Podcasts about if jesus

Hosts Pastor Vincent Fernandez and Pastor Robert Baltodano Question Timestamps: Anonymous, email (1:31) - My non-believing husband and I are supporting some family members. He doesn't want to continue, but I'm torn with what the Bible says about caring for family. What should I do? Rosemary, LA (5:31) - Are there people that are chosen and not chosen, some predestined and others that are not? Diane, ID (15:05) - Will there be degrees of punishment in hell? Will your punishment end? How can a believer be happy knowing that one of their loved ones is out there suffering? Tina, email (27:16) - Why did God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? Does this imply he made them outside of the Garden? Why was the garden set apart if there wasn't any sin? Reggie, AL (33:31) - Is baptism necessary for salvation? Katelyn, AL (41:26) - Does the word "rod," in the passage that says "spare the rod, spoil the child," mean guidance? Liz, email (46:07) - I was asked the following questions by a Jewish man. How do you know you are following the right God, since the Bible was written by man? If your God is Jewish, why aren't you? If Jesus is so great, why are there so many church and school shootings? Steve, NY (50:42) - Can you share a spiritual truth or verse that the Lord gave to you this week? Ask Your Question: 888-712-7434 Answers@bbtlive.org

John 8:17-18 Even in your law, it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me." The testimony of the Father about Jesus is the same as Jesus' testimony about Himself. The Father's miraculous work through Jesus testified that Jesus was His Son. The unity of their testimony gives us confidence to recognize Jesus' lordship, entrust our lives to Him, and trust Him for our salvation. The Father's testimony through His Son is that God is love, and He is still testifying through us that He is love as we live to love with Jesus. Our testimonies are not what we do for God, but what He does for and through us. The Father testified about Jesus by working through and with Him. Be in awe at the corollary: Jesus testifies that He is with us, and we are His by loving through and with us. So we can testify about ourselves that we are His if we say the same things Jesus does and love like He loves. If Jesus sent us into this world to be the revelation of His love, He will testify about us by filling us with love for Him and love for others. What glory to God, and what a privilege and joy for Jesus and us. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

We need zeal for evangelism. Everything done for the Lord has to be with zeal. If Jesus had zeal, you must have zeal. The zeal of his Father's house consumed him. In this lead class, Benjamin Suulola shares what you must understand about zeal for evangelism.

If Jesus needed to pray, then we do too. Prayer isn't a ritual or a box to check — it's an invitation into a relationship with God. More than asking, it's about abiding in Him and letting His Word shape your heart. Prayer isn't our last response; it's our first. It's where fears are quieted, direction is found, and transformation begins — not by trying harder, but by staying close to Him. Don't leave prayer to chance. Make it your choice. Start with abiding. Start with Him.This is the official Facebook and YouTube channel of Champion Christian Center. Our mission is to love God, reach the one, and change the world. Through Bible-based sermons and devotionals, you'll learn how to understand the Word of God, fulfill God's plan for your life, and make a positive impact on the world around you. If you are local, we would love to meet you in person! We are located in Washington, PA and led by Pastors Nathan and Joie Miller.For more life changing resources, visit us at www.championcenter.com.Subscribe to our YouTube channel:/ @championcenter1To give online:https://pushpay.com/g/championchristiancenter——Champion Christian Center Facebook:/ championccenterChampion Christian Center Instagram:@championccenter

If Jesus needed to pray, then we do too. Prayer isn't a ritual or a box to check — it's an invitation into a relationship with God. More than asking, it's about abiding in Him and letting His Word shape your heart. Prayer isn't our last response; it's our first. It's where fears are quieted, direction is found, and transformation begins — not by trying harder, but by staying close to Him. Don't leave prayer to chance. Make it your choice. Start with abiding. Start with Him.This is the official Facebook and YouTube channel of Champion Christian Center. Our mission is to love God, reach the one, and change the world. Through Bible-based sermons and devotionals, you'll learn how to understand the Word of God, fulfill God's plan for your life, and make a positive impact on the world around you. If you are local, we would love to meet you in person! We are located in Washington, PA and led by Pastors Nathan and Joie Miller.For more life changing resources, visit us at www.championcenter.com.Subscribe to our YouTube channel:/ @championcenter1To give online:https://pushpay.com/g/championchristiancenter——Champion Christian Center Facebook:/ championccenterChampion Christian Center Instagram:@championccenter

If Jesus gave us one job…shouldn't we know what it is? This week at Hill City Church, we're kicking off our new series DNA by exploring the mission at the very heart of who we are: making disciples who follow Jesus with everything. In a world full of distractions and good intentions, it's easy to lose sight of what really matters. Whether you're new or have been around for years, this is your chance to re-center your life on the one thing Jesus asked us to do. Don't miss it—your purpose starts here.   Title: Mission Series: DNA Text: Matthew 28:18-20 Speaker: Josh Branham

If Jesus needed to pray, then we do too. Prayer isn't a ritual or a box to check — it's an invitation into a relationship with God. More than asking, it's about abiding in Him and letting His Word shape your heart. Prayer isn't our last response; it's our first. It's where fears are quieted, direction is found, and transformation begins — not by trying harder, but by staying close to Him. Don't leave prayer to chance. Make it your choice. Start with abiding. Start with Him.This is the official Facebook and YouTube channel of Champion Christian Center. Our mission is to love God, reach the one, and change the world. Through Bible-based sermons and devotionals, you'll learn how to understand the Word of God, fulfill God's plan for your life, and make a positive impact on the world around you. If you are local, we would love to meet you in person! We are located in Washington, PA and led by Pastors Nathan and Joie Miller.For more life changing resources, visit us at www.championcenter.com.Subscribe to our YouTube channel:/ @championcenter1To give online:https://pushpay.com/g/championchristiancenter——Champion Christian Center Facebook:/ championccenterChampion Christian Center Instagram:@championccenter

Do Jews need Jesus? It's an age-old debate with eternal ramifications. If Jesus is not the Jewish Messiah, if He is not the savior of the world, if He is not the promised redeemer God sent to restore Israel and redeem the nations (Isaiah 49:6), then bringing His message to the Jewish people is a grave threat to their security. Join us as Avi Synder teaches us that believing in Jesus isn't apostasy; it's obedience, and it leads to eternal blessing.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tucker Carlson had a fascinating discussion with Lee Strobel but then they started talking about Satan. This leads to an important question: If Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth… then why does Paul call him the god of this world? Why does the Bible say he can prowl around freely, devouring whoever he wants? Today, we're going to answer it.Check out my second channel for deep Bible study: https://www.youtube.com/@EveryWord_WD Sign up for my Debate Masterclass: https://wisedisciple.org/masterclassJoin my awesome Patreon community: www.patreon.com/WiseDiscipleAccess an exclusive offer to Logos Bible Software: www.logos.com/WiseDiscipleUse WISEDISCIPLE10 for my discount at Biblingo: https://biblingo.org/pricing/?ref=wisediscipleGet my 5 Day Bible Reading Plan here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/565289?view=expandedGet your Wise Disciple merch here: https://bit.ly/wisediscipleWant a BETTER way to communicate your Christian faith? Check out my website: www.wisedisciple.org

The church, both past and present, has often failed to be on the side of justice, especially in its treatment of indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups. If Jesus is truly King, then the powers and principalities of this world are not, and our joy becomes a subversive declaration of that truth. Paul's challenge in Philippians 2 is to embrace humility, to make room for one another, and to seek unity that is not mere agreement, but a shared participation in the life and love of Christ.

Jesus says, "Apart from me you can do nothing." Join us today to learn from Jesus's example of complete dependence on His Father in prayer. If Jesus, the Son of God, prayed in his struggles, we too must pray! Chapters (00:00:00) - Pray for Matthew 26(00:01:24) - What Does It Look Like to Be Fully Alive in Prayer to God(00:04:57) - Living in Temptation(00:10:32) - Praying Like Jesus(00:18:59) - Jesus' Disclosing His Heart in Prayer(00:29:03) - How to Pray For Protection From Temptation(00:35:01) - Perseverance in Christian Prayer(00:38:43) - Clifford Baptist Church Prayer

John 8:3-6 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. Having failed the previous day to arrest Jesus, they hatched another plan to publicly shame Jesus and catch Him breaking the Law of Moses. Appealing to His obvious heart of mercy and penchant for forgiving sinners, while He was teaching in the temple, they placed before Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. The cultural pressure to condemn, shame, and stone this woman would have been intense. The scribes and Pharisees knew the crowd. The only honorable thing to do in this case would be to execute her on the spot. If Jesus did what they thought He would do, exercise mercy and forgiveness, He would not only violate the Law of Moses by excusing and forgiving her but also run counter to the sentiments of the crowd. They could then condemn Jesus publicly for honoring the guilty woman and breaking both societal standards and the Law of Moses. They would have the crowd's support for condemning and executing Him. Those were the grounds of their accusations. Jesus knew what was happening, but He had one purpose in life—to glorify the Father by loving with Him. Gaining the crowd's approval or escaping the trap laid for Him by the scribes and Pharisees wasn't on His radar screen. He wasn't afraid of their accusations, rather His aim was to remain blameless in His Father's eyes. My encouragement today to live to love with Jesus is that we also would have one ambition, to be pleasing to God. We would be in good company. Not only do we see this in Jesus' life, but listen to what the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 5:9. "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." There is a real possibility that we might face the pressure to go with the flow of the culture or even religious traditions rather than do the loving thing in some situation at work or church. I'm not suggesting that we should take an accommodating position on adultery or any sin as defined by the Scriptures. As we will see, Jesus didn't excuse the woman or make light of her sin. My aim today is to encourage us to have as our ambition to be pleasing to the Lord in all that we do. We do that by embracing His purpose in life, to live to love with His Father for the glory and pleasure of the Father. I hope you'll set your heart on making God smile as He lives in you today. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

In today's episode, Bryan and Layne explore how the Jesus of the Book of Mormon compares with the Jesus of modern Mormonism and the unchanging Jesus of the Bible.--The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Finding Jesus: Book of Mormon Jesus vs. Modern LDS Jesus vs. the BibleWhen it comes to Jesus, definitions matter. In this episode, we explore three portraits: the Jesus often taught in modern-day Mormonism (LDS), the Jesus presented in the Book of Mormon (published in 1830), and the Jesus revealed in the Bible. Understanding the differences isn't just academic—it's the difference between a gospel of human progress and the good news of divine rescue.The Modern LDS View (as many were taught)Many lifelong Latter-day Saints were taught a framework where Jesus (Jehovah) is a created spirit-son of Elohim and a Heavenly Mother, the elder brother of all humans—and even of Lucifer. In that system, God the Father Himself once progressed to Godhood, and Jesus is likewise on a path of progression. This view filters into temple endowment language about “organizing” existing matter, reinforcing the idea that God is more architect than Creator. The result? A Jesus who feels closer to us by nature, but further from us in power—a Savior on the way up, rather than the eternal Lord who stoops down to save.The Book of Mormon's Higher ChristologyInterestingly, the earliest Book of Mormon language often sounds more like historic Christian claims about Christ's full deity. For example, passages highlight worship directed to Jesus and language that closely parallels biblical titles for God. Whatever one concludes about its origins, the Book of Mormon's Christological tone (especially early editions) frequently reads closer to biblical Trinitarian language than to later LDS teachings. That's a crucial observation for anyone comparing sources within the broader Latter-day Saint tradition.The Bible's Timeless Witness about JesusScripture presents an unchanging Christ—from eternity past to eternity future. “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1-3 NLT. Jesus isn't created; he is the eternal Son through whom all things were made. “So the Word became human and made his home among us” John 1:14 NLT. The New Testament repeatedly ascribes to Jesus names, works, and worship belonging to God alone. He is “the exact likeness of God,” the preeminent One through whom and for whom all things were created Colossians 1:15-17 NLT. He bears the personal divine name “I AM” John 8:58 NLT and claims the titles “Alpha and Omega…the Almighty” Revelation 1:8 NLT.This has massive implications. If Jesus is uncreated, then salvation rests not on our ascent to Godhood, but on God's descent to rescue sinners. The torn temple veil at Jesus' death dramatizes this shift from ritual ladders to a Person—direct access to the Father through the finished work of the Son (Matthew 27:51) NLT.Why This Matters for YouIf your background...

In today's episode, Bryan and Layne explore how the Jesus of the Book of Mormon compares with the Jesus of modern Mormonism and the unchanging Jesus of the Bible.--The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Finding Jesus: Book of Mormon Jesus vs. Modern LDS Jesus vs. the BibleWhen it comes to Jesus, definitions matter. In this episode, we explore three portraits: the Jesus often taught in modern-day Mormonism (LDS), the Jesus presented in the Book of Mormon (published in 1830), and the Jesus revealed in the Bible. Understanding the differences isn't just academic—it's the difference between a gospel of human progress and the good news of divine rescue.The Modern LDS View (as many were taught)Many lifelong Latter-day Saints were taught a framework where Jesus (Jehovah) is a created spirit-son of Elohim and a Heavenly Mother, the elder brother of all humans—and even of Lucifer. In that system, God the Father Himself once progressed to Godhood, and Jesus is likewise on a path of progression. This view filters into temple endowment language about “organizing” existing matter, reinforcing the idea that God is more architect than Creator. The result? A Jesus who feels closer to us by nature, but further from us in power—a Savior on the way up, rather than the eternal Lord who stoops down to save.The Book of Mormon's Higher ChristologyInterestingly, the earliest Book of Mormon language often sounds more like historic Christian claims about Christ's full deity. For example, passages highlight worship directed to Jesus and language that closely parallels biblical titles for God. Whatever one concludes about its origins, the Book of Mormon's Christological tone (especially early editions) frequently reads closer to biblical Trinitarian language than to later LDS teachings. That's a crucial observation for anyone comparing sources within the broader Latter-day Saint tradition.The Bible's Timeless Witness about JesusScripture presents an unchanging Christ—from eternity past to eternity future. “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1-3 NLT. Jesus isn't created; he is the eternal Son through whom all things were made. “So the Word became human and made his home among us” John 1:14 NLT. The New Testament repeatedly ascribes to Jesus names, works, and worship belonging to God alone. He is “the exact likeness of God,” the preeminent One through whom and for whom all things were created Colossians 1:15-17 NLT. He bears the personal divine name “I AM” John 8:58 NLT and claims the titles “Alpha and Omega…the Almighty” Revelation 1:8 NLT.This has massive implications. If Jesus is uncreated, then salvation rests not on our ascent to Godhood, but on God's descent to rescue sinners. The torn temple veil at Jesus' death dramatizes this shift from ritual ladders to a Person—direct access to the Father through the finished work of the Son (Matthew 27:51) NLT.Why This Matters for YouIf your background...

Saturday, 30 August 2025   “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Matthew 12:43   “And when the unclean spirit, it departs from the man, it traverses through waterless spots seeking rest, and it finds not” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of the coming of the queen of the South rising up in judgment and condemning those of Israel in that generation, noting that One greater than Solomon was there. With that complete, a new thought begins with, “And when the unclean spirit, it departs from the man.”   There are various ideas about the interpretation of the words of this parable. However, a few clues help direct the analysis. In verse 12:38, the scribes and Pharisees had asked for a sign. Jesus' response noted that a generation, evil and adulteress, sought a sign. A second clue is that in verse 12:45, He will say that it will also be as “this evil generation.”   Therefore, the words apply to those He is speaking to, referring to their inherent evil. Therefore, “the man” is referring to them. He has an unclean spirit. If Jesus were to give a sign to them, oh boy! They would see it and accept the sign as some type of sure proof that He was their Messiah, as if they were free of their evil state.   While they are basking in this condition, Jesus says of the unclean spirit that “it traverses through waterless spots.”   In these few words are three newly introduced words. The first is dierchomai. It is derived from dia, through, and erchomai, to come or go. Thus, it refers to passing through an area. A single word that suits would be traverse.   Next is anudros, it is from hudor water (think of hydrate), which is prefixed by the negative particle a. Thus, it signifies “no water,” or “waterless.” The third is topos, a spot or location. One can immediately see the etymological ancestor of topology, topographic, etc. This unclean spirit is out in arid places “seeking rest.”   The obvious meaning is that it had a home in the man. It then left the man and went searching for a new place to settle down. However, men don't frequent arid places unless they have a purpose for being there. A man with a purpose is not a suitable place for an unclean spirit because the man is focused on his business.   But such an unclean spirit needs a person who is not clearly focused. He needs someone whose ears are easily tickled and who is swayed by goofy videos on YouTube that have nothing to do with proper theology. Instead, he wants sensationalism, just like those speaking to Jesus wanted a sign to excite their minds and stimulate their otherwise dull lives. This unclean spirit has looked for a suitable place, “and it finds not.”   There are either no bodies at all in the arid places, or those who are there have brought their own water and are satisfied with their pursuits, being actively employed in a life activity that would make them unsuitable to infest. Such was the case with John the Baptist –   “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.”' 4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” Matthew 3:1-6   Life application: As noted above, unclean spirits revel in those who are not grounded in life's proper pursuits and activities. When humanity gets out of focus with what has been instilled in it by the Creator, unclean spirits find easy targets to infest and inflict them.   This is why larger cities inevitably fill with people who appear absolutely immoral and even demonic. In large cities, people migrate away from hard work and industry and turn towards social programs, easy access to easy lifestyles, attraction to sensationalism, etc.   There is an increasing hunger for things that replace the idea of a Creator God who holds man accountable for their actions. It is why cities normally shift towards left-leaning ideology. For example, abortion becomes common because lovers multiply. Because of this, consequences for affairs only get in the way of more affairs.   People gravitate towards what is fascinating, miraculous, etc. A magician can set up on the corner of a busy avenue and impress the people with tricks that are unexplainable to the masses. People think they possess special powers and abilities.   The newest Nephilim video on YouTube will score a million view, but the sound preacher who carefully explains biblical doctrines may get no views at all. Jesus refused to give a sign because He would have been appealing to the masses' desire for that which is sensational.   Stay away from this type of thinking. Focus on what is right, sound, and proper. Just because something sounds exceptional does not mean it is. The magician's tricks are always explainable. When they are revealed, people say, “Duh! I see now.” And then, they go looking for another magician to tease their senses.   Lord God, help us to think clearly and logically as we view the world around us. Help us to not get caught up in sensationalism and hype, but to pursue a path of hard work, careful and circumspect conduct, and – above all – a close and personal walk with You. Amen.  

Daily Dose of Hope August 29, 2025   Scripture – Luke 13:1-21   Prayer: Father God, hear our prayer this morning.  We are awed by your power and strength.  We are amazed by your love.  Thank you, Lord, for the many ways you show in our lives to teach us and care for us.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts right now and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us (help me) be still and know that you are God...Come Holy Spirit, and help us walk through this Scripture in a way that honors you.  Show up and help us discover whatever it is you want us to learn.  This is your Word and we want to hear from you.  In Your powerful name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we dive into the first half of Luke 13.   Our reading begins today with Jesus' discission about repenting.  It seems that the death of the Galileans is weighing heavy but what happened to them is not clear.  Most scholars agree that there was a group of Galileans who died at the hands of the Roman government, possibly engaging in resistance.  Keep in mind, the Galileans would have been Jewish.  After killing them, Pilate mixed their blood with the blood of animals used in sacrifices.  Of course, this would have been appalling to the Jews.   Surprisingly, Jesus in this text is not concerned with anger toward the Romans or empathy toward the Jews.  He is concerned with repentance.  He tells the group around him that their sins, whatever they are, are not less than the Galileans killed for their resistance.  Keep in mind, in that culture, there would have been a general consensus that suffering was a result of great sin.  But Jesus is clear, we are all guilty of sin in God's eyes and we need to repent.  Don't get too caught up pointing out the sins of others; we are all sinners.  Every single one of us.  Be careful who you point fingers at.   We move from there to another healing on the Sabbath.  A woman crippled for eighteen years is set free by Jesus.  If Jesus didn't seem to have compassion about the Galileans, he certainly shows it here.  The Jewish leaders insist that healing should only occur on the six working days and not on the Sabbath.  But he calls them out on that, “Don't you guys take your animals out to get water on the Sabbath?  And you won't allow me to free this poor woman from bondage?”  He doesn't hesitate to point out their hypocrisy, which has been a theme over the last few chapters.  It sure is easy to hold others to a standard to which you don't hold yourself.    We close with the final part of today's reading.  Jesus gives us two examples of what God's Kingdom is like. First, he says that the Kingdom is like a mustard seed. The listeners would have been familiar with these little seeds; they were the smallest of all the garden seeds available in Palestine during the time of Jesus. But even though they were small, these seeds could grow into a really big bush or tree. It was actually against the law to plant these seeds in a public garden because they would literally take over and choke out the other plants. It's amazing that something so little, almost invisible really, became something that took over the whole garden.   Jesus then moves from the garden to the kitchen and says the Kingdom of God is like yeast that a women mixed with sixty pounds of flour until it was all mixed through. Yeast is also really small. Of course, what we know is that the woman would not have used yeast from a little package like we have (that's a modern invention). In Jesus' time, when you prepared dough for baking, you would take a small piece of leavened dough (dough with the yeast already in it) that you had been saving, and mix it in the new batch of dough. When the new batch was done, you would take a small piece of the dough from that and save it for the next batch. So picture this: the woman has one piece of leavened dough and she takes it and works it all the way through sixty pounds of flour. That's a lot of flour!   Jesus puts these two parables together to help us get a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. You see, in God's Kingdom, small things can yield really big results. Tiny seeds can produce a big tree, so big that birds can nest in it. A little bit of yeasty dough can be mixed with flour to make enough bread to feed hundreds of people. Here are some thoughts about this:   · God's economy is different. In the world, big things are valued–big money, big jobs, big cars, big houses, big, flashy, noticeable---these are all things that indicate power, prestige, control. In God's Kingdom, it's okay for things to be small. Small, seemingly insignificant things can make a huge difference. Mustard seeds, yeast, loaves & fishes, a random act of kindness, a kind or encouraging word, spending time with God in prayer, offering a prayer over someone else, the widow's mite, a humble life lived with integrity, sharing our faith story with someone, or our willingness to serve others. Small things that all can yield huge results for God's Kingdom.   · God does the work but human action is required. In each of these parables, there is human action that was part of the growth. The seed must be planted in the ground and probably watered too. The yeast must be worked through the flour. Although God could accomplish these things on his own, he asks people to invest part of ourselves in his work. Then, God honors that obedience, he honors our effort, our willingness, and our faith, no matter how small and insignificant we think it is and he grows it exponentially.   · Things aren't always as they seem. God works in ways we cannot see or understand. Science is amazing in that it can show us what is happening under the ground with the seed and what's going on in that loaf of bread, but science can't necessarily explain why it happens. In God's Kingdom, things aren't always what they seem. This is important: we might not always see God's power at work, but it's there in the smallest and most unusual ways, changing and transforming us, guiding us, and leading us closer to Jesus.   God is at work there in ways you can't see. The chronic health issue that is so debilitating and limiting-God's at work there in ways you can't understand. Your troubled marriage, your difficult job situation, your finances-God has the ability to work in and through them (with your help) in ways you can't see or understand.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley discuss what makes someone a real Christian.Questions Covered in This Episode:What makes a real Christian?Is everyone who claims to be a Christian a Christian?How does anyone get to define what Christianity is or is not?Why would we say a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon is not a Christian?If Jesus is not God, does it change the nature of the atonement?How do you determine which denominations are within the family and which are not?Helpful Definitions: Arianism: Believes that Jesus was the first and greatest creature created by God, but not God.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:John 3, 1 Corinthians 5, 1-3 John, John 1The Apostles CreedNicene CreedThe Chalcedonian Creed Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteOur Sister Podcast:Tiny TheologiansSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchYou can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway's Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page.Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

“Did Jesus really appear to 500 people at once?” This episode explores this intriguing question while also addressing topics such as the relationship between good works and grace in mortal sin, and how Catholics can affirm the Filioque without compromising the Trinity. Tune in for a thoughtful examination of these essential aspects of faith. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 01:38 – Did Jesus really appear to 500 people at once? 04:31 – Do good works earn grace if I'm in mortal sin? 06:31 – How can Catholics affirm the Filioque without compromising the Trinity? 10:51 – Why does the Angelus say “conceived by the Spirit” before “be it done”? 15:09 – Can someone avoid sin without grace? 17:16 – If Jesus finished His sacrifice, why do we still suffer? 20:24 – What's the significance of confirmation? 28:38 – Where are Jesus' and Mary's bodies now? What is Heaven? 35:58 – How can Jesus be both divine and human? 38:09 – When did the liturgy of the word begin? 45:35 – Why do even trained exorcists risk being deceived by demons? 51:41 – Must a Doctor of the Church be a canonized saint?

“How Can Jesus be both God and Son?” This episode explores the complex doctrine of the Hypostatic Union, while also addressing varied questions such as the identity of the Black Hebrew Israelites, the significance of Godparents, and the role of the two witnesses in Revelation. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:20 – Are the Black Hebrew Israelites the Real Jews? 13:59 – Who are the two witnesses at the end time in Revelation 11? 19:11 – What are some tips on selecting God Parents? 29:10 – If Jesus is the most high God, how can He have a Father? 39:07 – Can you clarify the Hypostatic union? 49:11 – Can a Roman Catholic appreciate St. Gregory Palamas's energy essence distinction? 52:31 – How are Catholics to understand Ephesians 2 considering the contradiction in James ?

Patrick handles questions from callers about selling blessed items and explains the Church's stance on simony, warning against treating spiritual goods as commodities. He picks apart misunderstandings about Christ’s divinity, rooting his answers in Scripture and the testimony of the earliest Christians, and engages in a spirited back-and-forth with a Pentecostal caller about the Trinity, grounding his replies both historically and theologically. When a mother wonders what to do about baptism for her child against her husband’s wishes, Patrick lays out the responsibilities and options with practical clarity. Peter - Is it wrong to sell a blessed item like a Rosary? (01:10) Lucy (email) - If Jesus never said in the New Testament that He was God, why are we so certain? (11:09) Dan - In John 7, who is Jesus talking about when He says, “he that believeth in me”? (23:03) Martine (email) - If he's always existed, "where" was Jesus before he was born? (37:17) Marie - Infant baptism. I understand that this is not licit but could be done. If I baptized my kid on my own (without a priest or deacon) would I have to confess that? (47:51)

If Jesus hadn't ascended and applied the blood to the mercy seat in Heaven, it would be as if an Israelite has slain a Lamb and not applied the blood to the doorpost on the night of Passover in Egypt. If Jesus hadn't ascended, He would not have been able to pour out His Spirit from the Heavens. His ascension is critical to our covering, our cleansing, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and in this revelation lives an invitation for us, also, to be ascended with Him! Come stand in awe with us as we magnify Jesus for this great work He has accomplished. THE BRAVEHEART SUMMIT REGISTRATION IS LIVE! Secure your spot today! What is the Braveheart Summit? It is a rallying point for Bravehearts. If you're hungry for God, eager for true connection with others, and ready to grow deep in the faith of the gospel, this Summit is for you. Whether you've been running with Braveheart for years or are new to our podcast or free video series, you're invited to join us in this holy gathering. The Summit is not an end point, it's a launching point. We purpose to gather, to magnify Jesus, to uplift the body of Christ and to return home on mission refreshed, radiant and ready to run.Details - November 6th-8th in San Antonio, Texas Click here to register. Click here to pay it forward. Send us a textSupport the show

What are the implications of Jesus's radical ethics of love and shalom? How far are Christ followers meant to go with the compassion and witness of the gospel? Philosopher Tom Crisp (Biola University) reflects on how a powerful religious experience transformed his academic career and personal faith. Once focused on metaphysics and abstract philosophy, Crisp was confronted in 2009 by the radical compassion of Jesus in the Gospels. That moment led him toward the Catholic Worker movement, the teachings of Dorothy Day, and ultimately, deep involvement in labour and immigrant justice through Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE). He describes participating in civil disobedience, forming solidarity with marginalized communities, and serving as a nonviolent presence in immigration courts where migrants face arrest and deportation. Through these stories, Crisp testifies to the cost and invitation of discipleship: following Jesus into the margins with courage, humility, and love. Episode Highlights “What struck me was Jesus's deep compassion, mercy, fiery concern for people in the margins. And it came to me as deeply convicting.” “I immersed myself in the writings of Dorothy Day… she's had an enormous influence on how I've come to think about what it would look like to be a Jesus follower in our context.” “I was having this very powerful sense of God's presence, feeling broken by it, feeling like I'd hit a turning point in my life.” “If Jesus really is the Jesus of the margins that I'm seeing in the Gospels, then I need to figure out how to get to the margins.” “This isn't a matter of guilt, it's invitation… we're always being invited further in.” “When you're with someone who's been separated from their children, when you're with someone who's shaking with fear… it's just a completely different thing.” “So a horrific violation of human rights is happening around us in our immigration courts, and it's happening here in Orange County.” “We are trying to be a presence of love for everybody there.” Helpful Links and Resources Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) Shalom Ethics: Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself, by Thomas M. Crisp The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, by Shane Claiborne About Tom Crisp Tom Crisp is professor of philosophy at Biola University, specializing in ethics and justice. After completing his PhD at Notre Dame, Crisp shifted his academic work toward Christian ethics following a transformative religious experience in 2009. He is a community member of the Orange County Catholic Worker and active in Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), advocating for immigrant and labour rights through nonviolent action and accompaniment. Show Notes Religious Experience and Transformation Tom Crisp recounts his 2009 religious awakening while reading the Gospels. “Fire—my soul is blowing apart, I need to quit my job.” Realization of Jesus's “deep compassion, mercy, fiery concern for people in the margins.” Movement from abstract philosophy to Neighbour Love Command. Catholic Worker movement and Dorothy Day Influence of Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution and new monastic movement. Encounter with Dorothy Day's writings as a model of radical discipleship. Involvement with the Orange County Catholic Worker community. Attraction to Catholicism Inspired by Notre Dame liturgy and Benedictine practices. Influenced by saints like St. Francis, Maximilian Kolbe, Oscar Romero. “As I spend time in Catholic spaces, I feel the presence of this cloud of witnesses.” CLUE and Nonviolent Action History of CLUE: founded by Rev. James Lawson, trained in Gandhian nonviolence, connected to Martin Luther King Jr. Focus on labour justice and immigrant rights. Training in nonviolent presence, civil disobedience, and accompaniment. Example: shutting down LAX in a five-hundred-person protest for hotel workers. Court Observation and Migrant Accompaniment CLUE partnership with Orange County Rapid Response Network. ICE arrests of migrants who believed they had lawful parole status. “A horrific violation of human rights is happening around us in our immigration courts.” Strategy of nonviolent presence to “dramatize bureaucratic and physical violence.” Clergy presence offers spiritual authority and comfort. Judges and ICE agents sometimes allow moments of prayer or comfort before deportation. “We want to accompany migrants into this dark, dark space and be there as a source of comfort to them.” Formation and Solidarity “When you're with someone who's been separated from their children, when you're with someone who is shaking with fear … it's just a completely different thing.” Experience of humility, solidarity, and courage among migrants and workers. Philosophy, theology, and action integrated in discipleship. Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.

If Jesus is really Lord over our lives and we trust the Holy Spirit, we will order our lives toward holiness: we will desire a life ‘set apart' for the living God. This is the life of discipleship to Jesus. If you prefer to listen, stream, and/or watch, join us and subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kingwoodmethodist

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46 Key Takeaways: + The Identity Jesus Claims Daniel 7:13-14 Acts 17:30-31 "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God? That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. "The sane man does not believe that he is God; the sane man does not believe that he will rise from the dead. If Jesus said those things, He was either speaking the truth, or He was insane." – G. K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man. + The Judgment Jesus Delivers + The Criteria by which Jesus Judges John 10:14–15 Matthew 10:40–42 1 Corinthians 4:9–13  Galatians 6:10 1 John 3:14 1 John 3:16–18 3 John 5–8

We're all obsessed with control and we tend to mask it under the guise of efficiency. We adopt and adapt new behaviors and practices that promise order in a world out of control. But it is precisely from the burden of control that we need relief. We don't need better ways to control because, as Dave Zahl notes, “the problem with control as the be-all and end-all of existence is that [all the things] we use to control our lives often end up controlling us.” And it is into the midst of all of this that Jesus embodies a life out of control. His time management is terrible, often letting interruptions interrupt the work of the kingdom. His evaluation of potential disciples is indefensible, calling fishermen and tax collectors to evangelism and community organization. If Jesus is trying to control people, he's not doing a very good job. The movement he inaugurates dwindles the closer he get to Jerusalem, and by the end all the disciples abandon him. Jesus, to quote Zahl again, is clearly not a type-A personality. Jesus isn't in the business of controlling people, if anything he's in the business of relieving people, of freeing people, of giving them rest. In short, the way, the truth, and the life offers a different way...

Letting God Be Lord Over Your Finances, which Are His but He Entrusted to You, Will Liberate Your Life! MESSAGE SUMMARY:  We are so focused on earning money and other financially driven life activities so that it is easy for money and finances to become our god. Making finances “our god” violates the Second Commandment. If Jesus is Lord over all Creation, as we are told in Psalms 24:1, then: “The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”; therefore, everything that has been entrusted to you is God's. In James 5:1-3, the author of the Book of James provides insight into someone who does NOT make God the Lord of their finances: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.”. Therefore, let God Be Lord over your finances, which really are His finances.   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, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Psalms 24:1-10; James 5:1-6; Psalms 25:1-22; Psalms 45:1-17. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Go! Make Disciples!” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Thee End: The Kingdom of God Has ComeMatthew 12:28EVERYTHING God has given us in His Word is ESSENTIAL.1. The Kingdom PROMISED.2. The Kingdom ESTABLISHED.·Jesus established His kingdom when He came the FIRST time.“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28 (NIV)·Christ's kingdom is SPIRITUAL, not PHYSICAL.“My kingdom is not of this world.”  John 18:36 (NIV)·Christ's kingdom is the CHURCH.3. The Kingdom EXPECTED.4. The Kingdom REJECTED.“If Jesus is not your KING, then God is not your GOD, because Jesus was made KING by GOD.” - Jack CottrellTakeaway: Is Jesus King of your life?

If Jesus is our mediator, does He have ongoing work to do? Is there biblical support for purgatory? My pastor rejects the idea of “accepting” or “receiving” Christ. What are your thoughts? My boyfriend and I are constantly discussing the problem of evil in this world. Why does God allow it?

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann From Crowds to Christ: A Journey from Getting to Giving, Part 2 Series: Unveiled Scripture: Mark 1:21–45 Episode: 1411 If any of these questions resonate, this sermon speaks directly to you: Am I following Jesus for what He gives me—or because He's worthy? What would change if I moved from getting to giving? If Jesus asked me to lay down the comfort I cling to most, would I still call Him good? What would happen this week if my prayers shifted from “Lord, I need…” to “Lord, You are…”? Bible Passage Summary: In Mark 1:21–45, Jesus begins His public ministry with authority, teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, where people are amazed by His words. He then casts out an unclean spirit, demonstrating His power over demons. News spreads quickly, and Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law along with many others who are sick or oppressed. Despite the crowds, Jesus rises early to pray in solitude, showing the importance of communion with the Father. As He travels to other towns to preach, He is approached by a man with leprosy, who begs to be healed. Moved with compassion, Jesus touches him and heals him, instructing him to tell no one. However, the man spreads the news, and Jesus becomes so sought after that He must stay in remote places. Key themes include Jesus' authority over evil, healing power, compassion for the outcast, and the priority of prayer and preaching.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann From Crowds to Christ: A Journey from Getting to Giving, Part 1 Series: Unveiled Scripture: Mark 1:21–45 Episode: 1410 If any of these questions resonate, this sermon speaks directly to you: Am I following Jesus for what He gives me—or because He's worthy? What would change if I moved from getting to giving? If Jesus asked me to lay down the comfort I cling to most, would I still call Him good? What would happen this week if my prayers shifted from “Lord, I need…” to “Lord, You are…”? Bible Passage Summary: In Mark 1:21–45, Jesus begins His public ministry with authority, teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, where people are amazed by His words. He then casts out an unclean spirit, demonstrating His power over demons. News spreads quickly, and Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law along with many others who are sick or oppressed. Despite the crowds, Jesus rises early to pray in solitude, showing the importance of communion with the Father. As He travels to other towns to preach, He is approached by a man with leprosy, who begs to be healed. Moved with compassion, Jesus touches him and heals him, instructing him to tell no one. However, the man spreads the news, and Jesus becomes so sought after that He must stay in remote places. Key themes include Jesus' authority over evil, healing power, compassion for the outcast, and the priority of prayer and preaching.

Wednesday, 20 August 2025   “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33   “Either you make the tree good and the fruit of it good, or you make the tree rotten and the fruit of it rotten. For from the fruit, the tree – it is known” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of speaking against the Holy Spirit and that such an offense will not be forgiven in the current age or the coming age. Next, He begins another thought with, “Either you make the tree good and the fruit of it good.”   The words are stated as an example of a truth that exists. If what Jesus proposes in metaphor were the case in humans, what He says would be the result. There are various types of trees. Some are good and some are bad. He is not speaking of each individual fruit, but of the type.   For example, one can make grafts and produce something good. The nature of the type of fruit is what is referred to. Understanding this, His words are explanatory of what has transpired in their discourse. The Pharisees stated that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebul.   If this were true, then He would be aligned with the devil. However, He refuted this charge by stating that if that were true, Satan would have divided and his kingdom had fallen. So He could not be a bad tree. His fruits (casting out demons) were examples of good fruit. Because of this, their charges against Him were blasphemous. With that understood, He next says, “or you make the tree rotten and the fruit of it rotten.”   If Jesus were a bad tree, the fruits He issued forth would be bad. However, the first premise concerning good fruit has already shown that this cannot be the case. He has cast out demons, something they openly acknowledged with the words, “This, not He ejects the demons if not in Beelzebul, prince of the demons.”   Despite stating it in the negative, their words substantiate that He, in fact, cast out demons: “He ejects the demons.” As they have asserted this with their own words, and as ejecting demons is a good fruit, guess what? The tree must be a good tree, “For from the fruit, the tree – it is known.”   Jesus has taken control of their own words to demonstrate an exacting and undeniable truth. They didn't say, “He pretends to eject,” as if His works were the works of a charlatan. It was obvious from the things He did that His works were real.   Throughout the gospels, the people who are highlighted as having demons cast out, those with afflictions or sicknesses, were known by others as being so afflicted, etc. Some were noted as being born that way, some were seen by the crowds before the healing, some were evidenced in advance to be so afflicted by those challenging Him (such as Matthew 12:9-14), etc.   What He did was not in question. What they challenged was the Source of His ability to do it. With His logical explanations, they must either concede what He says or be subject to blasphemy not of Him, but of the Holy Spirit.   Life application: When a person claims to heal by the power of Jesus and is later seen to be a false healer, it must be questioned how their actions line up with the logic of Jesus' words. They are obviously bad trees because their fruits are bad.   However, if they are claiming they are fruits from a good source, their claims make a mockery of God and bring shame on the Spirit. Ascribing the work of the Spirit to Satan is shown to be an accusation worth condemnation. How about ascribing false fruits (false miracles) to the power of the Spirit?   How much will God tolerate from man before He says, “This line has been crossed?” God knows, we do not. However, for those who make false claims, it seems appropriate to say, “Man, I would not want to be the one standing next to him on judgment day.”   One of the best things we can do as followers of Jesus is to be honest in our actions and claims concerning God. We should never ascribe to God something that didn't happen. False tongues, false healings, false dreams and visions, etc., should never be ascribed to the power of the Holy Spirit.   If we had a dream that seemed real to us, it does not mean it was from God. It is best not to make a claim in such a case than to incorrectly claim. If you had an experience you think might have been from God, either keep it to yourself or tell others without trying to make a claim that may not be what you think it was.   How often do you hear people say something like, “The Lord showed me to do XX,” or “the Lord gave me insight into XX.” However, the thing later doesn't pan out or proves to be incorrect. The person claimed it was of the Lord when it wasn't. It is best to avoid any such rash claims.   Lord God, may our actions and words be so honest and reliable that people won't mind standing next to us on the day we stand before You for judgment. Amen.

In this powerful episode of Worship Uncoiled, Student Minister CJ Muston dives deep into the story of Zacchaeus from Luke chapter 19 in part 2 of the "Win This Year" series. Discover how Jesus looked Zacchaeus in the eye, called him valuable, and revealed God's incredible plan for his life – and how the same applies to you today! CJ shares hilarious personal stories from his short guy days (like getting under things easier back in 1992) and challenges students to live out their full potential during this back-to-school season.Whether you're in sports, band, dance, clubs, video games, or just hanging with friends, God has a plan for you right now in your circles of influence. Learn to overcome pressures, labels like "sinner," and self-doubt to impact lives only you can reach. If Jesus sat down in your home, what would He say about your passions, talents, and abilities?Perfect for teens, youth groups, and anyone wanting the best possible school year. Watch or listen to last week's message on our church YouTube page, Facebook, or student ministry page for more on why you're valuable.Don't miss out – subscribe for more inspiring sermons, hit the bell for notifications, and share how God's plan is unfolding in your life in the comments! #WinThisYear #ZacchaeusStory #GodsPlan #StudentMinistry #BackToSchool #FullPotential #CJMuston #WorshipUncoiled5sHow can Grok help?

Today we approach a difficult passage around submission, obedience, and servitude. Paul's directives to households have long been used to subjugate women, overburden men, silence children, and excuse the corruption of power. Though, what if these verses were intended to demonstrate our freedom from hierarchy and act as a subtle resistance to the way of patriarchy and degradation? If Jesus truly is Lord of all, that means we are no one's lord. We explore what this means for each of us in our families and in our relationships with one another. This message is from our Sunday morning service on August 17th, 2025.We are currently in a temporary location at Vista Ridge Academy (3100 Ridge View Dr., Erie, CO) through August 31st, 2025.Connect with us:kindredchurch.co@kindredchurch.cofacebook.com/kindredchurch.co

I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his people, and to his faithful ones, and to those who put in him their hope. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:23-30, today's readings).When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?”On hearing that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples ask Jesus this question. Peter recognizes the gravity of discipleship and asks what that will lead to for them. Jesus tells him that they will see the Son of Man seated on his throne of glory and that they will sit on twelve thrones as judges of Israel. Jesus says of everyone who has given up material possessions of this world "will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life." And he warns them, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” What single possession or all possessions combined is worth more than the inheritance of eternal life as adopted sons and daughters of the Father?God, help me call to mind throughout the day the response of Jesus when the disciples ask him who can be saved. He simply says, For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." With you, Lord, all things are possible. The difficulty of giving up possessions or giving up anything that prevents me from entering your kingdom is impossible for me but possible for you. Everyone, Jesus says, who has given up worldly possessions for the sake of his name, will inherit eternal life. The first will be last, and the last will be first. If Jesus makes this great good possible, then smaller gifts in this life that lead to him, surely will be given even before we ask. Give me the grace, Lord, to understand the promise of eternal life made possible through Jesus so that by his poverty I might become rich.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Everyone likes a compliment. However, some compliment to flatter or manipulate. Not all compliments are equal. On several occasions, Jesus gave compliments to people for certain character traits displayed in their lives. If Jesus gave a compliment, it meant something. What did Jesus find worthy of a compliment?

Just like muscles need steady nutrition to grow strong, our souls need the steady intake of God's Word. A Sunday “shake” isn't enough to face life's pressure and lies. Jesus Himself relied on Scripture when He was weak and tempted, showing us that truth is more powerful than opinion, feelings, or the voices around us. The Bible isn't just an old book—it's alive, active, and meant to fuel, guide, and strengthen us every single day. If Jesus needed it, so do we. Don't just sip once in a while—make God's Word part of your daily rhythm. (Talk by Joshua Ott)

Just like muscles need steady nutrition to grow strong, our souls need the steady intake of God's Word. A Sunday “shake” isn't enough to face life's pressure and lies. Jesus Himself relied on Scripture when He was weak and tempted, showing us that truth is more powerful than opinion, feelings, or the voices around us. The Bible isn't just an old book—it's alive, active, and meant to fuel, guide, and strengthen us every single day. If Jesus needed it, so do we. Don't just sip once in a while—make God's Word part of your daily rhythm.

Mark 2:1-12 1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Lesson Notes When you mistake someone's identity, more mistakes follow. You make wrong assumptions. You say the wrong thing. You come to wrong conclusions. Mark chapter 2 marks the beginning of a series of 5 conflicts Mark 2:1-12 Mark 2:13-17 Mark 2:18-22 Mark 2:23-27 Mark 3:1-6 In each, Jesus does something unexpected, the teachers of the law challenge him, and Jesus responds in a way that silences them. The conclusion of these conflicts (3:6) shows us the first signs pointing to Jesus' death. Roofing Homes generally had roof access. Roofs were constructed by a few support timbers with smaller sticks and beams laid crosswise, then smaller twigs and thistles, and finally a layer of packed dirt on top. The Question Jesus' question in verse 9 has two possible answers: It is easier to say your sins are forgiven, because there is no immediate, outward evidence. Ultimately, both are impossible for man. If Jesus has the authority to heal with a word, he has the authority to forgive sins in the same way. Four Different Kinds of Allegiance: 1 Authentic allegiance - the leper in Mark 1:40 2 Affordable allegiance - the rich young man in Mark 10:17 3 Apathetic allegiance - the soldiers in Mark 15:19 4 A la carte allegiance - the teachers of the law in Mark 2:1-12 When we settle for a God who does not deserve our everything, we are settling for a "god" who cannot give us what we need. Discussion Questions 1. Ice Breaker: Discuss your thoughts on the Joshua Bell experiment (with the violinist). Then share some examples of mistaken identity. 2. In what ways would Jesus' actions in this passage have been surprising or shocking to his audience? 3. What do you think of the logic the teachers of the law use, and the conclusion they come to? Is the flaw with their theology, or with something else? 4. What do you think of Jesus' response in verse 9? What is he trying to communicate to the teachers of the law or the crowd? 5. The teachers of the law come to the wrong conclusion about Jesus' identity. What are some wrong ideas about who Jesus is that float around today? 6. Jeremy presented a fourth type of allegiance: "a la carte allegiance", where someone picks and chooses which parts of Jesus they want and discards the rest. What might that look like today? 7. Jeremy said "when we settle for a God who does not deserve our everything, we are settling for a 'god' who cannot give us what we need." In what ways is that true?

Sunday, 17 August 2025   He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. Matthew 12:30   “The ‘not being with Me,' he is against me. And the ‘not gathering with Me,' he scatters” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of binding the strong man before his goods can be plundered. With that thought complete, He now poignantly states, “The ‘not being with Me,' he is against me.”   There is a great deal of dissension about who Jesus is speaking of in this verse. Some say it is a word against the Pharisees, others say it is referring to Satan, others that it is anyone at any time as they interact with the cause of Christ, etc. Checking the surrounding verses gives us the answer.   A man who was demon possessed, blind and mute, was brought to Him. He healed the man (vs. 23). The people asked if He could be the Son of David (vs. 24). He was accused by the Pharisees of casting out by Beelzebul (vs. 24). From there, Jesus gave His words on kingdom division, authority to cast out demons, and binding a strong man (vss. 25-29).   In verses 31 & 32, He will speak of blasphemy against the Spirit, stating that speaking a word against the Son of Man is forgivable, but speaking against the Holy Spirit is not. But Jesus has said in verse 28 that if He casts out demons by the Spirit of God, the kingdom of God has come upon them.   He is clearly stating that He and what He does are in accord with the Spirit. Therefore, when someone speaks against His actions, they are speaking against the work of the Spirit. As anyone opposed to the Spirit is under the authority of the devil, those opposed to Christ's works are not in accord with the Spirit.   The general words, “the not being with Me,” indicate the devil and those who are his. There is “what God is doing,” and “what the devil is doing.” That is the totality of what is happening in the universe around us. Understanding this, He next says, “And the ‘not gathering with Me,' he scatters.”   A new word, skorpizó, to dissipate, is introduced. It is derived from skorpios, a scorpion. A scorpion penetrates its prey, causing a dissipating effect. One can think of a grenade being tossed into a room, and those in the room scatter, causing a dissipating effect.   When the Spirit of God is present, there will be one effect. When the presence of the devil is present, there will be another. Bengel rightly ties the thought of gathering to the word qoheleth, Teacher or Preacher, found seven times in Ecclesiastes. The word is derived from qahal, to convoke or assemble.   Through the teaching of the Teacher, there is a gathering effect that takes place in the kingdom of God. Through opposition to it, there is a scattering effect. God is teaching us through the work of the Spirit. As Jesus is filled with the Spirit of God in the fullest sense, what He does is the ultimate gathering for the kingdom that can be realized.   Life application: Jesus' words are not speaking of the general state of any of us on a given day. One day, we may be on fire for Jesus and out telling all about Him and His goodness, handing out tracts and blaring Christian music from our car stereo. The next day, we may be in a grumpy mood and completely ineffective in our witness.   This is the normal way of life. Being a Christian does not change that. We are physical, chemical, and biological beings. Variations in those aspects of us can change our whole attitude. But this does not change our state in Christ. If we have accepted the gospel, we are sealed with the Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:13, 14).   Those who have not believed the gospel are incapable of being “with” Christ because they do not have the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that testifies to Jesus Christ. He inspired Scripture, and all Scripture points to Jesus. Jesus' life is documented in Scripture. We can either accept that He is who Scripture claims or reject that. The gospel is given in the word, and it can be explained by man (Romans 10:14-18).   To reject the gospel is to reject what God is doing in redemptive history in and through His Son. The issue Jesus is referring to is being a part of one kingdom or another. If one moves from the devil to Jesus, he is with Jesus, and he gathers with Him because he has the Spirit of God.   If Jesus is rejected, the person who rejects Him is not with Him. Therefore, his being, his existence, stands in opposition to the work of the Spirit. This is an all-encompassing thought. It is not a Jew/Gentile issue. It is not a Russian/Ukrainian issue. It is not an “I support Israel” or “I don't support Israel” issue, nor a democrat/republican issue. And so forth.   We have our own divisions for various things we want or desire. At times, what we do may or may not align with God's plans as they are being worked out in human history. This may be because of stubborn rebellion, poor doctrine, etc. However, the main division of all things comes down to Christ.   Are we in Christ because of our acceptance of the Spirit's working in Him, or are we of the devil, having never been converted to accepting the Spirit's marking Him as God's chosen Servant to bring us back to Him?   “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:8, 9   O God, help us to clearly identify the battle that is raging in the world. The devil has his kingdom, and Christ Jesus has His. Help us to effectively communicate the gospel for others to see this and to call out to You through Jesus. May You strengthen us for this at all times. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

How do we deal with a Prince of Peace who claims he was sent to cast fire on the earth and bring division? If Jesus really said those words, what did he mean by them? And what do they mean for us? Luke Elmers teaches from Luke 12:49-56.

A Sermon for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity St. Luke 15:11-32 by William Klock All the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to Jesus, writes St. Luke at the beginning of Chapter 15.  But the Pharisees and the scribes—the legal experts—were grumbling.  “This fellow welcomes sinners!” they said.  “He even eats with them!”  (Luke 15:1-2) You can just picture these angry Pharisees, their faces red, veins popping in their foreheads, grumbling with each other.  They'd heard troubling things about Jesus, but then he'd come to town and they listened while he preached in the synagogue and they were pleasantly surprised.  They nodded along with him.  And they watched as he healed sick people and cast out demons.  People were saying Jesus was the Messiah.  Maybe he really was.  Maybe the bad things people were saying about him weren't true after all.  But then the party last night.  Matthew, the guy who collected taxes for the Romans, the traitor to his people, they'd heard rumours that he'd taken up with Jesus and last night he threw a big party and invited all his scummy, sinner friends.  A bunch of JINOs—you know, Jews-in-name-only.  Not a single one of them kept the law: tax collectors, prostitutes, greedy businessmen who supplied the Roman army.  Rumour had it they were eating bacon-wrapped prawns!  And Jesus was there.  They raged.  How could a guy seem so holy, preach such great things, know the scriptures so well, and even work miracles that only God could do, and then go and party with sinners?  I mean, yeah, there were also rumours that Jesus was telling his kingdom stories at the party and someone even said that some of those sinners had decided to repent and sin no more.  But that just made these Pharisees angrier.  If Jesus were really the Messiah, if he'd really come to usher in God's kingdom, he should be calling down fire and brimstone on those tax collectors and their sinner friends.  No, they grumbled to each other, this won't do.  This won't do at all. So Jesus answered their angry grumbles with three stories.  The first story is about a shepherd who loses one of his hundred sheep.  He secures the ninety-nine in the fold and sets off into the night to find the lost one.  When he finds that lost sheep, he carries it home on his shoulders, and rejoices with the other shepherds.  What was precious had been lost, but was now found.  In the second story Jesus tells of a poor old woman who loses one of ten silver coins.  They were probably her dowry.  She can't find the coin anywhere.  She turns her whole house upside-down in her frantic search for the precious coin.  Eventually she sweeps the house and finds it.  In her great joy she runs to tell her friends so that they can rejoice with her. And Jesus likens the joy of the shepherd who found the lost sheep and the joy of the woman who found the lost coin to the joy in heaven when a lost sinner repents.  Jesus' knew exactly how to poke the Pharisees.  It's that last bit about the rejoicing in heaven that really drove the point home.  The Pharisees—like everyone else in Israel—knew that the world is not as it should be.  They knew the story of how the Lord had created the world and then created Adam and Eve to live in his presence and to steward his temple.  Heaven and earth were supposed to overlap.  God and humans were supposed to live together.  But sin had ruined everything.  Sin drove a wedge between heaven and earth and God and man and now everything is broken.  But then God had called and created this special people—Israel—to be his people and to live in his presence.  When they were lost in Egypt, like the shepherd in the story, he sought them out and rescued them.  And in the middle of their community stood the temple.  And in the most holy place in the temple was the ark.  It represented God's covenant with them.  And it was his footstool.  And on it rested his presence in a cloud of glory.  Or that's how it was before the exile.  But the temple was the one place on earth where heaven and earth still overlapped, the one place where sinful people—purified from their sins—could enter God's presence.  That's why the Pharisees lived like they did.  They weren't priests, but they lived as if they were—aways ritually pure, always ready to be in God's presence.  They were the original on-earth-as-in-heaven people.  They loved what God loved.  They rejoiced when heaven rejoiced.  Or so they thought.  Because that's what Jesus is getting at here when he talks about heaven rejoicing over a single sinner who repents.  In Jesus, the God of Israel was searching out and finding his lost sheep, his lost coins and all of heaven was rejoicing.  So this is a very pointed rebuke.  They're angry because they think Jesus is doing it wrong and Jesus flips it all around: No, actually, they're the ones who have got it all wrong.  They think they have the heart of God, but they don't. And now Jesus has their attention.  Their faces are angry and red.  They're about to blow their tops.  So Jesus seizes the moment to really drive his point home with a third story. Once there was a man who had two sons.  The younger son said to the father, “Father, give me my share of the property.”  So he divided up his livelihood between them.  Not many days later the younger son turned his share into cash, and set off for a far-off country, where he spent his share in having a riotous good time.   Jesus describes this younger son as a truly despicable character.  A father could give his sons their inheritance early, but only a truly despicable son would demand it.  And when a father did give his sons their inheritance early, it was expected that they would continue to give their father the proceeds of the land.  Dutiful fathers take care of their sons and then dutiful sons take care of their fathers.  But there's nothing dutiful about this kid.  He not only demands his inheritance early, but then he sells the land, takes the cash, and goes to a far-off country.  He cares nothing for his family, for his brother, or for his father.  And then, on top of that, he abandons his people.  He's leaving Israel—the place where God's people live in his presence—to go to a pagan gentile land where they've never heard of the torah or the sabbath.  He'll never set foot in the temple again.  And here's Jesus' point.  This kid is the epitome of a “sinner”.  Everyone trips up from time to time, everyone sins, but when the Pharisees talked about “sinners” they were talking about people who chose sin over faithfulness—people who made a choice abandon God's law, God's covenant, and God's people.  They lived lives that were incompatible with being a faithful Jew.  But it gets worse.  Jesus goes on: When he had spent it all—everyone saw that coming!—a severe famine came on that country and he found himself destitute.  So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into the fields to feed his pigs.  He longed to satisfy his hunger with the pods the pigs were eating, and no one would give him anything.   The boy abandoned God and now, to all appearances, God has abandoned him.  He squandered his inheritance on prostitutes and loose living and now he finds himself feeding pigs.  For a Jew to have anything to do with pigs—the epitome of uncleanness—that was bad enough, but to actually be hungry enough to eat their food—well—Jesus has conjured up an image of complete moral and physical degradation.  This is rock bottom.  Some of the Pharisees were thinking, “Serves him right!  That's justice.”  I wonder, though, if others weren't starting to clue into where Jesus was going with this.  Remember that these were people who had concluded they were still living in exile.  Their ancestors had worshipped idols and forsaken God's law.  Israel was God's son, but they were a son who had taken advantage of his father's patience and mercy and goodness.  And so they had found themselves in exile, in Babylon, in a pagan land, with nothing and far from God.  I suspect that at least some of the scribes and Pharisees were beginning to hear their own story being told by Jesus. So finally, Jesus says, the son smartened up: He came to his senses.  “Just think,” he said to himself, “There are all my father's hands with plenty to eat and here I am, starving to death.  I'll get up and go to my father and I'll say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I don't deserve to be called your son and longer.  Make me like one of your hired hands.'”  And he got up and went to his father. I trust that, again, at least some of the scribes and Pharisees saw themselves in this, because this is what their ancestors had done.  Sitting by the waters of Babylon, first they wept for all they'd lost, and then they wept in repentance for all their unfaithfulness.  And this is what the Pharisees were still doing: trying to be faithful to the law, urging everyone else to be faithful to the law, in the hopes that the Father would take them back.  This is why they were so angry at the tax collectors and sinners.  They were calling everyone to national repentance in the hopes that the Lord would return to them and set the world to rights, but the tax collectors and sinners refused to get with the programme—they were holding everything back. But, too, Jesus' last two stories about the lost sheep and the lost coin were still echoing in their ears.  The tax collectors and sinners were the lost sheep of Israel and Jesus had been sent by the Lord to find them.  I see one of the Pharisees putting his hands to his heas in frustration and thinking, “It's like Jesus is saying we're all lost sheep, we're all lost coins, we're all lost sons of the Father!”  They weren't ready to accept that. And then the father in the story.  Jesus says: While still a long way off, his father saw him and his heart was stirred with love and pity.  He ran to him, hugged him tight, and kissed him. Everything in the image goes against the image of the ancient near eastern patriarch.  The father should be dignified, stern, disciplined, ready to carry out justice, but instead Jesus gives us a picture of this father—so incredibly undignified—running to meet his son, his robes blowing behind him, his sandals slap-slap-slapping as he ran.  And instead of running to his son to give him a kick in the pants and beating for being such a lout, he loves him.  The son tries to begin the spiel he's been rehearsing the whole of his long journey: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I don't deserve to be called your son any longer.”  But his father cuts him off and calls for his servants: “Hurry!  Bring the best clothes and put them on him!  Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet!  And bring the calf that we've fattened and kill it.  Let's eat and have a party!  This son of mine was dead and is alive again!  He was lost and now he's found!”  And they began to celebrate.   Jesus has this brilliant way of telling stories.  First, it's so obviously about the tax collectors and sinners but then somehow he manages to carry on with the story so that it becomes about both the tax collectors and sinners and the whole people of Israel longing for the return of their heavenly Father.  And then he reminds everyone that their Father is full of love and mercy and grace, ready to pour out his blessings and to throw a party for anyone who repents.  It's hard to imagine that at least some of the scribes and Pharisees didn't get it.  “Oh man.  He's talking about all of us,” they were thinking.  But still, some were obstinate.  They didn't get it.  “What a stupid father,” they were thinking.  “He should beat his lout of a son, disown him, and tell him he never wants to see him again.” And that's why there's a place for everyone in Jesus' story.  He says, The older son was out in the fields.  When he came home and got near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  He called one of the servants and asked what was going on.  “Your brother's come home!” he said.  “And your father has thrown a great party.  He's killed the fattened calf.  Because he's got him back safe and well!”  Well, the older son flew into a range and refused to go in.   Sound familiar?  I expect that as he said this, Jesus was looking straight at those Pharisees who were still boiling with rage. Then his father came out and pleaded with him.  “Look here,” he said to his father, “I've been slaving for you all these years.  I've never disobeyed a single commandment of yours.  And you never even gave me a young goat so I could have a party with my friends.  But when this son of yours comes home, once he's finished gobbling up your livelihood with whores, you kill the fattened calf for him.”   Jesus has a way with words and here he puts the words of the Pharisees into the mouth of this angry older brother who won't let go of his grudge.  They've been slaving away for the Lord all these years.  They've never disobeyed a single one of his commandments.  And when the Messiah comes—assuming Jesus really is the Messiah—he goes and throws a party with the tax collectors and sinners instead of with them!  And so Jesus says to them in the words of the father to the older son: “My son, you're always with me.  Everything I have belongs to you.  But we had to celebrate and be happy.  This brother of yours was dead and is alive again.  He was lost and now he's found.” Jesus gets at their hypocrisy.  Notice how the older brother refuses to own his brother.  He yells at his father about “this son of yours”, but the father reminds him here at the end, “this brother of yours was dead and is alive again…this brother of yours.  This is the funny thing with the Pharisees—and they weren't the only ones in Israel who thought this way: on the one hand they were angry with the tax collectors and sinners.  They knew that these people belonged to God.  They knew they were lost.  Their sins were, they thought holding back the rest of Israel from experiencing the Lord's return and an end to their long exile.  But on the other hand, they disowned the tax collectors and sinners.  They longed and prayed for God's judgement to fall on them, right along with the gentiles.  They refused to acknowledge them as lost brothers.  And now they're mad because Jesus has come to bring them back to the sheepfold.  They should be rejoicing.  Your brother who was dead is alive again!  You're brother! I'm sure that resonated with the Pharisees.  Think of Ezekiel and his vision of the valley of dry bones.  Those dry bones represented Israel.  She had forsaken the covenant and the Lord had disciplined her by sending her into exile.  But the Lord promised that one day his word would come and restore his wayward and faithless people to life.  What was dead would be made alive again.  And not just in some figurative sense.  One of the central doctrines of the Pharisees was the dearly held belief that one day the Lord would literally raise the dead of Israel to life in his presence.  One day he would set everything to rights, beginning with his people.  One day he would take what was dead and make it live again. And by way of the parable, Jesus is now saying to the Pharisees that he's the one who's come to do it.  But he hasn't just come to reward them with the life of the age to come, he's come to offer that life even to the prodigals of Israel.  Prostitute and Pharisees, both are part of the people of God, both are the Lord's children, both belong equally to him.  The Lord had rescued the ancestors of the prostitute from Egypt just as he'd rescued the ancestors of the Pharisees.  He desires life for the prostitute just as much as he does for the Pharisee.  That's what they need to wrap their heads around, because no amount of law keeping will get them into the kingdom if they don't share God's heart. You see, judgement was coming for Israel, but not quite like the Pharisees thought.  They thought that in the end, the Lord would recognise his people by their faithfulness to the law—to circumcision and sabbath and diet.  That meant the tax collectors and sinners were out.  But the fact was—and this is the point of Jesus' parables—that when judgement came on Jerusalem and on Judah, what would mark out the people of God was not faithfulness to the law, but faithfulness to Jesus the Messiah.  Jesus had taken on Israel's identity, he had picked up her failed mission, he died the death that she deserved, and when he rose from the grave and sent God's Spirit, he formed a new family, a new covenant people not centred this time on law, but on himself.  As St. John wrote, “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).  And, Brothers and Sisters, at the heart of Jesus' ministry was mercy—and God the Father rejoiced in heaven to see that mercy at work amongst his people, as his lost sons and daughters were found, as what had been dead became alive again. Brothers and Sisters, do want to share God's heart?  Then hear Jesus' story. It's about the loving and merciful faithfulness of God revealed in Jesus as he fulfils his promises to his people.  It was that faithfulness, revealed in Jesus and proclaimed by those first Jewish believers, that brought the first gentiles into the Church.  And that, itself, was a fulfilment of the Lord's promises.  This new people of God, this new Israel centred on faith in Jesus, brought the nations to the Lord, to the God of Israel, in awe, in reverence, and in faith.  Because membership in this new family was based not on law but on faith in Jesus made it possible for the nations—for you and I—to become children of God and fellow heirs with the natural brothers and sisters of Jesus.  And this opens that category of “the lost” to encompass an entire world.  In the parable Jesus was talking about the lost of Israel, but through Jesus the sort of restoration that the Lord sought with the lost of Israel has been opened to all of humanity.  You and I ought to see the lost of our own world, people created to bear the image of God, but lost to him because of their sin, you and I ought to see those people and desire for them the same mercy and restoration that God has shown to us through Jesus.  We ought not only to rejoice when we see that mercy at work, the joy of our own experience of God's mercy ought to be sending us out to the lost.  But all too often we become blasé about what God has done for us.  We lose the joy we once found in our salvation.  Or, for those of us who have never known life apart from God's covenantal mercy—like so many in Israel—we take his mercy for granted.  Brothers and Sisters, take time to think on what the Lord has done for us in Jesus and rejoice.  Make a point of it.  As you read scripture.  When you come to the Lord's Table.  Make a point of it.  Rejoice and stand in awe at the mercy of God. And, I think, if we do that, we will avoid the stance of the Pharisees who had forgotten the nature of God's mercy, who chafed at Jesus offering the mercy of God to sinners while they worked so hard to be faithful.  We're prone to the same sort of thing.  We forget the mercy of God.  We forget his forgiveness.  We forget that as much as God is pleased with us when we are faithful and pleased with our good works, we too are only part of this family because of his mercy and his forgiveness.  And then we start looking at the lost, not as people to be found, but as people who deserve their comeuppance, who need God's judgement rather than his mercy.  And, in that, we forget what the kingdom of God is all about. Brothers and Sisters, think on the mercy of God and rejoice.  Come to his Table this morning and be reminded that he sent his Son at great cost to seek out the lost and to restore us to the fold.  Here we see the faithfulness of God, a witness that has now brought you and I who were not even of that flock.  A witness that has brought us in awe and wonder and in faith to Jesus the Messiah—a faith by which the Father has welcomed us, too, into the sheepfold.  Rejoice in the mercies of God and carry that rejoicing to the lost that they, like us, might see and know themselves the mercies of God at work in Jesus. Let us pray: Grant us, Lord, we pray, to know your mercy and never to take your salvation for granted.  Make us faithful stewards of your mercies that we might rejoice as you do at the restoration of the lost; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

There are few wounds more devastating than betrayal. When someone close—someone you trusted—turns on you, it cuts deeper than almost any other offense. And betrayal doesn't just break trust—it breaks hearts. But here's the truth: the God who was betrayed Himself knows how to restore what others tried to ruin.Our springboard for today's discussion is:“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” — Psalm 41:9 (ESV)Betrayal has a sound. You can still hear their words in your head. You can still feel the moment you realized they weren't for you. Maybe it was a friend, a spouse, a parent, a spiritual leader—whoever it was, they broke something in you.Even Jesus experienced this. Judas walked with Him, ate with Him, saw His miracles—and still chose to sell Him out with a kiss. If Jesus was betrayed, you can be sure that God understands your pain personally.But betrayal isn't the end of the story.God is in the business of restoring what was broken. He doesn't just remove the pain—He rebuilds the person. Restoration doesn't mean going back to how things were. It means stepping into something deeper, something stronger, something forged through fire and refined by grace.Forgiveness is part of that process, yes. But so is trust—trust in God to vindicate, to protect, and to rebuild what was torn down. The person who betrayed you isn't your enemy. The enemy is the one who tries to use betrayal to silence your faith. Don't let him win.God will restore your joy. Your voice. Your trust. And He'll use even this to draw you closer to Himself.Question of the Day:Where in your life do you still carry the sting of betrayal that God wants to begin healing?Mini Call to Action:Pray this simple sentence out loud today: “God, I give You what they broke. Restore what I cannot.”Let's Pray:Father, You know the sting of betrayal. You walked through it. Help me give You the pieces of what was broken. Restore what I've lost. Heal what I've buried. I trust You with what I no longer understand. In Jesus' name, amen.Let's Get To Work!You may have been betrayed—but you're not abandoned. God is still writing your story. And this chapter? It ends in restoration.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Jesus Followers Are Expected to Serve the Needs of Others and to Reflect Jesus to Others as We Serve their Needs – “To Serve is Christ” MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You will never be more like Jesus than when you are serving others; and your best way to witness to non-believers is for them to see Jesus in you. Your best example of service is Jesus. To serve is Christ. Jesus instructed us, regarding serving others, in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”. Jesus, the Son of Man, did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. If Jesus came, lived, and died on earth as a servant, why would you, as a Jesus Follower, not realize that you are expected to serve? If, as Paul tell us in Romans 8:28-29, we are being conformed into the image of Jesus, then we are being taught how to serve: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.". To serve is to live as a reflection, to others, of Jesus in you.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.        Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Evil Ways. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Goodness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 8:28-29; Romans 14:18-19; Daniel 4:17; Psalms 38a:1-11. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Whether it's a Ya-Ya Sisterhood or a Band of Brothers we are all designed by God to desire deep relationships. Jesus even modeled this for us in his life when he called his small circle his ‘friends' not just his ‘disciples' (John 15:15). If Jesus needed friends then so do you! What does it take to create and maintain these deep friendships? Find out in this episode of Gospel Wabi Sabi.

Send us a textEpisode uploaded from April 18, 2025This week, millions of Christians reflect on Jesus — especially during the Easter season. But for Jehovah's Witnesses, that relationship is framed in a very different way.In this episode of The Critical Thought, we illustrate how that belief system actually works — through a unique skit, a real-life experience from a former elder, and some critical questions every Jehovah's Witness should be asking.

If Jesus were to appear on a podcast, which one would it be...the guys dig into the numbers regarding the AP preseason top 25 poll...plus all the fall out and injury news from Week 1 of the NFL preseason...Bill Riley, Voice of the Utes returns to the show to discuss life after Cam Rising and the wide open Big XII...a double dose of the Sack and will the show get taken higher on Wednesday night?

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (08/11/25), Hank answers the following questions:If Jesus is God in the flesh, who was He praying to during His time on Earth? Lance - Mountain View, MO (1:58)Could you explain the lack of the wedding garment in Matthew 22:11? Paul - Springdale, AR (6:16)A friend of mine believes that sexual fantasies about imaginary people are not wrong. What are your thoughts on this? Can I even have a conversation with him if he denies that this is not “real” lust? Ben - Regina, SK (9:37)In light of 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, should churches be inviting non-believers into the church to speak? William - Calgary, AB (23:02)

If Jesus returned today, would we be confident or ashamed of how we are living our lives? In this message, Pastor Jonathan unpacks what it truly means to be a child of God, both in our actions and in our identity. We are reminded that it's not about God being on our side, but about us fully living on His.

Daily Dose of Hope August 11, 2025   Scripture – Luke 6:1-36   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come to you today praising your holy name.  You are a good God!  Thank you for caring for us, for walking alongside us, but  most of all thank you for Jesus, who died our death, so that we can walk hand in hand with you.  Help us live like resurrection people in the way of Jesus.  We don't want to get stuck in our religion.  We want to live transformed lives in Jesus.  How we need you, Lord.  We are stubborn people.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Luke 6.  Our reading today contains a lot of substance and I'll do my best to do it justice.   We begin with Jesus' disciples plucking off heads of grain on the Sabbath and then Jesus healing on the Sabbath.  Both of these things infuriate the Pharisees who have made the Sabbath incredibly complex for the people.  They instituted an extremely complicated system of Sabbath laws of their own that was oppressive and legalistic. There were strict laws regarding how to observe the Sabbath, which included 39 categories of forbidden activities. This went far beyond what was required in the Torah.  For example, they weren't allowed to swat a fly (it was considered hunting), nor were they allowed to look in a mirror because they might be tempted to primp.  Basically, these religious leaders, with their own lists of rules, had made themselves lords of the Sabbath, thus making themselves lords over the people.    Jesus was pushing back against this.  He speaks about how David and his men ate consecrated bread from the Temple when they were hungry, even though it was off-limits.  There are times when rules make sense and there are times when they don't.  People are always more important than rules.  The original intent of the Sabbath was to give humans rest, not to create a heavy burden.  The Pharisees had lost sight of this.    Jesus then states that he is Lord of the Sabbath.  This really gets the Pharisees worked up.  By saying this, he is declaring that he has authority over the Sabbath.  Jesus can overrule the Pharisees' rules and regulations because he is the one who created the Sabbath in the first place.  He has the power to correctly interpret the meaning of the Sabbath and the rules pertaining to it.  Let's be clear, Jesus is making a bold statement about who he is.    Do you get distracted by our own rules and traditions?  And do those rules and traditions get in the way of doing the work of Jesus?    The next portion of today's reading has Jesus choosing the twelve disciples.  Notice how he spends all night in prayer.  The fact that God the Son spends all night in prayer with God the Father is something to which we should pay attention.  If Jesus needed time away to pray to God, how much more do we who are made in God's image but do not share His essence?   The last section of today's reading includes the blessings and woes and love for enemies.  This teaching block is known as Jesus' Sermon on the Plain.  While it has similar elements to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, it also is very different.  Matthew is clearly writing to Jews, while Luke's audience is mainly Gentiles.  It's for that reason that Luke doesn't worry about including references to Old Testament equivalents.   Luke is making a point about how God is in the business of turning human realities upside down.  The poor are blessed by God and the rich have already had their blessing.  The hungry will be satisfied but those who are full now will hunger later.  These beatitudes and woes are examples of a pattern we see in Luke --- God is at work in Jesus, turning worldly values upside down and challenging perceptions.  The mighty are cast down and the lowly are lifted up.   Thus, when Jesus then says to love your enemies, please know this audience would be shocked.  In the Gentile world, people did not love enemies.  It would have been a sign of weakness.  And yet, Jesus is turning things upside down, establishing a new standard of compassion that crosses religious, political, and cultural lines.    Notice this wasn't a suggestion.  It wasn't something that Jesus says to do every now and then or when it's convenient.  It's a command.  Interestingly, we find it hard to love good friends and family members.  It can be tough to love ourselves.  But Jesus is showing us all a different way.  Mercy for the those who are unmerciful, forgiveness for the unforgiveable, love for the unlovable – this is the way that God has chosen to transform people.  I recently read that we are the delivery system for God's healing power.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki