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What is Lordship salvation? What if we didn't "make Jesus Lord" when we were saved? Should we avoid legalistic teachings that place emphasis on being right with God by works? Was David not ceremonially sanctified by Jesse like his brothers were? If not, then how was David qualified to be king?
Today's passage is one of the "See For Yourself" passages Chapter 5 of Start Strong: A New Believer's Guide to Christianity. Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with a warning that is both sobering and hopeful: it's possible to talk like a disciple while walking the wrong road. In Matthew 7:12–29, we learn how a God-centered worldview reshapes what “love” looks like in practice—and how the Golden Rule, true spiritual fruit, and the foundation we build on reveal whether we're actually headed toward life.In this week's episode, we explore:How the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) summarizes “love your neighbor as yourself” as a call to seek another person's good—not simply to be “nice”Why Jesus frames the choice before us as two roads: the wide way to destruction and the narrow way to life (Matthew 7:13–14)What it means to “recognize them by their fruits,” and how discernment protects God's people from false teachers (Matthew 7:15–20)Why calling Jesus “Lord” and even doing impressive religious works isn't the same as doing the Father's will (Matthew 7:21–23)How the images of rock and sand press the question: are we hearing Jesus' words and living as if they're true? (Matthew 7:24–27)How humility, mercy, repentance, and a longing for God's kingdom mark the path Jesus describes throughout the sermonAfter listening, you'll come away with clearer “markers on the road” for examining your faith—not through fear or performance, but through the settled direction of a life built on Jesus' teaching. You'll be invited to center your worldview on God, practice love with wisdom and integrity, and choose the narrow path that leads to life. Series: Start Strong: A New Believer's PodcastStart Strong: A New Believer's Guide to Christianity is available now wherever books are sold.
Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Dr. Matthew Bunson to discuss what St. Bernard of Clairvaux can teach us about Lent. Other guests include Teresa Tomeo from EWTN’s Catholic Connection, and Kevin Schmiesing with This Week in Catholic History. Plus news, weather, sports, and more… ***** Prayer for Help from Jesus Lord, in every need let me come to You with humble trust saying, “Jesus, help me.”In all my doubts, perplexities, and temptations, Jesus, help me.In hours of loneliness, weariness, and trials, Jesus, help me.In the failure of my plans and hopes; in disappointments, troubles, and sorrows, Jesus, help me.When others fail me and Your grace alone can assist me, help me.When I throw myself on Your tender love as a father and savior, Jesus, help me.When my heart is cast down by failure at seeing no good come from my efforts, Jesus, help me.When I feel impatient and my cross irritates me, Jesus, help me.When I am ill and my head and hands cannot work and I am lonely, Jesus, help me.Always, always, in spite of weakness, falls, and shortcomings of every kind, Jesus, help me and never forsake me.Amen. ***** Fr. Columba Jordan is online at ascensionpress.com. Dr. John Pepino is online at instituteofcatholicculture.org. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Following Jesus isn't easy, the climb is real, but it's worth it because the victory is already won in Christ. The mystery we've been searching for isn't success or status; it's Christ in you, the hope of glory. And when He lives in you, you don't just endure the journey, you help others grow, knowing one day it will all be worth it.Expect the sufferings of Christ in youExperience the mystery of Christ in youExtend the maturity of Christ through youLife Group Discussion:When has following Jesus cost you something socially, professionally, or personally—and how did you respond?If you truly believed the power of God lives in you, how would that change your confidence, anxiety, or decision-making?What fears or excuses keep you from sharing Jesus more openly?
Following Jesus isn't easy, the climb is real, but it's worth it because the victory is already won in Christ. The mystery we've been searching for isn't success or status; it's Christ in you, the hope of glory. And when He lives in you, you don't just endure the journey, you help others grow, knowing one day it will all be worth it.Expect the sufferings of Christ in youExperience the mystery of Christ in youExtend the maturity of Christ through youLife Group Discussion:When has following Jesus cost you something socially, professionally, or personally—and how did you respond?If you truly believed the power of God lives in you, how would that change your confidence, anxiety, or decision-making?What fears or excuses keep you from sharing Jesus more openly?
Audio Transcript And the ruin of that house was great. It’s not God’s word for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? Lord, we pray that you would indeed speak through the preaching of your word. Lord, please help me to communicate this text. Well, Lord, please keep me from error, but to speak only that which is true. Lord, we do pray that you give the congregation here just ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. And Lord, please bring much glory to Jesus in this time. It’s in his name we pray. Amen. So let me share with you a story I think I may have shared in the past, but I think it’s been a little while since I’ve done it. It’s like every good story starts with me. So there we were. And this was when I was still in college and I had a summer job working for a carpenter who actually specialized in building log homes. Now, for me, my main job was donut pickup guy for the morning break. But I also had a number of other trivial jobs that come alongside some of the main carpenters just to kind of help them do their thing in ways to help them be efficient and able to concentrate on doing quality work. Well, in this story, one of the days when I was assisting one of the carpenters, things are just not coming together. So we just finished putting on the decking over the basement of the house, which I should mention was a huge home. This is the biggest home. The owner of the building company had to up to this point. But as we put the decking on and started to lay out the exterior walls, things were just not coming together. The walls were not lining up according to plan, even though from what we could tell, we were laying things out according to the blueprints. So after a while trying to figure things out on our own, trying to figure out why things are not coming together according to the design, the carpenter that I was assisting called over to the owner of the company to see if he could help us just understand why things were not working the way they should have. Which led to the owner also looking at the blueprints where he started to measure things out on the exterior walls. But as he did that, things were not coming for together for him either. So for the next, I don’t know, 30 minutes or so, we’re all scratching our heads trying to figure out what the issue was. Why were things not going the way they were designed? Why were they not coming together? Where did things go wrong? Only for the owner to realize what was wrong had nothing to do with the blueprints, nothing to do with the measurements of the walls, rather the basement foundation that was poured, the one that the company owner laid out like he didn’t do it right. So in the hustle and bustle, I’m sure the pressure excitement of building his biggest home to date, he got a little distracted. And the measurements, the layout of the foundation was off something like a foot or two, which might not seem like a big deal, but just that little bit off of the foundation put everything else off. And with everything because that was off, we just could not move forward. Because if we did so, not only did the house not come together according to plan, the house would have been structurally vulnerable, set up for a huge fall with the foundation off, everything else was off as well. Now, I tell you that story this morning to hopefully set us up for our text, a study, which is the final section, often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, which is something we’ve been studying the last few weeks. This is called Sermon on the Plane, because in Luke 6 we see that the sermon that Jesus gave was to a great crowd of disciples, a great multitude of people from all over the region, while he gave this, while standing on a level place, a plane. So I mentioned a few times, and I’ll mention again here, this sermon plane is similar, but yet a little different to perhaps Jesus most famous sermon. The sermon is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, which the Lord gave on the side of a mountain, which you can read about in Matthew, starting in chapter five of Matthew. And the sex is very similar, but different. In fact, the sermon is very similar, but different, including how similar actually is, how it ends. Both those sermons, the Sermon on the Mount, Sermon on the Plain, end very similarly. And I do think it’s important for us to see that each of these end with a very similar challenge to the listeners. A challenge that’d be good for us to hear this morning as well. A challenge that is meant to cut to our hearts, to show if our hearts indeed do beat for Jesus or not. So we’re talking more about this kind of throughout the sermon. Let me also just mention before we get dive back into the text, that throughout this sermon on the plain, Jesus is primarily speaking towards his disciples. So yes, it’s mentioned there’s a great crowd around Jesus from all over the region who he was speaking to as well in the sermon. But the primary audience for this sermon, the Sermon on the Plain, was his many disciples, as Jesus was helping them understand what it looks like to follow after him. Understanding if we’re going to Follow after Jesus. We need to follow him not just in word, but also in deed, meaning to be a disciple of Jesus, not simply acknowledging that Jesus is the Lord. We were to follow him joyfully submitting our life to him and as the Lord as the foundation of our life, where our desire is to build everything about our life off of him, knowing that if Jesus is not our foundation, everything is going to be off, which in terms of the plains, well, as the sermon, the Mount, everything be off in the most tragic and terrifying ways. Without Jesus as the foundation of one’s life, we are set up for a great fall. Okay, so that is the introduction. Please look back with me at the text, starting in verse 33, where Jesus spoke to the congregation on the plane by giving them another parable or illustration to help them understand, like an important spiritual truth. So in the text, verse 43, Jesus says, for no good tree bears bad fruit. Nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its fruit. I’ll just say pause here for a second. Clearly here in this parable illustration, Jesus is using trees as a metaphor to address one’s heart, which is the thing that Jesus is after. He wants our heart. He deserves our heart. So in this illustration, when our hearts are good in ways that they’re good before God, because God has birthed inside us a new heart, we’re in the grace of God, he takes out like a heart of stone, that actually we’re all born with a heart that’s like spiritually dead before God in sin, that by his grace he gives us a new birth, he puts in a new heart, a heart of flesh, which is a heart that now beats for God. A heart that knows God, or better said, is known by God as his own. Because a new heart, this heart of flesh, this very spirit dwells within. The very presence of God, fills that heart. So from that new heart that was graciously given to us by God, now good things come out of it. Not bad things, not bad fruit. But in the text, good things, good fruit, which are good things. Good fruit that honor God, that communicate worship towards God. They have a real love for God, a desire to bring glory to God. In the New Testament, these good things, or these good fruit that come out of a new heart, it’s often referred to as the fruit of the spirit. Good fruit, not bad fruit. So Galatians 5 says this. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. So in this sermon, Jesus, in this illustration on the positive, when the heart is good because of God, putting a new heart like a good tree, good fruit will come from us. As a good tree does not produce bad fruit, a new good heart will not be characterized by having bad fruit. However, then on the negative, the challenge of warning for those who do not have the spirit of God dwelling inside, where they have not experienced, like, this new birth, where they do not have a new heart, where they’re still spiritually dead in their sins, spiritually dead before God, where they have this, like, heart of stone. Scripture refers to a heart that does not beat for God, does not desire to bring him glory. In the text, like a bad tree, they will not produce good fruit, Meaning they will not live a life seeking to worship God, obey God, love God, bring glory to God. Rather, without a new birth, the spiritually dead heart will produce fruit, which the New Testament refers to as like the works of the flesh. So once again, Book of Galatians, now the works of the flesh are evident. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. None of these things are good fruit. None of these things bring honor and glory to God. No, just a few things before we keep moving on. First, I just want to address maybe a couple related questions you have here. And then after that, I want to just stress something essential for us to see and understand in this passage. So first question, potential questions you might have. Does this mean that if one is a Christian who has a new heart, does this mean that, like, bad or sinful things cannot come out of them, where they’ll never sin, never do anything wrong? The answer is life is unfortunately, bad things, sinful things, even for Christians, for disciples of Jesus, unfortunately, these still will happen. Or, unfortunately, we still will stumble and fall in many ways. And if one says that he’s, like, not a sinner, not capable of sinning, like Scripture tells, like, they’re a liar and the truth is not in them. So Jesus is getting here. It’s not that we’re going to be perfect where we only give good fruit, but what he is saying is, like, bad, sinful things, bad fruit. These things will not mark our lives. We’re not gonna just, like, give in to bad fruit without seeking to put them away through repentance and faith. Like, there’s gonna be evidence of our life of good fruit when we have a good heart, they’re gonna be present. There’s gonna be a desire A longing, a joy for obedience, that we live a life that bears fruit for our good God. And they say things will mark one’s life. Our life will be one that’s lived. They’re seeking to honor and worship God once again. Just to be clear, in this life, unfortunately, they can be done in imperfect ways as a wait for and long for the next life. In the next life, all these things will be done in perfect life, in perfect ways, where in the next life only good fruit will come as sin is fully removed from us. Let me mention the context of sermon. Some of the good fruit that is to mark those who are Christians who have a new heart, those who are trusting in him, I’m positive, will include things like storing up treasures in heaven. Just something Jesus talked about kind of throughout this sermon on plain. It’ll include like loving our enemies. It’s going to include good fruit of like not being judgmental and condemning or unforgiving towards other Christians. Our lives can be marked, like trying to do to others which we wish others would do to us. Likewise, a good tree, the life is gonna be characterized by not like having this bad fruit, like trying to pull the speck out of someone else’s eye when there’s a plank in your own eye. Instead, when there’s a good heart that God has graciously put in the fruit of our life that comes from knowing God will have like the fruit of generosity, the fruit of love and mercy towards other and word. And indeed so once again, not perfect in this life, but there should be a life that produces good fruit because of God’s work. Second potential question then, is Jesus teaching those who are not Christians who still have a heart of stone, who are dead in their sin. Is Jesus saying that they cannot do good things? And the answer is kind of a yes and no here. So certainly non Christians can do morally good things towards others where they can show, like, love and kindness, where, in a sense, you can do good things to benefit society. In fact, I’m sure we all know those who are not yet Christians, who are like some of the nicest and kindest people that we know, who have done good things that we have benefited from. However, that being said, non Christians who are spiritually dead before God, who still have a heart of stone, they cannot do good things in ways that, like honor God, that reflect the heart of worship towards God to produce good things that bring glory to God in the end. This is what Jesus is getting at here. Bad trees cannot bear good fruit in their lives in ways that honor and glorify God, which is what we’ve been designed to do. God created us to obey him, to enjoy him forever, to bear fruit with our lives. But because of sin is in all of us on our own, apart from the grace of God in our life, we can’t bear good fruit for God. Like we need a new heart in ways we’re going to live, ways that we have been designed to live. And third, I just want to stress here before I move on within this illustration that Jesus is using here, something he continues to really teach throughout his ministry, including this sermon on the plain. There’s really only two ways that one can live. Either you know God by having faith in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, or to keep saying it, you have a new heart given to you graciously by God, with the Spirit of God living inside, where you’re blessed in God, where God is the foundation of your life, where you’re bearing good fruit for Him. That’s one way. Or you don’t know God and you still have a heart that’s spiritually dead before God. Where in the sermon on the plain, you’re under his woes because he is not your foundation. Like there’s no sliding scale here. Either a good tree or a bad tree. Either you have a new heart or you have a heart of stone. Either you’re alive to God because of his grace and the new heart is given to you, or you’re still dead, dead in your sin before Him. Either Jesus is the foundation or he’s not. There’s only two ways to live, and this is true for all of us here this morning. Either we are in Christ or we are not. Either we are a good tree or we are a bad tree. Keep going. Verse 44. For each of these two tree options we see it’s known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from bushes, nor grapes picked up from like bramble bush. Those types of trees don’t produce those types of fruits. It’s not in their nature. They can’t do it. It’s impossible. Verse 45. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart, then produces good. Once again. With the Spirit living inside, one will produce good fruit. It will happen. In fact, it’s impossible for it not to happen. But the evil person is referring to any and all who do not have faith in God through Jesus Christ, who is still dead in trespasses and sin. The evil person out of the evil treasure produces evil. How can it not? It’s in its nature. It cannot produce that which is good to bring glory to God in the text. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks, meaning that which is at our core in our heart, it will come out of us like whatever is at the core of a tree, that fruit will come out. Which by the way is why our words are so telling. A New Testament book of James says if anyone thinks he’s religious but does not bridle his own tongue, but deceives his heart, this person’s religious religion is worthless. Keep going. Verse 46. We see it’s not just our words that are telling when it comes to what kind of tree we are or what kind of foundation we’re built upon. We also see our deeds or their lack thereof are also so telling Jesus to the congregation on the plane and to us here this morning. So why do you call me Lord? Lord? Which calling Jesus Lord, like those are the right words for our mouth to speak yet. And this is a pretty massive three letter word here. Yet you do not do what I tell you. Verse 47. Everyone who comes comes to me and hears my word and does them. I will show you what he’s like, which here Jesus give another illustration or parable to communicate his point. And this is something that James also communicates about works and obedience. There’s a natural outflowing when one has faith, outflowing from the heart, there will be works. This is what Jesus is about to get at in our text. Verse 48. So that person, the one who hears and obeys, he’s like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. Now just for some historical context here, just to understand what Jesus is getting at. So in this time period houses actually were pretty heavy. These are often rebuilt with like either like large stones or bricks. And often these heavy houses were built on a terrain that was like not most level. So this can be kind of a hilly region. And because of these factors, the overall weight of the home, the uneven terrain, if a house was built in haste without taking time to dig into the bedrock to secure the home, the house would be set up for a fall like crumbling under its own weight. So the better, the necessary thing to do, the better long term picture here to do the right thing is to dig deep into the ground. Even though it cost time money to set the foundation of the house on a rock, building a house on the rock would make the house so much more secure, particularly when the storms blew in which in the text. So when the flood waters rose, which actually Something could be pretty common in this region of the world. Times like heavy rains might pop up from time to time. And as these storms pop up, maybe flood waters would join them, causing a stream to come, like rushing against the house. And the house that’s built on the deep, secure foundation of the rock, as a stream came rushing against it, the text tells us it will not shake because this has been built well, safely secured and tethered to the rock. I remember in verse 49, if you want to take your eyes there, the warning. But the one who hears the words of Jesus, the words found in sacred Scripture, but does nothing with them, rather hears but rejects God’s word as if it has no bearing on your life. Particularly what it says about the salvation found in Jesus Christ. It takes that person is like a man who built a house without a foundation, having no real care, no real concern, no real thought on that which might come rather just kind of quickly throw up the house just to get back to the cares of the world for that person. When the flood waters came, causing a stream to form that came crashing against that type of house with no foundation, immediately the house will fall and the ruin of that house will be great, where that person will lose everything. I think the reality of losing everything certainly is true in this life, but I think more importantly is true of the life that is to come. For those who reject Christ, who do not build their life upon him as the foundation, they will be forever lost apart from Him. Which is why this Sermon on the Plane is a heavy but important sermon for us to hear. Perhaps that’s why Jesus ended this sermon as well the Sermon on the Mountain. The same way for us to hear this warning, knowing that he, like, came to seek and save those which are lost so that they would be found by him, so they would have their foundation built on him as the rock of our salvation through his death and resurrection from the dead. For us, that ends the sermon on the plane. However, before we end this sermon here, just a couple things I just want to do. So first, I specifically just want to give us some thoughts from our text today. And then I just want to kind of back up and give you some thoughts on the Sermon on the Plane as a whole that’s mentioned. We’ve been looking at the last number of weeks. So first, let’s just start with our text today. As I mentioned, again, not only ends the Sermon on the plane, but very similarly ends a Sermon on the mount in Matthew 5. And I do think it’s important to see like this is the conclusion that Jesus has, as he preached to the crowds around him. And so for us, I just have one kind of major point of application, which is this, as we end this sermon on the plane, is just to examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith. Okay, so New Testament says this in Second Corinthians, it says, examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith. Test yourself, which testing through what Scripture tells us, test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourself, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail to meet the test? I think that’s what the heart of Jesus is getting at in the passage today, that for the crowds around him, they were simply to assume that because they were in the vicinity of Jesus, because they were hearing his Word preached like they were good, rather as they heard the word of the Lord, they were adhered in ways that the word is to examine the fruit of their lives, to examine the foundation of their life, to see where it’s at. And for us, I think it’s important for us to do as well. I think it’s important for us to let this passage, like, examine our hearts, discern if our life is producing the fruit of the Spirit that comes from a new heart that is alive towards God. So again, discernment do we see the fruit of like, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control coming out of our lives. Furthermore, as we discern our lives, let Scripture and examine our hearts to see what’s coming out of our mouth in the text, out of the abundance of the mouth, the heart speaks. And as we do this, not only to serve our words that we might say in church life, but also the words we might say outside of church life to see if they match up. Remember back to the story I gave a few weeks ago where my hypocrisy was exposed. For the most part, my words in church life were pretty good, but they were far different from the words I used in all the other areas of my life. So can I just ask, as you discern the words that come out of you, like what are the words not just in church life, but what are the words that you use throughout your life out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks. But it’s not just the fruit of our words that we’re to discern and examine in the text. We also need to see the fruit of our deeds. Jesus told us verse 46, we can say, Lord, Lord, but if we do not do what he tells us, those words are in vain. The Fruit of our life ought to be one who hears the words of God and does them no, keeps us saying this once again in this life. We’re not going to be perfect in this, even with a new heart, with the Spirit of God living inside. But as we examine our hearts, as we examine our life, there should be fruit. We’re seeking to bring honor and glory to God with our words and our deeds. Likewise, we need to examine to see where the foundation of our life lies. Are we building our life off of Christ? Is Jesus the cornerstone? Or as we examine our lives, we recognize our life is actually not built upon Jesus, but we’re, like, seeking to build our life off of something else, which could be a host of different things, perhaps in themselves not bad, but they’re not Christ. If you’re unsure what foundation life is built upon, just ask. As hard things come your way, as storms of life beat against you like floodwaters, like, what happens? Where do you look? Where’s your hope? As the floods come, does it result in, like works of the flesh come, continuing to bubble out of you where you, like, run and indulge in various types of sinful behavior? Or as the floods come, do you see the fruit of the Spirit even into difficulty, do the flood waters lead you to Christ? You know, the great Charles Spurgeon said this. He said, I’ve learned to kiss the wave, the Rock of Ages. Ben’s gonna ask, does hard things come your way? Do they take you to Christ, the rock of ages, once again, not that we’re gonna be perfect in this life. The storms come. Even those who have the spirit living inside, who maybe are mature in their faith and this life are not gonna be perfect, which is why we still need Jesus. We’ll talk about that more in the end. But for this morning, as you can see the text, how this passage ends, let me just invite us once again examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith, to let this text test ourselves so that we might realize that Jesus Christ is in us so we do not fail the test. The weight of this passage, of how this sermon ends is so important for us to feel. It’s not enough to just be in the crowd, to just hear the words of Jesus, brother, we must put our faith in him. He must be the foundation of our life. This is a test. This is an examination that we all must pass, because if not in the passage, there will be a fall and it will be great. This actually leads to the second thing I want to do before we close, but I just Want to leave us just two things from the Sermon on the Plain as a whole. So first, the sermon does help us see what it looks like to follow after Jesus as one of his disciples. So, meaning the Sermon on the Plain is not like primary sermon on how to become a Christian. Rather, this is primarily a sermon on what it looks like to live out the Christian faith in faithful ways which. Including things we just talked about, like the fruit of our life, where the fruit of our life is doing things like storing up treasures in heaven. We’re in the Sermon on the Plain. We’re, like, willing to suffer for our faith. That’s what it means to follow Christ. That should be a fruit of our life. Through fruit of our lives. If we’re gonna follow Jesus, should be loving enemies, loving fellow believers. If we’re gonna follow Jesus, we need to be merciful. We need to do others what we wish others would do to us, Right? These are all things that are meant to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, to follow after him in faithfulness and in joy. And for us, you know, one of our church pillars is to grow. We want to continue to grow in our faith, to bear more fruit for. And the Sermon on Plain is just so helpful for us on that end. So if you want to grow, let the Sermon on Plain be part of your guide and just ask the Lord to help you to be obedient to these good words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Particularly, I think, when it comes to wanting to do to others or doing to others that you wish others to do to you, which I kind of think is a summary statement of the entire first half of the Sermon of Jesus. So this week, at home, at school, at work, at church, with all the different interactions you’re having with others, if you’re this Christian, a disciple who’s seeking to grow all those interactions, do them in ways that you want others to do to you, especially if you were in their shoes, doing so in ways you remember how much the Lord Jesus has done for you and how loving and merciful he continues to be to all of his people. Which leads to the second thing I just want to leave us with as we close the Sermon on the Plain. The Sermon on the Plain does help us see how much we need Jesus, friends. We all need the Lord Jesus Christ. So for those of us here who recognize that you’re not, like, passing the test, as you recognize that your life doesn’t match up what it looks like to follow Jesus as disciple, you see no fruit, you know, the foundation of your life is actually not on Christ. Like you’re not passing the test. If that’s you friend, you just need to see how much you need Jesus. And not only that, let me give you some good news. The promise of Scripture is that if you call upon his name, that by faith you would turn to him, trust in him. That indeed you would trust that he came to die for you on a cross to take on the punishment of your sin, only to rise again on the third day. The promise that indeed he will save you, that you have a new heart, that the Spirit will live inside. From the end of the sermon on the plane. This call to examine oneself so that’s not there, to like, to cripple us in ways that we just get so introspective, like forever and ever. We’re crippled under the weight of our own sin and our own guilt and our own shame and our own shortcomings, where all we see is like ourselves, our own failures, rather the examination of self. We’ve examined ourselves in ways that we see our need for Jesus, in ways that we call upon him, knowing that as we call upon him by faith, he will hear us. Scripture is so clear. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but through him the world might be saved. And friends, that’s the heart of this sermon as it ends. This is why Jesus ends this way, including the Sermon on the Mount, in the same way so that you would hear the Word, in ways that you would turn and trust in him. So that not only we see your sin, your shortcomings, but more importantly, that you would see the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of our sin. So this morning as we close the sermon, playing for those who are here, who are not in Christ, who sure may say Lord, Lord, but you know your actions do not match up. I just want to invite you to turn from sin and turn to Jesus, asking Him to be the foundation of your life once again. Trust him that he did die for you and that he did rise again from the dead, trusting that he is worthy of building your entire life upon, knowing that as you turn to him, you’ll be securely and forever his. So if you don’t pass the test, don’t leave here this morning just looking at self, like feeling doomed because you didn’t pass the test. Rather, leave here feeling forgiven, have hope and joy because you’re now looking to Jesus, who passed the test for us, who is loving, who is merciful, who is calling people to Himself, including perhaps you this morning. This morning, it’s not just those who are not yet Christians, who need Jesus, who need to set their eyes on him, to close the sermon plain. They should help all of us, including those who already are disciples, just see how much we still need Jesus and the power of the Spirit to empower us to live out as disciples. This call in this sermon is a heavy call to live in this way. And this is called we just cannot do on our own. So we need Jesus. We need his example on how to live this out. But Jesus perfectly lived out the call in this sermon, including how he loved his enemies in ways that he died for sinners like you and me, including how he loves his people, his church, how merciful and generous he is towards us, including the example how his life is forever and always one that only bears fruit, good fruit for God. But not only do we need this example, we also, as mentioned, we need his power. If we can live this out. So Scripture tells, like he’s the vine and we’re simply branches and apart from him, we can do no good thing. It’s only in him by which we can bear much fruit. So even if you are a Christian, maybe you’ve been a Christian for a long time, you still need Jesus and you still need to continue to set your eyes on him, and you still need his love and his mercy. And this morning, if you know the areas of life where you’re not bearing fruit, where you’re. Perhaps you’re doing things on your own in ways that do not reflect Christ being your cornerstone. I also just want to invite you to turn to him as well, to confess and forsake your sin, to trust in him, knowing that he does forgive, that he is merciful, that he is loving, that as you turn to him, you will bear good fruit. So back to the story that I started out this time with. So as my boss realized that the foundation was off, he did the only thing that he could do. I mean, he didn’t keep trying to build a house, simply saying, well, we’re only off, like maybe a foot or two. So that’s pretty close. Let’s just keep going and I’m sure it will kind of work out close enough. Instead, he humbled himself. He admitted that he was wrong. He recognized he was just too hasty as he laid out the foundation through which we were to build off, and we stopped doing everything in order for him. To make a change, to like, reset the foundation to what it was designed to be. Friends, may that be true of all of us here today that we would not seek to live out our life with a faulty, wrong foundation. Rather, where we’re off, just humble ourselves by the grace of God. Make a change. Reset the foundation of your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, that you might live for him, that you might bear good fruit for him. I should say it again, that is our design. Knowing that as we live our life on the foundation that is Jesus, the rock of our salvation, we are eternally and fully secure, no matter what storms may come our way. Let’s pray. But thank you for Jesus and Lord, I do pray that by your grace and by the power of your Holy Spirit, that indeed all of us here today would have Jesus as the great foundation of our life. And Lord, we do want to bear good fruit for you. So please help us to abide in you. And Lord, I pray specifically for those here today who struggle to know if they are passing the test. And Lord, please help them to put their eyes in Jesus and to trust in him above all things. Pray that you might give them deep assurance because of the promises that you’ve given to us. Pray this on Jesus name. Amen. The post Examine Your Fruit and Foundation – Luke 6:43-49 appeared first on Red Village Church.
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.
Life will rock you to your core. What are you standing on? In Jesus, Lord and Savior, Pastor Mark invites us to wrestle with the most important question we will ever answer: Who is Jesus to you? Is He simply part of your life, or truly Lord and Savior at the center of it all? Texts: John 1:1–5; Philippians 2:6–11; Matthew 3:16; 16:13–20; Luke 6:46–49.
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.
Worship with us 9 + 11am 390 N 400 E Bountiful, UT 84010 https://www.flourishinggrace.org/plan... Today's sermon centers on the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus, a passage that reveals the heart of the gospel and the transforming power of grace. Preaching from the Gospel of Luke 19:1-10, Pastor Benjer explores how Jesus seeks out sinners, calls them by name, and brings salvation that does more than forgive. It reorders allegiance, exposes sin, and gives new purpose. The message confronts a deeply personal question many carry beneath the surface: Is Jesus willing to come near to someone like me. Zacchaeus is introduced as a chief tax collector and rich, meaning his wealth was built on betrayal and injustice. He had aligned himself with the Roman oppressors and enriched himself at the expense of his own people. His sin was not subtle and his reputation was deserved. The sermon makes clear that Zacchaeus represents more than an individual story. He reflects the reality that our sin and our allegiances often stand opposed to God. We build identity, security, and control around things that cannot save us. Yet Luke tells us Zacchaeus was seeking to see who Jesus was. His curiosity was more than intellectual interest. He had grown dissatisfied with the answers his old life provided. Willing to look foolish, he climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Christ. The message highlights that true spiritual curiosity often begins when previous sources of meaning no longer satisfy. For those who are skeptical, wounded, or unsure, this moment reveals that honest seeking matters. The turning point comes when Jesus stops beneath the tree, looks up, and calls Zacchaeus by name. Rather than waiting for Zacchaeus to clean himself up, Jesus says, “I must stay at your house today.” The sermon emphasizes that while Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus, Jesus had already been pursuing him. Salvation begins with divine initiative. Christ moves toward sinners with presence and fellowship before transformation has occurred. The crowd grumbles because they know Zacchaeus's history, and their complaint is not unfounded. He has harmed real people. Yet grace does not deny the seriousness of sin. It confronts it honestly. When Zacchaeus calls Jesus Lord, his allegiance shifts. He gives half of his possessions to the poor and promises fourfold restitution. This generosity is not an attempt to earn salvation, but evidence that salvation has already begun to reshape his heart. He now sees the weight of his sin and the worth of his Savior. Jesus declares, “Today salvation has come to this house,” and identifies Zacchaeus as a son of Abraham, pointing back to God's covenant promise to bless the nations. The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. This sermon invites listeners to examine what sits on the throne of their lives and to consider whether they want Jesus to reassure them or to rule them. It is a call to surrender, repentance, and trust in Christ alone. Whether you are exploring Christianity or have followed Jesus for years, Luke 19 reminds us that no one encounters Jesus and walks away unchanged.
FEB. 3, 2026Healing for your mind."Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind." Eph 4:23 AMPCWe are three-part beings: spirit, soul, and body. When we make Jesus Lord of our lives, our spirit receives healing from spiritual death. But there are still two areas that need Christ's healing touch: our souls (mind, emotions, and will) and our physical bodies. God's Word teaches us that physical health and mental health are irrevocably linked. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Pr 23:7 NKJV). What we think about ourselves is inevitably what we become. Unhealthy thinking produces unhealthy living. John wrote: "I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers" (3Jn 1:2 NKJV). For any area where our souls are sick-whether it be low self-esteem, negative thoughts, or destructive habits-the Word of God is the answer to nourishing us into a balanced and healthy state. The majority of Satan's attacks begin in the mind. He uses wrong thoughts and images in our minds to lead us away from God's best. The only way to counteract this is to stand on God's Word and allow His healthy thoughts to permeate our thinking daily.Thoughts of fear can be replaced with thoughts of faith.Thoughts of lack can be replaced with thoughts of provision.Thoughts of failure and depression can be replaced with thoughts of success and joy. How does this happen? Paul answered: "Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image" (Eph 4:23-24 AMPC).Healing for your mind Unhealthy thinking produces unhealthy living.Share This DevotionalSend a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!
Tom shares 3 practical ways that we can be a people who serve one another, and serve God. As we start to unpack our new series, Jesus Lord & Saviour, it's important that we recognise that Jesus Himself came as a servant, to demonstrate to us how we can all live.
We continue our "Vision" series with Roger Morris teaching from Habakkuk 2:1–4 that you should ask God for your kingdom assignment, expect Him to answer, and then write the vision and make it plain. He explains that Habakkuk became frustrated and anxious about his circumstances, but his perspective changed through faith as he wrote the vision and looked ahead by faith even before anything changed. Roger emphasizes that you have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's Son, so your life now includes a kingdom assignment on Earth, and you should set an "appointed time" (an appointment) with God to seek that vision. He teaches that delays often come from you, not God, and that fear and anxiety are from the enemy, while faith is how you move forward. Roger defines imagination as the ability to see what is not physically present and connects hope to a positive imagination—a blueprint for what you want in life—illustrating with personal stories about dreaming for a home, and God providing needs and desires like appliances and a large TV through reward points. The message includes encouragement that God is not mad or disappointed in you, and it closes with an invitation to make Jesus Lord, a salvation prayer, and directions to connect with Bill & Roger at billandroger.com for events, the store, YouTube messages, and partnership support. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 Kingdom Assignment: You've Been Translated—Now Ask for Your Vision 00:23 Welcome + Why You Need Your Bible (and a Funny 'Job' Story) 03:10 Habakkuk's Frustration to Faith: The Setup for 'Write the Vision' 04:09 Habakkuk 2:1–3 — God Answers When You Ask 05:58 'Write the Vision': Seeing It in Your Imagination & Kingdom Purpose 08:15 The 'Appointed Time' (Moed): Make an Appointment with God 10:52 When Vision 'Tarries': Faith, Tradition, and What 'Wait on the Lord' Means 15:22 Your Self-Talk Shapes Your Life: God Isn't Mad at You 17:32 Fear vs. Faith: Anxiety, Thoughts, and Guarding Your Mind 18:47 Hope as Positive Imagination: Blueprints, Dreams, and the House Testimony 25:20 Invitation: Make Jesus Lord (Prayer of Salvation) 26:42 Connect with the Ministry: Website, Events, Store, Subscribe & Partner 28:47 Final Encouragement: Live an Extraordinary Life Connect with Bill & Roger Ministries: www.billandroger.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064668460680
Peter's story and Spirit-inspired sermon bears witness to Jesus—Lord and Messiah—and invites us into the dynamic, death-defeating, creatively unfolding reality of the age of the Kingdom of God, confronting us with a heart-level question: are we living out the story of our culture or of the Kingdom?
David introduces our new series for 2026: Jesus Lord & Saviour.
Peter is told in a vision to eat unclean animals and he responds saying, “No, Lord!” Is is possible to call Jesus Lord and still say, “no” to him? Let's find out together as we read Acts 10:1-16 and Number 15:11-16.#BibleReading #ChristianEducation #LearnTheBible #BibleTeaching #ChristianContent #FaithJourney #HardQuestions #BiblicalWisdom #ChristianCommunity #InstaChurch
THE MARKS OF A MAN MADE NEW (Acts 9:17-22) When we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we become a new creation. We are made new. A great preacher once said, “Nature forms us. Sin deforms us. School informs us. Prison reforms us. But, only Christ transforms us.” In Christ, we become new. A Christian is not just somebody who has become nice; he has become new. He doesn't just turn over a new leaf; he receives a new life. A Christian is not like a tadpole that has become a frog, which has gone through a series of changes, but basically, it is the same creature. No, a Christian is more like a frog that has received the kiss of grace and has become a prince. That is what we are. We are changed radically and dramatically. We are a new creature. When Saul of Tarsus met the Lord Jesus on that road to Damascus, Saul asked the two greatest questions that anybody in this world could ever ask: “Who art thou, Lord?” and “Lord, what [would you] have me to do?” Somebody has said that the Apostle Paul spent the rest of his life finding the answer to those two questions: “Who art thou, Lord?” and “Lord, what [would you] have me to do?” They truly are wonderful questions! I would to God that everyone in the whole wide world would sincerely ask those questions: Who is Jesus, and what does Jesus want me to do? As you study the Bible, you will see that the Bible doesn't put the emphasis upon receiving Christ as Savior. The Bible puts the emphasis upon making Jesus Lord. And, when you make Jesus Christ Lord, He is, therefore, your Savior. Now, I'm not saying that He doesn't save. Indeed, He does save. But, while the Bible mentions Him as Savior 24 times, it mentions Him as Lord 433 times. When they spoke of the Lord Jesus, they called Him “the Lord Jesus.” Nobody is saved, who has not made Jesus Lord. Listen, you cannot have what He gives—salvation—unless you receive what He is—and that is Lord. Click on the link below to hear a message on the marks of a man made new in Christ. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.
Packinghouse's Sunday morning worship service from January 4, 2026. Acts 5:27–42 | Pastor Greg: Enraging the Religious Mafia Hauled before the Sanhedrin, the apostles declare they must obey God rather than men and preach the simple gospel: Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, rose on the third day, and was seen. Though the council rages, Gamaliel urges caution; the apostles are beaten and released, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name, and they keep teaching daily that Jesus is the Christ. This chapter calls us to fearless, Spirit-filled witness, to discern truth amid counterfeits, and to let Jesus—Lord of all—have our ear. - Greg Opean - Sunday, January 4, 2026
Packinghouse's Sunday morning worship service from January 4, 2026. Acts 5:27–42 | Pastor Greg: Enraging the Religious Mafia Hauled before the Sanhedrin, the apostles declare they must obey God rather than men and preach the simple gospel: Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, rose on the third day, and was seen. Though the council rages, Gamaliel urges caution; the apostles are beaten and released, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name, and they keep teaching daily that Jesus is the Christ. This chapter calls us to fearless, Spirit-filled witness, to discern truth amid counterfeits, and to let Jesus—Lord of all—have our ear. - Greg Opean - Sunday, January 4, 2026
In this episode of Raising Kids on Your Knees, we explore the five biblical foundations of salvation and why leading our children to Jesus is the most important calling we have as parents. You'll learn how to talk with your kids about sin, eternity, and what it truly means to make Jesus Lord of their lives.We also walk through practical steps to strengthen your spiritual parenting and help your children build a firm foundation of faith that lasts a lifetime. If you want to raise kids who know, love, and follow Jesus, this episode will equip and encourage you.Perfect for Christian parents, moms, dads, and anyone passionate about discipleship at home.Praying for the Salvation of My Children Journal https://RaisingKidsOnYourKnees.org/podcastJoin the Prayer Tribe https://mailchi.mp/24bba9787d3e/raisingkidsonyourkneesFlying Arrow Productions
Come Follow MePastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - Following Jesus in 2026 will transform our lives. TEXT - Mark 1:16-20, 35-391. Be with Jesus. (Vision) • What does abiding with Jesus look like? • What kind of person will I become when I abide with Jesus? • What is at stake if I don't abide? (Why is this a better alternative?)2. Become like Jesus. (Intention) • Have I truly decided to change? (Desire without intention is useless.) • Have I moved from preference to conviction?3. Do what Jesus did. (Means.) • “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.” (Dallas Willard) • Have I identified spiritual practices and a community of accountability?NEXT STEPS1. Name your quiet place and time_________________________2. Name your spiritual practices: __________________________________________________Four Chair Disciples: Healthy things grow.The Biblical vision of discipleship points to organic (a seed or a tree), not mechanical growth (an assembly line). Growth is not an event but a slow and steady process requiring nurture, cultivation, and patience. The soil of growth is relationships developed in real-life situations, in real-time, with real people. We divide this process into four stages:Chair 1: Come and See - Seekers Chair 2: Follow and Grow - Believers Chair 3: Abide and Serve - ServantsChair 4: Go and Bear Fruit - ReproducersPeople in Chair 1 explore Jesus and one question key to growth is to ask and answer the question “Is Jesus Lord and savior?”People in Chair 2 discover new life in Jesus by asking “Who is Jesus and what is his mission?”People in Chair 3 are growing in Jesus so that they learn to serve Jesus through serving others. They learn to ask, “What is the cost of following Jesus?” and “Where is God calling me to go and what is God calling me to do?”People in Chair 4 are maturing as disciples and they are reproducing faith in others through discipleship and mentoring. They ask questions like “Who else is God calling?” and “Who is next for me to disciple?” and “How does the power of Jesus work through me?”
Philippians 2:5-11 The post Jesus: Lord of All appeared first on Calvary Chapel Chino Hills.
Third Day in the Octave of Christmas19 And this he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had said this, he saith to him: Follow me.Hoc autem dixit significans qua morte clarificaturus esset Deum. Et cum hoc dixisset, dicit ei : Sequere me. 20 Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on his breast at supper, and said: Lord, who is he that shall betray thee?Conversus Petrus vidit illum discipulum, quem diligebat Jesus, sequentem, qui et recubuit in coena super pectus ejus, et dixit : Domine, quis est qui tradet te? 21 Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do?Hunc ergo cum vidisset Petrus, dixit Jesu : Domine, hic autem quid? 22 Jesus saith to him: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? follow thou me.Dicit ei Jesus : Sic eum volo manere donec veniam, quid ad te? tu me sequere. 23 This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but, So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee?Exiit ergo sermo iste inter fratres quia discipulus ille non moritur. Et non dixit ei Jesus : Non moritur, sed : Sic eum volo manere donec veniam, quid ad te? 24 This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.Hic est discipulus ille qui testimonium perhibet de his, et scripsit haec : et scimus quia verum est testimonium ejus.St John is the virgin Apostle, crowned with the halo of those who knew how to conquer their flesh; for this reason, he became "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Thanks to his angelic purity, he imbibed that wholesome wisdom of which that Epistle of which the Mass speaks and which has given to him the halo of the Doctors. Finally he received the halo of the Martyrs, since he barely escaped a violent death. It is to St John, who wrote a Gospel, three Epistles, and the Apocalypse, that we owe the most beautiful pages on the Divinity on the Word made flesh, and it is for this reason that the virgin Apostle is symbolised by the eagle. His name is mentioned with the other Apostles' names in the Canon of the Mass. St John the Evangelist departed this life at Ephesus. (101).
To celebrate Christmas Day, we're sharing with you a special bonus broadcast from Dr. Cook's 1987 "Christ, My Life" video series called, "Jesus, Lord of All". From everyone at Walk With The King, Merry Christmas!
Discover the most powerful question of Christmas in this compelling message that explores who Jesus truly is...a good man or the God man? Pastor Jim Frease shares eye-opening evidence and profound wisdom that will challenge your thinking, whether you're brand new to faith or have been walking with God for years. With warmth, humor, and intellectual honesty, he unpacks four "God guarantees" that demonstrate Jesus's divine nature, making this eternal truth accessible and engaging for everyone. This isn't just another Christmas sermon, it's a life-changing invitation to encounter the best gift ever given, complete with practical next steps for those ready to make Jesus Lord of their lives. Perfect for anyone seeking answers to life's most important questions this holiday season!
HOLY FAMILY MISSION RAFFLE: If you wish to support the work that Holy Family Mission do and enter the raffle, you will find details on how to do so here - https://www.holyfamilymission.ie/supportus Visit https://www.holyfamilymission.ie/ to learn more about Holy Family Mission. PAVING THE WAY HOME: YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pavingthewayhome85 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/paving-the-way-home-podcast/id1517252693 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sywWGWjqXFSErvxOcNeEt?si=jjRM2DjsQvGUJppEQqFS_g
Today, we tackle Sharia Law, Islamism, and the collision of ideologies. Paul M. Neuberger pulls no punches. No apology. No compromise. Just biblical truth—straight up. There are topics the world avoids. This isn't one of them.The cost? Criticism, controversy, backlash. But let's get this straight: Loving people doesn't mean surrendering truth. Obedience isn't traded for comfort. Jesus is still Lord—over boardrooms, nations, and every square inch of creation. When the line is drawn, will you shrink back or stand up?Your moment of truth is coming. Will you speak, or stay silent?Buckle up. This one's raw, real, and rooted in Scripture."Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." –Galatians 1:10Episode Highlights:05:29 –The problem is that Sharia law and Islamism collapse political power, legal authority, and religious doctrine into a single, totalizing system. When Christians resist that system, it's not because of ethnicity, skin color, nationality, or heritage. It's because that system directly contradicts the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christianity teaches freedom of conscience. Sharia law does not. Christianity teaches grace through faith; Sharia law teaches submission through law. Christianity spreads by persuasion and transformation; Sharia law spreads by dominance and enforcement. Those aren't emotional statements. They're factual realities.18:54 – When Christians reject clear thinking, they surrender ground they never had permission to surrender. Love without truth becomes sentimentality. Truth without courage becomes useless. To cover the world in Christ, we gotta be people who understand the difference between loving people and confronting ideas. Because failing to do so doesn't produce peace, it produces vulnerability. 39:00 – Is Jesus Lord or not? If he's Lord, then no ideology that denies him deserves unchallenged influence. No law that criminalizes his gospel deserves passive acceptance. No accusation that shames truth deserves compliance. Christians were never promised safety. We were promised victory through faithfulness. Now is not the time to shrink back. Now is the time to stand up.Connect with Paul M. NeubergerWebsite
Greg opens the show and provides updates on two targeted shootings since the last edition of Priority Talk. First, he addresses the mass shooting in Australia that targeted Jews celebrating Hanukkah on a public beach. He then discusses the shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island that claimed the life of Ella Cook of Mountain Brook, Alabama. In response to these tragedies, Greg urges listeners to be spiritually prepared—to be ready to die by making Jesus Lord of their lives.Greg briefly covers the death of Rob Reiner and his wife allegedly by the hand of their son dealing with addiction.He ends this episode discussing the upcoming meeting between Candace Owens and Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, amid the distracting allegations Owens has made of Charlie's death.
Our dog, Missy, had just ridden with us on a 1,600-mile round trip to Chicago and back. That was the first for her. It was a first for me to do it, too, with a dog and we both survived! Miracles still happen. Missy had been through a lot of upheavals in her routine as a result of that trip, and she'd had an exhausting two days. I can't believe now I was empathizing with our dog! Well, anyway, all of this might explain her uncharacteristic behavior when we returned home. She just hunkered down all day long underneath this white cabinet in the kitchen. There was barely enough room for her under there, but no one could coax her out. She was a grump! She didn't come out to eat. Now the two people she responded to the most got down there and tried to speak "doggy" to her. Nothing. Finally, her primary caregiver reached her hand under there and promptly got it nipped by a dog who never did that. This was an animal with an attitude! I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Ugly Times." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 13. You may recognize this as being maybe the greatest description of what love really is like in all the Bible. And in a world that's pretty confused about love, 1 Corinthians 13 is more relevant than ever. As you listen, would you think about the people you love and measure how you're treating them by these words from God? Here's verse 4: "Love (and you could say my love for whoever) is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." See, love is not a feeling. It's not words. It's not the official status of certain people. It's an act or way of treating people - certain ways that I'd like to underscore from these verses. If you love someone it means you treat them with patience, you treat them kindly, and you look for what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. And your love doesn't get easily angered, it doesn't nip at people. Are you listening, Missy? I think that too often we're all like the dog. We're exhausted, we're feeling low, we're thinking of ourselves a lot. Inwardly we've crawled under the cabinet, and instead of responding, we bite, we snarl, we punish people for needing us when we're low. But love is better than that. Just look at the One whose life we're trying to copy. Look at Jesus, experiencing the greatest agony any human has ever experienced as He hangs on a cross, bearing in His soul all the hell of all of us. Is He lashing out? Is He demanding to be left alone in His pain? No, He's reaching out. Jesus - He's patient, He's kind, He's not rude, He's not self-seeking, and He's not easily angered on the cross. He's caring about the need of the man on the next cross, the needs of His mother. He's forgiving those who nailed Him there. I want to be like that, don't you? I know that my tired times, my stressed-out times, my hurting times, a lot of times they don't bring out the best in me. I've nipped at too many people I'm supposed to love in times like that. But those are the times when love shows its true colors, when it's sacrificial, when you give it at a time when you feel like giving out. So maybe you'd like to join me in making Jesus Lord of your ugly times. You say, "Lord, when I'm like this I'm often not like You. Please re-train me Lord. Help me to draw deeply on Your grace and Your love right now. Give me a victory in this time when I feel just like I want to focus on me. Empower me to love people in the times that I would normally be plain old ugly." Remember, you will experience Christ's love and Christ's power on a new level as He overrules your tendency to snarl or to bite. The people around you don't need a wound from you, they need supernatural love.
Pastor Scott brings a powerful word concerning end-time deception and false teachers. Deception is thick in these last days. Not everyone who calls Jesus "Lord" will enter heaven—only those who truly know Him and live righteously. Don't be swayed by false teaching. Know the Word. Have a strong personal prayer life. Stay anchored in truth. Jesus is coming soon. Are you ready?
Pastor Scott brings a powerful word concerning end-time deception and false teachers. Deception is thick in these last days. Not everyone who calls Jesus "Lord" will enter heaven—only those who truly know Him and live righteously. Don't be swayed by false teaching. Know the Word. Have a strong personal prayer life. Stay anchored in truth. Jesus is coming soon. Are you ready?
Pastor Scott brings a powerful word concerning end-time deception and false teachers. Deception is thick in these last days. Not everyone who calls Jesus "Lord" will enter heaven—only those who truly know Him and live righteously. Don't be swayed by false teaching. Know the Word. Have a strong personal prayer life. Stay anchored in truth. Jesus is coming soon. Are you ready?
The draw near theme encompasses 1) an affirmation that God has drawn near to us by taking on flesh and experiencing what it is to be human, 2) a plea for God to draw closer to us and to the spaces in the world that are broken, and 3) a charge for us to draw near to God by leaning into wonder, justice, truth, and one another. Reflection Questions:1. What does it mean for you to call Jesus Lord and King?2. How will you savor each present moment in the coming days? 3. How will you prepare yourself spiritually for the coming Advent season? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Is Jesus really the Lord of your life? Here's how you can tell.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/todayssinglechristianSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
DATE: Nov 9, 2025 SERIES: Poured OutTITLE: New BrandBIG IDEA: God's grace makes Jesus Lord and Savior for everyone everywhere. SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:19-30SUNDAY SET: https://Music SERMON NOTES: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=B1uc5SFk-lGROUPS QUESTIONS: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=BymtnrFyWxRESPOND: http://thecreeksidechurch.org/discovercard
DATE: Nov 9, 2025 SERIES: Poured OutTITLE: New BrandBIG IDEA: God's grace makes Jesus Lord and Savior for everyone everywhere. SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:19-30SUNDAY SET: https://MUSICSERMON NOTES: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=B1uc5SFk-lGROUPS QUESTIONS: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=BymtnrFyWxRESPOND: http://thecreeksidechurch.org/discovercard
DATE: Nov 9, 2025 SERIES: Poured OutTITLE: New BrandBIG IDEA: God's grace makes Jesus Lord and Savior for everyone everywhere. SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:19-30SUNDAY SET: https://MUSICSERMON NOTES: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=B1uc5SFk-lGROUPS QUESTIONS: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=BymtnrFyWxRESPOND: http://thecreeksidechurch.org/discovercard
DATE: Nov 9, 2025 SERIES: Poured OutTITLE: New BrandBIG IDEA: God's grace makes Jesus Lord and Savior for everyone everywhere. SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:19-30SUNDAY SET: https://Music SERMON NOTES: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=B1uc5SFk-lGROUPS QUESTIONS: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=BymtnrFyWxRESPOND: http://thecreeksidechurch.org/discovercard
Pastor Jordan continues the Questions Jesus Asked message series—exploring what it truly means to call Jesus “Lord.” Discover how genuine faith is proven through obedience, as Jesus challenges us to live with surrendered hearts and build lives anchored on His Word.