Podcasts about Jim Elliot

Finding Purpose with Russ Andrews is a show dedicated to glorifying God and helping listeners discover their true calling through the lens of Scripture. In this episode, Russ explores Romans 12:1-2, highlighting what it means to present our lives as living sacrifices to God. He also shares the inspiring story of missionary Jim Elliot and his unwavering commitment to Christ. The heart of the message: break away from worldly patterns and experience true transformation through the renewing of your mind.

En 1956, el misionero Jim Elliot fue asesinado junto a sus compañeros mientras intentaban evangelizar a la tribu huaorani en Ecuador. Su muerte, aunque trágica, inspiró a miles a seguir el llamado misionero. Años después, la misma tribu fue alcanzada por el Evangelio gracias a la valentía de sus esposas. Jim había escrito: “No es tonto el que da lo que no puede conservar para ganar lo que no puede perder”. Así también, nuestras vidas cobran sentido eterno cuando se rinden por completo a Dios. Por lo tanto, lo que parece pérdida, Dios lo convierte en semilla para una cosecha eterna. Tal vez hoy Dios te llama a algo que parece riesgoso o radical. De modo que, confía en que nada que entregues a Él es en vano. Su propósito siempre va más allá de lo visible. La Biblia dice en Juan 12:24: “De cierto, de cierto os digo, que si el grano de trigo no cae en la tierra y muere, queda solo; pero si muere, lleva mucho fruto” (RV1960).

En 1956, el misionero Jim Elliot fue asesinado junto a sus compañeros mientras intentaban evangelizar a la tribu huaorani en Ecuador. Su muerte, aunque trágica, inspiró a miles a seguir el llamado misionero. Años después, la misma tribu fue alcanzada por el Evangelio gracias a la valentía de sus esposas. Jim había escrito: “No es tonto el que da lo que no puede conservar para ganar lo que no puede perder”.Así también, nuestras vidas cobran sentido eterno cuando se rinden por completo a Dios. Por lo tanto, lo que parece pérdida, Dios lo convierte en semilla para una cosecha eterna.Tal vez hoy Dios te llama a algo que parece riesgoso o radical. De modo que, confía en que nada que entregues a Él es en vano. Su propósito siempre va más allá de lo visible. La Biblia dice en Juan 12:24: “De cierto, de cierto os digo, que si el grano de trigo no cae en la tierra y muere, queda solo; pero si muere, lleva mucho fruto” (RV1960).

Join Mrs. Tiffany as she talks about living boldly for Christ through the life of Jim Elliot.  

In a world filled with subscriptions and temporary commitments, are we simply adding Jesus to our lives like another subscription, or are we fully surrendering to His call? Discover the profound difference between treating Jesus as an optional addition and surrendering your life to Him.This sermon challenges the often comfortable perception of Christianity. It's not just about enhancing your life but experiencing a life transformed by Christ's call to genuine discipleship. We explore the misconception that faith is something to be tacked onto our busy lives like another subscription, rather than allowing it to revolutionize everything. Key insights include:1. **Denying Yourself**: A follower of Jesus chooses to deny themselves by surrendering their entire life to God. True discipleship involves making Jesus the focal point of your existence.2. **Taking Up Your Cross**: This involves willingly accepting suffering for God's plan and dying to personal desires. It's about daily choices to follow Jesus, regardless of the hardships.3. **Following Jesus' Example**: Embrace His teachings, His life, and His purpose. Success is redefined not by worldly standards but by a life devoted to Christ. As Jesus taught, what good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?4. **Understanding Jesus' Identity**: The disciples' journey from confusion to clarity highlights the importance of understanding who Jesus truly is and what it means to make Him King.Join us as we dive deeper into biblical truths, encouraging each believer to embark on a vibrant adventure of faith, with Jesus at the center. Remember, it's not about what Jesus can do for us, but how we can serve Him with all our hearts.Stay connected with us at 2Rivers, where our mission is to help you become a passionate follower of Jesus. Don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button to stay updated with our content ⏩. LIKE ✔️, SHARE

Luke 12:1-12 begins with Jesus giving a warning to Hisdisciples to, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”.Jesus said, “Beware of hypocrisy”! Then He teaches us how to overcomethe temptation of hypocrisy and compromising our Christian faith. Hypocrisy isa terrible sin that destroys our responsibility and opportunities to be a faithfulwitness for the Lord Jesus to the lost world around us. We should take thiswarning of our Lord to heart every day! Today in Luke 12:13-21, the Lord is giving us anotherwarning! Here Jesus says, “Take heed and beware of covetousness!” Atthis point, Jesus is approached by a man in the crowd who interrupted Him by askingHim as the Rabbi or Teacher, to solve a family problem and help settle a legaldispute with him and his brother over their inheritance. Rabbis were expectedto help settle legal matters, but Jesus refused to get involved. Why? BecauseHe knew that no answer He gave would solve the real problem, which wascovetousness in the hearts of the two brothers.  The "you" in Luke 12:14 is plural, which meantJesus is speaking to both of the brothers. As long as both men were greedy, nosettlement would be satisfactory. Their greatest need was to have their heartschanged. Like too many people today, they wanted Jesus to serve them but not tosave them. Jesus also knew the crowd needed to hear this warning, so, “He saidto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's lifedoes not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Jesus knew we needed to hear this warning tooand we should “take heed” and listen carefully to what He has to say about thissin of covetousness. Someone said that covetousness is an unquenchable thirstfor getting more and more of something we think we need in order to be trulysatisfied. It may be a thirst for money or the things that money can buy, oreven a thirst for position and power. Jesus made it clear that true life doesnot depend on an abundance of possessions. He did not deny that we have certainbasic needs (Matt. 6:32; 1 Tim. 6:17). He only affirmed that we will not makelife richer by acquiring more of these things. Mark Twain once defined "civilization" as "alimitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities," and he was right. Infact, many Christians are infected with covetousness and do not know it. Theythink that Paul's admonition in 1 Timothy 6 applies only to the "rich andfamous." Measured by the living standards of the rest of the world, mostbelievers in America are indeed wealthy people. Jesus then told this parable of a rich farmer to reveal thedangers that lurk in a covetous heart. As we read and study it, we will noticeseveral things. We need to recognize that Jesus did not say this wealthy manwas a fool because he was rich. He was not a fool because he worked hard and wasfugal and saved a lot of money that he now had available for himself. No, Jesussays he was a fool because after he acquire this money and goods, that he didn'tknow what to do with it. This no doubt is a sin that many of us have in America. Thepoorest person in America is richer that ninety-five percent of the rest of theworld. We tend to waste money, spend money, and invest money to gain more moneyand a better living, but we spend it and invest it for temporal rather than theeternal. I love this quote by the missionary Jim Elliot, “He is nofool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”As we think about this warning from Jesus, we need to look into our own heartstoday and make sure we are not seeking to be satisfied with money orpossessions. Their satisfaction is only temporary and will not meet the deepestneed of our soul that can only be satisfied by our relationship with JesusChrist!  Today, may God help us to “beware of covetousness” and seekJesus first and foremost (Matthew 6:33).  God bless!

Biography of the life and mission of Jim Elliot

**Thank you for supporting this ministry, I lovingly refer to as "The Little Green Pasture." Click here: PayPal: http://paypal.me/JoanStahl **Please prayerfully consider becoming a ministry partner: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/joaniestahl **Contact Email: jsfieldnotes@gmail.com **Subscribe to me on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-534183 While visiting my mother this past Sunday, in a moment of quietness, she began to speak about passing away. She said, "No one will care when I am gone." I immediately said, "No mom, you are wrong, I love you and I will miss you. But you will go to Heaven and there you will be so happy, and I will be okay. I will miss you but I will see you later. She nodded and peacefully smiled.We are all in the realm of time. From the time we are born until the time we die, we are all moving towards eternity. This is only a time passage unto a "world without end." This morning I was reading in the book Daniel where he was interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image. That image represented great kingdoms that have passed away into antiquity, and the fourth one of the final end. The one we are seeing appear in our time. What spoke to me were these semi-final words:"Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Daniel 2:34-35.All of those kingdoms are gone and this final one will be as they are. GONE. The kingdoms that are here and now will be as chaff that the wind carries away, and will never be again at the time of Jesus' Second Coming. The only remaining Kingdom will be the Stone Kingdom of Jesus Christ that will "fill the whole earth." Be aware of the time that God has given to you and anchor yourself to Christ whom you love, who "Inhabits eternity." You will be there sooner or later. Be eternity conscious and remember the words of King David, "My times are in thy hand." Psalm 31:15. “When the time comes to die, make sure that all you have to do is die!”― Jim Elliot, The Journals of Jim Elliot

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” -Jim Elliot.  Dr. Sam tells the story of a martyr on their wedding day. This moving story is the reality for many believers around the world. Is the Lord asking you to give up what you hold on to, for something better? For more information about the ministry of Hopegivers International, visit our website at hopegivers.org.  

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 22nd of February, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Jonah 1:12:“Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.” - Dying to self, preferring your fellow man. Then we go to John 11:50 and of course, the chief priest, Caiaphas, did not even know what he was talking about when he said:”…one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” He was talking about Jesus. Jesus Christ was sacrificed for you and me, my dear friend. You see, Jonah knew that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and so in order to save those crewmen and to save the ship he said, ”Please throw me overboard.” When the high priest soldiers came into the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus, you know what He did? Yes, the same thing that He always does. He said, ”Let these go their way I am the one that you want.” (John 18:8) He was prepared to sacrifice His life for you and for me.I'm just thinking of William Carey, that country boy from England, who went all the way with his young wife and children to India to preach the Gospel. He became a great Bible translator. He translated the Bible from English into many other languages. Sanskrit was a very difficult language. This man was uneducated, but He did it for the sake of the Gospel but it cost him dearly. He lost his wife, she died there and some of his children. He paid an incredible price. Jim Elliot went to the Amazon jungle to preach the Gospel, and at the age of 29 years old, he was murdered, but through his death, many came to Christ. He said, ”It is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”Today, you and I, let us lay our lives down for our fellow man and then we will really start living for Christ.Jesus bless you and goodbye.

Entre los aos 1940 y 1950, Jim Elliot y Elisabeth Howard documentaron su relacin en una serie de cartas. Aos despus, su hija Valerie vio algo muy especial en ellas. Hoy, ella nos compartir algo de lo que encontr en las cartas de amor de sus padres, Jim y Elisabeth Elliot. Acompanos en este episodio de Aviva Nuestros Corazones. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1337/29

Entre los aos 1940 y 1950, Jim Elliot y Elisabeth Howard documentaron su relacin en una serie de cartas. Aos despus, su hija Valerie vio algo muy especial en ellas. Hoy, ella nos compartir algo de lo que encontr en las cartas de amor de sus padres, Jim y Elisabeth Elliot. Acompanos en este episodio de Aviva Nuestros Corazones. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1337/29

Entre los aos 1940 y 1950, Jim Elliot y Elisabeth Howard documentaron su relacin en una serie de cartas. Aos despus, su hija Valerie vio algo muy especial en ellas. Hoy, ella nos compartir algo de lo que encontr en las cartas de amor de sus padres, Jim y Elisabeth Elliot. Acompanos en este episodio de Aviva Nuestros Corazones. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1337/29

God is doing great things with His gospel of grace in the country pf Peru. Charlie talks to Pablo Cenep-Torres about he many facets of his busy ministry. Pablo is a missionary with Christian Missions in Many Lands (cmml.us). Discipled by Bert Elliot, brother of martyed missionary Jim Elliot, He went on to receive biblical training at New Brunswick Bible Institute, Washington Bible College, and Capital Bible Seminiary (in Maryland). Pablo is in Peru as a leader of his church, a trainer of other leaders, chuch planter and builder, and helps operate an orphanage. He is busy! But his ministry takes place in a country filled with crime and corruption, which makes it challenging. He describes some of the problems this presents. A strong Catholic theology of works and the strong influence of Calvinist makes his grace-oriented ministry all the more important. Charlie mentions how he was supposed to visit in January to speak at conferences, but was prevented by an illness. Listen to this servant of God and let the Lord touch your heart for this ministry in Peru. You can find out more about Pablo and his needs by going to https://www.cmml.us/m/282. Like, leave a conmment,, and share this podcast so this message will conitnue to spread. #graceforPeru #FreeGraacePeru #MissionsinPeru

When the New Testament speaks of our salvation, it does so in the past tense. It speaks of believers as chosen, washed, justified and sanctified. At the moment of salvation, you were given to the Lordship of Christ. Yes, there is a process of growth, and you will continue to move forward and advance. Jim Elliot once said, “It takes the whole of your life to give the whole of your life to Christ.” I love that quote, and it is true. But at the same time, it is inconceivable to Paul and the New Testament writers that a person could come to faith in Christ as Savior without Christ also becoming Lord at that very same moment. You can never be a justified believer without also being a sanctified believer. This is what Paul has been rejoicing in through Romans 6. Now, as we begin to walk through the latter verses of the chapter, Paul digs even deeper into the means and motivation of the sanctifying work of Christ in our hearts. These are passages that we must know and understand. I pray that you will join us this weekend for worship. We will celebrate and rejoice with believers as they publicly confess Christ in baptism. We will pray for one another and fellowship. Most importantly, we will gather round the Word of God and sing praises to God that we might be changed more and more into the likeness of His glory. — Pastor Chad McDonald

When the New Testament speaks of our salvation, it does so in the past tense. It speaks of believers as chosen, washed, justified and sanctified. At the moment of salvation, you were given to the Lordship of Christ. Yes, there is a process of growth, and you will continue to move forward and advance. Jim Elliot once said, “It takes the whole of your life to give the whole of your life to Christ.” I love that quote, and it is true. But at the same time, it is inconceivable to Paul and the New Testament writers that a person could come to faith in Christ as Savior without Christ also becoming Lord at that very same moment. You can never be a justified believer without also being a sanctified believer. This is what Paul has been rejoicing in through Romans 6. Now, as we begin to walk through the latter verses of the chapter, Paul digs even deeper into the means and motivation of the sanctifying work of Christ in our hearts. These are passages that we must know and understand. I pray that you will join us this weekend for worship. We will celebrate and rejoice with believers as they publicly confess Christ in baptism. We will pray for one another and fellowship. Most importantly, we will gather round the Word of God and sing praises to God that we might be changed more and more into the likeness of His glory. — Pastor Chad McDonald

What does it mean to stand firm in faith—even when it costs everything? In Episode 53 of Warrior's Walk, we explore the powerful stories of Christian martyrs who chose faith over fear, courage over compromise, and Christ over their own lives.

La vida de Jim Elliot estuvo marcada por la oración, la disciplina y su entrega a Dios. Aunque fue corta, dejó por medio de ella un poderoso testimonio de fe y sacrificio, que inspiró a una generación a renunciar a las comodidades terrenales para llevar el evangelio a los no alcanzados. SÍGUENOS Sitio web: http://biteproject.com​​​ x: https://twitter.com/biteproject​​​ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/biteproject TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@biteproject Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biteproject/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biteproject/​​​ Créditos: Producido por: Giovanny Gómez Pérez y Pilar Prieto Música: Envato Elements. Generación de voces: Daniel Ángel. Edición de sonido y música: Jhon Montaña.

It's Thursday, January 9th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus 300 million Christians worldwide face imprisonment, torture, and murder International Christian Concern released its 2025 Global Persecution Index, highlighting 20 countries where Christians face extreme persecution. Among those countries are Nigeria, Iran, India, China, and North Korea. Over the last year, persecution has worsened dramatically in Nicaragua, India, and Nigeria. Christians face everything from government hostility and Hindu nationalism to brutal violence and technological surveillance.  Jeff King with International Christian Concern said, “Approximately 300 million Christians worldwide face persecution of all types, including imprisonment, torture, and assassination.” Despite persecution, Christianity is showing resilience and even growing in countries like Iran and Indonesia. Indonesia joins Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group Speaking of Indonesia, the Southeast Asian country, which is also the fourth most populous country in the world, joined the BRICS organization on Monday. The intergovernmental organization began with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – thus the acronym B-R-I-C-S. It has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.  The BRICS group is seen as a counterbalance to western powers in the G7 which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 70,000 Californians evacuate as 20,000 acres burn In the U.S., three major wildfires brought destruction to the Los Angeles area of California yesterday. The fires have burned over 20,000 acres, destroying over 1,000 buildings and killing at least two people.  70,000 people are under evacuation orders. Stoked by high winds, the Palisades Fire is the most destructive fire on record in Los Angeles County. As of yesterday, the fires were 0% contained. James Nelligan, a resident of Los Angeles County, texted, “It's super smoky; ash is raining down.” 87% of Congress are self-identified Christians Pew Research released their latest Faith on the Hill report, covering the religious composition of the 119th U.S. Congress. Self-identified Christians now make up 87% of voting members in the Senate and House of Representatives combined. That's down just a smidge from 88% in the last session and 92% a decade ago. It's still much higher than the Christian makeup of the general U.S. adult population at 62%. Also only 1% of Congress is religiously unaffiliated compared to 28% of the general public. Protestants continue to be the largest group in Congress at 55% followed by Catholics at 28%. However, the share of Protestants is down from nearly 75% in the 1960s. In 2 Samuel 23:3, King David said, “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” 4,000 people have asked Trump to free imprisoned pro-lifers Over 4,000 people now have signed a petition through change.org for President-elect Donald Trump to free imprisoned pro-lifers. The petition includes the names of many pro-lifers who are facing prison, house arrest, charges, or sentencing for peacefully protesting at abortion mills. The petition to Trump says, “We ask you to reverse the weaponization of the Department of Justice and pardon these individuals, whose only crime was peacefully pleading for the lives of babies about to die. More than this, we beg you to consider the case for the preborn who have been sentenced to death with no trial. They are unseen and unheard, totally dependent on others, and completely vulnerable.” You can sign the petition through a special link in our transcript today at TheWorldview.com. Anniversary of Jim Elliot's murder And finally, this week in history marks when five Christian missionaries — named Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, and Pete Fleming — were speared to death by Ecuadorean Indians they sought to evangelize. They died on January 8, 1956. Jim Elliot had famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Remarkably, after their murders, Jim's wife, Elisabeth Elliot, and Nate's sister, Rachel Saint, continued the evangelistic outreach to the very people who had killed their relatives. In October 1958, Mrs. Elliot, and her three-year-old daughter Valerie, went to live with the Indian tribe along with Rachel Saint. Elisabeth Elliot later published two books featuring the story of the missionaries and how God used them. They were entitled Through Gates of Splendor and Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot. You and your family can also watch a 34-minute animated Torchlighters video entitled “The Jim Elliot Story”. It's free and available for everybody. In Matthew 16:25, Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, January 9th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Hollywood and the big film industry lost another 3.9% year over year, down 47% over 2002. And the Golden Globes throws away its awards to two trash films that nobody watched. Hollywood is passing away with the lust thereof. . . the stars are tarnished. This is going down. Will Christians go down with it?This program includes:1. The World View in 5 Minutes with Adam McManus (Anniversary of Jim Elliot's murder, 4,000 people have asked Trump to free imprisoned pro-lifers, 70,000 Californians evacuate as 20,000 acres burn)2. Generations with Kevin Swanson

A new MP3 sermon from The World View in 5 Minutes is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Anniversary of Jim Elliot’s murder Subtitle: The World View in Five Minutes Speaker: Adam McManus Broadcaster: The World View in 5 Minutes Event: Current Events Date: 1/9/2025 Length: 6 min.

Aprofunde sua devoção a Deus em fiel.in/devocionalVersículo do dia: Jesus, porém, fitando neles o olhar, disse: Para os homens é impossível; contudo, não para Deus, porque para Deus tudo é possível. (Marcos 10.27)Aqui há dois grandes incentivos de Jesus para você se tornar um missionário e dedicar-se à causa das missões de fronteira. 1. Toda impossibilidade para os homens é possível para Deus (Marcos 10.27). A conversão de pecadores endurecidos será obra de Deus e estará em harmonia com seu plano soberano. Não precisamos temer ou nos preocupar com nossa fraqueza. A batalha é do Senhor e ele dará a vitória. 2. Cristo promete trabalhar por nós e ser para nós de tal modo que quando a nossa vida missionária acabar, não poderemos dizer que sacrificamos qualquer coisa (Marcos 10.29-30).Quando seguimos sua prescrição missionária, descobrimos que até mesmo as consequências dolorosas cooperam para melhorar nossa condição. Nossa saúde espiritual e nossa alegria são aperfeiçoadas cem vezes. E quando morremos, não morremos. Nós ganhamos a vida eterna.Meu apelo não é que você estrague sua coragem e seu sacrifício por Cristo. Apelo para que você renuncie a tudo o que tem para obter uma vida que satisfaça os seus anseios mais profundos. Eu apelo que você considere todas as coisas como escória pelo valor incomparável de permanecer no serviço ao Rei dos reis. Apelo para que você tire os seus trapos comprados e coloque as vestes dos embaixadores de Deus.Eu lhe prometo perseguições e privações, mas “lembre da alegria”! “Bem-aventurados os perseguidos por causa da justiça, porque deles é o reino dos céus” (Mateus 5.10).Em 8 de janeiro de 1956, cinco índios Auca do Equador mataram Jim Elliot e seus quatro companheiros missionários enquanto eles tentavam levar o evangelho à tribo Auca de sessenta pessoas.Quatro jovens esposas perderam maridos e nove crianças perderam seus pais. Elisabeth Elliot escreveu que o mundo chamou isso de um trágico pesadelo. Depois acrescentou: “O mundo não reconheceu a verdade da segunda cláusula no credo de Jim Elliot: ‘Não é tolo aquele que abre mão do que não pode reter para ganhar o que não pode perder'”.--Devocional Verdade para a vida, por Alistair Begg | Editora Fiel.Conteúdo oferecido em parceria entre Truth For Life e Ministério Fiel.

Garth Heckman  The David Alliance TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com     Website: www.aegisdefensesolutions.com Insta:   For anyone in IL. Luke is a linseed professional counselor who specializes with kids, teens, and families in Christian Counseling. If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, mood challenges, ADHD, and other mental health concerns, reach out to Luke   https://www.whitestoneresources.com/counselors-list/lmerrill   My media channels all go to Garth Heckman    Text me 30 second interviews of you asking people “whats it take to be a man”     You've seen the shirt… but did you die… it's supposed to be funny… but truly when I see it I always shrug with a little disappointment and say no unfortunately I did not…. Death I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it. - Mark Twain Death The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. - Mark Twain   DEATH   Lisa Rotgrak is the author of a book called Death Warmed Over, a combination cookbook and sociological study of funeral meals and rituals. She starts it with the story of a man dying at home in bed. He could smell the aroma of chocolate chip cookies--his favorite--baking downstairs. He wanted one more cookie before he died.   He dragged his body out of bed, rolled down the stairs, crawled into the kitchen, and reached out a trembling arm to grasp one final cookie, when he felt the sting of a spatula smack his hand. "Put that back," his wife said. "They're for the funeral."   The rich fool had many cookies, and he thought they were all for him. "This is what I'll do," says the rich fool. "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods."   One more barn. One more crop. One more cookie. Then one night out comes the spatula. "Whack." "They don't belong to you. They're for the funeral."   Ask not for whom the spatula whacks. It whacks for thee.   --as reported in John Ortberg's new book, When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the Box (Zondervan, 2007):     “If it weren't for death, life would be unbearable.” –Malcolm Muggeridge. We have eternal life to look forward to; if we didn't, life would be meaningless     No one escapes death… A driver, who crashed into the side of a 3000-ton wheat train and was dragged in his car more than a kilometer before being slammed into a pylon at the edge of a cliff, fell to his death as he walked for help.  The Queensland, Australia man, 63, and his female companion, 64, were driving along the Newell Highway near Moree, in Northwestern New South Wales, on Wednesday night, police said.  Their car crashed into the side of a fully laden, 600-meter long train at a level crossing. (I guess that would be harder to miss than the side of a barn!) The vehicle became wedged between the second last and last carriages and was dragged sideways beside the track as the train continued towards Moree, a police spokeswoman said.  After being carried more than a kilometer and a half they approached an unfenced bridge with a 10-meter drop, the spokeswoman said. Moments before they reached the precipice, the car was struck by a pylon, dislodged from the train and spun several times. When it came to rest, the pair managed to free themselves from the wreck (I wonder if it was a Volvo?) with minor bruising and the man set off along the railway line for help. But he slipped on the bridge and fell to his death, the spokeswoman said.  The woman was eventually able to raise the alarm and was recovering in Moree hospital with chest injuries.   Are you ready to die… I am, I can't wait…  Jim Elliot (slain missionary) "When the time comes to die, make sure that all you have to do is die!"

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 23rd of November, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Jeremiah 18:4:”And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.” Then we go to the Gospel of John 12:24:”Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”"Heaven will be filled with broken vessels, broken upon the wheel of earth." Campbell Morgan said it, and I think it is so true. Yes, we will be made into new creatures. There is no doubt about it but it's men and women who have been broken on the wheel of earth, the potter's wheel of earth, that will fill heaven. You see, it's in dying that we live. Even as our beloved Christ was broken on the cross, so too we must be prepared to be broken. Maybe this morning you feel that your dream, your vision, has failed miserably. It's all been a waste of time. Oh no, oh no! Take heart Christians, many of those who have gone before us must have felt exactly the same way. Get up now, dust yourself off and get back into the fight.I want to give you an example, Jim Elliot, I think he must have been 29 years old, he must have felt the same way when he was being murdered in the Amazon jungle. What a waste - but I want to tell you folks that through his death and through his friend's death, thousands of young men and women have gone to the mission fields to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are still going even today. That same young man said, ”It is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”Today, you and I, let us keep on. You might feel broken, you might feel that you have disappointed others. Get up and keep going because heaven is filled with people who have been broken on the wheel of earth.Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.

The International Air Transport Association is cracking down on people who “gate lice”, AKA people who don't adhere to the official boarding lines and start their own queues.Why do we do our own things when it comes to queues, and not adhere to proper etiquette?Jim Elliot is a Comedian and long-time queuer, and joins Kieran to discuss.

In this episode of Unknown Nations Podcast, Greg Kelley recaps the annual Celebration Dinner, focusing on Paul's mission statement to reach nations where Christ is not yet known. Greg draws inspiration from historical movements like the Moravian 24-hour prayer and modern-day martyrs like Jim Elliot, while emphasizing the power of leader multiplication as seen in 2 Timothy 2:2. Hear an inspiring story from underground church leaders, and join the mission to make Jesus known! Learn more about Unknown Nations by visiting www.UnknownNations.com.

Join us for a special live recording from the ONE building in downtown Greenville, SC, as we celebrated our 300th episode with a live audience! Drs. Milt Lowder, Drew Brannon, and Cory Shaffer reflect on their 7-year journey to 300 episodes and highlight three impactful leaders you might not know, but should: Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete in history, Jim Elliot, American Christian missionary who became a martyr while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador, and Harvey Gantt, the first African American student to enroll at Clemson University and former mayor of Charlotte, NC. They reference their stories to illustrate timeless leadership lessons relevant across all industries.

I haven't bought a baseball bat for a while, but I know you can buy one that's cheap and may not last long or one that costs a little more and lasts longer. But a million-dollar baseball bat? That's a little out of my price range. And lest you think I've lost it, not long ago a massive 46-ounce Louisville Slugger bat sold at auction for $1.26 million dollars! What in the world could possibly make a simple baseball bat worth that much to anyone? Who used it? It was the bat used by Babe Ruth in the first baseball game in the new Yankee Stadium in 1923. In the third inning, The Babe blasted a home run right into the right field bleachers, and somebody just laid down over a million bucks for the bat he used. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Have a Million-Dollar Life." It was just a piece of wood until someone important used it to do something important. That's what gave that bat such great value. And that's what gives ordinary humans like you and me a whole new value - being used by the most important person in the universe to do something He considers important. An ordinary life is never quite ordinary again once that life has been used by Almighty God. And His choice of the person He will use is not based on the things most people look for. God doesn't care about charisma, or credentials, or connections, or cash. He's looking for character. He's a holy God, and He can only use holy instruments; people who keep themselves clean for His service. Paul paints a picture of two kinds of believers - one useful to the Lord and one of little use to Him - in 2 Timothy 2, beginning with verse 15, our word for today from the Word of God. He says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved." (By the way, Missionary martyr Jim Elliot said the only degree he really wanted was his A.U.G. degree - Approved Unto God.) The verse goes on to say, "a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth... In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble." Even our house has some things we use for throwing away trash and others that we use to serve special people for special occasions. So what do I have to do to have the honor; the incredible value of being someone the High King of Heaven can use? "If a man cleanses himself," the Bible says, "he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." Man, those are beautiful words, "useful to the Master." Just like you or me going to the kitchen to find a glass to drink from, God is looking for someone who's clean to use. And He doesn't find very many. What a powerful reason for you to keep your heart and your mind pure, to repent of the junk you've been hanging onto, to meet with Jesus daily for that day's tune-up, to aspire to be, as Robert Murray McCheyne said, "as holy as a saved sinner can be." You'll be God's man, you'll be God's woman, through whom God's work will be done in people's lives. That temptation, that compromise can't possibly be worth losing out on a destiny like this! The beautiful thing is that anybody can qualify to be used by God. It's your passionate purity, your total surrender to be used totally for His purposes that qualifies you. You've abandoned your dreams for your life for His dreams for your life. They're so much bigger and so much better than yours. And the greatest legacy of your life will be to join Him in the rescue mission that changes people's eternities from hell to heaven. He's inviting you to join Him in that rescue mission for which He died. Make yourself available to the Lord of the universe and keep yourself clean for Him. When He picks up a life to use it, it takes on a meaning and a significance that nothing on earth can even get close to. And in God's hands, your life can be a holy home run!

Ben and the guys sit down to talk the Steelers week 5 loss to Cowboys. They cover Dallas' impressive defensive performance despite having a bunch of injured players, as well as Justine Fields' command of the passing game and why we don't do that more. The guys also introduce the new segment "Footbahlin Family Dinner" where the guys grab a bite and talk about life. This weeks family dinner looked at the significance of obedience through the life of Jim Elliot over Ben's signature frozen pizza. Be sure to follow @footbahlinwithben on IGGive @dadtired a follow as well!Have your own family dinner with Dad Tired's conversation startershttps://shop.dadtired.com/collections/cool-stuff/products/dinnertime-discussion-cards

The history of how we brought the pastoral cow to live on the arid lands of the west is a violent one. Jim Elliot grew up in the shadow of that history and his stories are quintessential cowboy, full of guns, death and hard winters. But even Jim recognized the tragedy of the attempted annihilation of Indigenous culture and bison to make way for cows. But now, there's growing hope among tribes as bison make a comeback.

From remote jungles to isolated islands, uncontacted tribes like the Sentinelese and the Aghori have chosen to remain untouched by civilization. Today, we discuss what secret traditions these mysterious tribes are hiding and what they do to unwelcome visitors who dare to intrude on their land. Join me and my good friend, comedian Eagle Witt, as we take a deep dive into the WILD way of life of these uncontacted tribes and the fateful consequences for outsiders who tried to visit them. Spoiler alert: It doesn't end well. Welcome to Camp!

Money does funny things to people, doesn't it? Sometimes, however, what it does isn't funny at all.  That's why James offers some stern warnings to the wealthy. Before you dismiss his words as not applying to you thinking, “I'm not rich!” Keep in mind that 1 in 11 people globally live on less than $2.15/day. If you live on more than that, you are richer than you think. James addresses three sinful behaviors people with resources are prone to. 1.     Hoarding treasuresLet me offer 2 disclaimers here. It's not wrong to have resources. Neither is it wrong to save or invest those resources. The Bible talks about both.What James is speaking of in these opening verses of chapter 5 is “hoarding.” It's the folly of wasting resources that could have and should have been put into play to advance the Kingdom. Instead, they are taken out of circulation for two reasons: fear and pride. Either a scarcity mindset or a prestige outlook.James tells the rich to “Weep...wail...” Why? Because one day those who have so much and yet hoarded it will have to give account to the One who had trusted them with those resources. Jesus Himself gives a sobering word regarding that: “To whom much is given...much is required.”  Don't hoard your wealth foolishly. Use it wisely.  2.     Defrauding measuresTo defraud is to fail to pay what you owe because you want to keep your wealth. In James' day, the wealthy often failed to pay the day laborers that worked in their fields. Their cries of injustice reached the ears of God Almighty, he says in vs. 4.  In our day, we defraud employees or people we hire to do a job by failing to pay a fair wage in a prompt manner. Even if you're not a business owner, do you pay your bills fully and on time? Don't increase your wealth sinfully. Earn it and spend it honestly. 3.     Indulging pleasuresIs God opposed to pleasure?  Is He against us having nice things?  No.  In fact, Paul wrote of “...God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17)There's a difference between the “enjoyment” that Paul speaks of and the “self-indulgence” that James speaks of. Enjoyment moves to self-indulgence when living the good life becomes your entire life.There's an old saying that helps me stay in balance: “You will have all eternity to celebrate your dividends.  You will only have a few years to make your investments.”  Don't spend your wealth thoughtlessly.  Invest it strategically.Someone who understood this was the martyred missionary Jim Elliot who wrote these powerful words: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”   Text: James 5:1-6 Originally recorded on May 23, 2010, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

What would you give up in order to have eternal life with Jesus? You need to decide now which way you will go to attain that heavenly reward. Mark 8:37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” - Jim Elliot, missionary

====================================================SUSCRIBETEhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpffyr-7_zP1x1lS89ByaQ?sub_confirmation=1==================================================== LECCIÓN DE ESCUELA SABÁTICA         III TRIMESTRE DEL 2024Narrado por: Gustavo PérezDesde: Málaga, EspañaUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchLUNES 12 DE AGOSTOEL COSTO DEL DISCIPULADO Lee Marcos 8:31 al 38. ¿Qué dice aquí Jesús acerca del costo de seguirlo? Los discípulos habían llegado a un punto decisivo en su relación con Jesús. Ahora saben que él es el Mesías. El lector de Marcos lo sabe desde el comienzo del libro (Mar. 1:1) y, por lo tanto, ha tenido una ventaja con respecto a los discípulos, a veces torpes. En un principio, cuando Jesús los llamó, dijo que los convertiría en pescadores de hombres (Mar. 1:17). No hubo problemas entonces. Pero ahora que realmente saben quién es, él les revela el objetivo de su misión: que le es necesario padecer muchas cosas, ser rechazado, morir y resucitar después de tres días. Son noticias impactantes. Pedro, quien acaba de confesar que Jesús es el Mesías, lo lleva aparte y comienza a reprenderlo por decir eso. El evangelista presenta todo esto en forma de discurso indirecto, pero ahora reporta las palabras de Jesús, palabras que sin duda dejaron pasmado a Pedro mientras las escuchaba. El Maestro lo llama Satanás y le dice que se aparte de su camino, puesto que tales pensamientos no están en armonía con la voluntad de Dios. “Las palabras de Pedro no eran de naturaleza que fuesen de ayuda y solaz para Jesús en la gran prueba que lo esperaba. No estaban en armonía con el misericordioso propósito de Dios hacia un mundo perdido, ni con la lección de abnegación que Jesús había venido a enseñar por medio de su propio ejemplo” (DTG 384). Los seguidores de Jesús están llamados a tener el mismo objetivo que él tiene, a tomar su cruz y seguirlo. La crucifixión era el método romano de ejecución más cruel, humillante e intimidatorio. Todos querían evitar la cruz. Por lo tanto, ¿cómo querría alguien adoptar la cruz como símbolo de su devoción a Jesús? Jesús no solo explica el costo del discipulado, sino también su gran recompensa. En la paradoja de la fe cristiana, perder la vida llega a ser la manera de encontrarla. En contraste, ganar el mundo entero pero renunciar a la vida eterna carece de sentido, así como el misionero Jim Elliot lo expresó en su diario personal el 28 de octubre de 1949: “No es tonto quien da lo que no puede conservar para ganar lo que no puede perder”. “El que ama su vida la perderá; y el que desprecia su vida en este mundo, para vida eterna la guardará” (Juan 12:25). ¿Cómo has experimentado la realidad de estas palabras? 

Are you hanging on …too tightly?In 1956, Jim Elliot was murdered by Indians in the jungles of Ecuador. Newspaper reporters wondered why this missionary would risk his life for uncivilized Indians. Though Jim Elliot died at only 28 years old, he had a proper perspective of life. He said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”Too often, we hold tightly to possessions and activities that hold no eternal value. Don't make the mistake of clinging to things of insignificance. Teach your kids through your example to give your time and talents to worthwhile causes. That may seem hard at first, but as you make God a daily priority, your possessions and activities will come into proper focus.For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Title: HEARING AND DOING Sunday Second Service Sermon Live Speaker: Pr. Jim Reuben Elliot Date: June 30th, 2024 FOLLOW US! https://linktr.ee/agapebangalore Facebook:   / agapebangalore   Instagram:   / agapebangalore   YouTube:    / @agapebangalore   YouTube TV:    / @agapebangaloretv   Twitter:   / abcabfindia   Website: https://agapebangalore.org LISTEN TO SERMON & DEVOTION PODCASTS: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/45oJua9... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/2c71... Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/b4uqjq0c Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/agapebangalor... All other podcast mediums: https://anchor.fm/agapebangalore/ VISIT US! Location: Agape Bible Church Bangalore Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/fvEzXTwigMbRRTxz5 CONTACT US! Email: abcabfindia@gmail.com WhatsApp & Telegram: +91-9900167714 & +91-9901613901 #AgapeBangalore #WordofGod #JimReubenElliot

I want to begin our time together this morning by reading four different verses from the Bible followed by a story and then ask a question that I hope to answer in a way that is helpful. So here are the four different verses which are from four different books in the Bible, and from four different authors: Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:1112) It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim. 3:12) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; (1 Pet. 4:12) Jesus said of anyone who might be thinking about becoming a Christian: If anyone wants to come after Me, 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 for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). Some of you are hanging by a thread emotionally, perhaps spiritually, and maybe even physically and you are wondering: Is it worth it? It is my hope that by the end of this sermon, you will be able to answer that question yourself. Remember that Chasing After the World was a Dead End (vv. 17-19) The point of verses 17-19 is not to point the proverbial finger at the gentiles as if to say: Yuck look at those gross Gentile sinners! The point is to remind the Ephesian Christians of what they were once, contrasted with who they are now. Within verse 17 is a command to, no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. Why? Because it makes no sense! What we read in this verse is not all that different than what Paul wrote in Romans 6:1-4, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:14) The Bible never separates belief from action. If you believe something to be true, your behavior will be affected by that belief. What we believe in our minds will inevitably affect how we conduct our lives. Is this not the point that Jesus made in His sermon on the mount? Listen to what Jesus said: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:1314). So, Paul commands his readers: you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. He then explains what it was that compelled them to walk the way they walked: It was (1) the futility of their minds, (2) being darkened in their understanding, and (3) excluded from the life of God. Notice that the way the unbeliever thinks results in the way that unbeliever acts. The word for futility literally means empty in the Greek. What this means is that the mind of a person without God is a person without a true understanding of what their purpose is, and how can a person have any real sense of purpose if they reject the Creator who created us to know Him? To be without purpose because you are without God, is to have a mind that is darkened; A person without purpose is a person who stumbles through life like the person who stumbles in a pitch-black room without any real sense of direction for how to get out but does an excellent job at running into wall after wall. The person excluded from the life of God is a person who chases after the idols of the world and the heart thinking it might satisfy when all that it does is prove to be empty. According to Paul, people act the way they think, and what a person thinks is always connected to their heart. James Boice put it this way: People act as they think, and the reason they are constantly messing up is that they are vain in their thinking and darkened in their understanding as a consequence of being separated from God.[1] The person who is spiritually dead does not only have a problem with a mind that does not know God, but also has a problem of the heart. If you are excluded from the life of God, then you are spiritually dead. If you are spiritually dead before God, then your heart is hard towards God to the point of stone. The Greek word used for hardness is pōrōsiswhich is also used for marble. To have a stone heart is to have a heart unable to feel or love God because it has grown calloused towards God and what matters to God. In our home in Colorado, we had a granite island. I had the bright idea to do a box jump onto the granite countertop, and against the wisdom and sage advice from my wife to not try it, I ignored her and did it anyway. When I jumped, my toes caught the edge of the granite countertop just enough so that my shins could feel the full force of my weight has I came down; needless to say, it hurt a lot. The heart of the unbeliever is a heart that is unreceptive to the Word of God in the same way the granite countertop was unreceptive to my shins! Our hearts were not only hard towards God but calloused in the sense that instead of running towards God, we chased after anything but God, namely the idols of our hearts. According to verse 19, before Jesus redeemed us, we were like the Gentile pagans in Ephesus who gave, themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But what was true of you Christian, is not true of you today! This is the point Paul is making, and he is encouraging you to not only celebrate your life in Christ, but to live in the reality of who you are in Jesus. Chasing After Jesus is Life (vv. 20-24) Ephesians 4:10 is the equivalent of Ephesians 2:4-5! And you were dead in your offenses and sins. But, God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (2:1, 4-5). In the passage before us today, we whose minds were darkened, without purpose, and had marble like stone hearts have received Jesus Christ and we have never been the same since! We who were dead in our sins, are now alive in Jesus. We whose minds were darkened, have been enlightened by the light of the Gospel! We who were once without purpose because we did not know God, now have found our purpose in Christ! How did this happen? You heard the truth of the gospel and at the same time God supernaturally and miraculously changed your heart. What you experienced is the thing we read about in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus. For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:36) Christian, you who were once dead in your sins, are now alive in Jesus! You who chased after the idols of your heart thinking that they would satisfy have been found by the One who said: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38); you have received Him because you heard Him and have been taught in Him (v. 21)! There are three verbs used to describe how it is that you went from being dead in your sins to being alive with Christ in Ephesians 4:20-21. The first verb is learned which comes from the Greek word emathete; literally this verse should read: you learned Christ. So, how do you learn somebody? Well you dont do it by simply collecting some historic facts about that person! In Philippians we get an idea for how we have learned Christ and how we are learning Christ: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11). The second verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word heard which comes from the Greek word ēkousate and it is translated in the NASB the way it should be: you have heard Him. How have you heard Christ? You heard Him through His word; you heard His voice through the good news that He lived the life you could not live and died a death for your sins that you deserved in your place, and on the third day, He conquered the grave through His resurrection. You heard His voice in the way Jesus Himself said you would: My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of the Fathers hand (John 10:27-28). The third verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word edidachthēte and is translated you have been taught in Him. You were not taught by Him, but in Him. James Boice wrote of this word that it most likely means that, Jesus is the atmosphere within which the teaching takes place. We might say that Jesus is the school, as well as the teacher and the subject of instruction.[2] Whats the point? The point is that you who were once lost are now found, and even though you may have been a great sinner, Jesus is a great savior. No longer are you futile in your thinking. No longer are you chasing after idols in the dark. The life you once lived is now your former way of life according to Ephesians 4:22, so why would you even want to go back to your old self? Of course you do not want to go back to your old way of life because it is futile, it was purposeless, it was empty of God, it was a drinking from one toilet after the other only to discover that not only were you thirstier than before, but sick too! But now now you have Jesus, and because you have Jesus you have life! You have been made alive by Jesus and He who is, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) has given you purpose. And so now we find ourselves before Ephesians 4:22-24! In regard to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Listen, it is here in these verses that being made alive in Jesus intersects with the relationship we were created for. Listen, there are some Christians from whom all you hear out of their mouths is how you must rid yourself of this and rid yourself of that for the purpose of looking and behaving a certain way, and much of it has to do with how you look and behave on the outside, which is no different than the legalism of the Pharisees Jesus spoke against. There are others from whom all you hear that comes out of their mouths is, Grace this and grace that it doesnt matter how you live because it is all grace. This is also known as antinomianism which is the belief that the Christians is free from having to obey Gods moral law. Neither legalism nor antinomianism is the point of these verses! Conclusion What is the point of Ephesians 4:22-24 then? The point is that we who were once dead in our sins, have experienced the power of God for salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16)! The point is that we were once dead and now we are alive in Jesus (2:1-5). The point is that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). The point is that while we were dead in our sins, the closest thing we could come to discovering our purpose and finding true satisfaction is by drinking from the toilet bowl of the world only to grow sicker! Now that we are alive in Christ, we have purpose in God, and have the ability to delight in the God who made us for Himself! The point of Ephesians 4:22-24 is delight! The point is that we rid ourselves of the old self by chasing after the Jesus who is the light of the world (John 8:12). We rid ourselves of the old self by feasting on Jesus who is the bread of life (John 6:35). We rid ourselves of the old self by discovering in Him our true north as, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). We rid ourselves of the old self and put on the new self by hungering and thirsting after the only One who can satisfy, for it is Jesus who said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). The author of Life and our Redeemer said: If anyone wants to come after Me, 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 for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). These are the words that inspired Jim Elliot to pen his famous words: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Little did he know that sometime later his life would become the catalyst to reach a violent unreached tribe, the Waodani tribe in South America, with the gospel; his death being the catalyst. So, is it worth it? Yes, He is worth it! He is worth it because even if it seems that we have lost it all, in Jesus we have not lost a thing. When all is said and done, all we have is Christ! [1] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 154. [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 161.

I want to begin our time together this morning by reading four different verses from the Bible followed by a story and then ask a question that I hope to answer in a way that is helpful. So here are the four different verses which are from four different books in the Bible, and from four different authors: Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:1112) It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim. 3:12) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; (1 Pet. 4:12) Jesus said of anyone who might be thinking about becoming a Christian: If anyone wants to come after Me, 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 for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). Some of you are hanging by a thread emotionally, perhaps spiritually, and maybe even physically and you are wondering: Is it worth it? It is my hope that by the end of this sermon, you will be able to answer that question yourself. Remember that Chasing After the World was a Dead End (vv. 17-19) The point of verses 17-19 is not to point the proverbial finger at the gentiles as if to say: Yuck look at those gross Gentile sinners! The point is to remind the Ephesian Christians of what they were once, contrasted with who they are now. Within verse 17 is a command to, no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. Why? Because it makes no sense! What we read in this verse is not all that different than what Paul wrote in Romans 6:1-4, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:14) The Bible never separates belief from action. If you believe something to be true, your behavior will be affected by that belief. What we believe in our minds will inevitably affect how we conduct our lives. Is this not the point that Jesus made in His sermon on the mount? Listen to what Jesus said: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:1314). So, Paul commands his readers: you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk. He then explains what it was that compelled them to walk the way they walked: It was (1) the futility of their minds, (2) being darkened in their understanding, and (3) excluded from the life of God. Notice that the way the unbeliever thinks results in the way that unbeliever acts. The word for futility literally means empty in the Greek. What this means is that the mind of a person without God is a person without a true understanding of what their purpose is, and how can a person have any real sense of purpose if they reject the Creator who created us to know Him? To be without purpose because you are without God, is to have a mind that is darkened; A person without purpose is a person who stumbles through life like the person who stumbles in a pitch-black room without any real sense of direction for how to get out but does an excellent job at running into wall after wall. The person excluded from the life of God is a person who chases after the idols of the world and the heart thinking it might satisfy when all that it does is prove to be empty. According to Paul, people act the way they think, and what a person thinks is always connected to their heart. James Boice put it this way: People act as they think, and the reason they are constantly messing up is that they are vain in their thinking and darkened in their understanding as a consequence of being separated from God.[1] The person who is spiritually dead does not only have a problem with a mind that does not know God, but also has a problem of the heart. If you are excluded from the life of God, then you are spiritually dead. If you are spiritually dead before God, then your heart is hard towards God to the point of stone. The Greek word used for hardness is pōrōsiswhich is also used for marble. To have a stone heart is to have a heart unable to feel or love God because it has grown calloused towards God and what matters to God. In our home in Colorado, we had a granite island. I had the bright idea to do a box jump onto the granite countertop, and against the wisdom and sage advice from my wife to not try it, I ignored her and did it anyway. When I jumped, my toes caught the edge of the granite countertop just enough so that my shins could feel the full force of my weight has I came down; needless to say, it hurt a lot. The heart of the unbeliever is a heart that is unreceptive to the Word of God in the same way the granite countertop was unreceptive to my shins! Our hearts were not only hard towards God but calloused in the sense that instead of running towards God, we chased after anything but God, namely the idols of our hearts. According to verse 19, before Jesus redeemed us, we were like the Gentile pagans in Ephesus who gave, themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But what was true of you Christian, is not true of you today! This is the point Paul is making, and he is encouraging you to not only celebrate your life in Christ, but to live in the reality of who you are in Jesus. Chasing After Jesus is Life (vv. 20-24) Ephesians 4:10 is the equivalent of Ephesians 2:4-5! And you were dead in your offenses and sins. But, God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (2:1, 4-5). In the passage before us today, we whose minds were darkened, without purpose, and had marble like stone hearts have received Jesus Christ and we have never been the same since! We who were dead in our sins, are now alive in Jesus. We whose minds were darkened, have been enlightened by the light of the Gospel! We who were once without purpose because we did not know God, now have found our purpose in Christ! How did this happen? You heard the truth of the gospel and at the same time God supernaturally and miraculously changed your heart. What you experienced is the thing we read about in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus. For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:36) Christian, you who were once dead in your sins, are now alive in Jesus! You who chased after the idols of your heart thinking that they would satisfy have been found by the One who said: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38); you have received Him because you heard Him and have been taught in Him (v. 21)! There are three verbs used to describe how it is that you went from being dead in your sins to being alive with Christ in Ephesians 4:20-21. The first verb is learned which comes from the Greek word emathete; literally this verse should read: you learned Christ. So, how do you learn somebody? Well you dont do it by simply collecting some historic facts about that person! In Philippians we get an idea for how we have learned Christ and how we are learning Christ: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11). The second verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word heard which comes from the Greek word ēkousate and it is translated in the NASB the way it should be: you have heard Him. How have you heard Christ? You heard Him through His word; you heard His voice through the good news that He lived the life you could not live and died a death for your sins that you deserved in your place, and on the third day, He conquered the grave through His resurrection. You heard His voice in the way Jesus Himself said you would: My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of the Fathers hand (John 10:27-28). The third verb that is used to describe how we have gone from death to life is the word edidachthēte and is translated you have been taught in Him. You were not taught by Him, but in Him. James Boice wrote of this word that it most likely means that, Jesus is the atmosphere within which the teaching takes place. We might say that Jesus is the school, as well as the teacher and the subject of instruction.[2] Whats the point? The point is that you who were once lost are now found, and even though you may have been a great sinner, Jesus is a great savior. No longer are you futile in your thinking. No longer are you chasing after idols in the dark. The life you once lived is now your former way of life according to Ephesians 4:22, so why would you even want to go back to your old self? Of course you do not want to go back to your old way of life because it is futile, it was purposeless, it was empty of God, it was a drinking from one toilet after the other only to discover that not only were you thirstier than before, but sick too! But now now you have Jesus, and because you have Jesus you have life! You have been made alive by Jesus and He who is, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) has given you purpose. And so now we find ourselves before Ephesians 4:22-24! In regard to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Listen, it is here in these verses that being made alive in Jesus intersects with the relationship we were created for. Listen, there are some Christians from whom all you hear out of their mouths is how you must rid yourself of this and rid yourself of that for the purpose of looking and behaving a certain way, and much of it has to do with how you look and behave on the outside, which is no different than the legalism of the Pharisees Jesus spoke against. There are others from whom all you hear that comes out of their mouths is, Grace this and grace that it doesnt matter how you live because it is all grace. This is also known as antinomianism which is the belief that the Christians is free from having to obey Gods moral law. Neither legalism nor antinomianism is the point of these verses! Conclusion What is the point of Ephesians 4:22-24 then? The point is that we who were once dead in our sins, have experienced the power of God for salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16)! The point is that we were once dead and now we are alive in Jesus (2:1-5). The point is that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). The point is that while we were dead in our sins, the closest thing we could come to discovering our purpose and finding true satisfaction is by drinking from the toilet bowl of the world only to grow sicker! Now that we are alive in Christ, we have purpose in God, and have the ability to delight in the God who made us for Himself! The point of Ephesians 4:22-24 is delight! The point is that we rid ourselves of the old self by chasing after the Jesus who is the light of the world (John 8:12). We rid ourselves of the old self by feasting on Jesus who is the bread of life (John 6:35). We rid ourselves of the old self by discovering in Him our true north as, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). We rid ourselves of the old self and put on the new self by hungering and thirsting after the only One who can satisfy, for it is Jesus who said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). The author of Life and our Redeemer said: If anyone wants to come after Me, 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 for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:2425). These are the words that inspired Jim Elliot to pen his famous words: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Little did he know that sometime later his life would become the catalyst to reach a violent unreached tribe, the Waodani tribe in South America, with the gospel; his death being the catalyst. So, is it worth it? Yes, He is worth it! He is worth it because even if it seems that we have lost it all, in Jesus we have not lost a thing. When all is said and done, all we have is Christ! [1] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 154. [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 161.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 9th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Galatians 2:20, and I am reading this verse out of the Amplified Version of the Bible: “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” The great paradox! I got hold of the Oxford Dictionary to find out the literal meaning of the word, “paradox”. This is what it says: “A statement that sounds absurd or seems to contradict itself but is in fact, true.” So a paradox is self-contradiction, inconsistency, it's puzzling, but I want to tell you, it is true. I don't know if you remember, some of the men listening to this message, we had a Mighty Men Conference on Shalom, and we called it, “Dying to Live”. If you want to live, you have to die. Our biggest enemy today is not the devil. Remember when Jesus died on the Cross? He said, “It is finished.” Our biggest enemy is ourselves. Jim Elliot was a young missionary who went out to the South Americas, to the jungle in the Amazon, and he was murdered for his faith. He was 29 years old. He said, “It is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” We cannot keep our faith, we cannot keep our lives, but we can have eternal life. “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”John 12:24People say, “What a waste of a young life.” He left a young wife and a baby girl behind. But folks, I want to tell you that was no waste. They say thousands of students from university went out when they heard about the death of a young missionary, and they went out to preach the Gospel all over the world. Today, die to self, live for Christ and then you have a reason to get up in the morning, and have a wonderful day.Goodbye.

Our guest speaker, Jonathan Miller, talks about the inspiring story of Jim Elliot, a missionary who demonstrated humility through his ultimate sacrifice, shows us the impact of living a humble life. Embrace humility and witness how it can lead to true greatness, secure your identity in Christ, and open doors to God's grace. Check it out!

Join Pastor Adam Burton at Central Baptist Church in Maysville, Kentucky, as he delivers an inspiring sermon titled "Eternal Treasures." In this enlightening message, Pastor Adam explores the profound value of the Kingdom of God and how seeking eternal treasures over temporary pleasures can transform our lives. Understand the unparalleled worth of God's Kingdom through powerful stories and biblical teachings. Pastor Adam emphasizes the joy of sacrificing all to obtain the hidden treasure of the Kingdom and the present reality of God's rule and reign in our hearts and lives. Learn about the cost and reward of following Christ, illustrated through the lives of Paul and Jim Elliot, who counted all as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Discover the hidden truths and the incredible joy, peace, and purpose that come from living for God's Kingdom. This sermon offers a powerful reminder of the eternal treasures in Christ, encouraging you to embrace the full life God has called you to live. Join us on this journey to uncover the eternal treasures that await in Christ, and find the true meaning and purpose you've been searching for.

(Mark 10:35–45) Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”  “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.  They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”  “You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”  “We can,” they answered.  Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”  When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”   Being a disciple is about Submission, Not Status.   “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter.” ― D.L. Moody   (Galatians 2:20) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   Being a disciple is about Sacrifice, Not Comfort.   (Jeremiah 25:15) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.   (Mark 14:36) “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”   (Matthew 16:24-25) 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.   “Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.” -Mark Batterson   (Luke 9:57-58) 57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”   (Philippians 3:7-11) 7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death   Being a Disciple is about being a Servant, Not a Lord.   (Ephesians 4:29) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.   (Mark 10:45) For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.   Consider the Cost Consider the Urgency Consider the Worth   “He is no fool that gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” -Jim Elliot

"The only way to learn how many plates you can spin is to break some plates. The question of capacity guarantees failure."        - T.S. Elliot He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.  - Jim Elliot (no relation to T.S. that I'm aware of) I'm not a plate-spinner. I am able to multi-task, but it's not actually multi-tasking at all. It's really intense focus on a single thing with enough speed to get a number of things accomplished over a short period. That makes it look like multi-tasking. Themes of the week have been: Self-control or self-regulation - manifested in the struggles people have with porn addiction, marital infidelity, alcohol, work, parenting, unruly children, loneliness and more Capacity and resources - what's our limit? Congruency - frustration in hearing people (often bosses) say one thing, but do something completely different Failing to figure out how or where we fit - not understanding why or how we're making a difference / wondering if we are I've got too much going on - too many irons in the fire. I'm working on it and I'll share more. Please tell a friend about the podcast! • Join our private Facebook group • Email me Help Me Reach My $1,000 Goal I plan to start vlogging from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas because the place is spectacular. The scenery will make for a great backdrop. Plus, there are many places I'd like you to see. To help, click the link (or the image below) to donate any amount you'd like. Amazon Gift Certificates (use RandyCantrell@gmail.com). Thank you!

Elisabeth Elliot's voice was a fixture voice for thousands of living rooms through her 13-year daily radio show. After her husband Jim Elliot was killed on the mission field her best-selling book was the inspiration for the faith of three generations. She was a prolific author and one of the few prominent female voices of the church of her time. She was a purity culture and traditional gender roles icon for thousands of women. Her words, and expressed views at that time have been polarizing for many Christians. I've since learned her true story was more complex than any of us knew. You can buy Ellen's linked books "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot" and "Being Elisabeth Elliot" or find Ellen Vaughn on Instagram. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elizabeth-santelmann/support

So let's start this morning with a pop quiz. I've got just a two-question theology quiz … I'm going to say two sentences and I want you to fill in the blanks. You ready?God saves us by grace through faith in _______.Answer: JesusOnce we put our faith in Jesus, God, by his Spirit, begins the work of conforming us into the image of _______.Answer: JesusThe Bible teaches us that in our our lives as Christians God is continuing the good work that he began in us (Philippians 1:6). That means that he is conforming us into the image of Jesus. He is progressively, slowly but surely, making us more and more like Jesus, and we are called to be like Jesus. Every Christian in here agree with that? We're called to be like Jesus.Jesus or Paul?Okay, so what about verses like this:1 Corinthians 4:16 — this is Paul speaking and he says: “… I urge you … be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.” 2 Timothy 1:3 — Paul tells Timothy: “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me …” And later in that letter, as an encouragement to Timothy, Paul says: “You have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions…” (3:10) Paul says later in this letter to the Philippians, 3:17, “Brothers, join in imitating me …” He says in Chapter 4, verse 9: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things …” So, fair question: Are we supposed to be like Jesus or are we supposed to be like Paul?Well, the key here is Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he says: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Which means we are called to be like Jesus, and to be like Paul when Paul is like Jesus … and in all the ‘ways of Paul' that we find in the New Testament, he is being like Jesus. Paul models for us Christlikeness. Paul is an example of Christ that we should follow, including what he says here in this introduction, in this personal update.And so what is that? What is Paul's example here — what is Paul's example overall?What Is Paul's Example?We should have clarity on that, right? If we're supposed to imitate Paul as he imitates Christ, we need to know what Paul was like. Several years ago I was at a conference leading a workshop on leadership development, and I was making the case that, before churches can develop leaders, we need to know the kind of leaders we want to develop. Standard precedes system. And I appealed to what Paul says here in Philippians, that Paul's example is one we should follow, he sets a good standard, and so I asked the room: What was the apostle Paul like?It was a workshop, so I had asked the folks to get in small groups and read through the Book of Acts and Paul's letters, and try to summarize, from the Bible: Who was Paul and what was his passion? And I had a big post-it note, and after a few minutes, I was ready to write down some observations from the groups, so I asked everyone, about 50 people, What made Paul tick?And a dear sister raised her hand, and I had my marker ready to go, and I said, “Okay, tell us, what drove Paul?”She said: “Paul fought for women's equality!”And I said, “Okay … yeah, Paul believed that.”Another guy, spoke up: “Paul wanted to make America great again!”Answers were all over the place. This story really happened (most of it) … I think about it twice a week, because it reminds me that although we can make biblical and theological arguments for all kinds of important things, there's a difference between things that are true and a passion that drives you. There's a lot of good, true things, and we thank God for them, but only one thing can be an all-consuming passion — and we will never understand Paul until we know what that passion is. We see it in Philippians 1. It will be most clear in our passage next week, but it comes through in our verses today, 12–18. We need to know how can Paul say what he says here. And so if I had to summarize it, if I had to put Paul's example in one sentence, it's this:Paul cared most about the glory of God magnified through the advance of the gospel. The glory of God magnified through the advance of the gospel. That was Paul's all-consuming passion. More than anything else, Paul was a theologian-pastor-missionary who wanted the glory of God displayed through people hearing and learning and embracing the good news of Jesus Christ. That's what drove him. That's what led him to see the world the way he does here in verses 12–18, and that's what I want to show you.I want to show you three ways that this passion for Paul shaped the way we saw the world, and then I wanna give us some ideas for how we could follow his example.Father in heaven, thank you for your Word and for our brother, the apostle Paul. We ask now that by your Holy Spirit, give us a clear sightline into his example, and more than anything, overcome our hearts with the glory of your grace in the gospel. In Jesus's name, amen. Three Ways Paul's Passion Shaped His OutlookSo three ways that Paul's passion shaped his outlook. We're going to see these in the text, starting with verse 12.Paul's passion for the glory of God magnified through the advance of the gospel shaped …1) The way he interpreted how he's doing. (verse 12)Look at verse 12. Pauls starts, “I want you to know, brothers, ….”And we can just stop right there for a minute. Remember that this is the introduction of a letter between good friends, and as good friends tend to do in communication, they start with an update on how they're doing. Paul wanted to know how this church was doing (which was the job of Timothy and Epaphroditus — they were supposed to bring news of this church back to Paul); and this church wanted to know how Paul was doing (which is what he's telling them here in this letter).Now the church at Philippi already knew what had happened to Paul. They knew that he was in Roman custody, in prison, in Rome.And we know from the New Testament that Paul faced different types of imprisonment with different conditions, including once an imprisonment in Philippi. The beginning of this church can be traced back to Paul and Silas being thrown into prison in Philippi in Acts 16. And in that imprisonment, the conditions were rough: Paul's feet was locked into iron stocks. The best-case scenario of imprisonment was house arrest (which was the condition of Paul's imprisonment in Acts 28), but we're not sure exactly about the condition of his imprisonment when he writes this letter — and in this way, we're like the Philippian church. They knew Paul was in Roman custody, but they didn't know the details — now they did know more than we do, that Roman custody in the first century was never a five-star hotel.Historically (this would have been around the year 60) it's a fact that Roman prisons were absolutely inhumane. They would have been underground with little to no ventilation. It would have been almost completely dark, with a terrible stench, crawling with disease. These prisons were not built to hold prisoners for a long time, but only until they were tried or executed. Maybe Paul is on house arrest right now shackled to a Roman solider — but either way, he's imprisoned in Rome, good grief, how's he doing? That's what this church wanted to know. Paul, how are you?Paul says: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”We would expect that he wants us to know how bad it smells or how hungry he is or how terribly he's been sleeping.Paul is in prison. Man, how are you? — I gotta tell you about how the gospel's advancing.The Overfilled AmericanoUnderstand that his answer here does not change his circumstances. The conditions were still terrible, and if he had the choice, he wanted to get out (in verse 19 he says that he hopes for that). So although his circumstances were bad and he did not like them, get this: he interpreted how he's doing not through the lens of his comfort but through the lens of his passion. And I'm convinced that we do the same thing, which is why we complain as much as we do. We also interpret our circumstances through the lens of our passion, it's just that for us our passion is our comfort. So if the church at Philippi were to ask us how we're doing, the lens through which we answer that question is: “Have I gotten what I wanted when and how I wanted it?”We tend to look at the world this way. Let's be honest. We live in the land of whiners, and it is so much the air we breathe that a lot of times we don't even know we're doing it. For example, a long time ago, like last year, I would go to a coffee shop at the same time two days a week and order a 16oz Americano with light water — which means I wanted “this much room.” And I would show them “how much room” with my fingers. But consistently the coffee people, who are great people, they would fill my cup to the very top with water (even when I did the fingers) … and I'd try to let it go because I don't wanna be that guy, but then when Melissa would call me to check in and ask me how my day was going, you know what I'd say?“Overfilled my Americano again.”Now part of that was tongue and cheek, but another part of me was really bothered by it, and in reality, subtly, when asked how I was doing, I assessed the question through the lens of my comfort, of me getting what I want when and how I want it. Without meaning to, my passion is my comfort. Because that's our default. And we know it. But what if God has something better for us? What if we followed Paul's example and our passion was the glory of God magnified through the advance of the gospel?Clarifying Our HumanityIt would not mean that hard circumstances are less real, and it also would not mean that we never talk about them. Don't misunderstand me here:We are humans and we have needs and we should be honest about that. Later when Paul was in prison, he did ask Timothy to send him a coat and some books (see 2 Timothy 4:13). Paul told the Corinthians that he despaired of life itself when he was in Asia (see 2 Corinthians 1:8). Later in this letter, Paul talks about his anxiety and his potential sorrow (see Philippians 2:27–28). So look, we're not ignoring our emotions. We're not burying our heads in the sand. We are not talking about being super-humans, we're talking about being consumed by a passion greater than our comfort so much so that the question of how we're doing is interpreted, ultimately, through that passion. It's not about knowing the right words to say. We should have no interest in shallow jargon. What I'm talking about here is seeing the world from a heart that is truly consumed with God.Ultimate Non-FoolishnessThe missionary Jim Elliot, who gave his life for the gospel, said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” And we could also say: He is no fool who interprets how he's doing by what is destined for triumph rather than what is certain to wane. “How we doing?” — there's a lot of details we could get into, and I hope we can — we should — but what if we could be more like Paul and the question of how we're doing takes us to:Is God being glorified? Is his gospel being advanced? Are people hearing about Jesus?Okay, here's the second thing to see about Paul's passion for the glory of God through the advance of the gospel.2) Paul's passion shaped how he understood the impact of his witness. (verses 13–14)So Paul said that his imprisonment, as inconvenient and uncomfortable as it was, really served to advance the gospel, and now we want to know in what way. How did the gospel advance?And that's what Paul explains for us in verses 13 and 14. He says that there are two different ways — there's one way in how his witness impacted unbelievers (verse 13) and there's another way his witness impacted fellow believers (verse 14).Manifest ChainsLook at verse 13 first. Paul explains that his imprisonment advanced the gospel, verse 13, “so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” What is the “imperial guard”? Those were the Roman soldiers closest to the seat of imperial power. They would have guarded the palace and kept watch over prisoners. “All the rest” in verse 13 most likely refers to other Roman officials who worked in and around the capitol. It had been made known to these Roman unbelievers that Paul was in prison for Jesus. Does that make sense? Everybody see this in verse 13?Well, I think Paul is actually saying something deeper here than it first appears. It helps, I think, to know that the word translated “imprisonment” in verse 13 could also be translated bonds or chains. (If you read the New International Version you'll see the word “chains.”) And if we follow the original word order, a more literal way to translate verse 13 is to say: “so that my chains in Christ have become manifest to the whole imperial guard and to all the rest.” Now what does this matter? Well it means that what's new for Paul is not “his chains in Christ” — that was how Paul understood his whole life. He was a bondservant of Christ. That's how he introduces himself in this letter: “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus.” But what's new here, is that because Paul is imprisoned in Rome, his chains in Christ have become manifest in Rome. I think there's a double-meaning here.Ever since Jesus saved Paul, he's been a new person who is bound to Christ. That's who he is. And now that he's in Rome, literally in bonds, in chains, then what has been true about him is now visible … the literal chains are a symbol of his heart allegiance to Jesus … and this serves the advance of the gospel because Paul understands that his witness to Jesus is not a lamp hidden under a basket, but instead, his witness to Jesus, his testimony to the worthiness of Jesus, is made visible in the epicenter of the world's superpower. The knowledge of Paul's chains, the sound waves of his witness, are bouncing off the walls of the imperial palace. The Roman Empire has been infiltrated … not by a lobbyist, not by a protester, but by the talk of a man willing to give his life so that more and more people can hear about Jesus.Boosted ConfidenceBut not only did Paul's witness impact the unbelieving influencers of Rome, but it also impacted fellow believers, verse 14: “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Paul's imprisonment, his witness, boosted these Christians' confidence in Jesus and that resulted in them being more bold to share the gospel without fear. How did Paul's imprisonment boost their confidence? It was not that Paul made these brothers think: “Oh, prison is not that bad.” It's that they said, “Jesus is that good. Jesus is worth it.”Jesus is worth the risk of what Paul is going through because the worst thing that could happen to me is that I get killed, but then I get to be with Jesus and the gospel keeps advancing … so I don't think there's any way we can lose here. At Your WorkPaul understood that what he was going through, his witness, was having that kind of effect — and one thing this means for us is: Don't underestimate the impact of your witness when Jesus is more important to you than anything else. Think about your work right now. Your jobs.Sometimes there are opportunities at work to tell people straight up who Jesus is and what he did, but a lot more times there's just you in how you react and in how you inhabit your situations, and I want us to learn from Paul's example: Wherever you are, be where you are and love Jesus more than anything else … and see what happens. Your witness will have an impact.3) Paul's passion shaped the way he viewed other ministries. (verses 15–18)This is the final thing to see, in verse 15–18: Paul's all-consuming passion for the glory of God manifested through the advance of the gospel shaped the way he viewed other ministries.Look at verse 15. So Paul says that his imprisonment has emboldened fellow believers to preach the gospel and now he explains the fine print: “15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.” So there are two different kinds of Christ preachers here with different motives. Verse 16: “16 The latter [those who have a good will motive, they preach Christ] out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.” Early Tribalism and TodayNow who is he talking about there? First, we need to be clear that he is not talking about false teachers. We know what Paul has to say about false teachers. Let them be accursed (Galatians 1:8). But these are people who are proclaiming Christ. They're talking about Jesus in truth, it's just that their motive, what drives them, is selfish and competitive. They were trying to one-up Paul and while he was preoccupied with being in prison, while his ministry was “stalled,” they saw it as a chance for their ministry to take off.Isn't it crazy that by the year 60 — we're talking early days of the church — this kind of tribalism is already going on? I don't need to tell you that tribalism is a problem in our day, right?A lot has changed in 2,000 years, and a lot hasn't. Sinful human nature is still the same, and there were gospel preachers in Paul's day too who were driven by having a bigger social media platform than the next guy. They preached Jesus — they spoke the gospel — but they were driven by the clicks and likes and shares … they sought “their own interests” (see 2:21).And right away you could be thinking about different applications in our day, but let me caution you first to never be quick to think that you know somebody else's motive. When it comes to other gospel-preaching churches or ministries or people, our first thought should be what Paul says in Romans 14:4, “Who am I to judge the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.” It's not our job to discern the hearts of every other ministry. But even if, like Paul here, we have a pretty good read that the motive is bad, even if there is personal enmity, is our passion for the gospel bigger than our egos such that we can cut through everything to the main issue of Is Jesus being preached? Is the gospel being told?And if so, verse 18: “18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.” What Drives Us?Do you see what's happening here? It's not that Paul is being soft — it's not even that Paul is being charitable to those who don't like him — it's that he is so consumed with the glory of God through the advance of the gospel, that's what he cares about. That's what drives him. That's the lens through which he sees the world. Is Christ proclaimed?And we just need more of that. See, I wonder if a lot of the divisions in our day are less about real differences and more about passion. What really drives us?Paul's passion shaped his outlook … and ours will too — the question is: What is our passion?If we follow Paul's example, our passion would be the glory of God magnified through the advance of the gospel — and we say, Okay, we want that? But how do we get it? We don't have an “all-consuming passion for Jesus” switch that we can just flip on, right? So how we do get this kind of passion? The question I'm asking is: How might God answer this prayer that I pray for our church daily? I pray that Jesus would be our all-consuming passion.I can tell you that it will not happen apart from us being completely overcome by the grace of God. That's the game-changer. It's when our own hearts encounter and remember what Jesus has done to save us. Do you know how much he loves you? Do you know how committed he is to your everlasting joy? And he's never going to leave you. He's never going to forsake you. Even if everything else disappears, Jesus will stand by you like he did for Paul.And the more we get that, the more we know Jesus, the greater our passion will be, and that passion will shape our outlook.And that brings us to the Table. The TableWe come to this Table each week, not on the merits of our passion. This is not a table for the zealous. It's a table for the hungry who know that Jesus alone is our hope. In the Father's great love, Jesus has died for us and made us his own.

Just minutes before he would meet his death at the hands of the Auca Indians, missionary Jim Elliot wrote this in his diary: “I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God—what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! “ With that, he was brutally murdered and ushered into the presence of God. Jim Elliot knew something you don't, and he died a happy man because of it. How will you die? Jim Elliot died in the cause of attempting to bring the gospel to the violent tribe of the Aucas Indians, his last breath spent on the battlefield of the Lord as a 2 Timothy 2:3 soldier, ‘laying hold' on eternal life. You might be tempted to say that it was a shame for him to have died to that way, to lose your life to savages, but you'd be quite wrong. Jim Elliot also said “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” In that we have the true essence of the gospel, laying hold on eternal life even if it comes at the cost of this one. On this Sunday Service, I want to talk about building a ‘good foundation' in this life that'll prepare you for the ‘time to come', and the Hebrews 9:27 ‘unbreakable appointment' we all have with the Lord. You can absolutely be ready for that day, and the Bible tells us how.

Kevin Swanson explains the everything bubble in simple terms.--Since the year 2000, Americans borrowed---72 trillion from money created out of thin air - and they increased the pretended value of themselves by -65 trillion -in real estate and stocks-. The DJIA increased 5 fold in 14 years. Is American industry producing 5 times as much as it was in 2009----America has turned into a gigantic pretense - in economics, religion, and social integrity. But, as Christians we are pressed towards humility and genuineness on every level.--This program includes---1. The World View in 5 Minutes with Adam McManus -Anniversary of Jim Elliot's murder in Ecuador, Florida abortion group hopes to enshrine baby-killing, Sri Lankan pastor criminally charged for sermon comments---2. Generations with Kevin Swanson

It's Monday, January 8th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Sri Lankan pastor criminally charged for sermon comments A Sri Lankan pastor was granted bail on Wednesday, January 3rd after being jailed since December 1 on a charge of “outraging religious feelings” for comments in a sermon that appeared online, reports Morning Star News. He spent Christmas in jail. Authorities arrested Pastor Jerome Fernando of The Glorious Church in Colombo after a court had ordered officials to abstain from arresting him. He was released on a cash bail of $1,540 and two personal bails of $30,810 each. In Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” A video of Pastor Fernando's Sunday sermon of April 30th went viral on social media in May, prompting accusations that in his message he had offended religious sentiments of the Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic communities. Some media outlets stated that the pastor said in his sermon that Buddha had been “looking for Jesus,” which led to the uproar among Buddhists. Days of secrecy around Defense Secretary's hospital stay Senior Biden administration leaders, top Pentagon officials, and members of Congress were unaware for days that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since January 1st, reports PBS. The Pentagon did not inform the White House National Security Council or top adviser Jake Sullivan of Austin's hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland until Thursday. The Pentagon's failure to disclose Austin's hospitalization for days reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was, and when he may be released. Such secrecy, at a time when the United States is juggling myriad national security crises, runs counter to normal practice. The Pentagon, citing privacy, did not disclose the elective surgical procedure that led to Austin's complications. Tornado in Fort Lauderdale, Florida On Saturday, a tornado appeared to touch down three times in Broward County, Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, leaving several structures damaged before it went out to sea, reports NBC Miami. Florida abortion group hopes to enshrine baby-killing In other Floridian news, a pro-abortion advocacy group has announced that its disturbing ballot measure seeking to enshrine a right to abortion in the Florida Constitution has amassed the required number of signatures, making it one step closer to appearing on the ballot this fall, reports The Christian Post. Floridians Protecting Freedom, the baby-killing advocacy group behind the push to make abortion a constitutional right in the Sunshine State, said in a statement Friday that the Florida Division of Elections verified 910,946 petitions. Isaiah 59:7 describes the misnamed Floridians Protecting Freedom group to a “t.” The prophet wrote, “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways.” Harvard president resigns over plagiarism and antisemitism Last Tuesday, Harvard University President Claudine Gay  announced her resignation, following mounting accusations of plagiarism and backlash for her response at a congressional hearing in December to questions about antisemitism on U.S. college campuses, reports ABC News. Listen to this exchange between GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York and Claudine Gay. STEFANIK: “What action has been taken against students who are harassing and calling for the genocide of Jews on Harvard's campus?” GAY: “I can assure you we have robust …” STEFANIK: “What actions have been taken?” GAY: “… disciplinary processes that are underway.” STEFANIK: “I'm asking what actions have been taken against those students.” GAY: “Given students' rights to privacy and our obligations under FERPA – [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act], I will not say more about any specific cases, other than to reiterate that processes are ongoing.” STEFANIK: “Do you know what the number one hate crime in America is?” GAY: “I know that over the last couple of months there has been an alarming rise of antisemitism which I understand is the critical topic that we are here to discuss.” STEFANIK: “That's correct. It is anti-Jewish hate crimes. And Harvard ranks the lowest when it comes to protecting Jewish students. This is why I've called for your resignation. And your testimony today, not being able to answer with moral clarity, speaks volumes.” Gay was the first person of color and second woman in Harvard University's 386-year history to serve as president. Her tenure as president is the shortest in the school's history. Anniversary of Jim Elliot's murder in Ecuador And finally, on this day in history, January 8, 1956, five Christian missionaries -- named Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, and Pete Fleming -- were speared to death by Ecuadorean Indians they sought to evangelize. Jim had famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Life Magazine published a ten-page article on Elliot and his friends' mission and deaths.  Remarkably, after their murders, Jim's wife, Elisabeth Elliot, and Nate's sister, Rachel Saint, continued the evangelistic outreach to the very people who had killed their relatives. In October 1958, Mrs. Elliot, and her three-year-old daughter Valerie, went to live with the Indian tribe along with Rachel Saint. Elisabeth Elliot later published two books featuring the story of the missionaries and how God used them. They were entitled Through Gates of Splendor and Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot. In the first book, she wrote, “The other wives and I talked together one night about the possibility of becoming widows. What would we do? God gave us peace of heart, and confidence that whatever might happen, His Word would hold. We knew that 'when He puts forth His sheep, He goes before them.' God's leading was unmistakable up to this point. Each of us knew when we married our husbands that there would never be any question about who came first -- God and His work held first place in each life. It was the condition of true discipleship; it became devastatingly meaningful now.” In 2006, a theatrical movie entitled End of the Spear, was released based on the story of the pilot, Nate Saint, and the return trip of Saint's son, Steve Saint, attempting to reach the natives of Ecuador. I had the great honor of interviewing Steve years ago on Christian talk radio. You and your family can also watch a 34-minute animated Torchlighters video entitled “The Jim Elliot Story”. We have both films linked in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, January 8th in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com).  Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In this episode of The Gateway to Joy Podcast, we continue our series His Eye is on the Sparrow (https://elisabethelliot.org/sparrow). We share Gateway to Joy radio programs: - When the Sparrow Falls - The Mystery of Trials We also hear from special guests: - Jim Elliot and Ed McCully - Jean Hamilton --------- Special thanks to Mike Dize and the Bible Broadcasting Network. Theme music: John Hanson. Visit www.ElisabethElliot.org for more lectures, devotionals, videos, Gateway to Joy programs, and other resources.