Podcast appearances and mentions of jesus take

This episode dives into what it truly means to give “everything” to God, exploring Jesus' words through what the hosts call “three takes.” The first take—deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me—isn't just about letting go of bad habits. It's about surrendering even the good plans, dreams, and self-made identities that compete with God's will. Carrying the cross wasn't symbolic comfort in Jesus' day—it was a one-way journey to death, a call to give all.From there, the conversation unpacks the deception of “saving the things that be of men,” where life becomes a constant reach for more—status, possessions, recognition—while missing the stability of who God already says you are. Reaching outward keeps you from reaching inward, and the enemy thrives on keeping believers caught in that endless pursuit. Real surrender requires recognizing that we own nothing; everything we have and are is given by God.The episode closes by pointing toward the next two takes—take up My yoke and learn of Me and take no thought—leaving listeners with the challenge to reflect on when they began believing life and its blessings were theirs to control. If you were given, you own nothing… so what's holding you back from giving it all? Get full access to REDIN30 at redin30.substack.com/subscribe

This episode dives into what it truly means to give “everything” to God, exploring Jesus' words through what the hosts call “three takes.” The first take—deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me—isn't just about letting go of bad habits. It's about surrendering even the good plans, dreams, and self-made identities that compete with God's will. Carrying the cross wasn't symbolic comfort in Jesus' day—it was a one-way journey to death, a call to give all.From there, the conversation unpacks the deception of “saving the things that be of men,” where life becomes a constant reach for more—status, possessions, recognition—while missing the stability of who God already says you are. Reaching outward keeps you from reaching inward, and the enemy thrives on keeping believers caught in that endless pursuit. Real surrender requires recognizing that we own nothing; everything we have and are is given by God.The episode closes by pointing toward the next two takes—take up My yoke and learn of Me and take no thought—leaving listeners with the challenge to reflect on when they began believing life and its blessings were theirs to control. If you were given, you own nothing… so what's holding you back from giving it all? Get full access to REDIN30 at redin30.substack.com/subscribe

Disciples of Jesus Take the Gospel to the Nations - Matt 28, 16-20 - Ken Rucker by NewBranch

This episode dives into what it truly means to give “everything” to God, exploring Jesus' words through what the hosts call “three takes.” The first take—deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me—isn't just about letting go of bad habits. It's about surrendering even the good plans, dreams, and self-made identities that compete with God's will. Carrying the cross wasn't symbolic comfort in Jesus' day—it was a one-way journey to death, a call to give all.From there, the conversation unpacks the deception of “saving the things that be of men,” where life becomes a constant reach for more—status, possessions, recognition—while missing the stability of who God already says you are. Reaching outward keeps you from reaching inward, and the enemy thrives on keeping believers caught in that endless pursuit. Real surrender requires recognizing that we own nothing; everything we have and are is given by God.The episode closes by pointing toward the next two takes—take up My yoke and learn of Me and take no thought—leaving listeners with the challenge to reflect on when they began believing life and its blessings were theirs to control. If you were given, you own nothing… so what's holding you back from giving it all? Get full access to REDIN30 at redin30.substack.com/subscribe

Sunday, August 3, 2025 || Letting Jesus Take Charge || Pastor Hilda Henderson

April is at Tour Guide at the Historical Loveland Castle & Museum! She's a devoted Mom and Grandma and has been listening to B-105 for over 20 years! She says she loves all the things we do for the community and enjoys participating in the 10,000 Toys drive every year. For her inductions song, she wanted to hear "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. Welcome to the B-105 Country Club, April!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textIn order to be able to follow Jesus' example we need to learn to take courage.Jesus was always prepared to do the courageous things, standing up against the religious systems of his day, reaching out to those who were outcast in society, choosing an unorthodox group of people to be on his team.Today we look at how we can be courageous in the way we live our lives and the people that we choose to connect with.Feel free to listen in x

Pastor Garry Clark begins a new Sermon Series as our summer begins heating up! It's called "THE BOAT I'M IN" and he discusses how Jesus will meet us wherever we are, in whatever boat we're in! But, if we're going to follow Him, we need to drop what we're doing, and FOLLOW HIM!!!! You may have hurts, habits, struggles, or even doubts. But, if we decide to follow Jesus, we need to realize that He will never steer us wrong, and He will always lead us Home!

What we focus on forms us. It forms us mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and communally. Join us as we focus on the One who changes everything... Jesus!For this week's Outline and Community Group questions, download our app or visit hillsidefellowship.org, click on Resources, and find today's sermon.

Recorded on 12-Nov-2023 Pastor Robyn speaks from Matthew 11 and teaches on the power of coming to Jesus, and the paradox of taking His yoke to find His rest. She speaks on the exchange of natural burdens for spiritual ones and God's power to enable us to walk in victory. At Bridge City Church we are here to lead people into a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to grow the Church locally, nationally and internationally. www.bridgecitychurch.com.au

Why doesn't Jesus just take away our problems? In this message, we explore how faith is often built not through easy answers, but through storms we don't expect. Using the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14), we ask four personal questions: What's my boat? What's my step? What's my obstacle? And most importantly—who is my Savior? If you've ever felt like Jesus was distant in your struggle, this message is for you.

In this episode, Ronn and Mike discuss John 1:29-51, especially noting how Jesus would be the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29). They begin by interpreting Old Testament “atonement” (Hebrew, kaphar) texts within their original context. They note how the practice of sacrifice across the ancient world was often accompanied by symbolic acts of “sanctification” as a person prepared to come into the presumed presence of a deity. This is what Jesus would do in his death, claimed John—he would cleanse not only the loyal Israelite, but anyone in the world who would put his faith in Jesus.

If you opened your eyes this morning you probably didn't get far into your day before you encountered some level of suffering.  It's hard to live in this world and not be touched by struggle and pain either in your life or in aomeone close to you.  How do we deal with that? Is this what God intended for us to endure? In this message Pastor Nick Bogardus shares that God has an answer to these questions and he shares  that there may even be purpose in the pain.Text: John 9:1-41Sermon Summary:Big Idea: Jesus opens eyes.Key Question: How do you respond to the revelation of Jesus?  1.     Are you curious? (vv. 8-12)2.     Are you skeptical? (vv. 13-17)3.     Are you afraid of others? (vv. 18-23)4.     Are you dismissive? (vv. 24-34)5.     Are you blind? (vv. 35-41) 

A new MP3 sermon from Christ Church Presbyterian is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: How Did Jesus Take Our Sin? | March 23 Subtitle: Strength for Today Speaker: John Blevins III Broadcaster: Christ Church Presbyterian Event: Devotional Date: 3/23/2025 Bible: 2 Corinthians 5:21 Length: 9 min.

Mark 14:36 - Jesus, Take This Cup From Me (Podcast) The post Mark 14:36 – Jesus, Take This Cup From Me (Podcast) appeared first on Scott Silverii Ministries.

Can you lose your salvation? Hebrews chapter 6 poses a long debated question in Christianity. When wrestling with questions like these it is important to view them with a Christological hermeneutic. What does Jesus teach on this idea. His parables offer us an effective lens through which to view this question. What we discover is that the problem is that many people taste God's power, but still run away from God's presence. So, when we experience God's power our response must be to follow into a loving relationship with God in obedience.

Pastor Mike explores the concept of "basically me spirituality" and contrasts it with true Christianity. He emphasizes the importance of submitting to God's ultimate authority, finding safety in His promises, and engaging in biblical community.

the only set you'll need to hear this year. profanity laden holiday music and baby jesus crying.

Welcome to Gospel for the Glory of Jesus. Jesus Take the Wheel. Come let the King Of Kings take the wheel in your worship. Melvin Slade with the world’s best Blace Gospel Music and Pastor V. Jesse Smith fills our hearts with the Word from the Lord. Melvin Slade Pastor V. Jesse Smith The Way […]

"Jesus take the bat(?)", plus inflation and energy independence. full 2651 Fri, 18 Oct 2024 17:50:56 +0000 CtqJiBamoJ4HnD9w3LFCpTsMmX9Xn5UX news The Andy Griffin Show news "Jesus take the bat(?)", plus inflation and energy independence. Join Andy Griffin for The Andy Griffin Show on Southern Utah's News Talk KDXU in St. George and listen to parts of the shows that you may have missed or just want to listen to again. 2022 News False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3A%2F

Z-Bird, Rosato, and Polish Hill Kenny are in the building! Z-Bird is going to Vegas. The Steelers lost to the Cowboy after a delayed Sunday Night Game. Snoop Dogg is in the Burgh. They put a 60ft Ferris Wheel on the Roberto Clemente Bridge for Oktoberfest. It looks super safe. And James Harrison is going to do an exhibition MMA fight against Chad Ochocinco. Rashee Rice's mom steals neighbors package. New Trend, people are putting a gap in their front teeth. Japanese Cafe offers service to slap patrons. Conor McGregor wants to run for President of Ireland. And Jimmy Carter is first former president to live to 100! All that and more on this week's episode of Greenfield's Finest Podcast. Check out our upcoming events, social media, and merch sale at the link below:⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/GFP Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7viuBywVXF4e52CHUgk1i5 Produced by Lane Media https://www.lanemediapgh.com/

Political divisiveness is nothing new. Even Jesus had to navigate tricky political situations. In this 2 part series, we are reminded that God is in charge. And if we are truly Jesus followers, we are called to do as he did - think before we speak or act, and to love others no matter what – even if we totally disagree with them. Jesus was able to disagree politically, culturally and theologically and still love unconditionally. And that is his hope for us - his followers. Can you imagine a world in which we did the same?MUSIC:Take You At Your Word - Cody CarnesDo It Again - Elevation WorshipBuild My Life - Shane & ShaneWhether you're joining us in person or online and whether you are a long-time attender, new here, just visiting, or simply curious about faith - we want you to know you are welcome here and we are for you!Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments!NEXT STEPS: Wherever you are, we want to help you discover what's next.https://www.npaustin.com/whatsnextNot sure where to start? We're here to help! Email: connection@npaustin.comSTAY CONNECTED: Subscribe to stay up-to-date on all things Northpoint: https://www.youtube.com/@NorthpointAustinWebsite: https://npaustin.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/experienceno...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northpoint_ch/ABOUT US:We believe that for too long, the church has been known for what it's against.  We want to be known for what we're FOR – our community, healthy relationships, the next generation, and people discovering a God who loves them. Vision: To inspire people to follow Jesus.Mission: Make Jesus relevant for everyone in Greater Austin.Thank you for giving to support our vision and mission: https://www.npaustin.com/give#Jesus #NorthpointAustin #God #encouragement #churchonline #inspiration #ChurchDNA #JesusWelcomesAll #FaithJourney #NorthpointChurch #freedom #connection #community #Northpoint #church #heart #grace #Relationships #truth #faith #love

Send us a Text Message.After a brief recap of Throne of Glass (book one), we kick off our Crown of Midnight deep dive with chapters 1-8!Celaena fakes the deaths of the people on her to-murder list and receives a new assignment from the king that leads her to Archer, a (traitorous?) courtesan from her past. Chaol may not be "excessively handsome," but he and Celaena are spending an excessive amount of time together ... just ask Dorian. Plus, we talk potential connections to Mor and Truth-Teller, discuss the recent Fourth Wing bonus chapter news and Cait reviews "It Ends With Us."This week's book rec is Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1) by Callie Hart.Next week: Crown of Midnight chapters 9-16. Summon us @DTFaePodcast We like our coffee icy and our books spicy! Oh, and we're totally Down To Fae. A podcast for fantasy romance readers and fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent. Follow along as your delulu hosts discuss your favorite romantasy books in a chapter-by-chapter read, re-read or refresher.

One of our listeners was convinced into doing a selfless, good deed on his first date, and somehow it completely backfired...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of our listeners was convinced into doing a selfless, good deed on his first date, and somehow it completely backfired...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Isn't that something? He doesn't just delay your sin or shove it way down in a drawer. He takes it away. May you rest today in that security. Experiencing God is available at Lifeway.com/ExperiencingGod

John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Isn't that something? He doesn't just delay your sin or shove it way down in a drawer. He takes it away. May you rest today in that security. Experiencing God is available at Lifeway.com/ExperiencingGod

In this episode of Passions Podcast LeTara discusses episodes 686-690 of Passions with no one at all. And be sure to check out our recent interview with McKenzie Westmore! To view the entire interview go to Patreon.com/Passionspodcast and buy the digital download or join any paid tier of the Patreon. Visit our Link Tree to watch episodes of Passions, buy merch, join the Patreon, leave a tip or follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/Passionspodcast Want to support the podcast, but don't want to commit to a monthly contribution? Leave a one time tip here: https://tr.ee/Hpxzzi9JX4 To support this podcast and watch episodes along with us you can visit passionspodcast.com or Join our Patreon Patreon.com/passionspodcast Recap via Soapcentral.com March 18 to 22, 2002 Eve and TC were both unsettled about giving their statements about Julian's murder. Luis and Pilar's pleas for Theresa to stop going forward with her claim of being Julian's widow fell on deaf ears. Ivy and Rebecca teamed up to bring down Theresa. Luis went on a date with Beth but was plagued by memories of Sheridan. Brian risked his life to save Sheridan from a kitchen fire. Faith's spirit asked Timmy for help in saving Charity. Tabitha warned Timmy of the dire consequences for Charity if he used the spell book to get rid of Zombie Charity. Meanwhile, unaware of the consequences, Kay chanted a spell from the book to destroy the zombie. Zombie Charity put the moves on Miguel but was forced to pull away when she realized she was disappearing. The livid zombie raced to find who was casting a spell against her. Music: Cartoon Bank Heist - Doug Maxwell, Media Right Productions • Cartoon Bank Heist – Doug Maxwell, Me... Soar by Scott Buckley https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyCr. Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/passions-podcast/message

Joshua 5:13-15 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" 14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" 15 Then the Commander of the LORD'S army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so..   Before we can by faith experience and enjoy the victory that we are promised for our spiritual journey we need to remember that we have a covenant God Who always keeps His promises. We must also be reminded that despite what happens in our lives that God loves us and proved it with the death of His Son on the cross! Joshua now needed to be assured of the LORD's presence as he faced the reality of his first major battle at Jericho.   As we look at these verses in Joshua 5, the people of Israel have miraculously crossed the Jordan River, they have circumcised the men, and they have observed the Passover. Now Joshua is facing the reality of his first major obstacle between the people and the land of promised rest! Probably sometime in the middle of the night Joshua goes up to the walls of the city of Jericho and is no doubt wondering and thinking how he can lead his army to conquer it.   The Christian life is not a bed of roses with everything handed to us and we simply lead a life of ease! Jesus promised us that in this world we would have tribulation (John 16:33). Paul taught us that we are like soldiers, and we must be equipped to fight our battles. We cannot simply ignore the realities of life and try to live in an imaginary bubble of forever happiness. Life is hard and tough! We can't sweep our problems and difficult issues under the rug and hope they go away. We must face and by God's grace deal with them!   Joshua gets alone, faces the Jericho in his way, and is probably overcome with the reality of the impossibility of dealing with it! But my friend, that is when God shows up!!!! The Commander of the LORD's armies is none other than Jesus Himself! You can only imagine Joshua's surprise! He asked the Man with the drawn sword who shows up out of nowhere, “Whose side are you on?” and he gets a strange answer. “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come."   Jesus is basically saying to Joshua as He says to us, “I didn't come to take sides, I came to take over!”  And Joshua fell to his face at His feet and worshipped. If we are to successfully deal with the problems, issues, and obstacles in our lives we must let Jesus take charge of our lives and accept His Lordship over us! We must first recognize Who He really is as Joshua did and humble ourselves in worship and adoration!   Then Joshua asked, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" This reminds me of the experience of Saul on the Damascus Road when Jesus shows up in a blast of light putting him on his face on the ground (Acts 9:1-6). And Saul, asked, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”   True worship will always lead to obedience to the Lord in our daily walk! Joshua was reminded that he was second in command. Every father and mother, pastor, and Christian leader is second in command to the Lord Jesus Christ; and when we forget this fact, we start to move toward defeat and failure. The Lord came to Joshua that day, not just to help but to lead. "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).   It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes today to the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and submit to His Lordship over us!   God bless!

May 12, 2024

Was Jesus a Nazirite? Did Jesus take the Nazirite vow? What is the difference between a Nazarene and a Nazirite?

Jesus has loved us to the point of the cross, and we find it hard to give back to Him a fraction of our time and attention

Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel will save it." – Mark 8:34

Pressing to grow in God allows us to embrace our primary assignment. First, please, subscribe, in your preferred app, to partake in freshly released anointed prayers and receive Spiritual insight. All honor and glory belong to the most high God for he is worthy of the praise. Acknowledging on today that God is mighty and all situations, circumstances and sicknesses. Petitioning the throne of grace on today to move on our behalf, and to raise us up higher than the cares of this world. Presenting the ones who stand in need of a touch from God or a washing in the blood of Jesus. #SaraG #Anona #HarmaniAndVictor #Carter #Jayla #JoyandJoslyn #NehemiahAndLiza #PrincessAndJosiah #Genesis #MakaylaAndNakya #SaraT #DavidRay #KeShawn #Trevin #Jason #Deante #JaQuan #Clay #Joshua #Bella #Jackson #Calvan #NicoleAndMichael #TrevvaAndDavid #Amanda #ApostleAndFirstLadyBadger #Ebony #QueenMae #Raymond #ProphetBennett #MsLayne #Paula #Patricia #Tara #Janelle #Trimeka --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ravenia/message

Hey guys – Chris Blair here with another episode of Stories Behind the Songs and this week hit songwriter Gordie Sampson is joining us. From Nova Scotia, Canada, Gordie started as a producer and singer-songwriter. Within a year of moving to Nashville, Gordie wrote a song you might have heard before... And that song is “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. You're going to hear the full story behind that one and a couple others including “Knockin Boots” by Luke Bryan and “My Favorite Picture of You” a cut he has for Willie Nelson. Gordie also has cuts for Keith Urban, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and many more. Gordie also talks about writing with his camp of co-writers, building up the newer songwriters, and finding ways to give back. If you enjoy this episode, please give us a follow, click that notification button so you can stay up to date with new episodes, and tell your friends about us. We love getting to bring you the stories behind the songs – this is Gordie Sampson Show Notes: Godie's Instagram - @GordieSampson And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs STBSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic And thanks to our sponors! Sennheiser Microphones, Alclair In-Ear Monitors and Imperfect Aesthetician #SBTSongs --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

Maple Campus Christmas Eve 10:00am & 4:30pm Tyler Campus Christmas Eve 10:00am, 4:30pm & 6:30pm Tyler Campus Christmas Day 10:00am

It's un-bolo-ievable! Battle Royale with Cheese returns to the Vancouver Bib Gourmand list with a review of Say Mercy! Exclamation mark necessary. In this ep, we talk about Say Mercy's "Jesus Take the Wheel" tasting menu, exceptional service, signature BBQ Bolo and more. Enjoy!Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe, and above ALL else, tell friends about the show! Follow our socials:InstagramTwitter

The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity: Put on the Armour of God Ephesians 6:10-20 by William Klock St. Paul knew what the trials and tribulations of persecution look like—and not just what they looked like.  He knew what it smells like and tastes like, what it sounds like and what it feels like.  He had been surrounded by the angry, yelling mobs ready to tear him limb from limb.  He'd seen jail cell after jail cell, smelled the mould and the damp, and had eaten the rough bread and drank the stale water and smelled the filth of the prisoners.  He bore the marks of persecution on his body.  His back was criss-crossed with dozens upon dozens of scars that had once been the deep-cutting lashes of whips.  More than once he'd been beaten to within an inch of his life.  They were the marks of Jesus, he told people.  Jesus had told his disciples that they must take up their crosses and follow him.  When he said that, they would have been confused.  But then Jesus was nailed to a cross and eventually the enemies of that cross came for them, first their fellow Jews and then the pagan Greek and Romans.  All of them, except for John, were eventually hunted down and martyred for the sake of Jesus and the good news that he had died, that he had risen, and that he is the world's true Lord. Paul wrote today's Epistle, Ephesians 6:10-20, while he was imprisoned in Rome, probably about a.d. 62, waiting to plead his case before the Emperor Nero.  A few years later, Nero lashed out at the church in Rome in one of the most violent and well-known persecutions in history.  Paul, himself, was martyred in that persecution, probably beheaded.  But when he wrote his letters from prison, he was hopeful.  He would plead his case before the Emperor and he would be set free—which it seems probably did happen—and maybe he would set sail for Spain, the end of the world, to proclaim the good news about Jesus there.  Paul was hopeful, because he believed that good news.  When Jesus was raised from the dead, God's new creation was unleashed into the world.  Paul knew that the church and the gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit, would do their work and transform creation.  But Paul also knew—because it had already happened to him—he knew that these little communities of Christians scattered across the empire would face the sorts of trials and tribulations and persecution that he had.  Things would get worse before they got better.  And each one of those Christians, Paul knew, before too long would have to face those words of Jesus: Take up your cross and follow me.  Paul knew how hard it was.  He had seen many already who, when the pressure was on, compromised the gospel, compromised their faith, compromised their Lord—in one way or another they compromised their witness.  Instead of taking up their crosses, they ran away.  Paul knew that God does not give his Spirit or sent out his word in vain, so he knew that the church would eventually accomplish the mission God has given her, but he also knew that for many there was a real danger of apostasy.  And so he wrote to churches, like the one in Ephesus, from his prison cell in Rome and he encouraged and exhorted them to stand firm.  To follow Jesus is to suffer, but it is to suffer with the hope of glory, the hope of resurrection, the hope of new creation—a sure and certain hope!—before us. That's the context of our Epistle today about the armour of God and it's important.  This is a familiar passage.  And because of that and because it's been so many centuries since Western Christians have faced the sorts of tribulation that those early saints faced, we've sort of overly-spiritualised the whole thing.  Brothers and Sisters, for Paul this was imminently practical.  Opposition, persecution, and even death were coming for those early believers and putting on this armour of God was how they were going to confront it, stand firm, and make their witness for Jesus and his kingdom. So here at the end of his letter to Ephesus, after he's given them five plus chapters of exhortation and advice as to how to live out the gospel, he brings it to a conclusion telling them how they're going to manage being faithful.  He writes in verse 10: Finally, by strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. He's given them a lot of things to do in light of the coming troubles.  They've got to be wondering how they're going to do it all.  And I expect some of them were invigorated by the challenge and ready to take it on, but they were going to do it in their own strength.  So Paul is clear: Don't be strong in you.  Be strong in the Lord.  Paul knew this first hand after everything he'd been through.  You can't be faithful to Jesus for the long haul, let alone take up your cross in those times of tribulation, you can't do it.  You don't have the strength or the faith or the perseverance or whatever it will take to do it.  But, Brothers and Sisters, this is why the Lord has poured his own Spirit into you in your baptism.  You renounced the world, the flesh, and the devil, and then God poured his Spirit into you so that you could—so that you can.  Be strong in his might.  But how do you do that?  Paul goes on: Put on the whole armour of God.  Then you'll be able to stand firm against the devil's schemes.   Put on the armour of God.  But before we get into that, Paul stresses that the devil was scheming against them.  Just as the devil had schemed to inspire that crowd of people to demand Pilate crucify Jesus, the devil was scheming against the church.  Paul had a personal sense of both ends of that scheming.  He knew what it was to be on the receiving end, but remember that Paul had been one of the chief persecutors of the church in the days after Pentecost.  He was there when Stephen was stoned by the Jewish mob.  When he had his encounter with the risen Jesus, he was on his way to Damascus to round up Christians so that they could be tried before the Jewish authorities.  And that was something he had a reputation for.  There was a reason the Christians were afraid when Ananias brought Paul to meet them.  So, I think, Paul also knew first hand that demonic influence that inspired the unbelieving Jews and the pagan Greeks to lash out at the followers of Jesus and that kept them shrouded in unbelief and darkness.  He knew.  It had taken a face-to-face encounter with Jesus to break him out of that influence and he also knew first-hand that believers could only withstand the onslaught of that demonic power in the might of God.  The power of the flesh, as he puts it, won't do.  He goes on in verse 12: The warfare we're engaged in, you see, isn't against flesh and blood.  Its against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers that rule the world in this dark time, against the wicked spiritual elements in the heavenly places.   If you were fighting flesh and blood, you could do this on your own.  But you're not.  We need to remember this, because it's the flesh and blood that we see.  People oppose us and sometimes that's all we think about is the people.  But Paul reminds us that the people aren't so much the problem.  It's that old lie, inspired by the serpent in the beginning, the lie that we can be gods, that we can do our own thing, shape our own destiny, remake the world in our image and according to our desires.  It's that demonic lie that inspires the hatred of the gospel and the hostility towards everyone who lives it and proclaims it, because the gospel exposes the lie. For this reason, writes Paul, you must take up the whole armour of God, so that when evil grabs the moment, you'll be able to hold your ground, do what needs doing, and still be on your feet when it's over.  So stand firm!  Put the belt of truth around your waist.   The world is lost in darkness because of a lie.  The world hates Jesus, hates the gospel, and is coming after us because of a lie.  If you're going to stand firm against a demonic lie, the first thing you need to put on is the truth.  Paul has in mind the armour a centurion would have worn.  Most of that armour was attached to or was somehow supported by his belt or girdle and just so with the armour of God.  It starts with the truth.  And the truth is that God sent his son, Jesus, to deliver us from the lie, to forgive us for our rebellion, and to set us—and eventually his whole creation—to rights.  The truth is in the words of the creed we confess every week when we say: I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.  Through him all things were made.  For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.  On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. That's the truth, Friends.  Never forget it.  Belt it around your waist.  Everything else depends on it. Then Paul writes: Put on justice (or righteousness) as your breastplate.   The breastplate covers your vitals from frontal attack.  Paul compares it to justice or righteousness.  When the lie comes at you, Brothers and Sisters, remember that God is the great judge and that his mission is to set this world right.  That great work began when he raised Jesus from the dead.  Jesus is the Messiah, but the people believed the lie and rejected him.  The people shouted the lie at the top of the lungs, declaring him a false messiah and demanding his crucifixion.  But when he raised Jesus from the dead, God vindicated his claim to be the Messiah.  Jesus was justified that day and declared by the judge to be in the right.  And the truth is that because we have declared our allegiance to Jesus and have been united with him in our baptism, God has justified us and declared us to be in the right, too. The world will come after us and try to shout us down, will try to cancel us, will say that we're dumb or gullible for believing the gospel.  The world will call us narrow-minded or hateful or bigoted on account of Jesus and the gospel.  The world will even go so far as to try to tell us who Jesus really is and what his message really was and that we've got it all wrong—just like the scribes and Pharisees condemned Jesus and tried to tell him what the real Messiah was supposed to be like.  They'll confront us and try to undermine the truth of the gospel and the truth of God's word, making us think we've been deceived.  And when that fails, the world will mock us, shun us, cancel us—and in some times and places imprison and even kill us.  Brothers and Sisters, when that happens, remember that God, on account of Jesus, has declared us to be in the right.  He has justly vindicated us against the accusations of the enemy.  God's justice is our breastplate.  Remember that when you're attacked by the great lie.  If you are in Jesus the Messiah, you stand already vindicated in him—found by the great judge to be the right. Then, as shoes for your feet, ready for battle, put on the gospel of peace.   This goes back to Chapter 2, verses 11-22, where Paul writes that Jesus the Messiah is, himself, our peace.  What Paul's getting at there is our unity in Jesus with each other and our reconciliation with God.  One of the common tactics of battle is to divide and conquer.  Paul's concern as he sat there in prison and heard reports of what was happening in the churches, his concern was for their unity.  The first Christians were Jews, but as the gospel went out to the gentiles, many of them believed, too.  And pretty soon there was friction.  As we saw in our Epistle from Galatians a few weeks ago, Jewish believers were being hassled by other Jews who heard that Jews and gentiles were mixing in these churches in Greece and Rome.  That prompted those Jewish believers to send out “missionaries” to Judaise those gentile believers—to make them respectable to unbelieving Jews.  In Rome, the Jews had been expelled in the early 50s, and then when they were allowed back, there was division in the churches between them and the gentile believers.  And so, back in Chapter 2, Paul says, “Look, you who are uncircumcised were once far off, had no hope, and were far from God, but in Jesus the Messiah you have been brought near by his blood.  He is our peace and he's made us both—Jew and gentile—he's made us one and by his broken flesh, has torn down the wall of hostility that was once between us…He's created in himself one new man where there were once two, so making peace, and through his cross, reconciling us all to God in one body…He preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near and now through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  That means you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus the Messiah himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” Notice how Paul says that it's by virtue of our being in Jesus, our being united with him, that we are one.  We don't make Christian unity; Jesus does.  Our job is to remember what Jesus has done for us, guard it, live it, and cultivate it—to be a united front against the enemy and his great lie.  The Jew-gentile divide isn't the great problem now that it was in Paul's day, but there are plenty of other ways that Christians and churches fail to live out the unity we have in Jesus.  Brothers and Sisters, we who are in Jesus the Messiah, who believe and proclaim the truth, who have been justified on his account, we are one.  As we stand firm against the enemy, this truth is the shoes on our feet.  Forget to put that unity on, let ourselves be divided, and when push comes to shove, you'll have no traction to stand firm for Jesus. Now, verse 16: With it all, take up the shield of faith, with which you'll be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.   The enemy will throw his great lie at you like flaming arrows, trying to get you to doubt.  Brothers and Sisters, remember that the Spirit has given you the gift of faith.  Take it up.  Use it.  It will quench those flaming arrows as the lie is thrown at you. I've been listening to a preacher for the last few weeks who routinely plays up the grey areas, who spends a lot of time blurring lines that should be clear, and who talks about doubt as if it's the same thing as humility.  He's undermining the church from within.  Now, in our faith, there are some legitimate grey areas and there are some legitimately blurry lines, but one of the overwhelmingly central themes of the gospel is certainty.  The evangelists and the apostles stress the reliability of their eyewitness accounts as proof of the gospel's truth.  Paul never coddles doubt.  Instead, he points to the truth of the gospel and the absolute faithfulness of God witnessed through the scriptures and ultimately at the cross of Jesus.  Brothers and Sisters, steep yourselves in those scriptures, meditate on the cross, and take up the gift of faith the Spirit has given you.  It will defend you against the lies of the enemy. Next, Paul writes, Take the helmet of salvation.   Surround your head—your mind—with the sure and certain knowledge that in Jesus you belong to the family of the Messiah and that when you passed through the waters of baptism, he delivered you, he saved you from the enemy—from sin, from death, and from the devil, just as he saved Israel from Pharaoh when he took his people through the Red Sea.  Dear Friends, the lie has no power over those who have been delivered from its master.  Keep that central truth in your mind. And, finally, Take the sword of the spirit, which is God's word.   The other pieces of armour defend us from the enemy's great lie, but this is our one offensive weapon.  There's something to that.  How often do we charge into battle for Jesus wielding other things?  We charge out there wielding political clout or good works—and that's not to say that there isn't a place for those things—but, Brothers and Sisters, the thing that will ultimately defeat the enemy and transform this world is this sword of the spirit, what Paul calls the word of God.  That and that alone.  Everything else follows that, is derivative of that, is in some way secondary to that.  But what does Paul mean?  We often talk about the whole Bible as the word of God, but Paul has something narrower in mind here, which he's already defined in 5:26, where he writes about the word as that by which Jesus has made us clean.  Specifically, what Paul is talking about is the gospel: the good news about Jesus, crucified, risen, ascended, and Lord.  John gives us a vivid picture of this in Revelation, Jesus riding out with the sword of his mouth and his people following behind, charging into the darkness of the world with the light of the gospel until the whole world has been transformed and brought into the light.  It's an amazing thing.  The work that Jesus began at the cross, continues as his people go out into the world to proclaim who he is and what he has done, to overcome the enemy's great lie with the truth.  It's huge and it seems impossible that we can do it—and of course, no one generation of Christians will ever do it all at once—but that's precisely the mission that Jesus has given us.  He doesn't expect us to do it on our own power or authority.  We declare his word and we do it in the power of his Spirit and, Brothers and Sisters, that's the only way we will ever do it.  But we know that his word does not return void and we know that he did not send his Spirit in vain, so we know that he will cause our work, done in faithfulness, to bear fruit, even if we don't always see it. And then, finally, knowing how hard it is to do this—and knowing that the enemy and lie were going to drop on the churches like a ton of bricks in the not very distant future—Paul reminds them in verse 18: Pray on every occasion in the Spirit, with every type of prayer and intercession.  You'll need to keep awake and alert for this, with all perseverance and intercession for all God's holy ones.   And he—the one writing to them to stay strong in the Lord, he knows the struggle he faces and so he also asks: And also for me!  Pray that God will give me his words to speak when I open my mouth, so that I can make known, loud and clear, the truth of the gospel.  That's why I'm chained-up as an ambassador.  Pray that I may announce boldly; that's what I'm duty-bound to do.   Brothers and Sisters, pray.  As we face the enemy, pray for faith and pray for wisdom, pray for understanding and pray for the words to say.  Steep yourselves in the scriptures and in the great story of God and his people and of Jesus and the cross and the empty tomb and then pray for his church and pray for the wisdom and the words and the courage to tell the story and to proclaim that Jesus is Lord.  Pray, pray, pray and when you think you've prayed enough, pray, pray, pray some more, because the more you pray the more you entrust yourself and your vocation to God.  The more you pray, the less you will rely on yourself and the more you will rely on the word and the Spirit to do their work. Again, as I said earlier, I think we've had a tendency—because we've been out of the crucible of tribulation for so long—to overly spiritualise this passage.  Paul had a real attack by the enemy in mind.  It was an attack that would seriously challenge the fledgling churches and in which many would even find themselves literally taking up their crosses as the followed Jesus.  We're not in that place and I doubt we in North America will face anything nearly that bad in the foreseeable future, but things are getting worse and they will get worse still.  It's vital that we put on the armour of God, it's vital that we take up the sword of the spirit, the word, the gospel, and it's vital that we be a people of prayer, because that's the only way through—it's the only way to survive and it's the only way we will ever advance the kingdom.  Brothers and Sisters, gospel light awaits us on the other side of the darkness.  So come to the Lord's Table this morning, eat the bread and drink the wine, and remember that Jesus has died and that he has risen, remember that you belong to him, that in him we belong to each other, and be strengthened in faith as we remember his sure and certain promises to us.  Be strengthened, not with your own power, but with the strength of his might that you might stand firm. Let's pray: Merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace; that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; strengthen us with faith as we recall what you have done for us in Jesus, your son, and send us out into the world in faith, equipped to stand firm against the enemy.  Through Jesus our Lord we pray.  Amen.

Are we perfect? umm no. But you know who is? Jesus Take a listen Scripture Metioned :Romans 3:23-24. Links https://linktr.ee/agape_podcast

Pastor Rob Kicks off a brand new series

20230519-Featuring Discovering The Jewish Jesus Take Back The Rainbow Movement by Kevin McCullough Radio

Message from Bobby McGraw on May 18, 2023

Message from Bobby McGraw on May 18, 2023

Leigh Mackenzie and Amber discuss discuss the hard and necessary healing work after traumatic childhood experiences. Leigh's book, She Seems So Normal: Shatter the Plastic Princess, Embrace Authentic Faith is a documentary narrative journey of uncovering long hidden sexual abuse and her journey of embracing authentic faith through the help of Jesus, mentors, prayer warriors, therapists, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Questions Discussed During The Value of Trauma Therapy in Your Journey with Jesus: Take us back to your childhood and share a little about what family life was like for you.  You are a CSA survivor. Will you share a little of your story and how the abuse shaped the way you viewed yourself (and others) as a teen, young woman and beyond? What role did Jesus play in your early childhood? When did you come to know him and how did the abuse impact what you believed about God? At what point did you realize you needed to embark on a healing journey from the trauma you experienced and what has that journey looked like for you? For someone who has PTSD from all that you have survived, You've said, "She Seems So Normal: Shatter the Plastic Princess, Embrace Authentic Faith is a documentary narrative of a journey to unearth long-hidden, heinous childhood sexual abuse. As a megachurch biblical researcher for preachers, I was the picture of “put together, Plastic Princess” on the outside, but inside I was dying, believing the enemy's lies, and wondering what's wrong with my faith. When I stepped away from the grave of fearful rule-following legalism and into the gardens to embrace authentic faith, I found avenues of recovery and restoration for anxiety, trauma, and shame with Jesus, mentors, prayer warriors, therapists, and the work of the Holy Spirit." What do you mean by "put together, Plastic Princess" in the context of the church? Tell us a little more about what you found with Jesus, mentors, prayer warriors, therapists and the work of the Holy Spirit? All too often, we believe that faith in Jesus alone is enough to conquer any of life's challenges, but I believe that that we minimize what "faith in Jesus" looks like lived out in day to day life. It is not "pull up your bootstraps, never complain and get on with your life because Jesus saved your soul" faith. It is "dig deep and let people into your mess, so you can see Jesus on earth as He is in Heaven" faith. It is a walking hand in hand through every high and low even when you want to run faith. Let's close with how you have found those statements to be true? How are you putting your faith in Christ alone, by going to therapy and doing the hard work of healing? Show Notes cont. Resources Mentioned: Book: She Seems So Normal: Shatter the Plastic Princess, Embrace Authentic Faith by Leigh Mackenzie 8 Books that Were Influential In Ways that Surprised Me Related Episodes: 186: Dr. Diane Langberg | Redeeming Abuse & Trauma 109: Amy Watson | Abuse Survivor and Living with PTSD 179: Sonya Brunner | Abuse, Human Trafficking, & Redemption 94: Mary DeMuth | Hope After Sexual Abuse 193: Lisa Saruga | Sexual Violence Victim & Reform Advocate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesus Take the Wheel returns...and it crashes and burns.  Chicago's best morning radio show now has a podcast! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and remember that the conversation always lives on the Q101 Facebook page.  Brian & Justin are live every morning from 6a-10a on Q101.    Subscribe to our channel HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@Q101 Like Q101 on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/q101chicago Follow Q101 on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/Q101Chicago Follow Q101 on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/q101chicago/?hl=enSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Nash stops by as Jason (Sklar) tells us about a burglar who was held captive as a sex slave, Dan shares a story about a woman with a pitchfork and a whip outside a Publix, and Randy concludes with a couple that contaminated a town's water supply with their gender reveal and so much more!

One of our listeners was convinced into doing a selfless, good deed on his first date...And somehow it completely backfired...