Podcasts about loving jesus

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 363, “Idols I Need to Smash,” Kim discusses how when someone meets with the Lord, they cannot remain the same. In today's primary text, the people of Judah and some from Israel had celebrated the Passover for the first time in their lifetimes. Immediately, they smashed multiple different idols. When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord, he immediately saw how sinful he and the people were, and the Lord graciously forgave and then commissioned him to speak on His behalf. We can't meet with the Lord and leave unchanged.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 31:1-21, with 1 as the focal verse:   1 When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Prayerfully identify any idols you need to smash immediately.   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   Isaiah 6:1-8 EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings (1 & 2 Chronicles) PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

If you're trying to grow closer to Jesus and keep hitting resistance, you're not alone—and you're not failing. In today's MY Devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef shows why obstacles are part of the journey of faith and how your response to them can either stifle spiritual growth or strengthen it.You'll learn the three common blockers that quietly weaken intimacy with Christ:An inability to accept correction — A teachable heart is a clear sign of maturity. How you respond when a godly believer points out blind spots reveals a lot about your love for Jesus.An unwillingness to change — Sanctification means continual growth. The moment we stop changing, we step into spiritual danger.Confusing the journey for the destination — Are you living as a citizen of this world with a passing interest in heaven, or as a citizen of heaven passing through this world? (Philippians 3:20–21)This episode will help you reframe spiritual resistance, recognize what's holding you back, and pursue Jesus with renewed focus—right where you are.Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:9–10 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.

Join us as we gather live for our Sunday Service. Today we hear from our guest Brother Jim as he expands on the idea of forgiveness and why we forgive others. This is part three of a three part series on forgiveness. We look forward to gathering with you virtually and hearing your thoughts and prayers during our live chat. We believe in Loving Jesus, Loving People, and seeing Jesus transform lives. For more information on our church, click on the following links: Website: junctioncovenant.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/junctioncov...

Join us as we gather live for our Sunday Service. Today we hear from Brother Curtis as he expands on the idea of forgiveness and shares testimony on his walk with God and learning to forgive. This is part one of a three part series on forgiveness. We look forward to gathering with you virtually and hearing your thoughts and prayers during our live chat. We believe in Loving Jesus, Loving People, and seeing Jesus transform lives. For more information on our church, click on the following links: Website: junctioncovenant.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/junctioncov...

Join us as we gather live for our Sunday Service. Today we hear from our congregation as the members share testimony of what God spoke to them during the forgiveness series. We look forward to gathering with you virtually and hearing your thoughts and prayers during our live chat. We believe in Loving Jesus, Loving People, and seeing Jesus transform lives. For more information on our church, click on the following links: Website: junctioncovenant.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/junctioncov...

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 362, “Please Give Us One Heart to Obey,” Kim discusses the latest invitation King Hezekiah sent out to call, not only the people of the Southern Kingdom, but also anyone left in the Northern Kingdom to come home and worship the Lord. Many laughed at the invitation, but some humbled themselves and came. For those who answered the invitation, the Lord gave “them all one heart to obey” their leaders, who were obeying the Lord. How would our world be changed today if Christ-followers had one heart to obey the Lord?   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 30:1-27, with 12 as the focal verse:   12 At the same time, God's hand was on the people in the land of Judah, giving them all one heart to obey the orders of the king and his officials, who were following the word of the Lord.      WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Please pray with me for you and all in your circle to have one heart to obey the Lord.   EDITOR'S NOTE:   Due to multiple technical difficulties, Kim had to perform multiple edits on the recorded material. If a glitch remains, please accept her sincerest apologies.   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   Exodus 12 - The First Passover EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings (1 & 2 Chronicles) PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

What happens when a church does all the right things but with the wrong motivation?  In this message, Pastor Eric Robertson shares our necessary response. Ultimately, the Book of Revelation is about a problem that is only solved when God's people wake up, repent, and faithfully wait on the return of Jesus.One of the worst problems is the one you don't know you have.Even worse are the problems you can see but don't recognize.Ephesus: HistoryEphesus was an influential city in the Roman world: a major port city in Asia Minor—economically powerful, culturally diverse, and religiously pluralistic. Faithfulness required constant discernment.The city was defined by idol worship. The Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Converting to Christianity meant rejecting the city's spiritual identity and economic system (Acts 19).Though the church seemed to be doing well, there was a glaring problem that John addressed.What Did It Mean: Revelation 2:1–7Each letter follows the criticism sandwich: (Good)(Bad)(Good).Jesus gives this critique while walking among the lampstands—the churches that illuminate Christ to the world.They served well, worked hard, corrected the wicked, removed toxic leaders, suffered faithfully, and didn't grow weary. Ephesus was a hard-working church.Imagine hearing: "You're great—but you don't love me."The letters were written to specific churches, but meant for all churches.What Does It Mean?This passage is often preached as a call to return to passion, but Jesus doesn't critique their passion.Paul once said of them: "Your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people" (Eph. 1:15–16).The problem wasn't their works, but their why. They disconnected from the reason they exist.Returning to your first love is remembering why you do what you do: to love God and love others.When a church forgets its why, it doesn't stop working—it stops breathing.Our vision is Belong, Believe, Become, but Ephesus drifted into Believe, Become, Belong.When love is no longer the motivation, we build walls instead of bridges and become known for what we're against instead of Who we're for.How Do We Respond?1. Remember – "Consider how far you have fallen."Remember where you were when God found you and why the church exists.2. Repent – "Repent."Recognize how far you've drifted. The church illuminates Jesus, not itself.3. Return – "Do the things you did at first."Matthew 22:37–40: Love God and love your neighbor.If you don't love your neighbor, you don't have love at all.Closing: Revelation 2:7Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.Returning to our first love is a return to paradise—the life God intended.If we fail to hear, our lampstand will be removed.The church at Ephesus no longer exists—only ruins remain.Have we fallen from our first love?

This week we continue our series called "Experiences of a Disciple". This week's message is called "Loving Jesus" given by Pastor EJ Tena. If you would like to support this ministry text "GIVE" to 479-777-4264 visit trcchurch.snappages.site for more information about us and our ministry.

Emma Johnson joins Adam to share about an upcoming opportunity for young adults ages 18-25 at the Missouri Catholic Summit in late February.  Adam goes on the road to visit with Msgr. Eugene Morris where the two discuss loving Jesus for no other reason than the fact He is deserving of all our love. Adam reflects on the call to evangelize and today's Gospel reading. Download the Covenant Network app today! Pray the Visual Rosary at VisualRosary.org For more information on Covenant Network, visit OurCatholicRadio.org

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 361, “Restored to Service,” Kim discusses the dedication of the Temple as described in 2 Chronicles 7 and the path that led to the rededication in 2 Chronicles 29. God knew the people would not stay 100% on fire for him and he gave Solomon a restoration plan from the beginning: 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). About 250 years later, spiritual darkness has invaded the land and King Hezekiah leads the people in the restoration process, including purifying and rededicating the temple.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 29:18-36, with 28-29 and 35b-36 as the focal verses:   28 The entire assembly worshiped the Lord as the singers sang and the trumpets blew, until all the burnt offerings were finished. 29 Then the king and everyone with him bowed down in worship.    So the Temple of the Lord was restored to service. 36 And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people, for everything had been accomplished so quickly.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   For Christ-followers, the “temple of the Holy Spirit” is contained within our bodies. Is there anything you need to do today to “restore” your body to wholehearted service for the Lord?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   2 Chronicles 7:1-22 - 12 Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16 For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. 19 Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Message from Brian Davis on February 7, 2026

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 360, “When You Are Really Serious about Doing Right,” Kim discusses the measures you may want to take if you want to commit to the Lord stick. King Hezekiah walked into an absolute mess, and he set out to right the proverbial ship. He wanted to renew the people side of the covenant with the Lord. Kim also looks at when Joshua challenged the Israelites' commitment to the Lord and renewed their commitment to the Lord. If they had truly followed through on those commitments from generation to generation, Hezekiah would not have inherited the mess he did.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 29:10-17 with 10 as the focal verse:   10 But now I will make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Might today be the day you recommit one or more areas of your life to the Lord?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   Joshua 24 EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus     I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Join us as we gather live for our Sunday Service. Today Brother Dan and Brother Lyle facilitate the sharing of testimony from the congregation about the recent fast. We look forward to gathering with you virtually and hearing your thoughts and prayers during our live chat. We believe in Loving Jesus, Loving People, and seeing Jesus transform lives. For more information on our church, click on the following links: Website: junctioncovenant.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/junctioncov...

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 359, “Just, How Did We Get Here?” Kim discusses the importance of periodically assessing where you are in your life and the decisions and events that led you to today. As King Hezekiah began to lead the Southern Kingdom of Israel, he immediately sought to repair the relationship of the people to God. Then, he took a moment to reflect on the poor decisions their ancestors made that led them to such a dark place.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 29:6-9 with 8-9 as the focal verses:   8 “That is why the Lord's anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Ask yourself: “How did I get here?” Take a few prayerful moments to review your history and ask the Lord to teach you through the process of remembering.   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Loving Jesus and Keeping His Commands | John 14:18-21 Jesus says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." So what does that mean when we fail to keep his commands? What about someone who loves Jesus and desires to remain in Him, but doesn't always keep His commands? Do that person actually love Jesus?  In this episode of the Bible in Life podcast, we explore the relationship between loving Jesus, obedience, and God's grace.    Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:  https://www.johnwhittaker.net   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener's Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with John: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, X, via email.

Everyone faces battles in their mind. Loving Jesus doesn't mean you won't struggle with mental health. Faith and struggle can exist together. God calls us to renew our minds, stop carrying burdens alone, and come to Jesus for rest.

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 358, “Clean Up, Everybody Clean Up,” Kim discusses the transition of the Southern Kingdom to the leadership of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah took over the mantle of leadership during an especially dark spiritual time. There are lessons to be learned from where he began cleaning up the mess to rebuild that can be applied to our spiritual lives.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 29:1-9, with 5 as the focal verse:   5 He said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary.      WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   In which areas of your life do you need to begin the clean up process?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Everyone faces battles in their mind. Loving Jesus doesn't mean you won't struggle with mental health. Faith and struggle can exist together. God calls us to renew our minds, stop carrying burdens alone, and come to Jesus for rest.

Everyone faces battles in their mind. Loving Jesus doesn't mean you won't struggle with mental health. Faith and struggle can exist together. God calls us to renew our minds, stop carrying burdens alone, and come to Jesus for rest.

Today we FINALLY get to sit down and take a peek behind the curtains as Brianne and I wrap up 2025 and what the year has looked like.

For more than 25 years, Emanda Rosen followed Jesus faithfully, trusted Scripture, and built her life around the Christian faith. She believed in the Holy Spirit — but she also believed that the gifts of the Spirit were no longer something everyday Christians experienced.Prophecy. Healing. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those were biblical… but not for her. Or so she thought.Everything changed when God gently confronted that belief and invited her into something she never expected.In this episode, Emanda shares how God awakened her to the reality of the Holy Spirit in a deeply personal way — first by exposing her to the gifts she didn't think were available today, and then through a powerful, tangible baptism in the Holy Spirit marked by overwhelming peace, joy, freedom, and a transformed prayer life and relationship with God.This is not a story of rebellion, emotionalism, or chasing experiences. It's the story of a devoted Christian who loved Jesus sincerely — and discovered that God had more than she ever imagined.In this conversation, we explore:• Loving Jesus faithfully while believing the gifts of the Holy Spirit had ceased• How God awakens believers gently, not forcefully• The difference between believing in the Holy Spirit and being filled with Him• What the baptism of the Holy Spirit can look like todayIf you love Jesus, honor Scripture, and have ever wondered whether there might be more available in your walk with God — this conversation is for you.Get Emanda's book The Husband, The Housewife and the Holy Spirit here ⇨ https://amzn.to/45mDLvEConnect with Emanda:Website: https://www.emandarosen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emanda_rosen_officialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Emanda-Rosen-Official/61573420358277/#------------------------✟ Donate to A Stronger Faith here ⇨ https://www.astrongerfaith.org/give--------------------------✟ Recommend a guest for us here ⇨ https://www.astrongerfaith.org/contact--------------------------✟ CONNECT WITH US! ⇨ Website: https://www.astrongerfaith.org/ ⇨ YouTube: https://bit.ly/asfmyoutube ⇨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrongerfaith/ ⇨ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrongerfaith⇨ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astrongerfaith------------------------------------✟ If you need prayer or deliverance, or if you would like to join us as a prayer partner, please visit our prayer resources page at https://www.astrongerfaith.org/prayer.✟ If you are looking for a good faith-building book, visit our recommended books page at https://www.astrongerfaith.org/books.

Matthew 10:37–42 ESV “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it… And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” In this Daily Devotions episode, Pastor David Sumrall draws attention to the clear conditions Jesus lays out in this passage. Every promise is connected to a choice. Loving Jesus above all, embracing God's call, and responding with faithfulness lead to lasting reward. What we place first in our lives shapes the outcome we experience. Join Pastor Sumrall at Cathedral of Praise for Daily Devotions, and let Scripture guide your priorities, responses, and daily walk with God. ---- Discover fundamental truths and the power of Scripture with Pastor David E. Sumrall on Daily Devotions. Pastor Sumrall serves as the Undershepherd of the Cathedral of Praise, a Christian church dedicated to Jesus and His Word, with campuses across Metro Manila and branches around the world.   Don't forget to like, subscribe to Cathedral of Praise TV https://www.youtube.com/c/cathedralofpraiseTV/?sub_confirmation=1,and hit the bell icon 

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 357, “The Primary Element of Proper Worship,” Kim discusses the story in 2 Kings 17 where a priest was brought back to Samaria from captivity to teach the new residents how to worship the Lord. Yet, either he left out the part that they had to worship the Lord only, OR the people thought they could continue their cafeteria approach to worship and just add the worship of this god to their menu. Big mistake! Let's see how this turns out and how we can apply this to our own lives.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Kings 17:16-41, with 37-41 as the focal verses:   37 Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.” 40 But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices. 41 So while these new residents worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   If the Lord were to grade your worship focus, what grade would you receive and why?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   3 “You must not have any other god but me. 4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. (Exodus 20:3-5a) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 356, “Becoming Whom You Worship,” Kim discusses the importance of choosing wisely what or whom we devote our reverence, focus, and energy. In today's passage, we see that the idolatrous Israelites' worship of worthless idols led to them becoming like what they worshipped. Yet, just as worshipping an unworthy object can turn us into what we worship, we can also become more like Christ when we choose to bow down and worship Him.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Kings 17:5-15, with 15 as the focal verse:   15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the Lord's command not to imitate them.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   If you become whom you worship, who will you be? Would you be proud to be that person?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   "What people revere, they resemble, either for ruin or for restoration.” (G. K. Beale) 4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. 5 They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. 6 They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. 7 They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. 8 And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. (Ps. 115:4-8) 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18) 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2026). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 355, “We're Not Graded on a Curve,” Kim discusses the dangers of Christ-followers comparing their walk to others. In today's text, we see the story of someone who did evil, but his evil was not as bad as others. May we get our eyes on Christ, the only example we should be chasing, and get off the comparison wheel.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Kings 17:1-4, with 2 as the focal verse:   2 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Spend a few prayerful minutes reading Matthew 5-7.   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) 1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8) 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-254331.html Continuing the Conversation 1. When you think about your current walk with Jesus, which of the threebeing with Him, becoming like Him, or doing as He didfeels strongest? Which feels weakest? 2. What makes it hard to slow down and abide with Jesus in everyday life? What pressures or distractions compete for your attention? 3. How have you seen real character changeeither in yourself or someone elseover time through following Jesus 4. Where do you see the temptation to do for God without first being with God? 5. What is one practical way our group could help each other stay connected to Jesus this season?

Fill-In Notes: https://churchlinkfeeds.blob.core.windows.net/notes/39900/note-254331.html Continuing the Conversation 1. When you think about your current walk with Jesus, which of the threebeing with Him, becoming like Him, or doing as He didfeels strongest? Which feels weakest? 2. What makes it hard to slow down and abide with Jesus in everyday life? What pressures or distractions compete for your attention? 3. How have you seen real character changeeither in yourself or someone elseover time through following Jesus 4. Where do you see the temptation to do for God without first being with God? 5. What is one practical way our group could help each other stay connected to Jesus this season?

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 354, “No One Can Keep You from God,” Kim discusses the attempt of King Ahaz to shut down all access to God. Kim encourages listeners who are Christ-followers to celebrate their eternal access to God. Because of our great High Priest, we can go boldly to God…but do we?   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 28:20-27, with 22-25 as the focal verses:   22 Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the Lord. 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, for he said, “Since these gods helped the kings of Aram, they will help me, too, if I sacrifice to them.” But instead, they led to his ruin and the ruin of all Judah. 24 The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord's Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah for offering sacrifices to other gods. In this way, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Given that nothing can stand between you and God, be honest—how frequently do you come confidently before His throne?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:14-16) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus     I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Our culture often defines love as emotion, affirmation, or sentiment. But Jesus defines love differently: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In this Advent message, Pastor Nathan teaches from John 14 that true love for Jesus is not mental assent or spiritual feelings—but a life shaped by obedience, holiness, and submission to His Lordship. This kind of love is only possible because of the grace of God at work in us through Christ. 

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 353, “When God Humbles You,” Kim discusses the choices we make daily, either to humble ourselves before God or experience consequences orchestrated by God to humble us. In today's text, we encounter the latest events in the life and rule of King Ahaz of Judah. Not only did he not humble himself before the Lord, but he was “utterly unfaithful to the Lord” and “encouraged his people to sin.” Let's learn from his poor choices and live daily in humble submission to the Lord and His plans.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 28:16-19, with 19 as the focal verse:   19 The Lord was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the Lord.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Which would you choose — humble yourself before the Lord OR have Him humble you because of your sin?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord…16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 16) 1 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies!     The whole earth is filled with his glory!” 4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said, “It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” 8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:1-8) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Loving Jesus means loving our neighbors as well. But our culture is increasingly post-Christian, post-church, and post-reached. Our neighbors feel further away than they've ever been. So what shifts are needed to speak Jesus in this culture? In this talk from TGC25 followed by Q&A, Sam Chan talks about how to speak about Jesus in a more effective way. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 352, “Healthy Response to Godly Confrontation,” Kim discusses the importance of accepting godly confrontation with humility. Not only should Christ followers accept godly confrontation well, but confronting others in a godly manner is also important. Kim provides two scriptural examples of those courageous enough to confront others and the godly responses of the recipients.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 28:9-15 with 9, 12-13 as the focal verses:   9 But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far, killing them without mercy, and all heaven is disturbed.    12 Then some of the leaders of Israel—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—agreed with this and confronted the men returning from battle. 13 “You must not bring the prisoners here!” they declared. “We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the Lord's fierce anger is already turned against Israel.”     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   How do you respond to Godly confrontation?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   Apollos Instructed by Priscilla and Aquila - Acts 18:24-28  EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Sermon by David Rountree on 11/30/25 at New Covenant Church in Anderson, SC. Scripture Passage: John 8:31-59 Outline: 1. Remaining in Bondage Rather than Remaining in the Word (v.31–43). 2. Loving the Devil Rather than Loving Jesus (v.42–55). 3. Failing to Rejoicing in Seeing Jesus' Day (v.56–59).

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 351, “When Personal Choices Destroy Many,” Kim discusses the poor choices made by King Ahaz of Judah and how those negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of his own people. Rarely do any of us realize just how much impact our personal choices can make on others.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 28:1-8, with 5-6 as the focal verses:   5 Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army. 6 In a single day Pekah son of Remaliah, Israel's king, killed 120,000 of Judah's troops, all of them experienced warriors, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors.      WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   When have you experienced collateral damage from someone else's bad choices?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:  EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

2022-08-29 - A Loving Jesus vs A Rigid Religion： Mark 2_13-28 [ZOoCAYSFRUo] by Salvador Flores III

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 350, “Who Do You Imitate?” Kim discusses the importance of being very careful in choosing who you imitate. Kim shared the sentiment of a song written about 20 years ago that showed what it might look like when someone imitates another's not so honorable behaviors, but also how the imitation of healthy behaviors might look. Be careful who you imitate, making sure to live a life that points any who choose to follow you to Christ and Christlikeness.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 28:1-4, with 2 and 3 as the focal verses:   2 Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel. He cast metal images for the worship of Baal. 3 He offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.      WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitated Christ. Is your current Christ walk so that you would be willing to tell someone to imitate you? If not, what needs to change?     Additional Resources and Scriptures:  1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1) Watching You by Rodney Atkins, Written by Songwriters: Brian Gene White / Rodney A. Atkins / Steven A. Dean EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

This is part 4 of "Thanks & Giving," our series at Fusion Christian Church where we reflect on how to be both grateful and generous in our lives. In this sermon, Pastor Zac teaches about "True Religion" vs. "Fake religion."Real religion is your inward faith made visible. The bible teaches that good works are the fruit of a good tree. If a person has true faith in Christ, good works will result. Works do not happen by accident, but are the natural outgrowth of faith. True, real religion, then, is the visible part of someone's invisible faith. No one but God can see into the hearts of men, so the only way we can know if someone's faith is real is by their outward expression of it. True religion starts with love for Jesus.Loving Jesus is what kicks it all off. If we don't have a genuine love for Jesus Christ underneath our good works, then it is all worth nothing. Maybe our good works help others, but they do nothing to help us with God. God is not interested in our good works if they are not resting on a relationship with him.True religion proves itself in your love for others.We see true religion proven when we see a Christian loving his neighbors. Christian love is not an idle feeling, but a decision to do what is best for someone else. As Christians, God calls us to love those around us. This means we must choose to do what is best for them even when it costs us.True religion demonstrates itself by meeting the needs of others.Finally, actually doing the good works is where the rubber meets the road. Our love for others and desire to have the best for them propel us to meet their needs. Good Christians love God first, love others second, and demonstrate both of these by meeting their neighbors' needs. How can you meet the needs of your neighbors this week?

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 349, “Be Careful to Live in Obedience to God,” Kim discusses the difference between the legacies of the kings Uzziah and his son Jotham. King Jotham made one choice his father obviously did not, at least when their power continued to grow: “he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God.” Let's all learn from his example and determine how to be more careful in our lives.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 27:1-9, with 6 as the focal verse, compared to 2 Chronicles 26:16:   6 King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God.   16 But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord's Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.      WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   In which area of your life do you need to be more careful to live in obedience to God?   Consistently Make Wise Choices Avoid Personal Danger Zones Reset on a Regular Basis Expect More from Yourself Each Day Fail Forward Use the Tools You Have Available Live a Life Worthy of Being the Lord's Ambassador.     Additional Resources and Scriptures:   EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 348, “They Refused to Turn from the Sins,” Kim discusses the ungodly patterns that can carry forward in families and organizations. In today's text, we see evil patterns in families and in non-familial leadership lines. Always remember you can choose to stop unhealthy patterns and pass along healthy ones to future generations.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Kings 15:8-31, with 9 as the focal verse:   9 Zechariah did what was evil in the Lord's sight, as his ancestors had done. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   What unhealthy patterns have you refused to turn from?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deut. 6:6-7) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus     I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 347, “Power, Pride, and the Plummet,” Kim discusses the humiliating fall of the puffed-up King Uzziah of the Southern Kingdom. As long as he feared the Lord and sought guidance from the Lord, he had a successful life, and the kingdom of Judah thrived. Yet, at some point, his eyes left the Lord and his purposes, and began to consider himself above respect for God and His law. May each of us learn from Uzziah's tragic end.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 26:16-23, with 16 as the focal verse:   “But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord's Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.”     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   Humbly pray the prayer provided below and fully submit to the Spirit's leading.   PRAYER AGAINST PRIDE   Heavenly Father, You are the Lord Almighty, the One who resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). We come before You today, confessing that pride has crept into our hearts like a silent thief, stealing our dependence on You.   Forgive us, Lord, when we have thought too highly of ourselves, when we have sought our own glory instead of Yours. Like King Uzziah, we have sometimes trusted in our success, our strength, our wisdom— and forgotten that “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).   Break our hearts where pride has taken root. “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Search us and reveal any arrogance, self-reliance, or desire to be seen by others. Help us to “humble ourselves under Your mighty power” (1 Peter 5:6), knowing that You alone are worthy of praise.   Teach us to walk in the fear of the Lord, for “true humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life” (Proverbs 22:4). Clothe us with humility, as You clothed Your Son, Jesus, who “humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).   May we never stand on the precipice of pride, but instead “boast only about the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31), and “take delight in honoring each other” (Romans 12:10).   Guard our hearts, our words, and our actions. Let “everything we do… bring glory to God” (1 Corinthians 10:31), and keep us low at the foot of the cross, where true greatness is found in serving, not in being served.   In the name of Jesus Christ, our humble King, we pray. Amen. (Grok, Oct. 31, 2025)     Additional Resources and Scriptures:   8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (James 4:8-10) 16 There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18  a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19  a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. (Proverbs 6:16-19) 18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) 2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2) Isaiah 6:1-8 EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus     I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

In this message from Colossians 3, Pastor Lance reminds us that loving Jesus wholeheartedly means letting our union with Him transform how we relate to others. When we live from our new identity hidden with Christ, we forgive freely, speak with grace, and pursue unity that reflects His love and victory in our relationships.

In this message from Colossians 3, Pastor Lance reminds us that loving Jesus wholeheartedly means letting our union with Him transform how we relate to others. When we live from our new identity hidden with Christ, we forgive freely, speak with grace, and pursue unity that reflects His love and victory in our relationships.

SHOW NOTES   In Podcast Episode 346, “The Lord Gave Me Marvelous Help,” Kim discusses the story of King Uzziah and how the Lord provided “marvelous help” as long as Uzziah feared the Lord and sought guidance from Him. She challenged listeners to reflect on their own stories of the Lord's marvelous help, using some of her own stories to encourage others to share their stories with others.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Chronicles 26:11-15, with 15 as the focal verse:   15 And he built structures on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to protect those who shot arrows and hurled large stones from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   When has the Lord given you marvelous help?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com X - https://x.com/eoinlovingjesus?s=21&t=YcRjZQUpvP7FrJmm7Pe1hg INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. xAI. (2025). Grok [Large language model]. https://x.ai/grok/chat      "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

Disappointment doesn't have to define us—it can become a doorway to deeper intimacy with Jesus. In this message, discover how Christ heals the heartache of deferred hope and turns pain into renewed affection and steadfast faith.

Christian ; Follower of GOD Servant of CHRIST        Decorated Combat VeteranCorporate; U.S. Marine Corps Urban Warfare Instrictor;       S.R.T. Commander Active Shooter Response Team Law Enforcement Los Angeles Police (L.A.P.D.) Police Officer / Fugitive RecoveryF.B.I. Instructor N.R.A Instructor Competition Shooter; Multi Time State Rifle Pistol Champion Hunting; Life Long Hunter Proffessional Hunter and Guide Private Security Contractor; Several Agencies,  Current. https://www.patreon.com/GoodSh...GOD Provides JESUS Saves