Podcasts about great commission go

We all know the Great Commission—“Go and make disciples…”—but what is the mandate of the Gospel? In today's Rise Up, Fr. Jonathan Meyer unpacks the deeper command Jesus gives us in John 15: to love one another.   Real love doesn't happen while rushing, multitasking, or checking off a to-do list. It takes time, attention, and presence. If we truly want to live the Gospel, we must slow down, declutter our lives, and spend time with God and with others.  

Support Conway tabernacle through online giving:https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=b4ea3117-4ed7-4c98-b00d-1037fee72856Follow Not Gospel Studios YouTube to stay up to date on original music, books, podcast, and a streaming webs-series and Christian mokumenterary series (BIG little Church). Listen to the Not Gospel Podcast everywhere Podcasts are streamed!Spotify @  shorturl.at/egET0Player FM @ https://player.fm/series/2976179Apple Podcasts @  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Please LIKE my pages and Follow!Stay up to date on my website www.wordsbycliff.comFollow me on: Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/NotGospelbyC...Amazon @ shorturl.at/moHP8Man Of God Paperback available NOW!The Greatest Election Of All TimeThe pulpit is not the place for politics.*Not for winning arguments.*Sharing personal ideology.*Not for grand-standing or campaigning for political candidatesThe pulpit is for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.*Edifying and uplifting the saints.*Where discipleship happens.*Where people come to be fed the bread of life.*To drink from the waters that never run dry. (John 4:10)*Preacher is a beggar. To be a conduit through which the Holy Spirit can work. Scripture text: Judges 9:8-15The “attractiveness” of divine purpose. *The olive tree, the fig tree, and the grape vine.The 3 trees new it would be a step down from their “Divine Purpose” to rule over the trees.  –WHAT IS  DIVINE PURPOSE?—Divine Purpose is the reason for the gifts and talents that God has given an individual. It is the way in which an individual fulfills their calling. It's what he or she was made for. So why did the bramble say yes?The Bramble understood that its purpose was inconsequential to reigning over all the other trees. Swaying over trees would be an upgrade.Does every Christian have a divine purpose?The call of every Christian is in Matthew 28:19-20 “The Great Commission”“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”The way in which God has designed a Christian to employ their gifts and talents to fulfill the Great Commission, is their divine purpose.What does this have to do with an election?*Political elections cannot be about moral posturing.*Christians cannot look to political leaders, for spiritual counsel. Political elections can only be about the policies of law that draw more closely in line and cause less conflict with our Christian Values.Unless they are using their platform to lead people to Jesus Christ, political leaders are BRAMBLES.*My candidate won. But he's still a bramble.Picture Inauguration Day*Every eye will be watching the president. Some in hate, some in indifference, some in celebration.If he's not a bramble, then the first words out of his mouth behind that “Pulpit” will be Jesus Christ is Lord. Repent and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Trade this corruptible flesh for an incorruptible eternal reward. #betterlife #christiancomedian #biblestudy #creation #election2024  #sundayschool #christianpodcast #biblecommentary #election #notgospel #hoggospel #devotional 

What is the difference between a mission and a vision? Six weeks ago I kicked off our series “We Are Cities Church” by talking all about our mission, and today I'm gonna close the series talking all about our vision — and so what's the difference between those two words? When we talk about mission, we're talking about what we're sent to do.Vision is what it looks like if we get it done.Mission is assignment, vision is success.Mission is action, vision is the result of you fulfilling the action.So, let me connect this to our passage this morning, Revelation 7, verses 9–12.Revelation 7 ConnectionThe whole Book of Revelation is basically all vision (John is describing what he sees in the future, and the purpose is to encourage us). So in Revelation 7, notice what he sees, verse 9:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”This is a scene. John has seen this, and we're supposed to see it with him. That's what vision does. Vision is meant to be envisioned.So what are we envisioning here? What do we see?It's a crowd of people from all over the world — every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages are altogether. And what are they doing altogether?They're saying with a loud voice, verse 10:“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”These people are saying this to the Lamb, before his throne — and the Lamb, of course, is Jesus. So see this: these people are worshipping Jesus along with the heavenly host.Who again are these people?They're people from all nations worshiping Jesus. Revelation 7 is a vision of Jesus-worshipers from all nations. Can you see it?Back to Matthew 28This vision is the result of some action that's been fulfilled. But what action? What assignment must have been done in order for there to be Jesus-worshipers from all nations?Oh, we know this one! Matthew 28:19, the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”See that's the mission! That's what the church is supposed to do — make disciples of all nations — and when the church is ultimately successful, when the church gets that done (which she will get done!), these disciples of Jesus from all nations will be worshipers of Jesus from all nations forever.The disciple-making mission of Matthew 28 is what leads to the Jesus-worshiping vision of Revelation 7.What you do — mission; what it looks like when it's done — vision.In the ultimate sense, Matthew 28 and Revelation 7 is our church's mission and vision. And it's the mission and vision of every faithful local church. This is non-negotiable. To be a real church means to exist with the mission to make disciples of Jesus for the vision of Jesus being worshiped forever.That's why we're here. And we are here.Applied Here and NowWe live in a particular place and time — we live within a particular culture with it's particular challenges and opportunities. The “first half of the 21st century in the Twin Cities” has its unique provisions and needs, resources and limitations, blessings and burdens. And the question is: How do we apply that non-negotiable mission and vision to when and where we are?Well when it comes to our mission, we've tried to capture that with more details in the form of a statement. What do we mean exactly when we say “make disciples”? We mean that we want to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life. And that word “disciple” includes a four-fold calling:We are Jesus worshipersWe are joyful servantsWe are generous disciplersWe are welcoming witnessesThese are the kind of disciples we want to be and make. This is our mission. And when it comes to our vision — that Jesus is worshiped forever — how does that look now? How does that future reality get reflected here?That's what I want to tell you in this sermon. With the Book of Revelation as our ultimate vision, I want to show you five facts about our vision here. And these facts are not part of a statement — I don't expect you to memorize these things — but I'm trying to paint a picture for you. This is what it would look like if we are effective in making joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life.1. We are a healthy, vibrant church entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. Again, this is something you have to imagine. We're talking about a vibe here. And the vibe is that we are a happy people. It's something that you just feel in the air when you're here and you're around us. We have joy — and it's not joy in our circumstances, because those are changing everyday — but we have joy down deep in our souls because God loves us. And we know God loves us because he has proven it to us — it's that when we were still sinners, dead in our sins and undeserving of anything good, Jesus Christ died for us. Jesus took the punishment for our sins! Jesus removed all of our guilt and shame! And on the third day, he was raised from the dead. Jesus has secured our eternal life and freedom in him. He has given us his Spirit as our Helper, to guide us in his truth. Jesus has drawn us into the joyous fellowship that he has had with the Father before the foundations of the world.We are now “in on” the divine smile that is behind everything.And do you know what that means? It means that we can smile here.Hey, it's gonna be okay. We are the richest people in the world! Did you know that even the hard things in your life are being used by God for your ultimate good? Look, there's not a hair that falls from your head without the will of your Father in heaven, in fact, all things must work together for your salvation! God sees you and knows you and loves you, and he wants you to know that he loves you. Because the more you are assured of his love for you (and how much you don't deserve it), then the more you're gonna be humbled and filled with joy, and then the more you're gonna be poured out in love, and this all amounts to magnifying the glory of God. And that's the point!The purpose behind it all is that God's glory be magnified in our being satisfied in all that he is for us in Jesus.We're a happy people because we have God — “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy!” (Psalm 43:4)Can you see it? We are a healthy, vibrant church entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. Also …2. We are deepening our knowledge of God for a life of faithful discipleship and gospel advance.We're a people happy in God, and we're a people who seek him.“4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation … (Psalm 25:4–5).We want to know God and the ways of God, because our faith is according to knowledge. The more we know about God, the more we can trust him. This is why Jesus says that making disciples means that we teach one another all that he has commanded us. We're supposed to learn together how to follow Jesus.So get this: we don't learn to get fat heads. The end-goal is not what you know, but it's who you are becoming, shaped by who you know. Christ clear for Christlikeness.We will be a well-taught church, able to discern truth from error, not tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of human doctrine, but we're gonna speak the truth in love and we are gonna be transformed (see Ephesians 4:14–16). We are a truth-telling outpost that serves as a refuge from the world of lies that surrounds us, but even more than that, we are a church that lives in the wonder of who God is. Yes, we will defend God's truth, but first we are amazed by God's truth! This is what The Cities Institute is trying to do.It's a recovery project to bring back the primacy of teaching in the local church, because that is the church's history. In the earliest days of the church, people were coming to Christ from all kinds of different religious backgrounds. That's what mission to the Gentile world meant. You had all the pagans who were getting saved and they had no Bible background. And so the church realized: if we don't teach these people sound theology, they're gonna mix some stuff up and eventually it's going to ruin our witness, so the early church had a “teach or die” mindset. They were just listening to Jesus, because Jesus said to teach. That's part of what discipleship is. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to seek to know God, to be amazed by him and transformed by him, to faithfully follow Jesus and be his witnesses.Do you see it? We are deepening our knowledge of God for a life of faithful discipleship and gospel advance. 3. We are actively organizing our lives to share our joy in Jesus with others. One of the great things about church planting is that sharing the gospel is on the front-burner of how you live. Every encounter with other people could turn into a spiritual conversation. You know God ordains divine appointments, and so you're just looking for them. I remember when we first moved into our current neighborhood. It was 12 years ago — Elizabeth was five. Melissa and I taught her that the reason we lived where we did was to tell our neighbors about God. I remember Elizabeth actually told our neighbors that. Not kidding. People would be out walking their dog out in front of our house and Elizabeth would be like “Hey, we're here to tell you about God.” And it was true! And all of us thought that way. But here's the thing: we're all just so busy now. There's so much going on, and over time, sharing Jesus is not on the front-burner, but it gets moved to the back, over to the side, and before you know it, you're just running through the motions like every other lost person in these cities. I'm not saying don't be involved in stuff — be involved, plug in, be active, but do it as a Christian. Everywhere we go we are a welcoming witness to Jesus Christ. We are opening wide our arms to make Jesus known, which means we want to double our joy. I remember a story years ago that Pastor John Piper told about his dad. His dad was a passionate evangelist who had been in ministry for decades, and one day, toward the end of his life, Pastor John asked him, “What the key to your joy?” How have you remained so happy for so long?And his dad said: “soul winning.” Leading other people to Jesus.See, when you're happy in Jesus, you wanna share that happiness with others, and when you do, your happiness doubles and deepens. It's like a fountain that just keeps overflowing.We say to God, Psalm 4:7, “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound!”And that's never gonna satisfy them, I want them to have this joy that I have in you!That's the prayer we take everywhere we go. That's what we're looking to do … in our neighborhoods, and in our work relationships, and at those school events, and through all those youth sports — we want to share Jesus. We want more people to be happy in God. And they will be.Through our witness, more and more people will trust in Jesus and be baptized. Because baptism is that symbol. Jesus gave us baptism as the way to declare that we are alive in him. And right now we have baptisms three or four times a year, but what if we had baptisms 12 times a year? What if so many people start coming to Christ through our witness that we start having “Baptism Sundays” every month!Can you see it? — we are actively organizing our lives to share our joy in Jesus with others. Also…4. We are deliberate to invest in the faith of future generations.We believe children matter. All children matter: pre-born children, little children, growing children. Children matter and families matter. And we all believe this whether we're unmarried or married, have a house full of kids or no kids at all, whether we're empty-nesters or newly-weds — we all share this conviction because of the Bible.And when we think about where we're headed as a church, I don't know if there's anything more important to remember than this: At some point, we're going to be handing the torch to our children. And we need to be preparing for that hand-off now. This is a new way of thinking for us compared to how we thought ten years ago when we first planted this church. When you're planting a church, you're just trying to get off the ground. You're starting something brand-new and that takes a lot of attention, and so we poured a lot into that, and we also had kids so we did ask: “Hey, what do we do with the kids?” But see, that's not the question we're asking anymore. In those early years, we were trying to build something, and we thought What about our children? — but now we're trying to build something for our children. Does that make sense?We're better now at thinking more long-term. And that's certainly the case with this steeple project. What we've done here is no “flash in the pan” restoration, but we've done it the way we have for our children's children. That's the way we're thinking now. We're building something for future generations. We're investing in the faith of those who will come after us.And this is something that comes naturally to women as cultivators and nurturers, but now this is something our men must think more about as builders. I just had a conversation last week with a few of our men in their thirties; they're all business leaders who've been transformed by Jesus; and they want to use their skills and expertise to start companies and create jobs and to build a legacy of generosity. See, it's thinking big picture. Long-term. I heard a story years ago about the Reformer Martin Luther, and I can't actually verify that this conversation really happened, but supposedly, somewhere at some point, Luther was out walking with some of his students one day, it was a beautiful fall day like today, and little Hans spoke up and said, “Herr Doktor, if you knew that the world would go to pieces tomorrow, what would you do today?”And Luther looked at him with a smile and said, “I would plant an apple tree.”His point was that he would do something most of which would not immediately, directly benefit himself — he wouldn't sit under the shade of that tree and he wouldn't eat any of its apples — but those who come after him would. And that's how we're thinking now. Can you see it? — we are deliberate to invest in the faith of future generations. And speaking of planting, fifth and final:5. We are a healthy, vibrant church with a high priority and capacity to multiply more churches in the Twin Cities who are entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. In other words, we are a church who plants more churches like ours here.Since the very beginning, this has been the way we talk about vision. We want to multiply people, multiply Community Groups, multiply churches. And overall, to date, we've sent out six church planting couples to start new work, and countless couples to support new work. And I miss these people. Our budget misses these people. But we believe in Spirit-led sending — it's a value of ours — and we want to do more of it. Wherever you wanna go in the name of Jesus, we're gonna get behind you!And when it comes to our vision for here and now, it's to plant more churches in the Twin Cities metro, and there are a few reasons why:1. Growth leads to spreading.We learn this from nature. As an oak tree grows and matures and is healthy, it produces more oak trees. There comes a point when that oak tree itself is not going to get any higher and wider — it's solid and full and maxed — but it's got these acorns, and that's what will make the one tree become two and three and four — this is where forests come from. And that's the way we see it here. We're gonna use every square inch of this building for our church — and we do have some room, and we will make some room — but we want to see God work in the lives of more people than we can fit in here. So we're gonna multiply this and do it more places than just here. We've been planted, rooted, and now we're branching out.2. Spreading (or multiplication) makes a bigger impact than centralization.One strategy might be to move this whole thing to a third-ring suburb, get a smoke machine, and try to triple our size. See, this is the thinking: let's just make this bigger, whatever it takes (it's centralization). But that's not the long-term thinking. Multiplication, not centralization, makes a bigger impact for a longer period of time. We want Jesus to be impossible to ignore in the Twin Cities. If you come to these cities, we want it to be Jesus in your face. And you may not believe him — like our state government right now you may reject him — but you will not be able to ignore him, and you will recognize that these cities are saturated with churches of men and women and boys and girls who believe and live like Jesus is real. Multiplication.3. Planting reminds us that this whole thing is so much bigger than us.This vision to plant more churches in the Twin Cities is both impossible and possible at different levels. At the level of impossibility, it's just us. I don't know about you, but every morning I wake up I'm just happy to be here for another day. I made it for another one! That's a lot of us, right? We're just trying to survive — I'm just trying to get my kids to school on time and not forget that they have to be picked up — and here I am talking about starting a multiplying church planting movement that aims to make more people happy in Jesus forever — it feels impossible, at one level.But then at another level, we remember God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do no exist, and he is often pleased to bring his people to places where he must be who he says he is. …It is possible with God that he put it in the heart of a man and his wife to lead a new church plant, and then that he'd put it in the hearts of others who would plant with them. It is possible that they could build a team of 20-30 people who would want to branch out and be a new church. God could do that — God could do it once, twice, six times, fifty times — north, south, east, west — and before you know it, there is a movement of churches everywhere you look in these cities entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. Can you see it? Impossible, and possible — and certainly way bigger than us. That's where I want to live. Don't you? If we're going to multiply, we need God to be God!That's our vision, church — but remember it's our vision here and now, until Jesus comes back. We can't forget the ultimate vision.Longing for New JerusalemThere may be just a few of you in here who were there on December 14, 2014. We were less than a month away from officially becoming a church, right at the starting line, and we had a meeting in the cafeteria at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. And I gave a short message about our vision and I want to read to you what I said. Here are the exact words from December 14, 2014:Church plants can be high-adrenaline work. Many of us have been meeting since August, others since March, and some have been dreaming of this thing for five years, and we are getting close. I mean, this event right now [in the cafeteria] is a testimony to God's faithfulness to us, to his blessing on this vision and this church and what we want to do in the Twin Cities for his name. And with all this waiting and anticipation, with Cities Church just about to get off the ground, let me remind us (me!), that we have not arrived. That is the temptation, you know. As God blesses this thing, and we pray he does, there is going to be this subtle thing that happens where we want to start patting our ourselves on the back. We're going to feel like we've made it! Here we are! This is the dream! But no, it's not. Because, you see, our goal — our ultimate goal — is not a new church plant, but a new Jerusalem.Amen to that ten years later. And may we say that ten more years from now, and ten more years from then — and if Jesus hasn't come back yet, may our children's children say that! Because what we most want to see…a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”Jesus-worshipers from all nations. That is where we're headed, Cities Church. That is what we want. And that's what brings us to the Table.The TableHere at this Table we remember the death of Jesus for us, and we give him thanks. We come to this table to rest in him and to worship him together. And because of what this table means, it's only for those who trust in Jesus. If you're a Christian, we invite you eat and drink with us. But if you've not yet trusted in Jesus, let the elements pass, but look: you can become a Christian this morning, if you just put your faith in Jesus. Right now, turn from your sin, and ask Jesus to save you.

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL AUDIO MESSAGE) PLEASE DONATE VIA AWFTL WEBSITE & SECURE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION (NCF): DONATE. (NOTE: Instructions for donations to A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) via check are below. For all contributions, we are a 501 [c][3] charity for your tax purposes.) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word, through Gospel-focused messages, delivered to large numbers of people for whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel MINUTE Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. The vast majority of people in the “Gospel Gap” will never attend a Church without being “preconditioned” through an encounter with the Holy Spirit (e.g., hearing the Lord's Word directly targeted media) because “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”. (Romans 10:17).; and, in their current state, they see church and Christianity offering them nothing of value for their life. AWFTL:  A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL VIA CHECK OR ONLINE: You can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) through this link: (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ). Also, you can send a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655.

We Need Your Help, Today, to Support A Word From The Lord's Mission (SPECIAL 2-MINUTE VIDEO from Dr. Beach) PLEASE DONATE VIA AWFTL WEBSITE & SECURE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION (NCF): DONATE. (NOTE: Instructions for donations to A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) via check are below. For all contributions, we are a 501 [c][3] charity for your tax purposes.) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word, through Gospel-focused messages, delivered to large numbers of people for whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel MINUTE Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. The vast majority of people in the “Gospel Gap” will never attend a Church without being “preconditioned” through an encounter with the Holy Spirit (e.g., hearing the Lord's Word directly targeted media) because “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”. (Romans 10:17).; and, in their current state, they see church and Christianity offering them nothing of value for their life. AWFTL:  A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL VIA CHECK OR ONLINE: You can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) through this link: (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ). Also, you can send a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655.

We Need Your Help, Today, to Support A Word From The Lord's Mission (SPECIAL 2-MINUTE VIDEO from Dr. Beach) PLEASE DONATE VIA AWFTL WEBSITE & SECURE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION (NCF): DONATE. (NOTE: Instructions for donations to A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) via check are below. For all contributions, we are a 501 [c][3] charity for your tax purposes.) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word, through Gospel-focused messages, delivered to large numbers of people for whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel MINUTE Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. The vast majority of people in the “Gospel Gap” will never attend a Church without being “preconditioned” through an encounter with the Holy Spirit (e.g., hearing the Lord's Word directly targeted media) because “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”. (Romans 10:17).; and, in their current state, they see church and Christianity offering them nothing of value for their life. AWFTL:  A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL VIA CHECK OR ONLINE: You can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) through this link: (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ). Also, you can send a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655.

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL 1-MINUTE VIDEO) PLEASE DONATE VIA AWFTL WEBSITE & SECURE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION (NCF): DONATE. (NOTE: Instructions for donations to A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) via check are below. For all contributions, we are a 501 [c][3] charity for your tax purposes.) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word, through Gospel-focused messages, delivered to large numbers of people for whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel MINUTE Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. The vast majority of people in the “Gospel Gap” will never attend a Church without being “preconditioned” through an encounter with the Holy Spirit (e.g., hearing the Lord's Word directly targeted media) because “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”. (Romans 10:17).; and, in their current state, they see church and Christianity offering them nothing of value for their life. AWFTL:  A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL VIA CHECK OR ONLINE: You can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) through this link: (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ). Also, you can send a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655.

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL AUDIO) PLEASE DONATE VIA AWFTL WEBSITE & SECURE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION (NCF): DONATE. (NOTE: Instructions for donations to A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) via check are below. For all contributions, we are a 501 [c][3] charity for your tax purposes.) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word, through Gospel-focused messages, delivered to large numbers of people for whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel MINUTE Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. The vast majority of people in the “Gospel Gap” will never attend a Church without being “preconditioned” through an encounter with the Holy Spirit (e.g., hearing the Lord's Word directly targeted media) because “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”. (Romans 10:17).; and, in their current state, they see church and Christianity offering them nothing of value for their life. AWFTL:  A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL VIA CHECK OR ONLINE: You can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) through this link: (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ). Also, you can send a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655.

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL 1-MINUTE VIDEO) PLEASE DONATE VIA AWFTL WEBSITE & SECURE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION (NCF): DONATE. (NOTE: Instructions for donations to A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) via check are below. For all contributions, we are a 501 [c][3] charity for your tax purposes.) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word, through Gospel-focused messages, delivered to large numbers of people for whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel MINUTE Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. The vast majority of people in the “Gospel Gap” will never attend a Church without being “preconditioned” through an encounter with the Holy Spirit (e.g., hearing the Lord's Word directly targeted media) because “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”. (Romans 10:17).; and, in their current state, they see church and Christianity offering them nothing of value for their life. AWFTL:  A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL VIA CHECK OR ONLINE: You can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) through this link: (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ). Also, you can send a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655.

Going heavy on this Resurrection Sunday.   Why did He come?   For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.  Luke 19:10   A challenge to do better.   J.O.Y.    Great Commission: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,   Greatest Commandments: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40).   Kenn@speaklifechurch.net  kenn.blanchard@gmail.com  

Go. Make. Teach. That’s what Jesus called his followers to do. And that’s exactly what’s happening today in Cuba.

John Lanchbury | 2 Kings 6:15-17 | Matthew 28:16-20  When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?' the servant asked. ‘Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha. To human eyes, there seemed no way out for Elisha and his servant: a city besieged. Although we too may face hard battles, the reality is that God is with us through every trial. And Jesus promises to be with us as we carry out the Great Commission: ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.' John reminds us that we don't carry out this task as individuals, but as part of a worldwide body of believers. Each of us has our part to play, at the right time and place. The recording begins with the readings from James Williams. An edited video recording of the Sunday service (which contains some material that can't be included in the audio) can be viewed on YouTube.

Brandon Steele | 08.13.23 | ethoschurch.org

This morning, Clayton Riddle looks at "The Great Commission" from Matthew 28:16-20 and focuses on the the phrase "Go". Where do we need to be sent (overseas, or where we live?), and what is the holy spirit challenging us to be involved with God's work today? Where is God sending us? Recorded on 14th May 2023.

The essence of the Christian Life is to be disciples who live the Great Commandments to love God supremely, and love neighbors as self: and the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). Today, we discover that this is God's plan to reach our community, and His world with the gospel.

The essence of the Christian Life is to be disciples who live the Great Commandments to love God supremely, and love neighbors as self: and the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). Today, we discover that this is God's plan to reach our community, and His world with the gospel.

Love God. Love People. The greatest commands that are essential to the abundant life. Yet, is this a love that we are to keep contained within our own hearts? Can we truly love God and people with excellence without ever inviting others into love for God and people? Jesus coupled these Greatest Commands with the Great Commission: "Go and make disciples of all nations…” This is our mission: to invite people into the sphere of God's gracious, unending love through the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and showing them how to be formed into His image. Love God. Love People. Make Disciples. The Greatest Mission.   Watch the video here: https://youtube.com/live/r9Jq1EbQvbI?t=2247 To support this ministry, visit www.waynesborofm.com/give  

Our guest speaker for our 2023 Missions Dinner is Michelle Gennaro Lapp. Michelle served as a missionary in Africa for many years and now is the West Coast Mobilizer for Africa Inland Mission.She wraps up our Missions Week 2023 by reminding us that Jesus's great commandment (“Love the Lord your God”) precedes the Great Commission (“Go and make disciples”) and that only when the two work in harmony do we see missions come alive.#greatcommission #greatcommandment #missionsweek #missions #michelle_g_lapp #africainlandmission #sandiego #lesotho #riftvalleyacademy #kenya

from Matthew 28:16-20 “Go and make Disciples.”  The command seems simple enough. The invitation to BE a disciple is inviting enough (on the lips of Jesus, that is)…inviting, but unapologetic in what it costs to follow Him well…to follow Him TRULY and FAITHFULLY.  Over the course of this series we are going to consider as … Continue reading "(October 30, 2022) “A Life of Adventure: The Great Commission-Go and Make Disciples”"

from Matthew 28:16-20 w/ Ed Glaize

Matthew 28; John 22; Acts 1:8; John 17 Honoring Our Heavenly Father 1. What? The Great Commission -- Go. (Matthew 28:18-20) 2. Who? The Great Commandment -- Love (Matthew 22:34-40) 3. How? The Great Collaboration -- Together (John 17:21) 3a. Where? Here -- then everywhere (Acts 1:8) 4. When? Now!!!

By Adhering to Jesus' “Great Commission” -- “go . . . and make disciples”, You Are Following Jesus MESSAGE SUMMARY: God said told all Jesus Followers to “go and make disciples” not to “make decisions”. In other words, we are to bring the Gospel to others with whom we have or with whom we develop a personal relationship. Therefore, we are to leave the “conversion” or the “decision” of others to become a Christian up to the Holy Spirit. Our job, as Jesus Followers, is to “go and make disciples”. In Jesus' last instructions to His Apostles and to you, before His Ascension to Heaven from Earth, is in Mathew 28:16-20 -- Jesus' Great Commission: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'”. A disciple is a student, a follower, a learner. Making a disciple is not about classes. Making a disciple it about investing yourself in the life of another person – discipling is having a personal relationship with another person so that they see the life of Christ in you. Have you been discipled, or have you made a disciple? Not “going and making disciples” is your “great omission” as a Christian.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, in order to be with you, I need you to show me how to “create a desert” in the midst of my full, active life. Cleanse me from the pressures, illusions, and pretenses that confront me today so that my life may serve as a gift to those around me. Amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 26). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, My life is about Christ. (Philippians 1:21). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Mathew 28:16-20; Mathew 9:36-38; Mathew 10:16-33; Psalms 115:1-18. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Resurrection Part 3: Jesus Gives Us His Great Commission Just Before His Ascension”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Hey Hey! We're back just like we promised! This week's episode could be considered as a sequel to the last episode The Body. Today Jess and Caro discuss how they interpret what most in the christian community call the Great Commission. Join in as they hash out how they've been taught about this passage in Matthew and how they see it now!Let us know how you feel about the great commission! You can email us at ourfingpodcast@gmail.com or you can reach out on our Instagram @ourfingpodcastYou can also reach out to us individually.  Jess is @renegadepastor and Caro is @carolinap_dasilva.And don't forget to love each other. 

I answer questions every Friday live on YT at 1 p.m. Pacific time. Wait till the live stream actually starts, post your question with a "Q" at the beginning, and try to check your wording for clarity. I apologize ahead of time if I don't get to your question. I know that can be dissapointing, but we try to prioritize questions I haven't answered before so you might check my website to see if your question has already been addressed in a previous stream. You can do so with the link below, using the "clip search" feature that takes you to specific moments in specific videos. Here's my website with a new clip search feature for finding exactly where in a video a particular issue is addressed. https://BibleThinker.org 1. 0:00 {Only One Way to Evangelize?} Before Jesus left, He gave us the Great Commission: "Go spread the Gospel and make Disciples." Sounds good, I can do that. But since Jesus didn't tell us exactly how to share the Gospel (He just tells us to do it), can we share the Gospel however we want, or do we have to do it a certain way?2. 13:05 {Is Modalism Heresy?} Why is modalism considered such heresy? I think it’s incorrect, but many people question the very salvation of those who hold to this doctrine. How vital to salvation is the correct understanding of the Trinity?3. 16:58 {When You’re Far from God} My heart is hardened, I’m backslidden, a carnal Christian…whatever you want to call it. I am so far from God right now. I want to love Him, but I don’t. I’m afraid of Hell. What can I do to heal?4. 21:23 {Why Didn’t Jesus Inherit Adam’s Sin?} Since Jesus was fully man, as well as fully God, according to the hypostatic union, how did He not inherit Adam's sin that all men inherit according to Psalm 51:5?5. 25:27 {Is the Resurrection Proof of Jesus’ Deity?} What should I say to someone who isn’t impressed with the resurrection of Jesus proving that He is God? I don’t think there is a better miracle explaining who God is and what He does.6. 28:17 {Advising Others on Theologically Bad Content} What do you say to Christians who say they have been blessed by the movie “The Shack” and other Progressive content, even though it is filled with New Age themes and Progressive Christianity?7. 31:37 {Explaining a Confusing Passage of Scripture} Is the man in Matthew 22: 11-13 thrown out for not doing good works, considering Revelation 19:8?8. 36:17 {Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation, & Symbolism} What are your thoughts on the Lutheran view of communion (consubstantiation in contrast to the Catholic transubstantiation)? What would be a good case for an entirely symbolic view?9. 44:36 {Exceptions to Marital Submission?} Your 1 Peter 3:1-6 teaching said Abigail's story was the only valid exception for wives not submitting to husbands. Why was “life threatening situations” the lens in which you interpreted her example?10. 47:17 {Is a Fear of Sin Biblical?} I find myself feeling paranoid and anxious because I'm scared to fall into sin. I'm no longer in bondage to sin, but I feel like the fear of sin can hold me captive. Is the fear of sin biblical?11. 48:59 {Help for Overcoming Pride} I struggle with pride. I hate that. Even with a past as filthy as mine that I’ve been forgiven for, I still catch myself looking at other people sideways. How can I be more loving?12. 54:12 {About “Not Boasting of Tomorrow”} In James 4: 13-17, The conclusion (v. 17) seems unrelated to vv. 13-16. I don’t see how it relates specifically to not boasting of tomorrow. Is it just a general statement that could be said after any command?13. 57:52 {Tongues: Heavenly or Earthly Language?} When we pray in tongues in private prayer time, is this a heavenly language, or an earthly language?14. 1:01:21 {About the La

I answer questions every Friday live on YT at 1 p.m. Pacific time. Wait till the live stream actually starts, post your question with a "Q" at the beginning, and try to check your wording for clarity. I apologize ahead of time if I don't get to your question. I know that can be dissapointing, but we try to prioritize questions I haven't answered before so you might check my website to see if your question has already been addressed in a previous stream. You can do so with the link below, using the "clip search" feature that takes you to specific moments in specific videos. Here's my website with a new clip search feature for finding exactly where in a video a particular issue is addressed. https://BibleThinker.org 1. 0:00 {Only One Way to Evangelize?} Before Jesus left, He gave us the Great Commission: "Go spread the Gospel and make Disciples." Sounds good, I can do that. But since Jesus didn't tell us exactly how to share the Gospel (He just tells us to do it), can we share the Gospel however we want, or do we have to do it a certain way?2. 13:05 {Is Modalism Heresy?} Why is modalism considered such heresy? I think it’s incorrect, but many people question the very salvation of those who hold to this doctrine. How vital to salvation is the correct understanding of the Trinity?3. 16:58 {When You’re Far from God} My heart is hardened, I’m backslidden, a carnal Christian…whatever you want to call it. I am so far from God right now. I want to love Him, but I don’t. I’m afraid of Hell. What can I do to heal?4. 21:23 {Why Didn’t Jesus Inherit Adam’s Sin?} Since Jesus was fully man, as well as fully God, according to the hypostatic union, how did He not inherit Adam's sin that all men inherit according to Psalm 51:5?5. 25:27 {Is the Resurrection Proof of Jesus’ Deity?} What should I say to someone who isn’t impressed with the resurrection of Jesus proving that He is God? I don’t think there is a better miracle explaining who God is and what He does.6. 28:17 {Advising Others on Theologically Bad Content} What do you say to Christians who say they have been blessed by the movie “The Shack” and other Progressive content, even though it is filled with New Age themes and Progressive Christianity?7. 31:37 {Explaining a Confusing Passage of Scripture} Is the man in Matthew 22: 11-13 thrown out for not doing good works, considering Revelation 19:8?8. 36:17 {Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation, & Symbolism} What are your thoughts on the Lutheran view of communion (consubstantiation in contrast to the Catholic transubstantiation)? What would be a good case for an entirely symbolic view?9. 44:36 {Exceptions to Marital Submission?} Your 1 Peter 3:1-6 teaching said Abigail's story was the only valid exception for wives not submitting to husbands. Why was “life threatening situations” the lens in which you interpreted her example?10. 47:17 {Is a Fear of Sin Biblical?} I find myself feeling paranoid and anxious because I'm scared to fall into sin. I'm no longer in bondage to sin, but I feel like the fear of sin can hold me captive. Is the fear of sin biblical?11. 48:59 {Help for Overcoming Pride} I struggle with pride. I hate that. Even with a past as filthy as mine that I’ve been forgiven for, I still catch myself looking at other people sideways. How can I be more loving?12. 54:12 {About “Not Boasting of Tomorrow”} In James 4: 13-17, The conclusion (v. 17) seems unrelated to vv. 13-16. I don’t see how it relates specifically to not boasting of tomorrow. Is it just a general statement that could be said after any command?13. 57:52 {Tongues: Heavenly or Earthly Language?} When we pray in tongues in private prayer time, is this a heavenly language, or an earthly language?14. 1:01:21 {About the La

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL: 1-MINUTE VIDEO) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word through Gospel-focused messages to large numbers of people whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! A Word From The Lord is a 501 [c][3] not-for-profit ministry; and you can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) using the link below (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ); or with a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Jesus the Christ Is Our Hope In Life and Death and He Is “Hope” for the Wave of Loneliness and Uncertainty Sweeping Our World Today”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL: 1-MINUTE VIDEO) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word through Gospel-focused messages to large numbers of people whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! A Word From The Lord is a 501 [c][3] not-for-profit ministry; and you can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) using the link below (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ); or with a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Advent Sermons from Isaiah – Part 4: The King of Assyria – A Sign from the Lord”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL: 1-MINUTE VIDEO) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word through Gospel-focused messages to large numbers of people whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! A Word From The Lord is a 501 [c][3] not-for-profit ministry; and you can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) using the link below (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ); or with a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Jesus the Christ Is Our Hope In Life and Death and He Is “Hope” for the Wave of Loneliness and Uncertainty Sweeping Our World Today”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL: 1-MINUTE VIDEO) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word through Gospel-focused messages to large numbers of people whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! A Word From The Lord is a 501 [c][3] not-for-profit ministry; and you can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) using the link below (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ); or with a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Advent Sermons from Isaiah – Part 4: The King of Assyria – A Sign from the Lord”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We Need Your Help, Today, in Closing America's “Gospel Gap” (SPECIAL: 1-MINUTE VIDEO) MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Word From The Lord ministry (AWFTL) strives to, effectively and efficiently, deliver the Lord's Word through Gospel-focused messages to large numbers of people whom neither the Gospel nor Jesus play a significant role in their lives. Today, this Gospel message is needed more than ever because America is rapidly repositioning its environment and culture away from America's founding principles and the Gospel's principles of Love and Trust. This repositioning is being driven by the change in roles and focus of America's key institutions (e.g., family, churches, judicial, media, government, education, military). The negative consequences of this institutional repositioning are created and promulgated by a “Gospel Gap”. The “Gospel Gap” occurs when the prime thesis of Jesus' Gospel's “Great Commandment”, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, has either been lost or never really considered by vast numbers and segments of Americans. The “Gospel Gap” is further exacerbated by the institutional failure of churches and ministries to focus on fulfillment of Jesus' “Great Commission” – “Go and make disciples”. It is this “Gospel Gap” that presents AWFTL with both the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation to reach and begin the change of people who will close the “Gospel Gap”. A Word From The Lord (AWFTL) is driven by the Holy Spirit and God's will. We need your continuing prayers and financial support to provide increasing opportunities for people to have “contacts” with God's Word. We hope that you will continue help AWFTL to “be a part of fulfilling Jesus' ‘Great Commission'” and, therefore, being a participant in addressing the “Gospel Gap”! A Word From The Lord is a 501 [c][3] not-for-profit ministry; and you can contribute, directly, to AWFTL using the secure facilities of the National Christian Foundation (NCF) using the link below (DONATE TO AWFTL); or through the DONATE button on our Website (www.awftl.org ); or with a check to: A Word From The Lord; P.O. Box 636; Monroe, GA. 30655   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  1 John 4:7–21; 1 Corinthians 13: 1-9; Psalms 40:1-17; 3 John 5–8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Advent Sermons from Isaiah – Part 4: The King of Assyria – A Sign from the Lord”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

"If you say, "Everybody I know is saved." then you need to get a bigger circle of influence." - Pastor Harlan Haines from this morning's message titled "Go" --- About First Baptist Church - Troy, TX A Temple / Troy, TX area Baptist church offering a family-centered worship style and activities for all ages Sunday mornings at 10:45A. First Baptist Church Troy, TX was organized on May 10, 1890. Even though we have a long history, we do not live in the past, but in the present, desiring to make a difference in our world today. We also live for the future, for the coming of our Lord who we excitedly look forward to seeing. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3vFXW3B Google Podcasts - https://bit.ly/3ueFRZV Download Our Streaming TV Apps: Roku - https://bit.ly/3ecqImp Amazon FireTV - https://amzn.to/3vj5Ujd Connect: Website - www.FBCTroyTX.org Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/firstbaptisttroytx YouTube – https://bit.ly/3hvf7Rj Twitter – https://twitter.com/fbctroytx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fbctroytx

Go Deeper This Week Scripture and questions for study and reflection: Read Matthew 28:16-20 1. Why do you think today's passage is commonly referred to as The Great Commission? What does it mean to be commissioned for something? 2. Pastor Mick said that in this passage, Jesus does essen ally three things: (1) reminds us He's in charge, (2) gives us our marching orders, and (3) o ers us reassurance. Do you agree? What verses correspond with each of these things? 3. Jesus uses four ac on verbs in The Great Commission (Go, Make, Bap ze, Teach). What is signi cant about each of these ac on verbs? Why are they so important? 4. Pastor Mick talked about the disciples obeying Jesus in verse 16 and going to the mountain as Jesus commanded. Why is this important? How is such obedience important in keeping The Great Commission? 5. Why was it important for Jesus to tell the disciples (and us) that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”? Does/should Jesus' authority impact our obedience to The Great Commission? 6. Pastor Mick explained the concept of a Rabbi's “yoke” and “smikhah.” How does this help you be er understand the well-known passage of Ma hew 11: 28-30? How does this relate to The Great Commission? 7. Pastor Mick said that discipleship is about “doing life together.” What did he mean by that? Do you agree? (hint: iron sharpens iron) 8. In verse 20 of today's passage, Jesus says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” What does he mean by this? How is this possible? Prayer for the Week: Lord Jesus, thank you for not leaving us alone, but remaining with us always through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for removing the burdensome yoke of the world from our shoulders and offering us instead your yoke of love. Help us to do a better job of loving one another so that we might truly make disciples and transform the world. We give all honor and glory to you, Lord Jesus, as we pray in your strong and holy name. Amen.

GUESTS:  STEPHEN LONETTI, pastor, Beacon of Hope Church, St. Paul, MN and MARTIN MANTEN, pastor, Hope and Light Church, Turbenthal, Switzerland With all the transformative events taking place—COVID and injection mandates, government and big business authoritarianism, the fall of Afghanistan to radical Islamists, the death of 13 US Marines by suicide bombers, the utter ineptness and godlessness of the Biden Administration—one might consider a topic on missions and church planting to be slightly irrelevant. It seems clear that the world is not going to be saved in its headlong rush to the End Times…but individual souls can be. So what Christians should be focused on right now, even more than current events, is obeying the parting words of Christ, the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is an imperative—a command—from the Son of God. This isn't a suggestion or optional if “conditions on the ground” make it seem of lesser importance than “really big geo-political issues”. In fact, what could be more important in these latter days than working diligently to evangelize and disciple—whether you are a missionary or not—and plant churches in a biblically sound manner? But that's the caveat—“biblical sound” missions and church planting. Our guests this weekend on The Christian Worldview are Stephen Lonetti, missionary, church planter, and pastor of Beacon of Hope Church in St. Paul, MN and Martin Marten, church planter and pastor in Switzerland. They will exhort the call for missions and church planting at this time, especially in light of the unbiblical “Church Planting Movement” and “Disciple Making Movement” which are so pervasive today. >> Beacon of Hope Church in St. Paul is hosting the upcoming 2021 LifeGate Worldwide Conference Sept. 23-25, where pastors and church planters from the Middle East, Europe and North America will speak on missions and church planting. You can register at LifeGateWorldwide.org

This five part series is designed to prepare each person for CROSS CON21. To learn more about joining us at CROSS CON21, visit https://crosscon.com/ (0:00) - Intro (1:03) - We've got enough lost people here. Why worry about the nations? (2:54) - Biblical evidence of God's heart for the nations (10:03) - Responses to the Great Commission: Go, Send, Sin (12:55) - What it means to send (16:13) - What drives our passion for the nations? (17:21) - How do we cultivate a heart for the nations? (20:04) - Book recommendations on missions

I am so excited to share with you all today that I am ready to go forth and do the great commission in Baja Mexico. In life you must step out on faith and let fear die. I had to do that with this trip and I am glad I stepped out on FAITH and watched God just do a mighty thing in my life. I want you to always remember to never forget to be the light of this world by sharing about who Jesus is and what he has done in your life. Also, do a good deed everyday, help someone, care for someone and when you do watch how God will use you mightily.

8-2-20 | Todd Moore

The gospels ended with Jesus’ giving His disciples the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples.” The Book of Acts followed, showing how even without Jesus, the disciples carried on His mission in the power of the  Holy Spirit. At the end of Acts, Paul is shown still passionately proclaiming that Jesus had come and explaining His teaching to all. This same mission is passed on to us, as followers of God and part of the same church.

Reverend Ever Mudambanuki is an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church. Her devotion and motivation to teaching and preaching the word emanates from the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19-20) This commission propels her journey to move for God’s Kingdom. She seeks winning souls for Christ as her divine assignment which feeds and fulfills her spiritual journey. When she hears that undetectable question, Go where? Her answer has always been a determined statement, “God knows the places and times. If there are people there, I will go. I will preach and teach.” This immovable determination sees her standing on Christ as her solid rock. Contact Rev Mudambanuki at: · Cell -316-573-2435 · evavmudambanuki@gmail.com

Matthew 28:18-20

A devotional from the great and powerful, Marie B:How to Get Out of a Funk According to Psalm 131, a Psalm of ascent by David.#1: Choose to humble yourself.Psalm 131:1a: “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty.” Getting out of a funk is heart work and heart work always starts with a posture of surrender. How can we do this? Empty ourselves and humble ourselves before God. Ask HIM to help you.#2: Choose to let go.Psalm 131:1b “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful me.” Let go of things we cannot control, i.e.: the pandemic, people getting sick, the economy, etc... What can we do? We cannot control these things, but we can control how we react and how we love others in spite of what’s going on around us. #3: Choose to be content.Psalm 131:2, “But I have calmed and quieted myself; I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.”Choose to calm and quiet our minds, and do not allow negative thoughts to run wild in our heads. How do we do this? Spend time with God, be STILL before Him, and find contentment in Him.4. Choose to tell others.Psalm 131:3, “Israel put your hope in the LORD both now and forever more.”When we encourage others, when we share the love of Christ, and when we share the hope that can be found in Christ, we are more often than not encouraged ourselves. How can we do this? Live out the second Greatest Commandment: love your neighbor, and the Great Commission: Go and make disciples.

“The Great Commission – Go and Make Disciples” from StonePoint Church by Pastor Todd Cox. Released: 2020. The post The Great Commission – Go and Make Disciples appeared first on StonePoint Church.

Theologians have labelled 2 of Jesus' sayings as "Great" - The Great Commandment - Love God with all your heart, soul and mind, love you neighbor as yourself. The Great Commission - Go into all the world. If you love you will tell, that's all Christ is asking, is to share with others what He has done for you.

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Have you ever played the word association game? Many of you have, but for those of you who haven't the game goes like this: someone gives you a word, and then you are to say the first thing that comes to your mind upon hearing that certain word. If we were to play that game today and I gave you a few words to associate how would you answer? If I were to say food, you might say Pizza. If I said instrument, you may say Guitar. If I said, “movie” what movie would pop into your mind? I may say Batman and you would respond with Robin. If I were to say “Tennessee Vols Football Fan”” you might say, “SAD”…. right???… Many of these would be pretty easy to associate with something else wouldn't they? But what about this one: Christian… What comes to mind when you hear the word “Christian”??? That term has become very vague in how we as a society use it hasn't it?? When speaking of being a Christian people often say things like “I'm Christian because my parents were Christian” or, “I'm a Christian because I'm from the south” Or “I'm a Christian… But I don't care about that church stuff.” “Christians do this” “Christians don't do that” “Someone is a Christian if they pray before their meals” “Someone is NOT a christian if they see an R Rated movie, unless it's the passion of the Christ” It seems as if in our world today it's tough to pin down what we associate with the term “Christian" because we've made it into a ton of things. Did you know that Jesus never used the term “Christian”? The first time we see the term “Christian” used in the scripture is in Acts 11:26 when it says, “26 in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. “ So, if the followers of Jesus were not known as Christians what were they known as??? The text tells us… The disciples….. Consider this: The word Christian is used only 3 times in the entire bible… The word disciple is used 281 times in the New Testament alone… We see that even though our primary term would be “Christian” The authors of the New Testament, inspired by the Holy Spirit, primary term was “disciple” You may be thinking right now, “so what? Christian, disciple, tomato, tomAto, it's all the same…. Why does it matter if we changed our name from disciple to Christian?” Check out what Andy Stanley says of this when he says, “I want to suggest to you that in changing the primary word that we use to describe ourselves, we lost the clarity that the word disciple conveyed about what a follower of Jesus actually is.” So, if we know that “Christian” can mean a ton of things, what does disciple mean?” When looking at the word disciple in the original language we see that in the simplest of terms it means “learner”… or “follower” I hate to say this, but I believe that in our day and age, a lot of people who call themselves Christians are not actually disciples. Just because our parents went to church, does not make us a disciple. Just because we are from the south, that doesn't make us a disciple. Just because we choose not to watch R-rated movies does not make us a disciple. So, what does? One pastor says that, “Being a disciple is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.” And I believe that God is calling all of us to be His disciples. From the text here I believe we see 3 realties of being a disciple of Christ: First I believe we see the reality that…….. JESUS DOESN'T CHOOSE THE BEST, HE CHOOSES THE WILLING. 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Here we see that Jesus is making his first selection of the disciples he's going to build his dream team with. If you were a religious fan back in this day, I can imagine you would have had your predictions of who Jesus was going to pick. Will it be one of the amazing scholars in Egypt? Or will it be one of the great philopshers from Athens? No. No. I know, it has to be one of the most powerful men from Rome… And the religious fans would've waited in anticipation to see who Jesus' first selection would be… Those of you who know me, know that I love sports… Especially, the eight time national champion Kentucky Wildcats. I sometimes become convicted though, that I get more excited about sports then I do about church… So, I started wondering. What would happen if people treated church like they do sports… Check out what Kyle Idleman has to say about this: See if you can imagine this one.  People arrive hours early for church. On Sunday mornings, they don't just set a backup alarm on their cell phones to assure they wake up in time —they set a backup for the backup. Throughout the week, they talk about what happened the previous Sunday as excitement builds for the upcoming church service. There are all-day radio talk shows devoted to reviewing last week's service and breaking down the next one. There's even a  TV show called “ChurchCenter” that runs highlight clips of  church activities that have happened across the nation.  When Sunday comes, the people load up their trucks, SUVs,  and sedans hours before the service starts.  “Hurry,” Dad says frantically. “We're behind again.”  “It's 6:00 a.m.” Mom says. “Church doesn't start for five  hours.”  “Last time we left at this time, we had to park three miles  from the sanctuary and sit in the nosebleed seats. Someday, I re-  ally want to sit in the front row. But you have to camp out on the  church lawn to have any chance of that.”  The roads are really congested on the way to church, no matter how early you leave. At church, there are vehicles parked as  far as the eye can see. Some members are tailgating, laying out  elaborate spreads of barbequed meats on portable grills. Lawn  chairs dot the church parking lot. Some people have television  monitors and satellite dishes so they can catch updates from  other worship services while they wait for their own to begin.  Even in the dead of winter, they'll be out here in the same  numbers. And once the church doors open, the masses begin fil-  ing into the sanctuary, cheering with great passion and excite-  ment. As the service starts, the people are all on their feet — not  that they ever sit down. A bunch of young guys stand in the front  row. None of them wears a shirt, but each one has a letter paint-  ed on his chest. Together they spell J-E-S-U-S.  After several hours of worship and an extra-long sermon, peo-  ple start looking at their watches. Everyone is thinking the same  thing: “I hope the service goes into overtime!” Did any of you go to the NFL draft in Nashville this year? They said it was somewhere around 500 thousands people in attendance. People love the draft…. One of the most outstanding draft selections in the history of football came at a very unexpected time in the year 2000. The person walks to the stage to represent the New England Patriots. He takes a deep breathe and says… “With the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL draft, the New England Patriots select… Tom Brady, QB from the university of Michigan…” And everyone looked at each other and said… “WHO!?!?!” Not knowing that he would go on to be the greatest football player of all time. What if there was a disciples draft??? “With the first pick in the very first disciples draft Jesus Christ of Nazareth selects…… Simon Peter & his brother Andrew, fishermen from the city of Capernaum.” And everyone looked at each other and said “WHO?!?!” Fisherman were not on the top of the board of the religious list back in this day. Most likely, they had little education, little spiritual perception, and little to none religious training. It was an unexpected pick… Little did they know, they would be the ones Jesus would use to turn the world upside down. John Macarthur: speaks of this when he says, “God skipped all the wise of the day! The great scholars were in Egypt; the great library was in Alexandria; the great philosophers were in Athens; the powerful were in Rome. He passed over Socrates the great thinker and Julius Caesar. He chose men so ordinary it was comical. No Rabbis, no teachers, no religious experts...” Don't miss what I am about to say: God may not always call the qaulified, but He always qualifies the called…. Paul describes it even better there in 1 Corinthians 1:26 when he says, 26  Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” So, whether it is a lack of education, it's an insecurity you may have, a weary heart, or a sinful past, despite our shortcomings Jesus calls to everyone of us as he did Peter and Andrew and says, “Follow me… Be my disciples….” We see the reality that Jesus doesn't choose the best, He chooses the willing. Not only that, but we also see the reality that…… 2. TO FOLLOW HIM, WE HAVE TO LEAVE ALL. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Notice the two things they left in this passage. The Boat Their Father I think the author wants us to notice something here.. The boat is what the place they were most comfortable. Their father was one of their most significant relationships.. The author is trying to show us that a call to follow Jesus is one where He has to be of utmost importance to you, or it's not gonna work out. We see that Jesus says something similar in Luke 9:57. It says, “57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” In other words, being a disciple means being out of your comfort zone. We're not gonna stay in the boat the entire time. 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Again Jesus shows us that we have to love Him above everything and everyone in order to follow Him. One of the most popular teachings on this subject would be when Jesus said in Matthew 10:38, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What do we know about a cross? It's a death instrument. Jesus is saying, if you are not willing to die to yourself daily, then you can't follow me. A call to follow Jesus means dying to anything that would be a hindrance to the work he's called you to. A call to follow Jesus is one that requires anything living within' us that causes us to love something else more than Him, to be put to death. That's why Deitrech Bonnohefer so accurately said, “When Christ calls a man to follow Him, He bids him come and die.” I know what you are prolly thinking… “Wow.. This doesn't sound fun at all to me.” All this talk about dying… I thought that following Jesus meant to have abundant life, not all this talk of dying.. So, which one is it Noah, does being a disciple mean dying or living? Here's the answer: Yes…. Let me expound… Here we see one of the great paradoxes of Jesus. Taking up your cross means dying to yourself. Trading in your earthly desires for the heavenly desires Christ wants to give you. Trading in the lie of trying to be fulfilled by things of the world, and becoming fulfilled by the things of God. It is the process of dying to the flesh, and living by the spirit. Becoming less of who you were before you knew Christ, and more of who He is calling you to be. The Apostle Paul had this same idea when he wrote to the Galatians and said, “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I like the way a popular worship song puts it when one of the lyrics say, “I found my life, when I laid it down." A call to follow Jesus means that we are to leave all. We are to love Him and seek after His will more than anything else in our lives… When it comes to being a disciple, not only do we see the reality that Jesus doesn't choose the best, he chooses the willing; not only do we see the reality that he calls us to leave all, but lastly we see the reality that…. 3. HE COMMANDS US TO SPIRITUALLY REPRODUCE. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus says, if you follow me, I will MAKE you fishers of men.. Not, “If you do this bible study, or you memorize this gospel presentation, then I'll make you fishers of men.” NO! In this text there's a command, and a result… The command: Follow Jesus. The result: become a fisher of men. Spiritually reproducing is not just something that a disciple does, spiritually reproducing is the main factor of who a disciple is… Have any of you heard of the Ennegram thing going around? It's basically like a personality test.. Like, a 7 is this. And if your result is a 4 then that means that you like this, but you don't like this… I don't know… I have to get my students to explain it to me… But, Jesus gives us a bit of a similar personality test in John 15:8..  “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples.” How do you prove you are a disciple? By bearing fruit. And if you are not bearing fruit, you have reason to question whether you are a disciple at all. Jesus tells His disciples how to bear fruit in His famous Great Commission: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” In his book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman said: “When will the church learn this lesson? Preaching to the masses, although necessary, will never suffice in the work of preparing leaders for evangelism. Nor can occasional prayer meetings and training classes for Christian workers do this job... Individual women and men are God's method. God's plan for discipleship is not something, but someone.” Church, when it comes to making disciples, WE ARE PLAN A, AND THERE IS NO PLAN B. That's why we are happy to share with you guys this morning that we are launching what is called the “Who's Your One” campaign. We are encouraging every member of the church to identify one person whom they know that is spiritually seeking or lost, and commit to praying for that person, and taking the initiative in being the first piece of the puzzle that could help that person come to know Christ… Now, if you have been in church for a while, you may have heard of or been apart of something like this before. So, you may be wondering, what all this will entail. If it will be like the evangelistic campaign you did this time, or that time. I believe the best way I can explain what this campaign is, is to first tell you what it is not. 1. Who's Your One will not be motivated by guilt. Far too many times in the church culture we see a lot of these evangelist efforts driven by something of the effect “If you really love Jesus, you'll go knock on this door, hand them this gospel track, give this presentation” Who's Your One is not that… 2. Who's Your One will not simply be a leverage point for us to brag of our evangelist success. Will we be excited about people coming to Jesus? Yes! Will we be doing it all so that we can show everyone how amazing we are? No! We will do everything for the glory of God, and not ours. 3. Who's Your One will not be a process in which we turn people into projects… We will not approach people who do not know Jesus and turn them into our own little project that the church has us working on… Rather, we will love that person as Jesus would love them, and show them that we want them to know Christ because we love them, not simply because we are involved with a churches evangelist campaign. Through Who'sYourOne, I believe that God is going to show us that He is calling all of us to be His disciples. And we can jump into this season with confidence because we know that even though we may not be the best by the world's standard, God loves to use those who are weak to shame the strong. We know that if we follow Him and love Him above all else, he will in return give us a life that will truly satisfy and fulfill all we could ever long for. And by knowing these things, and believing them, we know that He will use as His disciples, to make disciples, all for the glory of His name.

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Have you ever played the word association game? Many of you have, but for those of you who haven’t the game goes like this: someone gives you a word, and then you are to say the first thing that comes to your mind upon hearing that certain word. If we were to play that game today and I gave you a few words to associate how would you answer? If I were to say food, you might say Pizza. If I said instrument, you may say Guitar. If I said, “movie” what movie would pop into your mind? I may say Batman and you would respond with Robin. If I were to say “Tennessee Vols Football Fan”” you might say, “SAD”…. right???… Many of these would be pretty easy to associate with something else wouldn’t they? But what about this one: Christian… What comes to mind when you hear the word “Christian”??? That term has become very vague in how we as a society use it hasn’t it?? When speaking of being a Christian people often say things like “I’m Christian because my parents were Christian” or, “I’m a Christian because I’m from the south” Or “I’m a Christian… But I don’t care about that church stuff.” “Christians do this” “Christians don’t do that” “Someone is a Christian if they pray before their meals” “Someone is NOT a christian if they see an R Rated movie, unless it’s the passion of the Christ” It seems as if in our world today it’s tough to pin down what we associate with the term “Christian" because we’ve made it into a ton of things. Did you know that Jesus never used the term “Christian”? The first time we see the term “Christian” used in the scripture is in Acts 11:26 when it says, “26 in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. “ So, if the followers of Jesus were not known as Christians what were they known as??? The text tells us… The disciples….. Consider this: The word Christian is used only 3 times in the entire bible… The word disciple is used 281 times in the New Testament alone… We see that even though our primary term would be “Christian” The authors of the New Testament, inspired by the Holy Spirit, primary term was “disciple” You may be thinking right now, “so what? Christian, disciple, tomato, tomAto, it’s all the same…. Why does it matter if we changed our name from disciple to Christian?” Check out what Andy Stanley says of this when he says, “I want to suggest to you that in changing the primary word that we use to describe ourselves, we lost the clarity that the word disciple conveyed about what a follower of Jesus actually is.” So, if we know that “Christian” can mean a ton of things, what does disciple mean?” When looking at the word disciple in the original language we see that in the simplest of terms it means “learner”… or “follower” I hate to say this, but I believe that in our day and age, a lot of people who call themselves Christians are not actually disciples. Just because our parents went to church, does not make us a disciple. Just because we are from the south, that doesn’t make us a disciple. Just because we choose not to watch R-rated movies does not make us a disciple. So, what does? One pastor says that, “Being a disciple is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.” And I believe that God is calling all of us to be His disciples. From the text here I believe we see 3 realties of being a disciple of Christ: First I believe we see the reality that…….. JESUS DOESN’T CHOOSE THE BEST, HE CHOOSES THE WILLING. 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Here we see that Jesus is making his first selection of the disciples he’s going to build his dream team with. If you were a religious fan back in this day, I can imagine you would have had your predictions of who Jesus was going to pick. Will it be one of the amazing scholars in Egypt? Or will it be one of the great philopshers from Athens? No. No. I know, it has to be one of the most powerful men from Rome… And the religious fans would’ve waited in anticipation to see who Jesus’ first selection would be… Those of you who know me, know that I love sports… Especially, the eight time national champion Kentucky Wildcats. I sometimes become convicted though, that I get more excited about sports then I do about church… So, I started wondering. What would happen if people treated church like they do sports… Check out what Kyle Idleman has to say about this: See if you can imagine this one.  People arrive hours early for church. On Sunday mornings, they don’t just set a backup alarm on their cell phones to assure they wake up in time —they set a backup for the backup. Throughout the week, they talk about what happened the previous Sunday as excitement builds for the upcoming church service. There are all-day radio talk shows devoted to reviewing last week’s service and breaking down the next one. There’s even a  TV show called “ChurchCenter” that runs highlight clips of  church activities that have happened across the nation.  When Sunday comes, the people load up their trucks, SUVs,  and sedans hours before the service starts.  “Hurry,” Dad says frantically. “We’re behind again.”  “It’s 6:00 a.m.” Mom says. “Church doesn’t start for five  hours.”  “Last time we left at this time, we had to park three miles  from the sanctuary and sit in the nosebleed seats. Someday, I re-  ally want to sit in the front row. But you have to camp out on the  church lawn to have any chance of that.”  The roads are really congested on the way to church, no matter how early you leave. At church, there are vehicles parked as  far as the eye can see. Some members are tailgating, laying out  elaborate spreads of barbequed meats on portable grills. Lawn  chairs dot the church parking lot. Some people have television  monitors and satellite dishes so they can catch updates from  other worship services while they wait for their own to begin.  Even in the dead of winter, they’ll be out here in the same  numbers. And once the church doors open, the masses begin fil-  ing into the sanctuary, cheering with great passion and excite-  ment. As the service starts, the people are all on their feet — not  that they ever sit down. A bunch of young guys stand in the front  row. None of them wears a shirt, but each one has a letter paint-  ed on his chest. Together they spell J-E-S-U-S.  After several hours of worship and an extra-long sermon, peo-  ple start looking at their watches. Everyone is thinking the same  thing: “I hope the service goes into overtime!” Did any of you go to the NFL draft in Nashville this year? They said it was somewhere around 500 thousands people in attendance. People love the draft…. One of the most outstanding draft selections in the history of football came at a very unexpected time in the year 2000. The person walks to the stage to represent the New England Patriots. He takes a deep breathe and says… “With the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL draft, the New England Patriots select… Tom Brady, QB from the university of Michigan…” And everyone looked at each other and said… “WHO!?!?!” Not knowing that he would go on to be the greatest football player of all time. What if there was a disciples draft??? “With the first pick in the very first disciples draft Jesus Christ of Nazareth selects…… Simon Peter & his brother Andrew, fishermen from the city of Capernaum.” And everyone looked at each other and said “WHO?!?!” Fisherman were not on the top of the board of the religious list back in this day. Most likely, they had little education, little spiritual perception, and little to none religious training. It was an unexpected pick… Little did they know, they would be the ones Jesus would use to turn the world upside down. John Macarthur: speaks of this when he says, “God skipped all the wise of the day! The great scholars were in Egypt; the great library was in Alexandria; the great philosophers were in Athens; the powerful were in Rome. He passed over Socrates the great thinker and Julius Caesar. He chose men so ordinary it was comical. No Rabbis, no teachers, no religious experts...” Don’t miss what I am about to say: God may not always call the qaulified, but He always qualifies the called…. Paul describes it even better there in 1 Corinthians 1:26 when he says, 26  Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” So, whether it is a lack of education, it’s an insecurity you may have, a weary heart, or a sinful past, despite our shortcomings Jesus calls to everyone of us as he did Peter and Andrew and says, “Follow me… Be my disciples….” We see the reality that Jesus doesn’t choose the best, He chooses the willing. Not only that, but we also see the reality that…… 2. TO FOLLOW HIM, WE HAVE TO LEAVE ALL. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Notice the two things they left in this passage. The Boat Their Father I think the author wants us to notice something here.. The boat is what the place they were most comfortable. Their father was one of their most significant relationships.. The author is trying to show us that a call to follow Jesus is one where He has to be of utmost importance to you, or it’s not gonna work out. We see that Jesus says something similar in Luke 9:57. It says, “57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” In other words, being a disciple means being out of your comfort zone. We’re not gonna stay in the boat the entire time. 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Again Jesus shows us that we have to love Him above everything and everyone in order to follow Him. One of the most popular teachings on this subject would be when Jesus said in Matthew 10:38, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What do we know about a cross? It’s a death instrument. Jesus is saying, if you are not willing to die to yourself daily, then you can’t follow me. A call to follow Jesus means dying to anything that would be a hindrance to the work he’s called you to. A call to follow Jesus is one that requires anything living within’ us that causes us to love something else more than Him, to be put to death. That’s why Deitrech Bonnohefer so accurately said, “When Christ calls a man to follow Him, He bids him come and die.” I know what you are prolly thinking… “Wow.. This doesn’t sound fun at all to me.” All this talk about dying… I thought that following Jesus meant to have abundant life, not all this talk of dying.. So, which one is it Noah, does being a disciple mean dying or living? Here’s the answer: Yes…. Let me expound… Here we see one of the great paradoxes of Jesus. Taking up your cross means dying to yourself. Trading in your earthly desires for the heavenly desires Christ wants to give you. Trading in the lie of trying to be fulfilled by things of the world, and becoming fulfilled by the things of God. It is the process of dying to the flesh, and living by the spirit. Becoming less of who you were before you knew Christ, and more of who He is calling you to be. The Apostle Paul had this same idea when he wrote to the Galatians and said, “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I like the way a popular worship song puts it when one of the lyrics say, “I found my life, when I laid it down." A call to follow Jesus means that we are to leave all. We are to love Him and seek after His will more than anything else in our lives… When it comes to being a disciple, not only do we see the reality that Jesus doesn’t choose the best, he chooses the willing; not only do we see the reality that he calls us to leave all, but lastly we see the reality that…. 3. HE COMMANDS US TO SPIRITUALLY REPRODUCE. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus says, if you follow me, I will MAKE you fishers of men.. Not, “If you do this bible study, or you memorize this gospel presentation, then I’ll make you fishers of men.” NO! In this text there’s a command, and a result… The command: Follow Jesus. The result: become a fisher of men. Spiritually reproducing is not just something that a disciple does, spiritually reproducing is the main factor of who a disciple is… Have any of you heard of the Ennegram thing going around? It’s basically like a personality test.. Like, a 7 is this. And if your result is a 4 then that means that you like this, but you don’t like this… I don’t know… I have to get my students to explain it to me… But, Jesus gives us a bit of a similar personality test in John 15:8..  “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples.” How do you prove you are a disciple? By bearing fruit. And if you are not bearing fruit, you have reason to question whether you are a disciple at all. Jesus tells His disciples how to bear fruit in His famous Great Commission: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” In his book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman said: “When will the church learn this lesson? Preaching to the masses, although necessary, will never suffice in the work of preparing leaders for evangelism. Nor can occasional prayer meetings and training classes for Christian workers do this job... Individual women and men are God’s method. God’s plan for discipleship is not something, but someone.” Church, when it comes to making disciples, WE ARE PLAN A, AND THERE IS NO PLAN B. That’s why we are happy to share with you guys this morning that we are launching what is called the “Who’s Your One” campaign. We are encouraging every member of the church to identify one person whom they know that is spiritually seeking or lost, and commit to praying for that person, and taking the initiative in being the first piece of the puzzle that could help that person come to know Christ… Now, if you have been in church for a while, you may have heard of or been apart of something like this before. So, you may be wondering, what all this will entail. If it will be like the evangelistic campaign you did this time, or that time. I believe the best way I can explain what this campaign is, is to first tell you what it is not. 1. Who’s Your One will not be motivated by guilt. Far too many times in the church culture we see a lot of these evangelist efforts driven by something of the effect “If you really love Jesus, you’ll go knock on this door, hand them this gospel track, give this presentation” Who’s Your One is not that… 2. Who’s Your One will not simply be a leverage point for us to brag of our evangelist success. Will we be excited about people coming to Jesus? Yes! Will we be doing it all so that we can show everyone how amazing we are? No! We will do everything for the glory of God, and not ours. 3. Who’s Your One will not be a process in which we turn people into projects… We will not approach people who do not know Jesus and turn them into our own little project that the church has us working on… Rather, we will love that person as Jesus would love them, and show them that we want them to know Christ because we love them, not simply because we are involved with a churches evangelist campaign. Through Who’sYourOne, I believe that God is going to show us that He is calling all of us to be His disciples. And we can jump into this season with confidence because we know that even though we may not be the best by the world’s standard, God loves to use those who are weak to shame the strong. We know that if we follow Him and love Him above all else, he will in return give us a life that will truly satisfy and fulfill all we could ever long for. And by knowing these things, and believing them, we know that He will use as His disciples, to make disciples, all for the glory of His name.

8-25-19 Jim Van Yperen

87. Mission Europe 'There Must Be Missions'

Much of the Church today seems to be operating with a “functional Great Commission”: Go into all the world and make more worship attenders, baptizing them in the name of small groups, and teaching them to volunteer a few times a month. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk with author and sought-after consultant, Will Mancini, about why intentional disciple-making = real church growth. More than we'd like to admit, so much of our default strategy for seeing people come to faith in Jesus begins and ends with pumping people through our priority programs. It's the classic attractional mindset. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why the Church has slipped into a functional, versus original, Great Commission mindset. How your language will reveal what's most important to you as a church. The 3 types of Christian churches we'll experience in the next 20 years. Why programs don't attract people; people attract people. http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1209249450 (Get started here...) http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1209249450 () From this episode: “The dirty little secret among so many pastors is that we are really good at faking disciples rather than making disciples. The quantity and quality of our programs—and our sheer busyness keeping it all going—distract us from the truth.”   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.https://caesarkalinowski.lpages.co/leadbox/1459e40f3f72a2%3A134ffec37346dc/5713430174498816/ ( )https://123lifeschool.clickfunnels.com/big-3-download ()Download today's https://123lifeschool.clickfunnels.com/big-3-download (BIG 3 right now). Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others…Thanks for Listening!Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1209249450 (The Lifeschool Podcast on iTunes.) Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: https://123lifeschool.clickfunnels.com/big-3-download (Free Download of the Big 3 For Episode #192) http://www.missiopublishing.com/ (Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources) http://www.caesarkalinowski.com/ (Caesar Kalinowski's Website and Blog with Loads of Resources)   In light of today's topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: https://www.caesarkalinowski.com/broke-missional-movement/ (Who Broke the Missional Movement?) https://www.123lifeschool.net/why-need-reimagine-church/ (Is It Time to Reimagine the Church?)   https://www.facebook.com/groups/lspodcast/ ()

Much of the Church today seems to be operating with a “functional Great Commission”: Go into all the world and make more worship attenders, baptizing them in the name of small groups, and teaching them to volunteer a few times a month. This week on the Lifeschool Podcast, we talk with author and sought-after consultant, Will Mancini, about why intentional disciple-making = real church growth. More than we’d like to admit, so much of our default strategy for seeing people come to faith in Jesus begins and ends with pumping people through our priority programs. It’s the classic attractional mindset. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why the Church has slipped into a functional, versus original, Great Commission mindset. How your language will reveal what’s most important to you as a church. The 3 types of Christian churches we’ll experience in the next 20 years. Why programs don’t attract people; people attract people. (http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1209249450) (http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1209249450) From this episode: “The dirty little secret among so many pastors is that we are really good at faking disciples rather than making disciples. The quantity and quality of our programs—and our sheer busyness keeping it all going—distract us from the truth.”   Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. (https://123lifeschool.clickfunnels.com/big-3-download) . Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others…Thanks for Listening!Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below. Also, please leave an honest review for  (http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1209249450)  Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: For Episode #192 (https://123lifeschool.clickfunnels.com/big-3-download) Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources (http://www.missiopublishing.com/) Caesar Kalinowski’s Website and Blog with Loads of Resources (http://www.caesarkalinowski.com/)   In light of today’s topics, you might find these posts and videos helpful: (https://www.caesarkalinowski.com/broke-missional-movement/) (https://www.123lifeschool.net/why-need-reimagine-church/)   (https://www.facebook.com/groups/lspodcast/)

Rob Esposito's message on Sunday, November 18, 2018 at Catalyst Christian Church.

Elane and Benton consider the contemporary implications of Jesus' last instructions to his disciples, The Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (Matthew 28:19).  Spoiler alert: It all depends upon your view of heaven.   Music Credits: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" Words & music by Benton Stokes & Janine Smith  "California" Words & music by Benton Stokes "Paper Cup" Words & music by Benton Stokes All songs Copyright 2018 Songs From the Basement (BMI).  All Rights Reserved.  Used by Permission.

How Sunday School And The Great Commission Go Together

Pastor Keith wraps up our “River of Life” review with this look at the fifth point LIVE. As “empowered witnesses in our world,” we are called to live out Jesus' Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

  SAVN.TV is the video-driven voice of the Salvation Army. It’s purpose is to share short films, video presentations, and other content about the message and work of the Salvation Army worldwide. Not only are these Internet TV call letters an acronym for Salvation Army Vision Network; they are also a contraction of the word, "SALVATION" -- a Salvation Army Internet Mission Station where salvation can be proclaimed and found. Jesus Christ first cast the vision for this Mission Station in His proclamation of the Great Commission: Go into all the world and preach the good news (of salvation) to all creation (Mark 16:15). William Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, carried this vision into the 19th and 20th Centuries with his proclamation: "We are a salvation people. This is our specialty – getting saved, keeping saved, and getting other people saved." GUY NOLAND After earning a Masters Degree in Cinema and TV Arts, Guy spent many years working as a Production Executive in the entertainment industry. He has worked in executive capacities with such companies as Universal Studios, CBS, The Arthur Company, Westar Media Group, Westwood One Broadcasting, Compass Arts Productions, and The Bubble Factory. Along with his professional career, Mr. Noland retains a college professorship in an effort to educate young filmmakers in the art of storytelling. Guy currently functions as the Executive Producer/Director of SAVN.tv, a new online media network sponsored by The Salvation Army, Western Territory. Midwatch With The Rev Thousands have tuned in to listen to one of the most entertaining and extremely funny Christian talk show hosts on the air. Midwatch interviews Christian authors, artists, movie producers, indie film makers, ministers and just about anyone with a story of faith. The show is built around discussing faith and building encouragement to our listeners. Broadcasting primarily online through our servers to the world and across the USA on RevMedia Network. Midwatch has reached over 3.5 million listeners over the past 3 years. Join us for a show full of faith, humor, special guests, truth, entertainment and encouragement.

As we consider Paul's ministry at Corinth we discover that he lived Christ's Great Commission: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. [Mt.28:19-20] Examine your life. What would you say is your mission? How does your mission glorify God and fulfill His mission?

Summary of today's show: Cardinal Seán and the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston gathered on Thursday for their annual convocation at which they considered the latest news and feedback on the ongoing process of pastoral planning for the future of the Church in eastern Massachusetts. Scot Landry. Fr. Mark O'Connell, and Fr. Chip Hines listen to the compiled feedback from throughout the Archdiocese as presented to the convocation by Msgr. William Fay, chairman of the Pastoral Planning Commission, and consider what lessons have been learned, what proposals have been given support, and what might have changed. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry, Fr. Mark O'Connell, and Fr. Chip Hines Links from today's show: Today's topics: 2012 Priestly Convocation and Pastoral Planning Today's show: Scot said earlier today he was able to go to Boston Common for the Stand Up For Religious Freedom rally, at which Janet Benestad who is the secretary for faith formation and evangelization spoke. He said people came up to him and told him how they listen to the radio show every day. One of them was Scot's former high school teacher. The rallies occurred in 160 cities around the country on today which is the anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights. On today's show, they will discuss the priestly convocation that occurred yesterday that covered evangelization and an update on the process of pastoral planning. We will share clips from Msgr. Fay's address, but first getting Fr. Chip's and Fr. Mark's takes on the convocation. Fr. Chip said something we learned from 2004 was the ned to listen and this process is much better at that. Fr. Mark said he looked around the room and saw a lot of priests, but then recalled how even more priests there were when he was ordained 20 years ago. This pastoral planning recognizes that if we don't plan all the things we fear are going to happen anyway, but in a haphazard way. Scot said the first Reconfiguration was done in crisis mode. This pastoral planning is being done when we're not in a crisis and to create the opportunity and resources for evangelization. Fr. Chip is living this out with this two parishes, hacking a parochial vicar to help instead of having the two of them each running one parish. Scot said Msgr. Fay said the commission received 8,000 pages of feedback on the proposal. 2,500 group responses were responded. These were groups of pastoral councils and the like. The general response was that they were moving in the right direction. Some responses reinforced what the commission was proposing and others changed their directions. A clip of the first takeaway from the surveys: 66% thought the pastoral plan is in general the right direction. 15% thought it was wrong direction and proposed closing parishes or seeking priests from other countries. 84% of people were clearly opposed to closing parishes. Only 7% were in favor of closing parishes. Scot said most people consulted though the plan heads in the right direction, even if they don't agree with every single thing. Having attended some of these consultation, Scot has seen similar responses. Fr. Mark said the priests who attend the convocations are those who are generally supportive, while those who don't go are generally not supportive of what's going on in the archdiocese. He said it's clear that everyone agrees that doing what we're doing now isn't the answer. He said getting a bunch of foreign priests wouldn't solve the problem. Scot said the problem in many parishes is that we don't have the resources to go out to bring back those who aren't coming to Masses. Fr. Chip said in his experience is that some people complain about priests with accents. Regarding the status quo, Fr. Chip said that when there is an open pastorate, they have to pull a priest from another parish and then have a domino effect in filling holes. A clip from the third takeaway from the surveys: Finding the right pastor is key. When they first suggested that current pastors from a group of clustered parishes would not become pastor of the whole group. 70% of people wanted to keep their own pastor. What they did learn was that the principle they introduced— to keep parishes in the cluster from feeling slighted—was that the right man needs to be found as pastor. Scot said he's happy with this change in attitude. He said a parish from a grouping would already be known by the parishes in that grouping. Fr. Chip said he has to be case by case as opposed to a blanket policy. In some case bringing a priest in from outside might be best. Fr. Mark said we learned the lesson in Reconfiguration in which sometimes it was best to keep a guy in place and sometimes it was best to replace him. Fr. Mark said a lot of the people in the parish are too focused on the pastors. He said that's shortsighted because priests get reassigned all the time. They should look at macro issues of the culture and neighborhood and the like. Another clip from Msgr. Fay: The implementation has to be phased in. 68% of people wanted it to be gradual, deliberate, and organic. Start small and build, learning from best practices as they move forward. They may start with two or three clusters in a region, then step back for two or three years to learn best practices. But the hope would be after five years they'd be moving the diocese pretty well forward on this. Scot's sense was that there was a lot of agreement among the priests for this. Fr. Chop said it makes sense to do it this way. We're already phasing it in with 20% of parishes sharing a pastor with other parishes. Fr. Chip said he's always known the Church has moved slowly and now we'd been moving quickly. Scot said that was the experience of Reconfiguration, a suddenness. Fr. Mark remembers the presbyteral council being asked whether to phase it in and a priest spoke up and said the bandage should be ripped off quick. That was the advice given to Cardinal Seán and now all the priests who were in the room have learned the lesson. Fr. Mark said 99% of the priests in the room were comfortable with Msgr. Fay's style of leadership. He and Deacon Chuck Clough have led the process to take its time. The next takeaway from Msgr. Fay: Parishes have very different cultures, and not just ethnic cultures. Parishes do things differently. they learned that two parishes right next each other do things in very different ways and have done them that way for many years. Legitimate differences are to be respected and the pastor of those parishes has to be able to recognize that. While the pastor guides a group of people who have been that parish for a very long time. We need to help folks in parishes to work together to bring the best out of one another and not try to collapse differences into a flat homogeneity. Scot said each parish grouping should be treated individually. It's good to note that parishioners that might look the same on a statistical sheet, the history and culture of those parishes can be so different they might not be a good fit when grouped together and maybe they shouldn't be grouped differently. Scot said it's a recognition that some of the proposed groupings need to change. But Fr. Ship said some of those groupings will need to stay and those parishes will need to find a way to work together. Parishes need to recognize they're part of something bigger and they will need to change a bit to work together. The next takeaway: TRaining is critical. 82% said training should be integral and 72% would be willing to do the training. Scot said people are hungry for training to make sure we can accommodate cultures and understand the vision of Cardinal Sean and learn to evangelize and invite people to join us once again. Fr. Mark said this is a critical stage in the history of the Archdiocese We're doing something different and changing our pattern. We have to make sure we're going to do this right so we're all formed for this new reality. Fr. Chip said Msgr. Fay also said we need to be flexible with the training, like online or other kids of options. Part of it is true leadership training. He said it's important that it's mandatory. Scot said a key here is leadership of change, helping people through the process of change. Everyone needs at least a refresher on that and everybody in leadership positions need to sharpen their skills in this area. Fr. Mark noted that some parishes will still standalone and even those parishes will need that training. Scot said they're still working out what that will look like. Msgr. Fay's eighth takeaway: there is exploratory thinking about how to bring parish and finance councils for parishes are brought together without violating canon law that each parish have its own. Scot said they need more information on the idea of a pastoral and a financial council that represents the grouping of parishes. A key is how to keep assets separate, and Scot said you have written rules on how to do this and give processes and norms. Fr. Chip said he likes to keep some things separate in his two parishes. For instance, he keeps the bills and records for two parishes in two separate places. How we do that is a good question and he hopes the training will help with that. Fr. Mark said as a canon lawyer, that the law doesn't seem flexible and the Vatican is on our side and is working with the archdiocese to find an acceptable position. This is innovative and will help the entire country. Second, during the table discussion at the convocation, one of the pastors was concerned about having two parishes in a cluster in which one is very poor and the other is very rich where you can't combine assets. Fr. Mark said one good thing is that people who help the better off parish will be able to help the poorer parish with how to get better. Scot speculated on a norm that would say that the parishes would pay the combined salaries of the pastoral service team based on their relative ability to pay. Fr. Mark said he can imagine a much bigger parish paying more than the other parish in the grouping. Msgr. Fay's last takeaway: Will the new collaborative structure really strengthen parishes financially? He said those who have worked deeply in this area believe that this is true. Scot said there is concern over the notion that parishes that are struggling financially today will be better off in these groupings. Fr. Chip said the key is to have the pastors involved at the local level. Fr. Mark said the Cardinal is asking us to look at this optimistically and he's asking us to strengthen parishes and train for evangelization to attract Catholics home and bring new Catholics. Scot aid all the problems of the Church find their root in the Mass attendance problem. If we're able to follow Jesus' Great Commission— Go and make disciples of all nations—live and share the faith with others, we will be much better off. Scot said the addresses by Msgr. Fay, Bishop Malone and Cardinal Seán will be posted on the Planning2012.com within the next week. Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, “We will do everything that the LORD has told us.” Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and, rising early the next day, he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD, Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.” Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his.” Gospel for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 10, 2012 (Mark 14:12-16, 22-26) On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”' Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Scot said the feast of Corpus Christi was instituted in the 12th century. We used to celebrate the Body and Blood of Jesus on Holy Thursday but because of the focus on Good Friday and Easter, the Church wanted to have a Sunday when we focus just on the Blessed Sacrament. Fr. Chip loves the connection between Moses sprinkling the blood and Jesus giving us his blood as true drink. The Eucharist is the source and summit of everything we are as a Church. Fr. Mark said he was also struck by the juxtaposition of these two readings. When Moses does the sprinkling and the people accept to follow the covenant, then if they break the covenant they are cursed which happened. Jesus' blood restores that covenant. Fr. Mark said his first Mass was on the Feast of Corpus Christi. He said it's such a privilege and honor for priests to hold the Eucharist in their hands as they say “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood.” Scot says he tries to receive the Eucharist as such a way that he gives witness to those who are watching of what he believes. He asked all listeners never to take the Eucharist for granted. Receive in such a way that little kids will see that you believe. Fr. Chip said the children preparing for First Communion show such anticipation and everything about them is crying out for it, even as others come forward with their minds elsewhere.

As goes the individual, so goes the family. As goes the family, so goes the Church. The Great Commission ("Go and make disciples") will be fulfilled when God's people focus on His Word and His Ways. This week, Pastor Tony about how our lives must be lived to increase God’s reputation, not ours.

As goes the individual, so goes the family. As goes the family, so goes the Church. The Great Commission ("Go and make disciples") will be fulfilled when God's people focus on His Word and His Ways. This week, Pastor Tony shares how the freer we are from sin, the more the “Life of Christ” will abound in us.

As goes the individual, so goes the family. As goes the family, so goes the Church. The Great Commission ("Go and make disciples") will be fulfilled when God's people focus on His Word and His Ways. This week, Pastor Tony shares about our choice to receive or to reject the life that God has chosen for us to live.

As goes the individual, so goes the family. As goes the family, so goes the Church. The Great Commission ("Go and make disciples") will be fulfilled when God's people focus on His Word and His Ways. This week, Pastor Tony shares about the importance of hearing the prophetic voice of God for our lives.