Podcasts about if jesus

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...

Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, we all share the same need for community—and for hope. In Mark 10:46–52, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, cries out to Jesus and discovers more than healing—he discovers value, dignity, and new life. This talk explores what it means when Jesus isn't distracted by the noise around us, why He asks the question “What do you want me to do for you?”, and how His presence meets our deepest needs. If Jesus asked you that same question, how would you answer? —Speaker : Gareth Blount, Assistant Pastor

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.

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 really meant it when He said, ‘Go and make disciples,' then what part of my life is still waiting for a ‘go' instead of staying in ‘wait'?”At New Promise Church you will see people of all ages, from a variety of backgrounds, and at different stages of their spiritual journey. We desire to draw closer to Jesus by understanding who He is and what He has done for us.

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

Jesus Delivers Us (9) (audio) David Eells -8/10/25 Saints, I'm going to continue our teaching on how Jesus delivered us and the authority and power we've been given over the kingdom of darkness. I have several revelations to share with you today to encourage you in your faith. I want to begin with this dream. First, I'm going to read the entire dream and then break it down with scripture and interpretations, so listen carefully.   Dream: Escaping the Darkness – LD (David's notes in red) I was in an empty parking lot with two young men who may have been angels. It was dark outside. I saw many people walking around talking to themselves. Many people had their heads down as if they were depressed or worried. Behind most, if not all of the people talking to themselves, I saw at least one or two demons standing. The demons were whispering in their ears the very words that they were speaking. The people were oblivious to the demons, thinking that what they were saying was their own thoughts. At some point, the demons realized that I was aware of them and that I knew what they were doing. At that point, all of the demons stopped at once and stared directly at me. Then they began to chase me to attack me. I and the two young men (angels) began running to the right side of the parking lot where there was a wooden fence. I was then helped over it to escape the demons. On the other side was a three-story apartment building, all one structure. On the top floor, a single light was on. I went to that room. I entered to see a man sitting down, smiling at me. I knew I was safe there.  As we look at the interpretation of this dream, I'd like to point out some underlying Scriptural principles. I was in an empty parking lot with two young men who may have been angels. (This is a revelation of mobile vessels, or people, finding no rest although they should be resting because this was a parking lot.) It was dark outside. (We know that darkness is closing in quickly.) I saw many people walking around talking to themselves. (This could be spiritual or physical. It could represent that they are talking to themselves in their minds or aloud, with their tongues. People who have demons often do talk to themselves.) Many people had their heads down as if they were depressed or worried. (They were being oppressed by the very demons that were using them.) Behind most, if not all of the people talking to themselves, I saw at least one or two demons standing. The demons were whispering in their ears the very words that the people were speaking. When demons attempt to seduce people who are loyal to the Lord and His Word, those people have authority over the demons to rebuke them, but when the demons have gotten this far, people, as represented here, are overcome. Even so, they still have this authority if they repent of the thing that caused them to be taken over by these spirits in the first place, and if they have faith to exercise their authority or go to someone who has authority, or both. Demons do speak directly to your mind. They're testing you; they're looking for a crack in your armor (Romans 13:12,14; Ephesians 6:10-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8). Anyone who listens to them speak through others or listens in their own mind will lose their freedom. If you listen to them, their demonic words have power. If you listen, they will take you where you don't want to go. It's a different situation for those who have authority. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This includes all the demonic powers. But a person does not have authority over Satan when they've disobeyed God's Word and been turned over to Satan for a chastening (1 Corinthians 5:5). However, if a person repents, or if they haven't given in to Satan but are being tested by Satan, this person does have authority. They can “bind” and the devil has to obey. It's just like commanding a healing. You believe you have authority over that curse (Matthew 10:8; John 20:21). When your conscience is clean and you understand what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, you do have this authority. This is not because you are absolutely perfect; even the youngest child in the Lord has this authority to bind or loose. Now, this principle can go against you. People do loose Satan on themselves by their disagreement with God's Word instead of binding Satan by their agreement with God's Word. It's not about saying, “I bind” or “I loose”; it's about agreeing or disagreeing with God's Word. People do it all the time, whether they know it or not. (Luk.9:1) And he called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. We know that the disciples weren't perfected at that time. They still had quite a way to go in walking with Jesus, but they had been given authority. Jesus told us in (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… And in (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. We have that authority. You have that authority if you have faith to agree with the Word. The devil tries to bluff people. He tries to tell them he has authority or that he's going to take them out. If your conscience is not clean, you need to do something about that quickly! If you have confessed your sins (1Jn 1:7-9) and your conscience is clean, you can turn on the demons and tell them they don't have any authority over you because of what Jesus said. You have authority over them. Demons can't take you without your permission, but you can permit them in one or more ways. You give them permission when you sin or when you are determined to walk in sin. You give them permission when you choose to walk after idols because they are more important to you than obeying God. You give them permission when you give in to deception or seduction by evil spirits, and so on. So, if you give them authority, they will take it. What you bind on earth is bound in heaven. You have the authority on the earth, but you also have the authority to give it to Satan just as Adam did. God's Word says, (Rom.6:16) Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Adam obeyed Satan and lost his authority. The same thing happens today. People get demon-possessed because they obey Satan. Let's return to the dream. Oblivious to the demons, the people were thinking that what they were saying was their own thoughts. (You can't tell them, “Hey! That's demons talking through you.” It's a waste of breath. When the demons have already taken over, they are not going to let the person even think they've got demons. This is a common symptom of possession.) At some point, the demons realized that I was aware of them (Now this is important.) and that I knew what they were doing. At that point, all of the demons stopped at once and stared directly at me. Then they began to chase me to attack me. This is also common in demon possession. They know their advantage is to stay hidden. Demons make their victims believe that the demonic thoughts and words are the victims' own, or that the thoughts are from God. They can be peaceable until they know that you are aware of them, then they fight against you because they are not worried so much about hiding themselves anymore. I've had the gift of discerning of spirits since I was about a year old in the Lord, but it doesn't happen all the time. It happens when God wants it to happen. On one occasion, I saw demons in a woman looking at me, and by the spirit I heard the demons saying to one another, “Do you think he sees us? Do you think he knows we are in here?” Well, yes! I did know because I had seen them long before they spoke, but I had not said anything. I was waiting on the Lord. Once I acknowledged their presence, they would completely turn her against me. I knew this from experience, and so during this time of waiting, I was praying for this person to repent. Not repenting is most often why people are turned over to demons. (Mat.18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. The Lord Himself turns people over to demons because they don't repent. Some of the biggest reasons for needing to repent are holding on to unforgiveness, being bitter, and habitually criticizing people, which can be a type of judging others. These wrongs are always cause for a person to be turned over to demons for the purpose of bringing them to repentance. An example is the man who had his father's wife. Apostle Paul was led by the Spirit (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In the case of the woman in whom the demons were questioning if I could see them, the time came to reveal the problem to her husband for his sake, but he chose fellowship with the demons and his wife over the Lord. Then he became infected, too. I've seen this disloyalty to God cause possession many times. I pray for these folks who are in that kind of situation. More than ever, God is turning people over to Satan for chastening to humble them and bring them to repentance. (Mat.10:32) Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. One way this happens is by choosing demons, relatives, or friends over the Lord and His Word or representatives. This happened all through the Scriptures. God's representatives spoke for Him, but the demons in people railed. Those who felt it more important or more advantageous to listen to demons got demon-possessed. “Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.” In other words, they have no right to grace or the benefits of the Kingdom. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1). If we don't confess Him before men, we don't have any offering before the Father. (Rom.10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Salvation comes from our confession. And so, once again, I saw a seducing Jezebel spirit in a wife give a husband no peace until he knuckled under for the sake of advantage, and from then on, they both served this false god. This happens a lot, and that's how we end up with so many Ahab spirits out there. The Scripture is clear in (Luk.14:26) If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (“Life” here is the Greek word psuche and it means “the soul, life, self.”). What is Jesus talking about hating here? It's the carnal soulish life that we should hate in ourselves and our relatives. Some people give in to that soulish life and the opinions of relatives, but we should never do that, because it's denying the Lord. It's following a false god for the sake of advantage. People do this for the sake of peace in their family. A husband or wife sways a person because of their idols or fear of someone else's opinions. For the sake of their ego or whatever, they give in and deny the Lord, and then demons come in and oppress or torment. They are the ones who administer the curse. The curse is wherever grace is not. When God takes away grace, that's the curse. (Luk.14:26) If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not … his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. If you don't love God above everyone else, you can't be His disciple. And if you don't hate that carnal life in your relatives and turn against it for the sake of the Lord, you cannot be God's disciple. (Luk.18:29) And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, (30) who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life. There are some men who do end up leaving their wives for the Kingdom's sake, but no one can do this of themselves, and wives and children must be cared for. (1Ti.5:8) But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. In some cases, wives refuse to follow husbands into the harvest work. If God ordains a man to a five-fold office (Ephesians 4:11) they must go, but they are responsible to care for their families through faith or by actions. No one can take an office unto themselves or ordain themselves. Some men stay home and don't work, putting their wives to work instead. If a man doesn't work at a secular job, he must be ordained to a ministry office, but either way, he must work to eat. (2Th.3:10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat. (11) For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies. (12) Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. You will notice in the last two Scripture texts that the man is responsible to work or provide, if able. If the above responsibilities are met, a wife should not be able to hold a man back from work. Remember that Lot's wife looked back to sin and destruction (Genesis 19:26), but Lot kept going to the refuge (Genesis 19:19:22- 23). Men, do not appease a Jezebel spirit; it's going to seduce you and lead you astray. We have our command from God. (Eph.5:22) Wives, [be in subjection] unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (The Lord, not I, said this, but those who have a Jezebel spirit will still get angry, although this is the truth. We have to obey God's Word, otherwise we can't call ourselves “disciples”.) (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, (Just as much as Jesus is Head of the Church, the husband is the head of the wife.), [being] himself the saviour of the body. (If a wife does not obey her husband, she is not going to get saved.) (24) But as the church is subject to Christ, so [let] the wives also [be] to their husbands in everything. (To make this possible for the wife, we are then told,) (25) Husbands, love your wives (Feeling unloved isn't an excuse for a wife to disobey her husband, but love makes it easier for the wife to obey her husband.), even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it. Loving your wife does not include giving in to a Jezebel spirit. Giving in means you are putting yourself under a demon spirit, and taking yourself and your family out from under God. If you do that, you will pay the price for it. On the other hand, do not judge the lost wife. God insists on Christ the Word being your Head. Don't judge her, but don't allow her to be your Head. If Jesus is not your Head, then you are following a false god. It's very plain. (Mat.12:30) He that is not with me is against me… If, because of your stand for Christ, your wife leaves you, then suffer for Christ's sake. We all have to suffer in one way or another, but do not follow a false god. The Bible says, (1Co.7:15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases:] but God hath called us in peace. If your mate leaves because you follow Jesus, then so be it. You are not bound in such a case; God never really wants you to be married to an unbeliever anyway. He says to stay married to them only if they are content to dwell with you, because they can be saved through your witness. Amen! The wife who has an unbelieving husband should obey him up to, but not including, moral sin. (1Pe.3:1) In like manner, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives. [Read our book on our site, The Word, Women and Authority https://www.ubm1.org/books/pdf/wwaa.pdf] If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you have to follow the Word. If you want to be a “Christian” and not be a disciple of Jesus, you are not going to be saved. It's that simple. The word “Christian” is a very loose term in our day, meaning almost nothing. In the early days, people were called “Christians” because they followed Christ Jesus and they did His works. Today, the word “Christian” should mean more, but sad to say, it doesn't mean much to people. Jesus told us, (Mat.10:34) Think not that I came to send peace on the earth (You might think, “Peace between me and my wife is the most important. I have to do whatever I have to do.” No, you don't. Jesus did not come to send peace on the earth.): I came not to send peace, but a sword. (And that “sword” is to divide those who are loyal to God's Word from those who are not.) (35) For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law (Of course, there are many more relationships. He's just making a point.): (36) and a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. When you come to God and they have not, you have no communion there. The Bible says, (2Co.6:14) Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? If you follow the Lord, they can be converted by your witness. If you don't follow the Lord, you have no favor from God, and in that event, don't expect your family to be saved. To get your family saved, the most important thing for you to do is follow the Lord as a disciple of Jesus Christ and have favor from God. He will save your family if you believe Him for it. (Mat.10:37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. You can love people more than you love the Word. The Lord and Word are the same. If you love someone or something more than the Word, you are going to be deceived. It's possible to pity demon-possessed people and then, through demons manipulating that pity, to get deceived and fall right into their situation. Don't believe that all those who call themselves “Christian” are going to be saved, because (Mat.10:38) And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. (We are to die on our “cross” in order to gain our higher life, the life of the born-again man.) (39) He that findeth his life (This is the old psuche life.) shall lose it; (39) and he that loseth his life (Again, this is the old psuche life, the carnal self.) for my sake shall find it. (40) He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Those who favor God in His representatives will have His favor. Those who don't receive His representatives, God will not receive. Those who do not receive His representatives due to selfish purposes will be rejected as unworthy. (Mat.10:41) He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet (“Name” means “nature, character and authority.” In other words, a prophet or other office should be respected in the Name that they fill.) shall receive a prophet's reward: and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. If you don't do these things, you will not receive that reward. “Filthy lucre” preachers have selfish ambition. (1Pe.5:2) Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to [the will of] God; nor yet for filthy lucre…When tested of the Lord, they fail. I have seen ministers tested by demons who told them how good the ministers were and how bad I was, until finally the ministers promoted themselves and sought to overthrow me with slander. They were taken captive. Now we can finish interpreting the dream. I and the two young men (angels) began running to the right side of the parking lot (This represents the sheep being on the right, as opposed to the wrong side, or the left, which is where the goats go.) where there was a wooden fence. I was then helped over it to escape the demons. (The Lord will make a way of escape for those who are on the right, but not for those who are on the left. The Bible says they will be held under punishment until the Day of the Lord (2 Peter 2:9). Those faithful who overcome with the help of God's ministering spirits will escape the demons. They will not be separated from the body, as will be the unfaithful.) On the other side of the fence was a three-story apartment building, all one structure. (This represents those who go over the fence are being joined with the other true overcomers in God, becoming the temple of God. (Eph.2:21) In whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; (22) in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. God does not want to share His building with demons. A person needs deliverance if they have demons because the demons are keeping them from serving God. Demons are idols and they take advantage of people to prey upon their flesh as a judgment on the wicked. If a person wants deliverance from these tormentors, they must forgive everybody from their heart; otherwise, Jesus said the Father would put those tormentors on them. On the top floor a single light shone. I went to that room. The top floor represents the spirit of the body. The one light is Jesus, our Light in darkness. I entered in to see a man sitting down, smiling at me. I knew I was safe there. Amen! This is a very interesting revelation that opens up a lot of good points from the Lord. Now, I have another dream by Sister A. to share with you.    Satan Is Under Jesus' Feet - Sister A. I was standing before a door in the attic of a house with a group of white women. They were unknown to me. I had a golden key. We all knew that a demon would be behind that door. I unlocked that door with my key and entered that attic with these women following behind me. As I stood inside, a huge, beast-like creature with a face like a bear and long hands like a monkey, full of hair, stood suspended in the air before me. (The house can be our individual house or the corporate house.) I started singing “Satan is Under Jesus' Feet.” I was the only one singing this song, though there were a few women with me. They were like unwilling witnesses to the hideous demon. Also, I did not rebuke or bind the demon at all. (Nobody particularly likes to look at demons. They are ugly.) As I was singing this song, the demon started getting smaller and smaller until it vanished. I continued to sing and left that room with the others. I locked that door behind me. You don't have to speak to a demon. Your attitude and actions will do that for you. If you do not accept that they have authority over you, then you have authority over them. If you preach to them that they are under Jesus' feet, they don't like to hear it. They do not like to hear about the Blood of Jesus. They don't like to hear about this great sacrifice that Jesus made to deliver us out of the power of darkness. So, as she was singing this song, the demon got smaller and smaller until it was gone. Sister “A” asked, “Does the attic have significance? Does it speak about the mind? Why was the demon locked up, and why did I lock the door after me?” The answers to all those questions are found in the interpretation of the dream. This is the “golden key” to the Kingdom that will loose people from bondage, which is in the mind. The golden key is the revelation that in the “attic” of the mind, all evil hidden there has been put under Jesus' feet. This means it is under the Body of Christ. The Bible says God made Christ to sit (Eph.1:21) far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Yes, Jesus has that absolute dominion over them, so how do people get demons if Jesus doesn't agree? Well, He does turn people over to demons for chastening, like the Apostle Paul did in (1 Corinthians 5:1-5), and He knows when people are putting themselves under the curse because they don't walk in repentance and faith toward God. (Eph.1:22) And he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. He put all things under His feet. He is the Head over His corporate body upon the earth, but notice that He put all of these demon powers under the feet, under the very lowest members of His corporate body upon the earth. He's saying that He's put all these powers and dominions and rulers under the very lowest members of the Church. If we look at the image of the beast in Daniel with its ten “toes” being the end-time revelation in (Daniel 2:31-45), and we stand up the Body of Christ next to that over history, the “toes” there are also at the end of history. It's in these days that Christians are going to bring Satan's kingdom under their feet and plunder it. Note that this promise was spoken first to Adam and his seed, and then to Christ and His seed. (Heb.2:6) But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? (7) Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands: (8) Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet… There it is, but people like to say this is just about Jesus. No, it was spoken first to Adam and his seed, and then to the Last Adam, Christ and His seed. We have a confirmation here that it's talking about the seed of Christ having all things in subjection, just as in Ephesians 1:21-23. (8) Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. When those words were spoken by Paul, he did not yet see all the manifestation of that dominion, but in the end-time we are going to see it. The battleground between us and Satan is the mind. The battleground is in that “attic.” (2Co.10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (4) (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds). We are talking about “strongholds” where Satan, through his demons, has gained dominion in a person's mind. Demon spirits, through those strongholds, are even passed on from parents from generation to generation through the blood (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; Numbers 14:18). God has given us authority to cast this down, but the devil works hard to convince you that you do not have this authority. If you want to have dominion over those strongholds that have been built up in your mind over the years of your lost life, you must take your authority in Christ. (2Co.10:5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. How do you win this battle? Bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The rules Jesus laid down regarding judging and forgiving must be followed, especially in personal relationships. If you ignore these regulations, you will lose this battle. Even while you are puffed up by demons who want you to exercise your authority among men, you will have lost the battle. That will be proven after the Lord has used you as a vessel of dishonor. The “white women” in the dream represent those corporate bodies who are justified by grace to “walk in white,” but they need this revelation to be free, and of course, Sister “A” was demonstrating this revelation to them. There are people out there who do walk in white to the very best of their ability. They walk with the Lord. They walk under His cleansing power. We need to know that we have authority over Satan's minions and that we have authority over their strongholds in our minds. When we repent and stop agreeing with him, his influence in our mind shrinks until it's gone, just like the demon vanishing in the dream. Believe the Lord when He says, (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Believe the Lord when He says, (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. (What does “all” mean? What does it leave out? “All” leaves out nothing.) (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Can you imagine what will happen when saints believe that Jesus in them has total authority? Can you imagine what will happen when the Word in them takes total authority over the kingdom of darkness? (Col.1:13) Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. That's awesome! We need to exercise our authority, saints! Our battle does not depend on whether the enemy can read our minds; it depends on what he can do about what we know. Satan admitted he didn't have the power to get at Job because of God's “hedge.” (Job.1:9) Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? (10) Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. The same is true of us. It's not important for our thoughts to be hidden from the enemy when he can do nothing about them, and he can do nothing about our thoughts unless by our thoughts, we give him permission. This is because we have authority over him. Remember Jesus said, (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. It doesn't matter what the demons know. It matters what we know as sons of God. We are their lords, just as it was with Jesus. (Joh.20:21) Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (The Greek word deo here means “forbid” or “prohibit.”) on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (The Greek word luo here means “release” or “permit.”) on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Faith permits the sovereignty of God to be manifest through the Body of Christ. Faith forbids Satan, no matter what he knows of our thoughts. Jesus' condition for receiving His benefits is plain. (Mat.8:13) … As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee… (Mat.9:29) … According to your faith be it done unto you. And (Luk.17:19) … Thy faith hath made thee whole. He said such things as these, giving us authority. Praise be to God! As we believe, God's benefits will be given. Unbelieving thoughts and actions forbid God's benefits to us because He has made a condition, and He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Hebrews 6:18). Unbelief permits Satan to continue administering the curse. We come out from under the curse through faith. We are counted righteous through our faith. We have to use our faith, but we can't exercise complete authority over other people. They have to use their faith, too. (Mar.6:5) And he (Jesus) could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Even Jesus was forbidden to do mighty works for those who would not believe. It's a condition, but whether we know it or not, we are constantly forbidding or permitting by our thoughts, words, and actions. All authority in heaven and earth was given to Jesus. He, in turn, delegated it to His disciples; so where does Satan get his authority? He gets it from our unbelief, words, and disobedience. Adding to or taking from God's Word, whether in thought or deed, permits the curse to be administered by Satan and forbids God's blessings for us or through us. This is by God's design to motivate us to come into agreement with Him. (Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book (How do we add to or take away from them? We do it with our thoughts. We do it with our words and actions. We deny the Lord when we deny His Word.): (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. To win this battle, we have to cast down the thoughts of Satan. They are sent to deceive us so that we might give him permission to destroy us. Now, another thing. Many people think the reason God gives the gift of tongues is so that Satan cannot understand what we say to God, so that his purposes will be thwarted. This is false. Satan and his fallen angels have tempted mankind since shortly after the beginning, so they know some tricks. And they are angels, whether people believe it or not (Revelation 12:9). They certainly know the “tongues of men and angels”; otherwise they couldn't communicate with one another, or put thoughts in our heads. We read in (1Co.13:1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. When prophecy is uttered in one's own language, one's mind, doctrine, and desires are permitted to be involved in what is said. The Word is polluted. (1Co.13:9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part… To put it another way, the prophecy can be part God and part man. That's why the prophecy, not the person, needs to be judged in (1 Corinthians 14:29). The true reason we speak in tongues is so that we will not know what we are saying, and therefore we will have no carnal reason to change the word. If our mind gets involved, then we can be tempted because of selfish ambition or our own doctrines to change it. So when you speak in tongues, the Holy Spirit is praying through you to God in a language that can be purely the Holy Spirit's request to God. (Rom.8:26) And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered (That is, which cannot be uttered by man.); (27) and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will] of God. It's important to pray in this way because … For the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. (1Ch.28:9) In the spirit realm, thoughts are audible to the mind of God, angels, and to demons. God and demons can, in turn, impart the gift to read minds. A man once asked me if I knew what he was thinking. At that moment the Holy Spirit gave it to me, and the man was just awed at the power of God. When I first went to a full-gospel church, I witnessed Christians exorcising a demon-possessed man who thought he was a woman, and that man also showed his ability to read minds. Why those unbelieving Christians asked for a demonstration is beyond me, because magicians, wizards, and mediums with familiar spirits or spirits of divination have demonstrated the power to read minds in front of audiences of people. I don't know why people think that demons can't read minds, especially since we wrestle with principalities and powers in the mind. We are commanded to (Eph.6:11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With the renewed mind of the Word (Romans 12:2), our thoughts can be guarded as with a helmet. We are then able to take back our thoughts and cast the enemy's thoughts down. (2Co.10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (4) (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds) (The principalities and the powers possess strongholds in the thoughts of the mind.), (5) casting down imaginations (our thoughts), and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, (Cast down anything that opposes God. You will have victory over Satan in this way. Any other way you go is opening yourself up to him.), and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Be sure you do this when the demons in people are trying to deceive you. They are fighting to win the battle against you, so bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of the Word of God. Study the Word. We have studied and talked about the verses that most often trip people up, because they disobey them. When they do that, they get captured by Satan. We win the battle by rejecting the enemies' thoughts and replacing them with God's thoughts. We win the battle by holding on to God's thoughts. We are at peace with God when we are full of His thoughts, since then our minds are guarded from demonic attacks that cause outward actions of sin. The Bible says, (Php.4:6) In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. We should be aware that Satan can insert thoughts within our thoughts. (Act.5:3) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Also, we see another example here. (1Ch.21:1) And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. We can use a little Holy Spirit reasoning by asking, “How can Satan insert thoughts unless he knows the content of thoughts?” If you went into your computer to edit a text, how could you insert changes unless you could read the text? If you just inserted a word change at random without knowing the text, you would make a nonsensical document, and anyone would know that someone inserted something. It's the same with us. If Satan or demons inserted something nonsensical, it would be obvious that demons were at work, but they know they do their best work undercover. How would Satan be able to tempt us if he were so dysfunctional? We would know immediately that he was up to something. Now, let me share the following testimony of faith by A. T.   Poor Blood Circulation Healed given to A. T. I went to help my mom volunteer over at this place where she gets her food. I didn't have time to grab a coat, but I knew the Lord would keep me warm within the warehouse. It turned out I was working in the freezer the entire time. Within that freezer, the Lord did keep my body warm through my faith. My hands were the only thing that were suffering from the cold. I have always had problems with poor blood circulation in my hands. I felt intense pain in my hands. My fingers were freezing up, making my task harder to perform. As pain was an attribute of the curse, I kept in prayer and continued to thank Him for healing my hands on the Cross. (Php.4:6) In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. A couple of times I had to leave the cold because my hands hurt too much. But every time I would leave, I felt as if my faith was wavering and I wasn't holding fast to my confession. The spirit of doubt was trying to come in to hinder my faith. Then I began to deal with condemnation. It was demonic activity holding me back. I was acting in double-mindedness, and such did not please the Father. (Jas.1:6) But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; (8) a doubleminded man unstable, in all his ways. The Lord wanted my actions to be according to my confession, for (Jas.2:17) faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. The Lord could not manifest my healing without His works being involved. He told me to bind and loose and to cast down any vain imaginations of the flesh. This is as Paul speaks about in (2Co.10:5) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, for Christ bestowed upon us authority over all the power of the enemy. The third time I got back into the freezer, I was convinced not to leave the freezer for the purpose of warming my hands. When I thanked the Lord, I felt confession pouring from my heart, rather than just my lips. I completely ignored the pain and began to rest on what the Lord had accomplished on the cross. Behold, the Lord faithfully answered! The pain was leaving my hands all at once, and a great comfort was coming over my affliction (The pain had not left due to numbness. I could feel everything I was touching.) I felt supernatural warmth cover over my hands. I regained mobility in my fingertips, as well as overall strength. Praise the Lord and His Sovereignty! Praise the Son of the Most High and His Love! Even after the healing manifested itself, my flesh was trying to scare me out of the healing by attempting to suggest that it was only a temporary healing. Eventually, Satan gave up trying to steal my gift, for I continued to cast down more doubt that was exalting itself against the Lord. (Jas.4:7) Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. I kept working. The Lord put me into an environment with an exaggerated degree of cold—where the cold was so strong against my flesh that I was in utter weakness—in order that Jesus could show His might. In such a cold environment, heat could not have been in the air. Only the Lord could have heated my hands. He engineered this circumstance so that it was impossible for my flesh to reason and prevail against my spirit. There have been more trials with my blood circulation, but the Lord has healed my hands. (1Pe.2:24) … by whose stripes ye were healed. (And He continues to conquer this old flesh.) He is our only resistance to Satan and the mind of the flesh. He is our only salvation. Without His grace and love, we are nothing. Now, I'm going to talk to you about the faction war and how we win this battle. Let me begin by sharing this dream.   Getting Ready for the Storm by S.G. A few of us were outside a big house that was more than one-story high. We were trying to get a platform or something apart before the storm was to come. We needed to unscrew some bolts or something like that. We started to see wolves and dogs trying to come against us. It was dark outside. There was thunder, lightning, and blowing wind. We went inside the house. Many others from local UBM were in different rooms praying. Some were kneeling down, while some were standing and commanding the wolves and the dogs to go! It was all happening so fast. It was as if we were in the midst of a storm on a ship out to sea. Things were coming from all directions. We were just commanding those things to cease and go. At one point it settled down a little. But then I was going outside and touching a gate that was opened. It seemed like it shocked me. Then I couldn't speak, as if the enemy were trying to silence me. I was able to say, “No! In the Name of Jesus!” I said this as loudly as I could, and started to fight in the spirit. It started to get windy and rough again. I saw David and Michael and other brothers and sisters praying and taking care of the little ones. It was so chaotic and noisy! But everyone was doing their part in the warfare. A few of us would go up and down stairs, helping each other to fight. We were strong and didn't give up. No one was frightened. But we were more determined when we saw the enemy come against us. As far as I could tell, there were no casualties. And before I woke up, I heard myself say two or three times, “I have to wake up and write this down.” And then I woke up. S.G.'s Notes: I sensed we had the victory, even though I had left the whole scene (without seeing the end) when I woke up. I felt good about the dream, sensing that we were all working together. Even though the enemy was trying to bring chaos, the fight was done with order. We all knew what we were to do, and we did it. I asked the Lord for a Word to correspond to this dream. My finger went down on “our captain.” (2Ch.13:12 KJV) And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. Then, the Lord gave me the word “tumult” from H1993 “Strong's Concordance,” which means “to make a loud sound, to be in great commotion, roar, be in an uproar, to rage, war, clamor.” I looked up a few verses with the word tumult in them. One of the scriptures, Psalm 83:2, I received this twice in twenty-four hours. (Psa.83:2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. Amen! When the enemy plans an attack, God warns us in advance. We received the next several Words at random from the Lord, by faith, in one day. To begin with, I received words from the Lord in Job about a coming faction attack. (Job.16:9) He hath torn me in his wrath, and persecuted me; He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth: Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me. (10) They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully: They gather themselves together against me. (11) God delivereth me to the ungodly, And casteth me into the hands of the wicked. The “me” in this case represents the David Man-childs who have been going through a persecution. However, the Lord may have said, “Enough!” The faction that was planned was confirmed to me by another verse I received. (Isa.1:2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. (3) The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. (4) Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged [and gone] backward. (5) Why will ye be still stricken, that ye revolt more and more? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. (6) From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil. (8) And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. The last verse describes faction situations very accurately. That same day, I was directed to a Judas passage. (Joh.13:27) And after the sop, then entered Satan into him (Judas, the betrayer). Jesus therefore saith unto him, What thou doest, do quickly. At that same time, praying brethren received warnings, too. E.B. received this Judas verse: (Mat.26:50) And Jesus said unto him, Friend, [do] that for which thou art come. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. D.L. got (Lam.1:9) Her filthiness was in her skirts (This represents “harlot” religion, those who have turned away from their “husband” Christ, having received the seed of the world.); she remembered not her latter end (It's a demonic problem when people don't count the cost of low living. They don't understand that all of this is going to catch up to them.); Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter: Behold, O Lord, my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself. Isn't it interesting how all of these verses line up? We have received wonderful training for several years now on spiritual warfare and gained a lot of understanding and wisdom from the Lord. What the Man-child corporate body is going through right now is what the Woman corporate body will go through in the “wilderness.” Everybody has to go to their “cross,” and so all this training is necessary, or else the Lord would not be speaking to us in this way. What is the enemy's sin? (Jer.34:8) The word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; (9) that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, that is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, [to wit,] of a Jew his brother. (10) And all the princes and all the people obeyed, that had entered into the covenant, that every one should let his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free, that none should make bondmen of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go: (11) but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids. What will happen to the enemy? Well, I received the answer to those questions. (Jer.34:17) Therefore thus saith the Lord: ye have not hearkened unto me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim unto you a liberty, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth. The wicked were to forgive debts owed to them and to let their servants go free from their servitude. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus taught that these “debts” were the debts of forgiveness for their sin that the wicked owed to others who had sinned against them (Matthew 18:23-34). Failure to do this would bring the judgment of the Shemittah. Everybody thinks the Shemittah is all over, but no, Jesus said that the Father would turn those guilty of unforgiveness over to tormenting demons. This has already happened. [Note: Shemittah is the Hebrew word “to release.” (Deu.15:1) At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. (2) And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he hath lent unto his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because the Lord's release hath been proclaimed. In other words, “the Shemittah waives all outstanding debts” (see chabad.org).] Saints, a tremendous Passover, along with much death and destruction, is coming, and we need to get ready for it, but the Passover is only good if you have a sacrifice. If you walk in willful disobedience, we are told in (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. There is no sacrifice for you if you walk in willful disobedience and, therefore, the Blood is not on the doorpost. There needs to be repentance, or many are going to be taken away. And then E.B. got, (SoS.1:5) I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. (6) Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons (“Mother” represents the church.) were incensed against me… This is all part of crucifixion. God has vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor to do His work (2 Timothy 2:20-21). We need somebody to bring us to our cross, and God will use whom He can use. If anybody is fitted to be used as a vessel of dishonor, God will use them for that purpose. So when I opened my Bible to nowhere in particular because I was getting ready to study, as I looked at the page, I was asking, “Lord, can this usurpation attempt be cast down?” It wasn't as if we hadn't gone through enough of it, but we know that's up to God, and my eyes fell on, (Mar.11:23) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. That's certainly kind of a “blank check” but then, of course, His Word says, (Mat.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. He certainly answered my question there without any doubt. Then, in the same meeting, M.L. got the same Word from Matthew 17:18. What are the chances of that in this great big Bible! (Mat.17:18) And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour. (19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out? (20) And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Another sister received this word about Joseph's persecution and later promotion. (Psa.105:19) Until the time that his word came to pass (Joseph was persecuted because of the things that he prophesied about his brethren, but there came a time, which they thought would never come, when his word came to pass.), The word of the Lord tried him. (20) The king sent and loosed him; Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free. (21) He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his substance; (22) To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom. His factious brothers came to find out that Joseph had been promoted over them, just as he had said in (Genesis 40:38-45). Their faction against him, in delivering him into bondage, was found out and those brethren were humbled (Genesis 45:1-15). M.L.'s word spoke about the enemy who was evil to Joseph. (Amo.6:6) … But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. (7) Therefore shall they now go captive with the first that go captive; and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away. All their rejoicing in their evil comes to nothing because the factious enemy today is also going into captivity as a chastening. They were not grieved for the affliction of the Joseph Man-child of our day, who was going through a crucifixion. E.B. asked for a confirmation and got another faction verse. (Psa.60:4) Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah (5) That thy beloved may be delivered, Save with thy right hand, and answer us. (6) God hath spoken in his holiness: I will exult; I will divide Shechem (Shechem were those who factioned against the house of Gideon. In that time, Abimelech was the beast, and Shechem was the harlot. God said, “I'm going to divide Shechem,” the harlot that had come against His people.), and mete out the valley of Succoth. There is faction planned by Satan, and we are warned so that we may cast it down and divide the enemy. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. The Lord wants to teach us that this is true. In the coming tribulation, we will need to know this is true because the enemy is everywhere. The corporate body of the beast is very large, and the people of God are comparatively small. Because of the demons that are in them, this great big beast is set on making war against the saints. We have authority, but not in wrestling with flesh and blood. (Eph.6:12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Wrestling with flesh and blood will just get you killed. Jesus said, (Rev.13:10) If any man [is] for captivity, into captivity he goeth; if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and faith of the saints. Anybody who doesn't know anything about spiritual warfare and hasn't put the Word of God in their heart is going into captivity. Those people who don't take the authority and the dominion that Jesus gave them over the evil, including the evil in themselves, are going into captivity. When Jehoshaphat in Zion was faced by three enemy armies in (2 Chronicles 20:1), he sent out the praisers first in (2 Chronicles 20:20-21). Those armies were divided and killed one another off in (2 Chronicles 20:22-24). Then Zion celebrated and spent three days gathering up the loot in (2 Chronicles 20:25). Our battle with the spirits of faction is not something that's over in a moment, but His Word encourages us with awesome verses. His Word helps us to believe we have received and to cast down faction. Through His Word, we have authority to cast down faction and every evil work. You come into more and more rest in the battle after you have gone through it for a while. It's like anything else that you face that comes against your faith; the more experience you gain with spiritual warfare, the more solid your faith becomes and the more you enter into the rest. Praise be to God!

Series: Signs & GloryTitle: “Is Jesus Worth That Much to You?"Subtitle: "Extravagant worship springs from seeing Jesus' infinite worth."Scripture: John 12:1–11 (with parallels in Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9)Bottom line: True worship that is worthy of Jesus is costly, humble and lasting because it is the overflow of seeing the worth of Jesus.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESOUTLINESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDOpening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTION“But we have learned to avoid that sort of thing; we say that it just isn't practical to be too bold in the proclamation of the gospel today. In other words, we have embraced expediency. It has been said that the church in the United States of America has been placed on a reservation. We're still allowed to exist; we're still allowed to practice our faith; we're still allowed to pray in our churches. But we are tacitly forbidden from moving off the reservation and into the public square to make public proclamations of faith. For instance, if a Christian is asked to pray at a public event and then prays in Jesus' name, he is almost certain to be excoriated for having the audacity to pray publicly in the name of Christ. We're simply not allowed to do that today.”“But I have noticed that it isn't just secularists who howl when a Christian wanders off the reservation and proclaims the gospel in the public square. Other Christians also make a fuss. Why? Because when some Christians draw the ire of secular society, everyone who enjoys peace on the reservation becomes frightened that they will become targets of the enemy. Many who claim the name of Christ would rather live peacefully on the reservation than disturb the world with the good news.That's exactly what happened in Jerusalem”“ Those to whom God had entrusted the ministry of the truth of His Word compromised again and again so as not to upset the Romans and possibly endanger their positions of prestige. Thus, when Jesus attracted a following, the Jewish leaders said to themselves: “If we leave this man alone, He will stir up so much trouble that the Romans will take action. They'll come after us because they'll see that Jesus is a Jew, and we'll be held responsible for not controlling one of our own. Then our place and our whole nation will be lost. So what are we going to do?” In short, the Jews wanted to prevent Jesus from causing a stir among the people lest they lose their positions of power”John - An Expositional Commentary, R.C. SproulBottom line: True worship that is worthy of Jesus is costly, humble and lasting because it is the overflow of seeing the worth of Jesus.OUTLINE (with help from ChatGPT)Purpose: To challenge believers to examine what Jesus is worth to them—and to act accordingly.I. The Setting for Costly Worship (vv. 1–2)• Context:• Six days before Passover — Jesus' final week before the cross.• Dinner in Bethany, hosted in His honor.• Lazarus, alive because of Jesus, is at the table.• Application:• Worship thrives in a context of gratitude (Lazarus alive) and fellowship (friends gathered).• Do you make space in your life for intentional, focused worship of Jesus?II. The Act of Costly Worship (v. 3)• Mary's Action:• Amount: About 12 oz. of pure nard (worth a year's wages).• Method: She pours it on Jesus' head and feet (harmonizing with Matt. 26 & Mark 14).• Posture: Wiping His feet with her hair — humility, vulnerability, cultural scandal.• Impact: The fragrance fills the whole house.“This was an act of great devotion and humility. We have already seen that John the Baptist declared he was not worthy to untie Jesus' sandal strap (John 1:27). A rabbi's disciple was essentially a servant to his teacher, but he was never required to attend to his master's feet, for that was considered the lowest task of all. When John said he was not worthy to untie Jesus' sandal strap, he was saying he was lower than a disciple. Mary probably felt the same way, but she gladly cleansed Jesus' feet” John - An Expositional Commentary, R.C. Sproul• Application:• Worship that costs nothing is worth nothing (2 Sam. 24:24).• What's your “jar of nard”—the thing of greatest value you would pour out for Him?• True worship is public, humble, and leaves a lasting influence.III. The Objection to Costly Worship (vv. 4–6)• Judas' Complaint:• Claims the perfume should have been sold to help the poor.• Real motive: greed and self-interest (he stole from the money bag).• Principle:• Hypocrisy often cloaks itself in noble language.• There will always be critics when you worship extravagantly.• Application:• Don't let the criticism of others rob you of devotion to Christ.• Examine your own heart: am I defending a lesser priority over the worth of Jesus?IV. The Commendation of Costly Worship (vv. 7–8)• Jesus' Defense:• “Leave her alone… It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.”• Mary's act is prophetic—she is doing what others will miss after His death.• “The poor you will always have…” — not dismissing the poor, but highlighting the uniqueness of this moment.• Application:• There are moments of obedience and devotion that cannot be delayed—do them now.• Jesus treasures and defends the worship offered to Him.V. The Aftermath of Costly Worship (vv. 9–11)• Crowd Reaction:• Many come to see both Jesus and Lazarus.• Religious Leaders' Reaction:• They plot to kill Lazarus too, because his life is drawing people to Jesus.• Application:• Your devotion may attract some and provoke others.• A transformed life is a powerful witness—but it may also invite opposition.CONCLUSIONBottom line: True worship that is worthy of Jesus is costly, humble and lasting because it is the overflow of seeing the worth of Jesus.Call to Action:1. Examine His worth to you — Do your actions match your beliefs about Jesus' value?2. Bring your “jar of nard” — What is the most valuable offering you can give Jesus today?3. Act while you can — Mary seized her moment; so should you.Closing Illustration:The missionary widow selling her only cow to fund a church roof, or a believer giving up a career for the sake of ministry—and connect it to Mary's act.If Jesus is worth everything, then nothing is wasted when it's given to Him.INVITATIONWhat about you? What is your "jar of nard"?Peter puts it all in perspective in his first sermon:““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬How do we respond? Answer 2 questions:Take out a card or piece of paper right now. Write down the answer to these questions: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.Lord's Supper, 1 Cor 11:23-26 is good passage.Also, say something like, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." (past, present, and future)PrayNOTESPassion Week Travel TimelineFriday (before sunset)Jesus travels from Ephraim (John 11:54) toward Bethany.Arrives before Sabbath begins at sundown.Likely stays with Lazarus' family or nearby.Saturday (Sabbath)Daytime: Rest and worship (no long travel).After sunset (end of Sabbath): A dinner is held in His honor (John 12:2).Mary anoints Jesus (John 12:3, Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9).Sunday (Palm Sunday)The next morning, Jesus rides into Jerusalem in the Triumphal Entry (John 12:12–15).“But we have learned to avoid that sort of thing; we say that it just isn't practical to be too bold in the proclamation of the gospel today. In other words, we have embraced expediency.It has been said that the church in the United States of America has been placed on a reservation. We're still allowed to exist; we're still allowed to practice our faith; we're still allowed to pray in our churches. But we are tacitly forbidden from moving off the reservation and into the public square to make public proclamations of faith. For instance, if a Christian is asked to pray at a public event and then prays in Jesus' name, he is almost certain to be excoriated for having the audacity to pray publicly in the name of Christ. We're simply not allowed to do that today.”“But I have noticed that it isn't just secularists who howl when a Christian wanders off the reservation and proclaims the gospel in the public square. Other Christians also make a fuss. Why? Because when some Christians draw the ire of secular society, everyone who enjoys peace on the reservation becomes frightened that they will become targets of the enemy. Many who claim the name of Christ would rather live peacefully on the reservation than disturb the world with the good news.That's exactly what happened in Jerusalem”“ Those to whom God had entrusted the ministry of the truth of His Word compromised again and again so as not to upset the Romans and possibly endanger their positions of prestige. Thus, when Jesus attracted a following, the Jewish leaders said to themselves: “If we leave this man alone, He will stir up so much trouble that the Romans will take action. They'll come after us because they'll see that Jesus is a Jew, and we'll be held responsible for not controlling one of our own. Then our place and our whole nation will be lost. So what are we going to do?” In short, the Jews wanted to prevent Jesus from causing a stir among the people lest they lose their positions of power”Excerpt From John - An Expositional CommentaryR.C. Sproul, This material may be protected by copyright.OUTLINESee aboveQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWhat do I want them to know? Why do I want them to know it?What do I want them to do?Why do I want them to do it?How do they do this?DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“John,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in John, by Matt Carter & Josh WredbergThe Gospels & Epistles of John, FF BruceJohn, RC SproulJohn, KöstenbergerThe Gospel According to John, DA CarsonLet's Study John, Mark JohnstonThe Light Has Come, Leslie Newbigin (TLHC)The Visual Word, Patrick Schreiner (TVW)“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee (TTB)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.comNicky Gumbel bible reading plan app or via YouVersionClaude.aiChatGPT AIGrok AIPerplexity.aiGoogle Gemini AI

What's our instinct when something good happens to us? To go tell everyone we know so that they can celebrate with us! In today's message, Pastor Ken says there's urgency to share the gospel with others because we're always one generation away from the gospel being gone forever. You must share the love of Christ with others. If Jesus has changed your life, your job is to celebrate that from the rooftops! He's saved you and loves all! Don't be the reason the next generation doesn't know the love of Jesus.

This weekend, Pastor Jordan Caro—our Connection Pastor—preached for the first time during our gatherings, sharing from Mark 15:42-47, the moment Jesus was buried. If Jesus could die and still not be defeated, then death is no longer the end—it becomes a doorway. That's what we explore in this sermon. Check it out to learn more!

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

Breaking spiritual lethargy begins with embracing prayer as an act of humility and alignment with God's design. Prayer is not just a discipline—it is dependence. If Jesus, the Pattern Man, prayed, then we must pray. A prayerless life is prideful, and pride distances us from God.True prayer births strength, freshness, and trust in God's sovereignty—even when He feels distant. When routine dulls your fire, revelation revives it. Don't wait to feel like praying—choose to pray. In that decision, spiritual strength returns.Don't settle for a lukewarm faith. Let God's word set you ablaze again.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Thank you for joining me today and following us throughout Project 23. If you would like to learn more about this project, click the link to discover more and partner with us. Our text today is Mark 13:32-37: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” — Mark 13:32-37 The final words of Jesus in this chapter are gentle. But not casual. They aren't loud commands. They're more like a whisper in the dark: “Stay awake.” He doesn't say this once—He says it three times. Not because you need more information, but because you need more awareness. Jesus doesn't tell us the day or the hour. Not because he's hiding it. But the posture of readiness is better than a countdown clock. A master has gone away. Servants have been entrusted with a task. Each one has a role. And no one knows the exact hour of return. But he is returning. And Jesus doesn't want his people found sleeping, not distracted, disinterested, or disengaged. Not lulled to sleep by comfort, busyness, or pride. He wants us awake. Alert. Tuned in. Working, watching, and ready. What does it mean to stay awake? Here are five actions: It means tending your soul. It means choosing holiness over habit. It means letting the Word sharpen you and the Spirit soften you. It means living today like it matters, because it does. It means living tomorrow like it could be your last, because it might be. Jesus isn't trying to stir anxiety. He's stirring urgency. Because when He returns—and He will return—you won't be able to hit snooze. So wake up. Get in the Word. Cut out the compromise. Live like He's near. Because He is. #StayAwake, #Mark13, #JesusIsComing ASK THIS: Why do you think Jesus repeats “stay awake” three times? What areas of your spiritual life are growing dull? What daily rhythms can help you stay alert to Jesus' return? If Jesus returned today, what would He find you doing? DO THIS: Choose one habit today that's been putting your soul to sleep—and cut it off. Replace it with something that stirs spiritual alertness. PRAY THIS: Jesus, wake me up. If I've grown numb, shake me. If I've grown lazy, correct me. I don't want to be found asleep—I want to be found faithful. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Keep Me Burning."

God can call us to do many unique and amazing things, but every one of us is called to serve. In this episode, we share a sermon Alex preached at Cornerstone Church about Jesus' instruction to wash people's feet. Reading from John 13, Alex warns against the Enemy's attempts to stop us from serving the people around us. He also reminds us that sometimes service feels uncomfortable or messy, but that shouldn't stop us from loving the people God places in front of us. Information isn't the gap between failure and success—action is. Path for Growth's 1-on-1 coaching helps you create a plan and execute on what matters most for your business. Apply today at pathforgrowth.com/coaching.Episode Recap:Who are you called to be? What are you called to do? Where are you called to go?We are called to be many things, but we're also called to wash feet. We don't serve to win God's love; we serve because we are loved. The Enemy will try to steal you from service.If Jesus can wash Judas' feet, then we can serve without expecting perfect outcomes.When you know whose you are, you can serve even when it's messy or awkward.We're called to serve because it's what Jesus did for us. If you're ready to move beyond just gathering information and start executing on what truly matters, Path for Growth's 1-on-1 coaching can help. Apply now at pathforgrowth.com/coaching.Resources:Follow the podcast on Apple or SpotifySchedule a call to learn more about Path for Growth Coaching and CommunityDownload the Free Reading GuideJoin us for our 2025 Experience – Long Game Leadership Cornerstone Church in Austin, TexasJohn 13Connect with our Founder Alex Judd on LinkedIn and Instagram

The most foundational doctrine of Christianity is that Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the son of God and the son of man. He was virgin born, conceived by the Holy Spirit. This does not mean God came down and was sexually intimate with Mary. It means it is a miraculous conception.Main Points:1. The virgin birth reveals the deity of Jesus. If Jesus is not God, then he could not save us. And if Jesus did not save you, you are still lost in your sins.2. Jesus was born as a man because he had to be a man to be our true representative on the cross. He had to be God because He is the only one capable of saving us.3. Do not let anyone tell you the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is not an essential belief. It is absolutely essential. The virgin birth of Jesus fulfills the prophecy and promise of God, and it reveals the deity of our Savior.Today's Scripture Verses:John 1:14 - “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”Isaiah 7:14 - “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

“What Is the Role of Popes in Approving Ecumenical Councils?” In this episode, guest apologist Alex Jurado from Voice of Reason addresses the necessity of papal approval for early councils, explores how Jesus grew in knowledge, and discusses the connection between Mary’s Assumption and 1 Cor. 15:55. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 08:59 – How did Jesus grow in knowledge? And did he have knowledge of his passion from a young age? 14:30 – What’s the necessity for popes to convene and approve ecumenical councils particularly the earliest councils of the Church? 17:46 – Is there a connection between Mary’s Assumption and 1 Cor. 15:55? 21:52 – Why did the person who touched the ark dropped dead but people who stole it didn't. Why is that? 24:24 – Is it ok for a priest to consecrate a large amount of hosts and give them to a homebound person? 30:31 – Has Pope Leo expressed any opinion on Same sex unions? 32:10 – How would you explain to children deep theological questions? 43:40 – How many of the 10 commandments would exist today if there weren’t any religions? 48:48 – Why do Protestants have a different canon of scripture? 52:09 – If Jesus descended into hell to retrieve souls to enter heaven, does that mean those souls were suffering?