Podcasts about in paul

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.

In Paul's final words of Roman 8, he very poetically asserts that there is nothing in all the world or in the unseen world that can separate us from Him. In Christ, our salvation and position is secure. And, come what may, in the end, God wins and we are the beneficiaries.

In these verses, Paul's final remarks teach us that God is full of mercy and that his saints are chosen from all walks of life and from all levels of society (1 Cor. 1:26–31). We find among Paul's companions a runaway slave (engaged in ministry), a restored backslider (now forgiven and full of zeal), a pastor (concerned for his flock), a doctor-turned-historian, and others who work with Paul in evangelism. The apostle Paul is able to accomplish his ministry only because of the faithfulness of many dear friends who have stuck by him and who've been helpful to him in his ministry. And in order to use them as an encouragement to the Colossians and to all the churches that would read this letter, he tells us a little bit about them. And it adds a very warm, personal touch to what is a very doctrinal letter. It also indicates to me something of the magnetism of his personality, and the deep, rich love of which he was capable, because of the fact that he had so many of these people with him for so many years, and they had such a deep loyalty and love for the man. Those who brought greetings (vv. 7–9) Two envoys Tychicus and Onesimus are two loyal and highly valued friends of the apostle Paul. They are envoys sent with the epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon to inform and encourage the believers in those churches (Eph. 6:21–22). tychicus WAS THE MAN WITH A SERVANTS HEART.  hE came from the province of Asia and was one of Paul's companions. The name “Tychicus” means fortuitous or fortunate; and indeed he was fortunate. We don't know much about him; there isn't much said in the Bible. He's mentioned five times, and every time it's very, very brief. But we know one thing: he lived up to his name, because he was a fortunate man to be able to spend as much time, in fact, as many years as he did in the ministry with the apostle Paul. He was a close friend who later would wait for him at Troas when Paul travelled to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4) fourteen years later. Paul regards Tychicus as wholly reliable and a witness to his state in prison.  He is a man with a servant's heart. He realizes this is a long journey. He's leaving his home, his job, his friends, the fellowship of his church;    when we see him, as Paul writes Colossians, he's still with Paul; he's still around. He's stuck by him for a long time now. He went to Jerusalem with him. It may be that he returned with him. He for sure is with him now in the imprisonment in Rome. And at the end of Titus chapter 3, verse 12, he says, “When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis; for I have determined to spend the winter there.” Here's a loyal man. And you know what? He says, “I'm going to send him, Titus, to take your place,” either he or Artemas. We don't know which one he sent, but it may well have been Tychicus.   Now what Paul wanted was – Paul loved Titus. Titus was the pastor of the congregations in the island of Crete, and Paul wanted Titus to come and spend the winter with him. Paul knew it wasn't only the winter of the year, but it was the winter of his life; and Paul wanted the fellowship and the love of Titus. And so he said to Titus, “Look, if you'll come and meet me in Nicopolis and spend the winter with me, I will send this man Artemas, or this man Tychicus, to take care of your church.”   Now it's kind of an interesting thing. Here is a man who started out as a messenger, and wound up substituting for a very great man, the man by the name of Titus. The man with a servant's heart made himself available, and God used him in ways, I'm sure, he never dreamed possible.   Now later on, I want you to notice something: Paul wrote the last letter that we believe he wrote, 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 12, and he says this, writing to Timothy: “And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloak that I left at Troas” – I'm glad he has that same problem that all of us have; he left his coat somewhere. “The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when you come, would you please bring it, and my books, and especially the parchments?” Good to know he's human, isn't it? He left almost everything there. So he says, “When you come, will you bring all that stuff I left over there?”   Now you see, what he's saying here is, “Timothy, I want you to come and be with me; I need you. And in order that you can come and be with me, I know you'll have to leave your congregation in Ephesus so I'm going to send somebody to take your place.” And who is it? Tychicus again. He's making a career out of being an interim pastor, and he's filling in for some pretty, pretty high-class men: Titus and Timothy. He would reflect to both of those congregations the character of Paul, the life of Paul, the ministry of Paul; and they would love him because he would bring Paul to them. Now that's the kind of man he was. He was a messenger, and he was a pastor. In fact, he was anything Paul wanted him to be. We never find any bit of argument, we never find any bit of anxiety; we only find Tychicus doing what Paul told him to do.   But this is a faithful servant. He loves Paul. He's loyal. He'll be a messenger; he'll be a pastor; he'll be anything. And Paul here has in mind sending him with the letter to the Colossians. He isn't going to pastor, he's just going to be a delivery boy.   You say, “Well, that's not too tough.” Listen, if you knew what the trip was like from Rome to Laodicea and Colossae you might not say that. It's a long trip, a perilous trip. You had to cross Italy on foot, and then he had to sail the Adriatic, and then he had to cross Greece, and then he had to sail the Aegean. Then he had to walk, after he had landed at Miletus, up the steep Lycus River Valley to Laodicea and Colossae, and it wasn't easy; it was a very difficult journey. But Paul says, “He's going to come and he's going to bring the letter.”   And you know something? He didn't just have the letter of Colossians, he had another letter too. You say, “Well, what other letter did he have?” Well, I believe, if you look at Ephesians 6:21, it says; “But that you also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that you might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your heart.” You see, that's almost an exact quote out of Colossians. So, now we know he doesn't have one letter, he's got two letters. Tucked somewhere in his robe is Colossians and Ephesians.   And, incidentally, the book of Ephesians, it was not just written to the Ephesians. In fact, we find many manuscripts; and in the beginning of Ephesians there is a blank where it says, “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints who are at blank.” You know why? This was a general letter to all the churches; it's just that one of the manuscripts we found happened to have Ephesus written in it. In the whole book of Ephesians there's not one allusion to a person in Ephesus.  And also had; he had another letter: Philemon. He had the letter to Philemon. And look at verse 9 of Colossians 4: “And along with Tychicus I'm sending Onesimus.” See? And Onesimus was the slave that was returning about whom the book of Philemon is written  The second thing he says – and this gets us into the thought that he is a servant's heart, “He is a faithful minister,” verse 7, and the word is diakonos, or servant. He is a faithful servant. He never attained prominence, he just served. He was an invaluable liaison between Paul and the churches; and he was faithful, he stuck with it. He was one of those 1 Corinthian 4 kind of stewards that was found faithful; he just did it, whatever it was. And you know something? There's no other way to get the work done, and Paul knew it. You've got to have people who have a servant's heart. He not only was a faithful servant of Paul but he was a fellow slave in the Lord. The first phrase has to do with Paul: “He is a faithful servant of mine, and a fellow slave in the Lord.” And Paul uses two different words. The first one is diakonos which just means servant. The second is sundoulos, which means bond slave. He is not a bond slave to Paul, don't confuse it. He's a bond slave to Jesus; he's just a willing servant to Paul. The New Testament words are important.     onesimus a man with a sinful past is a runaway slave who is the subject of the Epistle to Philemon.  Philemon was a convert of the apostle Paul. Verse 19 of Philemon he says that, “You owe to me your own self.” So he was a convert of Paul. And he's a very wealthy man; he owns some slaves. One of the slaves Philemon owned was a man named Onesimus, this man. But Onesimus didn't like living in Philemon's house, and he didn't like being a slave, so he ran away. And you know what a slave was to do when he ran away if he was caught? He was to give his life; he was executed. Runaway slaves were executed. But this one was willing to make the gamble, and he ran away, and he ran all the way to Rome. And you know what happened? Amazing thing: he ran right into the apostle Paul. And you know something? Just as the apostle Paul had led Philemon to Christ, the apostle Paul led Philemon's runaway slave to Christ. Isn't that amazing when you think there were two million people in Rome? Not so amazing when you see what God had in mind. Now Paul writes a letter, the letter of Philemon, and sends Onesimus back, and the letter says, “Say, Philemon, I know he ran away; but don't kill him. He may have gone away a slave; he's coming back a brother, and he's willing to serve you as a slave and a brother in Christ. So open your arms of love and take him, will you?” And so here's Tychicus with Philemon, the letter in his pocket, and Onesimus the slave walking beside him. Paul writes the letter to establish in Philemon's heart acceptance for a returning slave who's now a brotherHe has been recently converted and now serves Christ as Paul's ‘beloved brother' (v. 9). Paul is not interested in status or wealth, but in spirituality and faithfulness. Tychicus and Onesimus are both brothers to Paul through grace, men who were happy to help out and use their gifts under Paul's direction, accepting and recognizing that he was the Lord's servant. They are sent to ‘comfort hearts', that is, to encourage the Colossians to keep the faith and to obey the Word of God. And in the letter to Philemon he says, “Onesimus is” my very heart. Onesimus is my very heart. Those who sent greetings (vv. 10–14) Three messianic Jews (vv. 10–11) Aristarchus, Mark and Justus are fellow workers and long-term Jewish friends of Paul. These men worked with Paul for the glory of Christ in the local churches. They were team players who shared the same agenda as Paul for the church's growth and well-being and were not too busy ‘doing their own thing' to help out. Their ministry blessed Paul personally because he was encouraged by their friendship. The word ‘comfort' (v. 11) speaks of consolation and relief. We get the English word ‘paregoric' (‘a medicine that soothes pain') from the Greek used here. aristarchus is the man with a sympathetic heart. Now Aristarchus' name appears elsewhere in the New Testament in association with the town of Thessalonica. It's very likely that he came from that town. And at Ephesus, you remember Paul ministered at Ephesus for three years; and during those three years, Aristarchus was with him. And you remember when finally in Ephesus the riot broke out? When the riot broke out, Aristarchus and Gaius were seized by the mob, and Aristarchus found out what it was to be a prisoner. They recognized him as one of Paul's companions, and so they seized him. Now that's in chapter 19. Now Paul decides to go to Jerusalem. You know what happens? He takes Aristarchus along. So he goes on that trip. Paul gets on the boat. You remember he was captured as a prisoner in Jerusalem, then he was moved to Caesarea on the coast where he stayed as a prisoner. And then finally, in Acts 27, he gets on a boat to go to Rome to be tried in Rome, and he's a prisoner on the ship; and Acts 27:2 says when he got on the boat, Aristarchus was with him. Had Aristarchus been with him through all the imprisonment? Very possible. Very possible since the time he identified with Paul in the city of Ephesus, and escaped from the riot, and went to Jerusalem. From that time until now he has stayed with Paul; as a prisoner in Jerusalem, he hung around. Caesarea, he may have hung around. On the ship – and you remember what a ride that was. Read Acts 27 again. I mean that was something exciting, and he was there. Now here he is back in Rome. And guess who's there? Aristarchus. And Paul calls him “my fellow prisoner.” And the guy hasn't committed a crime, he just hangs around with criminals, so he spends his time in jail. came from Thessalonica (Acts 27:2) and he was with Paul during the riots at Ephesus (Acts 19:29). From Acts 20:4 we see that he also waited for Paul with Tychicus at Troas as Paul made his way back to Jerusalem. It is thought by some that he travelled with Paul as his slave or, alternatively, that he was taking a lift back home; whatever the truth is, he is also a prisoner in Rome at this time (Paul calls him ‘my fellow prisoner'). He was a volunteer willing to suffer for the kingdom of Christ. mark is the man with a second chance the cousin of Barnabas and the writer of the second Gospel. Twelve years prior to this, Mark and Barnabas had left Paul after a disagreement about whether Mark should accompany them on their second missionary journey. In Paul's opinion, Mark had been disloyal and cowardly when he deserted them at the end of their first missionary tour (Acts 15:36–41). Mark's relationship with Paul is now restored and he is fully engaged in the Lord's work and in full fellowship with the Lord's people. In 2 Timothy 4:13 Paul said that Mark was very useful to him for the ministry, thus assuring us that Mark's restoration to faithfulness was a permanent thing (see also 1 Peter 5:13). This is so encouraging as it tells us never to doubt the grace of God and his promise to keep us from falling. Mark is no longer a liability to Paul and is to be welcomed as a fully committed co-worker of Christ. Mark is forgiven both by God and by Paul. We should not withhold our love from those whom Christ has redeemed and restored. Restoration is a wonderful certainty because God promises it in Christ (Eph. 3:20–21; Jude 24). justus, the man with a strong commitment also called Jesus. His was a common name among the Jews. A man called by that name was nominated as a replacement apostle for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:23), while another of the same name lived in Corinth and was a supporter of Paul (Acts 18:7). If the Justus of Colossians 4:11 is neither of these two (and that is what most commentators think) then he is mentioned only here in the New Testament and represents the ‘unknowns' in the Lord's service: those myriads of believers—ordinary people—with nothing particularly special to note about them, who yet have been chosen and given grace to be ‘fellow workers for the kingdom of God'. No matter how ‘unknown' believers may feel in their own little place, they contribute to the growth of the kingdom when they use their gifts and walk in obedience to Christ.        Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?              John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.               “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32             Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.              hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F             The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

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.

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

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.”

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 appeal to the Colossian church, he reiterates the creative and sovereign power of Jesus in a what seems to be a known song or prayer. For Paul, everything is about Jesus. It is Christ who is the agent in creation, it is Christ who reigns over all things, and it Christ who redeems and reconciles creation back to God. In Christ, our relationship with God can be restored. That is what gives us hope. That is what gives us meaning and purpose. That is what gives us life. That is true power. The invitation for everyone is to make Jesus King. Make Jesus King over all things. If you need prayer, we're here for you. Reach out at ⁠www.gatewaybaptist.com.au/prayer________________________Gateway Baptist Church meets across six locations in South-East Queensland and online.For over 90 years, we've been committed to guiding people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus.Learn more about us at ⁠https://gatewaybaptist.com.au⁠ or join us on Sundays at ⁠gtwy.au/live

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.

In Paul's final words, we see a man who has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. Even as he faces death, he is confident in God's faithfulness. What does it look like to finish well in our own lives? How do we remain faithful to the end? This Sunday, we'll reflect on Paul's legacy and the calling we each have to persevere to the finish line.

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

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.

In the trades, it's not the perks that define culture—it's how your people show up when things get hard. On job sites, in tight deadlines, across five generations—real culture is built through clarity, trust, and showing up every day. And that doesn't happen by accident. Too often, trade businesses measure success in activity: 500 calls made, back-to-back shifts worked, 100 tasks checked off. But when output becomes the goal, people burn out, trust breaks down, and culture becomes just another line in the handbook. In this episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin talks with Paul McCarthy, business development leader at Hero Facility Services, about how to build a strong culture that actually supports your people, especially in field-based, fast-moving environments. Real culture gets built one deposit of trust at a time. Paul shares insights from decades of experience across operations, hospitality, and business development—plus a clear-eyed philosophy on what he calls the “psychology of the heart.” They dig into how to know whether someone is truly aligned with the team, what to do when your gut says no but the resume says yes, and how to structure tough conversations that build—not break—relationships. This is an episode about seeing your people, naming your values, and leading with presence. In Paul's words, it's not just about the sale—it's about changing one person's life every day. If you're serious about growing your business and keeping good people, you'll want to hear this.

In Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia, he used an incident which occurred in Antioch involving Peter to make a strong point for justification by faith, and not by works of the law - "Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed" (Galatians 2:11). The incident serves us by helping us understand the nature of the problems Paul was addressing, as well as the ways we should interact with one another as brethren.

by MaryAnn Diorio, PhDApril 16, 2025Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Story Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Wednesday, April 16, 2025, and this is episode #3 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, "Can History Prove the Resurrection?"To my knowledge, nothing has caused more controversy throughout human history than the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Satan has made every attempt to discredit this historical fact and continues to do so today. In this podcast, I would like to share seven historical facts that support and prove the Resurrection:1) All four Gospels recount the events of Christ's death and resurrection. The Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—all followers of Christ. Three of them—Matthew, Mark, and John—were eyewitnesses to these major historic events and testify to them. The fourth, Luke, learned about the resurrection from earlier eyewitnesses of the events.2) Many of the eyewitnesses to Christ's death and resurrection gave their lives rather than denounce what they had seen with their own eyes. They died for more than just a cause they believed in. They died for the very facts they saw with their own eyes. They refused to deny the facts, although doing so would have likely spared them from death. But they chose to side with the truth of what they had seen, not to lie in order to save their own skin.3) History shows that Christ's grave was in fact empty. The stone had been rolled away. His body was never found. Although Roman soldiers guarded his tomb, he still disappeared from it. Here is how the Holy Scriptures describe the event in Matthew chapter 28:"And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men."So the guards themselves saw this angel who made them tremble. They knew that something supernatural had happened. Yet, they allowed themselves to be bribed for fear of their own death. You see, in those days, if a Roman soldier failed in his assignment to guard a prisoner and the prisoner escaped, the soldier himself was killed. In Matthew 28: 11-15 ESV, we read what really happened after the guards saw the angel and discovered that Jesus was missing:"While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day."Did you catch that last sentence? "And they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day." Rather than tell the truth about what they saw, the guards accepted the bribe to save their lives and told the Jews that Christ's body had been stolen. And TO THIS DAY, the lie continues to be spread! 4) After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to numerous people. About 500 in fact! He talked with them, ate with them, touched them. In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he writes this:"I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

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 absence, Producer Tom joins Lee to talk about their five-a-side football match on the German-Swiss border and their Alpine groundhopping challenge to watch live games in three countries in the space of seven hours – using only public transport! Join Lee and Tom to find out how they almost lost a football in international waters, why they might face repercussions from the ‘Groundhop Police', whether they were mugged by young children in a micro-state and what happened when they dared to ask a sausage seller for a plate. That is followed by a round-up of the best headlines from the first international window of the year. New Caledonia, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Sudan and Venezuela are all chasing their World Cup debuts – but who stands the best chance of making it and could a Trump travel ban stop them entering the USA? Do Australia regret joining AFC now that OFC gets an automatic World Cup qualifying berth? And what is with South American nations calling up players to make their international debuts before appearing professionally at club level? Join us on Patreon for:- Bonus episodes, including an interview with James Montague about his time spent with ultra groups around the world- Blog posts about football in the likes of Africa, the Faroe Islands, Japan and Mongolia- Access to our Discord chat community containing hundreds of Sweeper listeners- Weekly newsletters with a FIFA+ match recommendation of the week- And much more besides!The Blizzard: Get 10% off subscriptions to The Blizzard by entering the code 'sweeper10' at checkout. Editor: Ralph Foster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

In Paul's letter to the Philippian church, he challenged the believers to have the same attitude that Jesus had. When individuals in a church follow Jesus' example of humility, the body experiences unity and we all work together to glorify God.

Pastor Stephen brings the message “Talking Like Christians” from 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5. In Paul's letters, we often find him encouraging believers with simple truths, praying for them, and asking for prayer. In short, Paul writes like a Christian talking to Christians. But for us, it can often feel awkward or hard to talk casually about faith, grace, or what God's doing in our lives with our Christian friends. Our passage for Sunday will model what uplifting, casual, Christian conversation can look like in our relationships with other believers.  

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  

Pastor Bryan shares the second half of a lesson from Ephesians 3. As followers of Christ, we may face persecution. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he reveals the motivation to follow Christ, even when life is difficult. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1286/29

In a world marked by division, the call for unity is more urgent than ever. The gospel of reconciliation reveals a profound truth. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Christ's sacrifice breaks down walls of hostility, bringing connection to God and to one another. In a divided world, unity reflects faith and embodies Christ's transformative love.

How essential it is that we are renewed day by day. Just as our body needs physical food – so does our mind. This is one of the points in Paul's 2nd letter to the Corinthians. His life is under a lot of stress, far more than others. He says, “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken …” [4 v.8,9] Believers in some countries today are finding a lot of this applies to them.These stresses are certain to become more widespread in our world – although probably of a different order. It will be our personal heart felt conviction of faith and belief that will enable us to endure – as it did with Paul. He was inspired by those who had gone before, such as the stirring convictions expressed in the Psalms we are currently reading. “Since we have the same spirit of faith”, writes Paul, “according to what has been written, ‘ I believed and so I spoke' we also believe, and so we also speak …”[v.13,14] Let us make sure we say the same! How positive Paul is! Let us also be positive. He states, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” [v.16]The foundation of our daily renewal is our meditative reading of God's word – leading to prayer. In Paul's day, as in ours, not all were ‘honest' with what they read, they were not sufficiently conscious of the all seeing eye of God. In v. 2 we see how Paul makes the point, “ … we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God”It is regular reading which brings God's word into a balanced focus for our understanding, any uncertainties as to its meaning steadily disappear. God has revealed all things which it is needful for us to know in our mortal lives. We would long to know more detail of what lies ahead, but our chapter ends with soul stirring words, “… we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Make sure you are “renewed” today. .

In Paul's final stretches of ministry free from imprisonment and impending martyrdom, we find him taking long voyages and long stretches of time to speak with and encourage the believers. The ways in which Paul sets his priorities in these final days reminds and challenges us to proactively set our priorities so that distractions and disorientation cannot disrupt the greater plans of God in us and through us.

Inside our theme of love this month, this week we have been talking about intimacy and how important it is to experience this dynamic with God, in relationships, and inside a community. Today, we will look at a different type of intimacy, in fact, the deepest intimacy possible.In Paul's teaching to the church at Corinth, he tied an Old Testament reality to the new reality Jesus provided. The temple was once a physical structure where only designated priests could enter. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, along with the presence of the Holy Spirit, allows His to be brought into our own hearts through faith in Christ.Listen to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 …Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT)Do you see it? As followers of Christ, we literally become His temple. This brings an incredible new type of intimacy and closeness … God with us and God in us. We, of course, do not become God, but He now lives inside our lives.Let's read this passage again in The Message Bible.Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.As I have asked you a number of times on other days in Sound Mind Set, was there any line or phrase that stood you to you? What was it? … Why do you think it stood out to you? What might God be saying by highlighting that for you?For the believer, the crucial focus here is that our bodies no longer belong to us. The temple of God is no longer a building or a place only priests can visit. Christ's death and resurrection, along with the introduction of the Holy Spirit, makes us His temple. Shouldn't that bring an entirely new focus and meaning to our lives? What we choose to do and not do with His temple? Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, seeing myself as Your temple is a tough concept to grasp. But I didn't say that about me, You did. So help me to believe it, accept it as truth, and live it out. I need to simply believe what You tell me, about me. As above, so below.”

In Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians we have come to where he refers to the memorial emblems, he stresses that their participation in these should be in a way that illustrates their unity. Paul has made several points very strongly in earlier chapters addressing issues that were seriously undermining their unity in Christ: their lack of harmony worried him very much.Their coming together to remember that Christ died for them needed to take place in an atmosphere of genuine unity – but it wasn't. To start with some were influenced by the surrounding spirit of idol-worshipping, but “…. beloved flee from idolatry” [10 v.14] wrote Paul..He appeals to them, “I speak to sensible people, judge for yourselves what I say.”[v.5] Do we ourselves make sensible judgements? The situation for us is not completely different. Paul says, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not the participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body …” [v.15-7]The verses which follow indicate some had a problem leaving behind the pagan practices they had previously enjoyed, Paul says to them, “You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?” [v.21,22] In ch. 5 he made the point, “Christ is our Passover … let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven … of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” [7,8]In Ch. 11 we will read that “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” [v.29] He does not mean – discerning his own body – but the body of Christ and their responsibility to his or her fellow believers. Paul told the Philippians he wanted to “hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit and one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” [1 v.27]This precious oneness is demonstrated each time we meet for fellowship. There have been the rare occasions when a member of another church has been present who has taken offence at not being offered the emblems! But this is an opportunity to lovingly point out that when the church was first established on the Day of Pentecost, those baptised “devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and fellowship and the breaking of bread …” [Acts 2 v.42] What is the Apostles teaching? Do they (do we) properly “discern the Lord's body” when we participate? If we are of one mind as to that teaching and are baptised – our participation in the body of Christ will a great spiritual joy.. Let us make sure we ourselves are fully devoted to this teaching and the way of life it leads to..

In Paul's New Creation: Vision for a New World and Community (Lexington Book, 2023), Sejong Chun presents inter(con)textual readings of Paul's new creation passages from the perspective of the Korean immigrant church in America. Chun focuses on Paul's new creation's cosmic dimension and ecclesiastical character and proposes the ekklēsia as a tangible embodiment. The author suggests that Paul, as a middleman, accomplishes the collective project of the Jerusalem collection with his Gentile churches to declare independence from the Jerusalem church authority and to demonstrate God's alternative economy against the exploitative system of the Roman Empire. Sejong Chun completed his PhD at Vanderbilt University. He currently serves as a visiting professor of the New Testament at Yonsei University as well as founder and senior pastor of New Creation Church in Daegu, South Korea. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In Paul's New Creation: Vision for a New World and Community (Lexington Book, 2023), Sejong Chun presents inter(con)textual readings of Paul's new creation passages from the perspective of the Korean immigrant church in America. Chun focuses on Paul's new creation's cosmic dimension and ecclesiastical character and proposes the ekklēsia as a tangible embodiment. The author suggests that Paul, as a middleman, accomplishes the collective project of the Jerusalem collection with his Gentile churches to declare independence from the Jerusalem church authority and to demonstrate God's alternative economy against the exploitative system of the Roman Empire. Sejong Chun completed his PhD at Vanderbilt University. He currently serves as a visiting professor of the New Testament at Yonsei University as well as founder and senior pastor of New Creation Church in Daegu, South Korea. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you like when your skills, knowledge, or abilities are being tested? Whether we like it or not, testing can be beneficial to gauge whether we really are as good at something or have as much understanding about something as we thought. When it comes to our faith, the apostle Paul encourages us to regularly “test and examine our faith.” In Paul's final words to the Corinthian church, we are going to discover what having a genuine faith is, and why it is so important for the life of every follower of Jesus. The heartbeat of Church on the Rock is to help people discover how they can LOVE God and LOVE one another, LIVE with passion, purpose and freedom, and LEAD others to this same experience in Jesus. We simply say, “helping others Love, Live, and Lead in Jesus". Let's Connect here: https://churchak.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/84/responses/new Learn more about us at https://churchak.org If you enjoyed our teaching and would like to donate to our ministries go here: https://pushpay.com/g/churchak?src=hpp

In this episode, Paul Tripi shares his journey from starting in the advertising industry to eventually joining Beck Flavors, highlighting the challenges and successes in growing the family-owned business. Deb and Paul discuss the strong working relationship between Paul and his brother-in-law Matt Carr, their shared leadership dynamics, and how their different strengths complement each other. Paul emphasizes the importance of a customer-centric approach and nurturing a positive company culture. He also shares success stories of bringing client ideas to life and the rewarding experience of seeing their products on store shelves. The episode underscores the significance of family, both in personal life and in business, and how this philosophy drives Beck Flavors' operations and growth. Episode Highlights: 05:23 Joining Beck Flavors and Family Dynamics 08:44 Building a Strong Company Culture 17:20 Customer Success Stories and Impact 21:53 Overcoming Business Challenges Paul Tripi, Vice President and Co-Owner of Beck Flavors. Paul, a University of Missouri graduate, started his professional career in advertising and promotions before starting a title insurance company in the early 2000’s. After the real estate market bubble popped he moved onto sales and sales management for a tech company specializing in IT and multi-function equipment before joining Beck Flavors as a Business Development Manager and eventually Vice President and Co Owner in 2021. Paul’s passion in business is connecting with customers, solving problems and partnering with clients to grow together and sharing success. In Paul’s free time, he likes spending time with his wife and 2 children, and spending "Zen Time” on a fishing boat or hiking a trail. Connect with Paul: Company Website: www.beckflavors.com For more insights: Book a call: https://bit.ly/4cToGDs Follow me on my YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/47GgMdn Sign up for my Weekly Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3T09kVcSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Paul, Women & Wives, Dr. Craig S. Keener presents a substantive, Scripture-based defense for egalitarian theology, principles and practices. Join me as we explore the writings of Paul in a way that liberates women, not subjugates them. We're finally starting with the crux of the book: exegeting Paul's letters and diving into Scripture. Keener has divided his book into two parts. Part 1 is about the Roles of Women in the Church (Chapters 1-3). Part 2 is about Women's Role in the Family (Chapters 4-6). Chapter 1: Head Coverings in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Keener presents several potential interpretations of the passage that are quite provocative, frankly. However, my takeaway was pretty simple: Paul's argument about head coverings isn't about “IF” women can pray or prophecy in the church (prophecy likely isn't too different from preaching in the modern context), but “HOW” they should do so. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Soul Care in the Digital Age 00:52 Exploring Gender Roles in the Church 09:22 Head Coverings and Cultural Context 18:49 Modesty, Class, and Community Dynamics 35:37 Understanding Paul's Perspective on Women

In Paul, Women & Wives, Dr. Craig S. Keener presents a substantive, Scripture-based defense for egalitarian theology, principles and practices. Join me as we explore the writings of Paul in a way that liberates women, not subjugates them. Check this out on Substack! Introduction “All biblical passages may be for all time, but all biblical passages are not for all circumstances.” - pg 59 This quote is tattoo-worthy. If you engage with the Christian Scripture for any of length of time, with any seriousness, this phrase should be a mantra you should repeat. This is especially true for pastors, elders, group leaders or anyone else who may be preaching and teaching the Jewish or Christian Scriptures. And it's extremely pertinent to our discussion. The most common accusation levied at egalitarians is that we have a “low view of Scripture” or are throwing out whole chunks of God's Word to arrive at our conclusion that women can serve in the church in the same capacities as men and aren't the only party called to submit in the home. For some, that is true. Part of their faith journey (especially those that are deconstructing or recovering from painful church experiences) is how they relate to the Bible. Especially if it was wielded like a weapon in their communities to harm them or control them. Sometimes, that experience leads folks to view Scripture with skepticism or completely disregard its authority in their life and belief system, while still clinging to faith in Jesus. I have nothing but grace and compassion for my brothers and sisters who feel that way. However, that's not my experience. In fact, it is in my authoritative view of Scripture that led to my egalitarian theology. And understanding this quote is big reason why, as Keener will lay out in further chapters. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Soul Care and Formation 00:29 Egalitarian Theology and Gender Roles 02:49 Understanding Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation 04:54 The Role of Paul in Gender Discussions 08:11 Questioning Women's Calling in Ministry 14:06 Cultural Context and Biblical Interpretation 19:03 The Complexity of Biblical Terms 27:14 Scripture's Misuse and the Call for Equality 29:47 God's Design for Gender Equality 34:00 Looking Ahead: Next Steps in the Discussion

Are you gifted? Yes, absolutely! The Holy Spirit has given an amazing, and abundant, array of gifts to His Church - to you, me and to all Christians. In Paul's day, the Christians at Corinth found themselves debating which gift was the most important. God's Word answers that question but perhaps not in the way that you imagine. In fact, it's this important answer which leads us to use the gift we've been given humbly, thankfully, and in keeping with the exciting purpose for which He gave it.

If you are genuinely going to pursue the Lord and experience a closeness with Him, it is imperative that you do it by being in the Word of God. In addition to fasting and praying, we must focus on God's Word. In Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, we see how God's Word came to them, worked in them, and worked through them. Upon salvation, we have to continue to examine God's Word, continue to be in God's Word, and continue to read God's Word. Salvation is the starting line of where to become a mature disciple begins. We can't pursue God the way He desires without being in The Word of God and without submitting to Scripture. When we do this, we see the Word of God work through us. Just as the Word of God was ringing out those around the Thessalonians, the impact of the Word should be ringing out in our workplace, in our school hallways, grocery stores, and should definitely begin in your home. When we hear, read, and do the Word of God, it influences everyone around us. Listen to this sermon about seeing the Word of God work in and through you in the second part of our SEEK series. Check out our video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/e-nrHFDPwgoSubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/8wmeCwBf_zkLearn more about us at chestnutmountain.orgFollow us on Facebook & Instagram @chestnutmtn_Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave a review, and let us know what you think.

We'll be returning to our study of 1 Corinthians after taking two weeks away from it for the holidays. We'll be reading 1 Cor 15:35-58 – Paul's concluding thoughts concerning the doctrine of the resurrection.In the first part of chapter 15, Paul was corrective in his discussion about the resurrection – pointing out how intimately Jesus' resurrection was tied to our own stories. In Paul's thinking, Jesus' experience was a model for what God intended to do for all of his people, hence, the general resurrection was a mandatory belief.I do find it fascinating how very little time or thought our modern, Western church gives to this idea. N.T. Wright wrote a very insightful book on this topic, called “Surprised by Hope”, which I highly recommend reading.For the last half of the chapter, Paul points both to nature and the Biblical narrative to make his case for the holistic nature of the resurrection. I really like his argument as it touches nature. What are we witnessing every spring as winter recedes? If God is the author of reality as we perceive it, what might he be trying to tell us in this cycle of seasons?Going to the biblical narrative, Paul asserts a new Adamic role for Jesus. His logic seems to be, if we all face the certainty of death through Adam's sin, doesn't it stand to reason that we all get in on Christ's resurrection life through Him?As Paul has elaborated on this subject, has it influenced how you perceive an afterlife with God? Paul finishes on a high note, in v55 he rewords a prophetic poem from Hosea 13, flipping the meaning of that oracle into a forecast of triumph for God's people. How can we start incorporating a more robust hope for resurrection into our faith worldview?I'm really stoked about getting into this section of 1 Corinthians – I hope you're able to join us this Sunday at 10 AM!Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

Spring 1999. I was walking down the hall of my parents ranch home, past the collage of pictures on the wall and a feeling of dread fell over me. My plans for the coming year had fallen through. I would graduate high school in a couple of months, with no real plan for the next chapter of my life. Everyone I knew seemed to have it together, plans for college, a career, a life beyond their childhood home. At a critical time in life I was supposed to take a step forward, but I felt stuck and needed a push, a jumpstart, a new way of seeing my future.    As we've studied Ephesians, Paul is writing to a church that he greatly loves and hopes will not remain frozen in time. Their faith must continue to blossom because of the grandeur of the one they worship. His desire is that they would know the majesty of God and in very practical ways, this knowledge would change their lives. In Paul's final remarks, he urges the reader not to be a bystander, but to actively engage in the will of God through spiritual warfare. Our goal this weekend will be to address where our power comes from to engage in this warfare. If you want, read ahead in Ephesians Ch. 6.    Pastor Matt McCarter

Daily Dose of Hope December 18, 2024 Day 4 of Week 38   Scripture:  2 Kings 22-23; Psalm 73; 2 Corinthians 5   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  Let's get right into our Scripture for today!   We begin in 2 Kings 22-23.  In chapter 22, we meet King Josiah. To say Josiah was the product of a dysfunctional family would be a gross understatement. His grandfather was evil and his father was evil. They worshiped other gods; they did everything wrong in the eyes of Yahweh. His father was so disliked that his own servants end up assassinating him. I can only imagine how terrible it was to live in the palace at the time. Josiah comes to the throne at age eight.   Today's Scripture says that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. I can't help but wonder how Josiah knew to follow Yahweh. We really don't know many details about his life. But somehow, someway, Josiah knew right from wrong and chose to do right. At age eighteen, he starts to rebuild the temple (which had fallen into disrepair after so many sinful kings), and the Book of the Law is discovered. Josiah tears his clothing, a sign of grief and sorrow, when he hears the words of the law read aloud and realizes just how far the nation of Judah had drifted from God's standard.   A couple things jump out at me after reading today's text. First, just because someone's family is dysfunctional, abusive, evil, or lost, doesn't mean they are doomed to the same fate. Josiah's family history was atrocious but he didn't fall into the same pattern as his father and grandfather. We serve a God who redeems people, rescues, provides freedom and a path for true transformation. Maybe you grew up in a really messy family situation; that does not define you! Who you are in Jesus Christ is what truly defines you. Partnering with God, your legacy can be different from your past. There is always hope, always room for redemption.   One other reflection from this text is that the Word of God read aloud has power. When Josiah heard the Book of the Law read for the first time, he was forever changed. He was repentant. He was convicted. His heart was transformed and he had the desire to serve God and lead others to do the same. Never discount the power of God's Word.   In chapter 23, it becomes evident just how prevalent and extensive the worship of other gods had become in Judah. There were altars to other gods throughout the land, in people's homes, and even in the temple of the Lord! After generations of sinful kings, idolatry had become a regular part of their culture. Josiah cleans everything up. He destroys the high places, he gets rid of every form of pagan worship, including temple prostitutes, pagan priests, and all those horrible altars.   While Josiah was faithful and did all he could to renew the covenant with God, it simply wasn't enough. Despite repeated warnings, the kings and people of Judah had failed to uphold the covenant. They had disobeyed God over and over again. Josiah's best efforts couldn't make up for the hundreds of years of sin. God honored Josiah's faithfulness, however, and ensured that he would not see the destruction to come. We see Josiah killed in this chapter. I don't know about you but I immediately got a sense of foreboding, knowing that things are about to get really bad for Judah. The scene has been set and we are about the watch it play out.   Our New Testament reading is 2 Corinthians 5. The first ten verses of this chapter are worth reading and reflecting on if you didn't have the opportunity to do so. Paul is tackling the difficult topic of what happens to us when we die. In Paul's culture (as in ours), there was fascination but also fear regarding the end of physical life. This piece of Scripture discusses the future resurrection and transformation of believers and the certainty of being with Jesus after death. We can be assured of this based on God placing the Spirit within us (Paul calls it a deposit). The Holy Spirit offers us assurance of salvation and that this earthly life is not the end.   Now, let's take a moment and talk about verse 17, one of my favorite verses of Scripture. Paul starts with the statement, "Therefore..." because the previous statement pointed out that Christ is no longer viewed from a human perspective, as he is God. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and his life, death, and resurrection form this radical, fundamental breakthrough for all creation. Because of this, things are different. God's Kingdom has been inaugurated and a new way of doing life is here. So, if someone is in Christ, meaning they have accepted Jesus and are united with a life-giving Savior, then this new way of living and being has started. They are no longer the same person. They are being transformed from the inside out by the power of the Spirit of God. The old person, the "pre-Jesus" life, is in the past. They now do life differently - new attitudes, new behaviors, new ways of thinking-focused on the ways of Jesus rather than the ways of the world   I want to add that becoming a new person is a choice. Others call it a process. It's both really. Becoming the person that God created us to be in Jesus Christ is not going to simply happen by accident. We participate in the process. The Holy Spirit works in us and we cooperate with God in the transformation. What has your "becoming a new creation" process looked like? None of us have arrived either. What are the places in your life in which God may be still calling you to change to look more like Jesus?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

I know, I know….you're thinking: “Rob! It's almost Christmas, not Easter!” I realize that. But I would also argue that the themes of Easter should be something that resonates with followers of Jesus no matter what time of year it is. As we're going to be reading in our text this Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus is the very heart of our faith and hope. We'll be continuing our study in 1 Corinthians this Sunday, reading chapter 15, verses 1-34.I'll warn you right off, this is a fairly complex and dense bit of theology that Paul delves into as he comes to the close of his letter. It might behoove you to read the passage in a few different translations – but especially take a look at Eugene Peterson's “The Message” version – because while it may overly simplify some of the concepts Paul is advocating, it most certainly provides a readable overview of this thoughts.As you read it over, how important does the resurrection of God's people seem to be for Paul? Does it match your own passion for that subject? If not, why might that be? How much space does the resurrection of the saints take up in your spiritual worldview? Clearly, for Paul, everything hinged on that idea.Paul indelibly tethers Christ's experiences to the future plans for His followers. In Paul's thinking, our beliefs about what happened in the past have a profound effect on our present and our future when it comes to the resurrection. I'll be honest, the string of Paul's logic feels so foreign to me as someone who has grown up in the Evangelical church. Our matrix has always been: “Believe on Jesus and you will go to heaven when you die and avoid eternal punishment in hell.” It just feels like that reasoning couldn't be further from Paul's thinking about mortality and eschatology. In fact, how many times does Paul reference “going to heaven or hell” in his presentation of the central core of the Gospel?That's really something to ponder for a bit. The more I ponder it, the more I start to ask, “What have we been thinking?”If you're really interesting in tackling a big topic, I hope you'll join us this Sunday at 10 am as we dig deeply into Scripture.Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” (Job 42:2 NLT) Sovereignty is a tough concept to wrap our heads around, especially in today's highly influenceable culture. Everyone answers to someone. Public figures change their stances based on the feedback they get. Politicians are swayed by donors. Corporations react to boycotts. In contrast to the famous sign on Harry Truman's desk, the buck doesn't seem to stop anywhere. There is no ultimate authority, no sovereignty. Except with God. Job scratched the surface of God's sovereignty when he said to God, “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you” (Job 42:2 NLT). In fact, God will do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes. That's absolute power. God answers to no one. He is not swayed by public opinion or conventional wisdom. He doesn't have to ask anyone's permission or worry about anyone's reaction. He doesn't seek approval, likes, or popularity. God can't be second-guessed because everything He does is perfect. His ways are right—always and without fail. Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes” (nlt). Some people challenge His sovereignty by asking, “What about the bad things that happen in life? Are they part of what He wishes?” And the answer is yes. Evil, suffering, and tragedy aren't arguments against a sovereign God. They are all firmly under His control. Whatever happens in this life, good or bad, is either caused by God or allowed by God. I know that's hard for some of us to digest. But that's because we're limited in our present circumstances. Someday, we will better understand the wisdom and purpose of God's plan. In the meantime, we take the word of the psalmist who wrote this about God: “Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans” (Psalm 119:90–91 NLT). Everything serves God's plans. The apostle Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT). Everything is part of God's good plan. In Paul's words, we find the most amazing truth about God's sovereignty. The English historian Lord Acton wrote that absolute power corrupts absolutely. But he was referring to human authorities, none of whom ever possessed “absolute power.” The amazing truth is that God, who does possess absolute power, uses His power to accomplish genuinely good things in the lives of His people. God's sovereignty can't be separated from His love. That means we can trust Him to care for us. We may not always understand what that care looks like or why certain things happen, but we can be confident that God will work all things for our good. No one and nothing can thwart His will. We can rest assured in His sovereignty. — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.