John 15, there have only been two people who were called friends of God: Abraham and Moses. In Isaiah 41:8, God says of Abraham:But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest seas … I have chosen you ...He hears in that special choosing.And back in Exodus 33:11, we read about how God would speak to Moses at the Tent of Meeting, and verse 11 says, Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.We hear in that revelation.So if we were putting together a theology for friendship with God from the Old Testament, we'd say that Abraham and Moses were called friends of God because they had this special access to God: God chose them and revealed himself to them. And in John 15, Jesus says we're his friend on the same basis — because he specially revealed himself to us. And that's where we are in this new location of redemptive history. This is where Jesus has brought us. To be a Christian means that, like Abraham and Moses, Jesus has brought us on inside. He has let us in on the mind of God! We can know God's thoughts! Because Jesus tells us. And that's why he calls us friends.That's the first and most foundational way you become a friend of Jesus. He calls you his friend.How else do you become a friend of Jesus?2. You abide in his love. (Verse 9)This is clear in verse 9. Jesus says in verse 9: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”Now Jesus has already told us to abide in verse 4. In verse 4 it's, “Abide in me.” Here in verse 9 it's “Abide in my love.” Those are not two different things — Jesus is just saying the same thing two different ways. To abide in him is to abide in his love. And for the first time in this Gospel, he tells us something about his love that is truly astounding.It starts with that the Father loves him — and Jesus has been saying this the whole time: John 3:35 — “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.”John 5:20 — “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.”John 10:17 — “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life…”One of the clearest messages in this Gospel is that God the Father loves God the Son. It's an eternal, powerful, perfect love beyond human comprehension. We can only marvel … before the foundations of the world, in all of eternity past, in the pure joy of the Holy Trinity, the Father has loved Jesus! We know that. And we also know that Jesus loves us. That's the glorious truth that emerges so clearly in the Farewell Discourse. For last several weeks, we've been hearing from Jesus how much he cares for us. In fact, at the beginning of this long Thursday night, back in Chapter 13, verse 1, John introduces this section by telling us that Jesus, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Jesus loves us — we know that.So these two things: We know the Father loves Jesus. And we know that Jesus loves us. We know this before verse 9, but in verse 9 this is new: Jesus tells us that he loves us as the Father has loved him. The two things come together. We learn that Jesus's love for us is patterned after, and flows from, the Father's love for him. That eternal, powerful, perfect love the Father has for Jesus is how Jesus loves you and me. And look, let's be honest. We don't really know what that means. We can't comprehend this. It's too much. We can't fully understand this love, but we must abide in it. Jesus says so. Remain in this love. Stay put in this love.Daily Assurance of His LoveIf you do — if you just stay put in the love of Jesus — you will never go wrong. Jesus tells us this, but our own experience often points in same direction.Over the years, I've learned that I get my wobbliest when I lose sight of Jesus's love for me. I'm convinced that the most critical need in my daily experience as a Christian is to be assured of the love of Jesus. I think this is an aspect of how the Spirit ministers the realness of Jesus to us, and I learned this from the apostle Paul … Because in Ephesians Chapter 4, Paul prays for the church — for us — that, according to the riches of God's glory, that God would strengthen us with the Spirit's power to comprehend the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. That's what Paul says. Paul prays that we comprehend more and more the incomprehensible love of Jesus. That is God's power in our lives.And in my own life, it works out like this … the more I am assured of Jesus's love for me and how much I don't deserve it, then the more I am humbled and filled with joy, and then the more I am poured out in love for others, and then the more I magnify the glory of God. That's my testimony. Any kind of meaningful fruit in my life has come from abiding in the love of Jesus. I know I'm no good for you apart from that. I'm no good for my wife, for my children apart from that. We are all no good for anybody apart from the love of Jesus. Stay put in that love. How to Stay PutBut how exactly? How do I stay put in the love of Jesus? Well, Jesus tells us in verse 10:“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.”That's simple enough. And we've already seen some of this back in Chapter 14: that our obedience to Jesus demonstrates our love for Jesus — We learn here that our obedience to Jesus is what it means to abide in him.In other words, abiding in the love of Jesus means we do what Jesus says. And this is not fine print we're supposed to ignore. It's right there, right beside the abiding. If we keep his commandments (if we do what he says), we will abide in his love. These two always come together: salvation and discipleship. And we need to make sure to get this right in how we give Jesus to others. Sometimes, I think in an effort to make Jesus seem more appealing to people, Christians can emphasize his love but downplay his moral demands … as if his moral demands are not part of his love. We gotta understand that Jesus telling us how to live is part of his love for us. He saves us to lead us, not to leave us to ourselves. This is why true faith in Jesus always includes repentance from sin. Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. Every time we turn to Jesus, we are turning from something else. And that is always good news. It's always the best thing you can do. And if you're concerned that obedience to Jesus is a burden, just look what he says in verse 11. He says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”The real question is: Do we want the joy of Jesus, or are we gonna keep chasing the lesser joys of this world?If we want the joy of Jesus, abide in his love, which means doing what he says, which means … he calls us friends. See how this comes together? Verse 10: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.”Verse 14: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”Abiding in the love of Jesus (and doing what Jesus says) are one thing — and that's how you become a friend of Jesus.Now, the third way you become a friend of Jesus …3. You love his other friends. A couple of weeks ago we talked about what's in view when Jesus mentions his commandments. It's not just the quotations of Jesus in the Gospels, but the commandments of Jesus are really the entire biblical testimony. It's the whole hog of God's moral will revealed in Scripture which is summarized in love — love for God and love for neighbor. The Bible teaches us to show kindness and goodwill to all people (Matthew 22:37–40; Romans 13:9). This is called neighbor-love. It's all background and baseline to what Jesus says here, and it's important to keep in mind because it helps us understand that the love Jesus is talking about in verse 12 goes a level deeper.And this is one you gotta see. So everybody find verse 12 for a minute and help me out. Chapter 15, verse 12, Jesus says:“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Our Supernatural LoveSo Jesus has narrowed the object of love and the kind of love it is. The object of love is not all people everywhere — he's not talking about neighbor-love. He's talking about one another.As we've seen back in Chapter 13, this is love for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. And as for the kind of love we have, Jesus says, is the love he has for us. Which, remember, is the love that the Father has for him.This is dense, but track with what Jesus is saying: Jesus loves us as the Father has loved him. Jesus tells us to love one another as he has loved us! Which means: the love of Jesus for Christians becomes the love of Jesus between Christians. This is next level. The love we share as brothers and sisters in Christ is love that finds its source in the Holy Trinity. It is supernatural love. It literally is not of this world. And that's why divisions in local churches, among Christians, should grieve us. So often it's because we've adopted the world's way of thinking.Framework for DivisionTo help here, let's step back for a minute and I want to give you a framework for how to think about division overall. Think about it in three tiers: there's disagreement, then dispute, then division.Disagreement is simply when we think differently about something (happens all the time). Dispute is when the thing we disagree about merits formal mediation (we need to deliberately talk it out). Division is when you cannot find either agreement or acceptance, and so parties must separate.Got those three categories? Y'all wanna know why our world is so polarized? It's because in our world, every disagreement is automatically a division. Our world just flattens the whole thing. Because why not? Life is more comfortable that way. Where there is no bond of love between people, you don't put up with discomfort — that's the world's way of thinking. And so often — not all the time — but often, when there are divisions in the church, it's because we have adopted the world's mindset. We think our disagreements have more power than the love of the Trinity that we share. We Are a ChurchThis is why the polarization of local churches should grieve us. And it's why we don't do it here.Over the years, we've had people divide from our church because we're not woke and because we're not MAGA. Which is true. We are neither. Because we're a church. … a church.And that means, yes, we stand firm with moral clarity: Abortion is murder. Every human is created in God's image and has wonderful dignity. Marriage is between a man and woman. There are only two sexes, male and female, and they're different. If one's highest allegiance is to anything other than Jesus it's idolatry.None of that's political. They're just facts according to the Word of God, and we believe them like we believe in oxygen.That's part of what it means to be a true church — and it means that we are friends of Jesus. The love we share is Jesus's love for us, which is sacrificial, verse 13 — it's love sacrificial enough to endure disagreement. To bear with one another, forgiving one another as the Lord has forgiven us (see Colossians 3:13).To be a friend of Jesus, it means you love his other friends.Don't you wanna be a friend of Jesus? First, he's gotta call you his friend.Second, you abide in his love (do what he says).Third, you love his other friends.And all these things are true of us only by the power of the Holy Spirit. And that's what brings us to the Table this morning — because where else do friends go?The TableWhat we do here when we eat the bread and drink the cup is often called communion. It's because we are together sharing in our common union to Jesus. We are, at the same time, remembering the death of Jesus for us, and that it's his death that brings us together and keeps us. We are brothers and sisters together of Christ. He calls us friends.And if that's you, if you've trusted in Christ, we invite you to eat and drink with us. His body is the true bread. His blood is the true drink. Let us serve you.

Pastor Drew Steele continues our new teaching series on the life of Abraham - Living in the promises of God.We see that Abram, was human, and look at his shocking sin, but amidst it all revel in the hope of Gods Surprising Grace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Drew Steele begins our new teaching series on the life of Abraham - Living in the promises of God, by giving us an introduction to AbramWe see God speaks, to graciously call Abram, and to equip him with promises, and we see Abram respond with obedience and worship.We are encouraged to have hearts that are tied to Christ, not to circumstance, like Abram whose focus was on a city whose maker was God.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. Throughout the Scripture narrative, each covenant tells of His unchanging faithfulness and His plan to redeem His people. Join us as we trace the thread of God's promises through the Bible and see how every covenant finds its fulfillment in Jesus!

Welcome to another episode of The Cutting Room Floor, where we further unpack Sunday's message, discuss practical applications, and hear some of what didn't make the final cut.

God, Abraham and the Covenant | Genesis 15:1-21 | Genesis 12-50 by Hunter Bible Church

A sermon by Kelly Brady from Romans 4:1-25

Scripture references:Genesis 22:1-14 (NLT)John 4:23-24 (NLT)Worship is the outward sound (or expression) of your inward relationship with God Abraham's expression of WorshipWood. Past experience, no longer alive but carried as fuel. Knife. Your edge, your instrument of sacrifice. Fire. Carried into worship, not built there.Sacrifice. If it doesn't hurt, it isn't a sacrifice. Genesis 22:14"IT" will be PROVIDED

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Learn the priority and value of fearing The Lord through the teaching ministry of Abraham Mathew; from India Gospel Mission.

Clinton Baptist Church

Join us as Michael Grooms starts a series on Biblical characters and their conversations with God. This time, he looks at Abraham.

Bill Allen - Sunday, January 12, 2025

Bill Allen - Sunday, January 12, 2025

Be encouraged by the ministry of Abraham Mathew from India Gospel Mission; who shared some amazing testimonies and preached an encouraging message about our relationship with God. We apologize for this week's poor audio recording.

Be encouraged by the ministry of Abraham Mathew from India Gospel Mission; who shared some amazing testimonies and preached an encouraging message about our relationship with God. We apologize for this week's poor audio recording.

Be encouraged by the ministry of Abraham Mathew from India Gospel Mission; who shared some amazing testimonies and preached an encouraging message about our relationship with God. We apologize for this week's poor audio recording.

Be encouraged by the ministry of Abraham Mathew from India Gospel Mission; who shared some amazing testimonies and preached an encouraging message about our relationship with God. We apologize for this week's poor audio recording.

Be encouraged by the ministry of Abraham Mathew from India Gospel Mission; who shared some amazing testimonies and preached an encouraging message about our relationship with God. We apologize for this week's poor audio recording.

July 7, 2024 Peace with God: Abraham & The Promise Romans 4:1-25 Pastor Jim Rutherford

On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week we offered encouragement to parents who are struggling with the real life issues surrounding how to love and support their LGBT+ kids without agreeing with their choices. Our guest, who herself has personally dealt with these issues, offered clear, biblically grounded guidance on finding the balance between truth and love and how to pray effectively for God to heal the breach in your family. One of our most respected teaching pastors joined us for a revealing conversation about Abraham from the Old Testament. Using scripture, he allowed us to see the real human being that God called to follow Him. And remind us that the God Abraham had such deep faith in is the same God who calls to us today. God is not afraid of hard conversations on tough topics but often we are. A respected bible teacher joined us for an enlightening conversation about the importance and best way to address the hard topics of life including suicide, adultery, LGBT issues and abuse. He showed us how to move away from fear to faith as we lean hard on God and His word to guide us in these difficult conversations. The importance of father in a boy’s life can not be underestimated. His presence or absence will reverberate throughout the son’s life and impact all of his future relationships. Our guest knows this journey very well. He shared his own story of growing up without a father as a palate to paint a picture of the damage that loss can create. Then he showed us how God can bring true, deep healing to that wound of fatherlessness that so many boys and men in the church are dealing with today. God’s word is not only spiritual, it is practical and that’s why we are once again inviting you to join us as we use the magnifying glass of the Word to get a better understanding of the truth behind some of this week’s important news stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Abraham know about God? Listen to this message to learn there are two options. One is that creation reveals God. The other is that someone told him about God. Find out what the age of accountability is and how it involves the point of God consciousness. Recognize the difference between being declared righteous and being made righteous when we trust Christ. During this message Dr. Dean mentioned his recent series on Abraham's 13 Tests to Glory.

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 22:1-8 - After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. ************ JOIN THE MORNING MINDSET PRAYER TEAM: Get PRAYER UPDATES from Morning Mindset Media!  

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:  GENESIS 18:22-33 - 22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. 2 PETER 3:9 - The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. MENTIONED ON TODAY'S EPISODE Check out our new PODCAST for Christian Couples - You And Me and Jesus!  

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:    GENESIS 13:15-18 - The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. MENTIONED ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Get my spiritual growth workbook, "Moving Toward God" : https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MTG  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:    GENESIS 12:1-3 - Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” MENTIONED ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Discover my Christian Fantasy Fiction Series, "The Dragon Slayer Chronicles" : https://DragonSlayerBook.com  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES