Podcasts about if jesus

Send us a textHappy New Year, everyone! Our entire staff here at FC 2.0 headquarters wish you nothing but the best. That's very much unlike the end-of-life journey the Italians offered their once-admired dictator at the end of WW2. If you didn't know that factoid, strap it in for a 2026 ride. David invested his time during the biggest worldwide party of the year learning such knowledge and we, loyal listeners, are always generous with what we discover. If Jesus thought it important to connect in regional dialects so we could know, so do we. Dude!!

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    A few times I will get an email about all the things I miss in a podcast over a topic or a portion of scripture… Look I only get 7 minutes before you lose your attention… so focus on the seven minutes… and don't get distracted. It's Gods word, focus on that and not on what is not being said…and that's where we are going today!    Matthew 14:22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It's a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don't be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.   PETER DID NOT SAY “LORD LET ME WALK ON WATER” HE SAID COMMAND ME TO WALK ON WATER…. Touch the heavens, speak from the throne of God and make it happen by your words and your words alone.      Peter doesn't know much… but at this point he does know one thing: If Jesus commands it- it will happen. If he speaks the word- it will fulfill its purpose. **THIS IS WHY HE NEEDED TO HEAR JESUS SPEAK THE WORD.        It is important to note that Matthew also includes several "summary verses" (e.g., Matthew 4:23, 14:14) stating that Jesus healed "many" or "all" who came to Him, implying the actual number of miracles was in the hundreds or thousands.However, the specific, detailed accounts recorded up to Matthew 14:28 are as follows:     Cleansing a Leper (Matt. 8:1–4) Jesus commands be healed Healing the Centurion's Servant (Matt. 8:5–13) You don't need to come just say the word Healing Peter's Mother-in-Law (Matt. 8:14–15) Casting out demons with his command Calming the Storm at Sea (Matt. 8:23–27) He commands it to be calm Casting Demons into a Herd of Pigs (The Gadarene Demoniacs) (Matt. 8:28–34) He commands them into the pigs Healing a Paralytic (Matt. 9:1–8 Speaks take up your Matt and walk Healing the Woman with the Issue of Blood (Matt. 9:20–22) Raising Jairus' Daughter from the Dead (Matt. 9:18–26) 10.Healing Two Blind Men (Matt. 9:27–31) 11.Healing a Mute Demoniac (Matt. 9:32–34) 12.Healing the Man with a Withered Hand (Matt. 12:9–14) He tells him to hold out his hand 13.Healing a Blind and Mute Demoniac (Matt. 12:22) 14.Feeding the 5,000 (Matt. 14:13–21) Jesus commands the disciples you feed them.   **THIS WAS THE SET UP FOR PETER! He knew that all authority was subject to his voice, his words, his authority. Nature, Supernatural and Physical.  15.Jesus Walking on the Water (Matt. 14:25–27) 16. Peter walking on Water     Things we learn: Peter did not jump out of the boat on emotion… any emotion he felt would have been fear, uncertainty in the storm. 

Sermon Summary: “Who Hijacked Christmas?”   Christians Reclaimed Christmas The sermon explains that Christmas was not stolen from Christianity—Christians intentionally reclaimed it. Long before Christ, pagan cultures celebrated the winter solstice with fleshly festivals. Believers stepped into that moment and redirected the season to focus on God sending His Son. Rather than abandoning the season, the church redeemed it for truth. The Birth Matters Because the Resurrection Matters While the resurrection is the greatest event in history, the birth had to happen first. Christmas is celebrated not because of a date on the calendar, but because without the birth there is no cross, no empty tomb, and no salvation. Celebrating Christ's birth honors the beginning of God's redemptive plan. Defending the Virgin Birth A central emphasis of the sermon is the virgin birth. Jesus was not merely born—He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This supernatural conception is essential to Christianity. If Jesus is not born of a virgin, He is not the Son of God and Christianity becomes just another religion. The church historically elevated Christmas to defend this truth when it came under attack. Jesus Is the Good Shepherd and God's Gift Through John 10 and the illustration of the candy cane, the sermon teaches that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. The red represents His blood, the white His purity, and the shepherd's staff His care and protection. Jesus came to give abundant life and eternal life. Celebration Is Biblical Just as Israel celebrated God's miracles (such as Hanukkah), believers are encouraged to celebrate God's greatest miracle—Jesus Christ. Celebration does not equal compromise. Giving gifts reflects God's nature, because God loved and gave first. Materialism is a heart issue, not a Christmas issue. The Unseen Became Seen The sermon highlights that Christmas marks the moment when the unseen God became visible. Jesus stepped into human history, walked in our shoes, suffered, and redeemed humanity. His coming proves God did not abandon a fallen world but entered it to save it. Stand for Christ in Every Season Believers are called to stand boldly for Jesus—not just at Christmas, but in every moment of life. The world is imperfect, but Christians are light in darkness, using every opportunity to point others to Christ rather than withdrawing from culture. The Greatest Gift Still Offered The message concludes by reminding listeners that Jesus is still healing, delivering, restoring, and saving. He is the Anointed One who sets captives free. Christmas ultimately declares that God sent His Son as a ransom, offering forgiveness, healing, and eternal life to all who believe.     This sermon explains that Christians did not lose Christmas—they redeemed it. While many cultures celebrated pagan festivals around the winter solstice, believers intentionally reclaimed the season to celebrate the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ. Though Jesus was likely not born in December, the timing does not diminish the meaning. The focus is on why we celebrate, not the calendar date. The message emphasizes that the birth of Jesus is essential, because without the birth there could be no death, resurrection, or salvation. Christmas matters because it defends the virgin birth, which confirms Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, distinct from every other religious leader. If the virgin birth is denied, Christianity collapses into just another religion. Using Scripture from Isaiah, Luke, and John, the sermon highlights Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Anointed One (Messiah), and God's help sent into the world. His supernatural conception, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection reveal that the unseen God became seen in human form. The sermon challenges believers not to abandon Christmas because of materialism or cultural misuse. A fallen world will always distort good things, but that does not negate truth. Instead, Christians are called to stand up in every moment—holidays, workplaces, families, and culture—to proclaim Christ. The message closes with a call to endurance and bold faith, urging believers to let God heal their wounds, stop focusing on imperfections, and consistently testify that Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin, crucified, resurrected, and still saving today. Christmas is not about traditions—it is about celebrating God's greatest gift to humanity.

The Church was established and is sustained through - God's Presence in God's People advancing God's PurposeOUTLINE:God's presence (2:1-4) God's people (2:42-46) God's purpose (2:47) QUESTIONS:Is there something you are unashamed about liking / supporting? (sports team, hobby, music, political party… etc) Why do you think it can be easier to be bold about those things than our walks with Jesus? How does seeing God's Presence, the Holy Spirit, as a fire impact what we see happening in Acts 2:1-4? (Exodus 3, 40. 2 Chronicles 7. Ezekiel 37:27) What does that tell us about God's Presence now? Acts 2:42 lists a few things the early church was devoted to. Why do you think these are listed here? Where do you feel particularly strong or weak in these areas? 2:43-46 unpacks how the Spirit filled followers of Jesus were gathering & doing life together. What are some of the things that stood out from the way they do community & fellowship? Have you ever experienced this? What could we learn from this passage about how we see community?According to v47 - who is responsible for adding people to the church? How can we join God in His purposes to advance the kingdom? In our families? Our work places? Our hobbies? If Jesus is building His Church, what does that change about how we are to live this week?

If Jesus said that faith even as small as a mustard seed could move mountains…then why are so many of your mountains still standing?Unfortunately, Christian husbands living the nice guy lie are told that all they need is a teeny tiny speck of faith. If that's the case...then...Why is your marriage still stuck, your finances capped, your health unchanged, your inner world still heavy… even though you “believe” and you've been told that “even a tiny mustard seed of faith is enough”? In fact, many Christian husbands struggle with weak faith and stagnant growth in their marriage, finances, and personal well-being, despite believing the common teaching about tiny faith. In this teaching, I'm going to show you something that might upset a lot of Sunday school lessons:Jesus never talked about the small size of your faith.He talked about the nature of it.We're going into the Greek, the interlinear, and the actual word Jesus used. Then we'll look at what mustard actually does in the wild: it's invasive, dominant, environment-transforming. And you're going to see that the faith that moves mountains is not a cute, tiny speck… it's an invasive, aggressive, environment-changing belief that crowds out doubt, fear, and passivity.Once you see this, it will change:How you prayHow you fight for your marriageHow you go after healing, provision, and breakthroughHow you interpret “unanswered” prayers in your lifeAnd if you're a Christian husband who's tired of praying tiny prayers while your marriage slowly dies… this is your wake-up call. Heaven is not asking you for a polite speck of faith. Heaven is inviting you into a wildfire faith that rewires your inner world, rewrites your story, and forcefully invades the darkness and the world around you.Stop playing the polite Christian Nice Guy role. Start becoming a masculine force to be reckoned with.

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, These are not the words of a crazy man, a lunatic, or a religious fanatic cult leader. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Lord, we worship You as the resurrection and the life. Everything and everyone around us who is not in You is in a state of perpetual death. There is no life but in You. This is what makes living to love with Jesus so exciting and hopeful. Think about it. If Jesus loves through us, then that deed lives forever for the glory of God. Every other deed is lifeless and dead. Therefore, everyone who believes in Jesus, that is, trusts in His life within as the fountain and source of his life, always lives even if he stops breathing—he's united to eternal life! What a statement about Lazarus. Even if he no longer breaths in his body, Lazarus still lives. What a comfort to Martha—and to us!

Christmas isn't just about the crib or even the cross—it's also about the crown. The prophet Isaiah predicted a coming king from the line of Jesse. In this message, Pastor Lutzer walks us through this prophecy and shows us how Jesus fulfilled it. If Jesus' first coming was fulfilled, then His second coming is assured!  To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29?v=20251111

Christmas isn't just about the crib or even the cross—it's also about the crown. The prophet Isaiah predicted a coming king from the line of Jesse. In this message, Pastor Lutzer walks us through this prophecy and shows us how Jesus fulfilled it. If Jesus' first coming was fulfilled, then His second coming is assured!  This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.  Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.  Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.    SUPPORT:  Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/  Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/    SUBSCRIBE:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia  Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/ 

The birth of Jesus is preceded by the announcement and birth of John the Baptist. If Jesus truly is the Promised Messiah, the messenger must come first to prepare the way. Luke's presentation of John the Baptist includes the theme of reversal. When Jesus comes he will reverse the trajectory of Israel's story toward redemption, hope, and joy.

Welcome to the Inverted Orthodoxy Podcast! We're Blake, Kyle, and Doug the pastors from Living Springs, here to take you on a weekly adventure through the twists and turns of faith. Got questions? We've got answers, and sometimes more questions! Join us as we explore, celebrate, and embrace the beautiful complexities of belief. In this week's Christmas episode, Pastor Kyle answers the following questions! 1. Christmas special question! It has come to my attention that in the movie home alone, old man Marley could be interpreted as a representation of Jesus. He is first seen with wounds on his hands, subsequently it is found out that he has been rejected by the society around him. Additionally, Kevin first netted him in a church. Finally, near the end of the movie he comes to Kevin's salvation. The cherry on top is that he is seen salting the earth. Do you think that this is a relevant and acceptable representation of Jesus in the modern age?2. How many wise men were actually there?3. If Jesus was born to bring peace, why does Christmas feel like the most stressful season of the year?4. Is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come basically an Old Testament prophet?5. Is A Muppet Christmas Carol actually a better picture of repentance than most sermons?6. Scrooge changes overnight—does that make his repentance fake, or is that how grace works?7. Why do so many Christmas movies focus on personal kindness instead of systemic change—and is that enough?8. Is it possible to celebrate Christmas faithfully without participating in consumer culture—or is that unrealistic?9. Would Jesus recognize modern Christmas as something that points to him?10. Why does God choose to enter the world as a baby instead of arriving with power and authority?11. Does the Christmas story actually challenge nationalism more than it supports it?12. Does the pressure to feel joy at Christmas contradict the honesty of the Psalms?13. Is being ‘nice' at Christmas a poor substitute for actual discipleship?14. If the angels announced ‘good news to the poor,' why is Christmas marketed primarily to the comfortable?Do you have a question you've been wanting answered? Head on over to our website www.invertedorthodoxy.com to submit a question. You can find us on Wednesdays on Youtube, or wherever you subscribe to podcasts. To learn more about our church, you can visit www.livingspringsairdrie.com

Did Jesus really change the world—or is that just something Christians say? In this episode, Pastor Doug explores the undeniable historical, cultural, and personal impact of Jesus Christ, from reshaping human dignity to transforming individual lives today. You'll be challenged to consider not only how Jesus changed history, but what that means for your own heart, purpose, and future.Support the mission of the Salty Pastor podcast! Visit our donations page at https://pushpay.com/g/thesaltypastor to help us continue sharing truth with a world in need.Discussion Questions:In what concrete ways has Jesus influenced the world we live in today?Why do some people struggle to accept the claim that Jesus truly changed history?If Jesus can change the world, what areas of your own life might need His transforming power?

Episode 2.67What does it actually mean to say that God became man?In this episode of Take 2 Theology, the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity is explored—who became incarnate, what changed, and what did not. The discussion walks through classic Christian teaching on Christ's full deity and full humanity, drawing from Scripture, the Chalcedonian Definition, and the Athanasian Creed.Key theological questions are addressed:How can Christ be one person with two natures?Why the incarnation must be assumption, not subtractionWhere Christ's obedience belongs—in His humanity, not His eternal beingWhy debates over eternal subordination matter for the Trinity and worshipThe episode also explores whether the incarnation was merely God's response to sin or central to His eternal plan, and why Christ's two wills make His obedience real rather than symbolic.If Jesus is not fully God, worship collapses. If He is not fully human, salvation fails. The incarnation stands at the center of Christian theology—and this episode explains why it still matters.Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/hGHP0bZOwJEMerch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone⁠License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

Hope doesn't live behind us; it's being prepared ahead. We dive into Advent as a season of patient, forward-looking formation, pushing back on the rush to celebrate early and the nostalgia that quietly tells us the best days are gone. From Mary's courageous yes to the early church's costly love, we trace a simple thread: God meets us in the middle of ordinary life, and hospitality is how hope takes shape.We unpack Luke 2 with cultural clarity: the “no room” moment likely refers to a full guest room, not a failed inn, placing Jesus' birth inside a bustling home where animals warmed the night. That shift changes everything. The manger sits in the center of human life, not on the edges, and the incarnation becomes a model for how we welcome Christ now—by welcoming people whose presence may complicate our schedules and challenge our assumptions. Mary's forward-looking faith counters the despair of longing for rooms we can't return to; Advent trains us to prepare a place while Christ prepares one for us.From there, we connect the dots to the early church's witness. The gospel spread less through polished arguments and more through embodied compassion—tables set for strangers, care for the vulnerable, and courage to love beyond convenience.  As we move toward Christmas, we name the most sacred work many of us will do: set the family table, slow down enough to notice the lonely, and make room for God in the mess, the noise, and the real. If Jesus was born in a house, then our homes can become holy ground today.My hope is that this podcast helps grow your faith and equips you to accomplish your dreams and goals!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookFollow me on TikTok

The Unedited Genealogy of Jesus “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah…” — Matthew 1:1 We are accustomed to telling our stories selectively. We polish the edges, omit the failures, and highlight the moments that make us appear respectable. Scripture itself records that genealogies were often written this way—compressed, edited, and curated. Yet when Matthew opens his Gospel, he does something startling. He edits, yes—but not the way we would expect. He leaves the shame in. The family line of Jesus Christ is not a showcase of uninterrupted virtue. It is a record of sinners, scandals, and severe moral collapse. Judah and Tamar. Rahab the prostitute. Ruth the outsider. David and “the wife of Uriah.” Kings who shed innocent blood and led God's people into darkness. Matthew does not blur these names into obscurity; he underlines them. He insists that we see the Messiah standing at the end of a long, broken line. This is not carelessness—it is purposeful. God is telling us something essential about the heart of redemption. If Jesus were ashamed of broken people, He would have edited them out of His own family tree. But He did not. The people we would hide are the very people God highlights. The people we would disqualify are the people God deliberately includes. From the beginning, the incarnation declares that Jesus did not come from sanitized humanity, but from real humanity—and therefore He has come for it. Here is the first truth we must face: anyone can belong to His family. Not because sin does not matter, but because grace matters more. The genealogy preaches before Jesus ever speaks. It announces that doubt, failure, addiction, and disgrace do not place you beyond reach—they place you precisely within the kind of reach Christ came to extend. The bloodline of Jesus says to the least and the lost, “There is room.” But Matthew presses us further. This family tree also reveals that God redeems what we assume is ruined. David's greatest failure is not erased; it is transformed. From a union marked by adultery and death comes Solomon—and through Solomon, the promises of God move forward. Redemption does not deny the damage of sin, but it refuses to let sin have the final word. God takes what we are most ashamed of and makes it the very place where His life breaks through. What we call disqualifying, He calls redeemable. What we bury, He resurrects. Do not ask whether Jesus can handle your past. Look at His genealogy. Do not wonder if your worst mistake is too far gone. Look at the cross, where the Son of God was hung on a tree, covered in the full weight of human shame, so that shame would no longer own us. The question is not whether He can redeem—it is whether you will hand Him what needs redeeming. Bring it into the light. Invite Him into the place you avoid. He is not embarrassed by your story. He entered history precisely to transform it. Let Him.

In this profound Christmas message we conclude "The One and Only" series by examining the Magi's gift of myrrh to baby Jesus, symbolizing His ultimate sacrifice and healing role as King. From Matthew 2:1-12, these Persian "king-makers"—influenced by Daniel's prophecies—acknowledged Jesus as the true King of the Jews, bringing myrrh used for embalming, anointing, and healing, foreshadowing His suffering and death (Isaiah 53:5). Myrrh appears throughout Jesus' life: at birth, mixed with wine at crucifixion (Mark 15:23), and in His burial (John 19:39-40), highlighting the cost of our salvation—His life for ours.This message calls us to respond by bringing our "myrrh": living sacrificially through persecution, generosity, and service, as Romans 5:1-5 shows suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. It also invites us to be healers, offering forgiveness and peace smeared with the myrrh of Christ's grace. If Jesus is King, embrace sacrifice not as waste but as productive, turning temporary pain into eternal glory.Join this Christmas reflection to see the Magi's gifts anew and let myrrh challenge you to honor Jesus' sacrifice with your own bold, healing faith.CONNECT WITH US:→ Request Prayer: https://bit.ly/3zMyf5E→ Request Care: https://bit.ly/3fBTX5G→ Share a Testimony: https://bit.ly/3Jo7Ped→ Find Events and More: https://bit.ly/3TcrkcR→ Leave us a Review on Google: https://bit.ly/47925jP→ Plan a Visit in Person: https://bit.ly/3sfQdg7FOLLOW US:→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminatec...→ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@illuminate_ch...→ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illuminatech...WE HELP PEOPLE FIND ABUNDANT LIFE IN JESUS!

Christmas invites belief—but it also demands a decision.Is Jesus just a baby in a manger… a good teacher… or the King of kings?In Miracle in the Manger, we look beyond the sentiment of Christmas to the stunning claim hidden in plain sight: the manger wasn't just humble—it was revolutionary. Through the gift of gold and the response of the Wise Men, this message reveals who Jesus truly is and why His kingship changes everything.If Jesus is King, then Christmas isn't just a tradition—it's a declaration that calls for a response. And the question remains as urgent today as it was 2,000 years ago: Who do you say that He is?This message will challenge skeptics, reawaken believers, and invite every listener to consider the staggering implications of Jesus as King.

Every December, something subtle happens in Christian homes. Decorations go up. Schedules fill fast. Spending increases. Stress creeps in. And somewhere in the middle of all the activity, Jesus can quietly move from the center to the edges. Most Christian men would say they believe Christmas is about Christ. Yet belief and practice do not always line up. The real question is not what we say Christmas means, but what our lives show. Keeping Christ in Christmas starts with an honest look at how we spend our time, money, attention, and spiritual energy during this season. If Jesus walked into our homes in December, would He recognize what we are celebrating? Luke 2:10–11 tells us exactly what Christmas is about. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” That announcement did not come with shopping lists, packed calendars, or pressure to perform. It came with worship, awe, and obedience. The farther we drift from that truth, the harder keeping Christ in Christmas becomes. The Lie That Keeps Men Spiritually Confirmed One […] The post Keeping Christ in Christmas appeared first on UNCOMMEN.

I had another episode planned for today, but at the last minute I decided to rerun this Christmas episode for you. I think this will become our traditional Christmas episode here at Gnostic Insights. And, if you are new to this podcast, welcome! Next week’s episode will be controversial, so I thought it best to wait until after Christmas for its release. Today, we're going to look at the nature of the Christ—the who, what, why of Christ. Most people are familiar with seeing the baby Jesus in the manger and that's what we celebrate at Christmas time, the birth of the Christ on Earth in the form of a human. But the Christ is an ethereal creature that predates the birth of Jesus. Jesus and the Christ aren't exactly the same, although Jesus was fully Christ. The Christ predates the birth of the human known as Jesus. So, let's learn more about the Christ and why the Christ figure is so essential to us Second Order Powers.  Gnosticism is the forerunner of the modern Christian faith. As such, a better understanding of the figure of the Christ is essential to understanding both Gnosticism and Christianity. The cosmology that I talk about here on the podcast was well known to Jesus and his original followers, but it was cut out of Christianity about 1700 years ago by the Nicene Council, at the urging of the Pope and the Roman Emperor. Because this theology was subtracted from orthodox Christianity, many of the ideas of gnostic cosmology sound odd and unfamiliar to modern churchgoers. Some of the ideas may even sound heretical at first glance due to their unfamiliarity. Yet the theology contained in these early scriptures makes sense of so many puzzling aspects of Christian faith that they must be reexamined. That's why I call the Substack The Gnostic Reformation. I'm confident that once you understand gnostic Christianity, you will better understand your relationship with God. According to gnostic cosmology as laid out in the Nag Hammadi, we humans and all other forms of life on Earth, from bacteria and eukaryotes on up, are the fruit of the Pleroma and Logos. We Second Order Powers find ourselves locked in a never-ending battle for dominion over the Earth with forces that were generated as a result of the Fall. Due to the law of mutual combat, we have forgotten our origin in the Fullness and our mission to bring love and harmony to creation and have instead taken on many of the characteristics of the shadows of the Deficiency. The Second Order Powers are locked in a never-ending war with the Deficiency. Here below, we constantly battle the physical forces of death and entropy, as well as the spiritual forces of vice, sin, delusion and despair. In order to restore memory and reason to the Second Order Powers, the Aeons of the Fullness, every one of them individually and all of them collectively, gave glory in unison to their Father while praying for a helper to bring peace to the Deficiency and forgiveness to Logos. Out of this focused prayer, a unique fruit emerged, one that contained all of the capabilities and powers of the Fullness, along with all of the love and eternal qualities of the Father. The singular fruit of the Fullness and the Father is known by various names: the Christ, the Savior and the Redeemer, the Advocate, the Light, and the Beloved. In Simple Explanation terms, the Christ is a perfect and full fractal of the Father and the Son, all rolled-up into one perfect form. Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth was both perfect man and perfect God incarnate. Christian Gnostics believed the same. Here is a more complete explanation of who Jesus was. It's said that Jesus was conceived without sin because he carried within his body the perfection of man and God. This would mean that Jesus was perfect and true to the original DNA formula for humanity. Hence the importance of the virgin birth that then imparted that perfect DNA to the baby. Jesus was also without negative karma attached to his soul, as his soul was the soul of God. The components of Jesus's body were also without sin, as the cells and flesh that became Jesus were in fact the Aeons of the Fullness incarnate. As Colossians 1:19 says, “For God was pleased to have all his Fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on Earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.” This one sentence from Colossians contains the entire Christian Gnostic Gospel. Because Jesus brought along the entire Fullness of the Pleroma when he incarnated, every aspect of the Father and Son came to material instantiation on Earth. In this manner, the eternal God experienced the finite life of us Second Order Powers and all of the struggle between birth and death that plague us all. Here is how the Tripartite Tractate of the Nag Hammadi scriptures describes this process: “As for those of the shadow, Logos separated himself from them in every way, since they fight against him and are not at all humble before him. The stumbling which happened to the Aeons of the Father was brought to them as if it were their own, in a careful and non-malicious and immensely sweet way. It was brought to the Fullnesses so that they might be instructed about the Deficiency by the single One, from whom alone they all received strength to eliminate the defects. They gathered together, asking the Father, with beneficent intent, that there be aid from above from the Father for his glory, since the defective one could not become perfect in any other way unless it was the will of the Pleroma of the Father, which he had drawn to himself, revealed, and given to the defective one. Then, from the harmony, in a joyous willingness which had come into being, they brought forth the fruit which was a begetting from the harmony, a unity, a possession of the Fullnesses, revealing the countenance of the Father of whom the Aeons thought as they gave glory and prayed for help for their brother with a wish in which the Father counted himself with them. Thus it was willingly and gladly that they brought forth the fruit. And he made manifest the agreement of the revelation of his union with them, which was his beloved Son, but the Son in whom the Fullnesses are pleased to put himself on them as a garment through which he gave perfection to the defective one and gave confirmation to those who are perfect, the One who is properly called Savior and the Redeemer and the Well-pleasing One, and the Beloved, the One to whom prayers have been offered, and the Christ and the light of those appointed in accordance with the ones from whom he was brought forth, since he has become the names of the positions which were given to him. Yet what other name may be applied to him except the Son, as we have previously said, since he is the knowledge of the Father whom he wanted them to know? Not only did the Aeons generate the countenance of the Father to whom they gave praise, but also they generated their own, for the Aeons who give glory, generated their countenance and their face. They came forth in a multifaceted form in order that the one to whom help was to be given might see those to whom he had prayed for help. He also sees the One who gave it to him.” (That is from the Tripartite Tractate sections 85 through 87.) So you see, the mission of the Christ, as stated in Colossians, was to redeem all of creation, including the fallen Aeon who had founded our material universe. Because the Christ came to redeem everyone, the body of Jesus came to Earth with every one of the Fullnesses on board. For every fallen spirit, the Christ brought forth their own personal and recognizable Savior. Redemption has already taken place. It is up to the Second Order Powers and the one who fell to recognize and accept that redemption in order to complete the mission of the Christ. In Simple Explanation terms, the Christ brought the correcting formula for all of our spirits and souls, each unique and personally formulated to meet our individual needs. The baptism of the Christ washes away the mental and spiritual confusion brought on by the endless war with shadows of the Fall. Gnostics are apocalyptic, as are Christians. Gnostics believe that some day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus, the Christ, is Lord. Repentance and redemption comes harder for some than for others. Some souls take more time to recognize and remember. Ultimately, though, there comes a day of reckoning, for the Father will not be denied forever. There will soon come a day when the Deficiency ends. On that day, a new economy will unite Heaven and Earth, and all souls will find their joyful place in Paradise. The only forms banished to the outer darkness will be the shadows and phantoms of the Fall, which did not exist within the Father's consciousness from the beginning. These shadows are not real and they will have no home with us in Paradise. The hierarchy of the Fullness of God dreams of Paradise. Logos crowns the hierarchy and contains fractals of all the other Aeons. Now here's a gnostic perspective of Jesus on the cross. One of the central themes of the Christian faith is the death of Jesus on the cross. Christians the world over focus on the body of Jesus hanging on the cross, and I've often wondered, why this fixation of Jesus on the cross? Why is the crucifix the focal point of every church and altar? Why do people wear the cross as jewelry or hang a crucifix in their bedroom? The obvious answer Christians give is that without the cross, Jesus could not have saved humanity from sin, for he bore our sins into the grave with his death and they were washed away with his resurrection from the dead. Praise be to God, but why the cross? If Jesus had been stoned to death or drowned or beaten or thrown from a high tower, would we still feel such affinity for the stone, a lake, a club or a roof? I don't think so. I think there is something very special about the shape of the cross itself. I ask this question because Jesus never said, I'm soon to pass on from this world, and I want you to focus on my body hanging on the cross as I take on the sins of the world. And yet, that's what people do, as if that were the entire point of the Gospel. As far as I can tell, Jesus did not ask for his death and resurrection to be the focal point of worship. What Jesus actually said was: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30), and, “Whoever welcomes me welcomes the Father that sent me” (Luke 9:48). In other words, Jesus acknowledged himself in reference to his Father and he deflected glory to his Father. Yet Jesus is worshipped by modern Christians to the extent that the Father almost goes unmentioned. Thank goodness for the Lord's prayer, which is directed to the Father and not to the Son. Jesus taught it to be said to the Father; he did not teach it to be recited to himself. No slight to the Son, of course, we're merely emphasizing the importance of the God Above All Gods. During the last supper, Jesus instructed his followers to think of his broken body as they break and eat bread and to consider his blood as the fulfillment of a contract with humanity as they drink wine. This is what Jesus left the church as instruction regarding his death. He did not instruct them to erect images of crosses and to worship him hanging on a cross, as if he were stuck up there forever. Yes, Protestants have allowed Jesus to come down off the cross and therefore their crosses are unoccupied to remind us that Jesus resurrected, but still the focus is on the cross. Again—why the cross in particular? Here is the symbolism of the cross as I understand it. We who dwell on Earth are engaged in endless warfare with the Imitation that always seeks to lure us away from our Father in Heaven. Oftentimes we don't even realize we're engaged in warfare with the Imitation, because it can appear disguised as goodness. This is what is meant by the Devil being a liar. Things are proposed “for our own good,” but they're not; they're proposed for power and control. We Second Order of Powers are engaged in this endless warfare and, although we come from a good disposition of the Father and the Fullness, we have forgotten our heavenly nature and become deluded because of rage and other passions and addictions. The Christ came to Earth in the form of a Son of Man to bring the Third Order of Powers to Earth as the solution to overcoming the phantoms of the Imitation that have mired the Second Order Powers in error and ignorance. Those who have eyes to see the Christ are able to remember their Father in Heaven. Those who remember their Father in Heaven and repent from the Imitation are redeemed. Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the promise to redeem the fallen. Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man brought salvation to the Deficiency and restored it to the Kingdom of Heaven. The reason the cross looks as it does and occupies such a central role in worship is that the cross represents human beings. The Cross is shaped like a human, a Son of Man. It is no accident that Jesus was crucified on a cross because Jesus is a Son of Man, the Son of Man. The Cross should remind us that humankind has been redeemed by the body and blood of Christ in an even more profound way than acknowledging the indignity and suffering of Christ on the cross. It should remind us that the Son of God—the Christ—bridged with the form of his human body spirit-to-matter, which is top-to-bottom, and neighbor-to-neighbor, which is side-to-side, just as the shape of the cross. In the Gnostic Gospel, redemption comes to all of creation through the incarnation of the Son of God into the body of the Son of Man. The manner of the Savior's birth, death, and resurrection will come to every soul as they realize their Father is in Heaven and to Heaven they will return. For, as it says, “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” That affirmation comes from the New Testament (Philippians 2:10). It just takes time. We aren't there yet because of the common delusion of presumptuous thought, which causes people to behave selfishly. Ego must first make way for the love of Christ to take over the throne of the Self. Only then may you rise above the egoic imitation, for then you will have a champion and a king. The very public way that Jesus was crucified and the very public way that he resurrected gives us all hope of the same: Jesus demonstrates proof of resurrection and his life, death, and resurrection is about all of us, not only about the Christ. Jesus is the exemplar of our resurrection. And, by the way, in a Gnostic sense, which could be considered heretical by many Christians, the story of Jesus and the Christ and the Father don't even have to be believed as historical fact, which many nay-sayers make the cornerstone of their argument against Christ and God. The very concepts themselves—the very thoughts, the mind—is what carries this. We are consciousness and this Christ story is in our consciousness for our salvation. Think on that… I acknowledge that this is a very different version of Christianity than has been traditionally presented to us. This is gnosis that was originally contained in the sacred scriptures that formed the New Testament prior to the Pope and Emperor of Rome getting their hands on it and stripping it out. It's nice to know. I hope you get it. It doesn't really matter, because all you need to know is that we come from the Father and to the Father we will return. That is the bottom line. We are emanations directly of the Father and the Father has promised to save us all and bring us all home. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.” This has been taken to mean that one must acknowledge the power of the Christ before the Christ can redeem you. But, you see, this would put all of the power of redemption in your hands rather than Christ's. The Christ will redeem all Second Order Powers by the end of time, with or without your prior acknowledgment. All redemption comes to the Father through the Christ, and that is in Christ's hands. What accepting the Christ now does for you is open the door for the Third Order Powers to enter your egoic soul. This power makes it possible to live a joyous and virtuous life. It allows the love of the Father to flow through you and out into the world. And it eases your transition after the physical death of your body, so you may enter the afterlife without fear, knowing that you rest in the Pleroma of the Christ. The Final Economy is our foretaste of Paradise. No more shadows, no more sorrow. I hope that this information is helpful to you and will help you remember your gnosis. Merry Christmas. God bless us all. And onward and upward. If you are getting any gnosis from this information, please consider supporting Gnostic Insights with a generous donation. It helps keep me motivated. I’m a one-person enterprise with full responsibility for every aspect of this podcast, from writing to recording to editing to artwork to paying for the hosting services that bring this gnosis to you. I could really use some more support! Please do what you can. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Stripe Credit Card *Choose your item *Item A - $10.00Item B - $25.00Item C - $50.00Total$0.00Submit

Christmas isn't just about the crib or even the cross—it's also about the crown. Isaiah the prophet lifts our spirits by reminding us of the future reign of Christ the King on Earth. In this message, Pastor Lutzer walks us through Isaiah's prophecy and shows us how Jesus fulfills it. If Jesus' first coming was fulfilled, then His second coming is assured!  This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.   SUPPORT: Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/ Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

Since God's word is our foundation of truth, a lamp unto our feet, a light for our path. If Jesus told His first disciples to pray His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and God never changes, would it be fare to say we're supposed to be doing the same thing His first disciples did?

If Jesus was born of a virgin, what does that mean for you? Just how important is the virgin birth of Jesus? How reliable are the Gospels from which we get most of our information about Jesus' birth, life and death? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/701/29?v=20251111

If Jesus was not the Son of God through a miraculous event, then He was simply the son of another imperfect man. 

Jesus Followers Practice a Weekly Time of Worship and Rest through Their Sabbath and a Daily Time Alone with God in Prayer MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus said, in Mark 2:27-28, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”. Therefore, we are to practice a weekly Sabbath – worship and rest. Also, we are to build into our lives a time alone with God each day. In Mark 1:35, Mark tells us about Jesus: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.". If Jesus needed to spend time in prayer, doesn't it make sense that we need to spend time in daily prayer as well?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of love. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 132). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 2:27-28; Mark 1:35; John 16:33; John 10:10. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Why We Do Christmas”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Good News of Great Joy Culture of Gospel Share this with someone in your life who doesn't know Jesus  Christmas announces that God didn't step into the world to shame us or control us, but to rescue us from what's destroying us, heal what's broken inside us, and give us the life we've been longing for. If that kind of hope exists, it's worth taking a serious look at Jesus. Sermon Summary Introduction: The Eucatastrophe of Christmas Coleton begins with the angelic announcement in Luke 2:8–11, where shepherds—ordinary, overlooked people—are met by the glory of God in the middle of the night. “There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby… An angel of the Lord appeared to them… ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.'” (Luke 2:8–11) Coleton introduces the idea of eucatastrophe, a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien, meaning “an unexpected breaking in of goodness that changes everything.” A catastrophe is an unexpected disaster that alters life for the worse; a eucatastrophe is the opposite—unexpected goodness that permanently alters reality for the better. That, Coleton says, is exactly what the angels are announcing. Christmas is not sentimental nostalgia—it is the declaration that something has happened that changes everything. And the angel insists this news is meant to produce great joy. Coleton then asks the central question of the message:  Why should the birth of Jesus cause great joy? He gives three reasons. 1. Jesus Came to Rescue Us from Sin “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.” (Luke 2:11) The first word the angel uses to describe Jesus is Savior. Coleton emphasizes that this is not accidental—this is the core announcement of Christmas: a rescuer has come to you. Matthew clarifies what kind of rescue Jesus brings: “He will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Coleton explains that many in Israel expected a rescuer from Roman oppression, but God identified a deeper enemy. From God's perspective, sin is a greater threat than any external circumstance. Sin is not just rule-breaking; it is a destructive power that poisons life from the inside out. Scripture says: “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Sin always pays out in destruction—relationally, emotionally, spiritually. Coleton illustrates this with a personal story from a home renovation: exposed live wires in the wall when his son Teddy was three years old. He wanted Teddy to obey him—but not simply because “I said so.” The deeper reason was that touching the wire would cause serious harm or even death. In the same way, God's commands are not arbitrary. Sin is dangerous. God forbids it because it kills us. The problem is not just that sin is harmful—it's that we are drawn to it. Coleton traces this reality through Scripture: Adam and Eve fixated on the one forbidden tree. Genesis 6:5 describes humanity's hearts as bent toward evil. Romans 7 shows Paul describing sin like an addiction he wants to resist but can't. “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:24) Coleton names experiences we all recognize: Wanting to stop being angry but feeling trapped Wanting to forgive but being unable Wanting to stop fearing, lusting, worrying, or discontentment He quotes John Piper: “Sin is the suicidal abandonment of joy.” This is why Christmas is good news: Jesus has come to rescue us from the addictive desire to do what destroys us. Paul answers his own question: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25) Through the cross, sin's power is broken. “Our old self was crucified with him… that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (Romans 6:6) Coleton quotes Jackie Hill Perry: “When Jesus died and rose, He gave you power to defeat sin… You are not a slave. You are free. You just have to believe that and walk in it.”  — Jackie Hill Perry, Gay Girl, Good God Jesus doesn't just forgive sin—He breaks its authority and reshapes our desires. 2. Jesus Came to Give Us an Abundant Kind of Life The angel also calls Jesus the Messiah—His job reminder, not just His title. Coleton walks through Isaiah 61, the Messiah's job description: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me… to proclaim good news to the poor… bind up the brokenhearted… proclaim freedom for the captives… bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…” (Isaiah 61:1–3) This describes a life transformed—not patched up, but renewed. Jesus explicitly claims this mission in Luke 4, declaring that Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in Him. Coleton shows how Jesus lived this out: The paralytic who believed nothing could change Jairus' daughter, declared hopeless and dead The woman with the issue of blood Lepers, demoniacs, the blind, the broken Every encounter demonstrates the same truth: when people come to Jesus, His job description becomes their lived experience. Coleton makes a bold claim:  If this kind of transformation has never begun in someone's life, they may know about Jesus without truly knowing Him. He shares his own story—how his life changed dramatically after coming to faith. His friends loved the change but resisted the source. They wanted transformation without surrender. He quotes A.W. Tozer: “We treat Jesus the way Saul treated David. We want him to fight our battles for us… but we don't want him to be our king.” Coleton explains that who you believe your Messiah is will shape your life. If the world is your messiah, the world will form you—and it is broken. If Jesus is your Messiah, He will form you into His image—and He is full of life. Jesus doesn't offer occasional help; He offers fullness of life under His leadership. 3. Jesus Came to Remove Our Shame The angel calls Jesus Lord—God Himself with us. Coleton defines shame: “Shame is not guilt. Guilt is ‘I did something wrong.' Shame is ‘there is something wrong with me.'”  — Jon Tyson & Jeff Bethke, Fighting Shadows In Genesis, Moses repeatedly says Adam and Eve were “naked and unashamed.” Their identity, value, and security came from God's presence. Coleton quotes Donald Miller: “All of the glory, all of the security, all of the value that came from God was gone… and for the first time ever, they were pining for something to tell them they were okay.” That's when they hid. God's question—“Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11)—reveals the source: shame. Coleton shows how humanity has been trying to silence shame ever since: Relationships Success Approval Humor Anger Perfectionism Underperforming Substances Money, appearance, status All of it is an attempt to quiet the whisper: something is wrong with me. Christmas declares something different: Immanuel—God with us.  Through Jesus, we are welcomed back into God's presence. “Come to me… and I will give you rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28) Coleton ends by pointing to the cross: Jesus chose not to save Himself to save us He was broken so we could be made whole He was crucified naked and shamed to carry the shame of the garden—and remove ours Jesus is the ultimate eucatastrophe—the unexpected goodness that changes everything. Questions for Reflection Which of the three reasons—rescue from sin, abundant life, or removal of shame—do you most need to experience right now, and why? In what ways do you see sin acting more like an addiction than just bad behavior in your own life? Where are you tempted to want the benefits of Jesus without surrendering to Him as King? What are some ways you've tried to silence shame apart from God's presence? How have those strategies fallen short? What would it look like practically this week to trust Jesus to fulfill His “job description” in your life?

In this Christmas message, we explore the Magi's gift of frankincense to baby Jesus, declaring His divinity and role as ultimate High Priest. From Matthew 2:1-12, the wise men brought pure incense used in temple worship, symbolizing Jesus as God in flesh who would offer Himself for our sins—fulfilling rituals and tearing the veil at His death (Matthew 27:50-51).Frankincense represents prayer as our modern incense (Psalm 141:1-2; Revelation 5:8), inviting us to draw near God with confidence through Christ's blood (Hebrews 10:19-25). If Jesus is King, bring Him your prayers—acknowledging His divinity, relying on Him as our hope, and living under His priestly covering.CONNECT WITH US:→ Request Prayer: https://bit.ly/3zMyf5E→ Request Care: https://bit.ly/3fBTX5G→ Share a Testimony: https://bit.ly/3Jo7Ped→ Find Events and More: https://bit.ly/3TcrkcR→ Leave us a Review on Google: https://bit.ly/47925jP→ Plan a Visit in Person: https://bit.ly/3sfQdg7FOLLOW US:→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminatec...→ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@illuminate_ch...→ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illuminatech...WE HELP PEOPLE FIND ABUNDANT LIFE IN JESUS!

There's a question worth asking as we navigate the demands of modern life: If Jesus lived where you live, had your job, your education, your salary, your family—how would he live? It's a provocative question, one that invites us beyond surface-level Christianity into something far more transformative.But here's the deeper question: Why does it matter?__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

Today's message looks at the words of John the Baptist from Matthew 11:2-3, "When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'" John although a deep believer came to a point where he had his doubts. Such big doubts that he had his own disciples travel 100 miles to ask Jesus that question. Matthew 11:4-5 "Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor."  These are words from the Old Testament's prophecies, Jesus quoted from Isaiah 35:5-6 "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy."  And Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor." Jesus quoted these verses about the prophecies of the Messiah to show that He was the Messiah, that He and the prophecies were one. John's disciples are still listening as Jesus goes on and says in Matthew 11:11-15 "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist...For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears, let them hear." Again, these words are quotes from Old Testament Scriptures found in Malachi 3:1, Malachi 4:45-6 and Isaiah 40:3 that tell about the one who will prepare the way for the coming Messiah.  These are words about John the Baptist. The Controversy: What kind of Messiah?      ⁃    Will he be prophetic, priestly or kingly?      ⁃    Will he be a Messiah of mercy or judgment?     ⁃    Would he suffer or reign?     ⁃    Will there be 2 Messiahs who come once or 1 Messiah who comes twice? The Biblical Evidence for Messiah:     ⁃    Birthplace Micah 5:2     ⁃    Lineage Isaiah 11:1      ⁃    Miracles Deuteronomy 18:15      ⁃    Sacrifice Leviticus 17:11     ⁃    Resurrection Isaiah 53:11 We close with Pastor's heartfelt encouragement to let the word of God speak to our hearts, to search the scriptures and find what Jesus the Messiah has to say to us. No matter who you are, think about this: If Jesus really is who He claimed to be, there is nothing more important than knowing Him and being known by Him. Jesus is different than what we expected…. But He is exactly what the Bible predicted! If God loved us so much He was willing to take on human flesh and fulfill everything spoken beforehand by the prophets, lay down His life on a cross, rise from the grave and announce forgiveness to all who believe, who would reject such an offer?  It's true He was different than what was expected, but He is exactly what was predicted and He's coming back!  Therefore, we need to know Him and be known by Him.   Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

This week we are focusing on the name Mighty God—the One whose power breaks into our world with hope, strength, and salvation. Discussion Questions: In verses 4–5, Isaiah talks about God breaking the yoke, the rod of the oppressor, and ending warfare. What kinds of power does God say He’s going to display here, and what does that tell us about what the “Mighty God” actually comes to do? Verse 6 calls this coming child “Mighty God.” Based on everything Isaiah has already said in this passage, why would that title have been both comforting and shocking to God’s people? Verse 7 says His kingdom will be marked by justice and righteousness and will never end. How is that different from the kind of leadership and power Israel had experienced from earthly kings? Tyson connected Isaiah 9 to Revelation 19, where Jesus returns as the victorious King. How does holding both of those pictures together - Jesus coming humbly and Jesus returning powerfully- shape the way we understand who He is? If Jesus is truly our Mighty God now and the King who will one day return to set everything right, how should that shape the way we live, trust Him, and face the brokenness we see around us?

This week we are focusing on the name Mighty God—the One whose power breaks into our world with hope, strength, and salvation. Discussion Questions: In verses 4–5, Isaiah talks about God breaking the yoke, the rod of the oppressor, and ending warfare. What kinds of power does God say He’s going to display here, and what does that tell us about what the “Mighty God” actually comes to do? Verse 6 calls this coming child “Mighty God.” Based on everything Isaiah has already said in this passage, why would that title have been both comforting and shocking to God’s people? Verse 7 says His kingdom will be marked by justice and righteousness and will never end. How is that different from the kind of leadership and power Israel had experienced from earthly kings? Tyson connected Isaiah 9 to Revelation 19, where Jesus returns as the victorious King. How does holding both of those pictures together - Jesus coming humbly and Jesus returning powerfully- shape the way we understand who He is? If Jesus is truly our Mighty God now and the King who will one day return to set everything right, how should that shape the way we live, trust Him, and face the brokenness we see around us?

These days, having a child out of wedlock is pretty much a valid lifestyle choice in many cultures. I'm not saying that it's right, just that that's how it's perceived. But back in Jesus' day … man it was a huge scandal. Seriously.   A MISCONCEPTION Well, here we are hurtling towards Christmas. You know, it's interesting when you look at the candy cane – you know that simple little cane with the white and then the three small stripes and then the big stripe – and we think of it as a candy cane, but the confectioner who first created it, didn't create it as a candy cane. He created it as a "J" for Jesus and the white was there to symbolise the holiness of God and the three small stripes were there to symbolise the stripes on His back when He was beaten and the one thick stripe, the red stripe was there to symbolise the blood of Jesus. Isn't it funny how we take symbols to do with Christmas and a whole bunch of other things and we change their meaning – we re-interpret them – and I think it's really true of this thing that we call Christmas. You know, as I look at my four years studying at Bible College, the most profound thing that I learned was this – that theologians, and I can class myself as one of those – we love to take the stories of God in the Bible and snip them up and put them in little piles which we call doctrines. You know, the doctrine of the Trinity; the doctrine of original sin; the doctrine of the incarnation and so we think, "WOW, you know, I've sorted out God; I've got Him is little piles; I have a systematic theology and now I understand God." Well, in a sense that's good, because it's good to know what we believe and why we believe it and look at the whole council of God in His Word. But you know something, if that's all we do, I think maybe, we missed the point because God's chosen way of revealing Himself to us is mostly through stories. Stories throughout history of His engagement with His chosen people, Israel, and then in the New Testament, stories of His new promise; stories of His grace as the church grew out of a revelation of God through Jesus Christ. God speaks to us through His story in history and to me that's the most profound insight that I got after four years of Bible College. And no where is that more true than in Jesus. John in his Gospel calls Jesus the Word, "In the beginning was the Word." Jesus is God talking to us saying, "This is what I'm like." Jesus is a message in a bottle. And Jesus is unique – He is the only person in history, as the Son of God, who could have chosen the place, the time and the circumstances of His birth. Let's just think about that for a minute. It's true isn't it? If Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God – He is the only person in history that could have chosen the circumstances of His birth. Well, if that's true; if it was a deliberate choice, what is God saying to us about Himself through the manner in which Jesus came into the world, through this story that we now call Christmas. See, it's not some neat doctrine; it's not some neat theology of the incarnation. We learn about Christmas through the stories in Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and I guess, in a sense, many of us know them backwards. But Matthew begins, after the great, long genealogy that we looked at the other week – Matthew now begins with this story – if you've got a Bible, grab it, open it – we are going to Matthew, chapter 1, beginning at verse 18. It says this: "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way." So in other words, here's the story. "When His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he decided to do that, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her is from God the Holy Spirit. She will bear you a son and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "look the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us". When Joseph awoke from the sleep he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a Son and he named Him Jesus." So here's Mary, pregnant from the Holy Spirit. How? Well, Luke tells us the angel appeared to her and said, "Fear not!" Have you ever seen a Christmas card with "Fear not!" plastered across the front? Not really! So how to you think Mary felt? She gets spoken to by an angel; she gets told not to be afraid, "you're going to be pregnant because God the Holy Spirit is going to make you pregnant." Now how do you think it went when Mary told Joseph? Here's this single teenage girl from this place called Nazareth; Nowheresville and she wanders in with her belly swollen and she says to her fiancee, "Well, Joe, it's like this – I didn't sleep with anyone – God did this!" WOW! Would you believe her? Joseph didn't – he planned to dismiss her quietly because this was a society where getting pregnant out of wedlock was a disgraceful thing. I mean, the Hebrew law commanded the women who were caught in adultery be stoned to death so the social context was that it wasn't a life style choice; it was something that you stoned someone to death for. But Joseph has a dream. Remember he doesn't have a New Testament; he doesn't know how it's going to turn out. He has this subjective thing called a dream and even if it were true, what incredible pain. How many times would Mary have gone over the angel's words? How many times do you think Joseph would be second guessing his dream? How breathtakingly reckless was God to allow the whole future of humanity to hang on the responses of these two poorly educated, hapless, rural teenagers? I mean, we know Him as Lord, the Christ, the Son of God but His parents and family friends; Mary's little illegitimate baby; the bastard; the stigma. Yet that's what Jesus chose for Himself. That's why I've called this message, "The Illegitimate God". You and I, we read this story of Christmas with a sense of wander and awe and we know how it ended. Then, back then and there? Well, for them it was a scandal; it was a fantasy; it was, "Is God really doing this?"   SOME VISITORS So here we are looking at this story of Christmas – firstly, the way that this baby was conceived – the sense of scandal that would have followed Him around when He was a little child – but then He was born into this brutal, political climate. Let's read on the story; this space and time and situation that God chose for His Son to be born into. We are going to pick it up in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 1: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking, "Where is this child that has been born the King of the Jews, because we observed His star at it's rising and we have come to pay homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him. And calling together all the chief priests and the scribes and the people, he enquired of them, 'where the Messiah was to be born?' And they told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, "And you Bethlehem in the land of Judea, are by no means the least amongst the rulers of Judea, for from you shall come a ruler who is to be the Shepherd of His people, Israel." And the story goes on that Herod secretly called for the wise men and he told them, "Go and find this Jesus and come and tell me", because he wanted to kill Jesus. We look at the politics of Palestine and Israel today – the mess – there seems to be no solution – they just keep shooting each other and blowing each other up. Back then it wasn't much different! You had a brutal Roman empire and the Roman Emperor ruled over a whole bunch of countries including this little country called Israel. And under him you had a despot; an Herodian King. And then this Herodian dynasty – we know about Herod – they were sort of half breeds and they were illegitimate and they were in cahoots with the Romans – together they oppressed the people. The religious leaders were part of all that and there was this sense of hopelessness amongst the people. It was every bit as messy then as it is today. And into this malaise is born Jesus, the Son of God and then these wise men – these Magi (a Magi was an astrologer; a sooth sayer). All of this was forbidden in the Old Testament – people who worshipped the stars were to be stoned to death. And they came from where? From the East; from Babylon – eighty kilometres south of what today is Baghdad. And remember, Babylon was a place of horror and evil for first century Israelites because that's where in 587 and 586 BC they were exiled into slavery. So God invites the Magi; these astrologers from hell to come to the birth of His Son and to worship Him. If you and I were God would we have invited them? I don't think so. And yet God doesn't just invite them but how does He go and get them from Babylon to Bethlehem? Does He send them a prophet? Does He send them John the Baptist? Does He send them a letter? Does He send them the Scriptures? He doesn't do any of those, He sends them a star. You see, God chooses a symbol that they can understand and follow and brings them to worship this child. Babylon who once destroyed the temple and exiled the chosen people is now worshipping the true God. God may well have hated their sin but He loved them much more that He hated their sin. And then one night in a dream – if you flick over the page to Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 13 – Joseph has another dream, it says this: Now after the Magi had left, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says: "Get up and take this child and His mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy Him. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother by night and went to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord, through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I have called My Son." See, here we go again – Joseph is having another dream – this subjective thing. It's not like he sits down and he reads the New Testament; he reads the Old Testament and God speaks to him through His Word. No, God spoke to Joseph through a dream and so Joseph and Mary and Jesus all became refugees. They had no rights; they had no land; they had no possessions; they were fleeing for their lives. There are thirty two point nine million refugees in the world today. That's grown by almost fifty percent in just twelve months. Jesus, the Son of God becomes a refugee. How long? What would they live on? Where would they live? Where would they go? Would they be safe? They had to endure hardship for the first few years of His little life. Would you or I, if we were God, have put our son through this? And you read on in Matthew, chapter 2, verses 16 to 18. "When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. This massacre of the infants – have you ever seen a Christmas card about the massacre of the infants? See, we turn Christmas into this little pantomime, but the birth of Jesus into this world; the time when God stepped into this world and became man was a brutal time; it was a tough time and it was the time God chose for His Son. I mean, today we see suicide bombers in the Middle East and the shelling of targets and the shooting by snipers – imagine if you added to that the slaughter of all the children under two in and around Bethlehem – you don't see that on a Christmas card do you? What was God thinking by sending His Son into such a mess?   SO WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT GOD? And then of course, after they returned from Egypt, Jesus and His family moved to Nazareth – you can read it in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 19. When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up and take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel for those who are seeking the child's life are now dead. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother and he went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea, in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and after being warned in a dream, he went to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: "He will be called a Nazarene." God allowed, indeed, constructed the circumstances so that the Son of God would grow up in the backblocks of nowhere – in Nazareth. Does anything good come out of Nazareth? And He became a carpenter; not the King; not the head of theology at Jerusalem seminary; not the chief grand whatever in the synagogue or the temple – a lowly carpenter. So what do we learn about God? If God chose the circumstances into which Jesus would be born; if He chose these two young teenagers; if He chose the stable in Bethlehem; if He chose Herod and the persecution and the flight, what does that tells us about God? If Jesus came to reveal God to us, what do we learn about God from the first Christmas? When you read through the Old Testament about God you see His sovereignty; His power; His hugeness; His transcendence. Isaiah says: To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal," says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and see who created all these stars. See, God is great. Here at Christmas we see this greatness reduced to the size of the single fertilised egg – not even visible to the human eye. Born in the stable with the stench of cow dung and urine on the floor, hunted down, a refugee, the massacre of these infants around Him and then slinking back to Nazareth to eek out an ignominious existence as a carpenter, relying on two uneducated teenage bumpkins for safety and nurture – with always the hint of scandal – Mary's little illegitimate child. Well may God be great but hang on a minute, when you look at Christmas, my God is also small. My God is also humble. If you look at this theological doctrine of incarnation, Jesus the Son of God and the Son of Man – He's different to us yet He's the same as us. But if we really ask ourselves the question, we would mostly conclude that Jesus was fundamentally different from you and me. But like Luther, I believe that if we are even to begin to understand what God is saying in Jesus, we have to draw the conclusion that Jesus is God, deep graven into the flesh. Like the candy cane – on the one hand, white and pure and blameless and different, but with a red stripe; with the blood, suffering like us, He lived, He suffered, He cried, He struggled, like us. That's the point of Christmas; that's the point of Jesus being born into these brutal circumstances, in such humble surrounds. This is God saying, "Jesus is like us". We can have the best doctrine of the incarnation and completely miss the point. God is humble. He shows us that in a profound way at Christmas. He chose the time. He chose the circumstances. He chose the stable and the animals in it. He connects with us. That's why Jesus says later in Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28: Come to Me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest in your souls." And later in John, chapter 16, verse 33: "I've said these things to you that in Me you might have peace for in this world you will have tribulations but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." What a contradiction! God, the sovereign God who created all the universe through Jesus, all things that were created were, in fact, created. And yet He calls Himself humble; He makes Himself low at Christmas time. But then everything about Jesus is a contradiction. On the one hand He's the Lion of Judah; on the other hand He's the Lamb of God. When I look at the Christmas story – just the way it is, just plain and simple – look at the circumstances that Jesus was born into, you know what I see? I see something that rings true; I see an authenticity; I see a Jesus who comes humbly into this world and then says, "Come to Me because I'm gentle, I'm humble of heart." I see a Jesus who was prepared to be a refugee; who is prepared to be under threat of death. It's an amazing thing, Christmas and you know, if we just look at it as a pantomime; if we just sing the wonderful little songs and still look at it as children, I think we miss the point. God chose an amazing time for Jesus to be born and we look at Christmas by knowing how it all ended up. We've read the whole New Testament; we have the benefit of knowing that He died and rose again and the church grew up out of that and two thousand years on, you know, we are living the life. So we look back at Christmas through a whole bunch of history and stuff that those people, at that time, simply didn't have. Philip Yancey sums it up this way – I love what he says. This is what he writes: "He is the image of the invisible God; the first born over all creation," an apostle would later write, "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together," But the few eye witnesses on Christmas night saw none of those things. They saw an infant struggling to work never before used lungs. It's the story of a God who steps out of heaven, powerful, transcendent, able to choose anything He wants – He chooses Mary and Joseph; He chooses a stable; He chooses for His Son to become a refugee; He chooses for His Son to grow up in Nazareth as a carpenter. God speaks to us through this Christmas story. God went to extraordinary lengths to say this: "I am humble of heart. I have come to be one of you. I have come to walk in your shoes, in your skin, to experience all the things that you experience." It's the message of Christmas. A God who reaches out in the most amazing way; in the most startling way; in a way that we would never have done if we were God – and speaks to us His love and His desire to have a relationship with us. That is what Christmas is about.

5:10 - What are the qualifications to be God's chosen people? / 12:54 - Will there be regret in Heaven? / 22:50 - Comment on marriages with an unbelieving spouse. / 30:30 - Why was Timothy circumsised? / 38:00 - Is Holy Spirit a title or a name? / 41:58 - If Jesus is God, who was He praying to in the garden? / 49:28 - Prayer request for wife's cancer diagnosis.

Send us a textOne of the best discoveries, if not the best discovery after salvation is your place in the Body of Christ. Jesus said He would build His Church and He is doing that work today. If Jesus is your Savior have you discovered your place in His Church?This is where life begins to make sense and in this message you will discover some of the functions Jesus has provided for you to live in. You may want to share this with other believers because it is something every Christian needs to know and also act on.

Send us a textThe Might God Senior Pastor Keith StewartDecember 7, 2025When life feels overwhelming and the world seems increasingly unstable, you need more than a sentimental Christmas story—you need a God who is strong enough to fight for you. In this message, Mighty God, you'll discover that the Child in the cradle is the God of the universe in human flesh—able to break the chains you can't break, face the battles you can't win, and stand with you against every fear. If you've ever wondered whether Jesus is really enough, this message will help you see His power, His nearness, and His unmatched ability to carry you through.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Names that define us. Which “old name badge” do you most tend to wear (unwanted, unworthy, abandoned, etc.)?Which name God gives you is hardest to believe—and why? 2. Jesus as Warrior. If “Mighty God” means God is a valiant warrior who fights on our behalf, what battle in your life right now feels bigger than your own strength? What might it look like, practically and specifically, to let Jesus fight that battle instead of you trying to manage it alone? 3. The Great I AM in the storm. In the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walks on the water and says, “I AM. Don't be afraid.”Where does fear most show up in your life right now (finances, family, health, calling, the future)? How does it change things to imagine the Great I AM standing in that place saying, “Don't be afraid”? 4. If Jesus isn't God, He isn't safe. How have you seen people (or maybe even yourself at times) try to keep Jesus in the “good teacher” category without surrendering to Him as Mighty God? What part of your life most resists treating Him as God rather than adviser? 5. Christmas as a crisis point of decision. If someone close to you asked, “Who is Jesus to you—really?” How would you honestly answer today? What next step (trust, obedience, repentance, public declaration, baptism, etc.) would move your answer closer to “He is my Mighty God”? 6. Letting the Mighty God rename your story. Where do you see yourself slipping into self-focus, self-pity, or old identities this season?What is one specific “new name” or truth about Jesus as Mighty God that you want to hold onto this week—and how can you build a simple reminder into your day (a verse on your phone, a note on your mirror, a daily prayer, etc.)?

Christmas isn't just a nostalgic routine, we're being reminded of the greatest announcement in history: the King has come, the King is Lord, and the King came to save us. Don't tune out the miracle; respond, trust Him, and share the announcement that changes everything.The Announcement: The King is Here! The Announcement: The King is LORD!The Announcement: The King came to save us!Life Group Discussion:If Jesus showed up in your everyday life today, at work, school, or home, how would you honestly respond to His arrival?Where do you struggle to trust Jesus' authority, and what lies or fears make that hard?What's one area of your life right now, stress, sin, fear, or pressure, where you need to turn to Jesus for rescue instead of trying to fix it yourself?

Christmas isn't just a nostalgic routine, we're being reminded of the greatest announcement in history: the King has come, the King is Lord, and the King came to save us. Don't tune out the miracle; respond, trust Him, and share the announcement that changes everything.The Announcement: The King is Here! The Announcement: The King is LORD!The Announcement: The King came to save us!Life Group Discussion:If Jesus showed up in your everyday life today, at work, school, or home, how would you honestly respond to His arrival?Where do you struggle to trust Jesus' authority, and what lies or fears make that hard?What's one area of your life right now, stress, sin, fear, or pressure, where you need to turn to Jesus for rescue instead of trying to fix it yourself?

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“Now this is the catholic faith: That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence. For the person of the Father is a distinct person, the person of the Son is another, and that of the Holy Spirit still another. But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.Similarly, the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty. Yet there are not three almighty beings; there is but one almighty being.Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three gods; there is but one God. Thus the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord. Yet there are not three lords; there is but one Lord.”~ The Athanasian Creed (circa 5th Century) “If Jesus were to visit with a modern day psychiatrist, the doctor might say: ‘Jesus, I know that your father is important to you, but for a moment, let's set aside that relationship and talk about just you. How are you doing?' Jesus would probably reply, ‘My Father and I are doing fine.' How those words change any situation we may find ourselves in! ‘My Father and I are doing fine.'”~ Paul Miller, author of A Praying LifeSERMON PASSAGEPsalm 27 I will tell of the decree:  The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;    today I have begotten you. John 1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.John 8 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 10 30 “I and the Father are one.” John 17 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. Colossians 1 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 1 Corinthians 8 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

This week in our Advent series, Pastor Danny tackles a surprising question: If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, why does life—and even Scripture—seem so chaotic? From hectic holidays to global conflict, the world offers only temporary fixes. But in John 14, Jesus promises a different kind of peace—one the world cannot give. Pastor Danny unpacks the peace with God that leads to the peace of God, a peace that steadies us even in life's storms. Join us as we rediscover why the Savior born in Bethlehem brings the only true and lasting peace.

On Sunday Pastor Jeff will launch a three-part sermon series looking at Christmas from a very different angle. If Jesus' birth marked the beginning of something new, that means it also marked the end of something old. To fully appreciate the beauty of the new, we first have to understand the old it was replacing and the vivid contrast between the two. Let's learn something important together!

Friday, 5 December 2025   And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Matthew 14:32   “And they, having gone into the boat, it ceased – the wind” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus stretched out His hand to retrieve Peter from sinking. At the same time, He told him his faith was little and asked why he doubted. The narrative continues with astonishing words, “And they, having gone into the boat, it ceased – the wind.”   A new word is seen, kopazó, to tire. Figuratively, it then means to relax and thus to cease. All three of its uses will be in relation to the wind dying down. One can see that the wind and waves were for the instruction of the disciples. If Jesus wanted to, He could have ceased the winds earlier.   Likewise, He could have let the storm wear itself out and then started across the sea. But He departed from the area of the feeding of the five thousand while it was still stormy, at a point when the men had been straining to cross for a long time.   Peter, despite his bravado, would have been tired from the long day and then the long, difficult night. His ability to focus and keep up a faithful spirit would have been diminished. All such things came into play as he croaked out to Jesus to rescue him on the water.   Once Peter's faith and ability to focus on the Object of his desire were shown to be weak, the storm was no longer needed. The winds that had distracted him gave way to calmness.   Life application: This account conveys a truth that we should all be aware of and prepared for. When our minds and bodies are tired, we can get more irritable, misdirected, prone to making mistakes, and even prone to sin, each depending on the surrounding circumstances.   When we are in such a state, we should remind ourselves to act carefully, respond to circumstances or to others circumspectly, and ask the Lord to guide us in whatever is set before us.   The main thing to remember is to be determined to fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus. The storms around us and the weariness that results from them will weaken our resolve. If we are not in a condition to go forward, we should have the wisdom to tell ourselves this or to let those we are in the battle with know that we they are not capable of handling the challenge.   This, rather than barging ahead and relying on our own strength, is a display of wisdom. As Clint Eastwood said in one of his movies, “A man's got to know his limitations.” When we fail to know our limitations and work within them, only disaster will result.   “When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. 16 Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, ‘You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.'” 2 Samuel 21:15-17   David's son, Solomon, wrote that there is a time for everything under the sun. It is ok to understand that there are times to act and times to refrain from acting if we are incapable of doing so. If we fail in this, we may damage our testimony or bring harm to ourselves or others.   Lord God, give us wisdom to walk in this world in tune with who we are and with our eyes fixed steadily on Jesus. When we cannot be effective in what we plan to do, give us the wisdom to see this. If You will strengthen us for the task, we can proceed. But if it is time to step back from it, help us to know this as well. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.  

If Jesus were not God, He would not be able to tell His disciples, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.”

A closed throne room is the world we expect; Hebrews reveals a throne of grace that welcomes us with confidence. We open the door on what bold access really means, why the torn veil changes prayer from a cautious ritual into an honest conversation, and how Jesus' ongoing advocacy turns our weakest moments into encounters with mercy.We start by reframing the roles of priest and prophet, clearing up a common modern confusion: a priest represents the people to God. From there, we trace the high priest's humanity and weakness under the old covenant and contrast it with Jesus' sinless solidarity. He knows our condition from within, yet without guilt, which is why he deals gently and intercedes powerfully. We also unpack why no one takes the honor of priesthood for themselves and how Christ, like Aaron in calling but unlike him in order, was appointed by the Father.The takeaway is deeply practical: when the need is urgent and the heart is heavy, the way is open. No gatekeepers, no queue, no fragile mood to navigate. You approach a sovereign who loves to give grace and mercy in real time. That changes how we pray, how we endure suffering, and how we resist the pull toward lesser mediators. If Jesus is both king and priest forever, then the verdict over your approach is settled: come boldly.If this helped you see prayer and access in a new light, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review to help others find it. Your questions and reflections shape future conversations—what does boldness in prayer look like for you today?Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

In this message, Pastor Roberto answers the question: If Jesus is changing me on the inside… what should that look like on the outside? https://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/49529090 Want to follow along in the daily devotional guide? Go to: https://arisedenver.com/currentseries We would love to get to know you: https://arisedenver.com/new Support Arise Church and its mission: https://arisedenver.com/give

In this message, Pastor Roberto answers the question: If Jesus is changing me on the inside… what should that look like on the outside? https://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/49529090 Want to follow along in the daily devotional guide? Go to: https://arisedenver.com/currentseries We would love to get to know you: https://arisedenver.com/new Support Arise Church and its mission: https://arisedenver.com/give

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comI John 3 The Father's love is demonstrated by calling His disciples His children, a truth the world cannot grasp because it does not know Him. When Christ appears, Christians will be like Him, and this hope inspires believers to live with purity. Those who persist in sin reveal that they do not know Christ, while those who live righteously demonstrate that they belong to Him. A defining characteristic of God's children is their love for fellow believers. They are called to love other Christians in a world filled with hatred and malice. Hatred brings spiritual death, while love brings life and unity. By following God's commands and believing in Jesus, they gain assurance before Him. This confidence comes from knowing that God abides in them through the Spirit He has freely given.  We find our identity in being children of God, and that truth changes how we live. We are not shaped by the world's view of us; rather, we are shaped by the love the Father has shown us. Our hope of becoming like Christ compels us to live with purpose and purity. We cannot claim to follow Him while embracing sin; rather, we must abandon sin and move from death into life. In that life, loving other believers is not optional but essential. Our actions must align with our words, demonstrating kindness, grace, and support. When we love one another well and obey the commandments of our Savior, we defy the world's evil and stand boldly for the truth.  Loving Father, thank You for welcoming us as Your children and promising us eternal life in Your presence. Give us the courage to honor Your grace by pursuing purity and rejecting lawlessness. Root out any sin among us and help us turn away from it immediately, proving ourselves to be Your children. Purge us of any hatred akin to Cain, and help us learn to love fellow believers deeply and with a willingness to sacrifice for their good. May our hearts never condemn us but encourage us to love people and engage in willful obedience to Your commandments in Jesus' name.   Thought Questions: If God is your Father, and you will one day see Him, how does that impact your pursuit of purity, discipline, and ongoing righteousness? If Jesus' victory destroys the devil's work, why do we sometimes still choose sin? How will we react differently to our sin than the world?   How important is love of the brethren? What helps you grow in serving God's people, and what motivates you to serve sacrificially?

If Jesus came down and asked Lazlo what pills he took, Lazlo would have no clue. Mountains are left from giant giants. When Lazlo first met SlimFasts wife, he called her a whore, and the guys talk Thanksgiving movies. Does Mahomes seem more annoyed than usual? Lazlo and SlimFast argue about Arianna Grande, and debrief this weekend's sports. In Headlines, the guys talk about Sean Duffy telling us to dress better on airplanes, Marjorie Taylor Greene not running for President, recent D4vd and Ana Kepner updates, Texas men were caught planning on killing and enslaving an entire island, and much much more! Stream The Church of Lazlo podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Gratitude doesn’t come easily for everyone—especially if life has conditioned you to expect the other shoe to drop. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 calls us to give thanks in all circumstances, not because everything feels good, but because God is faithfully at work in every moment. When negativity feels more natural than gratitude, shifting your perspective becomes a slow, intentional surrender. But as God reshapes the heart, thankfulness becomes less of a struggle and more of a steady rhythm. Highlights Early experiences can shape a pessimistic mindset, but God can retrain our hearts toward gratitude. Gratitude leads to contentment—and contentment frees us from constantly chasing “more.” A simple gratitude journal can refocus your mind on God’s ongoing work, even in small blessings. Positive community helps redirect your perspective toward God’s faithfulness. Jesus modeled thankfulness—even in pain—and invites us to adopt the same posture. Choosing gratitude is a daily decision that transforms the way we interpret trials and blessings. Shifting your viewpoint ultimately reshapes your attitude and nourishes a thankful spirit. Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas! Full Transcript Below: When Thankfulness Doesn’t Come NaturallyBy: Michelle Lazurek Bible Reading:“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 As a kid, I didn't have it easy. I came from a controlling household, plus I faced several health challenges. Life was not easy, even in my childhood. Even though I enjoyed the simplicity of playing with toys, playing outside, and just enjoying life, I endured other issues that made my childhood less than simplistic. My mother was also a negative person. She often saw the glass as half-empty, rather than half-full. This taught me to be a pessimistic person, focusing on the negative side of things rather than the positive side. If something good came my way, I often wondered when things would soon turn bad. For years after becoming a Christian, I still felt like this way. Because the Christian life has been full of ups and downs, and I've endured my share of trials, it's easy to look on the negative side of things. This viewpoint has caused me to become less grateful and more entitled. As I've matured in my faith, God has taught me that it's essential to be thankful for everything I have. When I'm grateful, I'm content. When I’m content, I'm no longer searching for the perfect life, the simple pleasures, or the luxuries that I feel I deserve. Switching my viewpoint didn't come easily. Because I had been pessimistic and that attitude was deeply ingrained in my mind, it was hard to shake. But I've learned over the years how to make thankfulness a daily activity, even though it doesn't come naturally to me. Here are some ways to adopt a spirit of thankfulness even when it doesn't come naturally: Start a Gratitude Journal One of the easiest ways for me to switch my viewpoint is to start a gratitude journal. Each day, I'm able to write down even just a few things for which I'm thankful. These can be small blessings, such as having clean clothes or a job. It can also be the bigger things that God does, like the miraculous ways in which He works, or the way He heals my body when it's sick. The most important thing I need to remember is that God is constantly at work in my life. It's a matter of whether I choose to see it or not. Keeping a gratitude journal shifts my focus every day to what I should be thankful for and content in my life. Because I'm someone who doesn't enjoy journaling, this is an easy way for me to adopt the habit of journaling, without having to write complete sentences. Use bullet points and write the words regarding the blessing, so you know what it references. At the end of the month, go back and think of all the ways God has blessed you that month. During your prayer time, thank God for all the ways He is working and for all the ways you see His blessings. Surround Yourself with Positive People Because I learned my pessimistic attitude from my mother, it was an attitude easy to adopt, as she was always around. However, when I became a Christian and attended churches in my area, I surrounded myself with positive people. Instead of focusing on the negative trials in their lives, they chose to be grateful to God for all the ways he was working. As I participated in small groups and heard about all the ways God was working in their lives, it became easier for me to adopt that same attitude. Analyze the company you keep. Do you surround yourself with naturally pessimistic people? Be in regular community with those who seek to see the world positively. Adopt the same attitude of seeing how God is working, rather than focusing on all the things He hasn't done. Adopt Jesus’ Attitude Jesus’ attitude was one of thankfulness. Even in his last moments before he was going to be crucified, he chose to break bread with his disciples. Although I'm sure they discussed many things throughout that meal, the Gospels record that Jesus took the bread and cup and gave thanks to God. If Jesus can choose to adopt an attitude of thankfulness even moments before he knew he was going to be crucified and brutally beaten, then so can we. We can adopt the same attitude of gratitude by looking at our trials and seeking to choose joy rather than sorrow. Although it is normal to feel sadness or despair in times of deep spiritual trial, we mustn't stay there. Instead, grieve the loss, but then move on to a spirit of thankfulness. See all the ways God may be sparing you from the situation if the answer to your prayer was no. If you are in a trial, see all the ways God is refining your character through it. By changing your viewpoint, you change your attitude. Change your perspective to one of gratitude, knowing that God is working on your behalf. Choose to think of it this way rather than dwelling upon the negative parts of life. By choosing to focus on the positive aspects of life rather than the negative ones, you can cultivate gratitude even when it doesn't come naturally. Adopt behaviors and surround yourself with people who will help you give thanks in all circumstances. Father, let us be people who give thanks in all we do. Help us understand how you always work in all situations. Let us adopt an attitude of thankfulness, even when our will is bent toward negativity and discontentment. Amen. Intersecting Faith & Life: In what ways do you display your thankfulness in all circumstances? What is one thing you can do to express your gratitude toward the people in your life today? Further Reading:Philippians 4:6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“Why are Jehovah's Witnesses considered non-Christian?” This question leads to a discussion on the theological distinctions that set them apart from mainstream Christianity. Additionally, the conversation touches on the similarities and differences between angelic and ghost apparitions, the earliest evidence for the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception, and advice for new Catholics seeking community. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 01:40 – Similarities and differences between angelic and ghost apparitions 19:15 – Clarification on why Jehovah's Witnesses are considered non-Christian 29:30 – Earliest evidence for the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception 43:30 – If Jesus appears fully in both species, why does Scripture say “body” for bread and “blood” for wine? 49:55 – Advice for a new Catholic struggling to connect with other young adult Catholics

Show us some loveWho doesn't love a thought provoking question?...and we give you all a few this week!  If Jesus needed help, are there limits to what you would do?  Do you know where your money has been?  We also may have found the greatest song writer of all time...all this and more, sit back, relax, and enjoy!Support the show

“Can we hire psychics for missing persons?” This episode explores the Church’s stance on seeking psychic help, addressing whether this teaching stems from Jesus or the catechism. Additionally, we delve into Aquinas’ views on predestination versus Calvin’s, the implications of a new document on Mary, and the fate of souls at the Second Coming. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 01:52 – A priest told me that we should never hire a psychic to find a missing person. Is this a teaching directly from Jesus or does it come from the catechism? 14:42 – How does Aquinas' view on predestination differ from Calvin’s? 29:33 – Can you clarify what this new document on Mary means? 38:30 – If Jesus comes tomorrow, what happens to the souls in purgatory and the souls on earth who are in friendship with Christ but have the stain of sin? 45:07 – What are the logical arguments for affirming that Jesus was who he said he was?

“Does Purgatory Undermine Jesus’ Sacrifice?” This episode explores the relationship between Jesus’ sacrifice and the concept of purgatory, addressing whether it diminishes His atonement. Additionally, we delve into questions about the nature of salvation, the significance of the Eucharist, and the practices surrounding communion and adoration. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 05:45 – If Jesus' death on the cross was sufficient to take away all sin, and all the punishment for sin, then why would anyone need to suffer for sins after death, like in purgatory? Wouldn't purgatory be an insult to what Jesus already accomplished? 19:24 – I think Catholicism preaches a different Jesus and a different salvation. Specific issue about salvation on eternal security? 34:40 – Is the Eucharist the end all be all? 47:17 – Why can't the soul in purgatory pray for themselves? 51:49 – Where does the practice of kneeling for communion come from and where did adoration come from?