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There have been men in my life whose influence had such a profound effect upon my life that had they not been a part of it, I would not be the man that I am today. These men include men whose lives continue to shape my life, men like Ralph Robinson and Ed HardestyRalph is home with Jesus and Ed is still faithfully teaching the Bible at a Bible college and faithfully preaches and shepherds at the church he planted years ago. There are others who I will leave unnamed who started out in ministry so well, but were derailed from ministry due to sexual immorality, some are out of the pastorate due to their own arrogance, and others have walked away from the faith all together. There are multiple examples of the way men and women of faith made a mess of their lives throughout the Bible, of all that have done so, none are more notable than King Solomon who turned his heart from God by chasing after the idols of his heart. As an old man, Solomon reflected upon his sins and his reflections are recorded for us in Ecclesiastes, a book that begins with these words: And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted (Eccl. 1:1315). Here is how Solomon concluded in Ecclesiastes: Remember your Creator before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Eccl. 12:6-7, 1314) You, dear Christian, have something that Solomon did not have. You have Christ! You have been chosen before the foundation of the world by God the Father for Jesus the Son to be holy and blameless (1:4-6). You have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (1:7-12). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit through Christ as a child of God (1:13-14). You who were once dead in your sins, are now alive with Jesus and have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places all because of Christ! You are, His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). Therefore, you are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). How do you walk in a manner worthy of your calling? You do it within community as a member of the body of Christ who has been gifted to, encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Heb. 10:24-25). By doing this, we are better prepared to engage Gods mission to redeem the nations with the Gospel as His Church. We Live Rightly Under the Guiding Light of the Word of God How do we guard against the kinds of dangers we are warned about in the Bible such as apostatizing, which is a turning away from the one faith that unifies us that is the one faith in Jesus the Christ. In Christians circles the word apostasy has been sanitized and rebranded with a new word known as deconstructing. This is the very thing the apostle John warned about in his epistle: They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19).[1] So, how do we guard against falling away? How do we protect ourselves from the dangers of apostasy? The answer is before us in Ephesians 4:11-16. We already looked at verses 11-13 but let me briefly remind you why these verses are so helpful. Last week, I pointed out to you that the list in verse 11 is a list of five offices that Christ gifts to His Church, these offices are filled by those who are spiritually gifted persons, whose sole purpose has to do with the administration and distribution of the Word of God to the people of God. I explained why I believe the offices of Apostle and Prophet are offices no longer being filled today for they ceased with the death of the apostles. I showed you that based on what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:19-22, the offices of apostles and prophets are gifts we still benefit from through the foundation of the Word of God in the Old Testament (prophets) and New Testament (apostles and prophets). The offices of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are still being filled by Jesus with spiritually gifted people, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ (v. 12). For how long are those called to administer the Word of God to the People of God? The answer is in verse 13: until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. The goal is that the people of God would become full of the true and incomparable Jesus, and it is done through the faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God! On this point, Sinclair Ferguson said of the ministry of the Word of God: Its goal is not merely educational but transformational; it informs the mind in order to touch the conscience, mold the will, cleanse the affections and sanctify the whole life. The Word is thus allowed to do its own sanctifying work, as our Lord himself prayed: Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth (John 17:17). This requires intensive treatment.[2] We Live Rightly When We Grow into Maturity in Christ I believe what I am going to say next may be the most important thing you will hear today regarding your life as a Christian. The reason why Jesus has gifted His Church with Apostles (New Testament), prophets (Old Testament), evangelists, pastors, and teachers is so that you will not remain, children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (v. 14). The apostle Paul warns of the great danger we all face related to your growth and maturity as a Christian. The Greek word that Paul uses for children is nēpios, which is used to describe a nursing infant. When you become a Christian, you are what Jesus described as born again (see John 3:1-21). In Hebrews 5:13, the same Greek word Paul used in Ephesians 4:14 is used, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant (nēpios). But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil. (Heb. 5:1214) When you were made alive with Christ (2:5), you were born again. Like any newborn child, the only food that can be digested at first is milk, but if you never mature and move on to other types of food you will become sick and weak.According to Hebrews 5, the elementary principles of the actual words of God are the fundamentals of the Christian faith, necessary for a person to receive the good news of the gospel such as: The belief in Jesus Christ, as Gods only Son as our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.[3] However, if you do not grow up as a Christian and you continue to remain an infant that cannot handle anything other than spiritual milk you will be at severe risk of: 1) being carried about by every wind of doctrine, 2) the trickery of people, and 3) the craftiness in deceitful scheming. Infant Christians are gullible and unstable on their own feet. They can be easily knocked over, easily distracted, and are easily deceived because they lack discernment. Cults and false teachers will prey on the immature and will waste little time on the Christian who understands and knows the word of God. The Christian who remains an infant in his/her faith is usually unable to see through the deception of false teachers who pride themselves on things they claim have never been seen before or things in the Bible that have been long covered due to some crazy conspiracy. Behind every false teaching is the great deceiver of whom Jesus said, was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). To the Corinthian church, Paul warned the immature Christians: But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). Now listen to 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 in the New Living Translation, it does not comparatively do the best job with translating these verses, but it does really help us understand the danger that faces Christians who never grow beyond infancy: But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed (2 Cor. 11:34, NLT). Later in Ephesians Paul tells the Ephesian Christians to put on the full armor of God to stand against the same scheming that threatens Christians still in their infancy: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:1012). The focus of the enemy is deceive you into believing in a different Jesus and to isolate you from those within Jesus Church who can help you grow in the hope of your calling, which is, one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (4:4-6). The only way you will be able to stand on your own two spiritual feet is through a maturity that can only come by understanding the truth of Gods word within the community of Gods people. The goal in verse 13 is that we all attain the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. This is why Jesus gifts through the Holy Spirit apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the body of Christ so that we will grow as His body: The unity of the faith: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is both redeemer and Lord of His Church. The knowledge of the Son of God: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is all that He is as the Son of God, and any other Jesus presented outside of the scriptures is a Jesus who cannot save. Maturity as a follower of Jesus: That you, Christian will grow into a mature follower of the King of kings and Lord of lords and see Him for who He really is: The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13). The head of the Church has declared: I am the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:18). To become full of Christ: That you, Christian, will grow in such a way that you will become full of Christ, so that you are able to say with John the Baptist: He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). So how do we grow up in one faith? You do it by truthing in love together. Let me explain what I mean. Notice what Paul writes in verses 15-16: but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, from who the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. If we are going to grow up as Christians, we must be people of the truth of Gods word! You will not grow as a Christian apart from the truth of His word as it is read, studied, and received from the foundation of the apostles and prophets (the Bible) and administered through the faithful preaching and teaching of Gods word by evangelists, pastors, and teachers (4:11). However, the goal is not to fill your head with knowledge, but for the knowledge of Gods word to shape the way you live your life! There is one Greek word used for speaking the truth (alētheuō), and it literally means, be truthful. A better way to translate is, but truthing in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head. What is the point? The point is that the goal of understanding the Word of God is not only to grow in your understanding of the Bible but to live out that truth through your life as a follower of Jesus within the community of the body of Christ. According to verse 16, this is the ONLY way to grow as a Christian! Every person in the body of Christ has been called by God, redeemed by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of living within the community of those God has called, those whom Christ has redeemed, and those whom God has sealed with His Holy Spirit, and we live within the community of the redeemed while truthing in love. Listen, there is coming a day when the Church will be gathered in glory when every tribe and every tongue who experienced redemption through the precious blood of Jesus as the Lamb of God will celebrate Him not only as the Head of the Church, but the triumphant Lion of Judah, and we will celebrate His song that all of heaven will sing: And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. (Rev. 5:9-13) What other way is there to live in light of the reality of that truth but to do it by truthing in love together as His people and as the body of Christ? [1] See also 1 Tim. 1:18-20; Hebrews 6:1-8; 10:26-31; Matt. 7:21-23. [2] Sinclair B. Ferguson, Lets Study: Ephesians (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), p. 110-11. [3] Adapted from The Apostles Creed.

There have been men in my life whose influence had such a profound effect upon my life that had they not been a part of it, I would not be the man that I am today. These men include men whose lives continue to shape my life, men like Ralph Robinson and Ed HardestyRalph is home with Jesus and Ed is still faithfully teaching the Bible at a Bible college and faithfully preaches and shepherds at the church he planted years ago. There are others who I will leave unnamed who started out in ministry so well, but were derailed from ministry due to sexual immorality, some are out of the pastorate due to their own arrogance, and others have walked away from the faith all together. There are multiple examples of the way men and women of faith made a mess of their lives throughout the Bible, of all that have done so, none are more notable than King Solomon who turned his heart from God by chasing after the idols of his heart. As an old man, Solomon reflected upon his sins and his reflections are recorded for us in Ecclesiastes, a book that begins with these words: And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted (Eccl. 1:1315). Here is how Solomon concluded in Ecclesiastes: Remember your Creator before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Eccl. 12:6-7, 1314) You, dear Christian, have something that Solomon did not have. You have Christ! You have been chosen before the foundation of the world by God the Father for Jesus the Son to be holy and blameless (1:4-6). You have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (1:7-12). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit through Christ as a child of God (1:13-14). You who were once dead in your sins, are now alive with Jesus and have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places all because of Christ! You are, His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). Therefore, you are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). How do you walk in a manner worthy of your calling? You do it within community as a member of the body of Christ who has been gifted to, encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Heb. 10:24-25). By doing this, we are better prepared to engage Gods mission to redeem the nations with the Gospel as His Church. We Live Rightly Under the Guiding Light of the Word of God How do we guard against the kinds of dangers we are warned about in the Bible such as apostatizing, which is a turning away from the one faith that unifies us that is the one faith in Jesus the Christ. In Christians circles the word apostasy has been sanitized and rebranded with a new word known as deconstructing. This is the very thing the apostle John warned about in his epistle: They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19).[1] So, how do we guard against falling away? How do we protect ourselves from the dangers of apostasy? The answer is before us in Ephesians 4:11-16. We already looked at verses 11-13 but let me briefly remind you why these verses are so helpful. Last week, I pointed out to you that the list in verse 11 is a list of five offices that Christ gifts to His Church, these offices are filled by those who are spiritually gifted persons, whose sole purpose has to do with the administration and distribution of the Word of God to the people of God. I explained why I believe the offices of Apostle and Prophet are offices no longer being filled today for they ceased with the death of the apostles. I showed you that based on what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:19-22, the offices of apostles and prophets are gifts we still benefit from through the foundation of the Word of God in the Old Testament (prophets) and New Testament (apostles and prophets). The offices of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are still being filled by Jesus with spiritually gifted people, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ (v. 12). For how long are those called to administer the Word of God to the People of God? The answer is in verse 13: until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. The goal is that the people of God would become full of the true and incomparable Jesus, and it is done through the faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God! On this point, Sinclair Ferguson said of the ministry of the Word of God: Its goal is not merely educational but transformational; it informs the mind in order to touch the conscience, mold the will, cleanse the affections and sanctify the whole life. The Word is thus allowed to do its own sanctifying work, as our Lord himself prayed: Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth (John 17:17). This requires intensive treatment.[2] We Live Rightly When We Grow into Maturity in Christ I believe what I am going to say next may be the most important thing you will hear today regarding your life as a Christian. The reason why Jesus has gifted His Church with Apostles (New Testament), prophets (Old Testament), evangelists, pastors, and teachers is so that you will not remain, children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (v. 14). The apostle Paul warns of the great danger we all face related to your growth and maturity as a Christian. The Greek word that Paul uses for children is nēpios, which is used to describe a nursing infant. When you become a Christian, you are what Jesus described as born again (see John 3:1-21). In Hebrews 5:13, the same Greek word Paul used in Ephesians 4:14 is used, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant (nēpios). But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil. (Heb. 5:1214) When you were made alive with Christ (2:5), you were born again. Like any newborn child, the only food that can be digested at first is milk, but if you never mature and move on to other types of food you will become sick and weak.According to Hebrews 5, the elementary principles of the actual words of God are the fundamentals of the Christian faith, necessary for a person to receive the good news of the gospel such as: The belief in Jesus Christ, as Gods only Son as our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.[3] However, if you do not grow up as a Christian and you continue to remain an infant that cannot handle anything other than spiritual milk you will be at severe risk of: 1) being carried about by every wind of doctrine, 2) the trickery of people, and 3) the craftiness in deceitful scheming. Infant Christians are gullible and unstable on their own feet. They can be easily knocked over, easily distracted, and are easily deceived because they lack discernment. Cults and false teachers will prey on the immature and will waste little time on the Christian who understands and knows the word of God. The Christian who remains an infant in his/her faith is usually unable to see through the deception of false teachers who pride themselves on things they claim have never been seen before or things in the Bible that have been long covered due to some crazy conspiracy. Behind every false teaching is the great deceiver of whom Jesus said, was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him because he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). To the Corinthian church, Paul warned the immature Christians: But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). Now listen to 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 in the New Living Translation, it does not comparatively do the best job with translating these verses, but it does really help us understand the danger that faces Christians who never grow beyond infancy: But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed (2 Cor. 11:34, NLT). Later in Ephesians Paul tells the Ephesian Christians to put on the full armor of God to stand against the same scheming that threatens Christians still in their infancy: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:1012). The focus of the enemy is deceive you into believing in a different Jesus and to isolate you from those within Jesus Church who can help you grow in the hope of your calling, which is, one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (4:4-6). The only way you will be able to stand on your own two spiritual feet is through a maturity that can only come by understanding the truth of Gods word within the community of Gods people. The goal in verse 13 is that we all attain the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. This is why Jesus gifts through the Holy Spirit apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the body of Christ so that we will grow as His body: The unity of the faith: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is both redeemer and Lord of His Church. The knowledge of the Son of God: That you, Christian will continue to grow in your knowledge and understanding that Jesus is all that He is as the Son of God, and any other Jesus presented outside of the scriptures is a Jesus who cannot save. Maturity as a follower of Jesus: That you, Christian will grow into a mature follower of the King of kings and Lord of lords and see Him for who He really is: The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13). The head of the Church has declared: I am the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:18). To become full of Christ: That you, Christian, will grow in such a way that you will become full of Christ, so that you are able to say with John the Baptist: He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). So how do we grow up in one faith? You do it by truthing in love together. Let me explain what I mean. Notice what Paul writes in verses 15-16: but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, from who the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. If we are going to grow up as Christians, we must be people of the truth of Gods word! You will not grow as a Christian apart from the truth of His word as it is read, studied, and received from the foundation of the apostles and prophets (the Bible) and administered through the faithful preaching and teaching of Gods word by evangelists, pastors, and teachers (4:11). However, the goal is not to fill your head with knowledge, but for the knowledge of Gods word to shape the way you live your life! There is one Greek word used for speaking the truth (alētheuō), and it literally means, be truthful. A better way to translate is, but truthing in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head. What is the point? The point is that the goal of understanding the Word of God is not only to grow in your understanding of the Bible but to live out that truth through your life as a follower of Jesus within the community of the body of Christ. According to verse 16, this is the ONLY way to grow as a Christian! Every person in the body of Christ has been called by God, redeemed by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of living within the community of those God has called, those whom Christ has redeemed, and those whom God has sealed with His Holy Spirit, and we live within the community of the redeemed while truthing in love. Listen, there is coming a day when the Church will be gathered in glory when every tribe and every tongue who experienced redemption through the precious blood of Jesus as the Lamb of God will celebrate Him not only as the Head of the Church, but the triumphant Lion of Judah, and we will celebrate His song that all of heaven will sing: And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. (Rev. 5:9-13) What other way is there to live in light of the reality of that truth but to do it by truthing in love together as His people and as the body of Christ? [1] See also 1 Tim. 1:18-20; Hebrews 6:1-8; 10:26-31; Matt. 7:21-23. [2] Sinclair B. Ferguson, Lets Study: Ephesians (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), p. 110-11. [3] Adapted from The Apostles Creed.

Willie is using an AI voice to continue this podcast because it is long.   We live in a mean old world got politicians that advocate racism. We have talk show hosts that continue to add fuel to the fire of racism. We have our military that is being destroyed from higher up being forced out because they refused to take a COVID vaccine shot that is incredibly sad at how our defense is being weakened by leaders. we live in a mean, mean old world yes, meanness it is all around us be it in elementary schools, high schools' colleges an as well within the political world. instead of our politicians coming together, they act like little children at play, very infantile, very childish. Instead of them trying to pull this nation together, this nation it is divided it has started from the top down. I will continue to pray for my nation, but this is the will of God.  No, I am not going to preteen that I am not against same-sex attraction, racism I am against anti-American groups, I am against prejudice, I am against child trafficking, yes, I am against a lot of. I will continue to pray then this world will wake up.  God would like all men to come to him through his loving son Jesus Christ. We must repent, and God knows America, this nation needs to repent and surrender unto Christ. We live in a mean old world as a Christian.  I am going to stand firm in my faith, I am not afraid I am not ashamed of the gospel I am not ashamed to profess Christ as my Lord and savior. I am going to stand firm I am going to be steadfast and be unmovable now what does this mean. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV). This verse concludes a chapter that details the future resurrection of our earthly bodies. Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to remain faithful to everything he had taught them.  When we see the word therefore in Scripture, we should always back up to see why it is there: what is the "therefore" there for? The word usually indicates a summation of what was previously stated. In this case, Paul addresses those who had fallen away from his original teaching on the resurrection. They were embracing heresy and introducing destructive ideas contrary to the gospel. That is what is going on in this world right here in now. Paul restates the truth of Jesus' death for sin and bodily resurrection and then exhorts them to remain firm in that teaching. And we as Christians need to stand firm in a Christian in the teaching of Christ. Yes, we live in a mean old world it is no doubt about that. And I am not going to lie Satan is using uh leaders as his minions to destroy America. to be steadfast and unmovable is to be spiritually grounded. A steadfast person knows what he believes and cannot be "tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching" (Ephesians 4:14) and what is going on right now in America will I be taught being taught that bad is good and being right is wrong. An unmovable person can hear false teaching, engage doubters, and defend truth without it shaking his own faith. In his other epistle to Corinth, Paul expresses his concern for this church: "I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3)I do believe we as American citizens we're being led astray from the word of God. Even believers who had been personally taught by the apostle Paul were victims of deception. How much more vulnerable are we in today's society. So yes, I am going to stand firm in my face I am going to main steadfast unmovable, and I am going to continue two live in God's word then I am going to continue dig deeper and deeper into God's word. To remain steadfast and unmovable we must know the Word of God. Second Timothy 2:15 says, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately managing the word of truth" (NASB). To accurately manage the word of truth, we must not only read the Bible, but we must allow it to become part of us. The Bible the true living breathing word of God Its truth should so penetrate our minds and hearts that it shapes our thinking and our actions. It should so fill our minds that we can detect error when we hear it.and we should not be afraid to correct that error when we hear it. Satan uses Scripture for his own purposes, twisting it to sound as though it says something it does not say (Luke 4:9–11). If we have not been diligent in our study and meditation on truth, we are vulnerable to error. The false religions of the world can be persuasive when they quote Bible verses to support their error. yes, we have had presidents that have done this try to quote Bible verses to support their failure in their errors.  Even Christians can be duped by smooth-sounding heresy if they do not have a solid grounding in the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). It is God's desire that we grow daily in our understanding of Him and His Word so that we will remain faithful to the end (John 8:31; 2 Peter 1:2; 3:18; 1 John 2:24). It doesn't matter well your pastor elder a churchgoing member we can all be tricked but tricks other enemy and I'm going to do my best to stand firm in God's word I'm going to pray for our leaders I'm going to pray for the Christians I'm going to pray for believers and non-believers  yes this is going to be an empty podcast but I'm not ashamed of the gospel we live in a mean old world.

Heart to Heart - Download and listen to a powerful morning devotion from Pastor Harold speaking about the golden calf, the presence of God could be seen still Israel sinned, get rid of your idols and serve God - Its time, are you ready?

How can we have fellowship with God? Its an important question. Dr. McGee shares two methods believers often try to get close to God, but dont work; then he tells us more about the importance of confessing our sins so we can be restored to the Father.

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 24:28 Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. 29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” So there is some good instruction to us here for relationships. First, “Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause”. Are there times we should be a witness against our neighbor? Sure murder, abuse, theft… and other things… We are called to take a stand against wickedness in a million different ways… However not all of them need be us being a witness to the authorities against our neighbor… Most of the time we are called to be a witness to our neighbor about things true and good for their peace one on one in personal conversation. Most importantly how Jesus is the good new of great joy for them… That is being a witness directly to them with cause. But I really think the writer is simply saying don’t make accusations against your neighbor unless it is for good. Dont go stirring up trouble unless it is going to be for good and for Gods glory. Next the writer says: “and do not deceive with your lips”. So don’t make up things about your neighbor… Dont put them down or slight them to others… Dont be a complainer about them or a gossiper… Finally it says: 29 “Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” In Matthew 7 Jesus tells us the same thing not in the negative saying what we should not do but in the positive… Heres the way he says it. Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. If your neighbor has harmed you in some way… don’t do to them as they have done to you… rather show forgiveness and love the way the Lord has done for you. Actually in Matthew 7 before Jesus said how we should love others he tells how God wants to do us good and not evil. He is our example. Matthew 7:9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! … Then in verse 13 Jesus tells us about the best and greatest good thing that the Father gives those who have been given eyes to see what we should seek and ask for. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. What is this narrow gate and how narrow is it really? It is only Jesus… It is not ourselves with all our effort to do good works… It is not buddha or mohammed or any way of thinking or doing… Its the one promised to bruise the head of the serpent when Adam and Eve believed him over God… Its the one who lived a perfect sinless life and did not have to pay the wages of sin which is death… Its the one who chose to die anyway not for his sin but ours. He is the one who imputes his righteousness to all who will delight in him, giving us fellowship with God. He is the one who defeated death on the third day and gives us the same power that raised him from the dead to have victory over sin as we walk with him. And as in his resurrection we will be raised up incorruptible forever with him no more submissive to sin with the death and sorrow and pain it brings. So who is and how narrow is this gate: Jesus answers that question in: John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Pray

Jesus’ Temptation and Calling Disciples Last week: 3 signs at Jesus’ baptism: • Son baptized, heavens opened, Spirit descended, Father spoke from heaven • John’s msg: make room for Jesus – your time, heart, and mind Mark 1:12-13 The Temptation of Jesus v.12. “Immediately” used roughly 40 times in Mark’s gospel. The first act of Jesus’ calling is to face God’s enemy, Satan, lit. “adversary” “The Spirit” “drove him” to confront Satan. At Jesus’s baptism, God declared Jesus as his beloved Son. Will Jesus use his divine Sonship for his own advantage or submit to God? Testing in the Wilderness • Jesus in the wilderness 40 days • Israel in the wilderness 40 yrs • Moses on Mt Sinai 40 days • Elijah led to Mt Horeb 40 days The wilderness was a test of faithfulness and a promise of deliverance. They all faced temptation. God did not abandon them. Angels ministered to Jesus, God led Israel and provided food and water. He will provide for you in the wilderness. Mark may have been written from Rome during Nero’s persecution of Christians. They may have known believers who were faced wild animals in the coliseum. God did not abandon any of these in the wilderness. Jesus as the Second Adam Adam was tempted and sinned. Jesus was tempted, yet did not sin. Adam sinned in paradise and was expelled to the wilderness. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness to bring his own into paradise. Adam sinned and brought death. Jesus’ sinlessness brings life. (1 Cor 15:22) The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work (1 Jn 3:8) Mark 1:14-15 Jesus Begins His Ministry v.14. “The arrest of John and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry are intentionally correlated to show that: The gospel is proclaimed & known in adversity & suffering, not in ease & comfort.” John was forerunner of Jesus not only in his message, but also in his fate, which includes suffering and death. The Kingdom of God • Its time has come – The time is fulfilled. God has brought the time of prophecy of Jesus to a close. and has inaugurated the final phase of human history. • It has God as its King (rightfully as Creator) • It has come near – with the person of Jesus Christ • Entry requires repentance of sin and belief in the gospel Mark 1:16-20 Jesus Calls the First Disciples Three Aspects of Discipleship 1. It is a call to follow Jesus himself Rabbis called people to follow their teaching, philosophers their thinking Jesus, said, “come, follow me” Christian discipleship always points to a relationship with Jesus Christ. 2. It is a call to service We are called to serve God and others, not ourselves. We are called to bring others into relationship with Christ. 3. It is to form a fellowship – with Jesus at the center of a community of believers “The seeds of the Christian church originated in the first act of Jesus’ ministry as he called four fishermen into community with himself.” – J.R Edwards Jesus did not call the educated, the great thinkers or leaders, but 4 ordinary men. Jesus calls and uses ordinary people to advance his king.

What happens when you meet God? Its scary! You end up on the ground! But then Jesus speaks. And amazing things happen. Listen to this week's sermon from Pastor Greg Alms.

Are you there God? Its me, Hannah, and I'm about to poop my pants at Ralphs.

How do you get right with God? Its not by works, not by circumcision or following the law but by Faith and trusting in God.

Before the Throne Living Out Our Role as Worshippers of the King What is worship? What does it mean to worship God? Its more than 3 songs on Sunday or listening to Christian radio in the car. Its discovering God as our King and honoring him in every area of our lives. When we read about worship in the Bible it wasn’t a service attended once a week; it was a lifestyle! In this series we’ll explore Who it is we worship and what that looks like personally and corporately, and how a life before the throne will radically transform us.

Before the Throne | Living Out Our Role as Worshippers of the King What is worship? What does it mean to worship God? Its more than 3 songs on Sunday or listening to Christian radio in the car. Its discovering God as our King and honoring him in every area of our lives. When we read about worship in the Bible it wasn’t a service attended once a week; it was a lifestyle! In this series we’ll explore Who it is we worship and what that looks like personally and corporately, and how a life before the throne will radically transform us.

Before the Throne | Living Out Our Role as Worshippers of the King What is worship? What does it mean to worship God? Its more than 3 songs on Sunday or listening to Christian radio in the car. Its discovering God as our King and honoring him in every area of our lives. When we read about worship in the Bible it wasn’t a service attended once a week; it was a lifestyle! In this series we’ll explore Who it is we worship and what that looks like personally and corporately, and how a life before the throne will radically transform us.

Before the Throne | Living Out Our Role as Worshippers of the King What is worship? What does it mean to worship God? Its more than 3 songs on Sunday or listening to Christian radio in the car. Its discovering God as our King and honoring him in every area of our lives. When we read about worship in the Bible it wasn’t a service attended once a week; it was a lifestyle! In this series we’ll explore Who it is we worship and what that looks like personally and corporately, and how a life before the throne will radically transform us.

Before the Throne -Living Out Our Role as Worshippers of the King What is worship? What does it mean to worship God? Its more than 3 songs on Sunday or listening to Christian radio in the car. Its discovering God as our King and honoring him in every area of our lives. When we read about worship in the Bible it wasn’t a service attended once a week; it was a lifestyle! In this series we’ll explore Who it is we worship and what that looks like personally and corporately, and how a life before the throne will radically transform us.

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. (Rev. 21: 2)The 2010 World Expo is being held in Shanghai, and the event theme is Better City, Better Life, The Expo kicks off on May 1, a perfect theme to connect with this text from Revelation. There has never been a human soul steeped in the human condition who has not longed for a radically new world. With God at the center, such a new world is possible. Are we willing to build a life, a city, around God? Its the only way to better.