Podcast appearances and mentions of jesus matt

Sermon by David Rountree on 8-23-26 at New Covenant Church in Anderson, SC Scripture: 1 Cor, 3:16; 6:12-20 Outline:The Temple as Place: The OT church (Acts 7:38) needed a place for God to dwell (Exod. 25:8, 9). The tabernacle then Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 8:27-30; 41-43; Isa. 56:7). God in the clouds, fire, and smoke (2 Chron. 5:11-14; 7:1-3).4. The NT dwelling place of God was in Jesus (Matt. 1:23; Col. 2:9). The Temple as People: The “you” in 1 Cor. 3:16,17 is plural. When we gather together as a church, we are “a temple of God.” The Church God is describing is a local body of believers (1 Cor. 1:2). God gives warning to understand the church as God's temple (1 Cor. 3:17). The Temple as Persons: The church as people will not be a fit without holiness (1 Cor. 6:12-20). The stain of one part diminishes the beauty and glory of the whole. We must not be bound together with what is lawless (2 Cor. 6:14-18). The Temple Pondered: A Call for great commitment to the Church. A Call for great commitment to Personal Holiness. A Call for great commitment to Brotherly Love. A Call for great commitment to the Praise of God.  www.ncchurch.net

Jesus offers one of the most countercultural invitations in all of scripture: come to Me, take My yoke, and I will give you rest. But what does that actually mean, and what does it look like on a Tuesday? This week we dig into Matthew 11:28-30 and discover that Jesus is not just offering a feeling of peace, but a whole reorientation of daily life, inviting us to let Him serve as our rabbi, setting the pace and the priorities. We explore three things we see Jesus model: celebrating identity over productivity, drawing on the strength of the Spirit rather than His own, and keeping His eyes fixed on the cross with fierce, unrelenting focus. But perhaps the most important thing to understand about the yoke is this: Jesus does not stand apart from the burden and hand it to us. He attaches Himself to us, climbs in alongside us, and promises to carry the weight. You are yolked to someone gentle and lowly, and that changes everything.

Dave Clayton | 08.02.26 | ethoschurch.org

Sermon by Fr. Peter Smith9th Sunday of Ordinary TimeDiscussion Questions: What does it look like to make Jesus your most valued possession?In what way is joy central to what Jesus is teaching through these parables?How and why ought the Christian life to be marked by joy?

Sunday July 5th, 2026: What kind of family are we becoming?The early Church didn't begin with programs, personalities, or strategies. It began with a people who devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching—to continually beholding Jesus.In this message, we explore why the Church rises or falls on what it continually gives its attention to. As we behold Christ, we are transformed into His likeness. His nature becomes our nature. His responses become our reflexes. His love, mercy, patience, and peace begin to shape the way we live together.A healthy church isn't built by trying harder to act like Jesus. It's formed by seeing Him more clearly. When Christ remains at the center, everything else finds its proper place.This is a message about the Father's table, the beauty of the apostolic witness, and becoming a family that reflects the One we gather around.

Sunday Worship: May 17, 2026  Preacher: Pastor Nathan Ruble

A common misconception is that Jesus exists to fulfill our personal desires and dreams. But to follow Jesus is to accept that His purpose might demand sacrifices, even prioritizing His mission over our own happiness.

This episode is an invitation to rethink what sanctification actually looks like. If you've felt pressure to transform yourself overnight or believed that becoming like Jesus should be faster and cleaner than it is, this conversation will meet you right where you are. I sat down with Matt Chandler to talk about sanctification, suffering, surrender, and the slow process of spiritual formation. This feels less like an interview and more like a mentoring session with someone who has walked with God through incredible highs and devastating lows. Matt makes the case that becoming like Jesus is not a light switch flipping on, it's an oak tree slowly growing over time. An oak becomes strong through rain, sunlight, dry seasons, storms, and deep freezes. In the same way, spiritual maturity develops through every season of life, not just the easy ones. In this episode, Matt walks through what spiritual formation actually looks like: Sanctification is messy and non-linear, but every turn moves you forward Growth starts with humility and surrender, not strength or self-reliance God is not waiting for you to fail, He's cheering your growth like a loving Father When you mess up, run toward God, not away from Him Suffering is often where we grow most because God meets us there Community is essential, you cannot become like Jesus in isolation Rather than perfection and performance, Matt shares the invitation to stay close to Jesus, let Him transform you over time, and trust Him in every season. Nothing is wasted. God uses it all to form us into the image of Jesus. Becoming like Jesus is slow, messy, humbling, and beautiful. This episode is about surrendering the pressure to fix yourself and letting Jesus do the transforming work. If you don't quit, you win.   SPONSORS CrowdHealth A different approach to healthcare that helps you: Access vetted doctors Lower prescription and lab costs Receive support negotiating medical bills Use code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com to get started. Just Thrive A clinically proven probiotic designed to support: Gut health Energy Digestion Immunity Get 20% off your order at justthrivehealth.com with code BLAKE.

Jesus came to heal those who needed healing. Our problem is that we think we can decide who needs healing and who doesn't. We need to believe that we need Jesus' healing. We must also believe that Jesus came to heal all, not just those who deserved it. Our biggest sign that we need healing is when we think we don't need it, yet say that others don't deserve it. The gospel of Jesus teaches us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Do you see Jesus alone, or have you been distracted by everything happening around you? Join Kelly as he looks at Matthew 17:1–8.His Hill 50th Anniversary Reunion https://hishill.org/50th/www.instagram.com/thehishillpodcast/www.hishill.orgkelly@hishill.org

One Step From Jesus is for the moment when you know Jesus is inviting you forward—but the next step feels inconvenient, uncertain, or even unreasonable. In Luke 5, Peter had every reason to say no. He was tired, frustrated, and done for the day. But one small step of obedience opened the door to an encounter that changed his life forever.The same is true for you.Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs in your faith are only one step from Jesus—one decision to trust, one act of obedience, one uncomfortable yes. You may not be able to predict what hangs in the balance of that step, but your willingness to trust Him can become the turning point in your story.You'll discover:Why Jesus often meets you in ordinary, everyday momentsHow one simple act of obedience can deepen your faithWhat Peter's story teaches about trust when life feels uncertainWhy your next step may matter more than you thinkHow God's faithfulness meets your willingness to moveThis message is for anyone who has been hesitating on a next step with Jesus. Maybe it's forgiveness, asking honest questions, changing priorities, trusting Him with your relationships, or finally surrendering an area of your life you've kept closed off.What feels like a small step today may be the beginning of something far bigger than you can see. Because when your faith takes one step toward Jesus, His faithfulness meets you there in ways you never expected.

Today we look at the one on one conversation between Jesus and the Pharisee who came to see at night. Nicodemus, the leader of the old religion learns what it means to be born again and shows how we can be so close to Jesus and yet miss Him completely. How do we uncover our spiritual blindness? For more information on The Gathering, check out our website thegathering.online  

Jon discusses the news of the week from a Christian conservative approach. Order Against the Waves: Againstthewavesbook.comJon's Music: jonharristunes.comTo Support the Podcast: https://www.jonharrismedia.com/support/Become a Patronhttps://www.patreon.com/jonharrispodcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@jonharris Follow Jon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonharris1989Follow Jon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonharris1989/Our Sponsors:* Check out Mars Men: https://mengotomars.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/conversations-that-matter8971/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we come to the end of the conversations between Jesus and Peter as Jesus speaks to Peter after His resurrection. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him and we see a restoration to leadership and a call to mature faith. Join us as we look at the signs of a maturing faith. For more information on The Gathering, check out our website thegathering.online

Islington Baptist is a church for the Islington and wider Newcastle community sharing the life-changing message of Jesus. Our sermon / Bible teaching is a central part of our gatherings.Matthew 27:45-5645 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He's calling Elijah.”48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him.”50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Visit Renew.org to sign up for our email newsletter and be the first to know about new content, books and resources.  https://renew.org/ Join RENEW.org at an upcoming event: https://renew.org/resources/events/ Join RENEW.org's Newsletter: https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/ Matt Proctor explores Revelation to answer the weary question, "Why am I doing this again?" He walks listeners through three powerful portraits of Jesus — a terrifying King (Revelation 1), a tender Lamb (Revelation 5), and a triumphant Warrior (Revelation 19) — to show why believers should persevere in gospel allegiance. Using personal stories, historical context, and pastoral encouragement, Proctor reminds us that Jesus' holiness, love, and victory give purpose, courage, and hope in hardship.

This Palm Sunday we take a look at the story of Peter and when he answered questions about Jesus. Sometimes he got the right answer and sometimes he got the wrong answer. How do we feel like a rock when we answer the question correctly and why is it important to hear the rooster crow when our answer is wrong? For more information on The Gathering, check out our website thegathering.online    

Sermon - March 1, 2026

A one-on-one meeting that was not planned by Jesus can be found in John 8 when the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. Look at how Jesus masterfully handles this situation and how do we know if we are people of offense or grace. For more information on The Gathering, check out our website thegathering.online  

As we continue our series today looking at 1 on 1 encounters with Jesus, we see the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. We will look at the three upgrades that Jesus offers this woman to change her life. For more information on The Gathering, check out our website thegathering.online

Today we start a brand new series where we look at one-on-one conversations with Jesus. We start with the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 and see how Jesus addresses the sinner and welcomes the sinner. For more information on The Gathering, check out our website thegathering.online  

Weekly sermon at Trinity Church Denver 

Ever felt lost reading the Bible? You're not alone. In this message, we explore Luke 1 and discover the lens that brings Scripture to life: Jesus. Learn how to read God's Word with Christ at the center of everything.

Sermon - January 4, 2026

 Listen here.

What do you seek this year? How are you going to go about it? Is this a year for meeting Jesus as you come close to his words, do his works and dwell with him?

see link below https://pastorsteverhodes.com/2026/01/04/the-wise-men-worship-jesus-matt-21-12/

Message from Lyndsay Slocum on January 4, 2026

The Birth & Crowning of King Jesus - Matt Freeman by Matt Freeman

Sermon Audio

First Baptist Church Broken Arrow is located at 100 W. Albany in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. We would love to connect with you online and in-person! We would love to connect with you on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fbcbrokenarrow​ You can also check out our website: https://www.fbcba.org​

Almost every Christian denomination accepts that God is sovereign--which is interpreted to mean that He always does precisely what He pleases, and everything that happens on earth has either His explicit or implicit stamp of approval. So when we find ourselves in a crisis--we or someone we love gets a terminal diagnosis, or we don't have enough money to make the mortgage and may lose the house, or we're in the direct path of a natural disaster, etc--we pray for a miracle, because we all know that God can do anything He wants. And who knows? Maybe He'll say yes. But if He says no, the common theology goes, it's because He sees the bigger picture. He knows more than we do, and we have to just trust that He knows best. That sounds so spiritual, doesn't it? Some believers manage to weather these trials of faith, pointing to Job as their example, when he said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21) and "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15). (One side note. When you hear of a great saint who loses everything and yet clings to their trust in God anyway, certain that He has a greater purpose for their loss, does that inspire you to praise God--or to praise that great saint? Who actually receives the glory for that?) This theology has its roots in Calvinism, which espouses an extreme form of predestination (meaning that God chooses whether each of us will ultimately be saved, or damned, before we're ever born. He has to do this, they argue, because it is God who gives us the faith even to be saved, Eph 2:8-9, and if He withholds that faith, salvation for that individual is impossible.) So God, in this theological persuasion, decides a priori who will be saved and who will not, and then punishes those to whom He has not given the faith to be saved for their sins. They do have scriptures to back up their argument--if you take them out of context. One of the big ones is Romans 9:18-21, which says: "Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?' But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?'" In this passage, Paul was comparing Israel's hardness of heart in rejecting the Messiah to Pharaoh from the time of the Exodus (Romans 9:15-17). The reason it took ten plagues and the decimation of Egypt for Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites was because Pharaoh's heart was hardened, far beyond reason. Paul's point in this passage was that God did this so that He could display His power to the Israelites, delivering them with great signs and wonders (Romans 9:17). If Pharaoh hadn't resisted, it would not have taken great miracles to do it. (In the same way, Paul argues, the fact that Israel had rejected Jesus gave the Lord the opportunity to bring the Gentiles in to the New Covenant, too.) But if God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, is Pharaoh still responsible for his own actions? If we go back to the original source text, we can see that this isn't quite the whole story. God did tell Moses in advance that He would harden Pharaoh's heart before the plagues ever began (Ex 4:21, 7:3). But for the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, 9:7). It was only by the sixth plague that the scripture says God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Ex 9:12). Pharaoh still made his own choice first; God just enforced it and used it for His own purposes. I love the analogy Charles Capps uses to explain this. If one sets clay and wax out in the hot sun, the sun will harden the clay, but melt the wax. The sun adds the same heat to both, but the substance (wax or clay) determines its effect. A potter chooses whether to make “noble or ignoble” vessels from clay not arbitrarily, but on the basis of the quality of the clay. If the clay is supple and pliable, it can be made into something beautiful; if it is brittle, it might not be fit to shape into something worthy of display. God works with what we give him. In the same way, in Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), the sower sows the Word indiscriminately, but it is the condition of the soil that determines the harvest. Luke later writes that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and Peter writes that He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9, more on this later). Likewise, any reasonable person would have been terrified into obedience by the plagues, long before they progressed to the death of the firstborn. And some of the Egyptians did believe and take refuge in Goshen, and the final exodus included “a mixed multitude” (Exodus 12:38), meaning some of the Egyptians were convinced, converted, and left with them. God gave the Egyptians the opportunity to escape the plagues that might otherwise have caused death, telling them to pull their livestock and their servants inside before the hail (Exodus 9:19), and to paint their doorposts with the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:22-23), which was symbolic of and foreshadowing the blood of Christ. Again, the Lord is “not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He didn't want to harm the Egyptians, but neither did he want them to keep His people in bondage. So, did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Yes, but perhaps only in the sense that God performed the miracles, and Pharaoh’s heart was such that those miracles caused him to dig in his heels. We’ve all met stubborn people like this, with whom any direct attempt at persuasion will cause them to double down on their original position. God does not override our free will, so in this case, He worked with it, using it to His advantage. Our choices do matter. But He's so amazing that He takes those choices and still manages to work “all things together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). As a result of Pharaoh’s stubbornness, God’s people had a legacy of spectacular stories to remind their children and their children’s children of His might on their behalf. My point in saying all that is just that the argument that God sovereignly controls everything that happens is inconsistent with the overall teachings of scripture; even the individual verses that seem to suggest that don't stand up to scrutiny. But a larger problem is that, taken to its logical conclusion, the theological position that God's will is absolute, and will come to pass no matter what we do, leads to a sense of futility. Why pray--why even evangelize--if God is going to do what He's going to do, regardless? To their credit (though against logic), most Calvinist denominations recognize that the scriptures are very clear that we should still both evangelize and pray, and they therefore preach that we should do both, just because God said we should. (Sort of the equivalent of a parent saying, "Because I said so, that's why!") But historically, many Protestant denominations stemmed from or were heavily influenced by Calvinist doctrine. As a result, until about the late 18th and early 19th century, almost all missionary activity around the world came from the Catholic church, which I suspect was precisely because it held no doctrine of predestination, so they thought their efforts could make an eternal difference. Motivation matters. (Protestant missions largely date back to William Carey's work in India in 1793. The London Missionary Society was founded two years later, in 1795, and in 1810, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was founded.) Even if we're not ultimately each predestined for heaven or hell, God is still sovereign, though, right? He knows way more than we do. So doesn't that mean sometimes He'll say no to our prayer requests, and when we all get to heaven, we'll understand why? Yes, God is sovereign in the sense that He is all-powerful, all-loving, and all-knowing, but He is not all-controlling (and I covered this extensively in this podcast https://www.drlaurendeville.com/podcasts/why-bad-things-happen-from-a-biblical-perspective on why bad things happen, from a biblical perspective). God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; they did anyway. Was that God's will? Certainly not! He did everything He could to keep them from doing it, short of making them automatons, when He told them, don't do it. Likewise, any sovereign can set laws that his citizens may not necessarily obey. The US is a sovereign nation and in 1974 the administration set the "National Maximum Speed Law" of 55mph. But many drivers exceeded that speed limit daily. The New English Translation has the word “sovereign” appear more than any other biblical translation (368 times). Not one of the original Hebrew or Greek words connotes the idea that He controls everything that happens. Most of the time, "sovereign" is just the way they render God’s names. The word sovereign is often translated from Shaddai (meaning Almighty) when it’s part of God’s name (48 times in the OT). Other times it’s translated from ‘elohiym: supreme God, as a superlative, or ‘elyown, meaning High or Most High. Sometimes it's thrown in as part of the transition of ‘Adonay: an emphatic form of the Lord. Sometimes it's translated from tsaba’, also translated the Lord of Hosts, meaning one who commands an army. In some cases the word sovereign is used to describe God's characteristics, but in context, it doesn't mean what we typically mean by the word (that His will always happens). The NET version of 1 Chronicles 29:11 says, "O LORD, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all." Only this translation uses the word sovereign; the others , translate it Head. This word connotes the idea of a supreme ruler, but not of one who always gets His way. Psalm 84:11 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield (magen: shield, buckler, protector).” The same verse is translated in NET: "For the LORD God is our sovereign protector." Clearly the word magen does not indicate that He always gets His way, either. Sovereign power is also translated as holiness from qadash: "to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate." This word is used in Ezekiel 28:25: "'This is what the sovereign LORD says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power (or holiness) over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob." It doesn't mean supreme dictator there either. Micah 5:4 says, "He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the LORD's strength, by the sovereign authority of the LORD his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth.” Sovereign authority here is the words ga'own (exaltation, majesty, pride) shem (name, reputation, fame, glory): thus, it's better translated “in the majesty of the name” of the Lord. Not a supreme dictator there either. Habakkuk 2:14 says, "For recognition of the LORD's sovereign majesty will fill the earth just as the waters fill up the sea." Sovereign majesty here is yada (to know, to perceive, to make known) kabowd (glory, honour, glorious, abundance), also translated “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” Still not indicating ultimate control over everything that happens. Of course God's will does not always come to pass. As I mentioned earlier, the classic example of this is 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance,” and 1 Timothy 2:4: “[He] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Matthew 18:14 also says, “Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world, not just those who are saved. 1 John 2:2 says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”, and 1 Tim 4:10 says, "That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” This doesn't sound like a God who created anyone for the expressed purpose of eternal damnation to me. On the contrary, He did everything He could possibly do to save us all, short of making us automatons. But not everybody will be saved, because He doesn't force us to choose Him--nor does He make any of our other decisions for us, either. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." God wills it; He paid an enormous price for it; but He won't get all of us, because we get a choice. There are other verses that imply the concept of sovereignty as we typically define it (in the sense that when God decides to do something, He does it, and no one can stop Him). Here are a few of those verses: Job 42:2: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Isaiah 46:10: “I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” Romans 8:28: “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” (i.e. He can use bad and work it for good.) But these verses refers to God’s right and His power -- they say nothing about voluntary restrictions that God has placed upon His own power. Those limitations are defined by the covenants God had in place with mankind at various points in history. Once He gives His word that He will do this and not that, He cannot violate it--He exalts His word even above His name (Psalm 138:2). It's the integrity of His word that literally holds the universe together (Hebrews 1:3). Again, more on this in this podcast: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/podcasts/why-bad-things-happen-from-a-biblical-perspective and extensively more in "Blood Covenant Origins" and "Blood Covenant Fulfilled" from this book series: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/books/biblical-retellings). A quick overview, though: since God gave the earth to man in the garden, and man decided to obey Satan, God had to find a legal entry to get back in. That was the purpose of the covenants—first the Adamic, then the Noahic, then the Abrahamic, then the Mosaic, and now finally, the New Covenant. In the middle three there were stipulations of what we had to do, and therefore what God would do for us, if we kept up our end. But there were provisions for blessings even in those. For instance, a common Old Testament example I've heard preached to back up the idea that we never know what God's going to do, but we should have faith in Him anyway, is Daniel 3:18. Here's how that verse is preached: "If you throw us into the fiery furnace, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not save us, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Except that's not what that verse actually says. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego, the Hebrew kids in Babylonian exile in that story, were under the Mosaic covenant, and they were on the right side of it--so they had a right to the blessings (Deut 28:7), and they knew it. They knew God’s promises. That’s why they were able to stand up to the king—just like David could call Goliath that “uncircumcised Philistine,” absolutely convinced of the outcome, because he had a covenant, and Goliath didn’t. In the story in Daniel, what the verse actually says is, “If you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” The Jewish captives respond saying, “If that is the case” (implying, if you will throw us in to the furnace, the subject of the previous verse). Then they say, “But if not”—and the Hebrew never qualifies if not what. People tend to assume they are saying “but if God doesn’t deliver us” (the end of the previous thought). But it could just as easily have meant, “If it is not the case that you will throw us into the fiery furnace,” just like it did in previous verse. This would change the entire meaning of the verse, and would be far more consistent with the rest of scripture. I can think of no instances anywhere in scripture where someone put faith in God’s covenant promises, and God did not come through. He can’t not come through—because again, He exalts His word above His very name (Ps 138:2)! In the New Covenant, Jesus paid to make sure we are always on the blessing side, having fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf, and become the curse for us (Gal 3:13). Because of that, every single promise is now Yes and Amen in Him (2 Cor 1:20). When Christ saved us, the word in Greek is sozo—that word appears 110 times in the New Testament. It includes spiritual salvation, but it also means physical healing, to rescue from physical danger, and to deliver from the penalties of judgment. All of these things are accessed by faith. Scripture doesn’t say that sometimes God says no to physical healing; on the contrary, every time someone came to Jesus for healing, they got it—and He was the exact image of the Father (Col 1:15), doing nothing but what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). He turned no one away, saying, “Nope, this one is God’s will for you, to bring glory to Himself.” What brings God glory is healing, not sickness (John 9:1-4), and the “fruit” of answered prayers (John 15:7-8). It’s the blessings of God on our lives that are supposed to get the attention of the world around us. So back to the issue of praying for miracles. The theological position of most Christian denominations is that God can do anything, but there’s no guarantees that He will. Because of course, we can look around and see so many good Christians (some of the best!) who pray, and don’t seem to receive. What are we to do with that? Shouldn’t we adjust our theology to account for all of these practical examples… no matter what the Bible actually says? My dad died of cancer when he was 48 years old. We had lots of people praying. I had several well-meaning believers after the fact try to console me with the idea that God “allowed” this to happen for some inscrutable reason of His own… maybe someone might come to the Lord as a result of our loss, someone suggested. (What actually happened was that I became a religious Pharisee for about 10 years, going through the motions, but I didn’t trust God at all. I figured, based on that theology, that God was like an army general who made sacrifices for the greater good, and sometimes—sorry!—it’s you. The effect on the rest of my family's faith and outlook on the world was similar to mine, or worse.) All of that is predictable in hindsight, because cancer and death are the fingerprints of the Enemy, not of God. The Enemy comes to “steal, kill, and destroy”—Jesus came that we might “have life, and have it more abundantly.” It’s very clear who does what. But the vast majority of the body of Christ today preaches this confused theology, attributing horrific things to God under the strange explanation that because God’s ways are higher than our ways, somehow from His perspective, bad is good, and wrong is right, and once we all get to heaven, we’ll understand. (No wonder I didn’t trust God anymore when I believed this. How could I trust a God like that?) I get why the Church at large preaches this—they’re trying to make the Bible fit our experience. God's supreme sovereignty is a nice, spiritual-sounding explanation which borrows from the long Calvinistic tradition, even if we don't take it quite to that extreme (though some denominations still do even that). But what finally set me free was when I realized that God’s definition of good and mine are actually the same. That my dad’s death at such a young age was never His will. That how God dealt with mankind at various times in history was dependent upon the covenants in place at the time--and today, we're under the best covenant of all, the one where all the curses for disobedience are paid for in full, and all that's left is the blessing, which we can receive by faith. Here's what that doesn't mean: it doesn't mean that faith is a new form of works, that God now watches to see if we reach the critical threshold of faith before He doles out our miracle... and if we don't quite get there, ah, too bad, try harder next time. No! He's not responding in real time to our faith at all, deciding which requests to grant and which to refuse. God already provided every blessing in spiritual form in Christ’s atonement, 2000 years ago (Gal 1:3, Isaiah 53:4-5, 1 Peter 2:24). We receive all of those blessings now the same way we receive salvation: by faith. It's "in your account" already, as it were, just waiting for you to make a withdrawal--just like salvation is freely available, waiting for you to accept it. But God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). He doesn’t sovereignly say yes to one person and no to another for things that we know are in His will—if we know that we’re asking for something already in His explicit will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us, we know we already have the requests made of Him (1 John 5:14-15). (That is the key, though--we can only have faith that we'll receive things that were already paid for in the atonement of Jesus. We can ask God for other things outside of that, but in those cases, God might say yes, or He might say no, for our own good--James 4:3. So it's quite useful to know scripture, so you can know for sure what you can stand on!) Back to my dad, and so many others besides. At that time, my family didn’t know any of this. We thought, we should pray, we should ask, and maybe God will say yes and maybe He will say no. But that’s not faith—that’s hope. And God didn’t say no—He said yes, 2000 years ago! Jesus paid an incredibly high price for God to say yes. Jesus also gave us the formula of how to receive in Mark 11:23-24: believe, and don’t doubt. If you do that, it’s as good as done. Unopposed faith (without doubt, James 1:6-8) is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). It’s cruel to tell people that they didn’t receive their miracle because they didn’t believe hard enough, or pray long enough, though. But the solution to that isn’t to blame God’s “sovereignty” instead! (That’s how people lose their faith—who wants to serve a God whom they believe “allowed” the Holocaust, or 9-11, or child trafficking, or etc to happen?) Rather, the solution is to understand that we’re in a war, and that Satan is seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). While he’s a defeated foe ever since the cross (Col 2:15), and we now have authority over him through Jesus (Matt 28:18, Eph 1:17-19), most of us don’t know it. We don’t know that, with the authority we now have, Satan’s only weapon against believers now is deception and fear (2 Cor 10:3-5)—and of course anything he can indirectly control against us that is part of the fallen world. But Jesus has already overcome the world on our behalf (John 16:33). And understanding God’s perfect love for us casts out fear (James 4:18). Because if He loves us enough to send Jesus, how will He not also freely give us all things (Romans 8:32)? But most of us are so focused on what we see, on the things this world says, that a cancer diagnosis, for example (or any other terminal doctor’s report, or insurmountable financial problem, etc), strikes fear into our hearts. Whatever we focus on, we magnify—and if we’re in a church that tells us maybe God will come through and maybe He won’t (for things that He’s explicitly promised in His word), then we’re standing on shifting sand. It’s hard enough to deal with our own doubt and unbelief, without being surrounded by the doubt and unbelief of others. But absolute trust God’s word—even if it means isolating ourselves from well-meaning believers who might cause us to doubt—is the only way. Jesus on numerous occasions got away from the crowds or put everyone out of the house except for his few top disciples before he performed a miracle. Abraham received because he did not consider anything except God’s promises (Romans 4:19). He didn’t have a contingency plan (or at least he didn’t anymore after the whole Ishmael thing was out of the way). Because he didn’t consider any of the natural circumstances, he didn’t waver in his faith. In the same way, today, our lack of fear of Satan’s schemes is proof to him that we’re going to win (Phil 1:28)—and if we stand firm (Eph 6:13-14) and resist the devil, sooner or later, he has to flee (James 4:7). We’ll win, if we don’t quit. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We heard Jesus and Paul rightly tell us the problem with legalistic prescriptions that made Sabbath day anything but honoring to God. But we failed to see the assumption lying behind Jesus (Matt 11:28-30), Paul (Acts 13, 17, 18), and Hebrews (4:9-11), that God-honoring people would value resting from work, to remember and honor God as the sole creator and sustainer of our lives.The sermon today is titled "The Habit of Sabbath." It is the seventeenth installment in our series "Follow Me", and the fourth in the sub-series "Spiritual Habits." The Scripture reading is from Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on June 29, 2025. All lessons fit under one of 6 broad categories: Begin, Instill, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under GROW: Spiritual Disciplines.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):John Mark Comer, Practicing The Way Course: "Sabbath."Kelly Kapic, You're Only Human.Darryl Tippens, Pilgrim Heart.Lauren Winner, Mudhouse Sabbath.Stories about a typical Shabbat from Wikipedia.I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.

In sermon we explore how God calls His people to display his love and grace by showing hospitality to one another and to strangers. Pastor Keith explains what Christian hospitality is, why we should participate in it, what the barriers to showing hospitality are, and how we might do that practically. Why Should We Show Hospitality? Hospitality is commanded for every Christian. Heb.13:2, Rom.12:13,1Pet. 4:9 Hospitality has been shown to us by Jesus -Matt. 11:28, Rom. 15:7 Hospitality Facilitates loving community -Acts 2:42-47 Hospitality Facilities Teaching & Discipleship - Acts 2:42 Hospitality Facilitates Evangelism- Acts 2:47

In sermon we explore how God calls His people to display his love and grace by showing hospitality to one another and to strangers. Pastor Keith explains what Christian hospitality is, why we should participate in it, what the barriers to showing hospitality are, and how we might do that practically. Why Should We Show Hospitality? Hospitality is commanded for every Christian. Heb.13:2, Rom.12:13,1Pet. 4:9 Hospitality has been shown to us by Jesus -Matt. 11:28, Rom. 15:7 Hospitality Facilitates loving community -Acts 2:42-47 Hospitality Facilities Teaching & Discipleship - Acts 2:42 Hospitality Facilitates Evangelism- Acts 2:47

In sermon we explore how God calls His people to display his love and grace by showing hospitality to one another and to strangers. Pastor Keith explains what Christian hospitality is, why we should participate in it, what the barriers to showing hospitality are, and how we might do that practically. Why Should We Show Hospitality? Hospitality is commanded for every Christian. Heb.13:2, Rom.12:13,1Pet. 4:9 Hospitality has been shown to us by Jesus -Matt. 11:28, Rom. 15:7 Hospitality Facilitates loving community -Acts 2:42-47 Hospitality Facilities Teaching & Discipleship - Acts 2:42 Hospitality Facilitates Evangelism- Acts 2:47

Sunday April 27, 2025: Pastor Matt uses narratives of Jesus encountering two disciples on the road who knew so much about Him yet did not recognize him, as well as, Jesus' parents at 12 losing him while they assumed he was somewhere in the crowd. How much of our journeys have we spent on the parades, the entourages, and the conversations; all the while missing His invitation to know Him face-to-face?

Jesus invites all of His followers into something new and full of promise - the invitation of abiding in Him and His love. Abiding in Jesus and His love is both the secret and the power-source producing fruitfulness and answered prayer. GIVE HERE - https://awake.church/give

Journey with us through The Beatitudes referenced in Jesus' teaching of the "Sermon on the Mount".

TWO LESSONS1.   God continually confirms our faith.When God calls us to the next big thing, he doesn't ask us to step out mindlessly. He provides everything we need to take steps of fresh faith.God is always working in our life. He uses the past as the basis of our faith. We know God will be with us tomorrow because he was with us yesterday. As we moved forward, he provided a new dose of faith daily.2.   God uses broken people to do extraordinary things. A study of the book of Genesis will introduce you to eight people who end up in Hebrews 11, where we see what genuine faith looks like, and all those people—well, let's just say—their lives are a little messy. Do you know who is in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11?How could God use a prostitute? Well—he called her to himself. He confirmed her faith with his Person. God transformed her life, and she became a new creation.God revealed himself to Rahab and confirmed her faith by what he did at the Red Sea and Amorites. James 2:25 says that her faith was proven by hiding the spies and becoming a part of the nation of Israel. And…Rahab is in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:5)God uses broken people. If he didn't, he wouldn't have any people to use.--------DAILY DEVOTIONAL WITH RON MOOREGet Ron's Daily Devotional to your inbox each morning; visit biblechapel.org/devo.CAREGIVINGDo you have a need we can pray for? Do you need someone to walk alongside you? Do you know of another person who needs care? Let us know at caregiving@biblechapel.org.GROWTH TRACKWe all have a next step - what's yours? To learn more about our Growth Track and to take your next step, biblechapel.org/connect.

January 26, 2025 | Breakthrough | Luke 11:1-4 In this message, we dive into what it means to pray like Jesus. In Luke 11, we learn that Jesus prioritized prayer, showing us how to approach God with intimacy, dependence, and worship. We explore the framework given to us in the Lord's prayer—focusing first on God's glory and kingdom—while also trusting Him for our daily needs, asking for forgiveness, and seeking spiritual protection. This sermon challenges us to cultivate a deeper prayer life, one that's fueled by the Holy Spirit and, when paired with fasting, leads to real breakthrough. Let's seek God's present like never before!  Join us for our FAST: https://www.nbbctx.org/fast  Do you know JESUS? ⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠ Need PRAYER? ⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠ Support through GIVING: ⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

January 12, 2025 | Breakthrough | Luke 5  In this powerful message, we dive into the spiritual discipline of fasting, exploring its biblical purpose and how it leads to deeper intimacy of God. Fasting isn't just about abstaining from food—it's about seeking more of God's presence and power in our lives. We discuss why fasting is essential for spiritual breakthroughs, how it strengthens prayer, and how it helps us overcome sin, temptation, idolatry. Learn practical insights on how to fast with purpose, prioritize prayer, and experience God's presence in profound ways.  Join us for our FAST: https://www.nbbctx.org/fast Do you know JESUS? ⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠ Need PRAYER? ⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠ Support through GIVING: ⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

You feel like you've invited God into your health goals. You've prayed. You've asked him to help you eat a certain way. You've asked him to give you "self control" around certain foods. Maybe you've even asked him to zap you skinny! But, it feels like he's not answering. It feels like it's hard, you obsess over food, you want to be free, but he seems to be silent. What do you do? Today, Heather Creekmore and Amy Carlson, (MS, RD and eating disorder specialist) talk about the whats and whys of our struggles with food and how to keep our eyes on Jesus (Matt. 6:33). If you've struggled with food, disordered eating, an eating disorder, or food obsession, this episode will encourage you. This is part one of a two part conversation. Here are some other great episodes featuring Amy Carlson: Have we Christianized disordered eating? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/have-we-christianized-disordered-eating-featuring A "With God" approach to food and eating: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/a-with-god-approach-to-food-and-eating-featuring-a Do I need more self-control to stop eating so much? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/do-i-need-more-self-control-to-stop-eating-feat-am Romans 14 and good foods and bad foods: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/romans-14-good-foods-and-bad-foods-part-2 Learn more about Compared to Who? here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.