Podcasts about in john

Tuesday, 11 November 2025   So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter.” Matthew 14:8   “And having been instigated by her mother, she says, ‘You give me here upon a platter the head of John the Immerser'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Herod offered by oath whatever Herodias' daughter asked for. With his offer made, it next says, “And having been instigated by her mother.”   A new word, found only here in the New Testament, is seen, probibazó, to instigate. It is derived from pro, before, and biazó, to force. Thus, it is to force forward, hence, to instigate as one prods another to take a certain action.   Mark 6:24 fills in the detail left out by Matthew, saying, “So she went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask?'” Her response, still in Mark 6:24, was, “The head of John the ‘Immersing'!” That is then explained by Matthew with his continued words, where “she says, ‘You give me here upon a platter the head of John the Immerser.'”   Another new word is seen, pinax, a platter. It is a variant form of plax, a molding board, meaning a flat surface. Going along with her mother's instigation, the young lady requests the immediate execution of John, seen in the word “here,” with his head presented to her.   It is a rather gross request, but young ladies will be young ladies, and she was obedient to her mother's instigation. Thus, the request was set before Herod in regard to her mother's desire.   Life application: As tragic as John's beheading was, the fact that he would die before Jesus has already been hinted at. In John 11:11, Jesus said, “Amen! I say to you, not he has risen in ‘born of women' greater than John the Immerser, but the least in the kingdom of the heavens, he is greater than he.”   If John were to have survived until after Jesus' death, he would have certainly believed the good news of the resurrection and been a part of the church age. Therefore, John's death had already been factored into things as they unfolded.   Despite this, there is a hope for those who died in faith in the promises of God. In Daniel 12, it says –   “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:1-3   After the church age, the world will enter into the tribulation. It will be a terrible time on earth, but once that is over, those who were of faith will be raised to eternal life. This included Daniel, as stated to him in Daniel 12:13. As such, it is certain it will be inclusive of all who died before the coming of Jesus who were people of faith, including John the Immerser.   We don't need to worry that God's plan is out of control, and we do not need to fret over comments by people who claim God is somehow unfair or uncaring when they make negative comments over things, like John's beheading, as if it demonstrates God is not good.   This life is temporary, and unless the Lord comes first at the rapture, we are all going to die. It really doesn't matter how that occurs. Once you are dead, that's it. As we are told in John 6:33, the flesh profits nothing. What matters is what we do with this life now.   Be sure to focus on Jesus, trust Him even in the most difficult of times or circumstances, and trust His word. In the end, good things are in store for those who do so.   Lord God, thank You for the promises set forth in Your word for us. We are undeserving of the least of Your mercies, and yet, You have promised us that great things are in store for Your people. Help us to focus on this as we walk in this world of troubles, trials, and wickedness that hem us in. Amen.

God Speaks to Jesus Followers Through the Holy Spirit's Inward Voice, and with the Spirit, He Gave His Personal Relationship MESSAGE SUMMARY: Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 30:21: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.". We know, from the New Testament, that Jesus Followers are given the Holy Spirit to walk with them -- "a word behind you". Since the Holy Spirit takes up residence in you, the way the Lord speaks to you is through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit will speak, and you will know that it is the Lord. In John 14:26, Jesus reminds us about His promise, to His followers, of the “Helper” (Holy Spirit): “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”. Additionally, in John 16-7, Jesus tells us that not only will the Holy Spirit be your “Helper”, the Holy Spirit will be your “Comforter”: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him {the Comforter} unto you.". For Jesus Followers, God speaks through the inward voice of the Holy Spirit who He gave to us along with a personal relationship with Him.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, you know how difficult it is for me to be in silence before you. At times it feels almost impossible, given the demands, distractions, and noise all around me. I invite you to lead me to a quiet, silent place before you — to a place where I can hear you as Elijah did. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 123). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Fear. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Faithfulness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ezekiel 22:30-31; Isaiah 30:21; John 14:23-27; John 16:7-13; Psalms 134:1-3. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “My Grace is Sufficient”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

This week, Pastor Brandon shared a powerful message from John 12 on what it means to live a life that honors God through our giving, our sacrifice, and our obedience.In John 12, Mary pours out what is costly and precious as an act of love and devotion to Jesus. It wasn't about the value of the gift — it was about the heart behind it. We are believing that God will use our faith and our generosity to reach more people, transform more families, and build His Church for the future.

Today we have the unique opportunity of celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of Rome. Our readings today zoom in on the Temple, and in our first reading we are privileged to hear the vision of the prophet Ezekiel of the healing waters flowing from the side of the New Temple. In John's Gospel, Jesus is revealed to be the New Temple, and at the end of John's Gospel, water in addition to blood flows from the open side of the Savior, making clear who Jesus is: The True Temple from whose Heart flows the healing water that is our medicine and salvation.

Life can take unexpected turns. In John 11, Martha and Mary both trust Jesus, yet neither can make sense of His timing or what feels like absence. Their beliefs and emotions collide with loss, and everything feels off-balance. What do you do when what you know about God doesn't seem to fit with what you're experiencing?Key takeaway:When circumstances create doubt, hold on to who Jesus is, not just what you hoped He would do.Try this:Name one area where life hasn't gone as expected. Tell God honestly how that makes you feel. Then reread John 11 and notice how Jesus meets each sister differently, because He meets you that way too.

Episode 2 of The Bible Nexus, originally posted August 22, 2025. In John chapter 4, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at the well. We discuss the history of Israel, who the Samaritans are and how they came to be, as well as the significance of this encounter.

In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man. Further, this passage shows him learning how to articulate what Jesus has done in his life.  It reminds us that grace isn't meant to be kept quiet, but shared.  When the light of Jesus opens your eyes, it's not just for you to see; it's so others can see Him through you. Join Keith Waggoner as he presents the second sermon in the I'd Like To Testify series.

So often we look in the mirror and realise, that we're simply not worthy to come before the throne of grace. And yet, because of Jesus, nothing more needs to be done for you and me to walk boldly before God into His throne room and say 'Father, I love You; I want to be in Your presence.' Nothing more needs to be done!   Experiencing the Truth These days we don't just want to know God – we just don't want to know Him in our heads but we want to experience God and historically, as we look back, Christians have made, I guess, two extreme mistakes in living their lives out with God. The first is that they focus just on truth – truth as head knowledge, studying the Bible, knowing lots of things, getting doctrine sorted out in their heads but you know, that ends up being really dry and there is no joy or peace in that head knowledge and it becomes like "religion". The other extreme – right at the other end of the scale, people have said, "You know, we are rejecting that, we are sick of that kind of dry, "head knowledgy" kind of "God" truth. And we want to experience God – it was a reaction to the dryness of the head knowledge. And so those Christians kind of emphasise God's wonderful spiritual gifts – prophesy and healing and worship and that's really exciting. But there is a risk that you do that and you de-emphasise the truth. And that form of Christianity ends up becoming kind of whacky and unreliable and at its worst, emotional manipulation. But somewhere in the middle … somewhere in the middle there is an answer. Somewhere in the middle there is God's Word and His truth and all of His goodness but also the spiritual reality of experiencing who God actually is in the middle of life. And you know, when you look at Jesus, Jesus lived in that middle ground. At times in His ministry it was full of emotion; it was from His heart – you know, when He was healing lepers, when He was weeping over Lazarus, when He was weeping over Jerusalem. And at other times in His ministry, He taught on the hard issues – the Sermon on the Mount, the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. Jesus was in the middle ground – He believed in the truth of God's Word and yet He lived it out in a reality that was, well, so real; so human, so Jesus. In Matthews Gospel chapter 4, verse 23, it says this: Jesus went through Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every sickness among the people and so His fame spread through all of Syria. See, Jesus was into, yes, teaching and preaching and knowing God's Word. But He was into touching people's lives and healing them and changing them and bringing them new life as well. And because of both of those things, His fame spread – people came from far and wide. It's really funny – if we try and just stick to Biblical truth alone; that sort of very head-knowledge kind of truth, we can end up missing out on who God really is. We can end living out a faith which is "religious", which is rule based, which is critical, which is, I don't know, it's not freedom. On the other hand, if we end up just in the "experience" camp, we can end up right off the rails because God's truth about who He is and what He wants us to do and how He wants us to live our lives out – God's truth is so important. And sometimes you will hear a preacher from one camp criticising a preacher from another camp and I'm thinking, "What's that about?" They stare at each other across this divide and the Jesus that I know; the Jesus that you discover in the Bible was a Jesus who passionately believed in the truth of God's Word and a Jesus who passionately lived out that truth in such a real way. This Jesus laid all of His glory aside, even though He was the Son of God, and He walked on this earth as a man and yet He had such a wonderful and powerful and dynamic relationship with His Father in heaven through the Spirit. Jesus used to get up early in the morning and go out on His own and pray because He had this wonderful, real relationship with God in heaven. Last week we looked at what Jesus said to His disciples on this subject. In John chapter 14, beginning at verse 15, He said: If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I'll ask My Dad and He will give you another advocate – this is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it doesn't see Him and it doesn't know Him but you know Him because He abides in you. Those who love Me will keep My Word and My Dad will love them and we will come and make our home with them. Isn't that beautiful? Being a Christian is loving Jesus and loving Jesus is knowing the truth and obeying Him. And then we experience Him because He says: If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I will ask Dad and He will give you the Holy Spirit and we will come and live with you. You will experience God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwelling in us through His Spirit – every minute of every hour of every day. Come on, that's fantastic! And He says: You in Me and Me in you. So for Jesus, knowing God is not just knowing the truth, it's about intimacy as well – a real experience of who God is. But there is a problem with that ... the problem that we have is the problem of sin. If you love Me you will keep My commandments. What do we do about that problem? How do we get over that problem, to have this powerful, wonderful relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit? We will have a look at that next.   I Have a Problem Well, Jesus promised that following Him and being a Christian wasn't just about head knowledge of the truth but about an intimate relationship with Him. And in this series called, "The Holy Spirit and Me" we are looking at this Spirit of wisdom and truth, as Jesus called Him; the Holy Spirit and experiencing the joy and the peace in an intimate relationship with God – but our problem, as we looked earlier, is the problem of "If you love Me you will obey Me." If you love Me you will obey Me. And you and I, in our nature are not very good at obeying. And I confess not so many years ago I used to have a problem with this. You know, Christians used words like "sin" and "repent" and "Jesus said repent because the Kingdom of God has come near" – to tell you the truth, to me it was all out of date and anachronistic and old fashioned and rubbish. Come on, what's this repent and sin business? If it feels good, do it! We live in an "anything goes kind of world". I mean a woman looks at having an abortion and she says, "Well, it's my body, it's my choice!" If it feels good, do it! That's the world we live in. We are programmed for self-indulgence today. In the same way as our grandparents coming out of a depression and a world war, were programmed for self-discipline and austerity. On the one hand we want it all, on the other hand we ignore the human cost of this sort of a life – divorce and abortion and marriage breakdown and breakdown in relationships and loneliness and ... you know it's a law of life that for any relationship to bring satisfaction and joy, the people who participate in that relationship have to pay a price. Marriage is like that! Before I met my wife Jacqui, I came and went as I pleased and then we went through a courtship and more of my time was involved in relationship with her and we went through an engagement and more of my time was involved and then we were married. And once we were married, I could no longer come and go as I pleased. I could no longer make all of my own decisions. I could no longer spend all of my money on everything that I wanted. Now that sounds like oppression – oppressed? No way! This man is liberated – liberated to enjoy my life as Jacqui's husband, in a relationship that is so wonderful with her. But there is a cost – there is a daily cost in that I cannot come and go as I please anymore and that takes some adjustment but that's the price of a wonderful relationship. And the same is true with God. A relationship with God follows the same principle but it is hard because all those other things that we want to do is the stuff that God calls "sin" – stealing, pulling other people down, being dishonest, the bad stuff but giving them up can be hard because it's not in our nature to give up the things that we don't want to give up because we are selfish. And the Apostle Paul has exactly this same problem – if you have a Bible, grab it. We are going to Romans chapter 7, beginning at verse 14 through to verse 21. This is what he says: We know that the law is spiritual but I'm of the flesh – I am sold into slavery under sin. I don't understand why I do things because I don't do what I want but I do the very thing that I hate. Now if I do what I don't want, I agree, the law is good but in fact, it is no longer I that do it but the sin that dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that's within my flesh. I can will what is right, I just can't do it. For I do not do the good I want but the evil that I don't want is what I do. Now if I do what I don't want it is no longer I that do it but the sin that dwells in me. So I find this to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. In other words, Paul is torn. He is torn between what he wants and making the sacrifices in living his life for God. Now I praise God that Paul has this same problem because here is a man who wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. God had a big role for Paul to play. Halleluiah! – Paul has the same problem that I do and the same problem that you do. Have you ever felt like Paul? You want to do the right thing but some days we just can't. What's the answer? What's the solution? I remember Nicky Gumble – you may have watched Nicky Gumble or heard him speak on the ALPHA series. He tells a wonderful story of an old woman whose funeral he had to do and she was a woman who lived on the streets. She carried all her belongings around in plastic bags and she just lived on the streets and she was a street person. And when it came to her funeral he discovered that she was a multi, multi millionaire – she had some great inheritance but she couldn't come to the point of taking all those bags of rubbish and throwing them away and going and living in that inheritance – and we can be the same. We have an inheritance – an inheritance in Christ – we are heirs, co-heirs with Him. You believe in Jesus? Then we are one of God's kids but sometimes we want to hang on to the rubbish, to the stuff. What's the answer? How do we deal with that? Well, God has an answer and His answer comes in two parts. We are going to look at those in just a moment.   God Has the Answer Well, what is God's answer? God's plan as we saw, as Jesus said there, is that He comes and lives with us – lives in us through His Spirit; the Holy Spirit – to have this beautiful and wonderful, intimate relationship with God, day by day. Can I encourage you – if you believe in Jesus and you are not walking in that sort of relationship today – today God is calling you into a deeper, closer more intimate relationship with Him? But Jesus said that that relationship was for those who loved Him and He would know who loves Him because those who love Him obey Him. Yet here we see the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 7, disgusted with himself, struggling with his sin. This is what he writes – begins in chapter 7, verse 24: Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body to death? Thanks be to God, our Lord Jesus Christ! So then with my mind I am a slave to the law of God but my flesh is a slave to the law of sin. But there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, none – because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh could not do by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin He condemned sin in the flesh so that the just requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. In other words, how does God deal with this? God has dealt with my sin and God has dealt with your sin by letting Jesus die on the cross to pay for that. Every relationship has a price. And when we look at us and God it can feel like, in this struggle that Paul has, with his own sinful nature – it can feel like we are the ones who have to pay the price all the time – we're the ones who have to give stuff up which is hard to give up sometimes. People who are addicted to anger, people who are addicted to gossip, people who are addicted to sexual immorality find those things hard to give up. And if feels like Jesus is saying 'Well, if I want to a relationship with Him I have to give those things up and I am the one making the sacrifice.' Well in a sense that's true, but Jesus has already made the sacrifice for us. Jesus has already opened the door. Jesus died on that cross for you, Jesus died on the cross for me. You and I are forgiven if we place our faith in Him – full stop – end of story – no arguments - no more work to be done. Every sin that I have ever committed, every sin that I will commit has been paid for in full by Jesus Christ. That's the good news – that part is free. That's the starting point – that's the beginning of a clean, fresh, new relationship with the slate wiped clean. But the problem is you and I still want to carry the garbage around. You and I still want to carry the sin around with us because that's what our nature is. That's our human nature – that's exactly what Paul is struggling with in that passage. I know what is good – I can will to do what is good, I just can't do it. I end up doing the stuff I don't want to do and every time I want to do good, says Paul, I find in the law that evil is right at hand. So there has got to be a second part. We are forgiven, we are set free, nothing more needs to be done for you and I to walk boldly before God into His throne room and say 'Father I love You, I want to be in Your presence.' Nothing more needs to be done. But God actually wants to set us free in our lives. God wants us to be free of sin – Jesus said: I have come to set the captives free. That's you, that's me He is talking about. Halleluiah! He wants to set us free. But look at it – He talks about here being free from the law of sin and death. "The law of the Spirit of life" – Romans chapter 8, verse 2: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death because God has done away with sin through Jesus. Those of us who live according to the flesh set their minds on the flesh but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. What does that mean? God is talking here about His Spirit, about Spiritual things. Last week we looked at what Jesus said. He said: I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you; I will send the Holy Spirit to be in you and you in Me. And now Paul is saying, "You know something, if you believe in Jesus and if you know that Jesus died for you and if you are relying on His payment in full on the cross to be forgiven by God, there is something more. Jesus has put His Spirit in you and in me. And now Paul says it is time to walk with the Holy Spirit. Not according to the flesh, not according to that old sinful nature but walk in the Spirit." Well how do you do that? To set the mind on the flesh is death but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. In other words, if we keep on thinking about those things; if we keep on turning them over in our minds and being angry with that person and not forgiving them or whatever it is that we are addicted to in the flesh, we keep spending our intellectual time, our emotional energy thinking about those things, that's exactly what we will end up doing. On the other hand if we take the time that we have to think and we turn that away from those things and we put our focus on Jesus; we put our focus on the Holy Spirit; we put our focus on the Father; we put our focus on His goodness and His love and what He has done for us and what He wants to do for us, we can't help it. We will end up doing that that stuff; we will end up living life the way God intended us to live it. See people try and change themselves; their behaviour, but at the end of the day, we can't do that. As clever as we are; as smart as we are; as much as God put us right on the top of the food chain on this planet, that is beyond our ability. But what is in our ability is to focus on Jesus. I remember Joyce Meyer hearing her once say 'Where the mind goes, the man follows.' If I focus my mind on the bad stuff, that's where I will end up going. If I focus my mind on the good stuff; on Jesus, on the Spirit, that's where I will end up going. Think about the good things – think about God – pray, spend time with Him, get into the Bible, be transformed by the renewing of our minds. When we do that we are giving the Holy Spirit control of every part of us, day after day, time after time. We can try to do it on our own but we are doomed to failure because the works of the flesh will overtake us. But when we do this in faith; when we accept the Spirit's power in faith, in the same way that we have accepted our forgiveness through what Jesus did on the cross, in faith – when we accept God's goodness and God's Spirit in faith and we spend time focussing on Him, listening to Him, praying with Him then God is going to change us from the inside out. It's as sure as God made little green apples; it's as sure as night follows day, which follows night which follows day. I believe that Jesus died for me not only so that I could be forgiven but so that I could also be set free day by day by day, from my sin and my failures and that's the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 11: But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of God's righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwells in you. That's God's promise! Our job isn't to change ourselves, our job is to get close to Jesus. Our job is to set our minds and hearts on Him, our job is, in the heat of the battle, to give Him a split second if that's all you have, to involve Him, to give Him room to move, to draw on His power. Our job is to accept His life in faith. And God will change us. That's His plan – that's His heart – that's His promise. That's why He sent the Holy Spirit to you and to me!

Saturday, 8 November 2025   And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. Matthew 14:5   “And desiring to kill him, he feared the multitude for they held him as a prophet” (CG).   In the previous verse, it was noted that John had told King Herod that having his brother Philip's wife was unlawful. Therefore, Matthew continues with words concerning Herod's attitude toward John, saying, “And desiring to kill him.”   In Mark, it notes that Herodias wanted to kill him, but she couldn't because Herod feared John “knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him” (Mark 6:20). No contradiction should be considered between the two.   It should be obvious to anyone who has been accused by another that Herod was certainly miffed at John when he was confronted with his wrongdoing and scolded for it. Being king, he probably thought, “I'll just have this guy killed... problem solved!”   However, after thinking about it, he would have then reconsidered, something Herodias was unwilling to do. As for Herod, the account next says, “he feared the multitude for they held him as a prophet.”   These words align with the thought given in Mark and match the suggested state of Herod just noted. Herod was confronted with his sin. He didn't like it, and Herod wanted him killed. However, after thinking it through and realizing this would not be a popular course of action, he renounced that thought.   The prophets were often hated by everyone. They called out sin in the people, and depending on the overall attitude of the populace, they could go from being popular with the commoners to being hated by them as well. In John's case, he not only called out for people to turn to the Lord, but he also proclaimed the immediate coming of the Messiah.   This would have been very popular with the commoners who had to suffer under the rule of the dirty priests, the oppressive kings, and the even more oppressive hand of Rome, to whom even these lesser positions were responsible. Add in the arrogant and controlling attitude of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, and they would have been elated at the thought of a new rule under the Messiah.   On the other hand, these people in positions of power and authority would openly claim they were happy about the coming of the Messiah, but only so far as He would continue to allow them to retain their exalted positions.   Regardless of what the leaders thought, the people were happy with John as a prophet and could have thrown the nation into turmoil if Herod executed him, especially when it was Herod who was violating the law and which brought about John's words of rebuke.   Life application: It should come as no surprise when a Bible preacher is not liked by people in general. His job is to preach the whole counsel of God. In doing so, the general population will not like his message because it highlights sin in humanity.   This is not something people want exposed in their lives, even if nobody else is aware of it. Scripture exposes each individual's sinful state in relation to God. People would rather hate the messenger than acknowledge their sin.   People in the church will also get miffed at preachers. If someone believes people can lose their salvation, but the preacher rightly explains why this is incorrect, the preacher will be mocked and spoken against by those who disagree with him.   The safest way to avoid such things is not to address them at all. Hence, some preachers have churches that fill stadiums because they give easy messages that the masses won't feel intimidated by. Those who may have personal views on particular doctrines are never challenged on them.   For the preacher, it is a safe and often effective walk on a path of mediocrity that keeps money coming in, people content in their weekly church experience, and nobody is seemingly harmed by it.   But this is incorrect. People must be made aware of what the Bible expects and approves of and disapproves of. If not, they will not be properly prepared for the true challenges of a close walk with the Lord in a fallen world of choices that must be made to stay in line with what He expects from His people.   Consider what it is that you want when you select a church. If you are wise, you will desire to attend where the Bible is fully explained, even from those sections that can cause division and animosity. After all, they too are a part of God's word.   Lord God, be with us as we pursue a right understanding of Your word. Open the eyes of our pastors and teachers to rightly understand and properly teach Your word so that we will know what is correct. Amen.

The call of the first disciples is the same call that reaches us today: to come, to see, and to follow. In John 1:35–42, John the Baptist points his own followers toward Jesus, declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” With humility and obedience, he releases those closest to him so they can follow the One who truly saves. In this episode, we reflect on what it means to turn others—and even our own hearts—toward Jesus. As we respond to that call, may we be moved to lead others closer to Christ, the Lamb of God.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DONATE: https://evidence4faith.org/give/ WEBSITE: https://evidence4faith.org/NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/hpazV5BOOKINGS: https://evidence4faith.org/bookings/CONTACT: Evidence 4 Faith, 349 Knights Ave Kewaskum WI 53040 , info@evidence4faith.orgMy goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. - Colossians 2:2-3CREDITS: Developed & Hosted by Michael Lane. Produced & Edited by Isabel Kolste. Graphics & Publication by Isabel Kolste. Additional Art, Film, & Photography Credits: Stock media “Memories” provided by mv_production / Pond5 | Logo Stinger: Unsplash.com: Leinstravelier, Logan Moreno Gutierrez, Meggyn Pomerieau, Jaredd Craig, NASA, NOASS, USGS, Sam Carter, Junior REIS, Luka Vovk, Calvin Craig, Mario La Pergola, Timothy Eberly, Priscilla Du Preez, Ismael Paramo, Tingey Injury Law Firm, Dan Cristian Pădureț, Jakob Owens | Wikimedia: Darmouth University Public Domain, Kelvinsong CC0 | Stock media “A stately Story (Stiner02)” provided by lynnepublishing / Pond5

The Gospel of John Week 19 Scripture: John 14:6 - 31. As we continue with more of the evening of Jesus' last day with His disciples, we see Him sharing important teachings with them.     ⁃    that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life     ⁃    that He is the only way to the Father     ⁃    the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate     ⁃    that He's going way for a wile but will come back     ⁃    that they are not to be troubled      ⁃    that they are not to be afraid     ⁃    that He is sharing all of this so that when it happens they will believe. In John 14:26 Jesus tells them, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Pastor shares that the Holy Spirit is a person, not an "it." The Holy Spirit is a living being - not a force - and that the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers. Jesus then tells them, in verse 27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  Pastor shares a personal testimony about the Holy Spirit teaching him the meaning of, "Do not be afraid." Do not be afraid, means don't even imagine the things that cause you fear! The One saying this is the One who loved us enough to die for us, He's the One who endured hell on the cross for our sins and He's the One saying, "don't sweat this!" Can you imagine how much that meant to the disciples that night, but also in the days, months and years afterwards as they came to understand Jesus was risen, ascended, coming back and had given them a mission to carry out.   Jesus is still telling us these same words today, we do not have to live in fear - we are to walk in His peace. In verses 30 - 31 Jesus says, "I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me." The prince of the world is the devil, but Jesus is telling them that the devil has no hold over Him!  Soon they will see Jesus arrested, beaten, crucified and put in a grave. They will be devastated, but Jesus is telling them in advance that HE is in control - not the devil - Jesus says the enemy has NO hold on Him.   He tells them He only does what the Father tells Him (and so He will go to the cross) and Jesus tells them, "My peace I give you, fear not!" for the devil has NO control over me! 1 Corinthians 2:8 says, "None of the rulers of this age understood it (God's wisdom/God's plan for salvation), for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."  Even when it looks like the devil has won - God triumphs! God flips what looks like disaster and turn it into salvation! Today the battle goes on, BUT THE WAR IS WON!!! Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01     ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.      ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most "Gentile/Greek" of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before. Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Sometimes life makes us pause and look inside the “bucket” we've been carrying, filled with all the things we chase, achieve, and hold onto. But as Pastor reminded us this week, it's not really about the bucket at all. It's about what's happening inside of us, what we allow God to fill us with.In John 4, Jesus meets a woman at the well, right where she is; tired, ashamed, and searching. He offers her something no earthly well could give: living water that never runs dry. Just like her, we're invited to stop running to the same empty places and let Jesus fill our hearts with what truly lasts. His grace is big enough for every failure, every restart, and every new beginning. True fulfillment isn't found in what's in our bucket, but in who fills it.Subscribe to Our Channel! New to LifeRock? Click here: liferockchurch.org/get-connectedTo support this ministry and help us reach people in our community. Click here: liferockchurch.org/giveDo you need someone to pray for you? We will pray for you. Click here: liferockchurch.org/online-prayerFollow: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeRockColumbiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/LifeRockChurchX: https://www.x.com/LifeRockChurch

In John and Jamie's hometown, candy has been tainted by needles found after trick or treating last week. Was this the act of an evil monster, some families desperate for attention, or just a major misunderstanding? --For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We've all been there — caught in our mistakes, weighed down by guilt, wondering if grace could really reach us. In John 8:1–11, we meet a woman brought before Jesus, guilty and broken. Yet instead of condemnation, she encounters mercy and forgiveness.In this message, we explore how Jesus responds to our sin, our shame, and our need for redemption. Discover what it means to be fully known, fully loved, and truly forgiven.

In John's vision, Jesus dictates letters to the churches that are relevant for all ages. He shares insights regarding their church life, including warnings, instructions, and promises. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/508/29

What if God is launching a spring in your soul? In John 21, the disciples return to what's familiar after failure, only to encounter Jesus on the shore with a new invitation. In this message, Pastor Jon shares how renewal begins when we release what's familiar, trust God's voice over fear, and rest in His grace. Like Peter, we discover that Jesus doesn't erase our past—He redeems it. The Spring of the Soul begins when we stop striving, start listening, and step forward into the new work God is forming within us.

“Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare, “My Temple will be a house of prayer,” but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’” (Luke 19:45–46 NLT) In our next set of devotions, we’re going to look at ways to “tune up” our spiritual lives—ways to strengthen and mature our relationship with the Lord. And we’re going to start with some early spring cleaning. My wife, Cathe, and I are polar opposites when it comes to cleaning. My approach can be summed up by the procrastinator’s motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow. Cathe’s approach is to constantly clean and organize so that over time, little messes don’t become big ones. Obviously, her approach is the better one. In Luke 19 we find the story of Jesus’ cleaning the house of God as He went into the temple and drove out the moneychangers. These temple merchants were taking advantage of people and keeping them from God, and this angered Jesus. This is the second time in Scripture that Jesus cleaned the temple. In John 2:13–17, we read that He used a whip to drive out the moneychangers. Little messes turn into big messes, so Jesus arrived to clean house again. I believe there is a parallel to our own lives. When we come to Christ initially, we ask for His forgiveness, and He pardons us of all our wrongdoing. In fact, we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT). What a wonderful thing it is to realize that God has forgiven us of all our sin. We are cleansed. But as time passes, sometimes some of our old sins find their way back into our lives. Maybe they start small. But they don’t stay that way. They begin to grow and take up bigger and bigger parts of our life until they become a serious problem. The longer we wait to address them, the harder the cleanup is. That’s why we must frequently examine our lives and deal with what we find instead of trying to excuse it. We must ask God to make us aware of things we may not see. We must also find accountability partners who will lovingly confront us when they see things in our lives that go against our Christian faith. The apostle Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT). The psalmist wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23–24 NLT). Does your temple need cleansing? Are there some things in your life that shouldn’t be there? Are there some vices, some bad habits that have found their way back into your life? If so, deal with them now. Don’t let little messes turn into big ones. Reflection question: What are some little messes that you need to clean up in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Monday, November 3rd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Blind Pakistani Christian man falsely accused of blasphemy against Muhammad Nadeem Masih, a 49-year-old blind Christian in Pakistan, has been arrested and charged with blasphemy against the false prophet Muhammad, punishable by death, reports Morning Star News. Martha Yousaf, his nearly 80-year-old mother, said that Waqas Mazhar, a Muslim man, often harasses her son, sometimes extorting money from him and other times throwing water on him or calling him names. Mazhar, the Muslim, works as a parking contractor in Lahore, where her blind son earns a meager income providing a weighing scale for petty merchants. She said, “Sometimes kindhearted visitors would also give him more money due to his disability, but the park's Muslim workers used to steal it from his pocket.” Some, including Mazhar, had also taken loans of various amounts from the Christian blind man but refused to return the money despite his repeated requests. When Masih went to work on August 21, Mazhar and other mean Muslims refused to let him set up his makeshift stall, roughed him up and took him to the police station where the police, to their shame, mercilessly beat the blind Christian man and forced him to admit to the false blasphemy charge. In John 15:18, 21, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. …  They will treat you this way because of My name, for they do not know the One who sent Me.” Human Rights Watch said, “Blasphemy [against Muhammad] accusations are increasingly weaponized to incite mob violence, displace vulnerable communities, and seize their property with impunity.” Pakistan ranked eighth on Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List of the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians. King Charles III strips Prince Andrew of title and housing Last Thursday, King Charles III made a shock announcement  confirming that he will strip Prince Andrew, his brother, of both his title and his housing at the Royal Lodge, a lavish 30-room property, which sits in close proximity to Windsor Castle, reports the New York Post. In Andrew Lownie's biography Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, he documents that during a taxpayer-funded trip to Thailand, “Andrew had 40 prostitutes brought in the space of four days. This was all enabled by diplomats.” Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Lownie said this about Prince Andrew. LOWNIE: “He's been caught lying time and time again. I suddenly found researching my book, you couldn't take a single thing he said without checking it. And I think the King [Charles III] has realized that he hasn't been telling the truth. And so, the evidence against Andrew is overwhelming.” Plus, Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, claimed in her posthumously-released memoir, Nobody's Girl, that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17, which he has denied. Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out." Democrat Senator John Fetterman: “We have to be better than this!” On Darkins Breaking News, Democratic U.S. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania  took issue with his fellow Democrats for voting to shut down the U.S. government 13 times in a row. FETTERMAN:  “We're a Democrat, we're not allowed to just open this up. I mean, then our party has bigger problems than I thought we might have already. That's not controversial. Pay everybody. It's a failure. “And to all of the viewers, I'm apologizing that we can't even get together and just open up our government.” REPORTER: “[Minority Leader Senator Chuck] Schumer said, ‘This gets better politically every day for Democrats.'  What do you say to that?” FETTERMAN:  “Ask the hungry people on Saturday. Americans are not leverage. This is not some game show about who's winning or whatever. We have to be better than this.” As a result of the Democrats' refusal to fund the government, 41 million Americans, who receive food stamps now, will not receive them starting this past Saturday. Plus, the pleas of the largest federal workers' union fell on deaf ears, reports NBC News. Speaker Johnson contrasts Trump's wins with Democrat clowns Appearing on Sean Hannity's TV talk show, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, provided a contrast between President Trump's successes of delivering tax cuts, a strong border, a reduction in crime and world peace with the Democrats in the U.S. Senate who have voted 13 times to shut down the government. JOHNSON: “What stands out tonight is the stunning contrast of what we're seeing. History is being made. “Here's President Trump showing peace through strength, using his power and position to bring peace to the Middle East. I mean, a truly massive, historic foreign policy achievement, returning hostages, restoring security to Israel, setting a foundation for lasting peace, and reducing taxes on hard-working Americans at the same time and ending the border crisis and ending the crime crisis, and reducing fraud, waste and abuse in government, and now settling international conflicts all around the globe. “Here are the Democrats on Capitol Hill acting like a bunch of clowns. They're trying to lie to the American people. They're trying to play politics with government funding, and real Americans are being harmed. I think there is such a stark contrast. “I'm not sure there has ever been such a stronger contrast between two political parties, the Republican Party is delivering for the American people and the Democrats trying to make a show out of this.” The 13th U.S. Senate vote on October 28th was 54-45, with only three members of the Democratic caucus voting to reopen the government, reports The Hill. They include Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Masto of Nevada, and Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.    It needed 60 votes to advance.  The "60-vote rule" in the Senate refers to the cloture vote needed to end a filibuster, which is a tactic that allows the minority party to delay or block legislation.  Initially, after the first cloture rule was adopted in 1917, ending a filibuster required a two-thirds majority or 67 votes. In 1975, the threshold was reduced to the current 60 votes or three-fifths majority. Trump flirts with nuclear option to end Senate filibuster President Donald Trump has flirted with the idea of the so-called nuclear option which would deep-six the cloture vote altogether, enabling the majority party to pass legislation with a simply majority vote. On TruthSocial last Thursday, he wrote, “It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,' and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW! “WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, country-destroying ‘SHUT DOWN.'”  However, President Trump does not appear to have enough votes from within the Republican caucus to end the filibuster. The Democratic shutdown is animated, in part, by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York's concern that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has a commanding 21 percentage point lead over Schumer in a hypothetical match-up in a Democratic Senatorial primary for 2028, reports Newsweek. This is the second longest government shutdown in American history. The longest one lasted 34 days during the first Trump administration, reports CBS News. 61 Planned Parenthood abortion centers have closed in 2025 And finally, Troy Newman, president of the pro-life group Operation Rescue, had some great news, reports LifeNews.com.  He said, “61 Planned Parenthood locations in total (including referral centers) have shut their doors since our 2024 survey — a record number.” The ripple effect of President Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill is saving lots of babies from abortion. Planned Parenthood was defunded $600 million of taxpayer money for a year which has resulted in these inevitable closures. Speaking of Prophet Jeremiah in the womb, God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”  (Jeremiah 1:5) That divine statement is true of each of us. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, November 3rd, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In John 14:6, Jesus declares, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” This message explores the exclusive claim of Christ against the backdrop of world religions and modern pluralism. Every faith system—Islam, Mormonism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism—offers a different path to salvation, yet Scripture makes clear there is only one way to the Father.Through this passage, we see: Jesus as the Way — the bridge between sinful humanity and a holy God. Jesus as the Truth — the full revelation of who God is and what is real. Jesus as the Life — the only source of spiritual life and eternal assurance.This sermon exposes the insufficiency of man's religion and the finality of Christ's work on the cross. There are not many ways to God—there is one, and His name is Jesus.

In John chapter 5, Jesus makes one of His most astonishing claims — that God is His Father and that He shares in God's divine authority. In this conversation, Pastor Bill Van Kirk hosts Pastors Jack Guerra and Garet Meyer for a rich discussion about how Jesus' words would have been heard by His original audience, what “Son of Man” from Daniel 7 really means, and how the Trinity reveals both unity and distinction within God.They also reflect on why the Nicene Creed — written over 1,600 years ago — remains a vital declaration of faith for the church today.

What do you do when you've prayed… and nothing's changed? When heaven feels silent, the pain is real, and all you have left is a word from Jesus?In John 4, a royal official with power, money, and influence faces the one thing he can't control, his dying child. Desperation drives him 20 miles uphill to find Jesus. And in one sentence, “Go; your son lives,” Jesus teaches him, and us, what faith really looks like when you're standing between pain and promise.This is the story of the Holy Gap: the sacred space between what God said and what you see. It's where faith must walk before it ever sees. It's where obedience becomes your worship, and waiting becomes your witness.In this teaching, you'll discover:How pain becomes the doorway that brings you to Jesus.Why faith matures in the hallway between the Word and the wonder.What it means to believe before you see, and how obedience activates the unseen miracle.The difference between crisis faith, confident faith, and contagious faith.How to walk through your own “Cana to Capernaum”, trusting the Word while waiting for the breakthrough.Faith isn't pretending the pain doesn't hurt, it's trusting that His Word still holds. Because when Jesus speaks, the miracle is already in motion.Come learn how to walk, worship, and wait well in the Holy Gap, between “Go” and “It is done.”

In John 18, we see a series of powerful choices—Peter denies Jesus, Annas seeks control, Pilate shrugs off truth, and the crowd chooses a murderer over the Messiah. Only Jesus chooses rightly, willingly giving Himself to fulfill God's plan. Pastor Wayne Braudrick shows how these moments reveal our own daily choices between pride and surrender. Using passages from John 18 and 1 Peter 4, he reminds us not to act as our own judge of right and wrong but instead to trust God's truth. In a world full of noise and moral confusion, this message calls us to choose Jesus. Because real freedom comes when we let Him lead.

Israel's Future in Bible Prophecy:  A Biblical Exposition   Introduction: The Setting from Luke 21 As we open our Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 21, we find Jesus standing on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem. His disciples marvel at the temple's grandeur, but the Lord turns their attention to far greater matters—the signs of the end times and the destiny of His people.    In Luke 21:20-24, Jesus declares: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”   Here, the Lord Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, a tragic fulfillment of judgment on unbelieving Israel.    Yet, notice the phrase "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." This points beyond that historical event to a future restoration. The "times of the Gentiles" refer to the period when Gentile powers dominate Jerusalem, but it has an end. From this vantage, Jesus shifts in verses 25-28 to cosmic signs and His return:   "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”   Luke 21 sets the stage for our study: Israel's past rebellion, present trials, and glorious future under the Messiah's reign. God's Word promises that though Israel has stumbled, He will lift them up. Let us trace this thread through Scripture, seeing God's unchanging faithfulness to His covenant people. Israel's Past: From Abraham's Call to Repeated Rejection To understand Israel's future, we must first look back to her origins. God did not find Israel as a nation; He created her. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Lord calls Abram, a Gentile idol-worshiper from Ur of the Chaldees:   "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”   Abram—later Abraham—became the father of the Jewish nation through Isaac and Jacob, whom God renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28). This was no accident of history; it was divine election. God promised Abraham an everlasting covenant in Genesis 17:7-8:   "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”   This covenant is unconditional—based on God's promise, not Israel's performance. It includes land, seed, and blessing, and it stands today. God reiterated it to Isaac (Genesis 26:3-4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15), forming the twelve tribes of Israel.   Yet, from the exodus onward, Israel repeatedly rejected her Creator. In the wilderness, they murmured against Moses and God (Exodus 17:3; Numbers 14:1-4). Entering the land, they turned to idols (Judges 2:11-13).    The kings, from Saul to the divided kingdom, led them into idolatry, culminating in Assyrian and Babylonian captivities (2 Kings 17:7-18; 2 Kings 25). Prophets like Jeremiah warned of judgment for covenant unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 3:6-10).   This pattern peaked in the rejection of the Messiah Himself. The Jewish leaders knew the Scriptures foretold His coming. Psalm 22:16-18 vividly describes His crucifixion:  "For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”   Isaiah 53:3-6, 9-12 paints the suffering Servant: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ... And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”   Micah 5:2 pinpointed His birthplace in Bethlehem. Zechariah 9:9 described His humble entry on a donkey. The religious elite studied these texts daily. Yet, when Jesus fulfilled them—born in Bethlehem, riding into Jerusalem on a colt, bearing our sins on Calvary—they rejected Him defiantly, not blindly.   In John 1:11, we read: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." They expected a conquering general to smash Rome, not a suffering Savior (Acts 1:6). But they knew. In Matthew 27:22-25, Pilate asks, "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" The crowd cries, "Let him be crucified." When warned of innocent blood, they shout, "His blood be on us, and on our children." This was open defiance. Peter charges in Acts 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."    And in Acts 7:51-52, Stephen indicts: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.”   Israel's history is one of gracious election met with stubborn rebellion. Yet God, in mercy, preserved a remnant through exile and diaspora, never forsaking His word.   Israel Today: A Tiny Nation Amid Global Hatred and Fleeting Peace Fast-forward to our day. Ethnic Israel—the Jewish people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—numbers about 9.6 million worldwide, with roughly 7.3 million living in the modern State of Israel. This political entity, reestablished in 1948, occupies a land about 8,500 square miles—roughly seven times the size of Rhode Island, yet smaller than many U.S. states, squeezed between vast hostile neighbors. It's a miracle of survival: a people scattered for nearly 2,000 years, regathered to their ancient homeland against all odds.   But today, antisemitism surges like a tidal wave, especially in the United States. Reports show a 21% global rise in incidents in July 2025 alone, with the U.S. seeing nearly 70% of religion-based hate crimes targeting Jews. ADL surveys reveal antisemitism has woven into daily American Jewish life—on campuses, streets, and workplaces—spiking since recent Middle East conflicts. Why this hatred? Scripture unveils the roots.   First, it's divine judgment for rejecting the Messiah. In Matthew 27:25, their cry of "His blood be on us, and on our children" echoes through generations, as Jesus warned in Luke 19:41-44: "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”   This "visitation" was Christ, spurned. Zechariah 12:2-3 prophesies nations gathering against Jerusalem like a "burdensome stone," a future reality foreshadowed today.   Second, Satan fuels this enmity. As the father of lies (John 8:44), he hates Israel because through her seed comes the woman's offspring who crushes his head (Genesis 3:15). Revelation 12:13 depicts the dragon (Satan) pursuing the woman (Israel):    "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child." Satan knows Israel's role in God's redemptive plan—birthplace of the Church, guardian of Scripture, and future throne for Messiah.   Why does God allow this? To humble His people, drive them to repentance, and fulfill prophecy. Deuteronomy 28:15, 64 warns of curses for disobedience:  "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. ... And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.”   Yet, this scattering has an end. God uses hatred to refine Israel, as Hosea 5:15 states: "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”   Amid this, Israel boasts more peace initiatives than any nation. The Abraham Accords under President Trump in 2020 normalized ties with Arab states, and in 2025, Trump unveiled a bold 20-point Gaza peace plan, signed in its first phase, aiming for enduring prosperity without forced displacements.    Trump's "peace through strength" approach—bolstered by U.S. resolve—has invitations from leaders like Egypt's el-Sisi for regional summits. Noble as these are, Scripture warns they are fragile. Daniel 9:27 foretells a future "prince that shall come" (the Antichrist) who "shall confirm the covenant with many for one week"—a seven-year peace deal with Israel, only to break it midway: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”   No human accord can thwart God's timeline. These deals set the stage for the ultimate betrayal.     We must distinguish: Ethnic Israel is God's covenant people, the physical descendants of Abraham (Romans 9:4-5).    Political Israel is the modern state—a vessel for prophecy, but not the full spiritual fulfillment yet.  God preserves the nation, but salvation comes to individuals who repent.   God Is Not Done with Israel: Insights from Romans 9-10 Turn to Romans 9-10, where Paul, a Jew of Jews, wrestles with his people's unbelief. He affirms God's irrevocable gifts in Romans 11:29: "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." But chapters 9-10 explain the tension.   In Romans 9:1-5, Paul's anguish pours out: "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”   Israel has every advantage—covenants, law, promises—yet many reject Christ. Paul explains in Romans 9:30-33: "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”   Their zeal without knowledge (Romans 10:2) led to defiance.    Yet God hardens whom He will (Romans 9:18), not arbitrarily, but to fulfill mercy on both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 11:11-12, 25-27): "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? ... For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”   "All Israel shall be saved"—a national turning to Messiah at His return. Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20-21 and 27:9, confirming future restoration.     Beware of replacement theology, the dangerous error claiming the Church has permanently supplanted Israel in God's plan. It twists Romans 11 to say the "olive tree" is only the Church, erasing Israel's distinct promises. This denies the land covenant (Genesis 15:18), ignores prophecies like Ezekiel 37's dry bones reviving as a nation, and contradicts Paul's plea in Romans 10:1: "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."    This desire points future, not past. God has two programs: one for the Church (the body of Christ, Jew and Gentile in one, Ephesians 2:14-16), and one for national Israel. To merge them robs God of His faithfulness and fuels antisemitism by devaluing the Jewish people. Though Israel has defied Him—from golden calf to crucifying the King—God loves His covenant people. Jeremiah 31:3 whispers: "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."    He cannot break covenant; Numbers 23:19 assures: "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”   Israel's Future: Tribulation, Invasion, and Glorious Restoration The road ahead is stormy, but victory dawns. Zechariah 12:10 promises: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”   The Great Tribulation: Judgment and Awakening The Tribulation—a seven-year period of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7)—brings global wrath, but especially on Israel. Why? First, to judge unbelieving Jews and the world for sin. Revelation 6-19 details seals, trumpets, and bowls of judgment. Second, to break Israel's defiance, as Zechariah 13:8-9 foretells:  "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”   Third, to prepare earth for Christ's return in Revelation 19:11-16, where He treads the winepress of wrath: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ... And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”   During this horror, Israel becomes a focal point—and unwilling host to the world. Revelation 12:6 describes: "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." Multitudes flee to Israel seeking refuge, only to face Antichrist's fury. Yet, salvation breaks through. God seals 144,000 Jewish evangelists from the tribes (Revelation 7:4-8)—12,000 from each—to proclaim the Gospel worldwide.    Two witnesses in Jerusalem, empowered, most likely Moses and Elijah, prophesy for 1,260 days, calling fire from heaven and striking with plagues (Revelation 11:3-6): "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. ... And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” Their ministry awakens thousands. When slain, God resurrects them before a watching world (Revelation 11:7-12). Many Jews repent, fulfilling Romans 11:26. As Antichrist's abomination desecrates the temple (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15), believing Jews flee to Petra (Bozrah), the rose-red city of Edom. Jesus urged in Matthew 24:15-21:  "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: ... For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”   God supernaturally protects them there for 1,260 days (Revelation 12:14), as Micah 2:12 gathers a remnant to "Mizpah"—a stronghold.   The Ezekiel 38-39 Invasion: Gog's Futile Assault Before or early in the Tribulation, a massive coalition attacks a seemingly secure Israel. Ezekiel 38:1-6, 8-9, 14-16 describes: "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. ... After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. ... Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.”   Gog (a title, perhaps Russia's leader) leads Magog (Russia), Persia (Iran), Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer (Turkey), and Togarmah. They invade for spoil, when Israel dwells "safely"—perhaps post-peace deal. God allows it to reveal His holiness (Ezekiel 38:16, 23).  But He intervenes supernaturally in Ezekiel 38:18-23; 39:1-6: "And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD. ... Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.”   Birds and beasts feast on the dead (Ezekiel 39:17-20), and it takes seven months to bury them (39:12).  God uses this to turn Israel to Him (39:21-22, 29): "And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward. ... Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.”   The Antichrist's Treachery and Christ's Victorious Return The Antichrist emerges as a false peace-broker, confirming that seven-year covenant (Daniel 9:27). But midway, he betrays: halting sacrifices, setting up his image in the temple (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4): "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”   He persecutes Jews savagely (Daniel 7:25: "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High"), demanding worship (Revelation 13:15).   But Christ returns! In Revelation 19:19-21: "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”   He binds Satan (Revelation 20:1-3) and crushes Israel's foes at Armageddon (Zechariah 14:1-4, 9): "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. ... And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”   The Millennial Restoration: Blessing Beyond Eden With enemies vanquished, Christ establishes His 1,000-year kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6). Israel, at last, fulfills her calling as head of nations (Isaiah 2:2-3). Zechariah 8:1-3, 7-8, 12-13 paints the joy: "Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. ... Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. ... For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.”   The desert blooms (Isaiah 35:1-2: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing").    En-Gedi's shores overflow with fish (Ezekiel 47:8-10): "Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.”   Israel becomes the world's economic powerhouse, exporting blessings (Zechariah 8:13). Nations stream to Jerusalem for instruction (Micah 4:1-2). The wolf dwells with the lamb (Isaiah 11:6-9), pre-Edenic harmony restored.   Beyond the Millennium, after final rebellion and judgment (Revelation 20:7-15), God creates new heavens and earth (Revelation 21:1-4; Isaiah 65:17; 66:22). No more curse—eternal joy, with redeemed Israel and Church worshiping the Lamb forever.   Beloved, Israel's story is God's story: rebellion met with grace. Though they defied Him, He pursues with everlasting love. As Luke 21 urges, when signs unfold, "look up"—redemption draws near. May we, like Paul, pray for Israel's salvation, standing firm on God's unbreakable Word. Amen.

In this sermon, we are reminded that Jesus shows up with kindness in the midst of our suffering. In John 11:17–44, He arrives at Lazarus's tomb, and He doesn't stand at a distance from our suffering—He steps into it. Jesus listens to Martha's frustration without rebuke, meets Mary's tears with His own, and enters the tomb of death to bring life. His delay was not indifference but intentional love, revealing that His kindness is not measured by how quickly He fixes our pain but by how He joins us in it. Jesus weeps before He works, showing that the heart of God is not cold toward our sorrow but deeply moved by it. When Jesus shows up, He doesn't just change our circumstances—He restores our hope.

Jesus scandalized his audience by declaring, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." This shocking imagery points to a spiritual reality: salvation comes only through feeding on Christ by faith. In John 6:51-59, we explore what it means to truly feast on Jesus. The religious leaders stumbled over Christ's offensive language, unable to grasp that eternal life requires more than intellectual assent: it demands living union with the Savior. Jesus deliberately intensifies the offense, insisting that his flesh is "true food" and his blood is "true drink." To feed on Christ means to trust wholly in his atoning sacrifice, to abide in him daily, and to find our spiritual sustenance in him alone. This is not mere theological knowledge because even demons possess that. True faith produces transformation: changed desires, renewed priorities, and lives increasingly conformed to Christ. There is no other bread that satisfies the soul's deepest hunger. Christ alone is the living bread from heaven, and all who feed on him will live forever.

In John 3:27–30, we hear one of the most humbling and freeing declarations in all of Scripture: "He must increase, but I must decrease." John the Baptist's words reveal the heart of a true servant of God, someone who knows his role, understands his purpose, and finds joy in stepping aside so that Christ can be seen more clearly. This passage calls us to examine our own hearts. Are we more concerned with being noticed than being faithful? Do we celebrate when others are elevated, or do we feel threatened? John's response shows us what it means to live with spiritual maturity, humility, and contentment in God's plan. This message reminds us that true greatness in the Kingdom isn't about gaining more it's about giving glory where it belongs. When Jesus increases in our lives, everything else finds its right place.

In John 11, Jesus receives word that His close friend Lazarus is gravely ill, yet He delays going to him, saying the illness is for God's glory. When Jesus finally arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has already been dead for four days. Despite the grief of Martha and Mary, Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life,” affirming that those who believe in Him will never truly die. Moved by compassion, Jesus weeps at Lazarus's tomb and then raises him from the dead, demonstrating His divine power. Many who witnessed this miracle believe in Him, but others report it to the Pharisees, prompting the religious leaders to plot His death. Caiaphas, the high priest, unknowingly prophesies that Jesus would die not just for the nation, but to gather God's scattered children into one people.

It seems like many people don't think of themselves as a leader because they don't hold a position that identifies them as a leader. So, when they hear messages on how to be a better leader, they figure it doesn't apply to them. But you know, the truth is we are all leaders in some way or another. Some of us are the up-front obvious types who lead groups of people. Others are quiet leaders, who influence and persuade others behind the scenes. And believe me, there is someone in your life right now who looks at you as a leader. So, whatever form of leadership you may have, this message on the leadership qualities of our Lord will apply to you. Why was Jesus such a great leader? Here are some reasons: Jesus was a great leader because he fulfilled his boss's expectations. Jesus kept in close contact with his Father. He said again and again that he always did what pleased his Father and spoke what the Father taught him. In John 7:18, Jesus said, Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. When is the last time you checked with your boss to see if you're working to his or her satisfaction? Do you spend enough time with your boss to understand his or her priorities, so you are doing things that please your boss? It really is your job to make sure you've got the marching orders right. And besides, it is simply smart to take initiative of letting your boss know you need and appreciate his or her feedback. Maybe you're thinking: You don't know my boss, Mary. It's impossible to communicate with him or her. Well, that may or may not be true, but you should do everything you can to improve that communication. Many times, we excuse our own lack of effort by saying "He never listens to me" or "I can't get any feedback from her," or "This company doesn't care what I think!” Pray about it and ask God to give you some creative ways to improve communication with your boss. That's the mark of a good worker and a good leader; certainly, Jesus was careful to stay in close contact with the One who had sent him. In any business or organization, the ultimate boss is the customer. Ed Koch was a mayor of New York famous for walking the streets of his city, stopping people, and asking them, "How am I doing?" He recognized he reported to the people who had elected him, and he wanted to please them if possible. Who is your customer? You may think I don't have customers; my company does. Or I don't have customers; I work at home. But I would ask you to re-think that response. Everybody has customers! Here's why: Your customer is the person who creates the need for your job. If they didn't exist or didn't have certain needs, your job would be unnecessary. Think about it and clearly identify your own personal customers. Those are the people you need to please. Your customer probably falls into several categories—internal and external, above and below you, business and personal. People outside and inside your organization who depend on you for help, information, service, etc. Even those who are not employed have customers. For moms your customers are your family members; they certainly create the need for your job. So, in a real sense, we all work for our customers. Therefore, we should be very attentive to their needs and requests, since they are critical people in our lives and livelihood. But more importantly, we should want to please them out of a desire to do things right, just as Jesus wanted to please his Father. So, Jesus was a great leader because he gave careful attention to his boss, the Father, and did what the Father wanted him to do. Another reason Jesus was such an outstanding leader is he knew what his mission was, he stayed focused, and he didn't try to jump through the expectation hoops of others. Do you remember when the disciples told Jesus the whole town was waiting to hear him sp...

In John 1:29–34, John the Baptist declares Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” But why would the sinless Son of God step into the waters of baptism meant for repentance? In this episode, we uncover the deeper meaning behind Jesus' baptism—how it marked the beginning of His ministry, revealed His divine identity, and demonstrated the perfect example of humility and obedience. Tune in to be encouraged and reminded that every act of Jesus carried eternal purpose—even this one.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DONATE: https://evidence4faith.org/give/ WEBSITE: https://evidence4faith.org/NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/hpazV5BOOKINGS: https://evidence4faith.org/bookings/CONTACT: Evidence 4 Faith, 349 Knights Ave Kewaskum WI 53040 , info@evidence4faith.orgMy goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. - Colossians 2:2-3CREDITS: Developed & Hosted by Michael Lane. Produced & Edited by Isabel Kolste. Graphics & Publication by Isabel Kolste. Additional Art, Film, & Photography Credits: Stock media “Memories” provided by mv_production / Pond5 | Logo Stinger: Unsplash.com: Leinstravelier, Logan Moreno Gutierrez, Meggyn Pomerieau, Jaredd Craig, NASA, NOASS, USGS, Sam Carter, Junior REIS, Luka Vovk, Calvin Craig, Mario La Pergola, Timothy Eberly, Priscilla Du Preez, Ismael Paramo, Tingey Injury Law Firm, Dan Cristian Pădureț, Jakob Owens | Wikimedia: Darmouth University Public Domain, Kelvinsong CC0 | Stock media “A stately Story (Stiner02)” provided by lynnepublishing / Pond5

Daily Dose of Hope October 31, 2025 Scripture – John 13:18-38 Prayer: Abba Father, We come to you today, grateful for your love and care in our lives. Thank you for your presence and your peace. Help us to gather our scattered thoughts and set aside distractions so we can focus on what you have for us today. In the next few moments of silence, Lord, help me be still and know that you are God...We give you all the glory, Lord Almighty. Amen. Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan. As most of you know, we have been going through the Gospels and Acts. Today, we finish up John 13. In John's Gospel, there is an extended text about Jesus predicting Judas' betrayal. When asked who will be the one to betray him, Jesus says the one he dips the bread and offers it to. Jesus then dips the bread and gives it to Judas. He tells Judas to do what he is going to do and do it quickly. I often wondered why the disciples didn't notice this interaction more. They seem someone oblivious and lost in their own thoughts. Maybe they each wondered if they could be the one to betray their Master? John writes of a point in which Judas allows Satan to enter him. He had previously been influenced by Satan but now he has allowed the devil to have his way with him. At first, he opened the door a little. Then, he just opened the door wide. The devil had been feeding him lies, and Judas started believing them, totally and completely. The devil tempted him with money, and Judas found 30 pieces of silver more valuable than the God. Jesus told Judas that joy was to be found in sacrificially serving others, but Judas believed that Satan's way of putting self first was better. We recently went to a clergy training on deliverance, led by Pete Bellini, a professor at United Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. It was absolutely incredible and I would highly recommend Dr. Bellini's books. But one of the things that Dr. Bellini said was that we as Christ-followers cannot be possessed by Satan. We belong to Jesus so we can never totally belong to Satan. But we can become oppressed. We can open the door to the demonic through various means, i.e. porn use, messing with occult-related activities, and when we do so, demons can attach themselves to us. Satan can oppress certain parts of us. We may not even be aware of it. That is when deliverance is necessary. So, was Judas possessed or oppressed? Did he know Jesus? Did he believe? I don't know if we will ever know this side of heaven. Most of the scholars I read said they thought he was totally possessed by Satan at the end. Who knows? I would love your thoughts. Let's move on in our passage. Verses 34 and 35 are really incredible, A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." It's as if, in two sentences, Jesus has summarized all his teachings to his disciples. And they aren't easy because they center on how we love one another. If we were to take these verses and look at church history, we would wonder if we were looking at the same faith. Christian history has done horrific things in Jesus' name. I think he must weep and mourn at this. Everything Jesus did was about teaching others to love and serve each other. And somehow, this got terribly corrupted. As we keep reading, Peter makes a very bold, ambitious claim that even if everyone else fell away and disappeared, he would not. Jesus doesn't mince words. He tells Peter that he will betray Jesus three times by that night (or as the text says, by the time the rooster crows two times). But Peter, and all the others, insist that they will follow Jesus even until death. I've thought about this a lot. At this time, the disciples still don't understand Jesus' ministry or purpose. They think they will follow him no matter what but we know what happens. They all scatter once Jesus is arrested. Peter does deny him three times in just a few short hours, consumed with fear for his own safety. When push came to shove, they weren't quite as invested in Jesus' mission as they thought. But then things changed. After the resurrection, the disciples were changed in fundamental ways. Peter, who was initially impulsive and fearful, becomes strong and bold, a superb leader in the early church. After experiencing both the risen Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit, their whole outlook on life is transformed. And all of them, except for John, are martyred for the Gospel. They do end up following Jesus to their own earthly death, just not in the timing they expected. I've asked this question before but it's worth repeating - would you follow Jesus to the point of giving up your life? If you were being tortured and persecuted for your faith, would you stay faithful to Jesus or would you give in to the pressure and deny Christ? It is not outside the realm of possibility that such a situation could exist for us. Afterall, it does exist for Christians all over the world. Reflect on this and spend some time in prayer. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Have you ever had a discussion that baffled both of you? In John 3, Nicodemus wasn't tracking at all with what Christ was saying about going through the birth process a second time - or something. And Jesus was floored by Nick's ignorance: "How can the teacher of Israel not have a grasp of the basics?" That's a difficult conversation. So the Lord simplified His lesson with a picture - a picture that even a professor of religion could understand. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10302025_0.mp3Scripture References: John 3:16

Have you ever felt like Bible study is just out of reach? Maybe you've told yourself you're not smart enough, you're too busy, or you've failed too many times before to try again.In John 17:17, Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” His Word is not meant to weigh us down with guilt—it's meant to lift us up in freedom.In this episode, we'll uncover 3 common lies that keep us from Bible study and the truth that sets us free.Here's what you'll hear in this week's episode:Why Bible study isn't for the spiritually elite, it's for the spiritually hungryHow even five minutes in Scripture can shape your day in powerful waysWhy failure doesn't disqualify you, and how God's mercy meets you every single time you open His WordReflection questions to help you identify which lie has been whispering in your ear and the truth you need to cling toGrab your FREE Step By Step Starter KitThis week's study guide, plus everything you need to follow along through December, is inside! You'll get:A two-video masterclass teaching you how to study one verse, one word at a timeA quick-reference sheet for the Step By Step methodA printable blank study sheet to use over and overCompanion study guides for every fall episodeGet your free Starter Kit here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/LpSQB9mListener SurveyHelp shape what's ahead on the podcast! Take the short survey here: https://forms.gle/ke4VJ1qJTRLkZzzF7Verse of the Week:Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17, NASB1995)Connect with Angie and Steady On: http://www.livesteadyon.com/Theme Music: Glimmer by Andy Ellison

Jesus Tells Us that “Eternal Life” Begins Immediately Upon Receipt of the Holy Spirit, Even Before Your “Physical Death” MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Jesus has promised “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16b). In John 5:24, Jesus tells you that when you receive the Spirit during your earthly life, your eternal life has begun in your earthly life even before your physical death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”. Also, in John 6:40, Jesus promises: “this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”. What is eternal life? In John 17:2b-3, Jesus defines eternal life: “since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”. Therefore, eternal life is the ability to know God and to have an intimate personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe. When you come into your belief in Jesus and confess your sins to God, then Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Spirit; and you begin your new life and service in His kingdom. Also, remember that when you receive the Spirit, your eternal life has begun even before your physical death.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, Nothing compares with knowing Jesus. (Phil. 3:7). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 6:40; John 5:24; John 17:2b-3; Psalms 72a:1-10. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 7: A Listening Spirit”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

In John chapter 10, we come to Jesus' greatest exposition of His Shepherdly ministry. Discover how Jesus is the True Shepherd who knows His sheep and calls them by name, in contrast with the false shepherds of His time. Reverend Eric Alexander invites us to enter the fold through Him who is the Gate on Hear the Word of God. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/581/29

In John 17, Jesus casts a vision for his people as both sent into the world and set apart from it. Following Jesus is supposed to make us different from the surrounding world, but too often we aren't. The most important thing we can do to pass the faith on to the next generation is just to really be the church.  If you prefer to listen, stream, and/or watch, join us and subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kingwoodmethodist

In John 17, Jesus casts a vision for his people as both sent into the world and set apart from it. Following Jesus is supposed to make us different from the surrounding world, but too often we aren't. The most important thing we can do to pass the faith on to the next generation is just to really be the church.  If you prefer to listen, stream, and/or watch, join us and subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kingwoodmethodist

Love Lives Here – Week 8The Fear of Inadequacy (John 15:1–5)The fear of inadequacy tells us we will never be enough to do anything that truly matters. But when Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches,” His perfect love answers, “I am enough in you.” In John 15, we see that His pruning prepares our growth, His presence produces our strength, and His power bears lasting fruit. When we abide in Him and believe we are fully accepted and fully loved, we find that our adequacy comes not from our ability, but from His life at work within us.

In John 13, Jesus kneels to wash His disciples' feet, showing that true greatness is found in humble service. This message explores what it means to move from knowing to doing, from belief to embodiment. When we follow the example of Jesus, we discover that blessing flows through participation, not just understanding.Join Christ Community Church in Ardmore as we reflect on servant leadership, embodied love, and the peace that comes when we serve others in the rhythm of Christ.If you've ever wondered how to bring your faith into everyday moments—your kitchen, your job, your classroom—this message will guide you toward the kind of love that takes on flesh and blesses others.Scripture: John 13:12-17 Message Theme: Servant leadership, humility, embodied love, blessing through doingVisit us online: https://ardmoreccc.comFollow Christ Community Church: https://facebook.com/ardmoreccc https://youtube.com/@ardmoreccc https://instagram.com/ardmoreccc#ardmorechurch #churchinardmore

Gwilym Davies - Shouldn't love simply embrace people where they are? Yet, God's love is so much more than just affirmation. In John 3:16, we see the depth of his love for the world. He didn't love us with mere words, but through action: God's love is a Son-giving love — He gave his only Son for us. God's love is a life-giving love — Through Christ, we are offered eternal life. In the end, God's love isn't just about meeting us where we are; it's about offering something far greater: a new life in Jesus.

John 11:1-16 / In this sermon, we find Jesus receiving news that his dear friend Lazarus is gravely ill. Though the need seems urgent, Christ delays His journey—not from neglect, but for the sake of his divine purposes. In these verses we see the heart of our Savior: fully aware, deeply loving, and perfectly intentional. He knows every detail of our lives, even when we feel forgotten. What seems like absence, distance or delay is often just the setup for a greater story. In John 11 we find Jesus, as our friend, working all things according to a plan far higher and holier than our own.

In John 3:11–21, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that true life and understanding come only through being born again by the Spirit. He reveals that God's love for the world is so great that He sent His only Son Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it through faith in Him. Those who believe step into the light and find new life—Believe and Be Reborn!

On Reformation Sunday, we remember that nothing must stand in the way of the Gospel. In John 6, Jesus declares, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry,” reminding us that He alone is the Bread of Life—our source, our hope, our unity. In Romans 1, Paul proclaims that he is “set apart for the Gospel of God” and unashamed of its power to save. Unity isn't just about getting along—its about moving forward together. We are bound together by the mission of Jesus to bring His good news of salvation to all people. As the Reformers boldly stood for truth, we too are called to rise with one voice, one heart, and one soul—united in the Gospel that brings life to the world. 

On Reformation Sunday, we remember that nothing must stand in the way of the Gospel. In John 6, Jesus declares, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry,” reminding us that He alone is the Bread of Life—our source, our hope, our unity. In Romans 1, Paul proclaims that he is “set apart for the Gospel of God” and unashamed of its power to save. Unity isn't just about getting along—it's about moving forward together. We are bound together by the mission of Jesus to bring His good news of salvation to all people. As the Reformers boldly stood for truth, we too are called to rise with one voice, one heart, and one soul—united in the Gospel that brings life to the world. 

This week we celebrated the Reformation as part of our service. The result of the Reformation was a renewed emphasis on the freedom we have in Christ. In John 8, we hear Jesus talk about that freedom. He tells us when we hold to his teaching, we know the truth, and the truth will set us free.

Join us as we worship the Lord and continue our journey through the Gospel of John! In John 10 Jesus declares, "I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11). He desires to lead us into green pasture, beside still water, and restore our souls! He truly has come to bring us into “ABUNDANT LIFE" (John 10:10). A life where we are content and flourishing in the inward man. The Shepherd calls us by name and we know His voice (John 10:3). There are so many powerful truths in this section of John!

This Sunday, Pastor Daniel continued our Breath of God series with a message called “Never Alone.” In John 14–16, Jesus promises that after He leaves, the Holy Spirit will come to be our Helper, Advocate, and Friend. The Spirit doesn't just visit us—He lives within us, guiding us to think, feel, and live rightly. Sent ChurchWeAreSent.church

I don't know about you, but I find I can easily make commitments. I can decide I really want to do something and set my mind to do it. But if I don't have a plan as to how it gets done, it just remains good intentions that usually don't become reality. So, what I'm hoping is that you will not only be inspired to reflect Christ more on your job, but you'll have some specific actions that will make a difference in your life and in your workplace. So, here's my fourth suggestion (view part one for the first three suggestions) as to how we can more perfectly reflect Christ on our jobs: Be Transparent and Vulnerable Jesus gave us clear instructions as to how we are to live as Christ-followers in our worlds. In Matthew 5:14-16 we read from his sermon on the mount: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. In other words, we're not called to be undercover Christians. Even in our post-Christian culture, Jesus' challenge does not change. We are not to hide our lamp—our witness—as Christ-followers, and that includes on our jobs. The challenge we face is how to do that naturally, organically, and not in an unnecessarily offensive way. Someone has said that too often we Christians are more interested in giving out the right news instead of the good news. We believe we're right, based on God's Word, and we never compromise those beliefs. But we do it through being real, not with a know-it-all attitude or arrogance of any kind. You and I must be approachable, real, and transparent in the way we live if we ever hope to have influence in our world today. If you project a plastic image to those around you, an image of “I've got this all figured out, and my life is always together,” then who can ever relate to you? Let me ask you: Do you fake happiness even when you are sad about something? Do you share personal struggles and concerns with coworkers appropriately? Can you and do you naturally talk about how God has helped you through hard times, how he has answered your prayers? Are you willing to be vulnerable, admit your mistakes, or talk about your struggles? Or are you trying not to show a trace of doubt or misgivings or let anyone see the pain in your life? If so, you are putting up a barrier between you and others, and they just don't know how to relate to someone who seems to always be in control! Living a transparent and authentic life means being yourself, without any pretensions. There was a woman who worked for me many years ago who was just always perfect. She was vocal about her faith, but she was also vocal about how perfectly she did her job. She subtly would let everyone else know they should be like her and do their work like she did. Now, she was an excellent worker, but she made everyone else in the department uncomfortable by her perfectionist demeanor. I often wondered what she was like at home with her husband. And I noticed that she really had no connections in our office; she worked in an isolated atmosphere. That's never going to be an effective way to reflect Christ. So, one powerful way you and I can reflect Christ—be like Jesus—in our workplaces is to be transparent, inviting, and willing to share our lives, the good and the bad, with others. Reflect Christ by Developing the Fruit of the Spirit I come to the fifth suggestion for reflecting Christ on your job, and it is to consistently display the fruit of God's Spirit in your life. Honestly, this is an impossible assignment until and unless you become intentional about bearing much fruit. In John 15:8 Jesus said, This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

It's Wednesday, October 22nd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Columbian pastor threatened to leave community Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports a pastor in Colombia is under threat of forced displacement.  Pastor Aristides Chocue has worked with the Nasa Evangelical Christian Church in the southwestern part of the country since 2022. Now, an indigenous council is ordering him to leave the community with his family or face punishment.  Despite threats of violence, the pastor said, “I am not afraid. The church tells me to continue, not to leave them. I plan to continue working and trusting in God.” The South American nation is ranked 46th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most difficult countries to be a Christian.  2 Timothy 3:10-12 says, “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings … which persecutions I endured; yet from them all, the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Trump threatens Columbia with tariffs over illegal drugs Speaking of Colombia, U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would raise tariffs on the country and cancel subsidies.  President Trump accused Colombia of being complicit in the illicit drug trade, calling their president “an illegal drug leader.” This continues tensions between the U.S. and Latin American countries over the drug trade. President Trump has ordered multiple strikes on alleged drug boats coming from Colombia's neighbor, Venezuela.  Uruguay first Latin American country to legalize euthanasia In other South American news, Uruguay became the first Latin American country to legalize euthanasia by parliamentary vote last Wednesday.  President Yamandú Orsi, a left-wing leader, promised to sign the bill. Colombia and Ecuador have already decriminalized euthanasia through Supreme Court decision. And Chile's left-wing president is also pushing for the legalization of this form of killing.  Canadian doctors killed 90,000 patients through legalized euthanasia In North America, euthanasia deaths in Canada rose to about 16,500 last year. That's 5% of all deaths in the country.  Canadian doctors have killed nearly 90,000 people since the country legalized euthanasia in 2016. In many cases, the reason given for the assisted suicide was simply “frailty.”  Planned Parenthood closes 7 California killing centers In the United States, Planned Parenthood announced it is closing seven locations in California.  The abortion giant has announced the closure of 50 locations across America so far this year.  The closures come as Republicans push for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. For example, President Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” defunds the abortion giant for a year. Bible sales up 36% following Charlie Kirk's assassination Following the tragic murder of Christian activist Charlie Kirk last month, Bible sales have surged. In September, 2.4 million Bibles were sold, up 36% compared to the same month last year. Interest in the Bible rose especially among the 18-to-34-year-old demographic, the age group that Kirk often engaged with on college campuses.  His widow, Erika Kirk, commented on this spiritual awakening during her speech at his memorial service in Phoenix, Arizona last month.  Listen. ERIKA KIRK: “This past week, we saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade. We saw people pray for the first time since they were children. We saw people go to a church service for the first time in their entire lives.” (applause) The late Susannah Spurgeon sent 200,000 Christian books to needy pastors And finally, today is the anniversary of the death of Susannah Spurgeon.  Susannah was born on January 15, 1832 and died on October 22, 1903. In 1856, she married the prominent English Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. They were married for 36 years until Charles' death in 1892.  The couple had twin sons -- Charles Jr. and Thomas in 1857, both of whom grew up to preach the Gospel. By the late 1860s though, Susannah became chronically ill. Nevertheless, she continued her steadfast support for her husband's ministry. Susannah also started a Book Fund ministry for needy pastors, sending out over 200,000 volumes by the time of her death.   Susannah's great-great-granddaughter, Susie Spurgeon Cochrane, wrote of her, “When there were good times, she gave [God] the praise, and when there were trials, she fell on her knees before Him. Again and again she went to the Fountain of Living Water and drank deeply from it. Then, and only then, was she able to do all that she did in her life.” In John 7:37-38, Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Read more about the life and legacy of this remarkable woman in the biography entitled Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon. Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, October 22nd, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

What did Jesus write in the sand. In John's gospel There's a mysterious moment where Jesus bends down and writes something in the sand. The Bible never tells us exactly what He wrote… but over the centuries, people have wondered and speculated. In this video, we'll explore the different theories, and also the powerful message for us as Christians from John 8.

Willie and Al get mixed up with the TSA when traveling at the same airport, while Jase gets caught creeping around Willie's house by the security guy. Jase manages to work out a deal for access anytime he wants. In John 18, the guys follow Jesus from the garden to Israel's high priests and the cup of wrath poured out during Jesus' death. Zach and Jase study the comparisons of Jesus to both a roaring lion and an innocent lamb.  In this episode: John 18, verse 11; John 11, verses 49–52; Isaiah 11, verses 1–6; Revelation 5, verses 5–6; Psalm 2, verse 1; Romans 5, verses 6–17; Romans 7, verse 24; Romans 8, verse 13; Ephesians 4, verses 11–24; Hebrews 2, verses 9–14; Hebrews 9, verse 12; Hebrews 10, verse 35; 1 Peter 3, verse 21; Colossians 1, verse 21 “Unashamed” Episode 1186 is sponsored by: Stand firm for values that matter. Join the fight & give today at https://www.frc.org/unashamed https://myphdweightloss.com — Find out how Al is finally losing weight! Schedule your one-on-one consultation today by visiting the website or calling 864-644-1900 Kimchi One from Brightcore – Improve your health, improve your life. Get 25% Off with code: UNASHAMED at https://mybrightcore.com/unashamed or dial (888) 404-9677 for up to 50% OFF and Free Shipping – ONLY when you call! https://tomorrowclubs.org/unashamed — Join us to bring Christ-centered discipleship to 40 more villages & 5,000 more kids in Africa by the end of the year. https://duckstamp.com/unashamed — Get your all-new digital duck stamp today. It's easier than ever! ONE NIGHT ONLY! “Off School Property" hits theaters October 23. Get tickets and watch an exclusive sneak peek: https://lifewise.org/unashamed http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://open.spotify.com/show/3LY8eJ4ZBZHmsImGoDNK2l Chapters:  00:00-8:29 Jase's Top 5 Questions To Ask in Heaven 08:30-19:21 How To Be Transformed By The Spirit 19:22-26:42 “Nice” Jesus vs. “Scary” Jesus 26:43-36:25 The Wolf & The Lamb  36:26-47:36 The Cup of Wrath Poured Out 47:37-54:43 We Reign in Life & Death — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices