Podcasts about knowing christ

What gives a Christian courage when circumstances are frightening, costly, or painful? It begins with how we see God. In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains that courageous faith rests on the character of God. He is sovereign, holy, loving, faithful, all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present. Because God cannot be wrong or defeated, those who fully trust Him can face an uncertain world with confidence and peace. Our view of God determines whether we walk by faith or by sight. Jesus promised that believers would experience trouble in this world, yet Scripture is filled with men and women who endured persecution, suffering, rejection, and even death because they believed God's eternal promises were worth more than temporary comfort. Hebrews 11 remembers saints who refused to abandon their faith even when obedience carried an enormous cost. They did not receive everything God had promised during their earthly lives, yet they persevered because they were looking toward something better—an eternal inheritance secured by God Himself. Following Jesus will cost us something. But courageous faith knows that knowing Christ is infinitely more valuable than anything we could lose. Trust the God who never fails, and follow Him with confidence, whatever the cost. Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times when I have put my desires before Your will and purpose for me. Help me to follow wherever You lead, no matter the cost. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:26).  Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon They Were Just like Us, The Warring Faith: LISTEN NOW The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

We conclude our Youth for God Weekend with this powerful message from Caleb Speer as he walks through Ephesians 3. Wrapping up the weekend's "Made for More" theme, Caleb reminds us that our greatest purpose is not found in our plans, careers, or accomplishments—but in bringing glory to God through Christ and His church. In this lesson, we discover that God has called us into something far bigger than ourselves. Our identity is found in Christ, our purpose is found in His mission, and our lives are meant to display God's wisdom and glory to the world. Caleb encourages both young people and adults to know Christ deeply, serve faithfully, and trust that God can accomplish far more than we could ever imagine. Key Scripture

Transformative Truth: God's People are Confident in God's Word   Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… The first reason for Supreme Confidence in Scripture is that it is **God-Breathed** KJV:  All scripture is given by inspiration of God NASB: All Scripture is inspired by God NIV: All Scripture is God-breathed ESV: All Scripture is breathed out by God Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21) The second reason for Supreme Confidence in Scripture is that it is **Written** Canon / Rule 1. Evidence of divine authority 2. Prophetic or apostolic authorship 3. Orthodox doctrine 4. Widespread acceptance For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) “What plant can be unwatered, and not wither” - Robert Murray M'Cheyne Suggestions for Reading 1. Read Frequently 2. Read Actively “No book in existence contains such important matters as the Bible” - JC Ryle Through Scripture You Can Have Confidence 1. Knowing God 2. Knowing the Mission of God's People 3. Knowing Truth 4. Knowing & Recognizing Lies 5. Knowing You 6. Knowing Christ

What Is True Wealth? A Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Perspective One of the greatest differences between the modern Western world and the biblical world is how each defines wealth. In today's culture, wealth is usually measured by what you own—your bank account, investments, property, possessions, and financial success. The more you accumulate, the wealthier you are considered. The Bible begins with a completely different question. Not "What do you own?" But "To whom do you belong?" 1. The First Wealth Was God's Presence The richest people in the Bible were not Abraham, David, or Solomon. The richest people were Adam and Eve before the Fall. They owned no land. They possessed no silver. They had no currency. Yet they lacked nothing. Why? Because they lived in communion with God. In the Ancient Near Eastern mindset, the greatest wealth was not possessions—it was the presence of God. When Adam and Eve left Paradise, they did not first lose a garden; they lost communion with the Source of life. That was humanity's greatest poverty. 2. Wealth Is Communion, Not Possession In the Bible, everything belongs to God. "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." (Psalm 24:1) Human beings are never described as absolute owners. They are stewards. Everything we have is entrusted to us by God. The biblical question is therefore not, "How much do I own?" but, "How faithfully am I managing what God has entrusted to me?" 3. The Heart Determines Wealth The Hebrew word for money, כֶּסֶף (Kesef), means silver, but its root also means to long for or to desire. Money, therefore, is connected to the desires of the heart. Jesus builds on this biblical idea when He says: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) The issue is never the money itself. The issue is what your heart treasures. 4. The Difference Between Cain and Abel The first words spoken after humanity leaves Eden are spoken by Eve: "I have acquired (קָנִיתִי) a man." (Genesis 4:1) Cain's very name is connected with acquiring. Outside Paradise, humanity begins measuring life by what it can possess. Abel's name, however, הֶבֶל (Hevel), means breath or vapor. His name reminds us that life itself cannot be possessed. It is received as a gift from God. This is the tension that runs throughout Scripture: Will we live by acquiring, or by receiving? 5. Jesus Redefines Wealth Jesus never condemns possessions. He condemns serving possessions. He says, "You cannot serve God and Mammon." (Matthew 6:24) The issue is worship. Money is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. The richest person is not the one who owns the most, but the one whose heart belongs completely to God. 6. The Image on the Coin When Jesus was asked about paying taxes, He held up a coin and asked, "Whose image is this?" "It is Caesar's." So Jesus replied, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." The coin bears Caesar's image, so it belongs to Caesar. But you bear God's image (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, the greatest wealth you possess is not your money— it is your identity as one created in the image of God. The real question is not, "What belongs to Caesar?" The real question is, "Have I given myself back to the God whose image I bear?" 7. The Wealth of the Kingdom Jesus describes the Kingdom as a hidden treasure, a pearl of great price, a treasure in heaven. The Kingdom itself is the greatest wealth. To gain Christ is to gain everything. As Paul writes: "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:8) Knowing Christ is greater than possessing the whole world. Teaching Summary In the Ancient Near Eastern mindset, true wealth is not measured by what you own but by your relationship with God. The richest person is the one who lives in communion with the Creator, faithfully stewards His gifts, and treasures the Kingdom above all else. Material possessions are temporary, but the presence of God is the greatest treasure. Christ came not merely to make us prosperous, but to restore the true riches that humanity lost in Paradise—the riches of life, peace, communion, and fellowship with God.

What is it that God calls into first place in my life if I accept his offer of grace? What would you say would be the “mission statement” of a Christ-centered church community?

In Episode 499 of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb conclude their extended study of Matthew 25 with a close examination of the Sheep and Goats passage (vv. 31–46). The conversation tackles one of the most frequently misread sections in the Gospels — a text often weaponized for works-righteousness or social-justice reductionism — and recovers its deeply Reformed, gospel-saturated meaning. The hosts argue that the works displayed at the final judgment are not meritorious currency but the spontaneous, unselfconscious fruit of transformed hearts. They explore the significance of the sheep's surprise, the inheritance language of the kingdom, unconditional election, and the precise meaning of "the least of these." The result is a theologically rich, pastorally grounding episode that offers genuine assurance to believers while calling the church to practical, ordinary mercy toward its own members. Key Takeaways Works at the final judgment reveal identity, not merit. The sheep are on the right because they are sheep — not because their accumulated deeds earned them a place. Their works flow from a renewed nature, not toward a threshold they must clear. The righteous are surprised — and that surprise is theologically decisive. If the sheep were consciously stacking up merit for judgment, they would have kept careful ledgers. Their inability to recall their own works demolishes any works-righteousness reading of the passage. Inheritance is not wages. Jesus' use of the word "inherit" signals that the kingdom is received by virtue of relationship, not performance — a point reinforced by Paul in Romans 8 and Galatians 4. Election precedes and grounds the works. The kingdom was prepared "before the foundation of the world," meaning the deepest cause of the sheep's blessedness long predates any of their deeds. Works are downstream of grace, never upstream. "The least of these" refers primarily to fellow believers, not to the poor in general. The phrase "my brothers" in verse 40 narrows the referent to members of Christ's body — those who belong to him by adoption, faith, and union with Christ. There is no two-stage justification. The final judgment is not a second review of whether one has done enough. It is a reassertion of the righteousness of Christ already imputed to believers — a public vindication, not a fresh assessment. Practical, ordinary mercy toward the church is the mark of kingdom membership. The six works listed — feeding, giving drink, hospitality, clothing, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned — are not heroic or extraordinary. They are the unglamorous, costly, consistent kindness that flows naturally from those who have been made new. Key Concepts The Surprise of the Righteous: A Devastation of Works-Righteousness One of the most theologically loaded moments in Matthew 25:31–46 is the reaction of the righteous at the judgment: "Lord, when did we see you?" They are not feigning humility. They genuinely do not remember. As Jesse Schwamb notes in this episode, this surprise is "devastating to a works-righteousness reading of the passage" — because anyone consciously building a merit ledger would have kept meticulous records. The sheep kept none. Their works flowed so naturally and unselfconsciously from hearts already made new by the Spirit that those works barely registered as remarkable. This is precisely what the Reformed doctrine of sanctification predicts: truly gracious affections issue in Christian practice as the spontaneous fruit of a transformed nature — as natural as a good tree producing good fruit. The works are real, the works matter, but they are not calculated. They are evidence, not currency. Inheritance, Election, and the Order of Grace Jesus does not tell the sheep they earned the kingdom. He tells them to inherit it — and he specifies that it was prepared for them "from the foundation of the world." These two details together form a nearly complete statement of Reformed soteriology embedded in the judgment scene itself. Inheritance, as both Paul and Jesus make clear, is received through relationship and not through performance. An heir does not negotiate terms; an heir receives by virtue of who they are in relation to the testator. Layered on top of this is the language of eternal, unconditional election: the kingdom's preparation predates all human works, good or bad. There is no "looking down the corridor of foreseen merit" here. The sheep's blessedness has its deepest root in the sovereign grace of God exercised in eternity past — which means their works, however real and meaningful, can never be the ground of their standing before the King. "The Least of These": The Church as the Primary Referent A significant and often overlooked interpretive question in Matthew 25 is the identity of "the least of these my brothers" (v. 40). The episode argues, in line with the dominant Reformed and historical reading, that this phrase refers primarily to fellow believers — members of Christ's body who are suffering, vulnerable, or marginalized within the community of faith. The word "brothers" is not incidental. It places the referent in a specific covenantal and familial relationship with Christ. This does not exclude broader applications of mercy — the hosts acknowledge that the principle may extend centrifugally outward — but the center of the text is the church's care for its own. This reading is consistent with Galatians 6:10 ("do good to all people, especially the household of faith"), with Acts 9 (where persecuting the church is persecuting Christ), and with the overall logic of the passage, in which belonging to the King is the decisive category. Memorable Quotes Their works flowed so naturally and unselfconsciously from a renewed heart that they scarcely remembered them, let alone regarded them as currency for salvation. — Jesse Schwamb Sheep are put on the right side because they are sheep, and goats are put on the left side because they are goats — not because they act like sheep or because they act like goats. Those characteristics flow from what they are. They don't make them what they are. — Tony Arsenal God provides grace. Now do all that you can do. That's the Christian way to look at things. He has prepared good works in advance for us to walk in. This is not some sort of measurement of whether or not you're in the kingdom. It's a description of what those who are in the kingdom look like and how they behave. — Tony Arsenal Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 499 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:01:13] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  [00:01:18] Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, we're back. We're back in Matthew 25, and if you haven't been tracking with us for a little while, we've, we've talked about all the parables hanging out in Matthew 25. But what we've been talking about recently is this kind of surprise pop quiz, that's redundant, that Jesus kind of gives at the final judgment, and he talks about separating these groups into sheep, into goats, and the sheep aren't shocked that they get into heaven. They're shocked that their quiet, kind of unglamorous kindness apparently got tallied at all. And because all of these good works apparently are done from a heart already made new, have a way of sneaking past even their own doers' notice. But then there's this other group, the goats, and they learn the hard way that they never really did anything for anybody. And it's not a great look when your deeds are just faith's paper trail. And so Jesus has a lot to say to us in this, what we're calling, like, parable adjacent kind of message that he gives. Summarizing these three- Yeah ... great teachings, here comes all of this really direct and explicit instruction about, uh, the final judgment, which by the way is impossible for me now to hear or say without thinking of the final countdown. [00:02:30] Tony Arsenal: The final judgment.  [00:02:32] Jesse Schwamb: I was hope- I was hoping you would sing us into that, and it was beautiful. Yeah. It was fantastic.  I  [00:02:36] Tony Arsenal: try. I  try.  [00:02:37] Jesse Schwamb: So I think on this episode we got a lot to say in our ongoing conversation about this judgment, about these deeds, these works. What are they? What is their purpose, especially for these different groups of sheeps and goats? What's the deal?  [00:02:52] Affirm Deny Segment [00:02:52] Jesse Schwamb: So we'll get to all of that in just a second, but first, it's that blessed and glorious time in every Reformed Brotherhood conversation where we either affirm with something that is something that we really like, think is understated, that's really is not getting the attention, people are sleeping on, or conversely, we deny against something that just isn't that cool, just is not that great. So Tony, are you affirming with something or are you gonna deny against something today?  [00:03:17] Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming with something. I'm not sure how long this has been a thing. I stumbled upon it, uh, a little while ago, and it's been in my affirmations list for a couple weeks. Um, and I'm also not 100% sure that this is available to every Logos Bible user. So those are the caveats.  [00:03:33] Logos Minutes Reading Plans [00:03:33] Tony Arsenal: Um, what I stumbled upon is if you create a reading plan now, instead of saying, "I wanna finish this book by this date or in this number of sessions," uh, you can say, "I wanna finish this book by reading X minutes a day," which is great. Um, it's a, it's a feature that I've, I thought, like, why didn't they have this a long time ago? Because a lot of times you want to sort of set aside a certain amount of time a day. Maybe it's 15, 20 minutes of Bible reading. Maybe it's five minutes of Bible reading. Maybe it's 30 minutes of- Bavinck or Calvin or whatever you're reading. So what you can do now is you tell it the page range or you tell it, "I wanna read the whole book." Uh, you could do, you know, passages or verse ranges or sections of the Bible. And then where you normally in the next screen where it would ask you, uh, how many days you wanna read, how many sessions, or whether you wanna read until a certain date, there's a new option. And so it just divides that up based on the amount of time. What's really slick is it will actually break pages in half. Nice. So, like, if you have a short, um, either a short amount of pages that you wanna read, and it's kinda like I wanna read for two or three minutes a day, and two minutes is not a whole page. I run into this when I'm reading Matthew Henry when I'm preparing for sermons, because for whatever reason, uh, maybe it's just the Logos page pagination, but the pages are really long. Like, a one page of Matthew Henry's commentary will sometimes take, like, 10 or 15 minutes to read, which is obnoxious. Um, I think it's just that the pages are just, like... I don't know, I think it's just long pages. Um, but if you say I wanna read this one page and I wanna read for five minutes a day, it'll actually split the page up, um, into chunks based on the word count and whatnot. And obviously, that five minutes is, it's not calculating how quickly you read, like, uh, Kindle does sometimes when you're doing that.  [00:05:25] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:05:25] Tony Arsenal: Um, so it's basing that on an average reading speed. So if you're a little faster, uh, of a reader, then it'll be, you know, you'll get done a little quicker, and it might take you a little longer if you're slower. But it's a really slick feature, and I think it's, like I said, I think most of us If we wanna be diligent to read whatever it is we're reading, whether it's the Bible or other theological works, um, we want to set aside time, and we wanna sorta time block. We've talked a lot about productivity, um, in this podcast. We wanna, like, time block our time so it's protected and it's, it's set aside for that task or for that purpose, and this is a great way to do it. So you just put it on your calendar. You say, "I've got 15 minutes that's set aside to read the Bible in the morning, and I know that it's gonna be a digestible chunk." And then it's a, you know, it's no longer a, a date-bound reading plan, so there's no falling behind. If you miss a day, it just means you pick up the next day. Right. So it's a great way to do it. Again, not that there's anything wrong with time-bound reading plans or deadlines, but it's a little bit of a different way to make sure that you're getting into the Word or whatever book you're reading, uh, consistently. [00:06:30] Jesse Schwamb: That's definitely a feature that I think people are sleeping on in Logos. I have that too, so I don't know if, like you said, it is d- coupled with some kind of particular package or dependent on that.  [00:06:40] Stress Free Reading Habits [00:06:40] Jesse Schwamb: But generally, I think maybe we haven't spoken enough about, like, just making what- whatever it looks like, stress-free reading plans, because I was also reading some stuff by Ryan Holiday recently, and just the reminder of how there really is a fair amount of time to read, to actually consume, like- Yeah good written material. And really, it's maybe a little bit more about how, like, we understand walking and the benefits of walking now. You don't need to, like, set aside 20 or 30 minutes to go for a walk. Even going for, like, a quick burst of three to five minutes is so happy and healthful for you. And so I think- Yeah that in the same way, we actually do have more time to read than we think, and if you wanna, like, consume material and learn more things or just become more meditative in your thoughts spiritually, I think if you create the plan, that's just another thing to, like, help you on the way. But it's gotta be one that's, like, stress-free, like you're saying, and that's what I like about the Logos. You just set it up, and every time you go back into it, it's kinda asynchronous, and so, like, it just starts you off with wherever you're at. It's never gonna, like, pop up and be like, "You missed a day, and now you owe me 60 pages." Yeah. "Get on the ground and give it to me." Like, it's, it's not gonna be like that. So I love the joy of having the plan before you, and then that means that when the time comes, you're like, "Oh, I got a couple minutes," you can just go there. It can guide you into that reading, like, easily, succinctly, with low barriers, and make you feel happy and feel, like, that joy of reading again.  [00:08:04] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I, I think it's great. And, you know, I think sometimes we fall into this trap, and you kind of alluded to it. Like, you fall into this trap that if you don't, uh, if you don't have, like, 20, 30 minutes to sit and read, that it's not worth it. Right. Right. And I know I used to fall into that trap, where I felt like if I didn't sit down and read an entire chapter, that I somehow was not actually, like, getting the material. But I think most of us have some sort of regular, uh, like, waste time. Uh, and what I mean is, like, for me, I ride the bus home every, like, every day. Most days I ride the bus home, and I know that's about a 25, 30-minute period of time that, um, I can choose to, like, scroll Twitter, and that's fine. Like, it's fine to do that. I can listen to podcasts. Um, I can do all sorts of stuff. I play video games on my tablet. Um, or I could set aside 15 of those minutes and have a p- sort of a preset reading. And you will be surprised, or maybe you won't. Maybe I'm the only one who's been surprised at this, but I think you'll be surprised uh, to find how quickly you actually move through material, even at- Right something like five minutes a day. So just for example, Joel Beeke's, uh, Systematic Theology Volume 1 is about 28 hours worth of reading, at least according to Logos. If you set aside 15 minutes per day, you will finish that reading in approximately 114 sessions. So that's not that long. That's not bad. That's like a third of a year. That's not bad, yeah. So you could, you could read through all of Joel Beeke, which is thousands of pages. I mean, we're talking, we're talking four, four different five or 600 page volumes. Um, and this, this actually is counting, like, the table of contents and the index, so, like, not all of it is what you're gonna read. You could read through that whole thing in under a year and a half if you just set aside 10 or 15 minutes. Um, and obviously if you have more time, maybe you have a 45 minute, um, bus ride home or, you know, you, you regularly have doctor's appointments and you know you're gonna be in the waiting room two days a week every week or something like that, this is a great way to just make sure you've got something set aside. Like your dad always says, you always say, like, "Bring a book." Well- That's right ... this is not only bring a book, but it's bring a book with like a s- like a set chunk of that book set aside for that time period. So maybe it's your lunch break, maybe it's the walk in from the bus stop, whatever it is. Um, I think it's, it's pretty straightforward. And all the old features, like all the old ways of setting up reading plans are still there. They're not eliminating those. Um, and this is just a great way, I think, to get, kind of get your reps in. Like, sometimes you just have to do the work and- Right ... get your reps in.  [00:10:45] Jesse Schwamb: Get it.  [00:10:45] Tony Arsenal: And this is a low pressure, this is a low pressure way to do it. It's not, um, it's not setting aside specific amounts of, uh, dates or anything like that. So yeah, check it out. It's, it's super easy to access, it's the same way you would always make a reading, um, like a reading goal. Um, and you actually can still set a regular reading schedule even with this feature. You could still say, "I wanna read Monday, Wednesday, Friday." You could say, "I don't wanna have a schedule at all," which means you just, when you click on it, it just brings you to the next section, but there's never any reminders. So they actually really are, like, expanding the way that, uh, you're able to generate these reading plans. The one thing I wish they had that I'm not sure why they don't, I wish they had a dynamic catch-up feature where, like, if you were... You know, let's say I wanted to finish this book and I wanted to finish it by, I don't know, the end of the year, and I missed a couple days or I missed a week, I wish there was a way to push a button and have it just redistribute the remaining readings out across- Right ... what's left of the reading plan. That's not there. That's a... If you're listening, Logos, or someone who works at Logos, that's what we need. I've told you that before. Why haven't you listened to me? But, um, uh, yeah, we need that. But th- this is a good start too, because again, it's, it's not, um- It's not making you do a deadline. Right. So it's much more relaxed paced. [00:11:59] Jesse Schwamb: Exactly. Exactly. That's one of the things I love about it.  [00:12:03] Burst Reading Benefits [00:12:03] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, let me make, like, one more plea if you're, like, like you're listening and you're unconvinced about this burst style reading, and that is I've been so convinced that that kind of consumption can be really helpful to processing reading. Because especially if it's like, say you're reading something of the Puritans or something relatively deep, there is something to be said of course for, like, being able to sit down if you have all this time and just kind of read to get the flow. But what I think even there I struggle with is some things are worth stopping and thinking about, and this forces- Yeah ... some kind of meditation that happens in the background anyway, and I've found that to be so helpful. Like, it kind of just creates a little bit of attentional space by way of making you walk away from the thing that you just read. And also, if you know that you've only got this short little time span available, I think I'm prone to read kind of in a different way with a little bit more focus.  [00:12:52] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:12:53] Jesse Schwamb: And then I find myself really thinking about some of those things. And some of the things that you and I talk about, the things that we love to read, are worth stopping and considering. And so it's too easy to be like, "Well, I just, I need to hit the page number. I gotta get the count in. I wanna get this volume finished." Yeah. And that's great, but at the same time, like presumably, like we read to comprehend, we read to put into practice, we read to, like, help us build wisdom and to process the world and to understand things in a more robust and profound way, and that can really only happen with that kind of spacing. So this builds in some spacing, so embrace that as I think a feature and not a bug maybe of some good reading.  [00:13:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, it's funny you, you mentioned Ryan Holiday earlier. One of the things I appreciate about his, um, at least most of his books, I've only read the sort of the Stoic Wisdom series, but, um, he keeps his chapters super short. [00:13:40] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah.  [00:13:40] Tony Arsenal: So, like, part of that is sort of the self-help grocery store format that he's, he's going for. Um, not that it's... It's not empty calories, that's not what I'm saying. I think sometimes that is implied there. But he keeps his chapters short, so it's very easy, like, to just pick up. I'm working through Discipline Is Destiny right now. It's the one I'm reading now. It's very easy to just pick it up and be like, "I'm gonna read one chapter," and it's, like, five, 10 minutes long. Um, and the chapters are... They're not identical, but they repeat enough themes that, like, y- you don't need to really, like, sit down and really, like, cram through it to get the concept. Right. But you'll read through and you'll get the concept over and over again. And I actually think the Puritans can... Some of the Puritans can be that same way, where they say the same thing- Right ... slightly differently over and over again. Um, another book that reminds me of that is, um, Knowing Christ by Mark Jones, which we talked, but that's a, it's weird that that's actually kind of an old book now. Um- Right ... I think it's coming up on close to a decade now since it came out. Um, but those chapters are super short, 10, 15 minutes. So this kind of at a burst reading, session reading, rap reading, whatever you wanna call it, it's actually super productive and it's, it is, you're right, it's very good for meditation because you are taking time to do it. You're doing it consistently, so it's kind of, it's kind of like hammering itself into your head. Um, but it's not, it's not so much time that it, you get, like, reading fatigue.  [00:15:01] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Right. Exactly. That's a beautiful thing.  [00:15:04] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:15:05] Jesse Schwamb: I, I agree. Like, it's reading all kinds of ways, but one of the things that Ryan Holiday was recently convicted me of is, like, he talks about how many things he's able to consume. People are always like, "How are you able to read all those books with all the traveling, all the different things, engagements that you have?" And he's like, "Because I just read all the time. I read when I'm-" Right ... waiting at the post office. I read when I have, like, literally three minutes between doing something or picking up a kid, that, that I read." And I don't know, I kinda like that idea. I, I... he's not ashamed to be like, "If that's... If I have 30 seconds, I probably just pull up a book," because I think that that's even- Yeah ... valuable space in which to consume good writing. So, and when I r- I, I, like, subscribe to all, maybe like you, like all these different feeds, all these lists. There are just- Yeah ... so many things I wanna read. My to-read list is so stacked, pun intended, and it's like books of- I know ... all kinds. And then I'm in this space now where I find that as I'm getting older, again, one, like suddenly birds continue to be interesting to me in new ways that I never anticipated, and the second thing is, like, suddenly I wanna read all this history. And so, like, now there's like this whole, where it never really appealed to me before, now there's like this, all this new, like, vistas opened up, and I'm like, "Who has time for this?" So- Yeah ... maybe the idea is to just, again, consume it in bites. And I'm beginning to really appreciate that as an effective strategy for not, like, re- necessarily reading more, but learning more, and learning it better. [00:16:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I actually think it is probably an effective strategy for reading more for most people. I know it has been for me- True ... to just sit down and do, do a few minutes at a time. Um- Just get it ... I've got kids, there's work to do. Like, it's, y- you're not gonna be able to... Most, I think most of our listeners are probably not in a- stage of life anymore where you can really devote hours to study like you maybe you could when you were in your 20s, where you just- Right you had a job and you didn't have much else responsibility. You, you just, you know, you just had things to do. Uh, it's not like that for most of us anymore. So being able to take five, 10 minutes and, and read a book is probably a luxury, but it's probably a luxury that we could, we could probably structure our lives and make that more of a reality. Right. And this feature in Logos will help you do that with really any theological book you can practically think you wanna get your hands on that's available on Logos. So Jesse- Right ... we could talk about reading all night every night, and we- ... love to read, but that's not what this podcast is about today. So why don't you tell us what you're affirming or denying?  [00:17:27] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah.  [00:17:27] Jesse Book Pick Perkins [00:17:27] Jesse Schwamb: Well, now, now I'm gonna switch it up because I had a book, and so, like, it just seems like people are gonna be like, "Oh, of course," and you just rolled right into that. So the quick affirmation is more Puritan stuff, A Perfect Redeemer by William Perkins. That's this week's book, so you should do that. I don't know if it's available on Logos. I presume that it is, and you can set up your own reading plan, and it's beautiful and amazing, and Perkins makes a case that true satisfaction isn't found in things, but in Christ. He tears down all these illusions of self-sufficiency and points us to rest fully in God's grace. It's beautiful. It's glorious. It's practical. It's like 27, to your point, Tony, 27, I think, like, really brief chapters. Perfect for the bus. Like, it's prime bus reading.  [00:18:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:18:06] Jesse Schwamb: So yeah, that's affirmation. Okay.  [00:18:07] Denial Dying Guitar Batteries [00:18:07] Jesse Schwamb: Here's a denial, 'cause I've rarely do denials, but as you were speaking I was reminded of one that came up this morning that maybe is only going to really resonate with a small group, but I think if you know, you know. I was actually, this denial was constructed out of a conversation I had with a dear brother this morning, who I think was sharing the denial with me, uh, but might have been suspicious entirely of what I was going after. But it's this. A lot of, I'm trying to think how to set this up properly so it's, like, explained to a wider audience. So a lot of guitar instruments, that's a weird way to say this, but, like, I'm talking about guitars that have to be plugged in, have some kind of, like, onboard electronics. But principally, like, electric instruments. I'm talking about, like, electric bass, electric guitar. They usually have what's called, like, a preamp in them, which means that the signal is essentially being set up before it goes to the board, and that process requires some power. And so generally those instruments have, like, a little, you know, battery that goes in them, uh, uh, different kinds. Here's my denial. I don't know why so many of these instruments, including the- most of the ones that I own, have no nothing, no indicator to tell you how close that battery is to dying. And so what happens is- Yeah you, I think every musician, everybody who plays an instrument of, of this nature has had this happen to them, where they need to play it in a critical environment, and then the battery dies. And why I'm denying this is because this came up for me yesterday, where I was, had the benefit of playing at a church event, but it was with my acoustic electric guitar. It, it's a Martin D-16. It's a beautiful guitar. But even the Martin, it doesn't have an indicator on it. And so, like, I always swap out the battery, which I think is probably pretty wasteful, because I knew I had to leave this guitar plugged in on stage for, like, almost two and a half hours before it was gonna be used, and whenever it's plugged in, it's drawing the power. And so, so many times you get halfway through, you're playing, you're in a worship set or you're making music with people, and it just goes out on you, and when it goes out, there's no way to get the sound back except for, at least in my instrument, you have to unplug it, you have to pop out the battery, you have to put it back in. There's no, nothing discreet about this. There's nothing convenient about this. And there's certainly nothing- ... like, noiseless about that, especially if the person running sound is not being- Doesn't know ... very, like, adept with how they're handling the instrument so that you don't, like, blow people's ears out as you try to replace the battery. So I'm just wondering about this. Like, come on, instrument manufacturers. I know it's probably not pretty to put this somewhere, but you could put it somewhere discreet. Here's what I just wanna say, though, finally. Um, please don't at me. I know that there are some, especially like acoustic electric guitars, Fender's a good example, like onboard Fishman pickups that have, like, the EQ box. Some of them do have this indicator, but not enough. And if it's, like, an electric guitar- Yeah ... I rarely see this on a pure electric guitar. So please, for the love, just put, like, a little light. Maybe, maybe it turns orange or yellow or red when, like, the battery's about to go. I just, I need to know, because it's, it's so nerve-wracking when you're playing and you're like, "Oh, no. When did I last change this battery? How much longer is this thing going to last?"  [00:21:28] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. You know, I'm, I'm wondering, um, maybe I don't know enough about electrical engineering, but I actually feel like being able to determine when a random battery is starting to lose charge is probably a fairly intricate process, so that might be why, like, there's not as many. It's funny, my Ibanez guitar, which I haven't, I haven't even taken out of its case in years, I just don't, don't have a, a, a real occasion for it anymore, um, it has an indicator on it. So it's funny that you say that 'cause, like-  [00:21:59] Jesse Schwamb: Some do  [00:22:00] Tony Arsenal: Not a cheap guitar, but it's, um- Right ... it's not, yeah, it's not like a super expensive guitar. Uh, and it does have a little indicator. It's just like a little blinking light when the battery- Yes ... starts to go, it just blinks. Um, but yeah, even then, it still... It's funny, I, um, when I was in like high school and, and first couple years of college, I helped out with youth ministry at my church quite a bit, and I would often be on the team that would go, like, down to the camp the day before to set up all the equipment and to, like, get everything ready. And I remember I was always, I was always being told like, "Make sure you change the batteries. Make sure you change the batteries." Right. And like- Right ... it was always my job first thing in the morning to go around to all the microphones and all the guitars and, like, change out all the batteries. And I remember thinking, "This is so wasteful." Right. But then I remember, like, the one time we didn't do it, and it, like, crashed in the middle of, like, the big... And again, like, I don't even know if I would support this model of camp ministry anymore, but it crashed in the middle of, like, the big worship set on, like, the, like, the emotional decision- Yeah for Jesus night. Your altar call- It crashed in the middle of it ... totally blown  [00:23:01] Jesse Schwamb: up.  [00:23:01] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and it, it, and it did. Like, it affected everything. We had to, like, stop and... So yeah, always, always change your batteries. Um, you know, like, I, you, I, when I was doing musical worship on a regular basis, I just had a couple, like, inexpensive rechargeable batteries that I would swap out at the beginning of each session. I would put the battery that was in my guitar into the charger and the battery that was in the charger into my guitar. Um, and those, those wear out over time too, so that- Right ... you know, that, that's not a healthy charging habit for those batteries, and you go through them faster. But it's better than throwing away a nine-volt battery every couple of, you know, couple of days, so. [00:23:37] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah.  [00:23:37] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. That's annoying. It's, it's obnoxious when that happens. Um,  [00:23:40] Jesse Schwamb: that's, that's why I'm just straight denying against it. I suspect that this is a matter of aesthetics, and that many of these manufacturers don't wanna put something as ugly as a light somewhere on this beautiful instrument, even if it's in, like, a discreet place. That's my guess. Yeah,  [00:23:53] Tony Arsenal: maybe.  [00:23:54] Jesse Schwamb: I also theorize, like, why can't there be an intermediary pedal that would help us with this? So, like, many people, including myself, have a tuning pedal which you can essentially bypass, and you, you engage it when you wanna tune. Why can't that draw... I, I think it should be relatively straightforward, but who knows? But either way, all I need is just a heads-up. I don't need like a, "You have, you know, 16% left," or, "You have 2.67 hours left." I just need to know that it's not gonna fail me at this most critical time. Like, just tell me to swap it. That's all, that's all, that's all you have to say. Yeah. Just tell me to swap it. So I'm sure it's more complicated than this, but I think it might be a matter of, of beauty over function and purpose- Maybe ... because-  [00:24:33] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:24:34] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's probably- Many, many are particular about that kind of thing Yeah. So anyway- Yeah ... yeah, I, that's maybe... I like what you said, Tony. It's maybe a good PSA. Like, change your batteries often and frequently. Don't be like me. Don't be in that position where all of a sudden, I remember I was leading some very acoustic worship on an evening service. It was a very full congregation, probably, like, 200 people. And, uh, we finished up, and somebody had to yell out, uh, "We can't hear your guitar at all." And I'm just up there playing. [00:25:01] Tony Arsenal: Ugh.  [00:25:01] Jesse Schwamb: And yeah. You know, it's distracting. It's one of those things. But-  [00:25:04] Tony Arsenal: Yeah ...  [00:25:05] Jesse Schwamb: um, in the end... Uh, ironically, some people at the end of that were like, "Well, that was really great. It was much better than usual. We heard a lot less guitar." And I was like- ... "Okay."  [00:25:14] Tony Arsenal: My, um, my Ibanez, I never used it, but my Ibanez has an XLR cable in addition to the quarter-inch- Oh and the XLR provides power to the preamp. So that's- See, there you go ... the real solution is just to have a direct XLR, uh, XLR mic cable that goes in, uh, and then you bypass the direct box. Although then you can't, then you can't go into a tuner or pedal. Yes. So-  [00:25:33] Jesse Schwamb: Exactly ...  [00:25:34] Tony Arsenal: pros and cons. Yeah. But-  [00:25:35] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. It go- it, it, it's all over the place. But let, let's talk about- Yes ... judgment, shall we? Like, what, what-  [00:25:41] Tony Arsenal: Welcome, welcome to the Reformed Guitar Cast for the  [00:25:43] Jesse Schwamb: night. Yes. E- exactly. We could talk all day about books, reading, reading plans, study plans, productivity, and guitars. These are all beautiful things. And  [00:25:51] Tony Arsenal: batteries and  [00:25:52] Jesse Schwamb: electrics. And batteries. Of which, uh, allegedly you can ha- never have enough of any of those things in that group.  [00:25:57] Tony Arsenal: It's true.  [00:25:58] Back To Matthew 25 Reading [00:25:58] Jesse Schwamb: But let's talk about, uh, judgment. And I suppose we should go back to Matthew 25, which we've been hanging out in quite a bit. And someday we'll move out of this passage. Pro- probably not today, but someday- we will actually get beyond it. And I, I know, I know we're 25 minutes in, but I am gonna read again for all of us because Tony and I, you have been resolute in saying that the best parts of our conversations really are the scripture, hearing them and going through them with great depth and a deliberate kind of measured slowness, which we're unapologetic for. And so let's just go to Matthew 25. I'm gonna read verses 31 through 46 with a f- a fair amount of speed, but enough to get us to the place where again, I just want this to be familiar as we speak about it. "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in, naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?" And the King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brethren of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me." Then he will also say to those on his left, "Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." Then they themselves also will answer saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?" Then he will answer them saying, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these, least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous unto eternal life  [00:28:27] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:28:29] Heavy Passage Rightly Used [00:28:29] Tony Arsenal: Like we said last week, this is a really kinda heavy passage. Um, and it can be, uh... Let me put it this way. It can be used to make, uh, believers fearful in the wrong way. I, I do think the, the passage is to instill fear of God and is inst- to drive us to good works. But it can be used in a way to sort of, as I mentioned last week, it can be used in a way to sort of say, "If you don't do all these good things and you don't measure up, then Jesus never knew you." Um, and, and it implies, or sometimes even fully says that, uh, Jesus comes to know us because of the good works that we do. Right. Right? And that's just not, um, that's just not Christian theology. That's not Reformed theology certainly. Um, it's, it's not Protestant theology, and it's not even really Roman Catholic theology down. Um, but this passage really is more about understanding what marks the life of a person who has already come to faith in Christ. That's right.  [00:29:30] Justification Not Two Stage [00:29:37] Tony Arsenal: What marks the life of someone who has been changed and transformed, uh, to be like their master, like their king. Um, so, so this passage doesn't try to teach us what we have to do to merit eternal life. Um, this isn't... A- and maybe we'll get into some of this, I don't know if we will or not, but this isn't sort of John Piper future justification, um, you know, on the basis of works, or future sa- salvation on the basis of works. Um, there's no two stages to justification, right? If we're justified, it's because Christ has imputed his righteousness to us. That's right. And what happens in the, in the final judgment, there's a real thing that happens, but it's not an assessment of whether or not we have done enough or been enough. It's the reassertion of the righteousness of Christ over us. So we'll, we'll get into that, we'll talk about it, but I wanted to make sure we set the frame for that, um, before we get into it. 'Cause sometimes when you talk about these passages, it's hard to talk about future judgment according to works, which is a genuine Christian reality, right? There's a future judgment according to works. But it's hard to talk about that without starting to sound a little bit like we're, we're earning our salvation or, like, our, our justification's in, like, sort of a second stage of review or something like that. So we'll, we'll get into that, but this is not, this is not works righteousness, this is not future justification, this is two stages of justification. [00:30:52] Jesse Schwamb: And that seems, like, very clear from the way that Jesus sets this whole up. The language is so beautifully gospelly centered and oriented.  [00:31:00] Inheritance Not Wages [00:31:00] Jesse Schwamb: Even behind the judgment, like, this curtain of judgment, when you, when you open it up, is the gospel in all of its fullness, and that begins with th- this idea of inheriting the kingdom. And inheritance, of course, is not wages. In fact, like, Paul makes this kind of, like, identical move in Romans 8 and in Galatians 4 where he basically emphasizes what Jesus is talking about here. That is, sons and daughters inherit, inherit. They don't earn a paycheck. An heir receives by virtue of relationship and not performance. And that single word is, I think in the judgment of, like, most of the Reformed understanding here, decisive for, like, reading this whole passage correctly. That whatever role these works mention in verses 35 and 36 play, they cannot be meritorious works. It's not the ground of the inheritance, because inheritances by definition are not earned. Yeah.  [00:31:51] Election Before Works [00:31:51] Jesse Schwamb: And then, like, right into the same kind of train of thought, the same line of reasoning, is this idea that, well, not only are you inheriting the kingdom, but all this was prepared for you before the foundation of the world. And here again is, like, the beautiful gospel in the form of this un- you know, eternal, like, unconditional election stated, like, very plainly. Now the kingdom isn't pr- w- was not prepared in response to, like, some kind of foreseen works. I think we talked about that last week, right? Did we talk about the cor- looking down the corridor, all that kind of weird stuff? Yeah.  [00:32:22] Tony Arsenal: Yep.  [00:32:23] Jesse Schwamb: It was prepared in eternity past before any works, like good or bad, had been performed by anyone. And so that's, like, the true answer, in my opinion, to, like, any Pelagian or semi-Pelagian reading of this passage. The deepest cause of the sheep's blessedness long predates their deeds of mercy, and so their works are downstream of election and grace, not upstream of it. That's really good news. Like, that again is the Gospel, that all things are entrusted to, belong to God. God does all the verbs. However you want to say it, what we have here is true grace, and that their works are flowing out of that grace. And so because of that, there's no... It's, like, it would be insanity to boast in them, because that boasting would mean absolutely nothing. And so Jesus sidesteps that altogether by talking about inheriting the kingdom and having this all prepared for us before the foundation of the world. [00:33:15] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:33:15] Kingdom Language Clues [00:33:15] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and there's some interesting, um, I think some interesting text feature that I just noticed here that, um, I don't wanna read too much into it, but one of the things that's striking about this is the, the language around the sheep or around those on the, um, on the right of the king here. Um, there's much more of a communal, um, kingdom-type language, right? Uh, in the first section where it's talking about those on the right, uh, the word king is used repeatedly.  [00:33:45] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:33:45] Tony Arsenal: Right? And then when you get to the second section on those on the left, the ones that the, the, the righteous son of man does not know, um, it doesn't use the word king. And that's not, of course, not to say that he's not the king of those who are, you know, condemned. He's the king of all. But there is this, this, uh, obviously intentional, uh, choice to use the word king, and what, what is a king if not someone who has a kingdom and a people? Exactly. So there, there even baked into that simple linguistic feature is already this idea that the people he's speaking to are his people. And so, like I said, we've talked about parables and parable-adjacent teaching as kind of being sort of systematic language in story form, systematic theology in story form. Even here, we're seeing election, we're seeing definite atonement, right? The people are his people because he prepared this kingdom for them before the foundation of the world. [00:34:42] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:34:42] Tony Arsenal: Um, and then the, the people who aren't his, they don't even get to be associated with him as king. They don't even beg- get to, get to be associated with his kingdom. They're so far outside of the kingdom of heaven, outside of this kingdom, that even to say that the king is speaking to them is almost like, uh, it's almost like a contradiction, right? So, um- In sort of like common parlance, we might refer to another nation's king as King Charles or, you know, K- King whatever, um, or President so-and-so. But that person is not my king. Right. And so although, like, maybe there's some decorum just in general, and, like, politically it's wise, I'd have no obligation to call King Charles King Charles. Like, I can ... I ... He's not my king. I don't owe any obligation of, of fidelity to him or to his title or to his crown. Another funny example, um, recently, um, you know, I work, uh, at a hospital. We have a spiritual health or chaplaincy department, and there's some Catholic priests who are on staff there. And, um, the, the spiritual health department is part of the care experience group, which is the same group that my patient relations team is part of. And some- someone noticed that at, like, broader team group meetings, I don't refer to them as Father. I'm one of the only people in the room who just says Joakim or, you know, or Sam. Like, I don't ... And they don't mind. It doesn't bother them at all.  [00:36:03] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:36:04] Tony Arsenal: Um, and it's funny because someone asked me that, and I'm like, "Well, they're not my priest, and I, like, I don't acknowledge- Right their status as the Father. Like, there's actually some biblical reasons why I wouldn't do that." I think this is kind of sort of almost like, in a third person perspective, kind of the same thing. Like, the k- king, i- the, the Gospel writer here, Matt, is refusing to use the word king in relation to this Son of Man in relation to these people to say something about them, to say something about those people- Yes who are outside of the kingdom  [00:36:34] Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that's right on. It's a bit like, I suppose, in a, a lesser way, like there was a time... So you're married to my sister. There was a time where you weren't, we weren't Yeah ... uh, and during that time, like I, I was not in your family, nor were you in mine.  [00:36:48] Tony Arsenal: Right.  [00:36:48] Jesse Schwamb: And then at, when you married her, I am part of your family. Like you can't kick me out. As long as you're married to Ashley, I will be part of your family and you part of mine. Right. That's how it works. And so that identity proceeds, like it c- this is like confusion between identity sometimes and I think like harmony, and so many people wanna read this as like some kind of like harmonic reflection of the state of obedience of these persons, and therefore, if they had harmony, then they were in the kingdom, and that's getting it backwards. That they were part of God's kingdom by his family by definition of identity.  [00:37:20] Surprised Righteous Hearts [00:37:20] Jesse Schwamb: So that by the time like we get to verse 37 when Jesus is saying the, the righteous are gonna answer him and they're gonna say, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?" I think that's one of the most like theologically important verses in this passage, which proves the point you just made. And I think it's often under-read because the righteous, they don't remember doing any of these things for Christ. They are surprised. They have like no self-conscious ledger of merit that they can point to, and that surprise I think is devastating to works righteousness reading of the passage because- Yes if these people were consciously stacking up merit to present at the judgment, then they would've kept a very careful account. But instead, their works flowed so naturally and unselfconsciously from a renewed heart that they scarcely remembered them, let alone like regarded them as currency for salvation. And so I think, I know there's been a lot written, you and I have talked about a lot about how people wanna parse this idea of works, understanding that it has some place, but what is that proper place? This I think does lead us into like the right focus in that kind of discussion because it's precisely what like the Reformed doctrine of sanctification would predict, and that is, you know, truly gracious affections I think issue in Christian practice as a reliable sign, hear me out here, but crucially that practice is not calculated or like self-res- referential. It's like the spontaneous fruit of transformed nature, as natural it is for a good tree to bring forth good fruit. And so the righteous in this passage, they're not the legalists that some would, I think, portray them to be or get worried that they are. They're not tallying good deeds. They're simply people who, having been made new, and who makes them new? God in Christ, right, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because they've been made new, they just could not help but love their neighbor.  [00:39:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:39:13] Sheep And Goats Identity [00:39:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and, and you know, I think it's sometimes hard... We, we made the point last week that, um, the, the language in verse 32 where it says, uh, "He," He being the Son of Man, "He will separate one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats," that, that comparative as is the same language that introduces other parables. Right. And so the, the parable, parabolic element of this is a comparison to a shepherd separating two different kinds of animals in his, his bigger flock. Mm-hmm. I made the point that like we should be careful to overread sort of like what sheep are like into the behavior of those who are righteous on the right of Christ here. Um, because sheep are dumb, sheep do stupid things, sheep are disobedient. There, there's no use for like sheep to do good things and goats are not. And productive goats are also productive. Um, so what we should see though is that sheep are put on the right side because they are sheep, and goats are put on the, the left side because they are goats. Um, not because they act like sheep or because they act like goats, right? And so I think, yes, goats and sheep may have thinked behavioral, recognizable behavioral characteristics, but those characteristics flow from what they are. They don't make them what they are.  [00:40:35] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:40:35] Tony Arsenal: And so I think that's kind of what we see here in the parable, is the people on the, the right, the righteous on the right hand of the, the Son here, of the King as He sits on His glorious throne, the righteous simply do what righteous people do, right? They, they don't ... So much so, and again I think the shock of this is, is sort of the, the path of the teaching. The shock of this, the surprise of this on the part of the righteous are, uh, like it's palpable. And I think that when you actually talk to someone who is ... Think of the most sanctified, holy, righteous Christian you know, right? And I'm not gonna try to tell you who that is, but think of that person and think of a time that you have paid them a compliment or thanked them for doing the right thing.  [00:41:24] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:41:24] Tony Arsenal: They're like, "Oh, I didn't even think about that." Like, it's just not even on, not even on their radar. How many times have you, um, have you done a kind thing for someone at work and they like make a big deal out of it and you're like, "Oh, this is just I thought this is just what we do to each other. I thought we were just kind to each other." Um, and, and f- the flip side of this too is the, uh, the righteous in this parable or in this teaching, they're actually sort of like questioning the Lord's judgment in that they're saying like, "Wait a second, like w- why am I on the right here?" And He's like, "Well, uh, you were h- I was hungry and you fed me, and I, you know, I was thirsty and you gave me drink." And they're like, "When did we do that?" The flip side- Right ... of that is that those on the left, they're trying to justify themselves, right? They're trying to justify themselves, 'cause He's like, "Well, you didn't do these things. You're not my people." And they're like, "Well, when did we see you? When did we see you, when did you have these things happen and we didn't take care of it?" So the, the righteous are like surprised that this happened, and are almost questioning the fact that it's true, and the unrighteous are trying to justify themselves, basically blaming God. Bad judgment. It's not altogether, um... I forget which pro- I wanna say Micah or Malachi, one of those two, um, um, where the, the, um, God basically says, like, "Y- you, you're sinful people." And they're like, "When? When were we sinful people? Like, you tell me." Yeah. And then of course he does, 'cause it's the prophets. Right. But it's the same kind of thing. He comes to the, to the unrighteous in judgment. He says, "Depart from me, y- you cursed people." And then he says, "These are the, these are the things that have marked your life." And then they're like, "Where, when did that mark my life? Like, what are you talking about?" And he, he, the funny part is he doesn't give them an answer. He doesn't explain to them really. Right. He, he just like, "No, you can go, you can go away from me 'cause you." He does say like, "Well, you never, you did not do this to the least of these," and we, we need to unpack that phrase a little bit. But he doesn't give a long explanation to them justifying his judgment. He just makes the statement, basically makes the statement again, "You just didn't do it, so that's the consequence of eternal punishment." Um, again, not in like, "You didn't feed the poor, therefore you're going to hell" kind of a statement. It's more like, "You are not the kind of person that is a, a part of my kingdom." [00:43:48] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:43:49] Tony Arsenal: Without necessarily a firm statement about w- how that came to be, just a statement, "You are not the kind of person that is part of my kingdom." That's  [00:43:56] Jesse Schwamb: right. That's right. I think that's actually very evident in these, like, six concrete works of mercy which are listed, feeding, giving drink, hospitality to strangers, clothing, visiting the sick, uh, visiting the imprisoned. And as we've said before, those are not extraordinary feats. I mean, there's no mention- Right ... of miracles or doctrinal precision or heroic martyrdom. Yeah. It's just these ordinary, super unglamorous ministry of practical love, and I think that is significant, like you're saying, because it is a mark of true faith, this idea that it's found frequently not in spectacular religious performance, which is what some of the audience is probably after, honestly, but in this quiet but costly unnoticed compassion. And I think that is critical to understanding that those who have been identified and marked by Christ undertake these things with a seriousness, under being willing to bear the c- the cross and the curses and the cost of all those things, uh, because it is born out of a transformed life, one that has been re-identified almost as it were a new creation. And so that- Yeah ... created man does these things without putting the notches on the belts, so to speak, to tally them up because I think to that person that would be insane. What is the purpose of doing that? If I can't earn my salvation, I'm doing these things anyway. It, it wouldn't even matter. It's like trying to pay a bill that you have no money for anyway. Why would you then try to count the dollars that you have in your pocket to see if for some reason you could cover the cost? It's impossible. Yeah. And so everything changes to such a degree that I know we keep saying, like, surprised, and that is what is kind of manifested in the passage. But it's, it's not kind of like the shock of like, "I don't know what you're talking about." It's more, it's more this idea of, again, I think those being brought forward at the final judgment, and it's almost as if Jesus is saying, "You are coming into this kingdom- Because, or you are being, uh, allowed, so to speak, to come into my presence in the fullness because you did all those things. And their surprise is almost as to say, "Well, why would those things bring me into the fullness if I've, in fact, have inherited it because you've called me your own?" Does that make sense? Like, I think it's- Yeah ... there's a little bit gone there- Yeah ... that's not just they're kind of like, "Oh, this slipped my mind," or, uh, "It came so easy to me that I didn't even know I was doing it." I think it was more about the g- we should just get to the least of these then, right? Like, what does it mean- Yeah that they did these to the least of these, and how does that surprise fit into that?  [00:46:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:46:20] Least Of These Explained [00:46:20] Tony Arsenal: The other element of this that I think is super important for us to cover in the 10 minutes or so we have left. Um, this phrase, "the least of these," right? Yes. And, and this, this can really cause this passage to be misunderstood  Um, I wanna s- loud and clear, uh, taking care of the poor in our society, you know, mercy ministries outside of the church, those things are all good, and I think scripture makes an argument that we should be engaged in those, both individually and also that the church has an obligation to, um, to meet some practical needs of those who are destitute around it. Um, but that's not what this passage is saying, right? Right. So when we look at the phrase "the least" first, first thing that, that comes off here, right, in verse 40 where this phrase first appears, "Truly I say to you, as you did it to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me." Right? This is not a general statement. The least of these are not, like, the lowest and meekest and poorest of the world. The least of these my brothers referring to those who belong to Christ. Right. Those who are related to me. And, and I actually think that that, that is probably, like, the hallmark of passage. Beyond, um, what we've talked about already of just sort of like not being about works righteousness, this is really about being a part of the church, right? They're marked by the fact that they have inherited this kingdom which was prepared for them before the foundation of the world. They're marked by the fact that, uh, they are the people of this king, so much so that the other people aren't e- the word king can't even appear in association with these other people. And this last part, they're marked by the way they have treated those in whom they are with c- in, in community with, right? They're marked by the way they have treated those who are related to the king by blood, who are adopted, who are married to the king, who are in, in the family of the king, his brothers. [00:48:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Okay.  [00:48:18] Tony Arsenal: So this is painting a picture of kind of what we see, right? W- we see in, uh, Galatians, right? Um, "Do, do good to all people, especially the household of faith." Mm-hmm. Right? Uh, our own tagline, "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood," right? That's, that's a statement of like, yes, you're supposed to be kind to all people, but you're especially supposed to be kind and be committed to and taking care of those who are in the household of faith, who are in the church. That is what this passage is about. That is what marks those people who belong to the king. The sheep are part of the sh- part of the sheep because they're in that same flock, because they- Right ... are ontologically, they've been made new and they've been renewed into this new creation as sheep. Um, that's what this passage is getting at. And then the people who, uh, who are not a part of that, they, they have not done anything with the church. They're not associated with the church. They didn't take care of the church. They didn't, they didn't feed the church. They didn't do anything with that. And this, this again, like, think about, like, Acts chapter, you know, when, when, um, when Paul is, when Saul is called by Christ, right? "When did I persecute you?" "Well, you, why are you persecuting me, Saul? Well, you persecuted my people." So this, this passage ties a lot of those same s- same threads together- Yeah ... in a way that I think presents this really cohesive picture of what it is that's going on. This is not works righteousness. Right. [00:49:37] Serving Christ In Church [00:49:37] Tony Arsenal: This is an assessment of the fact that you are, in fact, a m- a member of the people of God, that you have been engrafted into Christ and have become a part of his body. And just as he is our head, we are his body. The people who are cast out, the reason he never knew them is 'cause they've never been engrafted into him. [00:49:55] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Sometimes this does, I think, get read and defined as, like, the all the poor and suffering writ large, which is helpful, but I don't think, like, the dominant view here, at least in my perspective. And you, and you tell me otherwise. Yeah. Because, uh, on this view, of course, like, Christ does identify with all who suffer, and that maybe mercy to any sufferer is mercy to him. I think that could be partly correct, part reflection and application here. However, the stronger view, I think, e- like, even historically, is that- Really we're talking about, especially when we get to, like, visiting those in prison, the, the persecuted or itinerant Christian missionary. When we're talking about the imprisonment and persecution language is, that especially suits believers suffering for the gospel's sake, not merely the poor in general. Now, is, are there ways for us as Christians to embody the gospel and to be a witness for Christ by going out and performing acts of social justice? I would say yes, if you connect those items explicitly to the gospel. That is, that you make it clear your emphasis, genesis, your volition comes through this message of who Christ is. Otherwise, there's plenty of institutions doing very good things, and I don't necessarily, what's in view here i

What's on your spiritual resume — and does any of it actually matter? In this part 1 episode of Pause, Eric & Tim dig deeper into Sunday's message from Philippians 3:1-11, unpacking why "Jesus plus anything ruins everything." From the danger of the Judaizers sneaking into the early church, to Paul counting all his impressive credentials as dung compared to knowing Christ, this conversation is honest, convicting, and incredibly freeing. If you've been quietly tallying up your good deeds hoping they'll get you in, this episode is a must-listen. It doesn't matter what you've done — it matters who you know!   #KnowingChrist #Philippians #JesusIsEnough#NeighborhoodChurch #GraceAlone #FaithAlone #ChristAlone #PausePodcast#ChristianPodcast

What if you showed up to heaven with a perfect resume — and Jesus still said, "I never knew you"? In this powerful Part 2 conversation, Eric & Tim go even deeper into Philippians 3, unpacking Paul's profit and loss list, the rich young ruler's heartbreaking choice, and the one question that should stop us all in our tracks: Is there anything we're not willing to say no to in order to gain Christ? This honest, convicting, and freeing discussion will challenge you to set down your resume and simply say — I know Jesus. #IKnowJesus #Philippians #JesusIsEnough #NeighborhoodChurch #GraceNotWorks #KnowingChrist #DenyYourself #FaithAlone #ChristianPodcast #PausePodcast

Is it possible to remain joyful when life is uncertain? In this message, Pastor Sammy dives into the heart of Philippians 4:10-23, exploring Paul's secret to contentment—regardless of whether he was living in plenty or experiencing need.

What if everything you've accomplished, every good deed, every credential — counted for nothing compared to simply knowing Jesus? In this eye-opening message from Philippians 3:1-11, you will be challenged to ask: are we trusting in Jesus alone, or in Jesus plus our own efforts? From the danger of the "Jesus plus" mindset to the one thing that truly matters at heaven's gate, this message is a powerful reminder that your resume of righteousness is nothing compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.#KnowingChrist #Philippians #JesusIsEnough #NeighborhoodChurch #GraceAlone #FaithAlone #ChristAlone #PowerOfKnowingChrist #SalvationByGrace

Are you paralyzed by the "what-ifs" of life? In this episode, Ps. Lwela Rambuda takes us deep into Philippians 4:4-9, sharing a personal, vulnerable journey of overcoming fear during a recent mission trip.

Description: Going Forward | Growing in Grace, Truth, and Love (Ephesians 4:7-16) In Ephesians 4:7-16, the Apostle Paul moves from explaining the beauty of the gospel to showing believers how to live it out. Because we have received God's incredible grace through Christ, we are called to move forward as transformed followers of Jesus. This message explores three marks of a growing Christian: 1. Be Gracious God's grace has been freely given to us through Christ, and that grace should overflow into the way we treat others. A gracious spirit reflects the heart of Jesus and becomes a powerful witness to those around us. 2. Be Grounded God gives pastors, teachers, and His Word to help believers grow in truth and maturity. Knowing Christ deeply protects us from false teaching and anchors our lives in the unchanging truth of Scripture. 3. Be Growing Spiritual growth is more than gaining knowledge—it is becoming more like Christ. As each believer uses the gifts God has given, the church is strengthened and built up in love. The Christian life is a journey forward: growing in grace, standing firm in truth, and living in the love of Christ. Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16 Big Idea: God's grace transforms us so that we grow together into the likeness of Christ. To learn more: sylvanway.com Send us your prayer requests & comments: sylvanway.com/connect To partner with us through giving: sylvanway.com/give

This exploration of Philippians 3 challenges us to examine where we've been searching for joy in our lives. Written from a prison cell, Paul's letter reminds us that true joy isn't found in our circumstances, achievements, or possessions, but in knowing Christ personally. The message confronts our tendency to fill in the blank of 'When I get _____, I'll finally feel _____' with earthly pursuits, revealing how these become false gods that distract us from a deeper relationship with Jesus. Paul's dramatic testimony shows us someone who had the perfect religious resume, yet counted it all as garbage compared to knowing Christ. The invitation here isn't just to know about Jesus intellectually, but to experience Him personally through honest prayer, vulnerability, and intentional time together. We're reminded that joy doesn't magically appear in our lives, we must choose to pursue Christ daily, making room for Him by saying no to lesser things. The resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to help us rise above our toughest circumstances, but only when we stop trying to earn our way to God and instead receive the gift of relationship He offers.

The whole purpose of 1 John is to give us confidence in who we are, whose we are in Christ, and where we will spend eternity. John reminds us that we can have confidence in our access to God because when we ask according to His will, He hears us. We pray boldly not because we always receive what we ask for, but because we know who is listening and trust His will. John also reminds us to have confidence in our adoption. Because we belong to Christ, we can rest in the victory He has already won and encourage one another through prayer and loving accountability. His final command, "Keep yourselves from idols," is the natural result of knowing who we are and whose we are. When we know who we belong to, we will never be satisfied by a substitute. The answer to temptation is not more willpower but filling our hearts with the knowledge of Christ, His love, His Word, and His will until there is no vacancy. When Christ is magnified, everything else shrinks.Check out our video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/FB7mXfNOEgwSubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/8wmeCwBf_zkLearn more about us at chestnutmountain.orgFollow us on Facebook & Instagram @chestnutmtn_

The sermon explores the foundation of biblical joy by examining Christ's humility and subsequent exaltation in Philippians 2. It outlines three ways believers find true joy in knowing Jesus: cultivating Christ-like submissiveness, conforming to His servanthood through sacrificial obedience, and celebrating His future return as Lord. The preacher emphasizes that ethical humility must be grounded in the theological reality of Christ's incarnation and atoning death on the cross. By adopting this mindset, Christians overcome cultural pride and find lasting peace and unity within the community of faith. Ultimately, the message calls listeners to confess Jesus as Lord and rest in the grace provided through His redemptive work.

Knowing Christ. Phil. 3: 1-11, Gal. 5: 12. (Tony Robbins, June 21, 2026). 

Press on toward the goal of knowing Christ more and more (3:12-16) A. Christ saves us to know Him intimately (12) B. Knowing Christ requires lifelong commitment (13-14) C. Pressing on shows maturity in Christ (15-16) Press on in unity following the example of mature believers (3:17-21) A. Discipleship with one another is key (17) B. Not pressing on leads to becoming enemies of Christ (18-19) C. Our citizenship is in heaven (20-21) D. Pressing on in unity is how we stand firm in the Lord (4:1)

Welcome to "Joy Through The Journey" – a special, 5-part broadcast series airing this week focusing on how to seek the joy that's only found in Christ, no matter the season of life.Another part of God's divine nature we share is joy. Applying the Word of God in your life and living in His will gives you joy. Broadcast #7210To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menuA transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram. 

Knowing Christ - Philippians 3 1-11 - Luke Thompson

6/14/2026, The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ, Phil 3:4-11, Maikel Noa by Northern Heights

Philippians 3:1-21 Pastor Sam Cirrincione

*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. Summary This conversation explores the spiritual reality of oneness in Christ and how it becomes the foundation for true relationships within the Body of Christ. The speakers emphasize that oneness is not merely agreement or unity of purpose but a deeper connection that comes through sharing in the life, nature, and revelation of Jesus Christ. As believers trust the Father with a childlike faith, pursue a deeper relationship with Christ, and allow His Word to become a living reality within them, they naturally grow into greater oneness with God and with one another. The discussion highlights that spiritual maturity is not achieved through human effort, criticism, comparison, or self-evaluation, but through becoming increasingly wrapped up in Christ. As believers discover who they are in Him and embrace the truths of Scripture as personal revelation, Christ is unveiled within them. Out of that growing revelation flows love, ministry, and a natural expression of God's life to the world around them. True evangelism becomes less about religious effort and more about Christ being manifested through everyday life. Show Notes • The importance of trusting God regardless of circumstances. • The difference between unity and oneness. • Childlike faith as a key to walking with God. • Sharing in a common revelation of Jesus Christ. • Why intimacy with Christ produces love for others. • Living from the spirit rather than the soul. • The born-again experience and spiritual identity. • Oneness as an atmosphere where God can move freely. • Becoming the living expression of God's Word. • Christ being unveiled within believers. • Natural evangelism flowing from Christ's life within us. • Discovering the fullness of Christ already present in us. Key Quotes • "Oneness is spirit, but unity is soul." • "Oneness actually is forever. That is where we're going to live. That's our destination." • "If we're walking with God, we have to trust Him. He is our spiritual Dad. He is everything to us." • "He is oneness personified." • "You cannot touch the Lord without loving your brother or sister." • "We're going to walk in oneness because we share in a common revelation of Jesus Christ." • "Perfect is just being in God." • "That oneness is not an end in itself. It's a facilitator. It's an atmosphere where good things can happen." • "As you grow in the Lord, as you dive into Him more and more, the oneness automatically happens because He is one." • "You become one because you're one with the Word." • "It's not a reaching. It's an unveiling of Christ that's already in us." • "You had the capacity all along. You just never knew you had it." Scriptural References • John 17 (20–23) That they may all be one, even as We are one. • Ephesians 4 (3–6) One body, one Spirit, one faith, one Lord. • Proverbs 3 (5–6) Trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding. • Matthew 18 (3–4) Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. • Mark 10 (14–15) Receive the Kingdom of God as a child. • 2 Peter 1 (1) To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours. • Philippians 3 (8–10) Knowing Christ above all else. • 1 John 4 (7–12) Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. • John 13 (34–35) By this all men will know you are My disciples. • Romans 8(14–17) Sons and heirs of God. • Galatians 4 (6–7) God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. • Colossians 1 (26–27) Christ in you, the hope of glory. • 2 Corinthians 3 (18) Being transformed into His image. • John 5 (39) Search the Scriptures, for they testify of Me. Takeaway True oneness is not something we create through agreement, effort, or religious activity. It is the natural result of becoming increasingly one with Christ. As we trust the Father, embrace our identity as His sons and daughters, and allow His Word to become a living revelation within us, Christ is unveiled through our lives. Out of that revelation flows love for one another, unity in the Spirit, and a powerful witness to the world that is produced not by striving, but by the life of Christ being expressed through us.

What do you value most in life? In this episode, we dive into Philippians 3:1–11 and explore Paul's powerful testimony about the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ. Despite his impressive religious background and accomplishments, Paul counted it all as loss compared to a relationship with Christ. Join us as we discuss the difference between faith and works, the danger of placing confidence in our own efforts, and what it means to truly rejoice in the Lord through every season of life. This message will challenge you to evaluate your priorities and discover the life-changing value of knowing Jesus above all else.

The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ, Pt. 2 by The Field Church

Philippians 3:1-21 Pastor Sam Cirrincione

PETE KELLEY, Lead Pastor / Seventh Sunday of Eastertide / Philippians 3.1-11

Pastor Jack says, “Even people with the best intentions do not have the power to keep all the promises they make.” Have you found that to be true? God, however, is faithful to keep every promise He has ever made. Learn more about God’s unbreakable promises in this brand-new episode of the Jack Hibbs podcast.(00:00) Opening Clip: God’s Love and the Cross(02:22) What the World Cannot Promise: Love(04:50) Why True Forgiveness Comes at a Cost(07:45) Redemption Belongs to Christ Alone(10:23) A Story About a Child Longing to Be Seen(14:08) Grace and the Gift of Spiritual Family(16:21) The God of Patience and Comfort(19:14) Knowing Christ’s Voice and Rejecting False DoctrineCONNECT WITH PASTOR JACKGet Updates via Text:  https://text.whisp.io/jack-hibbs-podcastWebsite: https://jackhibbs.com/ Instagram: http://bit.ly/2FCyXpO Facebook: https://bit.ly/2WZBWV0 YouTube:  https://bit.ly/437xMHn DAZE OF DECEPTION BOOK:https://jackhibbs.com/daze-of-deception/ Did you know we have a Real Life Network? Sign up for free for more exclusive content:https://bit.ly/3CIP3M99  

Why do so many leaders know Christ deeply—yet struggle to become like him?   In this episode of the Lausanne Movement Podcast, Jason Watson speaks with Herman Moldez about the often-overlooked gap between knowing Christ and becoming like him. Drawing from decades of ministry experience, Herman explores how true Christlike leadership is formed not just through knowledge and skill, but through deep inner transformation, humility, and intentional mentoring relationships. Main Points There is a gap between knowing and becoming. Many leaders are well-trained in Scripture but struggle to embody Christlike character because inner formation is neglected. The journey from head to heart takes time. Transformation is not automatic—what we know does not easily translate into how we live. Christlike leadership is formed in hidden places. Leaders are shaped not on the front stage, but in humility, anonymity, and faithful service. Culture often shapes leaders more than Christ. Without intentional formation, churches can produce leaders driven by success, power, or influence rather than Christlike humility. Mentoring must focus on the heart. Transformation happens through trusted relationships that ask honest, value-driven questions about motives and inner life. Leaders need deep, honest friendships. Beyond networking, leaders must cultivate “heart-to-heart” relationships where they can be known, process pain, and grow in Christlikeness.   Call to Action If this episode encouraged you, subscribe to the Lausanne Movement Podcast and share it with a leader or mentor in your life. We'd also love for you to join the conversation in the Lausanne Movement Podcast space on the Lausanne Action Hub, where you can share your thoughts and engage with our global community—and please consider leaving a rating or review so others can discover the podcast too.   Lausanne Movement Podcast Archive https://lausanne.org/podcast/the-making-of-a-leader-how-god-forms-character-calling-and-influence-over-a-lifetime-with-richard-clinton https://lausanne.org/podcast/the-art-of-whole-life-mentorship-an-interview-with-ole-magnus-olasfrud https://lausanne.org/podcast/delphine-fanfon-on-leading-with-vulnerability-and-humility-lessons-from-the-african-church-reaching-the-next-generation-cultivating-identity-and-purpose-in-christ-and-moving-forward-from-failure   Links & Resources MentorLink International — https://mentorlink.org/ IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) — https://ifesworld.org Asian Access - https://www.a3leaders.org/  Lausanne Podcast Action Hub - https://collaborate.lausanne.org/share/FF0jv_MJcqEcpuoK?utm_source=manual   Guest Bio Pastor Herman A. Moldez Served with IVCF Philippines (IFES) for 25 years, discipling and mentoring students, and 3 terms as General Secretary. In 2003, he started the ministry of mentoring pastors and Christian leaders with MentorLink International where is part of the Global Leadership Team and in 2017 started A3 (formerly Asian Access) Philippines where peer mentoring is integrated in the two-year training of 16-18 trainees per cohort. He is also the Senior Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Quezon City, Philippines. Aside from mentoring pastors, Pastor Herman and his wife, Mercy Moldez, former Staff Training Directress of IVCF Philippines, facilitate spiritual retreats for pastors and Christian leaders.

Knowing Christ | Philippians 3:-11 | Dr. Jamie Merritt

What would it look like if Christians didn't just believe the right things — but actually became like Jesus? Host Brian From sits down with Keas Keasler, associate professor of spiritual theology at Friends University and author of Kingdom Apprenticeship: Dallas Willard's Formational Theology and Missional Vision. Drawing on seven years of deep research — including time spent in the archives of Willard's unpublished papers — Kees brings fresh life to one of the most important Christian thinkers of the last century. Together, Brian and Kees explore what "intelligent mysticism" really means, why "apprenticeship" captures something "discipleship" has lost, and how Willard's vision of character formation might be exactly what the church needs to close the gap between what we profess and how we actually live.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hired hands may abandon the flock when danger comes. But the Good Shepherd defends His sheep to the death. Today, R.C. Sproul looks to Jesus as the One who laid down His life for His flock, the church. Get R.C. Sproul's video teaching series Knowing Christ with your donation. You'll receive the DVD, digital access to all 8 messages, and the digital study guide: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/   Live outside the U.S. and Canada? Request the digital teaching series and study guide with your donation: https://www.renewingyourmind.org/global    Meet Today's Teacher:   R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

The entrance into a sheepfold, the place of safety and protection for weary sheep, was "the door of the sheep." Today, R.C. Sproul considers why Jesus applied this image to Himself. Get R.C. Sproul's video teaching series Knowing Christ with your donation. You'll receive the DVD, digital access to all 8 messages, and the digital study guide: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/   Live outside the U.S. and Canada? Request the digital teaching series and study guide with your donation: https://www.renewingyourmind.org/global    Meet Today's Teacher:   R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Speaker: Dane BurgessScripture: 1 John 1:1-4Episode Overview:What does it mean to truly know and experience the life God offers—not as an abstract idea, but as something real, tangible, and shared? This message walks through 1 John 1:1–4, where the apostle points to what was seen, heard, and touched in Jesus Christ. The focus is on the reality of the “Word of Life,” the invitation into fellowship with God and His people, and the kind of joy that flows from a life rooted in that truth. Rather than settling for secondhand knowledge or distant belief, this passage calls us into a lived, relational experience that transforms how we speak, connect, and live.Key Highlights:• The gospel is grounded in real, historical experience—something witnessed, not imagined• Knowing Christ is not merely intellectual; it is relational and shared• True fellowship flows both vertically (with God) and horizontally (with others)• Joy is not manufactured—it is the natural result of abiding in what is true• A life changed by Christ cannot help but speak about HimCall to Action:Consider where your faith has become distant, routine, or purely informational. Take a step toward deeper fellowship—spend intentional time with God in His Word, and pursue honest, Christ-centered connection with others. Let what you've truly experienced shape what you talk about, how you live, and who you invite into that same life.Redeemer Church211 Northshore Dr. Bellingham, WA 98226www.redeemernw.org

Philippians 3:4-11

In continuation from Luke's gospel account, the book of Acts aims to present the historical accounts of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the early church. Knowing Christ will return, but not when, we are humbly not in control. Instead, believers are called to witness the risen Jesus in our daily lives. 

This is a podcast from primarily sermons preached at City Church Garland.

This is a podcast from primarily sermons preached at City Church Garland.

Knowing Christ Week 8 of the Philippians Series Speaker: Adam Kuntz Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16 Download the slides for this message: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m35wuh140iu9s85ddnmgh/PHILIPPIANS-Week-8-PDF.pdf?rlkey=mzb3iw9j1puppc2uqac8f4xhy&st=ag3mb1q7&dl=0 (If using on mobile, click the icon on the top right and click direct download)

For more information on Knowing Christ: www.calvarypsl.com/knowing-christ/

Speaker: Adam GodshallSeries: 2 PeterText: 2 Peter 1:1-2Theme: We must treasure God's gift of knowing Christ.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.About Your Daily PortionYour Daily Portion with L. David Harris is a Bible-centered teaching ministry committed to helping people engage Scripture daily with clarity and purpose. This program is a service of Your Daily Portion Ministries, Inc., and is made possible through the faithful support of listeners and viewers.If this teaching blesses you, consider supporting the work so it can continue reaching others around the world through radio, podcasts, and digital platforms.Support the ministry:

What happens when radical kindness unsettles someone more than violence ever did—and what does that reveal about how well we truly know Jesus? This editorial challenges readers to ask whether Christ is merely around us, or genuinely living within us.

For more information on Knowing Christ: www.calvarypsl.com/knowing-christ/

For more information on Knowing Christ: www.calvarypsl.com/knowing-christ/

What's the #1 priority in your life—and what does your answer reveal about what truly motivates you? In this two-part teaching through Philippians 3:7–14, Pastor Jeff Christianson calls us back to the highest priority of the Christian life: knowing God. The apostle Paul says everything else becomes "loss" compared to "the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). In this episode, we unpack why knowing the Lord is the supreme treasure, how we come to the Father only through the righteousness of Christ, and why real discipleship always flows from abiding—never from anxious busy-ness. You'll hear: Why knowing the Lord is the believer's highest priority (Philippians 3:7–8; John 17:3) David's charge: "Know the God of your father" (1 Chronicles 28:9) How God brings us from darkness to light (2 Corinthians 4:6) The three ways we grow in knowing Him: resurrection power, fellowship of sufferings, and being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10) Pressing forward with a single focus: "one thing I do" (Philippians 3:13–14) A needed warning for distracted hearts: Mary vs. Martha—the one necessary thing (Luke 10:38–42) This teaching is a fresh call to count all things loss, lay hold of Christ, forget what lies behind, and press toward the upward call—so we can live a visibly resurrected life in a dead world. Scripture Focus: Philippians 3:7–14 Key Supporting Passages: John 17:3; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Jeremiah 9:23–24; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 John 5:20; Luke 10:38–42; Ephesians 1:17 "If you seek Him, He will be found by you." (1 Chronicles 28:9) The Biblical Counseling Academy We train Christians to counsel with Scripture so they can help hurting people find hope in Christ. Many believers want to help others but feel unprepared to counsel biblically. The Biblical Counseling Academy gives you clear and practical training rooted in God's Word. In as little as 12 months, with just 5 hours per week, you'll be equipped and certified to counsel with confidence and clarity. Your next step starts with a conversation. Call (828) 707-9034

For Christmas, let us help you give! Give a subscription to the content on our Patreon Channel (TSAR.website). Or give my book, Inspirations and Insights from the Old Testament, to help with weekly Come Follow Me Reading. Or give a cruise with me and Steve Harper talking about the New and Everlasting Covenant. Or give all three! Please help us! For Giving Tuesday and the giving season, please consider helping us keep the podcast going. Any amount helps! Give just a little to keep us going. We make no money from this, we just do this for you as we do it with you! Thank you so much. How to pay: Venmo @julianne-muhlestein Zelle using the email TheScripturesAreReal@gmail.com Checks can be made personally, or through a DAF to Enlighten Educational Experience or to Edifying Educational Experience 1935 N. 600 E Orem, UT 84097 The EIN is 99-3778038 If another method would work better for you, please email us at TheScripturesAreReal@gmail.com Your donation is tax deductible and will make a huge difference in allowing us to continue and spread our work. Thank you! In this episode Kerry discusses what it means to find Christ in the Old Testament, and how our unique knowledge of Christ as Jehovah allows us to learn more. Then he and Andrew Skinner and Joshua Matson engage in a roundtable talking about how they learn more about Christ in the Old Testament. Finally Kerry talks about prophecies of Christ that were fulfilled in His birth and ministry, and especially how understanding about the term Messiah, or anointed one, help us understand who Christ is and what He did and will do for us. We are grateful for our executive producers, J. Parke, D. Watson, B. Van Blerkom, the Dawsons, M. Cannon, M. Rosema, B. Fisher, J. Beardall, D. Anderson, and H. Umphlett, and for all our generous and loyal donors. We are also very grateful for all our Patreon members. We are so thankful for Beehive Broadcast for producing the podcast and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

On the podcast today, an advent-themed broadcast on the topic of Peace. Another part of God's divine nature we share is joy. Applying the Word of God in your life and living in His will gives you joy. Broadcast #7210To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menu.A transcript of this broadcast is available on our website here. To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram.