Podcasts about in paul

In Paul's letter to Corinth he explains why just because something is permitted  doesn't mean that you should flaunt that freedom around those who might think it un-Godly. Don't ruin your credibility as a witness for Christ.Frank Spalding and the preaching team at Lincoln Hills Christian Church welcomes all those seeking to know more about the Real Jesus and how to be an active disciple.

Ever feel like you have to earn your place with God? Scripture says otherwise.This week we discover that, in Christ, we are adopted...wanted, named, and given full rights as sons and daughters. In Paul's world, adoption meant a new family name and secure inheritance; in God's family it means freedom from fear. The Spirit Himself whispers “Abba” to our hearts, silencing the old orphan reflexes of performing, hiding, and comparing. Today is identity before activity: receive the Father's welcome, declare who you are in Christ, and live like secure family who can boldly love and invite others to the table.

Message Title (s): 1. Party In Your Box Pt 1. 2. Doubtful Things, 3. Weak Faith, 4. Differing Opinions Text: Romans 14 vs 1-13 1. The Blessed Apostle Paul continued his discourse on imperatives (commands to the saved). 2. He is going to speak to the matter of Christian conscience and freedom in the light of the gospel. 3. He will speak to the matter of what we approve and do not approve of as things that could cause a brother/sister in Christ to stumble and yet are not important things. 4. He called such things, the doubtful things or things of differing Opinions (NET). 5. And many, unfortunately create righteousness of their judgment of things that are doubtful, things of opinion. In Paul's context, it was about meats, and the observation of days, but the issues ARE/WERE NOT CONFINED TO SUCH ALONE. 6. And the Apostle said-the one of weak faith should not judge a brother/sister of strong faith and vice versa, because both of them are not qualified to judge each other. God was able and is HE alone who causes a sinner to stand-both of weak and strong faith. 7. Judgment should be left to Christ, who was appointed to it and of whom we shall all be see for the same. 8. This is going to be a series of messages that will carry the heading-PARTY IN YOUR BOX and this is part 1-the proper exercise of Christian freedom. AND THIS IS FREE!

Rosh HaShanah begins at sundown on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 and ends on Wednesday Sept. 24 2025. This begin the Jewish year 5786According to traditional Jewish thinking, this holiday honors the creation of mankind by Elohim. The Mishnah (earlier part of the Talmud) refers to Rosh Hashanah as the “Day of Judgment” (Yom ha-Din) since all of creation owes allegiance to the Creator and is accountable to Him. The name Elohim revealed in Genesis 1:1 speaks of Elohim as the Creator and Judge of the universe. In Jewish tradition on Rosh Hashanah we stand before Yahweh as our personal Creator and Judge. Many Messianic Jews believe that the sound of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a symbol of the 2nd coming of the followers of Yahshua MessiahIn Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "Head of the Year," and as its name indicates, it is the beginning of the Jewish year. The days beginning with Rosh HaShana and ending with Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) are known as “The Days of Awe.” This is a very special time of year on the Jewish calendar, a time of introspection and commitment to self-improvement for the coming year. Most of all, this is the season for repentance, prayer, and charity, as illustrated by the quotation above - since we are taught that these three things have the power to influence the outcome of our judgment in a favorable way. We are taught that on Rosh Hashana, Yahweh sits in judgment on all His creations and decides their fate. Everything is decided on this day, for every aspect of the entire creation, each individual and each nation.The Prophets of Israel repeatedly spoke of a future day when Yahweh would directly intervene in the affairs of men. They called that day “The Day of the Lord” [Isa. 13:6-13; Ezek. 13:3-8; Joel 1:15, 2:1; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph. 1:7-2:3; Zech 14:1-21; Mal. 4:5-6]. Two major themes are associated with the Day of the Lord.The first is the deliverance of the righteous.The second is the judgment of the wicked, in connection with His coming.The Son of Yahweh will call His own to Himself and then go to war against His enemies. It is the blowing of a Trumpet, which will signal those 2 events. In Paul's writing of 1 Thess. 4:16, the Lord will descend with the sound of the trumpet to call His own to His presence and in Chapter 5 Paul continues the thought, on the day of the Lord as it commences, during which time His wrath will be poured out against the wicked.In most basic terms, the Feast of Trumpets, the first of the Fall Feasts, which Yahweh gave to Israel, depicts the coming of Yahshua Messiah to take His virgin bride with Him into that eternal life, in that new Heaven and Earth! Perhaps one further thought is appropriate at this point. The Feast Trumpets occurs on the 1st day of the Hebrew 7th month Tisri. It would occur at the new moon. However clouds could obscure the moon and witnesses were required. Watchfulness was critical ingredient of this Feast. The Rabbis later added a second day to this Feast to make sure they did not miss it. This need for watchfulness and preparedness in connection with the Feast of Trumpets is echoed throughout the N.T. in connection with the Lord's coming. Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. [Matt. 24:42]Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober minded [1 Thess. 5:6]We know in the Parable of the Tares [Matt. 13] the harvest takes place in the fall. The reapers [angels] are sent forth to separate the wheat from the tares [zowan]. We read in Rev. 9:10 [read verses 3-10] about the locust army. [May-Sept.]The primary focus of the Feast of Trumpets is the return of Yahshua Messiah to this earth. The emphasis of this Trumpet Feast is mostly prophetic. Have any questions? Feel free to email me, keitner2024@outlook.com

Everybody likes servants as long as they don't have to be servants. In Paul's trials, his triumphs, and his testimony, he mirrored Jesus' servanthood. In this message from 2 Corinthians 6, Pastor Lutzer considers what made Paul credible in his ministry. Ready for a paradigm shift? This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001.  Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.  Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.    SUPPORT:  Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/  Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/    SUBSCRIBE:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia  Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/ 

Everybody likes servants as long as they don't have to be servants. In Paul's trials, his triumphs, and his testimony, he mirrored Jesus' servanthood. In this message from 2 Corinthians 6, Pastor Lutzer considers what made Paul credible in his ministry. Ready for a paradigm shift? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1407/29

Today we have David. He is 51 years old, lives in Pinson, TN and took his last drink of alcohol on December 23rd, 2024.   This episode brought to you by: Better Help – 10% off of your first month #sponsored Exact Nature – 20% off your order with code RE20   We have a great lineup of events and courses coming to Recovery Elevator. A mindfulness course is coming up in October, then Dry January as well as a beginner ukelele course are happening in January. In February we have our first AF Songwriting course and later in the month our weeklong sober travel trip to Costa Rica.   [03:11] Thoughts from Paul:   In today's intro Paul shares with us some statements he heard from Steven Glover (aka Steve-O from Jackass) who celebrates 17 years in recovery this year. Steve-O said that alcoholics are in a sense lucky because unlike other diseases where the best one can hope for is to return to a pre-illness state, when addicts and alcoholics treat their disease, they have the potential to become better versions of themselves.   In Paul's upcoming book Dolce Vita, he makes the point that addiction is almost a biological mechanism to help wake us up as humans. On the other side of the addiction, if we are to heal, then we have to build a life that is more oriented towards helping others, where we are to be more authentic and where we are to admit when we are wrong in life.   One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they quit drinking is they just quit drinking. Although this is a huge step in the right direction, if this is all you do it leads to the concept of being a dry drunk. You need to address the reasons you drank to excess in the first place.   By listening to a sobriety podcast, you are doing the work. You're investing in your recovery, and you are not a dry drunk. Your potential of becoming better than before is becoming a reality. And what wonderful timing you have as the world needs your honesty, your authenticity, your smile and your service more than ever.   [08:16] Paul introduces David:   David is 51 years old and was born and raised in West Tennessee. He has three adult children with his wife of 31 years. For work, he manages a manufacturing facility and for fun he is a lifelong musician and also enjoys genealogy and cemetery preservation.   David is the youngest of four children. He says his mother was a teetotaler and his father had a drinking problem, but it had tapered down a lot by the time David came along. David says he was raised in the country and had a small group of friends that his mother would say weren't the best influences, and David was more of a follower than a leader and he and his friends would experiment with alcohol when he was younger.   When David was 18, he met his wife. They got married in David's early twenties and began having kids. At this point, David didn't drink often, and his wife didn't drink at all. It wasn't until their thirties that they would start having the occasional bottle of wine in the house.   In his late thirties, the drinking began ramping up. David began to have a regular music gig that was 45 minutes from home. He began going to have dinner and beers before the gig and over time started going out again after the gigs as well. He began drinking more on the weekends and that eventually crept into every day while isolating.   After some negative health reports in 2019, David began to try and address his drinking and says it was like a hamster wheel. By 2021, he knew he wanted to pursue an alcohol-free life and shared this with his wife, who has been very supportive of him.   Since his last drink in 2024, David says all of his relationships have improved, his bass playing has improved, and he started college last year and will be graduating soon. David is looking forward to continuing his personal growth, learning to meditate and travel.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down, you gotta take the stairs back up. We can do this.       RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes  Café RE    

Hello Freedom Listeners! This episode comes down to one simple question: What do you put your faith and trust in?It is inspired by our family trip to the Acropolis in Athens this summer. In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul speaks to the philosophers of his time—around 46 to 50 A.D. He notices that the people of Athens are very spiritual and even worship “unknown gods.” In Paul's address he points them to the real God, the one true source of all life.This episode, titled “What Sits on the Throne of Your Heart,” looks at this powerful and profound passage. An ambitious one for me to take on, but excited to share it with you.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:15-23 As the apostle Paul writes his letter to the Ephesian church, he is overwhelmed with gratitude and tells them how he is praying for them. In Paul’s prayer we see the unlocking of a mystery. What is most needed in all of our lives is NOT necessarily a chance in circumstances. No, what is most needed is to have the eyes of our heart enlightened so that we live according to what is unseen but real. Sermon Points: Knowledge (vs. 17) Hope (vs. vs. 18) Inheritance (vs. 18) Power (vs. 19) Church (vs. 22-23)

Herein verses 13 and 14, Paul tells us that we were sealed by the Holy Spirit.Already we've talked about what God the Father has given us. We talked aboutJesus Christ and what He has given us. Now we're talking about the Holy Spiritand what He gives us even today. He says we also, who have believed and trustedin Christ, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. He seals us. That wasour lesson yesterday. Today,in verse 14, we learn about the guarantee we have by the Holy Spirit. Anotherword used for guarantee in the old King James is the word “earnest”. It reads, “Whichis the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchasedpossession, unto the praise of his glory”.  This word earnest is a very fascinatingword. In Paul's day, it meant the down payment to guarantee the final purchaseof some commodity or a piece of property. Even today, when you buy a piece ofproperty or you might hear the real estate agent mention the word earnest, thedown payment, the guarantee that you're going to pay the final price on thisproperty when you go to settlement in the lawyer's office. TheHoly Spirit is God's first installment to guarantee to you and me, Hischildren, that He will finish the work He begun in us and that He will eventuallybring us to glory. This “earnest” is for “the redemption of the purchasedpossession”. This refers to the redemption of the body at the return ofChrist for His Church. Romans 8:18-23 and 1 John 3:1-3 both speak of thisexperience! Redemption,as we know it in Scripture, is experienced in three different stages: Wehave been redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7).Weare being redeemed as the Spirit works in our lives to make us more like Christ(Romans 8:1-4). Weshall be redeemed one day when Christ returns, and we become His for eternity.  Butthe word “earnest” can also means “engagement ring”. Matter offact, in Greece today, you might find this word still being used that way.Isn't that what an engagement ring is? It's an assurance. It's a guarantee thatthe promise that you make to each other to be wed one day will be kept. Myfriend, our relationship to Jesus Christ and to God is not a commercial one. It'sa personal one. It's a personal experience of love. He is the bridegroom. Thechurch is His bride. Jesus is making the guarantee with the presence of theHoly Spirit in your life that one day He will come for His bride. He is goingto keep His promise. Maybe that is why He is called the Holy Spirit of promise. Whatgreater assurance do we need to have? I'm often asked, “Can I lose mysalvation? They say, “I don't feel saved. I don't have the assurance that Ikeep my salvation because I still sin. I still do things I shouldn't do”. ReadRomans 6 and 8. These two chapters should give you great assurance of your positionin Christ, and reminds you that you will never be separated from the love ofGod that's in Christ Jesus. Absolutely nothing can separate you. Why? The “Earnest”,the Guarantee has been given. You have the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit isthere right now in your life, never to be taken away. Yes,can grieve the Holy Spirit, and you can quench Him, but you will never loseHim. Why? Because Jesus said, "He that comes to Me, I will by no meanscast out” (John 6:37). And Jesus promised in John 14:16, “And I will praythe Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with youforever”. My friend, “forever” means “forever”! Mayyou be especially blessed today as you relish the guarantee that you are His,and He is yours, and you're forever experiencing and enjoying His love.  Godbless!

Hello Freedom Listeners! This episode comes down to one simple question: What do you put your faith and trust in?It's inspired by our family trip to the Acropolis in Athens this summer. In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul speaks to the philosophers of his time—around 46 to 50 A.D. He notices that the people of Athens are very spiritual and even worship “unknown gods.” In Paul's address he points them to the real God, the one true source of all life.This episode, titled “What Sits on the Throne of Your Heart,” looks at this powerful and profound passage. An ambitious one for me to take on, but excited to share it with you.

What is a Church?ist Thessalonians 1:1When Paul greeted the congregation at Thessalonica, he began the letter with a recognition that he was writing to a really good church. We cannot attain perfection, but Paul's letter to the Thessalonians can help our local assembly to be a great church too! A church that is singleminded in pursuing its goal, to love and serve the Lord. In Paul's greeting we see four simple observations:-A church is a Partnership of Ministry.A church is a local assembly, in the place where God has placed it.The church is a congregation of God's people.The church has a particular declaration.Any local assembly of believers can be as great in God's sight as the Thessalonians obviously were, if we make sure that the work of the church is done on the basis of PARTNERSHIP, that we are in the PLACE that God wants us to be, both geographically and spiritually, BUILDING ourselves up in the Lord, and making sure that every activity in the church has the common purpose of boldly and loudly PROCLAIMING the grace and peace of God to sinners.Read the NOTES here.The sermon was recorded live at Ballymacashon, - apologies for the background noise and echo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melde dich zu Deutschlands größtem Event für Kingdompreneure an: CKS-SUMMIT.com am 14. und 15. November 2025 in Frankenthal.„Jesus will nicht nur dein Freund sein – er will wirklich dein Leben sein. Er will als Co‑CEO mit dir unterwegs sein, in allem, was du tust." Paul SidelnikowUnternehmer & GemeindegründerStell dir vor, du gründest fünf Unternehmen, erzielst stabile zweistellige Millionenumsätze – und trotzdem bleibt deine größte Stärke, dass du Jesus als Co-CEO an deiner Seite hast. In der neuen Folge des Kingdompreneur Podcasts spricht Host Jonathan Dubowy mit Paul Sidelnikow über eine Lebensreise, die von politischen Ambitionen über unternehmerische Höhen und Tiefen bis hin zu echter Glaubensintegration reicht. Paul teilt offen, wie sein Glaube nicht nur sein Mindset, sondern jede geschäftliche Entscheidung prägt – und warum die Kombination aus Business-Exzellenz und gelebtem Glauben echte Transformation ermöglicht.In Paul steckte schon immer ein Unternehmer, aber es brauchte seine Zeit und Stationen in der Politik, im Großkonzern im Mittelstand und eine Arbeitslosigkeit, bis er mit der eCommerce Werkstatt seine erste eigene Firma gründete und entdeckte, "dafür bin ich geschaffen". Nach dem Motto „Geht nicht - gibt`s nicht“ gründete er dann die Boxspringwelt, um der Möbelbranche zu zeigen, dass sich auch hochpreisige und hochindividualisierbare Produkte online verkaufen lassen, wenn man es nur richtig macht. Dieser unternehmerische „Riecher“ führte unterwegs noch zur Gründung weiterer Unternehmen. Doch Pauls wichtigste Entscheidung, war nicht unternehmerischer Natur: Jesus sollte nicht nur Teil seines Lebens sein, sondern aktiv in alle Business-Entscheidungen eingebunden werden. Zentrale Themen der Episode:Warum Jesus als Co‑CEO einen Unterschied im Business machtVon der Politik ins Unternehmertum: Pauls persönliche TransformationsreiseWie Gottes Führung durch geschlossene Türen neue Wege öffnetInnovative Geschäftsmodelle: Boxspringwelt & E-Commerce-ErfolgGlaubensintegration im Alltag und bei schwierigen EntscheidungenUmgang mit Luxus, Wohlstand und sozialer VerantwortungVersöhnung, Demut und die Kraft der GemeinschaftAchtung Podcast-Bonus: Weil Paul es liebt Unternehmern bei der Entfaltung ihres Potentials zu helfen bietet er exklusiv für die Kingdompreneurship Podcast Hörer einen Marketing Check-Up im Wert von 500€ kostenlos an. Einfach an info@ecommerce-werkstatt.de bis zum 30.09. schreiben mit „CKS Podcast 2025“ im Betreff und das Team der E-Commerce Werkstatt nimmt sich 4-6 Stunden Zeit, dein Marketingkonzept inkl. Webshop und Co zu analysieren und wertvolles Feedback zu geben. 00:00:00 – Einstieg: Jesus in allen Lebensbereichen00:00:25 – Begrüßung & Intro zum Kingdom Podcast00:02:11 – Vorstellung: Wer ist Paul Sidelnikow?00:03:27 – Erste Gründung & Mitarbeiterzahlen00:04:21 – Luxus- & Naturmatratzen – erstes Business00:06:11 – Pauls politischer Werdegang (CDU, Junge Union)00:07:46 – Begegnung mit Jesus & Neubeginn00:10:57 – Abkehr von der Politik – neue Ausrichtung00:12:22 – Gottes Ruf: Studium statt Bibelschule00:13:40 – Unternehmerisches Denken entdecken00:18:33 – Erste Berufserfahrung bei Bertelsmann00:23:09 – Gemeindegründung & E-Commerce Einstieg00:26:45 – Start der E-Commerce Werkstatt & Gründung der Agentur00:28:25 – Möbelbusiness & Partnerschaften00:36:32 – Innovation im Möbelmarkt – Betten online verkaufenDir hat der Podcast gefallen? Dann schau dir auch unsere anderen Ressourcen an, die alle dasselbe Ziel haben: Dir zu helfen, erfolgreich zu sein!⭐ Hol dir deinen gratis Kingdompreneur-Guide für noch mehr Inspiration:

In Paul's focus on salvation being the Lord's, he asks and answers key questions around if God is just in being in control of salvation. The answer? Yes. Because it is God's mercy to give in the first place. 

In Paul's absence, the Corinthian church had begun to follow new teachers who had positioned themselves as superior in numerous ways, all of which were worldly and pompous. They wanted Paul to be like them, bold, arrogant, provocative, and brash. Paul defends the authority he has over the Corinthian church as a true apostle and sarcastically boasts to compare himself to the ones he calls “Super-apostles.” These men were well-spoken, came with letters, and requested payment for their teaching, whereas Paul was humble, loyal, and worked without burdening the church financially. As he concludes, Paul assures them that when he comes, he will not be lenient, but rather he will come with boldness in order to build up the body.2 Corinthians 10 - 1:13 . 2 Corinthians 11 - 4:29 . 2 Corinthians 12 - 11:06 . 2 Corinthians 13 - 15:49 . Isaiah 14 - 18:41 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

According to the New Testament, Christians are instructed to work together as a community. Even more than that, we are instructed to care for one another as a family, humbly serve one another and protect one another as soldiers in battle - even to the point of being willing to sacrifice ourselves. All of this is to be put in place while we each are dedicated to following the clear and godly teachings of Jesus in Scripture. So, how do we go about making all of this happen? In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, he gives us a list of practical ways we should take care of one another. While this list is not comprehensive, it alerts us to several of the foundational principles of sound Christian conduct. This episode of our Christian Conduct Series focuses on how each believer can actively contribute to the health of their church community. Drawing from 1 Thessalonians 5:12–15, we can see the Apostle Paul lays out a blueprint for mutual care, beginning with honoring spiritual leaders and extending to everyday interactions within the body of Christ. These instructions aren't just ideals—they're actionable steps rooted in humility, empathy and discipleship. Paul's list includes five key responsibilities that shape a spiritually vibrant church. Each of these reflects the character of Christ and reinforces the interdependence of believers. A major foundational point here is that these contributions are not optional niceties but essential disciplines for anyone seeking to live out their faith within the Christian community. Key Contributions to a Healthy Church • Admonish the unruly: Gently correct those who are out of step with Christian principles, aiming for restoration—not shame. • Encourage the fainthearted: Comfort those who are timid, anxious, or overwhelmed with emotional and spiritual support. • Help the weak: Cling to and support those who lack strength—physically, morally, or spiritually—through loyal, spiritually based companionship. • Be patient with everyone: Practice forbearance by restraining reactive impulses and allowing space for small steps of growth. • Seek good for all: Reject retaliation and pursue what benefits others, modeling the selfless love of Jesus. By living these principles, we can create a healthy church with a culture of compassion, accountability and spiritual resilience. The message is clear: mutual contribution isn't just about helping others—it's about embodying Christ in every relationship.

What are the things we are leaving behind? Some of us remember leaving stuffed animals behind when we were younger. Maybe we desire to leave a good first impression on people. But have we considered what it means to leave behind a legacy? In Paul's final address to Timothy, he gives him a charge to preach the word and uses his life as an example of enduring faithfulness. For our church, this means that a gospel legacy will require our lives, deaths, and eternities to be transformed by Jesus.

In Paul's letter to the church in Rome, he rejoices in how the good news about Jesus brings salvation to all who believe. In the section we are looking at today, Paul addresses the question: Does everybody need saving? Aren't there respectable and religious people who are good enough for God?

The key to finishing your faith-marathon in victory is endurance. The secret ingredient to your endurance is to keep your eyes on the finish line. Every day could potentially be the day we run our final leg of this race for Christ. Living in a commitment to honor Him in every way reveals that we are truly His own. In Paul's closing words to the church at Thessalonica, we find an apostolic exhortation that equips us to win the race set before us. Casual runners will fail. Distracted runners will stumble. Lazy runners will quit. For those who live as determined runners, however, these traits charged to us by Paul will empower us to cross the finish line in utter victory for the glory of Christ. 

The key to finishing your faith-marathon in victory is endurance. The secret ingredient to your endurance is to keep your eyes on the finish line. Every day could potentially be the day we run our final leg of this race for Christ. Living in a commitment to honor Him in every way reveals that we are truly His own. In Paul's closing words to the church at Thessalonica, we find an apostolic exhortation that equips us to win the race set before us. Casual runners will fail. Distracted runners will stumble. Lazy runners will quit. For those who live as determined runners, however, these traits charged to us by Paul will empower us to cross the finish line in utter victory for the glory of Christ. 

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, we see the heart of a spiritual father pouring out his parting wisdom to his son in the faith. To Christ's church today, this precious letter plants our hearts in the glorious truth of the gospel. It encourages, inspires, corrects, and directs our hearts to Christ our hope at every turn. As I enter a season of extended leave due to health reasons, I pray this letter will become a treasured guide and encouragement to the church during our time apart.    

In Paul's apparent humility of Philippians 1:1-2, is powerful subversion of the world order. Paul's very identification as a slave of Christ declared to Rome “You're not the boss of me. 

In Paul's apparent humility of Philippians 1:1-2, is powerful subversion of the world order. Paul's very identification as a slave of Christ declared to Rome “You're not the boss of me. 

MORE. That might be the best description of the human condition. It seems that no matter what we have, we still have a craving for more. What's the solution to this discontent? In Paul's letter to the Philippians, Scripture unfolds the “secret” of contentment, independent of circumstances and solely dependent on the person of Jesus Christ. The post CHARACTER COUNTS – Contentment (YOU-Sum'25, Study 4, Session 2) appeared first on YOU.

In Paul's warmest letter, he stresses that disciples of Jesus must have the mind of Christ. It is for our good, for the world's good, and for God's glory. Anything less than a mind for good is loss, not gain.Preacher: Evan WestburgFIND US ONLINE

In Paul's closing remarks, he recognizes the people who were important in his ministry. In these closing verses, we see the importance of every Christian in God's work of advancing His kingdom.

A multitude of thoughts tended to tumble around and out of our minds as we read today's chapters. Verse 20 in Jeremiah ch. 23 was one that particularly captured our attention: “The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly.” And we are understanding more and more clearly, but we must admit there are limitations, we must be faithful to what is written and discern what time they apply to.There were ‘prophets' trying to compete with Jeremiah and the LORD says through him, “I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people …” [v.21,22] And so today, there are those who ‘prophecy' but “do not stand” in God's “council”. This is only reliably found when one carefully reads and compares the words that God has preserved for us, and we are careful of the context in which they occur.The book of Jeremiah is quite a challenge in this regard – but we will soon encounter words God gave him which are clearly applicable to “the latter days.” In Paul's words to the Romans today he writes of the Jews being “broken off” [11 v.17] so that the Gentiles as branches “ cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree” [v.24] might be grafted in. Paul is primarily writing to those who have been grafted in.But note the warning Paul gives to the Gentile believers, “lest you be wise in your own conceits” he says, “I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in “ [v.25] We must ask, is the salvation of true believers from among the Gentiles just about complete?Truly we are living “in the latter days” and the “fullness of the Gentiles' is just about complete. The word “fullness” is not in common use, the same Greek word is translated as “fulfilling” in ch.13 v.10, it has the sense of completion.We must admit the limits to our understanding, but as we survey the marvel of the works of God in history down to the present – then we can echo the words of Paul in v.33, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Send us a textWhat if I told you there was something God wants you to have and He also tells you how to get it? Would you be interested in that?Well, there is something He wants you to have and believe it or not,l you've been looking for it but perhaps looking in all the wrong places.In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he shows them how to have what all people desire, peace and joy. Grab a notebook and pen because you will hear some things worth recording and remembering. Maybe even sharing with someone else who needs to know these things.

Paul Kupiec is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. In Paul's first appearance on the show, he discusses life at a think tank, the insolvency of the Fed, theories on how to fix the Fed's balance sheet, Ted Cruz's call to end interest on reserves, and much more.  Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on June 24th, 2025 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel  Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:14 - Paul's Career 00:08:12 - Think Tanks 00:10:42 - Current State of the Fed's Balance Sheet 00:20:22 - The Federal Reserve and Gold 00:23:04 - The Fed's Unique Accounting 00:39:28 - Ending Interest on Reserve Payments to Banks 00:50:08 - Outro

This week's message explores the story of Paul's transformation—from persecutor of the early church to its most powerful advocate—and the long season of waiting that followed his calling. In Paul's ten hidden years, we're reminded that God is always at work, even when it feels like nothing is happening. When we embrace the quiet in-between, we make space to hear God's voice and become encouragers for others on their own journey. Fill-In Sermon Notes (https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=Hy9zO-eDex) Watch the Sermon (https://youtu.be/W7Bu2PhOtKg) Watch the Full Worship Service (https://youtube.com/live/DOP7RUixptA?feature=share) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ) Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/acts2umc)

We live in a world that tells us we need more, and we need to be more. So what does true spiritual contentment look like for people who love God and trust Him no matter what? In Paul's final words to the church in Philippi he talks about how God taught Him to be content in every circumstance which remains as a powerful example for us today! Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon Scripture: Philippians 4:10-23 Series: Philippians: Joy in a Jail Cell For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

In Paul's letter, we see his loves and his affections. We see his deepest desires. We find what matters most to him. And his treasure is found in Christ. His heart is embedded in Christ, and so his joy is embedded in Christ as well. The question for me - where is my treasure?

2 Corinthians 10 1-7 The Weapons of Warfare Please turn to 2 Corinthians 10. You can find that on page 1150 in the pew Bible. This is the last section of the apostle Paul's letter to the church in Corinth. It runs through the final 4 chapters. Before we read, I want to remind you of two things in 2 Corinthians. First, Paul has been emphasizing his authority as an apostle. That emphasis began all the way back in chapter 1 verse 1. In the very opening words of the letter, he identified himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. His defense continued throughout chapters 1-9 in different ways. For example, in chapter 3, he identified himself as a minister of the new covenant through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 5, he stressed that the apostles were ambassadors of Christ. And in several places, he has emphasized that the apostle's ministry is patterned after Christ's ministry. Just like Jesus suffered and died so to the apostles have and would continue to suffer and would die for the Gospel. So that's the first thing – Paul was a chosen ambassador of Christ as an apostle. Number 2, the whole reason that Paul emphasized his true apostleship is because there were false apostles in Corinth. They taught a false Gospel – Paul said that they were tampering with God's word. They used cunning practices, he said, and were blinded by the god of this world. That's pretty strong. These false apostles had been attacking Paul's credentials. That is why Paul defends his apostleship. And that is also why he corrects several misguided beliefs (like suffering and God's Covenant promises and grace in giving). So again, #1 Paul is a true apostle of Jesus Christ and #2 false teachers were trying to blind the church. Those two things are important because in these last 4 chapters, the apostle Paul doubles down on them. You'll hear that in our text this morning. Let's turn our attention to 2 Corinthians 10:1-7 Reading of 2 Corinthians 10:1-7 Prayer On the wall of my office is a picture of the USS Maryland. It was a battleship. The picture was taken in 1945 as it was on its way to the battle of Okinawa. The reason that I have it on my wall is one of the Navy sailors in the picture is my grandfather. The battle of Okinawa was the most intense and decisive battles in the pacific theater of World War 2. 180,000 US troops fought in that battle. One of those soldiers was a man named Desmond Doss. Just to be sure, Doss was not my grandfather. He was a different soldier who likewise enlisted to serve his country. The interesting thing about Private Doss is that he refused to carry a weapon. He wanted to serve but he held strong convictions and would not carry a gun. Because of that, his fellow soldiers harassed him. They called him a coward and considered him a liability. One soldier threw his boots at Doss while Doss was praying. Another threatened him, “I'll make sure you don't come back alive.” Nonetheless, Doss continued to serve and became his unit's medic. Well, Doss was part of the 77th infantry division deployed to Okinawa. His regiment attacked the enemy forces at a 400-foot cliff on the southern part of the island. That cliff is known as Hacksaw Ridge. Maybe you've heard of it. It was a very brutal battle. Many many soldiers were killed. The US forces had no other choice but to retreat. However, Doss stayed behind. Under the darkness of night, Doss rescued 75 wounded men. He dragged each soldier to the cliff's edge, he had a makeshift harness, lowered each down with a rope and a pulley system. And every time, he prayed that God would help him save one more. Doss rescued some of the same men who had earlier mocked him. In several ways, Private Doss is a picture of the apostle Paul here. On the outside, Paul looked weak. His detractors critiqued him for his small stature and for not being an eloquent speaker and for his humble demeanor. Yet, despite their perception of his weakness, the apostle, in reality was a formidable warrior. And like Doss, Paul risked his life to save others. In Paul's case, the battle was spiritual, and he was rescuing their souls. Really, this whole chapter, chapter 10, is about perceptions and reality. Some of the Corinthians had a faulty perception that Paul was weak and he was therefore “walking according to the flesh”  (verse 2). But the reality was quite the opposite. So, this morning, we'll be re-orienting our perceptions to reality. That is what the apostle Paul is seeking to do. 2 points this morning related to that. 1. Reorienting our disposition to the meekness of Christ. Our disposition is our attitude or our posture in relation to others. Reorienting our disposition to the meekness of Christ. That is in verses 1-2. 2. Reorienting our warfare to the power of Christ. That is in verses 3-6. Reorienting our warfare to the power of Christ. 1. Reorienting our disposition So, first… reorienting our disposition. Now, let me ask, what was the critique of Paul in these verses? Well, they were saying that Paul was bold when he was writing to them, but he was wimpy in their presence. They believed Paul didn't have the guts to challenge them face to face. Even though his letters were bold, he was weak. He was therefore walking in the weakness of his flesh. In the Greco-Roman culture of the time, strength was found in external displays of power like physical presence and bold rhetoric. In other words, if you could grab the attention of a crowd through eloquent speech and puffed up confidence you would be elevated in society. A gentle and humble spirit was not a trait of a strong leader. So, in the eyes of Paul's detractors, he was unworthy. He could not be a true apostle because he did not fit their perception of what an apostle should be like. Now, look at verse 1. Paul goes right to the heart of their problem. He opens with a direct appeal to Christ. He says, “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” The false apostles had critiqued him as weak because of his meekness and gentleness. And in response, he directs them to Christ. He was saying, “If you are going to critique me and my apostleship because of my humble disposition, you are actually critiquing Christ.” To be sure, yes Jesus was very forceful at times. Like his criticism of the pharisees' hypocrisy. But overall his disposition was gentle and humble. Jesus ministered with compassion and meekness to those who came to him. Those who were suffering or those who were convicted of their sin. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Paul was appealing to Jesus' gentleness and meekness as the pattern which he, as an apostle, was modelling. It's hard to argue with that. To be sure, someone can be bold and humble at the same time. Speaking the truth in love is having a godly confidence but also having a humble spirit when conveying God's truth. Paul was a sinner, just like you and me. He recognized the mercy of God in his life, just as we should. He was bold but humble because of the undeserved grace of God. That is very different than the self-centered confidence of the false apostles. All they focused on was external. That is why Paul didn't measure up to them. These so-called apostles cared about someone's cultural credentials like physical stature and social status and financial means. Paul's suffering and meekness went against their norms. In their minds, that disqualified Paul as an apostle. But Paul flips their understanding on its head. They needed to reorient their perception of Paul using Christ's disposition. Just as Jesus was gentle and meek, so should those be who serve and lead. Ok, reorienting our disposition to the meekness of Christ. That #1. 2. Reorienting our warfare And now, number 2 – reorienting our warfare to the power of Christ. You see, part of the problem was that the false teachers were fighting the wrong battle with the wrong weapons. They thought that to win the battle of culture they needed to use the culture's weapons. Remember, they considered themselves Christians. We'll see in chapter 11 that they even called themselves “super apostles.” They had those Greco-Roman traits that Paul did not have. They were superior to him in stature, eloquence, and social standing. They were the ones, they believed, who could truly fight the battle. But not only were they fighting the wrong battle with the wrong weapons, they were not even on the right side of the war. Look at verse 3. “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.” Paul is saying, “yes, we are flesh and blood. We are embodied souls that live on this earth. But that does not mean that the battlefield is in the flesh. In fact, it is not.” And then he goes on to describe the spiritual battle. By the way, there's something here that is not obvious to us. Verses 4 to 6 use the language of military siege against a fortified city. Here's how it goes: ·      First, an army would attack the stronghold. The stronghold was the fortified wall around the city. They used special weapons like battering rams and catapults and ladders. ·      Second, at the same time they would take down the elevated defenses - the lofty defenses, you know like towers with archers, or other defenses that were protecting the city. ·      Then, third, after a city was conquered, the invading army would take the inhabitants captive. They would enslave them or parade them as symbols of conquest. ·      And last, they would punish any disobedience – those who would not willingly submit or who would continue to rebel against their conquest. It the same progression.  First destroying strongholds and every argument. Second, destroying lofty opinions. Those ideas that perpetuate the false beliefs. Third, taking captive every thought and turning them to Christ, and finally, if necessary, punishing disobedience. Those that persist to teach or live in a way contrary to Christ. Do you see that? And Paul is very clear that it is not a battle of flesh and blood. Look at verse 4. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.” We are engaged in a cosmic war. We are fighting over what is true and right and good. The world is full of perspectives on those things, let me call them worldviews… It is full of worldviews that seek to make sense of the reality outside of us and inside of us. That is why verse 5 talks about arguments and opinions and knowledge. That is why Paul is saying that our weapons are not of the flesh. Our weapons are not those external things like flashy performances or political might or social power. What then are our weapons? Well, we read about them earlier from Ephesians 6. Our weapons are truth and righteousness, our weapons are faith in Christ and salvation in him, and we're given the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God. These are the spiritual weapons that God has given us to fight the cosmic war. Here's what Paul was saying to them. “You have mocked me as weak. But as a true apostle, I am waging the cosmic spiritual war with the divine power of God almighty.” That's the phrase there: “divine power” What is that divine power? What is the divine power that will tear down the strongholds and lofty opinions and take every thought captive and punish disobedience? It is the power of Christ. It is the power of the cross. The divine power that destroys the strongholds and arguments is the salvation that God has accomplished for us in Christ - in his death and resurrection. I am not saying that to try and shoe-horn the Gospel into this passage. Rather, I am saying that because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been the unifying theme of every single chapter of 2 Corinthians. To highlight some of it… ·      The Gospel is the victory spoken of in chapter 2 as we spread the fragrance of Christ. ·      It is the transforming power of the new Covenant spoken of in chapter 3. ·      It is the surpassing power mentioned in chapter 4, which we carry in our jars of clay bodies. ·      In chapter 5, it is the means through which we are reconciled to God… remember, we are given the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ·      And one more, in chapters 8 and 9, God's grace in Christ is the foundation of God's work to support his churches. Jesus who was rich, became poor so that in our spiritual poverty, we may become rich. The divine power of God in the cross of Christ. Through it and the resurrection God has defeated sin and death and the devil. Those are the strongholds. The weapons of the flesh cannot defeat those enemies. Now, it is very common to hear that believing in Christianity takes a “leap of faith.” Have you heard that? Some believe that Christianity is not reasonable or rational. However, the Scriptures never say that having faith means that you have to check your mind at the door. Look one more time at verse 5. “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.” We, in part, believe Christianity because it does answer central matters of life. It answers the questions of our existence and our purpose. Christianity presents a clear understanding of a moral order that transcends all humanity. It's very difficult to dispute that. In fact, the corruption of the human heart and evil in the world are central aspects to a Christian worldview. That is why these verses speak of waging war. In other words, evil and sin and death do not disprove Christianity, rather their undisputed existence testifies to Christianity and the need for salvation. I could go on and include the historicity of Christianity or the logical consistency of Christianity, but for the sake of time, let me just say that Christianity is not a passive religion devoid of answers. Rather, the Scriptures beautifully convey a transcendent God, who is both loving and just. And at the very heart of that love and justice is the wonder of the person and work of Jesus. To put it simply, the faith that Christianity calls for is not a blind faith. Rather it is a faith that sees the world around us and knows our own corrupt hearts… and submits to the God who is sovereign and who saves. Faith is a reasonable response to something real. Christianity takes every thought captive (every misleading thought captive) to the obedience of Christ. Let me take a brief tangent. We love that phrase. You know, taking every thought captive to Christ. I love it. I desire to take every thought captive in my life. However, in context, it is speaking of taking the errant thoughts of the false teachers captive. That is what God is doing through Paul in this letter. He's correcting the false beliefs and voices in Corinth with the truth of the Gospel. To be sure, that doesn't mean we can't apply that phrase to our lives. We all have thoughts and beliefs that need to be taken captive to Christ. How do we do that? Well, first of all, it says, take every thought captive to obey Christ. So, it is more than just beliefs. It includes taking any thoughts that dishonor Christ and submitting them to him. We should ask, do my thoughts align with God's Word? Are they false or do they truly reflect the truth? Are my thoughts covetous or prideful or idolatrous? Are my thoughts God honoring and worshipful? Are my thoughts idle? Or am I seeking to transform them and grow in my knowledge of God and his Word? And let me say, it is spiritual warfare.  When you take every thought captive to Christ, you are preparing for and fighting… the spiritual battles against sin and death and the devil. So, beloved in Christ, yes, take every thought captive to obey Christ. And finally in verse 6, Paul continues. “being ready to punish any disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” That last phrase can be somewhat difficult to understand. What does it mean when it says  “when your obedience is complete?” The answer is in the situation. Remember, the Corinthian church had turned a corner. Through the work of God's Spirit through Paul and others, many in Corinth had returned to a faithful understand of God's truth. In other words, the church had begun the process of being restored to faithful obedience. What verse 6 is simply referencing is that they were nearing the end of that restoration. And when that obedience was complete, to use the words here, any remaining unfaithfulness would need to be dealt with. In essence it's talking about spiritual discipline. The spiritual battle includes the church's responsibility to maintain purity and faithfulness to Christ. Conclusion. So, to recap, these verses reorient us to God's reality. 1, they reorient our disposition to see the meekness and humility of Christ. Paul modelled that humility as a true apostle. 2. They reorient our understanding of the war that is being fought. It is a spiritual war which requires weapons of faith. And the ultimate weapon that destroys the stronghold is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of Christianity centers on this great truth, through which we take every thought captive. I included verse 7 because it ties the first 6 verses together. Paul says to the Corinthians, “look at what is before your eyes.” In other words, can you now see what is true and what comes from Christ and what is false and comes from the flesh? If truly you are in Christ… know this, so also are we. It's an appeal to reembrace Christ in his fulness and to fight with Paul, not against him in the spiritual battle of truth. The morning after Desmon Doss rescued his fellow soldiers, everything changed. They had a new respect for Doss. Before his unit resumed their attack on Hacksaw Ridge, they asked Doss to pray, and they waited for him to finish. And that day they overcame the enemy. Doss received the Medal of Honor for his bravery. In fact, he was the first ever to receive the medal without carrying a weapon of the flesh (to use the language here). May we fight not with the weapons of the flesh, but with the spiritual weapons of Christ, in his meekness and power.

Episode Summary: If you’ve ever struggled with relating to God as Father—maybe you’ve been hurt by an earthly father or a church leader and carry a misunderstanding of God’s heart for you-- then this episode is for you. Rev. Jessica Van Roekel and I talk about Relating to God as Father and Understanding God’s Love When Earthly Fathers Fail. Relating to God as Father is vital for a proper understanding and close relationship with the Lord. We can lose sight of who God is when we forget that he is not like us. We are made in his image, not the other way around. Fatherhood is an important aspect of God’s character and when we can relate to God as father it can transform our life. Quotables from the episode: Knowing God as my Father has brought so much comfort to my life. I know many of our listeners and viewers carry deep wounds, and my prayer is that today’s conversation will bring encouragement and hope. Relating to God as Father is essential to experience his comfort and blessings of being his sons and daughters. He gives us mercy, love, forgiveness, compassion, faithfulness, and goodness. When we reject God’s fatherhood, we struggle to experience the comfort he offers to us. Earthly fathers are an imperfect and flawed example, but God is a perfect Father. He always has the best intentions for his children, and he always has the ability to carry them out. Jesus taught that “Father” was the way to address God. “Father” was Jesus’ favorite term for addressing God. In the synoptic Gospels, we count Jesus referencing God as Father approximately sixty-five times and in the book of John, we see it over one hundred times. Because of Jesus’ use of this metaphor, the rest of the New Testament emphasizes the Fatherhood of God. In Paul’s letters, God is described as “Father” over forty times. For Paul, God’s fatherhood is based on the redemption and reconciliation he has made available to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ. There are a lot of misconceptions about the Fatherhood of God that can keep people from relating to him as Father. Let’s take a moment to address some of them. One of the biggest challenges is being hurt by people—fathers or father figures. One of the reasons is we are such sensory beings. We feel so deeply the wounds of betrayal and if we compare God to mankind, there’s no way we could trust him with our heart. But humanity is made in the image of God, not God in humanity’s image. We are a reflection of parts of God. But then sin entered the world and shattered the reflection. It’s like we all have a shattered mirror in our chest, and we can’t see other people clearly or ourselves clearly. This skewed vision impacts how we see God. But his “mirror’ is intact. He is the perfect reflection of a perfect Father because he is our Father. Ephesians 1:5 comforts us, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Another challenge to relating to God as Father is when we misunderstand his discipline. But discipline is an important part of growing and living for him. It not only rebukes and corrects, but it also trains us and guides us. Discipline assures us we are God’s children; Discipline is evidence he loves us and has concern for us to not be condemned by the world, but so we can share in his holiness. It sounds like there are three responses to relating to God as Father through discipline. One response is to shrug it off where we refuse to take it seriously or despise it. The other is to be over-sensitive and withdraw emotionally. These two will cause us to reject God as father. But the one who receives God’s discipline as an act of love will draw closer to God’s Father heart for us. I think it starts with trusting God. God delights in protecting the weak, disadvantaged, oppressed, hurting, and lonely—especially when we trust him. If you feel alone in the world, you can ask God, as your Father in heaven, to put you under his special care. And sometimes, we need to consider how deep our honor and respect for his power, judgment, and intolerance of evil. When we cultivate a deep honor and respect for him, God liberates and motivates us to avoid evil, obey God’s word, and to live with a continual awareness of God’s mercy and nearness. To those who revere him, he gives mercy, love, forgiveness, fatherly compassion, faithfulness, and goodness. The final step we want to share today is to ask the Holy Spirit to create the feeling of filial love that causes us to know God as Father. I love Galatians 4:6, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” Because we are now God’s children, we have a new “guardian.” We can be free from religious rules or the devastating impact of human failures. Abba is Aramaic for Father and expresses the depth of intimacy, warmth, and confidence by which the Holy Spirit helps us relate to and cry out to God as Father. When we refer to and relate to God as Father, we demonstrate the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our life. Relating to God as Father has nothing to do with how poorly you’ve been treated but has everything to do with placing your entire trust in God’s love for you. You have the freedom and the right to approach our heavenly Father with the confidence that you will be accepted, welcomed, and loved. Scripture References: Ephesians 1:5 comforts us, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Hebrews 12:6-10 states, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you must endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Psalm 68:5-6 reminds us, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” Psalm 103:13 teaches us, “as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Galatians 4:6, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” Recommended Resources: Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything By Jessica Van Roekel Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Jessica Van Roekel: Website / Instagram / Facebook For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Co-Host: Jessica Van Roekel is a worship leader, speaker, and writer who believes that through Jesus, personal histories don’t need to define the present or determine the future. She inspires, encourages, and equips others to look at life through the lenses of hope, trust, and God’s transforming grace. Jessica lives in rural Iowa surrounded by wide open spaces which remind her of God’s expansive love. She loves fun earrings, good coffee, and connecting with others. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Stable and SteadfastJune 1, 2025 • Devon Accardi • Colossians 1:3–14, Colossians 1:21–23This Sunday, Devon continues our summer series on Colossians. In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he meant to center the early church on the unchanging truth of Christ. Using the example of Epaphras, who heard the gospel and brought it home, he reminds us that ordinary people can carry extraordinary truth. Paul prays for the believers to be filled with wisdom, to live lives that reflect Jesus, to bear fruit, endure trials with joy, and grow in gratitude, offering a spiritual guide for a gospel-shaped life. We were once alienated from God but have been rescued and transferred into Christ's kingdom through His death and resurrection.WEBSITE: https://fellowshipknox.org/INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fellowshipknox/

There are certain passages in this book that are downright stunning to me. For instance, Paul doesn't just tell the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord,” he tells them to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). He doesn't just say, “don't worry,” he says, “don't worry about anything” (Phil. 4:6) Now in today's passage, Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Phil. 4:12)Remember, Paul isn't able to say these things because his life has been easy. Just the opposite! He faced life-threatening circumstances over and over again, all for the sake of Christ. Indeed, at the very moment he penned these words he was chained to a guard in a Roman prison. Even so, Paul had “learned the secret” of being content. What can we learn from Paul that can help us learn to be content no matter what comes our way?The Greek word Paul uses for contentment means “satisfaction with what one has; independence from all things and all people.” It's the idea of not needing anything, anyone, or any change in the circumstances in order to be at peace.But how do you get there?  In Paul's day, as in ours, there were two philosophies that people followed to ease their discontent. Counterfeit contentment, you could say. Contentment isn't a matter of giving in to stoicism. Stoicism believes the goal is to get rid of desire, to eliminate emotion. In other words, to simply not care. In today's parlance, the watchword would be “whatever.” “My job's been eliminated. Whatever. I don't care.”But this is not what Paul is talking about.Contentment isn't a matter of turning in to self-sufficiency. This is the philosophy of the Cynics. One of their beliefs is to trust no one but yourself. The problem with that is, the only resources you have are the ones you can muster up, and when those run out, you're out of luck. That's why Cynics are seldom content; they're bitter.So, what's Paul's secret? It's found in verse 13. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."This is one of the most popular verses in the Bible, used as motivation by athletes and millions of others facing challenging situations. But we would do well to understand that the original context of these words has to do with learning to be content.  What they remind us is that…Contentment is a matter of leaning in to divine sovereignty. Paul's contentment was anchored in His awareness that Christ was enough and that his life was controlled by a sovereign God who worked all things together for our good and His glory.Here are some actions steps that can help us when discontentment creeps in.Ponder: thank God for all that you do have. Discontentment is largely triggered by ingratitude. Instead of focusing on what isn't, thank God for what is. One of the secrets of contentment is gratitude.Wonder: ask yourself what God might be up to. God is always at work. What might He want you to learn about Him, about you? How might He use these circumstances for the greater progress of the gospel?Surrender: trust God's heart rather than your understanding.  There will be times when God's actions baffle us. In those moments, we much surrender our need to understand the situation and fall back on what you know is true about God – His character and love for you.  Text: Philippians 4:10-13, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; 12:7-12Originally recorded on February 1, 2009, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

Thia was puzzled. Why was his eighteen-year-old son spending so much time in the library these days? His son, who was autistic and rarely spoke to anyone, would usually return straight home after class. What changed? When pressed, his son finally replied: “Studying with Navin.” Navin, it turned out, was a classmate who noticed that Thia’s son was struggling in class and invited him to study together. This budding friendship—the first in eighteen years—greatly encouraged the disheartened father who’d given up hope of his son ever having a friend. Hope was renewed because one person cared enough to come alongside another who needed help. In Paul’s ministry to the early church, he knew this also applied to our hope of salvation. For believers in Jesus to “be awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6), living in the hope of His return, they had to help one another (v. 11), especially those who were struggling. That’s why, even though the Thessalonian believers loved one another (4:10) and led lives that pleased God (v. 1), Paul reminded them to “encourage the disheartened, help the weak” (5:14). When we notice believers in Christ who are fearful, anxious, or despondent, and we come alongside them—whether to listen, offer a kind word, or sit quietly together—God can use us to give them the strength and courage to hold on to their hope in Jesus.

Colossians: The People of God in the Age of Empire – Culture-Making (Colossians 3:18–4:1) - Rev. Donnell T. Wyche - a2vc.org. Like us on fb.com/vineyardannarboror watch our livestream Sundays @ 10:45am - vimeo.com/annarborvineyard  Summary: In this sermon, Pastor Donnell Wyche examines one of the most difficult sections of Paul's letter to the Colossians, where household codes outline relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, and slaves and masters. Far from affirming hierarchical or oppressive structures, Pastor Donnell argues that Paul is subverting the dominant culture of the Greco-Roman world. By addressing the powerless—wives, children, and enslaved persons—directly, Paul grants them dignity and moral agency. Paul's command that husbands love their wives and that fathers avoid embittering their children is revolutionary in a culture where power was rarely checked by compassion. In Paul's view, culture-making begins at home, and households become outposts of the Kingdom when marked by mutuality and cruciform love.   Pastor Donnell devotes significant attention to Paul's instruction to enslaved persons, acknowledging that these verses have been weaponized throughout church history to justify horrific systems of oppression. Pastor Donnell makes it unequivocally clear: God has always been anti-slavery. From Genesis to Revelation, God's vision is one of abundance, liberation, and human flourishing. Slavery always is anti-human (Genesis 1:26–28), anti-God (Isaiah 58), and anti-Gospel (Luke 4). While Paul does not outright condemn the institution of slavery—which scholars note was foundational to the Greco-Roman economy—Paul plants subversive seeds by calling for equality between slaves and masters, as he later does more explicitly in Philemon. Pastor Donnell laments Paul's limited prophetic imagination but sees Paul's writings as part of a kingdom trajectory that invites us to go further in working for liberation and justice in our own context.   Finally, Pastor Donnell challenges listeners to resist empire not just in theory, but in practice—beginning at home. The family is often where empire's patterns of control, fear, and domination take root. But in the Kingdom of God, the home is to be a place of tenderness, security, and love. We resist empire by embodying cruciform love in our relationships—with our spouses, our children, our coworkers, and our neighbors. Through daily acts of compassion and humility, we bear witness to a different way of being—one shaped not by power but by the cross, not by empire but by resurrection.

Many parts of the world indulge in what is called ‘the blame game.' Very few admit anything is their fault – and lawyers become very wealthy! There is less and less genuine honesty in our world: men and women may deceive one another – but God is never deceived!In Paul's 1st letter to the Thessalonians he is exceedingly anxious for news of them. He worries as to whether they are standing firm in the faith. His letter to them, we read today, shows he is relieved “that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love …” [3 v.6], adding, “we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.” [v.7,8]What causes us to “live”? Is it the same as what causes Paul? He is keen to visit them and see them “face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?” [v.10] Is anything lacking in our faith? Those striving to be true believers today have greater and greater challenges that threaten to undermine their faith.We particularly noted Paul's next words, ”may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness” [v.12,13] That word “establish” indicates a strengthening so your heart, your outlook on life becomes ‘fixed' How fixed is your mind?It is very interesting that it is the same Greek word as Jesus used in warning Peter of the ordeal he would face in and after the Garden of Gethsemane. He told Peter, “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” [Luke 22 v,32] We all need to strengthen our hearts so that they are established and become “blameless.” The Greek word here is first used in Luke 1 v.6 about the parents of John the Baptist that they were “walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord”Our reading, meditation and prayers on God's word are the source of the ‘glue' to fix our minds – that will “establish” our “hearts blameless” – so that when “the Lord himself (will) descend from heaven with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel… then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up … to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” [4 v.16,17] And where will the Lord be? He will establish a world-wide kingdom as we read on Monday in Isaiah ch, 2 v.2-5.Paul ends his letter with another pressing appeal and prayer, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord … He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” [5 v.23,24] He will surely do it, – so let us “establish” our “hearts.”

In Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders, we see the hallmarks of a faithful ministry of following the Spirit, humbly serving the Lord and the church, proclaiming the gospel of grace, and protecting the church from false teaching.Scripture References: Acts 20:17-38, 2 Timothy 4:7, Matthew 4:19, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Revelation 2:1-6Pastor: Rob Orr

Describe a city adventure, tell a story & two-way prepositions: zwischen. In Paul's latest blog article, he had an adventure with a subway ticket inspector on his way back from Grandpa's apartment. At home, he realized that the page he found fits the book. It is the lost page with the missing part of the old address! That's the place where Grandpa's friend and the painting used to be! The page probably fell out again at some point after Grandpa glued it in. In the blog comments, Paul's readers say they want to buy his story as a book, but he's not interested in writing one. He gets a message from Laura: She doesn't like Fritz at all, and Paul should know that. He aks, if that's so, why does she take Fritz's side? And then he thinks about the painting again: He has the old address of the hiding place now. But how can he find the new address? Grandpa said Paul's father had helped him with his smartphone despite being banned from using one. So Dad probably knows which app Grandpa wanted to use to find out the new address - but will he admit that? Perhaps not, given that Paul isn't even supposed to know that he helped him. But he thinks he should at least try and dials his number. Will Paul's dad help him and thus admit having used a smartphone despite being banned from using one? Why does Laura take Fritz's side even though she doesn't like him at all? Transcript, lesson and extras: german-stories.com/87-die-seite-die-fehlt-two-way-prepositions-zwischen Learn German online with us! We have easy German speaking, reading, listening, and writing exercises for you - and also more difficult ones. And a lesson plan with progress tracker. It's all right here at german-stories.com

Jesus is the gate. Once you walk into a relationship with Jesus the gate, there's a transition that takes place. You go from one place to another - you walk across the threshold. This is like the story of when Saul turned into Paul. In Paul's words, "If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!" Walking into a relationship with Jesus the gate - there's new life ahead - a life that is abundant. This is where we can talk about what abundance means - it comes from living the Jesus way - love God, love people. We experience that through this community of Jesus people. It is a life that is full - abundant, as we give ourselves away to one another and together to the world. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: John 10:1-10 http://bible.com/events/49434224

In Paul's letter to the Ephesians the first 3 chapters are theology, the last three are application. Join us in episode 18 as we talk about what a disciple and follower of Jesus is truly supposed to look like to the world around them.Today's scripture passage is found in Ephesians 4WANT SHOW NOTES OF TODAY'S EPISODE FOR A SMALL GROUP, TEACHING, ETC.?Study Guide - DOWNLOAD NOWWANT MORE CONTENT?Click the link below to see the teaching that's tied to this podcastYoutube.com/genesischurchorlando.comwww.genesischurchorlando.com/sermonsGOT QUESTIONS?DM us on our Instagram and/or TikTok or email us at postsundaypodcast@gmail.comLIKE, SUBSCRIBE and leave a 5 star REVIEW on Spotify & iTunes.PSP Social Media at:Instagram: @postsundaypodcastYoutube.com/postsundaypodcastTiktok: @postsunday.podcastTwitter: @postsundaypodcastThread: @postsundaypodcast

Living Set Apart as God's Covenant People Please turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthains 6. We'll be looking at verses 14 through chapter 7, verse 1. You can find that on page 1148. In the first half of chapter 6, the apostle Paul called the church in Corinth to return to him and Christ. He pleaded with them to open their hearts - to turn their affections back to the true Gospel – salvation in Jesus Christ. The question that remains is “what does that mean?” What needed to happen in the church for them to be restored? And that question is answered in our verses this morning. Reading of 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 7:1 Prayer #1: Be not unequally yoked (6:14) Do not be unequally yoked. You've likely heard that phrase in verse 14 before. But what does it actually mean? And how does it apply? Those are the two critical questions in this text. Being yoked is not used much in our common vernacular today. And that's because the term is a farming term used back when animals powered the farm equipment. If you go to a modern farm today, you will likely find massive tractors. They have air conditioning. They are driven by GPS. The farmer can be working on other business in the cab while his combine is harvesting the crop. But of course, that is not how it used to be. No, before the tractor, animals like oxen, or horses, or mules would be hitched together. A wood harness was carved with neck shaped holes that would fit over two animals. That wood harness was called a yoke. The yoke would have ropes or cables that would attach to other devices, which would either pull a wagon or a plow or some other farming implement. The whole purpose of the yoke was to balance the load so both animals would equally pull the load behind them. However, if a farmer tried to put a horse and an ox together, or a horse and donkey or a mule and ox, those animals would be unequally yoked. That's where the phrase comes from. And it didn't work well. The farmer would have a big problem. Even if a horse and an ox had similar strength, they have different gates, different heights, different temperaments, and different speeds. It would be difficult to plow in a straight line. The yoke itself would dig into the necks of both animals. It often caused them to be restless and could result in chaos, especially if one of the animals started bucking or kicking or biting. So to be unequally yoked is to be mismatched in a way that is untenable. It's unworkable. It ought not be done. In verse 14, the apostle writes, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Now, I'm guessing that many of you have heard this verse before. And likely you've heard it applied to marriage. Right? However, there's nothing in the entire book of 2 Corinthians about marriage. There's only one reference to a husband and that is in chapter 11. But that reference is explicitly about Christ as our husband, betrothed to us, his bride, the church. In other words, when Paul wrote verse 14, he was not explicitly writing about marriage. Now, to be sure, a second or third layer of application could be about marriage. After all, marriage is the most intimate partnership between a man and a woman. So, verse 14 would certainly have relevance. And we do learn elsewhere in the Bible that we should only marry “in the Lord.” My point is that the context of verse 14 is not about marriage. You ask, then, what was the apostle Paul referring to in verse 14? Well, think about this. We've been studying 2 Corinthians now for 4 full months. What has been the big issue in the church in Corinth? The big issue has been false teachers. There was a group who claimed to be apostles, but who were teaching “a different gospel” (as Paul put it) and whose lives did not display godliness. So, with whom should the church in Corinth not be yoked? They should not be yoked with this group. And in verse 14, how does Paul refer to them? He calls them “unbelievers.” They had been received into the church… at least by some… but they should not have been. And Paul calls on the church to separate themselves from partnering with them. Let me make one more contextual comment. In our 2 Corinthians study, we've also considered the city of Corinth. Corinth, if you remember, was very religious in a pagan sort of way, and also culturally diverse. The temple of Aphrodite overlooked the city – she was the so-called goddess of love. Corinth had a big prostitution problem and had many idols. In Paul's first letter to the church there, he addresses many of these sins. In fact, the language in our text this morning shares many parallels to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 … especially in regard to idols and partnering with demons. The Corinthian church was not be unequally yoked with either the false teachers or the broader secular and pagan community. Furthermore, we're not just told “to be not unequally yoked,” but we're also given some explanation. Look again at verses 14-16, again. You'll notice 5 questions. The next 5 sentences are 5 rhetorical questions. These are very helpful.. They not only answer why, but they also explain what being “unequally yoked” involves. Look at the 5 questions. Every single one begins with  the word “what?” And immediately following the word “what” is a description of the kind of relationship to which Paul refers. He says, “what partnership.” Then next, “what fellowship” and then third “what accord” and then “what portion” and finally “what agreement.” That's very helpful, isn't it? Each of those words implies an intentional alignment between two parties. It insinuates a purposeful agreement. The word “partnership” and “fellowship” are particularly helpful words. The Greek word partnership involves a shared purpose. And the word fellowship is even deeper. It's the word koinonia. It's a purpose-driven alignment when working together. In other words, the emphasis is on the ministry of the church in coordination and partnership with others. The emphasis is not relationships that we have with our friends and neighbors and co-workers. The Holy Spirit is not saying through Paul that Christians should separate themselves from the world. Not at all. Christians are called to love their neighbors. In our communities, we should seek to be friends with those whom God places in our lives. We are to be a light in the world. We are called to serve and show mercy and also to receive help from others in our times of need, no matter who is seeking to help. Even in our worship, we welcome anyone and everyone to worship with us. As you know, we do have membership vows that confirm what we believe, but the invitation to join us for our public worship is for all. Do you see the difference? These verses are about a purposeful partnership with others in matters of belief and ministry. Several years ago, there were a few churches in our denomination who learned this the hard way. They partnered with a weight loss ministry called Weigh Down. Their intention was good – the church wanted to help its members be healthy. It appeared on the outside that this partner ministry was an orthodox ministry. However, over time, it was revealed that the ministry founders did not believe in the Trinity! They didn't believe in what the Bible teaches about God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These churches didn't initially realize that, but to their credit, they quickly put an end to the ministry partnership. What was happening in Corinth was worse. The church had in part received people that were explicitly teaching things contrary to God's revealed Word. We also learned these people cared more about outward appearances and worldly standards than godliness. So, they shunned God's standards and they taught false doctrine, which basically meant they were not true believers in Christ. That helps to explain the contrasts in these rhetorical questions. Look at them one more time. ·       First, righteousness compared with lawlessness. That's in the first question. The difference is pursuing what God reveals in his word as good and right and pure and rejecting those things which go against his word. Lawlessness is essentially coming up with and living out your own standard contrary to God's revealed law. The two cannot be yoked together. ·       The second contrast is light with darkness. This is about truth verses error. A couple of chapters ago, remember “God who said, ‘let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give us the light (of what?)… the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Light is knowledge about what is true. What is true cannot be partnered with what is false. ·       Next, I think the most striking comparison is there in verse 15 – Christ is contrasted with Belial. Beliel, by the way, is another name for Satan. It specifically refers to the personification of the antichrist – of Satan. For God's people who have been united to Christ, there is no place to have an earthly partnership with those whose doctrine and practice are diametrically opposed to the ministry and mission that God gives for his church. The last rhetorical question is there in the beginning of verse 16. “What agreement has the temple of God with idols?” Idolatry is replacing the worship of God with something else. Or in this case, worshiping something that is not God alongside of the true God. Idols were everywhere in Corinth. That was the way of the Roman and Greek culture of the time. They believed in little gods. They would make physical idols of wood and stone. They would ask these false gods to bring rain or fertility or to defeat their enemies. I remember someone telling me about a small village in southeast Asia. This community had a lake and at one point the lake needed to be drained. One of the side berms needed repair. Well, when the engineers drained the lake, they found hundreds of idols. People had thrown their small idols into the lake. When these little “g” gods did not fulfill their desires, they wanted to get rid of them in protest. Sadly, their idolatry either blinded them from seeing and believing in the true God, or it took their heart away from worshiping the true God in Christ. For us, our idols look very different. They're not usually made of wood and stone, but rather we fashion them in our hearts. For example, idols of materialism or money or success or pleasure… or sports …or politics …or technology. There are others. When the people of God unequally yoke themselves with idols or idol worshipers, they pollute the very temple of God. They pollute the church. Let me summarize: lawlessness undermines the righteousness of God, darkness supplants the truth of God, and idolatry pollutes the worship of God. All of that is introduced into the church through the yoke of unholy partnerships. I don't know if you've been following along with the sermon outline. If so, that wraps up point #1, Be not unequally yoked. 2. Live as temples of the living God That now brings us to #2: Live as temples of the living God You can think about it this way. Verses 14 up to the beginning of 16 are like the negative argument. They answer the question what should we avoid in order to not be unequally yoked. We should avoid partnering with lawlessness and darkness and idolatry. All of those are signs of unbelief and need to be avoided. And when we get to the second half of verse 16, there's a switch to the positive argument. Why should the church seek to be pure? And the answer is because we are temples of the living God! That statement was a radical and transformational teaching for first century Christians. For the Corinthians, this was not the first time they heard it. Three times in Paul's first letter to them, he tells them that they are temples of God. God's Holy Spirit dwells in them. God's very presence is in them. You see, until Jesus Christ came, the presence of God was centered in the tabernacle and then the temple. A big portion of the Old Testament ceremonies happened there. It emphasized two things: (1) the holiness of God and (2) the presence of God. ·       First, sacrifices were performed to symbolically cleanse the people – to make them holy. Ultimately that was fulfilled in Christ. ·       Second, the temple contained the holy of holies. It was behind a vary large and very thick curtain. Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies once a year. That's where God's presence and glory was found. But when Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain was torn in two. The temple of God was no longer relevant. That's because believers in Christ are now temples of the living God. So, if you are a believer in Christ, God has made you holy and has given you his presence. You are united to him through the Holy Spirit by faith. To be sure, that does not mean you do not sin. Rather it means that God sees you as holy because of the holiness of Christ in you. Through the union that you have with Christ, you are holy and have the very presence of God in you. In that way, you are temples of the living God. And because of the status you have as being holy, you are called to live out that holiness by pursuing the righteousness in God. I want you to jump down to chapter 7 verse 1. Notice how it concludes this section, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” Again, “bringing holiness to completion.” It means that Christians should pursue holiness in our lives because God now sees us as holy. This directly relates to chapter 6:14 – “do not be unequally yoked.” 7:1 is the positive statement. Instead of being unequally yoked, cleanse yourselves from every defilement of body and spirit. In other words, since you are a holy people called by God, pursue holiness. God's will and desire for his church is that we be pure. Why? Well, that was point 1 – there's no place for lawlessness, darkness, or idolatry in those who are temples of the living Lord. Ok, let's go back up to the long quote. Do you see that there in verses 16-18? This is a very interesting Old Testament quote. That's because it doesn't just come from one place. It's a compilation of quotes from Exodus, Leviticus, Ezekiel, Isaiah, 2 Samuel, Jeremiah, and others. It displays an amazing cross section of God's redemptive plan and promises in the Old Testament. These 2 and 1/2 verses take us from God's law to his prophecies to the history of redemption… and to God's covenant promises. In fact, that's the thing that ties it all together. God's covenant with his people. You can see that in every phrase here. Let's look at them. ·       In the middle of 16, it begins with the covenant promise found in Exodus and Leviticus. The promise is that God would dwell with his people. That certainly ties to being temples of the living God… does it not? ·       And then next, another covenant promise that God would be our God and we would be his people. Do you see that there at the end of 16? That quote is actually found in multiple places... Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, as we read earlier in the service. ·       Then verse 17 is from the prophet Isaiah. The covenant people of God should separate themselves from uncleanness. That's the outworking of being a people called out by God for his glory and honor. ·       And finally verse 18 comes from 2 Samuel chapter 7. That's when the prophet Nathan gave King David God's covenant promise. Part of the promise is that God would be the Father of one of his sons in his line. Also included there is that many will be called sons and daughters through this promised son. And of course, those promises are ultimately fulfilled in Christ.   I know that is a lot to take in. But the point is that God has called a covenant people to himself. And part of that calling is to be a set apart and holy people. So, to tie this all together… the command to be not unequally yoked (verse 14) and instead to bring holiness to completion (chapter 7 verse 1) HAS BEEN God's plan and purpose from the very beginning. God wants his church to be pure. He wants us to pursue righteousness and to faithfully teach and believe in the truths found in his Word. Any diversions from that corrupts the temple of the living Lord. About 100 years ago, a crisis was happening in the church here in the United States. This affected multiple denominations. Ministers were no longer required to believe in basic truths about the Christian faith. There were 5 fundamental beliefs that a pastor did not have to believe: (1) they didn't have to believe in Jesus's divine nature. (2) or the virgin birth of Christ (3) or Jesus physical resurrection. (4) or the substitutionary atonement of Christ – meaning that Jeus died to pay the penalty for sinners. Or (5) the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible – that one really leads to all the rest. In several denominations, you could be ordained as a pastor without believing in one or more of those things. But each of those things is core to the Christian faith. To not believe in them is to violate the truths found in 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 7:1. You see, sadly, a cancer had infiltrated the church. That cancer began to spread. It slowly multiplied until it metastasized… it reached the very heart of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, not all denominations were affected. And to be sure, some true believers remained in those churches and sought to steer them back to faith in Christ. But it was an uphill battle. To use the language of the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3… If a church abandons its first love, that is Christ, God will snuff out their lampstand. It has been 100 years, but the broader church in the United States is still suffering from the unbelief. And it all started by being unequally yoked with unbelievers. There are, of course, many examples recent times that violate these verses in 2 Corinthians. And we should not believe that we are immune from this. We should always be evaluating whether we are being faithful to teach what God has spoken. And we should always be evaluating whether we are living as temples of the living… God seeking to bring holiness to fulfillment. May we, here at Tucker Pres, seek to honor God in our words and actions…both individually and as a church. May we be not unequally yoked, but rather may we seek to be temples of the living Lord… bringing holiness to completion in the fear and worship of our God.

Shakespeare wrote that “parting is such sweet sorrow.” In Paul's final farewell to the Ephesians, we witness this sentiment in action. Explore Paul's departing speech, and learn what weighed foremost on his heart. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of the series ‘For the Sake of the Gospel, Volume 1' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!

Shakespeare wrote that parting is such sweet sorrow. In Paul's final farewell to the Ephesians, we witness this sentiment in action. Explore Paul's departing speech, and learn what weighed foremost on his heart. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Acts 20:2538 To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/163/29

2 Cor. 5:17-18: In Paul's powerful declaration we discover that anyone who is in Christ has become the guarantee of something new.

Paul Blustein is a former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal journalist who has authored several acclaimed books on global economic institutions. In Paul's first appearance on the show, he discusses the historical rise of the dollar, it's present-day power, how it compares to other global currencies, current challenges to its power, the rise of crypto, and much more. Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on March 26th, 2025 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow Paul Blustein on X: @PaulBlustein Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel  Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:00:52) – Paul's Books (00:05:08) – Motivations for King Dollar (00:09:02) – History of the Dollar (00:12:57) – Nixon Shock of 1971 (00:23:36) – Paul Volcker (00:33:14) – Dollar Dominance and Statecraft (00:40:46) – What About the Euro? (00:44:42) – Cryptocurrency as a Rival to the Dollar (00:47:54) – Drawbacks of Dollar Dominance (00:57:03) – Outro  

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he likens Christians to vessels, “…set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” Before that, however, he warns us to cleanse ourselves from “dishonorable use.” Essentially, our purification allows us to serve God's Kingdom well—but what happens when our church leaders don't? How does God respond when the people we look up to fall into sin? Listen in as we explore the tragic story of Eli's sons, and how they set a poor example for God's people.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Joshua 3-6; 1 Cor 4 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, dear friends! I'm so glad to have you join me on day 78 of our journey through the scriptures. Today, we're diving into the vibrant stories found in the book of Joshua, chapters 3 to 6, and ending with rich reflections from First Corinthians chapter 4. In our reading, we witness the Israelites led by Joshua, crossing into the Promised Land and experiencing incredible acts of God, like the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River and the fall of Jericho. As we explore First Corinthians, we reflect on Paul's insights about the kingdom of God and the humility and love that define it. Through prayer and scripture, we'll delve into the profound message that it's not about pretentious power but about the selfless love embodied by Christ. So, get ready to be inspired and encouraged in your faith journey today. Let's embark on this spiritual adventure together! TODAY'S DEVOTION: The kingdom of God is marked not by the grandeur and power of earthly empires but by the humble, self-giving love of Christ. In Paul's writing to the Corinthians, he emphasizes that God's kingdom is not about pretentious speech or human power. Instead, it is expressed through God's self-giving, radically forgiving, co suffering love. This is so contrary to the way we often view power and success, yet it's precisely where the true strength of the kingdom lies. Think for a moment about Jesus, the King of this kingdom, who comes riding on a donkey's colt, crowned with thorns, appearing defeated on the cross. But it is in this very act of humility and sacrifice that Christ conquers death and reconciles us to God. There is no pretense, no arrogance—only love, pure and sacrificial. As we follow Jesus, let's allow the Lamb of God to lead us deeper into this kingdom life. Let's rid ourselves of all pretense and ambition to build our own empires. Instead, embrace the self giving love that defines God's kingdom. It's a love that is radically forgiving and always willing to suffer alongside others. This kingdom life calls us away from the lures of earthly power and invites us into a life characterized by forgiveness, humility, and love. It's a transformation that affects our soul deeply, extending out to our families and communities. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's a prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, and my daughters, and my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL