Podcasts about his holy spirit

In this teaching on 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Pastor Tyler Warner and Calvary Chapel Trussville discover that Christianity is far more than an intellectual exercise or moral philosophy—it's a living, breathing relationship with a God who actively speaks and moves among us today. This passage dismantles two dangerous extremes: the dead religion of mute idols where God is distant and silent, and the chaotic abuse of spiritual power without biblical guidance. Paul reminds us that we serve neither a statue nor an unpredictable force, but the living God who has poured out His Holy Spirit on all flesh, just as Joel prophesied. The spiritual gifts—wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and interpretation—are not relics of the early church but present realities meant to build us up as a body. What's revolutionary here is that every single believer has been entrusted with supernatural power to contribute to God's mission. We're not spectators watching God work from a distance; we're participants through whom the Holy Spirit manifests Himself to the world. The Trinity itself—Father, Son, and Spirit working in perfect unity—models how our diverse gifts should function together. When we gather, we should expect God to show up, not just in the teaching but through prophecies, healings, and supernatural encounters that remind us we're not studying ancient history but living in the continuation of the Book of Acts.

When we try to motivate people to do something, we can either use a carrot or a stick. In other words, we can motivate a person with a bribe or by frightening them. Some people think using fear or bribery motivates people to tithe, but God does not raise us to tithe with these techniques. God motivates His people entirely differently. He places His Holy Spirit inside us, and He changes our desires from the inside. And He becomes our Heavenly Father who commits Himself to our development. So our attitudes, how we treat each other, and even how we use our finances are changed because God is in the process of training us. He has a completely different perspective.  To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge!  Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.  

In ancient Greek culture there were very wealthy individuals who were called upon to act as patrons of the arts, specifically funding choirs, plays, and famous Greek tragedies. These patrons were known as choregos, and they were millionaires and billionaires of their day that were hand-picked by the State. They spared no expense out of their own wealth to hire the best singers, furnish the best costumes and sets, and put on the most lavish productions they could, all for the glory of the Greek empire. Think about the awesome parallel that provides for Christians who have been chosen by God to receive the limitless wealth of His Holy Spirit so that they may spend their lives generously sharing God's spectacular power and love with a world so hungry for it! In the Bible in 2 Peter 1:5, Peter makes this exact parallel and instructs the earliest Christians to be "suppliers", "patrons", just like the choregos! Let's live lives of beauty and impact as we manifest and pour out the presence of God's Holy Spirit to the world around us!

When we become Christians, God has designed a warning system by placing His Holy Spirit inside of us to tell us when we are about to make a mistake. We need to listen to His warnings, stop what we're doing, and obey Him so that we can avoid the dangerous consequences of sin. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/640/29

When we become Christians, God has designed a warning system by placing His Holy Spirit inside of us to tell us when we are about to make a mistake. We need to listen to His warnings, stop what we're doing, and obey Him so that we can avoid the dangerous consequences of sin.

The fruit we bear as believers may be some of the best, if not the only, evidence for the Gospel that someone in your community ever encounters. We need to be aware of this and allow it to motivate our actions and attitudes. All too often, the only thing different about us as believers is the way we spend our Sunday mornings. As Pastor Bill will urge us in today's message, we're called to get out into the world and share the truth that's been revealed to our hearts by God's Word and His Holy Spirit.

Jesus wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit. We often wish we could walk with Jesus physically and experience Him here in the flesh, but He gave us an incredible gift in his absence by sending His Holy Spirit. This Spirit doesn't just walk with us and talk with us; He lives in us and empowers us to do things that Jesus said would be even greater than His own earthly works. As Pastor Bill will encourage us in today's message, all we have to do to receive this Spirit is to ask in faith. 

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 21st of October, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Gospel of John 1:41-42: “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” Who brought Peter to Jesus? It was Andrew. He introduced Peter to Jesus, and Peter, of course, eventually was the one who headed up the church when Jesus went back to heaven to be with His Father, but how many people remember Andrew being the one who introduced his brother, Peter, to Jesus? Somebody sent me a little clip some time back, and it was a beautiful story, and I want to share it with you. Two young men, 16 years old, heard there was an evangelist who had come to their local town, and these two young men decided to go and have a look. It was a tent meeting, as they arrived, they were looking for a seat, and they couldn't find one, so they both walked out the back of the tent and thought, ”Oh well, we'll just leave it.” Then an usher, yes, an Andrew, (and his name wasn't Andrew, nobody knows his name. Only Jesus knows his name, and you and I will meet him maybe one day when we get to Heaven), he ran after them. He said, ”Boys, where are you going?” “Sir, the tent is full, so we decided we'll just go along.” ”No, come with me.” He took them into the tent and brought them up to the front, found two chairs for those two young men and the rest is history. Who were they? Well, the one young man, his name was Billy Graham. I'm an evangelist myself and he's one of my heroes. He's a man who's been used by God, to introduce more people to Jesus than anybody else, ever. Today, don't despise becoming an introducer. People need to be introduced to the Lord and He, the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of His Holy Spirit, will do the rest. Today, become an introducer. Maybe start in your own family.Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,Goodbye.

Are you going through a hard time right now? Whether it feels like walking through the valley of the shadow of death, or just an uncomfortable detour, many of us probably are facing a trial or will sometime soon. This life is full of them. As Pastor Bill continues our study in the book of Acts today, he offers this encouragement – we are not alone in our struggles. God is with us in His Holy Spirit, and He's put a community of people around us that wants to support us if we'll give them a chance.

Are you going through a hard time right now? Whether it feels like walking through the valley of the shadow of death, or just an uncomfortable detour, many of us probably are facing a trial or will sometime soon. This life is full of them. As Pastor Bill continues our study in the book of Acts today, he offers this encouragement – we are not alone in our struggles. God is with us in His Holy Spirit, and He's put a community of people around us that wants to support us if we'll give them a chance.

Ignoring the problems in our culture won't make them go away. Instead, we need to ask God to move in our homes and communities and be ready to respond to His Holy Spirit. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses the increasing lawlessness in our nation—and the growing movement to turn our hearts back to God that we're seeing arise from the young people. He teaches about King Hezekiah, who had an assignment to change the culture in his lifetime, and he shares some lessons we can learn from this Old Testament leader about how to invite God to shape hearts. People are waking up to the reality of a biblical worldview, and we can be a part of what God is doing!

By Joe Dobson - God will extend His knowledge of the truth and His Holy Spirit in His time.

In this episode, "A Journey into God's Consuming Fire", Joy Pharo shares about how God has a zeal for His house, His temple. We are the temple of His Holy Spirit. He is cleansing us through sanctification as we surrender to Him and He is consecrating us for such a time as this! Blessings,Sanctioned Love#consumingfire #sanctification #consecration #burningones #prepared #ready #temple #zeal #podcast #christianity #sanctionedlove

Sometimes, to be honest, life can feel really dry. You look out across the landscape of your life and all you can see is dry bones. You know there's more out there, but right now you just can't see how it'll ever feel “alive” again.   Valley of Dry Bones Have you ever noticed that some people seem to go on with God in a really powerful and exciting way and other people who say, "well I'm a Christian"; I don't know, they tend to be, if I can use the term "puced", as you know, some people just don't seem to be living out the joy and the power and the victory that a Christian life should represent. I wonder why that is? Well ... Jesus called us to go and make disciples; He called us to be disciples, not just believers. I think there is a distinction; a difference. A disciple, well, there's something resolute, there's something firm in their direction, they have a sense of where God is taking them and they're radical believers with their lives, in who Jesus is and what Jesus says. So they "hear" the Word of God but they also "do" the Word of God. Someone who's a believer and yet not a disciple, well, that person can believe; that person can live the story of Christ intermittently, but there is a sense of floating, there's a sense of they're not really deeply committed to be followers of Jesus Christ. There's a wishy-washiness about just being a believer and not a disciple; being just a believer is like hearing but not doing and as I said, the Lord calls us to be His disciples. The Lord calls us to go on in strength and power and victory, to live an abundant and exciting and amazing life. I really get excited when I think about what God has called us to. Now I'm not saying that somehow, a disciple has it all together, but they're on the path, they are committed to the journey with the Lord, wherever He wants to take them. A believer has a sort of an intellectual ascent to the Word of God but they are so often controlled by feelings and circumstances and we know that feelings are fickle; we know that circumstances blow an ill-wind today and a good wind tomorrow. We can't predict circumstances – we can't rely entirely on our feelings. Jesus is about making disciples and not believers. That is why we are going through a series of teaching at the moment that I've called, “Taking God at His Word,” because it seems to me that someone who is committed to Christ, committed to walking the walk with Jesus, is someone who takes God at His Word. God has some amazing promises in His Word, the Bible. Last week we looked at the promise that He will take us just as we are. He will take us with all our weaknesses and frailties and even despite that we can come boldly before His throne of grace. If you have a Bible, let's go quickly back there because it's an awesome Scripture; in Hebrews chapter 4, verses 15 and 16, where it says this. We don't have a High Priest who's unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one, who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet was without sin. Let us therefore, approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. In other words, because Jesus knows what it is like; because He has walked in our shoes on this earth as a man, because of that He can sympathise with our circumstances and because of that, we should come boldly before the throne of grace. In other words God's having a party and it‘s come as you are. We don't have to get all dressed up; we don't have to get our lives sorted out to come before God. That's what happens when we have a relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ. Today we are going to get on with the next message, which is called, “Can these bones live?” Have you ever looked across at your life and thought, “My life is so dry, it shouldn't be like this, but as I survey the landscape of my life, it's like a valley of dry bones? It's like – can it ever get any better, can I ever have a real sense of vibrant abundant life that I know my relationship with Jesus should bring me?” We all get to that point at sometime. We all get to that stage where we think – my life is just so dry. How's that going to change? Well, it's time to take God at His Word. If you have a Bible, grab it and flip it open to Ezekiel chapter 37. Ezekiel is one of the books of the Old Testament and it comes just after Isaiah, Jeremiah and then the Book of Ezekiel. We are going to chapter 37 and we pick up the story of Israel here, when they have been in exile in Babylon for almost seventy years. This is about the third part of the Book of Ezekiel. The first couple of parts are oracles of judgement against Judah and all the other nations surrounding them but this passage that we're about to look at, at the beginning of Ezekiel chapter 37, is really early on in the third part and the third part of the book is the book of hope. It's about the restoration of Israel because as I said, at this point, Israel has been in exile in Babylon for almost seventy years. God made them a promise; God promised them when He brought them up out of Egypt – remember they spent almost four centuries in slavery in Egypt, after Joseph, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Joseph was a Jew who became Prime Minister of Egypt and so all the tribes of Israel thrived in Egypt and became so populous they were enslaved by Pharaoh and there they lived until they cried out and God heard their cry and sent Moses to bring them out of Egypt. But they lived four hundred years in Egypt and then went through the exodus of forty years through the desert and finally past into the Promised Land – the land of milk and honey, but they didn't stick with what God called them to do – they didn't obey God and God's promise was, “I'll bless you in your land if you obey me but if you don't, you'll lose your land.” And sure enough, Babylon rose up against them and in 586/587BC, the Babylonian empire over-ran Jerusalem; burnt it, destroyed it, killed a lot of people and took the rest of them into slavery in exile in Babylon. And so these people were thinking, “Woe, what about God's promises? The temple's been destroyed – that's where God lives. Now we're exiled and Jerusalem is raised to the ground, what about God's promises?” So there's a sense of hopelessness and despair after generations. Living again, in exile in another country, in Babylon and this is what God says into that situation. It's got powerful implications for us today, but let's just see what happens. Ezekiel was taken by God – have a listen. Chapter 37 beginning verses 1 and 2. Ezekiel says this: The hand of the Lord came upon me and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley – it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley and they were very dry. And here's this valley full of dry, dead bones. Ezekiel was a priest and he knew the importance of burial. I mean these bones weren't buried and the reason it happen is they had a treaty with God and they disobeyed God and so the armies of Israel were killed and bodies were left to wild animals and it was God's punishment. You can read about it – we won't go there now but in Deuteronomy chapter 28, verses 25 and 26, it explicitly predicts that if Israel doesn't obey God this will happen – their armies will be destroyed. We find out later in this passage, in verse 11, that these are the bones of the House of Israel. But what about your house? What about your dry bones? What about the relationships and the sin and the wallowing and the drifting that we sometimes experience in our Christian walk? Sometimes we don't even know why it is. The thing that God does here is He shows Ezekiel the dry bones, He walks him around. He says, “Get a grip on reality.” Well maybe He's talking to us today – “Get a grip on reality! What are the dry bones in our lives; the things that are coming to ruin our walk and our relationship with God and the wonderful life that God has planned for us; the dead stuff? What are the dry bones? We are going to look at what God does with the dry bones next.   Life in His Word Ok, so we're living life and we feel that it's like this valley of dry bones that Ezekiel is talking about here. Well, what does God do with those dry bones? Let's pick it up in verse 3 of chapter 37. God says to Ezekiel: "Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord God, you know.” Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Oh, dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, “I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live, I will lay sinews on you and will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live and you shall know that I am the Lord you God.” So this is the first recorded tennis match in the Bible. God serves up and says to Ezekiel, “Can these bones live,” and Ezekiel returns the ball across the net and says, “Well, God, it's really up to you.” I mean, they're dead, they're dry, it's devastated, it's hopeless, they're crunching around together,” God and Ezekiel in this death valley and the truth is that it looks impossible to Ezekiel, but he daren't say that. Well, let's come back to our valley of dry bones; the broken relationships, the persistent sin, the dryness, the drudgery and God asks you or God asks me, “Can these bones live?” How do we answer that? I think we return that to God and say, “Lord, Lord you know.” Israel was in a hopeless situation, the world power of the day, Babylon, had them in slavery, they were spiritually and emotionally and morally and nationally bankrupt. They didn't know whether God would ever do anything to save them. They didn't even know if God had the power to do that. Well what does God do? He returns it back to Ezekiel. He says: "Ezekiel, prophesy; speak over these bones." What does He return; does He return love or grace or touchy feely or mushy? No, He returns with the Word of God, because the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword. He says: Ezekiel, prophesy; speak my Word over these bones. Say to them, “Thus says the Lord God, “I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live and I will lay sinews on you and I will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you will live and you will know that I am the Lord your God.” God's Word is powerful and mighty. God spoke creation into existence, He said: Let there be light. God calls things into existence that don't yet exist. You can read that in Romans chapter 4 verse 17. Well, what happens? Let's have a read – verse 7. So Ezekiel writes: I prophesied as I was commanded to and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked and there were sinews on them and flesh had come up on them and skin had covered them, but there wasn't any breath in them yet. Surprise! Surprise! God said, “Speak my Word over this impossible situation,” so Ezekiel did and through God's Word, in this vision that Ezekiel had, the bones came together. They had sinew, they had flesh, they had life; no breath yet, but they had life. God's Word is spoken and the dry bones become flesh and blood. Our problem, our circumstances, our feelings – when we get hungry in our situation, our valley of dry bones – where do we go? Do we go and feed on the world's wisdom? Do we go and feed on our friend's wisdom? Do we pick up the phone and have a whinge to a friend, or do we come to God's Word and listen to what He has to say about our lives and His plan for our lives and then do we take Him at His Word? Jesus spent forty days and nights in the desert; He was hungry, He was famished, He was thirsty and when the devil tries to tempt Him in His valley of dry bones, this is what He says. He says, “Man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Come on! Where do we go? We can have a junk food diet of TV shows and movies and women's magazine and gossip, but how much time do we spend on those things compared to time in the Word. We are what we eat. We go to a Sunday sermon, we listen to it once, we don't take any notes and we think, “Well why am I not growing?” Come on; let's get into God's Word however we can. There's power in God's Word. Jesus said: If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples. You see, He links God's Word to discipleship. If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We quote the second half of that normally. We say – the truth will set us free. No, no. Jesus said: If you are my disciples you'll be in my Word and my Word will be in you and you will continue in it and you will know the truth and by knowing the truth you will be set free. A disciple is someone who delights in God's Word; who radically believes it, who does it. Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 17, about the sword of the Spirit being the Word of God. It's an offensive weapon against Satan. It's in the Word of God that we stand firm and it is the Word of God that changes things in our lives. That's why we need to take God at His Word. We'll see how this story with Ezekiel and Israel finishes up next. But Wait – There's More Well, how does this story end up? We've been looking at how God takes Ezekiel out to look at this valley of dry bones, that represents where Israel is spiritually and emotionally and nationally towards the end of their exile, which really was a consequence of their sin; it was a consequence of them breaking their covenant and their promise with God. Well, we saw that Ezekiel spoke God's Word over these dry bones and just as God had said, when His Word was spoken, all of a sudden flesh came on them, all of a sudden sinew came on them and all of the bones came together. That happened! But look at the end of verse 8 of Ezekiel, chapter 37. It says: I looked and there was sinews and flesh and skin had covered them but there was no breath in them. Now let's read on in verses 9 and 10. Then God said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy Mortal and say to the breath, “Thus says the Lord God, come from the four winds, oh breath, and breathe upon the slain, that they may live,” and I prophesied as He commanded and the breath came into them and they lived and stood on their feet – a vast multitude. Wow! You see, God's Word had been spoken and that gave the power to bring all the bones together, but they yet didn't have breath. And the Hebrew word for breath is "ruwach", which means a rushing wind and it's the same word as is used for the Spirit. So when we are talking about the rushing wind, this is a symbol and a picture of the Spirit of God – it's not just the Word of God – we need the Spirit of God too, which brings life and they stood up and they stood as a vast multitude. Paul encourages us in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 18, to go on being "filled with the Spirit". There are so many people who say, “Well I'm in God's Word, you know, I believe in God's Word,” and yet they go to the Word without the Spirit. They go to God's Word and read it in their own strength, instead of saying, “God fill me with your Holy Spirit, fill me every day. I want to overflow with your Spirit.” And when we see God's Word; the power of God's Word and the life that the Spirit brings, all of a sudden we see here that these bones in the valley, they come to life, through the "ruwach", through the Spirit of God. Now we might come up with a wimpy response that says, “Well, you know, I've tried that but I'm so dry and the Spirit never touches me and ah …” Have a look with me quickly in Luke chapter 11 verse 9 – this is a really well known passage where Jesus says: I say to you, ask and it will be given you, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you, because everyone who asks receives, everyone who searches finds, for everyone who knocks the door is opened. Is there any among you if your child asks for a fish that you'll give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for bread, you'll give them a scorpion instead? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more ... Listen to this: ... how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Jesus said, “knock, persist, ask and you will receive. And when our hearts are fit to break, to be filled by the Spirit of God and we ask and we plead and we say, “Lord I'm not going to settle until I am so full with your Spirit that I'm overflowing; that streams of living water are running out of me.” When we are so desirous of that, God promises that He will fill us with His Spirit. A.W. Tozer wrote this, he put it this way. He said: Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push into His presence and live our whole lives there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than a doctrine to be held, it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day. God's Word has the power – God's Spirit brings the life. Why does God work this way? What's God doing? Why does He allow sin and Satan and why does He allow our lives to go through dry bones? Why do we have to go through this stuff? Well, He answers that at the end of our passage that we are looking at, Ezekiel chapter 37 beginning at verse 11. Then God said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel.” So God interprets this vision for Ezekiel. These bones are the whole House of Israel. They say our bones are dried up and our hope is lost and we are cut off completely, therefore, prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord your God, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, oh my people, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel and you will know that I am the Lord God when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves. My people, I will put my Spirit within you and you shall live. I will place you on your own soil and then you will know that I, the Lord your God, have spoken and will act, says the Lord God." Why does He allow this? So that He can bless us; so that we can receive redemption and life and renewal. Not through our own strength, but when God breathes His Spirit into us; when we believe His Word – when we take God at His Word. That valley of dry bones was a picture of Israel and God said to Ezekiel: Go and tell them. Speak my Word over them and this is what I will do. Those dry bones – those dry bones are our circumstances, our sin, our lives lost, our opportunities missed. Let God show us the reality when we accept the power of His Word, when we accept Him at His Word and we accept His Holy Spirit which is life. God's having a party – it's come as you are, but let's believe His Word. God calls things that aren't as though they are. God brings life when He gives us His Word to speak over our life and when He pours His Spirit out over our lives. The question is will you take God at His Word?

In 30 minutes, the Holy Spirit released a great deal of revelation concerning the Middle East peace plan, and His plan for the exaltation of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  He went on to speak about President Trump and the judgment in the form of disruption and devastation coming to the United States economy.  He went on to speak about the states of Oregon and Washington.He stressed the point that all of what He is about to do requires our staying close to Him, as sudden changes will bring us to the edge of destruction.  Only by being sensitive to His Holy Spirit will we be able to walk in His Glory and protected from the judgment that will fall on our left and right.Relevant Documents:https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2017/06/judgment-followed-by-his-glory/https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2020/09/vision-the-glory-road-the-road-of-poverty/https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2021/06/a-2-part-vision-the-army-of-the-lord-his-left-hand/https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2024/12/a-vision-of-judgment-revival-america-the-u-s-congress-california-san-francisco-los-angeles-alaska-hawaii-vancouver-canada/https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2025/01/prophetic-word-a-solemn-warning-of-judgment-for-the-apostate-the-disobedient-church-every-state-in-america/https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2024/07/america-without-security-judgment-in-plain-sight/https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2020/06/the-lord-proclaims-judgment-destruction-for-major-u-s-cities-the-lord-rebukes-pastors/Associated Videos:https://youtu.be/3Yw0kQshUZIhttps://youtu.be/Zqd-ln2QHwQhttps://youtu.be/Mq2kvPBtx34https://youtu.be/SruS5juMAhwhttps://youtu.be/oYtlY4LRNP4Additional content is searchable on our website.Mark C. Bitelerjoshuarevivalproject.orginfo@joshuarevivalproject.orgPodcast: Joshua Revival ProjectRumble: Joshua Revival ProjectYouTube: @joshuarevivalprojectX: @markbiteler

Gospel Luke 11:1-4 Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” Reflection What strikes me about this very simple prayer is how concise and precise it is. What God wants us to be doing is establishing his kingdom. We do that by opening ourselves to God's presence and sharing that with one another. He feeds us and nourishes us with his presence, His Holy Spirit dwelling within us. And over and over, he will forgive us our sins and not hold them against us, and prays that we will do the same for each other. And in the last line, Do not subject us to the final test. Many read that as a way of saying, Please God, don't tempt us'. Yet the true definition is not, don't lead us into temptation, but let us not fall into temptation. That's a different meaning, an important difference, because nothing is clearer than God is on our side, helping us, working with us, being patient with us as we build the kingdom. Closing Prayer Father, it's easy to see in this particular passage how words are not necessary in terms of having to bring people to an awareness of something essential. It doesn't take many words. It takes clarity. It takes simplicity. It takes a simple way of understanding the work. It isn't difficult to understand if you know, it's simply about a God who gives us everything we need if we simply open ourselves to it and receive it, help us to be receptive of all your gifts. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we continue our study of the parables of our Lord in Matthew 13 we are looking at verses 24-30.It is the parable of the wheat and tares. Even though good seed was planted, weeds were also found amongst the wheat. This parable written for us by the Apostle Matthew is unique to his gospel. Neither Mark or Luke contain this particular parable. Matthew is revealing that there would be a mixture of good and evil in the kingdom of heaven. This the second parable Jesus spoke. Later, His disciples ask Him what this parable means. So Jesus interprets it in detail for His disciples. Listen to Jesus' word and pray that God will make known His understanding of the Word by means of His Holy Spirit. Join us on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast with Dr. Mitchell, Matthew 13:24.

Today, again, we will spend time in worship. Simply focusing on God and His character. So, invite His Holy Spirit to pour over You with His presence. Listen intently as we experience His Word together.From Psalm 33 The MessageGood people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising.Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play his praise on a grand piano!Invent your own new song to him; give him a trumpet fanfare.For God's Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out.He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true.Earth is drenched in God's affectionate satisfaction.… bow before God; … down on your knees!Here's why: he spoke and there it was, in place the moment he said so.God takes the wind out of Babel pretense, he shoots down the world's power-schemes.God's plan for the world stands up, all his designs are made to last.Blessed is the country with God for God; blessed are the people he's put in his will.He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do.No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength.Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone.Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love.He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together.We're depending on God; he's everything we need.What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name.Love us, God, with all you've got—that's what we're depending on.Can you add your personal thoughts of worship to these words from david?What about God are you in awe of?How has God rescued you?Will you praise and worship him for the personal way He has shown up recently?Let's personalize the last lines of Psalm 33:I'm depending on You, God; You are everything I need.What's more, my heart brims with joy since I've taken for my own Your holy name.Love me, God, with all you've got—that's what I'm depending on.Pray with me: “Heavenly Father, Thank You that I don't have to worship, but I get to worship. You are a Gentleman who never forces His way, yet loves in such a powerful way that invites a response of gratitude. Thank You for loving me with all You've got. As above, so below.”

Living a fulfilling life begins with recognizing all that God has done for us. In response, He calls us to a life of renewal - letting His Holy Spirit transform our thoughts, attitudes, and actions so we live differently than the world. God is moving across our nation, and He is seeking Christ followers who will offer fully surrendered hearts, allowing His renewal to impact others and change the world one life at a time.If you are interested in attending a service or finding out more, please visit us at https://mvcchome.org/If you feel led to support this ministry, then follow this link.  https://mvcchome.org/give

October 5, 2025Big Idea: God, by His Holy Spirit, has enabled us to remain in a posture of confidence in Him, no matter the chaos that seeks to surround and overwhelm us.

This week we will spend time in simple, quiet worship. Let's simply focus on God and His goodness. Breathe deep and allow your spirit to connect to His Holy Spirit.Psalm 29 from The Message — A Psalm of David Bravo, God, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”In awe before the glory, in awe before God's visible power.Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him!God thunders across the waters,Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—God, across the flood waters.God's thunder tympanic, God's thunder symphonic.God's thunder smashes cedars, God topples the northern cedars.The mountain ranges skip like spring colts, The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.God's thunder spits fire.God thunders, the wilderness quakes; He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”Above the floodwaters is God's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace.What words, what phrases stood out to you?What games of God moved your spirit to worship?Listen once again to the final verses:We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”Above the floodwaters is God's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace.As you walk through hardships and the challenges of your life, remember that Your God is the God of the thunder, of the rain, and of glory and power. He has you. He holds you. To make you strong. To give you peace.Let's pray: “Father, I realize Your power. I recognize Your glory. Today, in this quiet moment, I worship You. Thank You for Your strong arm that protects my life. Thank You for Your gentle Spirit to give me peace. As above, so below.”

John is bringing us a message from 1 Corinthians 14 where we learn that God has an expectation for His people to worship with order and not chaos. The gifts that He has given us through His Holy Spirit are designed to bring the most benefit to the body of Christ when they are used in their proper manner.

Discover how God’s mysterious ways are revealed in nature and in our lives in Discovering God’s Mysterious Ways this Fall. Lynette Kittle explores the spiritual lessons of autumn, including God’s promises of resurrection, renewal, and hidden growth, perfect for listeners seeking Christian insight, reflection, and spiritual growth during the fall season. This episode helps believers connect the beauty and change of fall with God’s transformative power and eternal plan. ✨ Highlights How fall reveals the mystery of resurrection and Jesus’ promise of new life Understanding how dying leads to new life, spiritually and naturally The hidden work of God in secret, unseen growth during seasons of dormancy God’s creation of newness in our hearts and lives through the Holy Spirit Practical reflection on embracing God’s transformative work during autumn

We're told to follow the 10 Commandments, but when we try we find we cannot keep them. The Commandments are there to show how much we need God. Jesus fulfilled the Law in His death, burial and resurrection. Therefore, we live in gratitude to God for His Grace in allowing us to live righteously through the power of His Holy Spirit.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/livingalegacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are a lot of people who know Jesus as Savior and Lord, and perhaps know the concept of God and Father, but the practice that they have put on display is something other than the likeness of the image. The image that they have may be a concept that was given to them by a man-made religious system that does really what I'm doing here today, and that is to tell you about who God is. Lessons about God can only inform us, but revelations by His Holy Spirit transform us and change us from the inside out. The Bible doesn't say be conformed to the world, it says don't be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. There's a transformation, a metamorphosis that God wants to take us into, and it happens when our thought processes change.

I had the opportunity to spend 24 hours of my life in the city of Athens in Greece. I was on my way home from a teaching mission, and if I only had 24 hours, well, I knew what I wanted to see. I wanted to see the Acropolis, and there it was on a hill that just dominates the entire city. That's where the ancient Greeks built a temple to their goddess, Athena, after whom, obviously, the city was named. Even after 21 centuries, I've got to tell you it is still an impressive, imposing, dominating structure up there on the mountain. Maybe you can even see a picture of it in your mind, if you've ever seen one before. It was the most sacred, most protected, most honored place in all of Athens. In fact, it was actually a crime to violate that temple. Of course it was that way in many cultures. The temple always got first-class treatment because your gods live there. Well, those ancient people had the wrong god, but they knew what to do with a temple. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Temple In The Mirror." Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. It's not about the Acropolis, it's not about the ancient Jewish temple, but it's about temples. Listen to where the temple is. "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." This is one of Christianity's most revolutionary ideas - you are the building God lives in. You can go in the bathroom, look in the mirror and see His temple. Even pagan people knew that the way you take care of your god's dwelling place tells a lot about how you feel about your god. Now, if you know Christ, you are God's two-legged temple. He's come to live in you by the presence of His Holy Spirit. That puts a whole new significance on your body - what happens with your mouth, your mind, your eyes, your ears, your hands, your feet, and every part of your body. Because in a sense, what you do with that body - everything you do with it - God is a part of. He lives in that temple. Everything you do to that body, you do to God. Now, even people without God in ancient days recognized that you guard, and you protect, and you keep special, and you honor the place where God lives. Let me ask you, "Have you been treating your body like the temple treasure that it is?" See, if you really care about your God much, you won't let His temple get run down. You won't let it have to carry the extra weight it's been carrying. You won't let it be too out-of-shape. You won't poison it with things that should never go into it; things that will degrade your body. It's a temple you're talking about, not just your body. That's a whole new reason to take care of it. See, that temple advertises what your god is like, and God deserves the best! Maybe you've devalued that temple with some junk you've been putting into it. Maybe you have defamed the temple of God by playing around sexually with His temple, dragging the name of God and the presence of God into things He is so much against, using His temple to satisfy your glands. Your body isn't yours. See, it was bought with the price of Jesus' blood. Your God lives there! Keep it special.

The world feels heavy right now. There is heartache and pain and suffering, and, with that, a renewed searching. There is a people searching for answers, for clarity, for truth, for hope.People are hungry. They're hungry for hope. They're hungry to believe. They're hungry for a life worth living for. They're hungry for a love worth dying for.They may not know it yet, but they're hungry for Jesus.And it's our time to tell the world about Him. It's our time to reignite the missionary heart that is within each one of us by way of His Holy Spirit. It's our time to set the world on fire with the love of Jesus, the truth of His life, death, and resurrection, the power of a love that poured out to save the world from death forever.Not all of us are called to be missionaries in foreign countries or to speak from stages (although thanks be to God for the ones who are), but all of us can bring the love of Jesus to the people right in front of us. At the grocery store. At school pickup. Around the dinner table. Online. At work. Right where we are.

September 7, 2025Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”‭Big Idea: The all-powerful, all-wise God has called each one of us to actively participate in His eternal plans. His Holy Spirit transforms our speech to reveal Christ Jesus to others.

Do you ever feel like you need help for this life? Like you don't know the words to say or how to act when in difficult situations? Like you don't know how to comfort those who are suffering? Like you don't know how to follow Jesus in the unique circumstances of your life? There's good news! Jesus promised us The Helper; His Holy Spirit who comes alongside us as leads us into all truth.

Joel's preaching concerning the LORD's outpouring of His Spirit finds fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when Peter uses this section as his sermon text. The LORD gives His Holy Spirit to draw people to faith in the only Savior, Jesus Christ, who has suffered under the wrath of God on the Day of the LORD in our place. By the outpouring of the Spirit, sinners are brought to call upon the name of the LORD for salvation, and as baptized believers, they too begin to speak the Word of God so that more will hear and believe in Jesus for salvation.  Rev. Jacob Dandy, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Atchison, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Joel 2:28-32. To learn more about Trinity Lutheran, visit trinityatchison.org. “Majoring in the Minors” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. Although the books of these prophets are shorter, the Word of God they preached was important in the years leading up to the coming of the Christ, and that Word remains important for the Church today. Just as we still need to listen to their call to repentance over our idolatry, so we still need to heed their call to trust in the Savior, Jesus.  Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

In Psalm 34:18, we’re reminded that “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” But in seasons of heartbreak, unanswered prayers, or overwhelming busyness, God can sometimes feel distant. Cindi McMenamin shares how we can quiet the noise, draw near to God, and experience His presence as close and real as the air we breathe. ✨ Highlights Why God sometimes feels distant and how to reconnect with Him Four practical ways to experience God’s presence: Take a Divine Pause — slow down, breathe deeply, and be still (Psalm 46:10) Whisper His Name — use simple “breath prayers” like “Jesus, I need You” (Acts 4:12) Read His Word Aloud — Scripture is “living and active” and draws us closer (Hebrews 4:12) Start Praising Him — worship shifts our focus from ourselves to God’s goodness The promise of Jeremiah 29:13: when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him

Romans 8:1-4 Our life without Jesus leaves us empty, exhausted and always trying to achieve something better. Jesus' invitation is to lay down our own efforts in life and take up the grace, truth and hope of Jesus. With the arrival of Jesus into this world and the death of Jesus for this world, we can be filled with and embrace a new power- the power of His Holy Spirit, that fills and frees us to walk into the wide-open spaces of God's love.

Let'sjust review these verses before we move on.  First,we need to understand that true riches come from God. What a source ofencouragement to know that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are allworking together on our behalf to make us rich in Christ Jesus. God not onlygives us "richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17), but Hegives us eternal riches without which all other wealth is valueless. In Jesus'first recorded message on the Mount of Beatitudes He taught us, “Blessed arethe poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God…. Blessed are the meek,for they shall inherit the earth”. When we yield our lives in poverty toJesus Christ, He gives us have an inheritance in heaven. Then when we literallyyield our daily lives to Him, (that's what it means to be meek, yielded to thecontrol of God and His Holy Spirit), then we enjoy everything on earth. In a veryreal sense we have all things richly to enjoy. Butnot only does God give us richly things to enjoy on earth, He gives us eternalriches in Christ Jesus that last for eternity. Not just forever and ever.That's timewise, but for eternity and you can't measure that. Wow, we are sorich. Over the years so many couples have come to us for counseling that are havingfinancial issues. They've spent their lives buying things. They have a nicehouse, they have expensive cars, they have all these expensive things, but thenthey lost what they really wanted and had in the early days of their marriage.They lost their love. What good is it to have an expensive house if there is nohome? Or an expensive ring if there is no love?  Myfriend, in Christ, you and I have what money can't buy. All these spiritualriches open up to us. All the wealth of God's vast creation. We enjoy the giftsbecause we know and love the Giver. Don't give up what you have in Christ forthat which you will lose. Remember the famous quote by Jim Elliot: "Heis no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannotlose".  Secondly,we learn that all these riches come from God's grace and for God's glory. Didyou notice that after each of the main sections in Ephesians 1:4-14, Paul hasadded the purpose behind these gifts? Why has God the Father chosen us, adoptedus, and accepted us? "To the praise of the glory of His grace" (Eph.1:6). Why has the Son redeemed us, forgiven us, revealed God's will to us, andmade us part of God's inheritance? "That we should be to the praise of Hisglory" (Eph. 1:12). Why has God the Spirit sealed us and become theguarantee of our future blessing? "Unto the praise of His glory"(Eph. 1:14). Weoften have the idea that God saves sinners mainly because He pities them, orwants to rescue them from eternal judgment, but God's main purpose is that Hemight be glorified. His creation reveals His wisdom and power, but His churchreveals His love and grace. You cannot deserve or earn these spiritual riches;you can only receive them by grace, through faith. Thirdly,these riches are only the beginning! There is always more spiritual wealth toclaim from the Lord as we walk with Him. The Bible is our guidebook; the HolySpirit is our Teacher. As we search the Word of God, we discover more and moreof the riches we have in Christ. These riches were planned by the Father,purchased by the Son, and presented by the Spirit. There is really no need forus to live in poverty when all of God's wealth is at our disposal! Ilove the little devotional book by Charles Haddon Spurgeon called “Faith CheckBook”. A promise from the Bible is given for each day of the year, along with ashort devotional message. The author described each promise as being as good asmoney in the bank to anyone who would claim it by faith, as a person wouldwrite a check against his bank account. By faith we can claim God's promisesand draw on His limitless wealth to meet every need we may face.  

How do you respond in when life gets really tough? Jerry Leachman says to remember that we're just a baby in a basket.What does that mean, "a baby in a basket?" When Moses was just a few months old, Pharoah, the most powerful man in the world, had a hit order on his life. Moses' family put him in a little frail reed basket and set him afloat in the crocodile-infested Nile River.His chances are going down the further this story goes along. And then they watched him—talk about a heartbreaking scene.I think most of you know how this story goes along. The daughter of Pharaoh finds Moses, and then they hire Moses' family back. So, now they're taking care of their own baby again, and they're getting a paycheck to do it.Pharaoh had a plan for Moses to annihilate him, but God had another plan for Moses. He was going to be God's deliverer. That little baby was indestructible until God was through with him.As long as God has a purpose for us to be here, your magnificent obsession should be not to sit here and have fun, not to sit here on earth and try to be the man. You need to find out why God put you here and be about that and fulfill your destiny.Be part of the solution, not the problem—be part of the answer. We don't want God to remove His Holy Spirit. And if there's anything in your life this morning, only you would know, that grieves the Holy Spirit, get it out. That's your call.Jerry Leachman of ⁠⁠Leachman Ministries⁠⁠ is a favorite speaker at The Center's events. Along with being an associate Chaplain in The NFL for many years, Jerry has done ministry in Guatemala, Scotland, Russia, Europe and Africa as well as all over the U.S. He and his wife Holly have been on Young Life Staff and continue to be involved with Young Life here and also internationally.

n this solo episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Jesse Schwamb dives into a theological exploration of work as an extension of Christian calling that extends far beyond paid employment. Building upon their previous discussion about vocational choices for Christians, Jesse addresses the question: "Does a Christian's work ever cease?" Through careful examination of Ephesians 2:8-10 and other passages, he argues that while the nature of our work may change through different seasons of life—including retirement, caregiving, or illness—God has prepared good works for believers to walk in throughout their entire earthly journey. The episode offers both theological foundations and practical guidance on how Christians can approach all forms of labor as worship, finding purpose and meaning in every season of life. Key Takeaways Good works are not the basis of salvation but its goal—Christians are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by works, yet they are saved for good works that God has prepared in advance (Ephesians 2:10). The Christian's work never ceases but changes form—Whether in paid employment, retirement, caregiving, or even during illness, God has prepared meaningful work for believers in every season of life. All work has spiritual value when done unto the Lord—The Reformed tradition elevates all forms of work, not just paid employment, as having potential to glorify God. Prayer is a significant and valuable form of work—Even those who cannot engage in physical labor can participate in the vital spiritual work of intercessory prayer. Good works offer multiple benefits to believers—According to the Westminster Confession, good works manifest gratitude to God, bolster assurance of faith, encourage other Christians, adorn Christian doctrine, silence critics, and glorify God. Christian workers should be distinctively different—Believers can stand out in the workplace by being fair and committed, genuinely caring for others, demonstrating generosity, remaining calm under pressure, and being authentic about their faith. Finding our identity in Christ transforms our approach to work—When we place our ultimate treasure in heaven rather than earthly gain, we can approach our labors with greater peace, purpose, and freedom from anxiety. Elaboration on Key Points The Christian's Work Never Ceases but Changes Form Jesse challenges the modern Western notion that work is merely a season of life that eventually ends with retirement. Instead, he presents a more ancient and biblical perspective: that work never ceases but merely takes different forms throughout our lives. Using Paul's metaphor of "walking" in the good works God has prepared (Ephesians 2:10), Jesse explains that our journey continues throughout life, with the landscape changing as we move through different seasons. Whether we're in paid employment, caring for loved ones, serving in retirement, or confined to a bed during illness, God has prepared meaningful work for us to do. Even those who are physically limited can engage in the vital work of intercessory prayer, which Jesse describes as "the kind of work that is so glorious... that while it exhausts us, it exhausts us in a way that brings us the greatest kind of sleep or refreshment." This perspective eliminates the anxiety many Christians feel about the purpose of their later years and affirms the ongoing value of their contributions to God's kingdom regardless of their physical capacity or economic productivity. Good Works Offer Multiple Benefits to Believers Drawing from the Westminster Confession of Faith, Jesse outlines six significant benefits of good works in the Christian life. First, good works manifest our gratitude to God for the gift of His Son—they become tangible expressions of thankfulness for salvation. Second, they bolster assurance of faith by providing evidence of God's work in our lives. Third, good works encourage other Christians toward greater acts of Christ-centered love, as we witness the transforming power of the gospel in one another. Fourth, they adorn the doctrine of God our Savior, making abstract theological truths visible and attractive to others. Fifth, good works silence critics who devalue biblical Christianity by demonstrating its positive impact. Finally, they glorify God by displaying His transformative work of love in our lives. These benefits apply to all forms of work—paid or unpaid—and give eternal significance to even the most mundane tasks when done unto the Lord. As Jesse emphasizes, "There are no mundane things. There are no small works... There are just these small things that come alongside with the great work that God has done already in our lives." Memorable Quotes "Good works aren't bad when they're seen as the goal of salvation, not its ground. The goal, because it's worthwhile to want to worship God and to obey him by doing good works." "Keep walking on that journey knowing that God all along the way has already prepared good works for you to do because he loves you and because this is our opportunity to worship him together in everything that we do." "When we are performing this work for God, he assures our faith. He refreshes us in it. He exhausts us in the best possible way so that we might love him more, cherish him more, encourage one another more, and really come to understand his character more forthrightly."   Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: Keep walking on that journey knowing that God all along the way has already prepared good works for you to do because he loves you and because this is our opportunity to worship him together and everything that we do. [00:00:32] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 459 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast where the tulip never wilts. Hey, brothers and sisters. [00:00:48] Recap of Previous Episode [00:00:48] Jesse Schwamb: So in this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, this solo episode, I'm gonna wrap up a conversation that Tony and I just had in the last episode and set us up, wet Your Appetite for a whole brand new series. [00:01:03] Jesse Schwamb: That's gonna be starting in the next episode. So you find yourself bookended by two really great things. One, a great conversation we just had about the Christian and work. Are there jobs that really Christians shouldn't have? Because it takes us away from what it means to serve the Lord vocationally, as strange as that sounds. [00:01:22] Jesse Schwamb: So if you didn't hear that, you're gonna wanna go check that out before you listen to me, wrap all of us up right now. In fact, here's what you should do. Stop everything you're doing, unless it's operating a vehicle or a backhoe. Power those things down. Get off the side of the road, then go to reformed brotherhood.com and you can find all of the episodes living out there that we've ever recorded, including the one from last week, and I believe will be greatly blessed by hanging out with some of those conversations. [00:01:49] Jesse Schwamb: So go and do that first. [00:01:51] The Christian's Work and Retirement [00:01:51] Jesse Schwamb: On this episode, I'm gonna talk a little bit as a follow up about. Does the Christian's work ever cease? Is there a time, because we just spoke about vocational work and work for which we're remunerated, where once that goes away, what happens next? Is it a different kind of work? [00:02:07] Jesse Schwamb: Is it no work? Should we be the kind of people that are trying to pursue an end to that remunerated work as quick as possible? Is that okay? What happens if we can't be compensated for our work anymore? What happens? We're gonna reason from the scriptures a little bit more about work, our calling and all of that by way of vocation. [00:02:26] Jesse Schwamb: And part of this conversation has actually come from a larger conversation. So one of the greatest and best things about this podcast, something I wanna boast in right now, because it has nothing to do with Tony or me, and that is. There are lots of people listening, brothers and sisters from all over the world who gathered together and debrief. [00:02:47] Jesse Schwamb: Talk about the episodes, hang out and talk about life, share funny stories, share prayer requests, support one another. And you can do that by joining our little group on a messaging app called Telegram. So in fact, here's the second thing you should do. If you go to T Me Reform Brotherhood one more time, T Me Back slash Reform Brotherhood, slap that bad boy in your favorite browser, and that'll give you a link to our little corner of this messaging app. [00:03:13] Jesse Schwamb: And there's a channel within that app just to talk about. The various episodes as a way of interacting with all of us, and as a result of the episode that we recorded last about this idea of vocational work and calling, how does that all come together? Brother Joshua posed an excellent question, which is in part the reason for the conversation I'm about to have with you all, and that is what happens. [00:03:33] Jesse Schwamb: When we retire, or what happens when we desire to set aside sufficient resources if we can, so that we can get to that place as soon as possible. What then what about work or what if we have to care for a sick, sick, loved one? Or what if we have to come and take responsibility for our family in a different or unique way that takes us away from work where we're not being paid for things in the same way anymore? [00:03:52] Jesse Schwamb: What happens then? So we are going to get to all of that on this little brief little episode that's gonna sit in between the end of our conversation on work and the beginning of our brand new series, which, you know, you want me to tell you what it is, but I'm not gonna do it. It's just not gonna happen on this episode. [00:04:09] Jesse Schwamb: So you're just gonna have to sit in that anticipation waiting. Waiting for it to come next week, but for now, let's talk a little bit more about work. [00:04:17] Good Works and Salvation [00:04:17] Jesse Schwamb: And let me start with a, a phrase that's like so obvious, but you can say it with me if you want, because we have to agree on this. At least that good works aren't bad. [00:04:27] Jesse Schwamb: I mean, good works aren't bad. They're good. By definition it seems like self-reinforcing. And as Christians, we should want to do those good works. Now, I haven't said what the good works are, haven't even explained really. Although we, Tony and I talked about this before, how they really fit into that pattern and that normative behavior of the Christian life. [00:04:44] Jesse Schwamb: But can we just agree that if the Bible is saying there are good works for us to do, then they must be good. And they must be there for a purpose. They must be there for a reason and we can't debate that. Just because we're not saved according to our works doesn't mean that we shouldn't be concerned about pursuing a life of joyful obedience to God's word. [00:05:01] Jesse Schwamb: I mean, this is why Jesus like emphatically states in the gospel. If you love me, you'll keep my commandments in obedience. However frail it is. However much we stumble, however feeble we are in actually executing it is our evidence. Our love for God and for his son Jesus Christ. So far from undermining the gospel of grace, good works are the perfect compliment to the gospel, and this is why good works are good. [00:05:29] Jesse Schwamb: So to be clear, good works are bad when they're seen as the basis of salvation. And I think if you've been with us for any length of time or you're familiar with the reform. Theological movement. If you've been steeped in the scriptures, you're gonna find that kind of compulsion, that pull that says like, well, I understand that when I use my good works as a means of somehow Meritoriously earning my salvation, they cease to be good. [00:05:54] Jesse Schwamb: This is why, of course, Jonathan Edwards called Good works of this nature, only glittering sin because they're, they have no power to redeem. They have no power to save. They have no power to. Transition yourself into some kind of a righteous sense or rubric. It's impossible. They will not do that. They do not serve that purpose. [00:06:12] Jesse Schwamb: A person is not saved by works, but by God's grace through faith in Christ. [00:06:17] The Role of Good Works in Christian Life [00:06:17] Jesse Schwamb: So this is the time where we have to love ones. Go to Ephesians chapter two. It's impossible for me to continue without at least sharing this good news. If you need to hear this again, and this may be a well rehearsed verse or a well rehearsed writing from the Apostle Paul to you, but I ask that you hear it again. [00:06:32] Jesse Schwamb: If you can with these ears that are unstopped, that are almost fresh with excitement for this really good news, this is what Paul writes to the church and Ephesus for. By grace, you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works so that no one may boast. [00:06:51] Jesse Schwamb: For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. I mean, there's so much there that is. Lovely and refreshing. And freeing. It's not works righteousness, it's not meritorious. Salvation is clearly not of our own doing. It's not the result of these works, even the faith through which we receive salvation is a gracious, gracious gift from God. [00:07:21] Jesse Schwamb: So what a just burden taken off of our shoulders. The mantle has been removed from us. To somehow even equate or think that, well, if I have a good day and I've done a lot for God, he must love me more. I must be more ingratiated towards him, even if I have the sense that. I feel closer to him. Hopefully that closeness is the sense of joy and obedience. [00:07:40] Jesse Schwamb: And now where we get the sense that, well, because I've done something for God, he ought to do something for me or me more favorably disposed towards me. All of that is nonsense and that way just. Total foolishness and madness lies. Instead, when we turn that into our rejoicing first for the faith itself by which we receive from God, that grants us access to this great salvation. [00:08:02] Jesse Schwamb: When we see that as a gift first, then all of this other mongering for responsibility and trying to placate through the things that we can do and having this sense of guilt in our minds about what we should have done or what we did not accomplish, or even if in our own obedience toward Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, we've fallen short. [00:08:20] Jesse Schwamb: We can still find there is this gift for us and the gift of salvation is ours in Christ through faith, not by works. It's very, very clear in what Paul writes to the church here as fallen creatures, even our best efforts are completely laced with sin. This also is, by the way, a really great kindness of God that we can never really be contrite enough in our coming before him and, and even in our humility, we probably can never be humble enough. [00:08:47] Jesse Schwamb: So the fact that God accepts because of Christ us into the family of God without having to put upon us this burden that you must be sorry enough for your sin, or you're not repentant enough, you haven't expressed the severe and necessary amount of contrition to really placate and understand that you have cosmically committed treason against the all powerful God of the universe. [00:09:13] Jesse Schwamb: Who could stand underneath that kind of weight. And the answer is no one, but by the grace of God through Jesus. So it's amazing. That when we start to think about work, what we find is that God is first doing all of the work in us, and we see that the first work is not our work, but his work, the secondary work, this means of obedience, of showing, our gratitude of expressing praise and worship. [00:09:37] Jesse Schwamb: Must, I think, necessarily be manifest in work that is labor of some kind, because God has first expressed himself in that kind of labor. And second, he's given it to us to do as an experience into his very being and his character, but also in service to him and to those who are around us. I promise I'm getting to all of this good stuff about what does this practically mean, but all this I think is so necessary for us. [00:10:02] Jesse Schwamb: To really set the proper understanding for what it means to have good work to do and to do this work. So these good works provide no basis for boasting because they're utterly worthless to save. They have worth in other ways, but it just turns out they're worthless In this way. It's a bit like if you take your, take your, whatever your domestic currency is, whatever the currency you, you transact in, I live and hang out in the United States, so my currency is the US dollar. [00:10:24] Jesse Schwamb: If I take a bunch of dollars with me and I go travel almost anywhere else in the world. There's a small chance they'll be accepted. And I realize I've picked the wrong currency for this metaphor at this point, but if I let, let's say, let's just pick a different one. Let's say that you live in Zimbabwe or you just happen to have a bunch of Zimbabwean dollars hanging out in your pocket. [00:10:42] Jesse Schwamb: I'm sure some of you do, and you take that currency and you come to the United States and you wanna go buy something, those dollars will not work. They just won't work. Nobody will accept them. They're worthless. They're without value. Now, do they have value? In a certain sense, of course they do. In that domestic currency, in that homeland they do. [00:10:59] Jesse Schwamb: And in the same way, though, of course, slightly different here, our works are these expression of. Obedience of love for God. But the minute we try to exchange them for salvation, what we're gonna find is God says that's worthless here. And it again, is a fool's errand to build your entire life on some kinda system or belief that says, what I'm doing is earning these dollars, making these good works, performing these things. [00:11:22] Jesse Schwamb: So I'll have gathered to myself all of this currency, which I'm then going to use to buy my salvation now, I think even in my own ears, that sounds ridiculous to say, and yet so many of us. Get caught up in that. And if we don't get caught up in whole, we sometimes get caught up in it peace wise, because again, we have a sense that, well, if I've been a particularly good Christian today, doesn't that mean that God is more happy with me? [00:11:45] Jesse Schwamb: And Paul says, no, you have been saved as a gift of God. It is his gracious act that through faith you have been given salvation, and that faith was not of your own. That itself as well was a gift. It's gift upon gift upon gift. And so even the work itself is shaped. By the sense that all that God gives us and him doing all the verbs is his gifting. [00:12:09] Jesse Schwamb: So good works are gonna provide no basis for boasting because they are worthless to save. And the only foundation for salvation is Christ, we're saved by his works, not ours. If you're looking for that good, that first, that perfect work, the thing that you could latch onto, the thing that you would say this, I'm gonna hang my hat. [00:12:27] Jesse Schwamb: And all of my life on the work that you're looking for is not the one that you can accomplish. It is the one that Jesus has already done on your behalf. So that's why I always think when I see those W wait, they're not as prevalent anymore I suppose. But do you remember a time loved ones when like the ubiquity of the WAJD bracelet and I always thought about the question, what would Jesus do? [00:12:49] Jesse Schwamb: And to me, the answer I give now somewhat tongue in cheek is everything and it's already been done. And so that is really the promise. The great blessing of the gospel that now we are saved for works and boy does that preposition make a difference. Like we should be underlining that, like putting that gilded gold in our Bibles like we are saved now for God works good, works are not bad then when they're seen as the goal of salvation, not its ground. [00:13:14] Jesse Schwamb: I wanna say that again because I think that might sound a little bit funny to some, but I've long really come to cherish this idea that it is the goal but not the ground. The goal, because it's worthwhile to want to worship God. And to obey him by doing good works. And Paul gives us an avenue in which to travel and to understand this and to reason it from the scripture so that we can be confident that that's exactly what God intends for us. [00:13:37] Jesse Schwamb: And so again, while these good works aren't meritorious salvation, they are a necessary component of Christian faith. And the first important thing that we ought to mention here. Is that when we think about work, it's not that like the reform tradition, that that theological perspective has somehow elevated work for remuneration. [00:13:55] Jesse Schwamb: I, I don't think that entirely was the whole emphasis of talking about vocation in that kind of theological sphere. That is, we have a bunch of Christians and they have to do work to survive, and some of them are cobblers and of them are cooks and some of them are cleaners. And so what we really need to do here is make sure that people understand that whatever you're getting paid for God has made you to do. [00:14:15] Jesse Schwamb: And that is not a great thing. That's all true, but the goal wasn't just to elevate that style or type of work that is the work for which you get compensated. It was to elevate all work, all work of every kind, all labor of every kind, because God is big enough that every bit of labor paid or unpaid in direct service for somebody. [00:14:34] Jesse Schwamb: Fortunately, there is no compensation or in service to someone for which there is that all of that work. It does give God glory if we mean it to. And so this is why they do all things. Whatever you do, whether you eat or whether you drink, all of even these tiny things roll up into this argument from the lesser to the greater all of work is for God's glory. [00:14:53] Jesse Schwamb: And so to tip my hat a little bit here, then I think an answer to, to Brother Joshua's question, and in a nice compliment to what Tony and I were talking about last week, there is no end to the Christian's work. There's just different types of work. Oh, we'll get to that. I'm a little bit ahead of myself here. [00:15:08] Jesse Schwamb: But of course we find in Ephesians two, it's important to understand this because there's so much of the dynamic of good works in the Christian life that are being explained there. And of course we learn that good works are the result and not the cause of being new creations, and they're testifying to the fact that we have been redeemed. [00:15:24] Jesse Schwamb: So our lives might reflect craftsmanship and character of God. So amazing, isn't it? That God has given work, that work is not a four letter word, that labor is good labor of all kinds. Is good because it's reflecting the craftsmanship in character of God in unique ways. That is like apart from doing work from this work which God has called us to, from traveling in it through our lives and participating in all kinds of different work, that there's something that would be missing in our exemplifying, the craftsmanship in character of God. [00:15:56] Jesse Schwamb: And so we see that apart from Christ. We can do nothing that pleases God, but in Christ. And here's a great promise. We are created to perform God honoring acts of obedience in Christ. We can be confident that God accepts our weak and wobbly efforts. You know, Paul further goes on to talk about good works, a result of God's pattern for the Christian life. [00:16:15] Jesse Schwamb: We don't need to wonder what God requires from us. He's told us in his word, good works are deeds done in conformity to God's word. Now the beauty of that is. That we have this pattern for the Christian life in which Paul is saying, and I think this is really helpful for our conversation, that all of the things that God has given us to do, he's already prepared. [00:16:39] Jesse Schwamb: He's already me and plus it. He's already set the table for us. He's already put all the things in place. He's already organized all the details. And he says that because he's done that we are now free to walk in them. And I interpret that walk as this idea, which I think is very particular to the way that Paul is writing here. [00:16:57] Jesse Schwamb: It's a word of encouragement that is speaking of more of a marathon and rather a sprint. So of course, like a lot of times in the West, we think of our work as a season of life in which we're doing something in service for a company and for others, creating value, which is good. All of these things can be in service to God, of course, especially when they're in honoring. [00:17:15] Jesse Schwamb: With a full counsel of the scriptures and that when we do those things, that time will end and then we start to think about what work do have left. Whereas really, of course, a more ancient way of thinking about work was that it never ceased. It was of different kinds, and we know it was of different kinds because of this idea of walking that is like you never says stop the walk. [00:17:32] Jesse Schwamb: It never says take a break. It says you're gonna continue throughout your life in this metaphor of. Your journey of life being a walk, and as that walk changes, as the landscape undulates, as you move and transverse over different geographies on this walk in this metaphor, there's no doubt that the work will be different. [00:17:50] Jesse Schwamb: And there may be a season when you no longer have to work and be compensated, but it doesn't mean, of course, that the work ends. In fact, the work is still there. It's a different kind. And we don't want it to go away, in fact, and we don't want it to feel, uh, like it should be a, a lesser thing because it's not because we've been given in this verse the sense that this is the pattern that's been given to us. [00:18:12] Jesse Schwamb: It's the value of walking the pathway of obedience. And Paul makes it manifold. In fact, the Westminster Confession of Faith, which I'm 17 minutes in and you can mark your clock. That's the first time I mentioned it. I've gotten there already. Loved ones. Don't worry, we're always gonna bring in a confession. [00:18:27] Encouragement and Assurance Through Good Works [00:18:27] Jesse Schwamb: And on this week, it's the confession of faith from the Westminster states that there are at least six benefits of good work. So here these out, this is just my quick rundown of what the Westminster puts forward thinking about these good works and when you hear these benefits. Think about them in the broadest way. [00:18:41] Jesse Schwamb: That is like, think about how these benefits apply to all kinds of work, not just like your nine to five, but like of course your family society and the church and your work there is needed both because it is an exemplification of obedience to Christ, but also because it is accomplishing good and creating value. [00:18:58] Jesse Schwamb: So the first is that good works manifest our gratitude to God for the gift of his son. Now think about this. If that's true, that this in a concrete way. No matter what, we're able to do that we, if we're doing these good works, we're showing gratitude to God. Why would we ever want those good works to go away? [00:19:14] Jesse Schwamb: Why do we wanna break that pattern? We don't want to. And again, this gives a, a high level, a high calling to all the things that we can do, both like again, in our paid work and then thereafter. Or even if we, we never have paid work that all of these things, there's something for us to do here and it manifests our gratitude to God and the gift of his son. [00:19:32] Jesse Schwamb: The second thing is good work's, bolster assurances of faith. So it is the Christian who in obedience to Christ has a compulsion is as Paul would say elsewhere, hemmed in by the love of God to work towards a specific end in love and service toward others. That is a good work. And when we're doing that good work, there's a mutual kind of reinforcement that occurs that as we humble ourselves before God and that we work to. [00:19:57] Jesse Schwamb: Or to obey him and that we walk in the good works that he has prepared for us, that we find that we are sure that God is who he is, that his character and craftsmanship is, is in fact manifest in us and demonstrated by us. And in this way as we worship him, we find that our faith grows. Especially perhaps when we're called to do things that are difficult or we're called to participate in work, especially in the church, that requires some kind of leap of faith and we're in so doing where we must trust God forthrightly. [00:20:27] Jesse Schwamb: We find that doing those good works bolster our assurance of faith. Number three. Good works are a means of encouraging other Christians toward greater acts of Christ-centered love. There's so much in Hebrews chapter 10 that we could talk about there. This is an incredible idea that when we work towards obeying God laboring on his behalf in all of the spheres of life, to which he has given us to participate in that Christians receive this as a. [00:20:55] Jesse Schwamb: Form of encouragement. You know, think about how you've seen the testifying work of somebody else in your church, in their patience, in their kind behavior. You know, we often speak about a person who is graceful, and by that of course, we mean there's a beauty to their outer movement, as it were. That's maybe they're a graceful dancer. [00:21:11] Jesse Schwamb: Maybe they're a grace or a baseball player, but you'll find that you can apply this word in so many ways whenever you are trying to really show that somebody in their outward movements does things particularly well, or just with ease or in a way that conveys a certain kind of beauty. When we say that somebody is gracious, what we essentially mean is that there's a beauty to their inner movement that is, that the exemplification of who they are in Christ is so firmly rooted in solid, that the way they behave in situations and circumstances clearly shows. [00:21:43] Jesse Schwamb: That there's something different about the way that they process the world and in the way that they work. And when we see that we are prone to be encouraged to see that God is real, that he does intervene and interact in situations that he does, in fact still do the most miraculous thing ever, which is take the sinner, take the gospel abuser, take the unregenerate, and perform that surgical movement. [00:22:05] Jesse Schwamb: Where that heart of stone is replaced with one of flesh, it's the greatest miracle in the entire universe. And so when we're seeing that work exemplified, we're allowing ourselves to participate in encouraging our brothers and sisters. Fourth good works are concrete avenues for adorning the doctrine of God, our savior in life, in ministry. [00:22:25] Jesse Schwamb: So again, it's uniting this idea of who we are, that we say we are, who we are in our transformation regeneration, marrying that up with work. And this is, again, why a. All of this reform of theology elevates work to this place of saying, whatever you do, you can do it to the glory of God and you ought to, you ought to be thinking that way because this is the way God intended all the things that we do to be done. [00:22:47] Jesse Schwamb: So idea of like when Paul says, like, pray without ceasing, be constantly in the Lord. I think in some ways what he's saying is. When you shift your mindset to recognize that there are no mundane things to do because God has prepared all those things ahead of time, they're, they're mundane, maybe in their smallness, in our own like really myopic kind of human natural man perspective. [00:23:06] Jesse Schwamb: They are certainly not mundane with respect to the power of love that may be communicated in them with the encouragement that flows out of them, and with the expression of gratitude for God, our savior and his son. All of those things are high and lifted up worthy of exaltation and call worthy of all of our efforts. [00:23:23] Jesse Schwamb: And so there we find that there are really no mundane things. There are no small works as it were. There are just these small things that come alongside with the great work that God has done already in our lives and our expression of that first work that he has done. So Fifth Good Works, silence critics who devalue the goodness of biblical Christianity. [00:23:43] Jesse Schwamb: You know, there's a lot here that we could talk about. Jesus was so outspoken about what it meant for his followers to adorn themselves to be in Christ, and in so doing, they were gonna be these lights set on a, like a city on a hill for all to see. And sometimes as Christians, we get a little, eh, strange about this kind of thing, don't we? [00:24:01] Jesse Schwamb: Because we, we wanna be careful that we need to be humble. You know, we, we want to make sure that as we're serving God, that we are not boasting in that in any kind of way, and yet there is something here where we ought to be giving and testifying to why we do certain things. I've been thinking about this a lot because I think it's one thing for us to say, well, we wanna live in such a manner. [00:24:21] Jesse Schwamb: We wanna do our work in such a manner, whatever that is, so others know there's something different and, and this is noble and honorable. I think what's even better is to let them know why it's different. Sometimes you shouldn't wait for somebody to ask. You know, if it's clear that you're doing something and you wanna express why we're doing it, say, I'm, I'm doing this 'cause Jesus loves me, he's changed me, and Jesus loves you. [00:24:39] Jesse Schwamb: I mean, this is okay to say loved ones. And I think in doing that, making that connection clear, what it's gonna do is it's going to make sure that those who would say like the, the Bible is antiquated out wounded document. It's a document that's filled with strife. It's a document that pits won't people against one another. [00:24:54] Jesse Schwamb: It's a document that is not progressive enough. What they'll find instead is. When our good works, our truly good works are accompanied by a verbal testimony of why we do these works in obedience to God for, because of his great love for us. It will discredit those who would say all of those things. It turns away a. [00:25:14] Jesse Schwamb: All of the critics would say that the Bible is, is not relevant, that Christians are too, uh, bigoted, that we are the kind of people that are too hypocritical. Instead, when we acknowledge that we are far from perfect, but that we have a perfect savior when we talk about our weak faith, but that our, the faith that we have is not in its size, but in the size of the savior. [00:25:34] Jesse Schwamb: When we can say all these things alongside of our efforts to be obedient. Being humble, asking for forgiveness, seeking repentance from those whom we hurt, that in this way, we are again doing all of the things that are the theology of the cross, that even in our small weaknesses, even in our great failures, what we find is God does more than just to fill in the gaps He overflows with through the power of His Holy Spirit into a powerful testimony into the lives of others with whom we interact, and especially in the things that we do. [00:26:05] Jesse Schwamb: So six. And lastly, this is from the Westminster. These benefits of good works. Last Good works glorify God by displaying his work of love in our lives. I think we often forget about this. That God has given us work because he loves us. Of course, God is always working. There's something beautiful about the fact that God is ever present in our lives working in our hearts. [00:26:29] Jesse Schwamb: And sometimes of course, as the, the older reformers have said, he lays us over the Anil, as it were, and he hammers on us, and those are painful times. And other times he's really polishing up our sharp edges or sanding off those places where we need a little bit of attention. But everywhere he's working in us and what a blessing that he never stops, isn't it that he comes to us constantly because he loves us. [00:26:51] Jesse Schwamb: He refuses to leave us in a state that is less than the abundant life. Now we know that we will never accomplish that, this side of glory. But what a benefit that God never gives up on us. That he continues to show his great love for us in how he attentively comes into our lives to hone us in this progressive sanctification, whereby his work doesn't stop. [00:27:13] The Unending Nature of Work [00:27:13] Jesse Schwamb: And so because his work doesn't stop. Neither does ours. So the beauty of this is for anybody else, for us, for brother Joshua, for those who are thinking about, you know, what if I, I want to maybe try to set aside more resources now so I can stop my work of re of compensation to do other things, I would say. [00:27:31] Jesse Schwamb: Well, Godspeed by, by the power of God, I, I hope that happens for you. And what about those who would say, well, my work is gonna have to be caring for a loved one who's ill? I would say that is great and good work. What about those for who are retiring now or thinking about retirement? What's left? Tons. Of good work. [00:27:48] Jesse Schwamb: I think we know this. Now, what about for those who are in the final stages of their life, those who are not ambulatory, maybe those who are weak, maybe those who are ill themselves. There is still good work because the work that God gives us is not the heavy kind that causes our bodies or our minds to be crushed in despair, to have to till the ground as it were in such a way that it leaves us lacking replenishment instead, even for those. [00:28:16] Jesse Schwamb: Who are saying, what is my place when my body is wasting away? [00:28:21] The Value of Prayer in Our Work [00:28:21] Jesse Schwamb: When I'm having a, a season of sickness and I feel like there's nothing I can do, there is so much that the church needs from you in particular, especially your work in prayer. And again, I think we've been outspoken. Prayer is absolutely a work. [00:28:34] Jesse Schwamb: If you don't believe me, just. Try to pray. So just being able to participate in something like that, which is in many ways maybe the greatest calling. I, I always think about this phrase, when we work, we work, when we pray, God works. And so just the act of saying I'm gonna devote myself in prayer, in intercessory prayer for my church, for my community, for my family, is a kind of work that is unparalleled. [00:28:58] Jesse Schwamb: And so if that's the work that God has given you to walk in right now. Then would you please do it? Because it is the season to which he's called you because he's with you on that journey. And Paul says, wherever you go, wherever you are walking, God has already prepared before you get to the next stop sign, before you get to the next wave point, before you get to the next pin drop. [00:29:17] Jesse Schwamb: God has already prepared for you good works, and you're mealing to walk in them. [00:29:22] Finding Joy and Refreshment in Labor [00:29:22] Jesse Schwamb: And so the work of prayer by itself is the kind of work that is so glorious, like all the work of Christ that we find refreshment and it changes. There's a theme here, like all of our work changes because when we are doing it onto the Lord, we're doing it with him in mind when we're understanding that this is our obligation, but also our greatest privilege, that while it exhausts us. [00:29:41] Jesse Schwamb: It exhausts us in a way that brings us the greatest kind of sleep or refreshment. Does that make sense? We ever had like a really great day at work where, you know, I, I worked hard and I did work worth doing, and in that I felt that there was a sweetness. In fact, Ecclesiastes five 12 says, sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich man will not let him sleep. [00:30:05] Jesse Schwamb: This idea that. Why as we work, as we labor for God, that he does restore us, he gives us joy and satisfaction in that work. And again, there's this, all this mutual reinforcement, this kind of self-fulfilling and reinforcing idea that. When we are performing this work for God, he assures our faith. He refreshes us in it. [00:30:24] Jesse Schwamb: He exhausts us in the best possible way so that we might love him more, cherish him more, encourage one another more, and to really come and understand his character more forthrightly. [00:30:34] Living Quietly and Minding Your Affairs [00:30:34] Jesse Schwamb: I like what Paul says in one Thessalonians chapter four, aspire to live quietly and to mind your own affairs. I mean, that's. [00:30:42] Jesse Schwamb: Good advice for all of us, mind your own affairs and to work with your hands as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. So we talked before about what it means, that really in our work, we ought to care for those who we love. We ought to make sure that we can provide for them, but there will also be seasons. [00:30:59] Jesse Schwamb: One, there will be others who need to provide for us. And so in so doing, again, we're honoring God by walking in this path that he has given us, uh, to do. I like this. There's a couple of other great verses I think that are helpful for us to really think about what it means to have good work to do and to understand that good work. [00:31:17] The Blessing of Giving [00:31:17] Jesse Schwamb: Here's from Acts chapter 20. Paul says, in all things I've shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus. How He himself said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. So think about that there. There is an expression right there about work and what is this working hard. [00:31:35] Jesse Schwamb: It's to help the weak and to remember the words of Lord Jesus Christ. It is more blessed to give, to receive than to receive. Love always leads to giving for God. So love the world that he. Gave, and I think part of this good work that God calls us to is just giving. And so like right now, you may be in a season where you are giving of your labor in return for compensation, for that labor, but presumably there will, and there should come a time when you'll be giving it and you'll not be receiving that. [00:32:00] Jesse Schwamb: But it doesn't lessen the work. It doesn't take it away. It doesn't mean that it's not necessary anymore. We ought to continue to pursue that because love always leads to giving. Now I want to just finish our short little time together today as we've reasoned, hopefully. [00:32:15] Practical Ways to Exemplify Christian Values at Work [00:32:15] Jesse Schwamb: In a profound way from the scriptures helping us to be encouraged in this work by just a couple of things that if you are thinking in the sense of what can I do right now in my work of all kinds to exemplify and to be driven by unique view of humanity and a love rooted in the wisdom of the cross to stand out, what, what can we do as Christians, practically speaking. [00:32:37] Jesse Schwamb: To take everything that Paul has just given us here, appreciating this beautiful pattern that work is just gonna be part of our lives forever. And by the way, loved ones I, I have a strong conviction that in the new heavens and new Earth, that work will still be present there in a fully orbed and fully expressed, fully realized way that it's not capable today because of everything being mined by sin. [00:32:59] Jesse Schwamb: But then we're gonna find that this is just like an amm bush. It's the taste that. The thing that's coming for us, the appetizer of how work is gonna be fully satisfying, fully encouraging, fully joyful, and a full expression of how God has made us to do things. One of those things again are laboring in prayer, laboring on the construction site, laboring on a desk, laboring in the education and the teaching and ammunition of children. [00:33:24] Jesse Schwamb: All of these things are just really, really good. So what are a couple of things that we can do? Well, here's some things that that come to my mind. The first is that I think Christians can be known as the most care fairing and committed kind of people. So. Think about it this way, driven by the father's love and his acceptance of us through Jesus, we can be the kind of people that are known as fair, caring, and committed to others. [00:33:52] Jesse Schwamb: Since we know the depths of our own sin and the magnitude of God's grace to us, we can be ready to forgive and reconcile with others, and we should be quick to do so if we're doing that in their work environments. Whatever that environment is, there's no doubt this is gonna draw some fair amount of attention. [00:34:07] Jesse Schwamb: We may actually, and this is gonna sound a little bit wild. We may even have opportunities to take risks for the benefit of others. Now imagine it this way. Let's say that everybody has somebody to whom they're responsible and almost everybody else has somebody who's responsible to them. So think of it this way, if you are leading any kind of group of people, formerly or informally, you may have a unique opportunity to take risks on the behalf of those people. [00:34:30] Jesse Schwamb: Now, that may be may mean advocating for them. It could mean yielding to them, even if you have a hierarchical position that's above them. But more than anything, it could mean that you actually take a risk to take responsibility at times. So it's possible that let's say you're a leading a team and you're a place of work, and one of the people who is responsible to you, that is one of the people who reports to you, makes a mistake. [00:34:52] Jesse Schwamb: Let's say that the person that you are responsible to, your boss finds out about this. There's lots of ways you could go about this. Now, you may feel that you want to be easy just to say, well, this wasn't me. It was their fault. But consider how a Christian might approach this in love. It's possible that it may be entirely appropriate for that leader to take responsibility for the mistake, not taking blame for it, but taking responsibility for it as an act and expression of what it means to be fair, caring, and committed to others. [00:35:20] Jesse Schwamb: And now this may mean that if you were that person, you might lose a little bit of cloud to the organization. You might use a little bit of reputation or ability to maneuver within the organization, but there could be a very powerful, could be testimony in your ability to risk yourself for others in a way that I believe, again, is walking in this path of good works and that you are reasonable people. [00:35:41] Jesse Schwamb: You can sort out, I think in a situation like that. What kind of responsibility you might have, but I think it's important for us to consider that we may have that kind of responsibility and that to be known as fair, caring and committed to others. To advocate for them to again, forgive and to reconcile, and then sometimes to take risks of opportunity for the benefit of others is something that is unique to the Christian. [00:36:00] Jesse Schwamb: I think we at least agree on that, that kind of response to a s. We'll be wholeheartedly unique. [00:36:06] Generosity and Kingdom Living [00:36:06] Jesse Schwamb: I think we also need to be known as generous and depending on the context and opportunity, generosity at work can be expressed in so many different ways. Managers can be generous with their advice, their access, their investment in people. [00:36:17] Jesse Schwamb: All of us can be generous with our time, our money sharing our resources. Sacrificially. If you're a small business owner, and this is gonna sound wild, but let's, let's talk about kingdom living for a second. Loved ones like I presumably you're listening to this because we're not just satisfied with the small things. [00:36:31] Jesse Schwamb: We wanna think big in what it means. For the gospel to go out, for Jesus to be known. And so in this context of being generous, maybe it means if you're a small business owner, that you're willing to take less personal profit to benefit your neighbors or your customers or your employees. You know, I think of this company called a Go. [00:36:47] Jesse Schwamb: Which is a wooden toy company and it's, it was founded by a couple of Christians and driven by their Christian faith. They intentionally take smaller profit margins to benefit the people of Honduras where the wood is sourced and to create an employee savings program for them. I mean, that what a remarkable thing what, what a counter-cultural expression of what it means to be doing good. [00:37:08] Jesse Schwamb: Work. And so we can also grow and show our generosity to our colleagues by loving them outside work. You know, cooking a meal, preparing a meal for them when they have a child or attending a funeral if they lose a loved one, grabbing dinner with them if they're struggling, joining their club sports team, attending their wedding. [00:37:23] Jesse Schwamb: You know, generosity during, after work hours is a testimony of love. It shows that you see them as a whole person, not merely as like a productive asset or just a colleague. So I think we should push back a little bit on being generous and maybe sometimes I, I wanna say this. Gently because we are a benefit ourselves in this podcast of this, but not just with your money, especially with your time and maybe with like your attentional focus, maybe with your prayer time. [00:37:47] Jesse Schwamb: Maybe with your labor, in your prayer closet, that of all the things you could focus on, how often are we praying for our colleagues, like really praying that they would come to see the gospel in us, that we would be courageous in expressing that gospel and that God would arrest their hearts, which snatch them up and bring them into his kingdom so that all of our workplaces would be filled, uh, with Christians, that they would be everywhere. [00:38:08] Jesse Schwamb: Doing all kinds of things in som, much as God calls us to those things in submission to him, an expression of who he is and in obedience to what he's done for us. Here's another thing. I think this is a big one. It's one that I struggle with in my own life. [00:38:23] The Importance of Calmness and Authenticity [00:38:23] Jesse Schwamb: So I think another place, another way in which we can really stand out as Christians in our good work is to be known as calm. [00:38:30] Jesse Schwamb: Poised in the face of difficulty, failure or struggle. This might be the most telling way to judge if a person is drawing on the resources of the gospel and the development of their character. And this goes back to this idea of like, what does the a voracious person mean? It's, it's somebody who has like that inner. [00:38:47] Jesse Schwamb: Beauty expression of inner inner beauty. You know, how do we act when our boss passes over us for a promotion? How do we act if we fail to get that bonus we expected or, or if like a colleague is placed on a team we want to be on, how do we respond to those things really reveals where we placed our hope and identity. [00:39:03] Jesse Schwamb: And that can be a whole nother. Podcast. But if it's true that we have rooted ourselves, grounded ourselves, securely in Christ, then that is the supreme treasure that we have, and then everything else should be like, oh, that's no big deal. It's not to say that we're not gonna have big emotions, but even as we experience those big emotions, part of what it means to be humble is to come before God and say, God, I'm feeling this way. [00:39:26] Jesse Schwamb: And I'm a contingent being and I'm upset about this. Would you help me to reveal your gospel in this situation? And what a blessing in our progressive sanctification where God moves us into that space so that what becomes normative is when everybody else is losing their minds, when everybody else is gossiping, when everybody else is complaining. [00:39:46] Jesse Schwamb: What everybody else is pushing back here is the Christian who is resolute in firm and is speaking words of life. Encouragement into their workplace or those whom they're doing their work, who is speaking the gospel to them, who is calm and is poised and is ready to lead in such a way that brings value to everybody, helps 'em to find the true security in the situation and is not willing to compromise by participating in a meaningless backtalk. [00:40:12] Jesse Schwamb: That is an incredible testimony, and there's no doubt it's gonna cause us to stand out. There is something about this placing value that I think is important to mention. And I think I mentioned this before, but Tony's not here and I'm just talking. And so my experience, my professional career is all in the realm of finance. [00:40:30] Jesse Schwamb: So I've gotta use this because I think about this a lot and it's certainly relevant to us thinking about where is our value. [00:40:38] The Concept of True Treasure [00:40:38] Jesse Schwamb: I find it so interesting. That in the sermon on the mound. And when Jesus is speaking about treasures, he doesn't completely say that we should forsake treasures. Have you ever thought about that? [00:40:50] Jesse Schwamb: So instead of saying, you know, listen, don't worry about the treasure, just focus on me. Don't try to go after things. Just focus on me. And somebody says, listen. Listen, listen. You're going after the wrong treasure. So don't go after treasure where you know a moth or Russ is gonna destroy it or where like you're gonna be worried. [00:41:09] Jesse Schwamb: A thief is gonna break in and steal it. All those things are not just temporal, they can be taken from you. In fact, they, they will be taken from you. This is the wild part to me. He says instead, rather than do that, here's what you should do. Seek after the treasure that's in heaven. In other words, the proclivity to want to grab hold of valuable things and to keep them close to you, that is not bad in and of itself. [00:41:32] Jesse Schwamb: It's that you are focusing on the wrong thing that you want to grab and hold close. Seek after those treasures in heaven. And I can tell you why. This just shows the brilliancy with which Jesus knows us because he has created us loved ones, and in our fallen state, he's so kind to condescend to be like us, yet of course, without sin. [00:41:50] Jesse Schwamb: And in that he expresses a great knowledge of who we are and how we are. So. There's a very famous study done, actually very many versions of this study done, and what they'll do, and you can play along, I know I've done this before, but as you're sitting there listening to my voice play along with the scenario that I'm about to give you, and you can answer for yourself what you would do in this situation. [00:42:11] Jesse Schwamb: There's no right or wrong answer. So here's the situation. Researchers gave per people two options. They said, you, I can either give you a thousand dollars for sure, or. Or we can play a game. We'll flip a coin. If the coin is heads, you get $2,000, but if the coin comes up, tails, you get nothing. So the choices were you could have a sure thousand dollars or you could risk it. [00:42:39] Jesse Schwamb: And with a coin flip, a fair coin flip, you could get either $2,000 or zero. Now I'll pause. What would you prefer if you're like most people? You would take the sure $1,000 because you'd rather have for sure a thousand dollars in your pocket than giving up the gamble. Even though you could get twice as much the gamble of $2,000 or zero, who wants to walk away with zero when somebody's like, I'll give you a thousand dollars for certain. [00:43:06] Jesse Schwamb: Most people would prefer the certainty. Now those who are like keen have a turn of mind for mathematics are gonna realize that on average, those two options are exactly the same. So whether you get a thousand dollars. For certain, you got the a thousand dollars on the other option, half the time you'll get zero. [00:43:23] Jesse Schwamb: Half the time you'll get a $2,000. If you average those out, that's sequel to a thousand dollars over the long term. So there's something interesting there too, isn't it? See how our minds are working that we prefer, we are loss averse. In other words, we do not like loss. In fact, there's a very famous. [00:43:39] Jesse Schwamb: Theorem about this that says the pain of losing a dollar is twice as great as the pain of gaining one. And this is why it's so hard. If you have a retirement account, you have investments somewhere. When you look at your accounts and the numbers are down, you feel particularly awful. And when they're up, you feel good, but not that great. [00:43:54] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, this is the idea of. Being a loss averse. Now, here's the other thing that these researchers did. They flipped the whole scenario, and I'm gonna give you one more thing to think about. So rather than talking about gains, they said these people, okay, here's your choice, and you have to choose one of these. [00:44:09] Jesse Schwamb: Either you can take a sure loss of a thousand dollars, or you can take a gamble. And you can take a, we'll flip a coin and if it comes up heads, you'll lose $2,000. But if it comes up tails, you will lose zero. So again, here are the two options, but now we're talking about losses. You either have to take a loss of a thousand dollars for certain, or you could take the gamble, flip a fail fair coin, and you could lose $2,000 or you might lose nothing if it comes up tails. [00:44:42] Jesse Schwamb: Now what would you do? Now if you're like most people, what these researchers found is people gravitated toward taking the risk. That is, they chose the option when they said, let me flip the coin, because at least if I flip the coin, there's a chance I might not lose anything. I know I might lose $2,000, but I would rather take the risk of losing 2000, but have the opportunity to lose nothing than take the sure loss of a thousand dollars. [00:45:05] Jesse Schwamb: So here's what's crazy about all this. Here's what it teaches us, is we make the wrong choices all the time. You know, technically speaking, when it comes to gains, we should prefer the risk, the risk of zero, because you started out with zero, so you're not better. You're not worse off by having zero, and if you win, you get $2,000. [00:45:22] Jesse Schwamb: But when it comes to the loss, we should take the sure loss of a thousand dollars because we might end up having a loss of $2,000. We tend to behave poorly given the situations. This is an example of loss aversion and risk aversion, and Jesus knows this. That's the brilliance of it, of course, because he says, I know that your hearts will be troubled by losing your treasure. [00:45:45] Jesse Schwamb: So here's the thing. It's not the treasure that's bad, it's that you're putting your faith, you're going after the wrong thing. So loved ones. When we find ourselves rooted in Christ, when we find our identity right there in him, when we are sure that all that we have is in the heavenly realms and therefore everything else can float and fl away, then we find ourselves able to be the kind of people in our workplaces where we're calm, poised in the face of difficulty failure, or all kinds of challenges. [00:46:14] Jesse Schwamb: One more thing I would encourage you with, and that is just be known as authentic and integrated. This goes back to something Tony and I have really challenged ourselves with so much, and that is some Christians aren't very open about their faith at work and others talk about it all the time, but act and speak in ways that marginalize nonbelievers. [00:46:30] Jesse Schwamb: We should, of course, be really wise about how we share the reason for the hope that we're, we have when we're at work. But staying silent isn't an option. If we wanna be authentic people, we have to bring our whole selves to work. I think this is where we all, at times could use a little work. I, I've barely been encouraged by brothers and sisters who are far better at this than I, where. [00:46:50] Jesse Schwamb: They're really good at explaining why they do something, and perhaps they've been building a relationship with non-believers, serving them, working with them. And, but when the right opportunity approaches when the moment arrives, they're right there with their explanation. They're quick to say, it's because Jesus loves me. [00:47:06] Jesse Schwamb: They're quick to talk about the transforming power of the gospel. And it's not in a way that's overbearing. It's not in a way that seems disingenuous or somehow like they're, they're shoehorning in some kind of, you know, bully pulpit testimony. Instead, it's a natural expression. Because they were ready and willing and brave. [00:47:22] Jesse Schwamb: To do that. So we've got to be known as authentic and integrated, and that integration is just as important as the authenticity. What, what is the good, what is the point of doing many of these good works if there is not a commensurate explanation or expression of why we are doing them, because. Plenty of people who are non-believers also do good work. [00:47:42] Jesse Schwamb: This is part of the common grace that God has given to all of our world and to the entire universe writ large. So in that being said, sometimes we just need to say, this is why I'm doing it. And it's possible that probably people are sometimes thinking, I have no idea why this person is doing this, but I'm not gonna ask them. [00:47:57] Jesse Schwamb: 'cause that's super weird. So by us stepping forward and saying, listen, I love you, God is good to me, uh, there there's a God over the universe who saved me. I was in this pit of despair and he's taken me out of that pit. My work, the things I do, I do now for him. I do it not just because I wanna provide for my family, but because I love God. [00:48:16] Jesse Schwamb: I want to be obedient in worshiping him, and part of how I worship him is doing my work this particular way. That's why you see me. Work like this. What a beautiful thing. Loved ones. [00:48:25] Final Thoughts and Encouragement [00:48:25] Jesse Schwamb: So there's so much I think for us to think about here. I could go on and on, and at this point, this is no longer a short episode. [00:48:32] Jesse Schwamb: You've gotten almost 50 minutes of me just talking. So I want to thank some people for good works right now. And that is. For those of you who have joined in the Telegram chat and are hanging out. Thank you. I really appreciate that. And there's so much good conversation going on there. Again, I gotta plug it. [00:48:48] Jesse Schwamb: If you haven't, if you're not in there, you're really missing out on this experience. It's not just hearing Tony and I talk. It's coming alongside and being integrated with all kinds of other brothers and sisters. So do yourself and us a favor and go to T Me Rhyme, see t me slash reform brotherhood and come hang out with us in addition. [00:49:10] Jesse Schwamb: I'm so grateful for all those who contribute to the podcast financially to make sure that just keeps going. If you've ever wondered like, how is this all free, and there's a website where I can go surf the back catalog@reformbrotherhood.com and it just shows up in my podcast feed, and it doesn't sound like they're in a tin can somewhere or in a hurricane recording this. [00:49:28] Jesse Schwamb: How does all of that happened? It happens because there's so many lovely brothers and sisters who's come alongside and said. Yeah, you know what? After all my responsibilities, I have a little bit left over and I wanna make sure that this thing just continues to keep going. And so I say to you, thank you so much. [00:49:43] Jesse Schwamb: If you would like to be a part of that and I challenge you, come join us in giving toward the podcast, Tony and I do. And there's somebody I love, our brothers and sisters who do as well. That's what makes this happen. You can go to patreon.com, reformed brotherhood, so we've got all kinds of good stuff coming up. [00:49:59] Jesse Schwamb: I love the fall season, autumn in the Western hemisphere here, because it feels like a reset in many ways. Like the kids go back to school, the weather changes depending on where you are, the

If preaching the gospel has become a chore for you or if you're left feeling guilty that you're not proclaiming the gospel enough, there is a fundamental problem. Pastor Ricky will be explaining that the problem is simply that you're not spending time communing and falling in love with Jesus. When you experience the love of God and you're being filled with His Holy Spirit, you have the joy of the Lord and can't help but proclaim His goodness to those around you.

In our readings today, the message of Jeremiah could not be more timely. Too often we ignore His refreshing, flowing water and build our own leaky cisterns. So in repentance we are called to reject these forms of idolatry (anything we treasure and depend upon more than Him) and return to a joyful relationship with our Father, our Sustainer. Let us pray that He will bring to light those things, even the most subtle, that keep us from drawing near to be forgiven, cleansed and transformed by His Holy Spirit.

2025-08-31-1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, August 31, 2025, in the 1030 AM service.   Scripture: Luke 8:16-27; Ephesians 5:25-27   Notes: -God has instilled His Holy Spirit in true Christians. -You don't have to be spiritually; you can live a full life of joy if you follow Jesus closer and fan the flames of fire He placed in you.

2025-08-31-0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning, August 31, 2025, in the 830 AM service.   Scripture: Luke 8:16-27; Ephesians 5:25-27   Notes: -God has instilled His Holy Spirit in true Christians. -You don't have to be spiritually; you can live a full life of joy if you follow Jesus closer and fan the flames of fire He placed in you.

Discovering the Power at Work in You, that's today's topic here on Bold Steps Weekend with Mark Jobe. From the book of Ephesians chapter three, Pastor Mark shares today's message, about God being the most powerful force in the universe and through His Holy Spirit, that power can be inside of you.Become a Bold Partner Today: https://www.moodyradio.org/donateto/boldsteps-weekendSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today,we want to continue in Ephesians chapter 1. And we're kind of camping out hereon verses 7 and 8. We've talked about the blessings that we have from God theFather in the first six verses. Now verse 7-10 we see the blessings we havethrough God the Son. They both work in harmony together, each of them in theirown ministry and work giving us special spiritual blessings that we can enjoyeven today and have heaven on earth. In verse seven, we have redemption throughHis blood and the forgiveness of sins. Then in verse eight, these blessings aremade to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.  Wetalked a little bit about this yesterday, but I want to go back to that phrase,“in all wisdom and prudence”. What is wisdom? The wise man Solomon in Proverbs4, said it this way, "Get wisdom and understanding. Do not forget norturn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her and she will preserveyou. Love her and she will keep you." Wisdom is the principle thing.Therefore, get wisdom, and with all you're getting, get understanding. And thenhe gives a blessing along with it. Exalt her, and she'll promote you. She'llbring you to honor when you embrace her. She'll place on your head an ornamentof grace and a crown of glory. She will deliver to you.  Ilove that, “an ornament of grace”. You'd wonder if Paul might have hadthese verses in mind when he wrote this verse that this redemption andforgiveness of sins is according to the riches of His grace that abounds towardus in all wisdom and prudence. So what is the wisdom of God? Jesus is themanifest wisdom of God. What is God's wisdom as far as you and I are concernedas we look at Scripture, as we look at life? I believe wisdom is being able tosee life from God's viewpoint, from God's perspective. And the only way we cando that is see it through the eyes of Jesus Christ.  Youwant to know how He saw it? Study Jesus in the Gospels. Study all the Scripture.The Scripture reveals to us the mind, the heart, the thoughts of God. And whenwe study the Scripture, we get wisdom. We hear people say, "Don'tcriticize a person till you walk a mile in their shoes." And you shouldn'tbe critical of anyone, anyway. But my friend, the best way to understand aperson, and understand what's going on in their lives, is look at their lifethrough the perspective that God has in His word.  Seethem through the eyes of God in His Word. See them through Christ. “Getwisdom. But with all that getting, get understanding”. And that brings usto the word prudence. “Toward us in all wisdom and prudence”. RememberJames said, “If you lack wisdom, ask God. He will give it to you liberally."He doesn't hold back. Ask God and He will give it to you. Why? Because He's theGod of wisdom. He knows everything. He knows about everything. He knows thepast, the present, the future, all at the same time. Unreal.  Hesays, "Ask Him. He'll give you that wisdom." But you must be in His Word.You must have His Holy Spirit working in your heart. But then with that wisdom,get understanding or get prudence. The Greek word prudence is about practicalwisdom. Basically it means understanding, thoughtful. It means to berightminded, living out God's will. (We'll talk about that in the next verse). Thisleads to spiritual maturity, discerning, and living a life in harmony withGod's purpose. Andso with that wisdom, get understanding. Know how to apply it to thecircumstances and the situation that you're in. And my friend, when you dothat, you're on the road to living in harmony with God. And you'll wear a ornamentof grace on your countenance as crown of glory. You'll be exalting andglorifying Christ in everything you say and do. What a wonderful way to live.And it's available to you because it abounds through Jesus Christ today for youand me.  Godbless!

Send us a textAs children of God we need to have the mind of Christ or in other words we need to think in a manner consistent with His will.  This is only truly possible when His Holy Spirit has the reigns of our lives.  And when we are loving one another we are doing His will.  But there are times when our liberty in Jesus can be a stumbling block to someone else's faith.  And we don't want that.  So being on guard so that we avoid hurting someone's relationship with the Lord is crucial in maintaining unity in the Spirit.  

In this enriching episode of the Double Edged Sword Podcast, we journey with Father Genard into Acts 15, where faith, obedience, and divine authority converge. Discover how the early Church faced the challenge of Gentile salvation, learning that true faith in Christ transcends the law through love and obedience to His commandments. Drawing from the wisdom of the apostles and the unity of the Jerusalem Council, we're reminded that to know and love our Heavenly Father, we must embrace the Son as the way, and honor the apostles He appointed. As James 2:17 teaches, faith without deeds is lifeless—let us live out our belief, trusting in Christ's authority and the guidance of His Holy Spirit. Tune in and be strengthened in your walk with God!

Romans 5:5 — What is the place of tribulation in the life of the Christian? Often times, people see hardships as nothing more than obstacles to their happiness and joy. They see no deeper purpose in the hardships. But in this sermon titled “Glory in Tribulation” on Romans 5:5, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how Scripture paints a different picture of what hardships are about. For those that trust in God and who have His Holy Spirit, suffering is a means of becoming more like Jesus Christ. It is a means of deepening and strengthening one's faith in God and to grow in holiness. As Christians go through these trials, they come to a greater assurance of who they are in Christ. So then, there is great hope for those that suffer as followers of Christ. This sermon holds out a great hope for all who are in the midst of trials and tribulations because it displays how Christ is working in His people in and through life's hardships. This sermon is a call for all to repent of their sins and come to Jesus. It is a call to return to God the Creator and seek His glory. This is the only life of true and lasting joy.

Romans 5:5 — What is the place of tribulation in the life of the Christian? Often times, people see hardships as nothing more than obstacles to their happiness and joy. They see no deeper purpose in the hardships. But in this sermon titled “Glory in Tribulation” on Romans 5:5, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how Scripture paints a different picture of what hardships are about. For those that trust in God and who have His Holy Spirit, suffering is a means of becoming more like Jesus Christ. It is a means of deepening and strengthening one's faith in God and to grow in holiness. As Christians go through these trials, they come to a greater assurance of who they are in Christ. So then, there is great hope for those that suffer as followers of Christ. This sermon holds out a great hope for all who are in the midst of trials and tribulations because it displays how Christ is working in His people in and through life's hardships. This sermon is a call for all to repent of their sins and come to Jesus. It is a call to return to God the Creator and seek His glory. This is the only life of true and lasting joy. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29

God can fill you with His Holy Spirit to a point where you become a resource person. Broadcast #6865To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram.

Think about this truth. God didn't have to love us. He didn't have to offer us grace and mercy. Nothing forced God to show us forgiveness. Nothing compelled Him to give us the precious gift of eternal life, but God chose to. He chose to love us. He chose to call us His own. He chose to make us children of God. Main Points:1. If you've ever been tempted to doubt the love of God, recognize this wonderful blessing: God chose to love you. Despite all of your sins, your failures, and your mistakes, God still chose to love you and wants to spend eternity with you. 2. But there's more, not only has God chosen to love us, he has chosen to use us. You have an assignment, a task, and a role to play in the kingdom of God. For many of us, we feel as if we aren't capable or qualified, so we expect God will use others instead, but that is not what the scriptures teach us.3. God takes great joy and delight to use our lives for his glory. As He empowers us with His Holy Spirit, and we take steps of faith and obedience, great things are accomplished through our lives. All of this takes place because chooses to make it happen.Today's Scripture Verses:1 Peter 2:9 - “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”1 Peter 2:4 - “…rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him.”1 Corinthians 1:26-29 - “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

In order to walk in newness of life, so that we might not serve sin, God gives us the gift of His Holy Spirit immediately after repentance and baptism.

“What do we feel is the first and last need of the Church? …the Spirit, the Holy Spirit…. He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails, the principle of her unity, the inner source of her light and strength.” - St. Paul VI Summary We can't wait for you to hear this podcast!  The week before Pentecost, we did a webinar with Dr. Sean and Nicole Tobin, a Catholic couple passionate about helping families live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sean is a clinical psychologist, worship leader, and co-founder of the Divine Mercy Clinic and Nicole holds a master's in Theology and co-founded the Los Angeles campus of the Encounter School of Ministry with Sean. Together, they speak and minister nationally, helping families become more fully alive in the Spirit through healing, activation, and practical faith formation. They came and spoke to our people about how the Holy Spirit can help us be the parents God wants us to be and the parents our children need.  None of us can raise our kids alone!  Not only do we need our spouses, but we also need God present in our lives every day through His Holy Spirit.  Listen in to get some amazing wisdom and to learn how God wants to empower our parenting in a new way.     Key Takeaways Desperation with expectation is an invitation to the Holy Spirit. Virtue does not come from us just “trying harder”, it comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.   “What do we feel is the first and last need of this blessed and beloved Church of ours? We must say it, almost trembling and praying, because as you know well, this is the Church's mystery and life: the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He it is who animates and sanctifies the Church. He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails, the principle of her unity, the inner source of her light and strength.” Pope St Paul VI Heaven has been invading earth since Pentecost… it continues the mission of Christ in us. The biggest hindrance in our home is our busyness.  We have to notice and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Tune in and listen. Children thrive in structure and routine, so teach them to give God the first and your best. Have them read scripture first thing, then pause and have them listen and journal each and every day. Healing is an easy first step - pray for this. Couple Discussion Questions What's one way we can invite the Holy Spirit more deeply into our home? Is there something we need to surrender or ask God to heal in our family?