Podcast appearances and mentions of jesus lord

A new MP3 sermon from Trinity Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus, Lord of the Family Subtitle: Radio Speaker: Henry Johnson Broadcaster: Trinity Presbyterian Church Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 9/15/2025 Bible: Ephesians 6:1-3 Length: 14 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Trinity Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus, Lord of the Family Subtitle: Radio Speaker: Henry Johnson Broadcaster: Trinity Presbyterian Church Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 9/16/2025 Bible: Ephesians 6:1-3 Length: 14 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Trinity Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus, Lord of the Family Subtitle: Radio Speaker: Henry Johnson Broadcaster: Trinity Presbyterian Church Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 9/17/2025 Bible: Malachi 4:5-6 Length: 14 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Trinity Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus, Lord of the Family Subtitle: Radio Speaker: Henry Johnson Broadcaster: Trinity Presbyterian Church Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 9/18/2025 Bible: Ephesians 6:1-3 Length: 14 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Trinity Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus, Lord of the Family Subtitle: Radio Speaker: Henry Johnson Broadcaster: Trinity Presbyterian Church Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 9/19/2025 Bible: Ephesians 6:1-3 Length: 14 min.

Introduction: Signs That You are Self-Deceived (Matthew 7:21-23) You profess the truth without being CHANGED BY THE TRUTH. (Matt 7:21) Romans 10:9 – Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. You point to your works rather than CHRIST'S WORK. (Matt 7:22) Isaiah 64:6 – All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. You presume that you know Jesus but JESUS DOES NOT KNOW YOU. (Matt 7:23) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 7:21-23What was your big take-away from this passage / message?How can you evaluate if you are self-deceived and lack self-awareness of who you are and whose you are?How has the truth of the gospel changed you? In what areas do you need to be further changed?What is the difference between knowing a lot about Jesus and knowing Jesus?Why do you love Jesus?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Please turn your Bibles to Matthew chapter 7.Matthew chapter 7.Have you ever met a person who thought they had a certain skillthat they actually didn't possess?Have you ever been that person?You were convinced that you had this talent, you had this ability.But then someone came along to burst your bubble,or you put yourself out there and you embarrassed yourself big time.I can think of no better example than this than American Idol.Who's watched American Idol at some point in their lives?I don't know about you, but I've never watched an entire season of American Idol.I always turn it off after the first round.Because what happens after the first round,all the terrible singers are sent home.And maybe this tells you something about me,but I love to watch those horrible auditions of those people who think they can sing,but they can't carry a tune in a bucket.They confidently stand before Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowellto claim that they are phenomenal singers.And then they belt out the most wretched noises imaginable.Today, I will sing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You."And I will always love you.Thank you.You'll never know if that's my real singing voice or my fake singing voice.After giving it their all, these individuals are absolutely shocked at the judge's reactions.They weep as Paula Abdul lets them down gently.Their jaws are on the floor as Randy Jackson gives his patented "pfft" to know from me, dog.And they fight back in Simon Cowell when he says something horrible like,"That was absolutely dreadful."And as you watch it at home, you can't help but think to yourself,how do they not recognize that they sound horrible?How do they not realize that they are terrible singers?Do you know the answer to those questions?The answer is self-deception.Self-deception.They are clueless to who they actually are.They are lying to themselves.Their view of themselves has no basis in reality.They lack self-awareness.And it's so easy for you and I to sit in our couches and pass judgment on these individualsas their delusions go before our eyes.But never forget an important truth.You too can be self-deceived.You too can lack self-awareness.You may not truly understand who you are and whose you are.Your self-deception may be far worse than believing that you're a world-class vocalist.Your self-deception may have eternal consequences.What if you think you're a Christian but you're actually not?What if you confidently believe that you are a child of God but you're actually a son or daughterof the devil?What if you believe that you are heading to heavenwhile you're on the path to hell?We're in the final section of the Sermon on the Mount, the heart ready for judgment.It's been made abundantly clear that Jesus is not going to pull any punchesas he rounds out his most famous sermon.Two weeks ago, Pastor Jeff unpacked the really tough truth that the gate to everlasting life is what?Narrow. And few people go that way because it is hard.While the gate to never-ending punishment is wide, it is massive.And most people go that way because it is so easy.And last week we learned that there are so many false teachers pointing to the wide gate.And it's obvious who they are because of the fruit that they produce.Maybe you heard those messages and even agreed with those messagesbut you didn't internalize what was said.You didn't truly evaluate your heart to see if you're on the narrow path or the wide pathto see if you are falling for false teaching.Well this morning, Jesus is going to tighten the net even more.The walls are going to be closing in on you so that there's no more wiggle roomto escape what the Lord has to say about judgment.Matthew chapter 7 verses 21 through 23 contain the most chilling words in the entire Bible.And for me, there isn't a close second.Jesus says that many are self-deceived in this lifeand they will be shocked that they won't end up in heaven someday.I want to encourage you, please do not tune out and think,"Well, there's no way Jesus is talking about me so I can just kind of daydreamand plan out the rest of my week."No, tune in and ask yourself, "What if Jesus is talking about me?"What if I am self-deceived?What if I am lacking self-awareness of who I am and who's I am?So before we continue, let's go the Lord and ask for His help.I ask that you pray for me.Are we faithful in proclaiming God's Word?And I will pray for you that you are faithful to receive it.Father, we come to you and we ask that your spirit will bring clarity,that He would bring illumination, that He would bring conviction and challenge.Lord, in the past 13 years of preaching, I don't know if I ever felt more inadequateto proclaim a text than this one.But I thank you in advance that you will preach a much better sermonin people's hearts than I ever could with my mouth.Show up in a great mighty way, Lord.Come to seek and save the lost.And for the rest of us, Lord, help us to be blown away by your awesome love.And we ask all these things in Jesus' name, amen.Signs that you are self-deceived.Sign one, you profess the truth without being changed by the truth.You profess the truth without being changed by the truth.Let's read chapter 7 verse 21.This is the Lord Jesus speaking."Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven.But the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."In this verse, Jesus talks about the here and now as well as the there and then.According to Jesus, what you say about who you are here and now may be proven to be wrongthere and then at the final judgment.What you profess to believe with your mouth here and now may be proven to not be a genuinereality in your heart there and then as you stand before Jesus.You can be confident here and now that heaven is in your future,but then be banned from heaven when that future finally arrives.You can call Jesus Lord, Lord, which means that you claim him as God.You can even claim Jesus as your God.You can say all the right things about Jesus, but still not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.Isn't that terrifying?You may be thinking to yourself, "Taylor, how is that possible?"I thought it's all just about believing and confessing.That's it.Well, the combination of belief and confession is absolutely essential and you cannot be savedwithout it.Paul backs this up in Romans 10, 9, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."What a glorious truth that you should cherish, memorize, and hold on to.But unfortunately, so many people misuse and abuse that verse.Well, as long as you pray the prayer, as long as you say the right words, you're good to go.God has stamped your one-way ticket to heaven.Doesn't really matter what you do or how you live from now on.Once saved, always saved.But people who say that miss a key word in this verse, heart.Believe in your heart.This belief in Christ must take root at the deepest level of who you are.This belief in Christ must take over every single aspect of your life.True belief isn't a mere acknowledgement of the facts.It is an act of faith that transforms you from the inside out.Some who say, "Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven because they were transformed by theirbelief." Many others who say, "Lord, Lord will not enter the kingdom of heaven because they werenever transformed by their belief." It is possible to profess the truth without being changed by thetruth. And if you have not been changed by the truth of the gospel, then let me tell you,you have not truly believed in the truth of the gospel.So how can you tell if you have been changed by the truth or not?It's a very simple test according to Jesus. He says, "You don't just say, 'Lord, Lord,' you dothe will of your Father who is in heaven. You say and you do."Last week, Pastor Jeff said that false teachers are revealed by their words and their actions.The same is true for followers of Christ. Genuine faith is proven by believing and confessing theright things, but that can't be the only standard according to our Lord. Genuine faith is also provenby doing the right things. Doing the will of your Father in heaven means that you obeyHis word. You have an internal desire to do what God says, and then you act on that desire.You act on what you say you believe. You say that you should passionately pursue after the Lordand His word and in prayer. So you do passionately pursue after the Lord in word, in His wordand in prayer. You say that you should daily repent and turn from your sin, so you do dailyrepent and turn from your sin. You say that you should share your faith more and make disciples,so you do share your faith more and make disciples. What you say carries no weightif it doesn't line up with what you do.I want to make something crystal clear to avoid being misunderstood.You are not saved by what you do. You are not saved by what you do, but what you do revealsif you are saved or not. What you do reveals if you are saved or not.You know, almost 20 years ago, I took the written test to get my learner's permit.I studied that PA Driver's Manual inside and out. I knew all the right answers about driving,and I could regurgitate them on a test. Let me ask you, did passing that 18 question permit testmake me a driver? No. For a number of years, I went to seminary. I went to a number of classes,read a countless number of books, listened to so many lectures, and I learned about what a pastorshould be, what a pastor should do. In 2020, I was given my Master of Divinity. Let me ask you,did receiving that piece of paper in the mail make me a pastor? Not one bit. You can get 100%on your permit test and still not be able to enter a car and drive it with any level of competency.You can get the best theological training in the world and still not be able to enter into a churchand be its pastor. You can ace a Bible Pop quiz and still not enter the kingdom of heaven.Do not be deceived and think that you're safe and sound just because you grew up in a Christianfamily and went to church when you were younger. Do not be deceived and think that you're safe andsound just because you fill a seat on Sunday mornings. It is not enough just to have thecorrect facts stored in your brain. The correct facts must change who you are.Signs that you are self-deceived. Sign number two, you point to your works rather than Christ's work.You point to your works rather than Christ's work.Let's read verse 22. On that day, many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your nameand cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name?"Once again, Jesus is taking us into the future. He fasts forward the movie of life to show uswhat the final judgment will look like. As we've already seen, some who say, "Lord, Lord, willenter the kingdom of heaven." But many others who say, "Lord, Lord, will not enter the kingdom ofheaven." And that second group is the focus of this verse. In verse 21, "Lord, Lord was a professionof belief, but in verse 22 it is used as a desperate plea." This is a Hail Mary pass. It is a one lasteffort to avoid judgment. This is an attempt to convince Jesus that a mistake has been made.Lord Jesus, I know you have a lot of people to see and judge today. It makes sense that a fewpeople are going to fall through the cracks and a few mistakes are going to be made. Let me remindyou of who I am. Let me remind you of all the things I've done for you. Here's my resume.It's a really impressive resume, isn't it? Casting out demons,prophesying, doing many mighty works in miracles. You may look at this list and think,"How could someone with this resume not enter the kingdom of heaven? How could someone like thisnot be saved?" Well, there are three possible explanations that lead to the same sad result.Option number one, these mighty works are done by the power of the evil one.These mighty works are done by the power of the evil one.Pastor Jeff talked about this in depth last week, but Instagram, Facebook, YouTube,Christian TV stations are filled with corrupt and dishonest pastors who claim to proclaim the wordof God and do many mighty miracles in the name of Christ. They look really great with their threepea suits, their expensive sneakers, their luxurious jets and fancy cars, but they are nothing butfrauds and workers of Satan. They are not in ministry for you. They are not in ministry for Jesus.They are in ministry for themselves. They are after power, money and public adoration.At the very least, they operate in their own power, or at the very worst, they operate by the power ofSatan himself. And you may be thinking, "Taylor, you seem to be a bit too tough on these guys."Well, Pastor Jeff, I'm simply applying your message from last week. I'm evaluating the fruitsthat these false teachers produce. Could it be that you don't like what I'm saying because youare being fooled? Because you are being led astray. Could it be that you're mistaking their bad fruitfor good fruit? Option number two, these people are making false claims.Have you ever interviewed someone who patted out their resume with accomplishments they didn'tactually accomplish, with awards they didn't actually win? What leads a person to lie aboutthings they're so easily fact-checked in 2025? Once again, the answer is self-deception.There's no way I'll get caught. I can get away with it. They try to puff out theirchest and make themselves look better than they actually are. They polish their imaginary trophies.Is it a good idea to lie to your potential employer? Let me ask that again so you can wakeup a bit. Is it a good idea to lie to your potential employer? Is it a good idea to lieto Jesus Christ? Maybe you don't worry about where you'll end up in eternity because you have a highopinion of your ability to sweet talk your way into things or sweet talk your way out of things.I spoke into a lot of guys in the past that, "Yeah, I'm not worried about the afterlife.God and I will have a conversation at the pearly gates and he'll see why I should be in there.I'll be just fine." That is a horrible plan. That plan is foolishness. You cannot smooth talk Jesus.He knows everything and he sees everything. He knows what you've done and he knows what you haven'tdone. He sees right through your flimsy resume of fake accomplishments. Third option, God allowsphony believers to accomplish amazing things for his kingdom and glory. God allows phony believersto accomplish amazing things for his glory and kingdom. Let me just think about the storylineof Scripture and how this plays out in the Old Testament and the New Testament. God put hisown words in the mouth of a dirty donkey and then in the mouth of a wicked false prophet.The high priest Caiaphas who hated and opposed Jesus unintentionally prophesied that Jesus woulddie for the nation. In Philippians, the apostle Paul rejoices in the truth that men with horriblemotivations can truly proclaim the good news of Jesus. Let's step away from biblicalillustrations for a second and hit a bit closer to home. You can take the preaching class atharvest and deliver a killer sermon while you are engaging in a secret affair that you have no plansto confess or end. You can teach kids back at Harvest Academy while you mistreat your ownchildren at home. You can go on mission trips overseas and help a ton of people over therewhile you defraud and deceive your clients over here. You can be the number one most dependablevolunteer at harvest while being the most loyal customer at your local liquor store.God can use whoever he wants, whenever he wants to accomplish whatever he wants.God can use those who are walking in holiness and he can use those who are not walking in holiness.God can use those who truly belong to him as well as those who don't truly belong to him.Listen, you can keep yourself busy with religious activities while you destroy yourself behindclosed doors and travel down the highway to hell. Serving your church, serving your community aregood and godly activities, but those good and godly activities cannot save you. Only Jesus Christcan save you. Rip up your religious resume because I promise you it is not as good as you think itis. Even your best efforts are stained by sin, pride, and mixed motivations.Isaiah gives us a reality check about this when he says all of our righteous acts are like filthyrags. What are filthy rags good for? What's the answer? Nothing. Filthy rags should be thrown away.I assume that some of you will be going to a restaurant after church today with family andfriends. Imagine trying to pay the bill with garbage that you found in the dumpster outside therestaurant. Would your server and the manager be very pleased with you? Why? Because you're offeringthem worthless garbage. Trying to hand God your religious resumes that you can be saved is likehanding him trash and expecting that he'll be impressed. At this point, you may be kind ofconfused. Taylor, you spent a long time talking about the importance of doing the right things,but now you're kind of acting like doing the right things. Isn't that important?Well, again, I want to emphasize that good works must flow out of your salvation,but good works cannot contribute to your salvation, even a tiny bit. Salvation is 100%the work of God and 0% you. Some of you are operating as if you're responsible for half.25%, 5%, 2%, even 1% is too much. It's all of Jesus Christ.Listen, your resume stinks while Christ's resume soars. Your resume is imperfect whileChrist's resume is perfect. You are a loser on your own while Christ is a winner.But the good news is you can share in his victory by letting go of what you have to offerby grabbing a hold of what he has to offer. Jesus Christ lived the perfect life you could never live.He succeeded in every single way that you have failed. He then died the death that you deserve to die.He rose again to give you the new life that you can never work your way towards. Do not be deceivedand rely on your own goodness and track record. Do not rest your eternal destiny on yourself.Rest in Christ's work, not your own. Place your trust in Christ alone becauseHe alone can give you what you need, both now and forever.Signs that you are self-deceived, final sign, and this is the hardest one of them all.You presume that you know Jesus, but Jesus does not know you.You presume that you know Jesus, but Jesus does not know you.So after the religious resume has been read, Jesus gives the most devastating response.And then I will declare to them, I never knew you.Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.Can you imagine anything more terrifying than hearing that from the most important personin existence? Get away from me. I want nothing to do with you.You are nothing but an unrepentant lawbreaker and evildoer.Does that response shock you? You may be thinking, but how could Jesus say something so harsh?Isn't He the definition of love and forgiveness?Well, what's the reason He gives in the text? You are acting like you know me, but I don't know you.You know, as a preacher, I enjoy listening to a lot of preachers. I'm somewhat of a pastoral nerd.I follow a lot of pastors on social media. I have a list of my favorites that I've listened to some for decades.And I learn about their personal lives. I learn about their ministries and their messages and their books,and it can really feel like I know them. But do I actually know them?I know a lot about them, but I don't know them. There is no relationship. There is no back andforth. There is no give or take. It's just a one-sided admiration from afar.Imagine I drive across the country to the house of my favorite online preacher.I show up on his doorstop at 10 o'clock at night and I knock on his door,keep ringing the doorbell. Eventually, his poor preacher shuffles the door and his bathrobe and his slippers, the toothbrush in hand.As soon as he opens the door, I launch into, "Hey, man, it's Taylor. I got a lot of problems right now.I really need your advice. Can I come in and chat?" How do you think he's going to respond?Dude, you're acting like you know me, but I don't know you at all. You are a total stranger.My wife and kids are at home and they're sleeping. I'm not just going to invite you in. You need to leave right now.Is that an appropriate response? Yes, that's how he should respond. I should be turned away from him in that moment.Let's change up the scenario a bit. At 10 o'clock tonight, I show up on Pastor Jeff's doorstep.Knock on the door, ring the doorbell. He opens it and I give him the same exact spiel.Will there be a different outcome? Will there be a different response? Why?Because I don't just listen to Pastor Jeff from afar. I don't watch him on a screen.We've been close friends for 13 years and he is my pastor.I know Pastor Jeff and Jeff knows me. I don't just know a lot about him.Do you know a lot about Jesus or do you know Jesus?Does Jesus consider you a stranger or does he know you as his close friend,his faithful follower, his blood-bought brother or sister?Does he really actually know you?Maybe you're thinking to yourself, "Well, how can I know if I know Jesus and he knows me?What's the test of that?" Well, years ago, I heard a pastor say something in a sermon thatnever forgot sense. He said, "You can tell a lot about a person by how they respond to a simplequestion. Why do you love Jesus? Why do you love Jesus?"He said, "You'd be shocked by how many people have no idea how to answer that question."Because their intellectual knowledge of Jesus has not created affection for Jesus.Friends, why do you love Jesus? If you can't think of anything, that's a huge problemand you shouldn't ignore it. Imagine pulling me aside for a service and saying, "Taylor,what do you love about your wife?" And I respond, "What does that tell you? I don't have a personaland in-depth knowledge of my wife. I don't love her like I presume to. I should say, "Hey,do you have a couple of days because my list is very, very long. There's not just one thing aboutmy wife that I love. There's a countless number of them. My wife has my heart, so my list of whyI love her is very long. But how much longer should your list be in my list be when it comes to JesusChrist and why we love Him? Life is too short to plumb the depths of His awesomeness. Why do youlove Jesus? I love Jesus because He died for me when I wanted nothing to do with Him. I loveJesus because He loves me no matter what I do. I love Jesus because He is not ashamed to call meHis brother despite all the ways that I fail Him. I love Jesus because He cares about everythingthat I go through. And He sympathizes with all of my weaknesses. I love Jesus because right nowHe is interceding for me in heaven before the Father. I love Jesus because all the promises ofScripture find their yes in Amen in Him. I love Jesus because He is always with me and He willnever forsake me even to the very end. I could keep going and going and going. Could you?How can you say that you love Jesus if you don't even know why you love Him?How can you expect that you'll worship Jesus for all of eternity if you can't think of a singlereason to worship Him right now? Do not be deceived. Heaven is not a place for fans and admirers ofJesus. Heaven is a place for those who love Christ with a full heart. If you don't know Jesusbefore your life comes to an end, Jesus will deny knowing you in the next.For years, I used to laugh at the nickname that the Apostle John gave himselfin his own Gospels. Does anyone know what his nickname he gave himself was? The disciple whomJesus, what? Really, John? Ask him the nickname you gave yourself, the one whom Jesus loved.And for years, I thought John was saying, "Yeah, you know what? I was Jesus' favorite.Peter may be the most popular, but what can I say? Jesus loves me more."Recently, I've come to the realization that's not at all what John had in mind. John is claiminghis identity by saying, "I am the one whom Jesus loved." He was saying the love of Jesuswas the most important thing about him. It doesn't even matter what my name is. What matters is thatJesus loves me. The love of Jesus was the foundation of who he was and the motivation for all that hedid. How do you identify yourself? Do you primarily identify yourself as someone who has all the rightanswers and says all the right things? Do you identify yourself as a good person who has animpressive religious resume of good works? Do you identify yourself as someone who knows a lotabout Jesus? All of those identities are deceptive and destructive. All of those identities willlead you to everlasting destruction. If those are your identities, you are self-deceived. You lackself-awareness. I beg you to reject those identities and grab ahold of the love of Jesus Christ.Embrace who he is and what he wants to give you. Give your life to him and Christ will become yourlife. Give your identity to him and Christ will become your identity. You can be known as the onewhom Jesus loves by bowing the knee to him in unending submission. Make the love of Jesus Christthe foundation of who you are and the motivation for all that you do.It's so easy to lose sight of these spiritual realities in a physical world, isn't it?In His infinite grace, God has chosen to give us a physical picture of His love in the Lord's Supper.As we come to this meal together, we are graphically reminded of how Christ has shown His lovefor us. He took our place on the cross. He died for us and He took upon Himself the wraththat you and I deserve. Our worship leaders and communion servers can now make their way forward.You don't need to be a member of Harvest Bible Chapel to take part in communion,but you do need to be a member of the family of God.Communion is only for those who know Christ and are known by Christ.If you want to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, we're going to have two individuals back in guestreception, Pastor Jeff and Lexie Cole. They would love to talk and pray with you.And please just look at me for a minute. Please do not pass up this opportunity.The Bible says that today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow is not a great day for salvation.Next week is not a great time for salvation. When it's more convenient, it's not a great time forsalvation. Today is a great day for salvation. Jesus is commanding you to know Him today,to love Him today, to trust in Him today. So please push aside your pride, push aside anyembarrassment you may feel. And go talk to Pastor Jeff and Lexie in the back. They would love topray for you and point you to Jesus and what next steps with Him looks like.

Jesus: Lord Over Your Diffficulties

Do you know who Jesus is? Do you really understand His identity?We know from the Bible that He is many things: a child, a carpenter, a leader of men. We know that He is our Savior, the One who went to the cross to take on our sin.He is also our King.1 Timothy 1:17, “All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.”In this letter to his young friend, Paul emphasized to Timothy that Jesus has dominion over everything and everyone. That's because Jesus knows exactly what needs to be done in every situation.While His earthly characteristics and roles give us some picture of Him, it is the picture of Him as King that best describes Him. God the Father has made Jesus Lord overall, and in Him we find true peace.Have you ever felt safe because you knew your dad or mom was in charge and would do everything right?We have that confidence in Jesus times infinity! He is our great and good King, forevermore.Let's pray.Lord, you have set Jesus aside as unlike anyone else, ever. You have placed kingly robes and a special crown on His head. Thank you for sending your Son for our sake. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Jesus' yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Coming to the point of accepting and bearing that yoke is not easy, though. It requires a conscious decision to lay down your desires and ambitions and step into a life of sacrificial love. But, as Pastor Richard will explain in today's message, it's the best choice you can make. Once you've laid down your life and made Jesus Lord, you'll find joy and fulfillment that can't be found anywhere else in this life.

What is the most important thing to know about following God? In this message, Pastor Rob Elder teaches on what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and how making Jesus Lord changes everything.

Sunday morning sermon audio from Preston Highlands Baptist Church.

Crumbs From The Table MESSAGE SUMMARY: We need to create a Culture of Grace and Kindness in our families, our churches, our work, and in our country. What is a Culture of Grace and Kindness? This culture involves: 1) an atmosphere or environment in which there is no griping or complaining – no putting people down; 2) giving others the benefit of the doubt; 3) visibly valuing other people; and 4) being filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A Culture of Grace and Kindness flows from: 1) keeping Jesus Lord – as Jesus instructed us in Mark 12:29-30: “Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'”; 2) loving your neighbor as yourself – as Jesus instructed us in Mark 12:31: “'The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.'”. 3) practicing the “Golden Rule” – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”; and 4) “having the attitude of the Canaanite Woman” – in Matthew 15:25-28, she exhibited humility without pride: “But she came and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, help me.' And he answered, ‘It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.' She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed instantly." Too often in our families, work and church, we forget, in the way we treat others, that we to are sinners and not perfect. Therefore, we exhibit a culture without grace and kindness. Without a Culture of Grace and Kindness, we miss the blessings. In Matthew 15:25-28, the “Canaanite Woman” received the blessing, in her faith and humility, from Jesus when “her daughter was healed instantly”. Additionally, some are unhappy in their “Christian walk”.  Those, who are unhappy in their Christian walk, have forgotten that what Jesus wants from them is for them to “love Him”. The Lord, in ; Revelation 2:4, was telling the Church in Ephesus three things will enable us to get back to our love of Jesus: 1) remember – remember how we loved God when we first started walking with the Lord; 2) repent and return to the Lord – ask God to fill you with a sense of longing for Him; and 3) repeat the things we performed when our faith was on fire for God – don't get away from doing those things that provided a direct link for you to have a personal relationship with God and made you, in your eyes and the eyes of others, a follower of Jesus. Are you communicating, in your works, actions, words, and deeds inherent in a Christian Culture of Grace and Kindness? If not, why not?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:22; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31; Matthew 15:21-28; Ephesians 4:29-32; Colossians 3:12-17; Revelation 2: 1-7; (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Are the Enemy's {devil's} Target to Mess You Up and To Destroy Your Relationship with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus' yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Coming to the point of accepting and bearing that yoke is not easy, though. It requires a conscious decision to lay down your desires and ambitions and step into a life of sacrificial love. But, as Pastor Richard will explain in today's message, it's the best choice you can make. Once you've laid down your life and made Jesus Lord, you'll find joy and fulfillment that can't be found anywhere else in this life.

Crumbs From The Table MESSAGE SUMMARY: We need to create a Culture of Grace and Kindness in our families, our churches, our work, and in our country. What is a Culture of Grace and Kindness? This culture involves: 1) an atmosphere or environment in which there is no griping or complaining – no putting people down; 2) giving others the benefit of the doubt; 3) visibly valuing other people; and 4) being filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A Culture of Grace and Kindness flows from: 1) keeping Jesus Lord – as Jesus instructed us in Mark 12:29-30: “Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'”; 2) loving your neighbor as yourself – as Jesus instructed us in Mark 12:31: “'The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.'”. 3) practicing the “Golden Rule” – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”; and 4) “having the attitude of the Canaanite Woman” – in Matthew 15:25-28, she exhibited humility without pride: “But she came and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, help me.' And he answered, ‘It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.' She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed instantly." Too often in our families, work and church, we forget, in the way we treat others, that we to are sinners and not perfect. Therefore, we exhibit a culture without grace and kindness. Without a Culture of Grace and Kindness, we miss the blessings. In Matthew 15:25-28, the “Canaanite Woman” received the blessing, in her faith and humility, from Jesus when “her daughter was healed instantly”. Additionally, some are unhappy in their “Christian walk”.  Those, who are unhappy in their Christian walk, have forgotten that what Jesus wants from them is for them to “love Him”. The Lord, in ; Revelation 2:4, was telling the Church in Ephesus three things will enable us to get back to our love of Jesus: 1) remember – remember how we loved God when we first started walking with the Lord; 2) repent and return to the Lord – ask God to fill you with a sense of longing for Him; and 3) repeat the things we performed when our faith was on fire for God – don't get away from doing those things that provided a direct link for you to have a personal relationship with God and made you, in your eyes and the eyes of others, a follower of Jesus. Are you communicating, in your works, actions, words, and deeds inherent in a Christian Culture of Grace and Kindness? If not, why not?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:22; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31; Matthew 15:21-28; Ephesians 4:29-32; Colossians 3:12-17; Revelation 2: 1-7; (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Are the Enemy's {devil's} Target to Mess You Up and To Destroy Your Relationship with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We cannot be half-Christian and still be half-worldly. If we're true “Christians,” then we must be all in! God must be Lord over everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have! There can be no halfway; we must be completely sold out for Jesus! In today's message, Pastor Bill will ask you, “Is Jesus Lord of you?... or are you still on the fence?” If you're not quite sure, let me tell you, you will never regret giving your all to God; you won't! Jesus is faithful, loving, and will never leave you!

We cannot be half-Christian and still be half-worldly. If we're true “Christians,” then we must be all in! God must be Lord over everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have! There can be no halfway; we must be completely sold out for Jesus! In today's message, Pastor Bill will ask you, “Is Jesus Lord of you?... or are you still on the fence?” If you're not quite sure, let me tell you, you will never regret giving your all to God; you won't! Jesus is faithful, loving, and will never leave you!

Our scripture passage is about two types of wisdom, so I thought it would be fun to share with you some advice I found on the internet that I will get you into trouble if you do follow it: Carry a fork with you. If someone tries to rob you, pull it out of your pocket and say, thank you Lord for this meal Im about to have and charge at them with the fork. Always say what you're thinking out loud. "Don't breathe, 100% of people who breathe die at some point." "Dont go to the doctors office if you only have one problem. Wait until you have four or five; thats how you get the most bang for your buck." If life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a water gun and shoot other people in the eyes. "When confronted by a bear, give it a hug and tell him it'll be alright." We laugh at these bits of wisdom I found on the internet because they are so foolish they are comical. In James 3:13-18, we are reminded of two sources of wisdom, and of the two, we as a species gravitate to one over the other. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. According to James 3:13-18, not all wisdom is good. The Source of Worldly Wisdom What is worldly wisdom? James says that it is, earthly, natural, and demonic (v. 15). Well that sounds a bit harsh does it not? Lets dive a bit deeper into what James means here before we judge whether or not he said too much. The kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic is the kind that is motivated and driven by, bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (v. 14). So what is bitter jealousy and what does it look like? The Greek word for jealousy is... are you ready for it? The Greek word is zēlos. Do you think there may a better way to translate this word? Of course you do, a better translation for this word is our English word zeal! Zeal can be positive or negative. The prophet Elijah was zealous for God is a good way, and that zeal was demonstrated on multiple occasions by standing against evil and speaking on behalf of God, even when it was not safe for him to do so; when his life was threatened by Queen Jezebel, Elijah prayed: I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life (1 Kin. 19:10). Zeal can also become a bad thing. Zeal can turn into bitterness, rivalry, and even pride. In the case of James 3:14, it is a harsh zeal that places the individual at the center of his universe at whatever cost may come to those around him. The kind of bitter Jealousy (harsh zeal) James is talking about is self-centered. The person with this kind of mindset is one whose glory and mission in this world is his own. The other source for worldly wisdom is selfish ambition. There is not much I need to say to make sure you understand what selfish ambition is. It is the kind of thing we see every four years in America: How do I make sure I get what I want. There is only one Greek word that is used here for selfish ambition, and it is eritheia. In ancient Greek it means strife, contentiousness, and selfishness. It is a word that was also used by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle to describe a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.[1] It is used in the New Testament to describe the jealous or angry leader who, forms a group which emotionally or physically withdraws from the rest of the church.[2]These are the kinds of people Paul described in Philippians 1:15-17, Some... proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. There are varying degrees that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition can come into the life of a person, but none of it is from God. Even the best of us can cave to the kinds of vices that lead to worldly wisdom. Consider some of the people from the Bible such as Abraham, David, and Solomon. God told Abraham that he would father a child with Sarah, but because pregnancy seemed impossible to the couple, Sarah came up with another plan that was culturally acceptable. Sarah said to her husband: See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai (Gen. 16:2). So, the slave woman got pregnant and had a son and what Abraham got in return was one big giant mess that we are still dealing with today. David wrote much of the Psalms that are in our Bible, and he knew his Bible pretty well! He understood what Gods word said of Israels kings in Deuteronomy and most likely had memorized it. He knew that as king, he was not to acquire the kinds of properties the kings of the other nations collected to measure their glory and strength such as many horses or many wives, nor was he to hoard silver and gold (see Deut. 17:16-20). We know David knew this because he even wrote a song about it that included the verse: Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the Lord, our God (Ps. 20:7). Yet at the height of his reign as king, he conducted a census to measure the strength of his nation instead of trusting the God who told Him that his power did not come from numbers but from God alone. Can you see what Abraham and Davids stories all have in common? They followed after the wisdom of the world instead of trusting the word of God as their source of wisdom. Abraham wanted a son so badly and for his legacy to go on, so he took matters into his own hands and got his female slave pregnant. David conducted a census just like the other kings did because he needed to know how he and his nation compared to other nations. If you listen closely to the pages of scripture you can hear the serpents question with these men: Has God really said...? The wisdom of the world would lead you to an easier and wider road rather than a narrow and more difficult one. The wisdom of the world would have you erect a house on sand instead of spending the time necessary to lay a good foundation. Heavenly Wisdom Unlike worldly wisdom, the kind of wisdom that leads to the thriving life God created us to know and enjoy does not come from within, or from this world, or beneath; it comes from above where God is seated. The wisdom from above is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy, and full of good fruits (v. 17). From where does heavenly wisdom come from? It comes from God! Where can I gain this kind of wisdom? From the counsel God has already given, which is His word. We already saw in the first chapter that those of us who lack wisdom, are to ask God for it without doubting (1:5-6); the source of the kind of wisdom we need comes from the word of God. We gain wisdom from above when we first listen to what God has said through His word and then become a doer of it by putting what we read into practice (see 1:21-25). But here is the thing... there is no wisdom from above if you do not have the kind of faith that moves you to really trust the truth of Gods word. It is one thing to say you believe the Bible to be true and another to act upon that belief. Think for a moment about what we say we believe at Meadowbrooke; this is what we state on our webpage about the Bible: We believe the Bible, including the Old and New Testaments, is the divine revelation, the original autographs of which were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus rendering them trustworthy and solely authoritative in faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet. 1:20-21). The Scriptures reveal the mind of God concerning the need and the method of human redemption, the character and destiny of mankind, and are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (Jn. 5:39, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). The more important question is not if we are okay with that statement, but do we really believe it? The Bible testifies of itself: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In the book of Hebrews, we are told, For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (4:12). But do you really believe it to be what it claims? If you believe the Bible to be the word of God and that it is beneficial for teaching, for correcting, and training in righteousness, then how is it shaping your choices in life, what kind of influence is it having on your relationships, how does it affect how you behave and function at work? Do you believe the Bible to be the word of God even if what it tells you to do with your life makes no sense to those around you and the rest of the world? Think about some of the things that God told His people to do. God told Abraham to leave his home in Ur and promised him a child, even though he and his wife Sarah were quickly advancing in age to the point that fathering a child would be highly improbable. The conventional wisdom of Abrahams day suggested that he father a child through one of his servants, but that was not the promise God made to Abraham. God promised a son that would be both his and Sarahs, and in their old age God provided an heir. God used men who acted upon the word of God when others thought they were nuts. Men like Moses who God commissioned to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Men like Joshua who God told to march around Jericho a bunch of times while blowing seven trumpets and then on the seventh day after the seventh time around the city to shout to bring down the walls of the city. Men like Gideon who God ordered to cut his army of 32,000 soldiers down to 300 to face an army of at least 135,000; each of Gideons soldiers were to carrying a torch, a clay pot, and a trumpet that they would blow after breaking the clay pot at night while surround the 135,000 Midianite army and then shout: A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! and this would be the way they would defeat an army that outnumbered them by 440 to 1 (see Judges 7:1-8:10). God raised a shepherd boy whose own father and brothers did not think much of to be a king over Israel, and it would be through his descendants a savior would be born who would rule the nations. God spoke through unlikely prophets of old, and choose an unassuming and impoverished virgin girl and her fianc to raise up the promised Messiah that she alone would be the biological parent of, and the child would grow up and live the life we could never live in a little country about the size of New Jersey for the purpose of suffering on a cross and dying under the wrath of God a death we all deserved. This is why the apostle Paul wrote, For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Gods wisdom is different! Not only is the wisdom of God different, but it is in a whole different category than the wisdom of the world. In what way is it different? We are told in verse 17, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Gods words and His ways rub against the grain of the worlds conventional wisdom and is the reason the prophet Isaiah wrote of God, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord (55:8). The question for you, dear brothers and sisters, is what are you doing with it, or maybe a better question for some of you is, What will you do with His word? Conclusion What wisdom is guiding you? What wisdom is shaping your decisions? What wisdom are you applying to your marriage, your children, and your friendships? James is not offering us an option here, for what the Holy Spirit is showing us in James is that if you belong to Jesus, then you have no business with the kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic. Why, because we are kingdom people! I told you that I believe what James is doing is simply applying Jesus sermon on the mount to everyday life. I have shared with you repeatedly that the way you come to Jesus is as one who is poor in spirit, one who mourns over sin, and one who is meek enough to lay you pride before the cross of Christ. These are the first three of Jesus beatitudes and are what theologians call, the beatitudes of need. The fourth beatitude is the fruit of the first three: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). How can I be satisfied? By finding my satisfaction in the One who is infinitely righteous and from whom true wisdom is found. What does a hunger and thirst for righteousness produce when that hunger and thirst is satisfied in Jesus? It produces what theologians call the beatitudes of action. I will pick up on this next Sunday, but for now I think it is enough for you to see what James is doing with wisdom and our Lords beatitudes. What kind of fruit does wisdom from above produce? It is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Pure: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:8). Peace-loving: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Matt. 5:9). Gentle (meek): Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). Reasonable (compliant): Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). Full of mercy: Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:7). Impartial / free of hypocrisy: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt. 4). Full of good fruit: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). My question for you is what are you doing with the wisdom that comes from above? It is the wisdom from above that calls those who follow Jesus through the narrow gate instead of the broad gate (Matt. 7:13-14). The wisdom from above calls the Christian to build upon the rock instead of sand (Matt. 7:24-29). The wisdom from above calls us to action in such a way that we do not only call Jesus Lord but live in subjection to His lordship (Matt. 7:22-21). The wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic will lead to death. The wisdom from above will lead to the kind of living where you can truly thrive as a child of God. Some of you may need to turn from whatever wisdom that has been guiding you, by humbling yourself before God Almighty. I will leave you with James 4:3-4 and you can do with it what seems best in light of what we have considered today: You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [1] Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 151. [2] Ibid.

Our scripture passage is about two types of wisdom, so I thought it would be fun to share with you some advice I found on the internet that I will get you into trouble if you do follow it: Carry a fork with you. If someone tries to rob you, pull it out of your pocket and say, thank you Lord for this meal Im about to have and charge at them with the fork. Always say what you're thinking out loud. "Don't breathe, 100% of people who breathe die at some point." "Dont go to the doctors office if you only have one problem. Wait until you have four or five; thats how you get the most bang for your buck." If life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a water gun and shoot other people in the eyes. "When confronted by a bear, give it a hug and tell him it'll be alright." We laugh at these bits of wisdom I found on the internet because they are so foolish they are comical. In James 3:13-18, we are reminded of two sources of wisdom, and of the two, we as a species gravitate to one over the other. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. According to James 3:13-18, not all wisdom is good. The Source of Worldly Wisdom What is worldly wisdom? James says that it is, earthly, natural, and demonic (v. 15). Well that sounds a bit harsh does it not? Lets dive a bit deeper into what James means here before we judge whether or not he said too much. The kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic is the kind that is motivated and driven by, bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (v. 14). So what is bitter jealousy and what does it look like? The Greek word for jealousy is... are you ready for it? The Greek word is zēlos. Do you think there may a better way to translate this word? Of course you do, a better translation for this word is our English word zeal! Zeal can be positive or negative. The prophet Elijah was zealous for God is a good way, and that zeal was demonstrated on multiple occasions by standing against evil and speaking on behalf of God, even when it was not safe for him to do so; when his life was threatened by Queen Jezebel, Elijah prayed: I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life (1 Kin. 19:10). Zeal can also become a bad thing. Zeal can turn into bitterness, rivalry, and even pride. In the case of James 3:14, it is a harsh zeal that places the individual at the center of his universe at whatever cost may come to those around him. The kind of bitter Jealousy (harsh zeal) James is talking about is self-centered. The person with this kind of mindset is one whose glory and mission in this world is his own. The other source for worldly wisdom is selfish ambition. There is not much I need to say to make sure you understand what selfish ambition is. It is the kind of thing we see every four years in America: How do I make sure I get what I want. There is only one Greek word that is used here for selfish ambition, and it is eritheia. In ancient Greek it means strife, contentiousness, and selfishness. It is a word that was also used by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle to describe a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.[1] It is used in the New Testament to describe the jealous or angry leader who, forms a group which emotionally or physically withdraws from the rest of the church.[2]These are the kinds of people Paul described in Philippians 1:15-17, Some... proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. There are varying degrees that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition can come into the life of a person, but none of it is from God. Even the best of us can cave to the kinds of vices that lead to worldly wisdom. Consider some of the people from the Bible such as Abraham, David, and Solomon. God told Abraham that he would father a child with Sarah, but because pregnancy seemed impossible to the couple, Sarah came up with another plan that was culturally acceptable. Sarah said to her husband: See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai (Gen. 16:2). So, the slave woman got pregnant and had a son and what Abraham got in return was one big giant mess that we are still dealing with today. David wrote much of the Psalms that are in our Bible, and he knew his Bible pretty well! He understood what Gods word said of Israels kings in Deuteronomy and most likely had memorized it. He knew that as king, he was not to acquire the kinds of properties the kings of the other nations collected to measure their glory and strength such as many horses or many wives, nor was he to hoard silver and gold (see Deut. 17:16-20). We know David knew this because he even wrote a song about it that included the verse: Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the Lord, our God (Ps. 20:7). Yet at the height of his reign as king, he conducted a census to measure the strength of his nation instead of trusting the God who told Him that his power did not come from numbers but from God alone. Can you see what Abraham and Davids stories all have in common? They followed after the wisdom of the world instead of trusting the word of God as their source of wisdom. Abraham wanted a son so badly and for his legacy to go on, so he took matters into his own hands and got his female slave pregnant. David conducted a census just like the other kings did because he needed to know how he and his nation compared to other nations. If you listen closely to the pages of scripture you can hear the serpents question with these men: Has God really said...? The wisdom of the world would lead you to an easier and wider road rather than a narrow and more difficult one. The wisdom of the world would have you erect a house on sand instead of spending the time necessary to lay a good foundation. Heavenly Wisdom Unlike worldly wisdom, the kind of wisdom that leads to the thriving life God created us to know and enjoy does not come from within, or from this world, or beneath; it comes from above where God is seated. The wisdom from above is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy, and full of good fruits (v. 17). From where does heavenly wisdom come from? It comes from God! Where can I gain this kind of wisdom? From the counsel God has already given, which is His word. We already saw in the first chapter that those of us who lack wisdom, are to ask God for it without doubting (1:5-6); the source of the kind of wisdom we need comes from the word of God. We gain wisdom from above when we first listen to what God has said through His word and then become a doer of it by putting what we read into practice (see 1:21-25). But here is the thing... there is no wisdom from above if you do not have the kind of faith that moves you to really trust the truth of Gods word. It is one thing to say you believe the Bible to be true and another to act upon that belief. Think for a moment about what we say we believe at Meadowbrooke; this is what we state on our webpage about the Bible: We believe the Bible, including the Old and New Testaments, is the divine revelation, the original autographs of which were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus rendering them trustworthy and solely authoritative in faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet. 1:20-21). The Scriptures reveal the mind of God concerning the need and the method of human redemption, the character and destiny of mankind, and are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (Jn. 5:39, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). The more important question is not if we are okay with that statement, but do we really believe it? The Bible testifies of itself: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In the book of Hebrews, we are told, For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (4:12). But do you really believe it to be what it claims? If you believe the Bible to be the word of God and that it is beneficial for teaching, for correcting, and training in righteousness, then how is it shaping your choices in life, what kind of influence is it having on your relationships, how does it affect how you behave and function at work? Do you believe the Bible to be the word of God even if what it tells you to do with your life makes no sense to those around you and the rest of the world? Think about some of the things that God told His people to do. God told Abraham to leave his home in Ur and promised him a child, even though he and his wife Sarah were quickly advancing in age to the point that fathering a child would be highly improbable. The conventional wisdom of Abrahams day suggested that he father a child through one of his servants, but that was not the promise God made to Abraham. God promised a son that would be both his and Sarahs, and in their old age God provided an heir. God used men who acted upon the word of God when others thought they were nuts. Men like Moses who God commissioned to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Men like Joshua who God told to march around Jericho a bunch of times while blowing seven trumpets and then on the seventh day after the seventh time around the city to shout to bring down the walls of the city. Men like Gideon who God ordered to cut his army of 32,000 soldiers down to 300 to face an army of at least 135,000; each of Gideons soldiers were to carrying a torch, a clay pot, and a trumpet that they would blow after breaking the clay pot at night while surround the 135,000 Midianite army and then shout: A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! and this would be the way they would defeat an army that outnumbered them by 440 to 1 (see Judges 7:1-8:10). God raised a shepherd boy whose own father and brothers did not think much of to be a king over Israel, and it would be through his descendants a savior would be born who would rule the nations. God spoke through unlikely prophets of old, and choose an unassuming and impoverished virgin girl and her fianc to raise up the promised Messiah that she alone would be the biological parent of, and the child would grow up and live the life we could never live in a little country about the size of New Jersey for the purpose of suffering on a cross and dying under the wrath of God a death we all deserved. This is why the apostle Paul wrote, For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Gods wisdom is different! Not only is the wisdom of God different, but it is in a whole different category than the wisdom of the world. In what way is it different? We are told in verse 17, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Gods words and His ways rub against the grain of the worlds conventional wisdom and is the reason the prophet Isaiah wrote of God, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord (55:8). The question for you, dear brothers and sisters, is what are you doing with it, or maybe a better question for some of you is, What will you do with His word? Conclusion What wisdom is guiding you? What wisdom is shaping your decisions? What wisdom are you applying to your marriage, your children, and your friendships? James is not offering us an option here, for what the Holy Spirit is showing us in James is that if you belong to Jesus, then you have no business with the kind of wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic. Why, because we are kingdom people! I told you that I believe what James is doing is simply applying Jesus sermon on the mount to everyday life. I have shared with you repeatedly that the way you come to Jesus is as one who is poor in spirit, one who mourns over sin, and one who is meek enough to lay you pride before the cross of Christ. These are the first three of Jesus beatitudes and are what theologians call, the beatitudes of need. The fourth beatitude is the fruit of the first three: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). How can I be satisfied? By finding my satisfaction in the One who is infinitely righteous and from whom true wisdom is found. What does a hunger and thirst for righteousness produce when that hunger and thirst is satisfied in Jesus? It produces what theologians call the beatitudes of action. I will pick up on this next Sunday, but for now I think it is enough for you to see what James is doing with wisdom and our Lords beatitudes. What kind of fruit does wisdom from above produce? It is pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Pure: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:8). Peace-loving: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Matt. 5:9). Gentle (meek): Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). Reasonable (compliant): Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). Full of mercy: Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (Matt. 5:7). Impartial / free of hypocrisy: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt. 4). Full of good fruit: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). My question for you is what are you doing with the wisdom that comes from above? It is the wisdom from above that calls those who follow Jesus through the narrow gate instead of the broad gate (Matt. 7:13-14). The wisdom from above calls the Christian to build upon the rock instead of sand (Matt. 7:24-29). The wisdom from above calls us to action in such a way that we do not only call Jesus Lord but live in subjection to His lordship (Matt. 7:22-21). The wisdom that is earthly, natural, and demonic will lead to death. The wisdom from above will lead to the kind of living where you can truly thrive as a child of God. Some of you may need to turn from whatever wisdom that has been guiding you, by humbling yourself before God Almighty. I will leave you with James 4:3-4 and you can do with it what seems best in light of what we have considered today: You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [1] Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 151. [2] Ibid.

As we launch our series “More to Life” we will be addressing our 8 values of a disciple of Jesus Christ. We begin with exploring the deeper meaning of professing Jesus as Lord in light of Jesus' words in John 10 and Paul's words in Philippians 2.  If you prefer to listen, stream, and/or watch, join us and subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kingwoodmethodist

Listeners! It's been awhile. Lauren and Rochelle are back for a powerful episode on what it means to make Jesus Lord of our life, why it's important, and how to develop hearts of worship.

 1 And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:Et post dies sex assumit Jesus Petrum, et Jacobum, et Joannem fratrem ejus, et ducit illos in montem excelsum seorsum : 2 And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow.et transfiguratus est ante eos. Et resplenduit facies ejus sicut sol : vestimenta autem ejus facta sunt alba sicut nix. 3 And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.Et ecce apparuerunt illis Moyses et Elias cum eo loquentes. 4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.Respondens autem Petrus, dixit ad Jesum : Domine, bonum est nos hic esse : si vis, faciamus tria tabernacula, tibi unum, Moysi unum, et Eliae unum. 5 And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.Adhuc eo loquente, ecce nubes lucida obumbravit eos. Et ecce vox de nube, dicens : Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi bene complacui : ipsum audite. 6 And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid.Et audientes discipuli ceciderunt in faciem suam, et timuerunt valde. 7 And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not.Et accessit Jesus, et tetigit eos : dixitque eis : Surgite, et nolite timere. 8 And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus.Levantes autem oculos suos, neminem viderunt, nisi solum Jesum. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.Et descendentibus illis de monte, praecepit eis Jesus, dicens : Nemini dixeritis visionem, donec Filius hominis a mortuis resurgat.

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Two and Verse Thirty Six

Category: Luke -- Series: Salvation Enters the World Stage Luke 21:5-38 - Jesus, Lord of Judgement and Salvation (Josh Johnston) (The Tron Church Glasgow)

Category: Luke -- Series: Salvation Enters the World Stage Luke 21:5-38 - Jesus, Lord of Judgement and Salvation (Josh Johnston) (The Tron Church Glasgow)

Jesus teaches on the reality of hell, and uses hyperbole to show us how we should deal with our sin.

Series: Romans: Guilt Grace & Gratitude Text: 10:11-13 by Nick Neves, pastor | Lord's Day Morning | 07.27.25

What if Jesus told you your family wasn't your family? This morning, Pastor Hans delivered a bold, heartfelt message that cuts through comfort and speaks straight to the soul. Continuing his powerful series on the Gospel of Mark, he challenged us to consider what happens when love for family comes into conflict with our devotion to Christ. It was more than a sermon—it was a moment of ministry, calling us to realign our hearts, reorder our priorities, and make Jesus Lord over everything. Watch now and ask yourself: who (or what) comes first in your life?

Elizabeth explores the connections between calling Jesus "Lord" and actually doing what he says from Luke 6.

Send us a messageIn the Matthew Chapter 7 passage, and in verse 23, after Jesus proclaimed that not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord,' ‘Lord,' will enter the kingdom of Heaven – but he who does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven, as recorded in verse 21, He addresses those who practice “lawlessness” as those He never knew – commanding them to depart from Him.These are the ones who while calling Jesus ‘Lord' were really subjects of the “Lawless One” and under the control of the Antichrist spirit.In our last segment, we began to address some of the counterfeit gospels that fall into the category of “another” gospel that Paul the Apostle referred to in 2 Corinthians 11:4, and which is being propagated by the imposters, who while calling Jesus ‘Lord,' never truly belonged to Him. We'll pick where we left off, and then go on to address some of the counterfeit “Christs” that Paul also warned of in that passage and referred to as “another” Jesus.Jesus comes quickly – and only those who have been “born again” and regenerated in His unadulterated Word of Truth, will discern all things – and be Ready!Support the showVisit our website: https://agapelightministries.com/

Big Idea - Jesus is the sovereign Lord of the storm. Connect with us! https://www.lifebaptistchurch.com/connect

The Wonderful Cross: From the Thief's Last Breath to Eternal Life In this compelling and grace-filled message, Pastor Daniel Bentley walks us back to the scene of Calvary—where two criminals hung next to Jesus, but only one walked into Paradise. This is the story of that man, the thief who put his faith in the dying Savior. It's a story that reveals the beauty, simplicity, and power of the Gospel.

Recently, it has been argued that the double use of the title Lord in reference to Jesus ("Lord, Lord") is a claim to be the person of Adonai Yahweh. This week's episode examines such a claim, first by examining the Hebrew texts in question, then by exploring how the Gospel writers use the title "Lord" in different ways, and finally by interpreting the passages in question. In sum, Jesus is not claiming to be Adonai Yahweh. Instead, he is summoning his followers to obey his teachings and submit to his lordship.  Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg      Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks                                  To view the notes from this episode please click the link below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-2cjnZ5WB8YNqljBfCpZ-cKXtvcYKFPzo6v2V_oM64E/edit?usp=sharing        Check out some of my videos on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@BiblicalUnitarianPodcast    Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/OneGodPodcast  

Christ-followers need clarity about who we serve and who our boss is—because if we're honest, many of us act as our own boss. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses spiritual authority and how where we place our allegiance and trust impacts every part of our lives. It influences our future more than nationality, education, or genetics. We must decide who our boss is and understand that refusing to yield to God's authority is choosing rebellion. The God we worship asks us to love Him with undivided hearts. When we submit to Him as the true authority and make Jesus Lord over our lives, hope and healing come.   To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world, visit this link: allenjackson.com/podcastdonate

Hope for the downcast. There is only one way to be eternally rescued, and that way is to trust in the finished work of Christ. Christ for us, always. Izzi Ray beautifully sings "Jesus, Lord I Trust In You". Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Preorder Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug The Impossible Prize: A Theology of Addiction by Donavan Riley Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi More from the hosts: Chad Bird