Podcasts about Mars Hill

Paul's Message On Mars Hill | Acts 17:22-34 | 27 August 2025 - Wednesday Evening | Dr. Brad Weniger, Pastor

At just nine years old, Jase found himself alone in the frozen woods, turning a childhood scare into his very first survival story—and his first glimpse that God was near. Al and Zach connect that experience to Paul's sermon at Mars Hill in Acts 17, where creation itself testifies to the Creator's closeness. It turns out that both Phil and Missy preached the same message at Mars Hill years apart without knowing it. The guys explore the gnostic belief that our flesh is inherently sinful, and why resurrection hope isn't about escaping the body but God redeeming it. In this episode: Romans 1, verse 20; Acts 17; John 14, verse 2; John 14, verses 16-23; John 13, verse 3; Psalm 145, verses 17–20; John 5, verses 39–40; Romans 8, verse 8; Romans 8, verse 11; 1 Corinthians 6; Galatians 5, verses 19–24; Galatians 6, verse 14; 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 23; 1 John 5, verse 4 “Unashamed” Episode 1151 is sponsored by: https://puretalk.com/unashamed — Get a Samsung Galaxy A36 for FREE with a $35 qualifying plan when you make the switch! https://ruffgreens.com — Get a FREE Jumpstart Trial Bag for your dog today when you use promo code Unashamed! https://chministries.org/unashamed — See why Christians are ditching health insurance for good. Get a simpler alternative at half the cost! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join us every Friday starting 8/29 for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

===== MDJ Script/ Top Stories for August 22nd Publish Date:  August 22nd    Commercial: From the BG AD Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast.    Today is Friday, August 22nd and Happy Birthday to Norman Scharzkoff I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Times Journal Auditions for A Christmas Tradition are Sept. 8-9 Who’s running? Dozens qualify for Cobb’s local elections Lockheed's C-130J wins "Coolest Thing Made in Georgia" competition Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on budgeting All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!  BREAK: Ingles Markets 4 STORY 1: Auditions for A Christmas Tradition are Sept. 8-9 Got some holiday spirit and a knack for singing or dancing—or both? The Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta is holding auditions for A Christmas Tradition on Sept. 8-9, from 6 to 9 p.m. This high-energy Christmas revue, directed by Shane DeLancey, runs Dec. 12-21 and features live music, classic holiday hits, and plenty of sparkle. Singers who can dance? Dancers who can sing? They want you. Audition requirements: two short vocal pieces (bring sheet music or a track), a group dance combo (taught on-site), and a headshot/resume. Ages 18+. Pre-register at https://tinyurl.com/hwpkw2wr. Questions? Email auditions@strandmarietta.org. STORY 2: Who’s running? Dozens qualify for Cobb’s local elections  Cobb’s municipal elections are heating up as more candidates throw their hats in the ring. By Tuesday, seven new names joined the races, adding to the dozens who qualified Monday. In Marietta, the mayor’s seat and all seven City Council and school board positions are up for grabs. Incumbent Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin is seeking a fifth term, facing challenger Sam Foster. Meanwhile, council races are drawing a mix of familiar faces and fresh contenders, like Kenneth Wright, who’s challenging Ward 5’s Carlyle Kent. Over in Mableton, Cassandra Brown joined the District 4 race, while Austell and Kennesaw saw new challengers emerge for key council seats. STORY 3: Lockheed's C-130J wins "Coolest Thing Made in Georgia" competition  Lockheed Martin’s Marietta-made C-130J Super Hercules just snagged the title of “Coolest Thing Made in Georgia” in the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever competition. And honestly? It’s hard to argue with that. Rod McLean, Lockheed’s VP of Air Mobility and Maritime Missions, was thrilled. “This aircraft has been a game-changer for decades,” he said. “To see it recognized like this—it’s incredible.” The C-130J, built by a 5,000-strong team in Marietta, has logged over 3 million flight hours and serves 28 operators worldwide. It even beat out an air taxi in the finals. Not bad for a 70-year-old legend. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info.  We’ll be right back. Break: COBB INT. FESITVAL STORY 4: 21-year-old woman killed in Mars Hill Road collision  A 21-year-old woman from Powder Springs, Kristen Royster, lost her life in a tragic crash Wednesday night on Mars Hill Road, according to Cobb County Police. It happened around 10:14 p.m. A red Chevy Silverado, driven by Temple Reed, 30, of Dallas, was heading west on Hadaway Road. At the same time, Royster’s black Nissan Sentra was traveling south on Mars Hill. They collided in the intersection. The Chevy hit the Nissan’s left side, sending it off the road. Royster didn’t survive. Reed, though injured, refused treatment. Police are still investigating. Got info? Call 770-499-3987. STORY 5: Cobb officials discuss ICE, mental health, crime prevention Immigration, public safety, mental health, and crime—big topics tackled at Tuesday night’s forum hosted by the Cobb County Democratic Committee at Switzer Library. Local law enforcement leaders, including Sheriff Craig Owens and Marietta Police Chief David Beam, fielded tough questions from both moderators and the audience. One hot-button issue? ICE raids. Owens made it clear: “We don’t know when or where they’re happening. They don’t tell us.” Beam echoed that sentiment, adding, “We’re not involved unless there’s an emergency.” Mental health also took center stage, with officials highlighting crisis intervention training and outreach programs aimed at prevention. “It’s about partnership,” Beam said. And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on budgeting We’ll have closing comments after this. Break: Ingles Markets 4 Signoff-   Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at mdjonline.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: www.ingles-markets.com #NewsPodcast #CurrentEvents #TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversations See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Inverted Orthodoxy Podcast! We're Blake, Kyle, and Doug the pastors from Living Springs, here to take you on a weekly adventure through the twists and turns of faith. Got questions? We've got answers, and sometimes more questions! Today marks a very special episode as we embark on episode 400! This comes with reflections, fun moments, and for the first time, our own line of merch.You can order here: https://livingspringsairdrie.com/merchandisePodcast Images: https://livingspringsairdrie.com/PODCASTIMAGESYou can pre-order our merchandise via the link below, and enter our giveaway via our social media accounts . Out of province? we will quote you an additional shipping cost with your order. Please email kielan@livingspringsairdrie.com to get this out to you.Todays episode covers the following:(27:36 into episode)I believe you guys have listened to the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill but if not my apologies.How has listening to the Podcast impacted your perspective on being a pastor and the trauma that can come from a church? How have you seen social media impact the pastoral role, both in terms of increasing popularity and increasing criticism through forms like ‘Preachers and Sneakers'? Do you have a question you've been wanting answered? Head on over to our website www.invertedorthodoxy.com to submit a question. You can find us on Wednesdays on Youtube, or wherever you subscribe to podcasts. To learn more about our church, you can visit www.livingspringsairdrie.com

Welcome to the Inverted Orthodoxy Podcast! We're Blake, Kyle, and Doug the pastors from Living Springs, here to take you on a weekly adventure through the twists and turns of faith. Got questions? We've got answers, and sometimes more questions! Today marks a very special episode as we embark on episode 400! This comes with reflections, fun moments, and for the first time, our own line of merch.You can order here: https://livingspringsairdrie.com/merchandisePodcast Images: https://livingspringsairdrie.com/PODCASTIMAGESYou can pre-order our merchandise via the link below, and enter our giveaway via our social media accounts . Out of province? we will quote you an additional shipping cost with your order. Please email kielan@livingspringsairdrie.com to get this out to you.Todays episode covers the following:(27:36 into episode)I believe you guys have listened to the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill but if not my apologies.How has listening to the Podcast impacted your perspective on being a pastor and the trauma that can come from a church? How have you seen social media impact the pastoral role, both in terms of increasing popularity and increasing criticism through forms like ‘Preachers and Sneakers'? Do you have a question you've been wanting answered? Head on over to our website www.invertedorthodoxy.com to submit a question. You can find us on Wednesdays on Youtube, or wherever you subscribe to podcasts. To learn more about our church, you can visit www.livingspringsairdrie.com

NT Wright is Senior Research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, the former Bishop of Durham and a prolific author. Justin talks to Tom about his most recent book 'The Challenge of Acts'. How does the rise of the early church under the the Roman Empire - often through miracles, signs and wonders - speak to our post-Christian west and the modern search for meaning? Their conversation includes a deep dive into Paul's famous stand off with the philosophers of Athens in Acts 17. What does the famous sermon on Mars Hill have to say to a church seeking to speak to a world that is often hostile to Christian faith? 'Responding To The Rebirth' Conference: http://rebirthconference.net/ NT Wright - The Challenge of Acts https://spckpublishing.co.uk/the-challenge-of-acts More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via Tax-deductible (USA) and get the same perks: https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Give a one-off gift via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Got feedback? Share it with us by emailing: feedback@think.faith Ep 17 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/season-2-episode-17-ntw-acts The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith in partnership with Genexis, and support from The Jerusalem Trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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2 Chronicles - Solomon's Dedication of the Temple, Solomon's Prayer of Dedication, The Shekinah Glory, Sacrifices Offered, The Feast of Dedication, God's Promise and Warning.Acts - Paul in Thessalonica, Paul in Berea, Paul in Athens, Sermon on Mars Hill.

When one becomes indoctrinated into conservative christianity at a young age, that person usually does everything possible to adhere to the teachings and values that ultimately cause harm. Celeste Irwin did everything she could as a cis-het man, even joining a church plant for what she later learned was an insidious cult. But once she extricated herself from the cult and conservative christianity, she began the hard work of deconstructing faith and figuring out her identity as a "christian-ish" trans woman. Subscribe to Celeste's writing here.Chapel Probation is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dauntless Media Collective⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dauntless Media Discord ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for more conversation with all the podcast communities.Scott's book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asian-American-Apostate- Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now!Music by Scott Okamoto, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jenyi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Azeem Khan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shin Kawasaki⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wingo Shackleford⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chapel Probation Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to support Scott and for bonus content. Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chapel Probation Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ group to continue the conversations.Follow Scott on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can subscribe to Scott's newsletter and learn more about the book, the blog, and performances at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rscottokamoto.com⁠

In a world full of contradiction and confusion, the Apostle Paul's encounter at Mars Hill offers a powerful blueprint for engaging a spiritually lost culture. This sermon explores Paul's bold message to a city filled with idols and intellect, yet starving for truth. Drawing from Acts 17, we examine what it means to live “in Christ” in contrast to life “out of Christ.”Listeners will discover how Paul transitioned from cultural observation to gospel proclamation, revealing the identity and supremacy of the Creator God. We unpack key scriptural truths:Jesus as the Creator and Sustainer of lifeThe necessity of living in Him, not just believing about HimThe contrast between Sunday-only religion and everyday Christ-centered livingThis message challenges believers to bring Jesus out of the church building and into everyday life. Learn how to guard your spiritual house, shut the door to the enemy, and keep your heart open to Christ's lordship. A practical and convicting call to be the Church in a confused and broken world.

How are we to live in today's secular culture? In the book of Acts, what was Paul's approach to the pagan people of Greece?Most of the people of Athens were well educated, but they were also pagan, and worshipped many Greek gods.Paul's approach to his sermon to the people of Athens was very consistent with what he taught about going out into the world and dealing with a secular pagan culture—how to deal with those outside of the faith.Paul did not argue or try to convince people. He reasoned with them, starting with what they already knew. Acts 17:16-20 "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.”They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”

From Acts 17:22-34

Forty days after his resurrection, when Jesus was about to ascend up to the Father, he gave his disciples their great commission in Matthew 28. He told them to go and “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and the holy spirit.” He told them to teach others to observe all that he commanded and that he would be with them always, even to the end of the age. The message here was simple and yet daunting: preach the gospel everywhere. Find disciples throughout the world and then teach them how to truly follow Christ. To accomplish this massive task, we need God's spirit and biblical examples of how to present ourselves. So, what are the foundational principles of effectively sharing the gospel? The Apostle Paul helps us identify the key biblical principles of witnessing in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. He began by saying his own mission was to work at identifying with all people to better enable him to witness. Three broad categories of witness opportunities He then pointed out three broad categories of people he was attuned to, and these apply to us as well: To Jews, meaning to those who identified with Jewish customs. For us this would include those who are familiar with Christianity as well. To those with no Christian or Jewish faith who in many cases live very worldly lives. To the weak: those in any category who struggle with many forms of hardship or difficulty. In three specific examples of sharing the gospel with others, both Jesus and the Apostle Paul demonstrated a powerful ability to capture the hearts of those they were speaking with. Their examples demonstrated five basic principles to help us be effective spokespeople for Christ. Recognize: Understand who your audience is, including their values, backgrounds, and beliefs. Respect: Establish common ground through relatable language and genuine respect. Listen: Engage attentively, inviting others to share their perspectives. Awaken: Spark curiosity by presenting unexpected, thought-provoking points that break routine thinking. Teach, Preach, Reason, and Encourage: Present the gospel witness with heartfelt clarity and a focus on God's redemptive plan. We saw how this all played out in the accounts of Paul before King Agrippa, and then again at Mars Hill in Athens speaking to a pagan audience. We also looked at Jesus encouraging two disciples on the road to Emmaus using these same basic principles. The power of the gospel message combined with these five communication principles reveals a recipe for great opportunity!

On this episode of Rightly Dividing, the book of Acts, or The Acts of the Apostles, shows us the life and ministry of the apostles of Jesus Christ from the gospels, including one who is “born out of due time”, the apostle Paul. But before he was an apostle of the Lord, Saul was a fearsome type of Antichrist, and we will look at that as well. Think you're called to the ministry? You better think again, the book of Acts shows you what the ministry is, and you may not like it much. Join us as we study the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles, verse by verse and chapter by chapter.TONIGHT'S STUDY: The action accelerates to a fever pitch in our study tonight, we see Paul telling the people over at Mars Hill who the UNKNOWN GOD is, and his trip to Corinth where he first declares he is going to “go to the Gentiles” because the Jews don't want salvation. Hard to imagine, but 100% true.

News 13 Sports Director Chris Womack joins Tank Spencer for the first ever Womack Wednesday on 92.9 FM. They talk with TC Roberson baseball coach Eric Filipek about his team's 3rd straight state title. NASCAR Jackman Ty Snelson, Mars Hill alum, joins the show to discuss Joey Logano's chase for another title. They also regrettably look at the Bill Belichick experiment and whether Jordon is ruining it.

In May 1894, a rich, globetrotting, and brilliant mathematician from Boston came to Flagstaff for a special purpose - finding evidence of life on Mars.

Send us a text In this episode, we open a discussion concerning the biblical understanding of what true worship is. We begin by examining the possibility of worshipping ignorantly as Paul told the people at Mars Hill. We go through Acts 17 and look at several aspects of what was wrong with their worship, and the worship God desires. By the end, we turn from the people at Athens, and then we begin to apply these things to ourselves. If you are ready for a challenge, or if you desire to test your worship by the Bible, come study God's Word with us today… 

On this episode of Rightly Dividing, the book of Acts, or The Acts of the Apostles, shows us the life and ministry of the apostles of Jesus Christ from the gospels, including one who is “born out of due time”, the apostle Paul. But before he was an apostle of the Lord, Saul was a fearsome type of Antichrist, and we will look at that as well. Think you're called to the ministry? You better think again, the book of Acts shows you what the ministry is, and you may not like it much. Join us as we study the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles, verse by verse and chapter by chapter.TONIGHT'S STUDY: The action accelerates to a fever pitch in our study tonight, we see Paul telling the people over at Mars Hill who the UNKNOWN GOD is, and his trip to Corinth where he first declares he is going to “go to the Gentiles” because the Jews don't want salvation. Hard to imagine, but 100% true.

Dr. John Whitcomb concludes his life story, "The Conversion of an Evolutionist," on this week's edition of "Encounter God's Truth." He will share more of the account of his own conversion—and principles that he has drawn from that experience that have guided him through the years, and can still encourage us today. We will turn to Acts 17, where the Apostle Paul proclaimed the life-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ to the philosophers of Athens on Mars Hill—and to Acts 20, where we see the model that Paul gave us in the city of Ephesus for carrying out the Great Commission. Dr. Whitcomb first brought this message to the people of Grace Bible Church in Elkhart, Indiana, and with host Wayne Shepherd we are thankful to them for being able to share it with you here on "Encounter God's Truth." It is part of our series called "Basic Biblical Distinctions."

Dr. Gerry Breshears (Ph.D. Fuller Seminary) is a professor of theology at Western Seminary, a pastor of pastors, elder at Grace Community Church (Gresham, OR), and a happy great-grandfather. To listen to the last part of our conversation about women in leadership, become a Theology in the Raw patron at patreon.com/theologyintheraw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a bold faith collides with a skeptical world?   Pastors Josh Howerton and Carlos Erazo are joined by Pamela Baltazar and Jana Howerton for a rich, laughter-filled, and truth-packed conversation centered on Acts 17 and Paul's legendary sermon on Mars Hill. As they unpack how Paul's approach to sharing the Gospel mirrors the challenges we face in today's digital culture, the group explores how believers can engage the modern “Areopagus” of social media with courage and clarity.  Along the way, they celebrate God's faithfulness through 25,000 baptisms at Lakepointe church, highlight stories of life change, and even consider whether Joe Rogan might be inching closer to Jesus. This is a powerful conversation about legacy, revival, and using every platform to share the hope found in Christ.  

Recorded at the Areopagus in Athens, Chad and Derrick Woodward reflect on Paul's message in Acts 17. They discuss how Paul addressed Greek idolatry and introduced the concept of one true God to the philosophers at Mars Hill; blending biblical reflection with on-site observations to highlight the relevance of Paul's message today.

Mars HillMay 11, 2025 • Greg Pinkner • Acts 17:16–34This Sunday, Greg continues our series on the Book of Acts. In Acts 17, Paul engages the philosophers of Athens at Mars Hill—a city filled with idols and intellectual pride. Surrounded by temples to false gods, Paul boldly proclaims the one true God who made the world, gives life and breath to all, and cannot be contained by human temples or served by human hands. He confronts both Stoic and Epicurean worldviews, contextualizing the gospel in their language, and calls them to repent because God has appointed Jesus as the righteous judge, proven by His resurrection. The idols of our own culture—pleasure, power, success—are empty, but the gospel of Jesus is full of life and truth.WEBSITE: https://fellowshipknox.org/INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fellowshipknox/

One of the better known stories in the Bible is when Paul was in Athens and confronted the idol worshippers. He gave a challenging speech on Mars Hill, (modern Bibles translate it as Areopagus) Paul observes how religious (AV ‘superstitious') they are! (Acts 17 v.22).“Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious: for I passed along and observed the objects of your worship.” He seizes on the fact they had even made an altar to the unknown god, in case they had missed one! This is Paul's chance to describe the God they do not know as the one true God, a God that is REAL and not the product of human imagination. Today we have ‘evolution' as a concept of human imagination which is, in a sense, ‘worshipped' by many of the intellectuals of this age.This ‘evolution God' frees its worshippers from any sense of developing a conscience that they need to obey and serve as the ‘being' that created them. At the end of Acts 17 we read how “some mocked” [v.32] Paul's message, especially the teaching that the dead are to be raised. This is comparable to the way you hear some ‘mock' today at belief in the Bible.It occurred to us to wonder why Paul performed no miracle at Athens as this would have challenged the thinking of the people. When the Apostle's started their preaching there had been a dramatic healing in Jerusalem. Miracles occurred again in Cyprus and then at Iconium where “the Lord bore witness … granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” [14 v.3] and again at Lystra and Philippi. The healings helped convince many, so why not at Athens?We suspect that the people of Athens were so set and confident in their ways of religious thought that they did not deserve to witness a miracle! Is not that comparable to today? But is not the resurrection of the nation of Israel from the dead a miracle!? . It is to those who know the word of God – a wonder that those who knew that word in the 19th Century could anticipate this event, despite the lack of any political indication of this150 years ago. When the miracle of Christ's return overwhelms the world – it will be too late to start believing. Belief in God has its foundations built on a true faith grounded in a real knowledge of His word! How strong is your foundation? 

Read with us: Acts 17:16-34 Check out our website: https://faithcommunityma.com/

In this week's message Gary teaches on the travels of Paul and his sermon on Mars Hill.

In this week's message Gary teaches on the travels of Paul and his sermon on Mars Hill.

This is our unabridged interview with Mike Cosper. How do you raise criticisms about a group of which you consider yourself to be a member? Mike Cosper hosted The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, a podcast critiquing a lot of the tendencies of American Christianity. “ People are looking at Christianity and saying, is it true?” he says. “I think where I landed after my own negative experiences was asking, is it good?” In this episode, we cover some of the key issues such a question has raised for Mike - like celebrity culture and toxic masculinity - as well as what it's like to do the work of insider critique in such a public role. Show Notes Resources: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Mike's books Similar NSE episodes:Nancy French: Ghosted by Her Own TribeKatelyn Beaty: How Celebrity Culture is Hurting the ChurchKristin Du Mez: Jesus and John Wayne PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcript of Abridged Episode Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Great Feeling Studios, the team behind No Small Endeavor and other award-winning podcasts, helps nonprofits and brands tell stories that inspire action. If your organization has a message that deserves to be heard, start your podcast at helpmemakeapodcast.com. Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 How do you raise criticisms about a group of which you consider yourself to be a member? Mike Cosper hosted The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, a podcast critiquing a lot of the tendencies of American Christianity. “ People are looking at Christianity and saying, is it true?” he says. “I think where I landed after my own negative experiences was asking, is it good?” In this episode, we cover some of the key issues such a question has raised for Mike - like celebrity culture and toxic masculinity - as well as what it's like to do the work of insider critique in such a public role. Show Notes Resources: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Mike's books Similar NSE episodes: Nancy French: Ghosted by Her Own Tribe Katelyn Beaty: How Celebrity Culture is Hurting the Church Kristin Du Mez: Jesus and John Wayne PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcription Link Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Great Feeling Studios, the team behind No Small Endeavor and other award-winning podcasts, helps nonprofits and brands tell stories that inspire action. If your organization has a message that deserves to be heard, start your podcast at helpmemakeapodcast.com. Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In 2 Timothy 4:7, the Apostle Paul told Timothy, his son in the faith, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd shares the significance of Paul's last recorded words from the place it is believed he was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ, at the Abbey of the Three Fountains in Rome, Italy. Dr. Dodd also provides an update concerning Iran's nuclear program and the need to pray for Israel.Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, Mars Hill, Acropolis, Bereans, Berea, Veria, Greece, Rapture, Return of Jesus Christ, Paphos, Cyprus, Paul's First Missionary Journey, Rome, Italy, Abbey of the Three Fountains

Introduction: John 19:28-30 - After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 3 Things to Remind Yourself When You Feel Guilty: (Romans 3:21-28) You Are. (Romans 3:21-23) But God is Totally Satisfied by the Cross. (Romans 3:24-26) Proverbs 17:15 – He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. Exodus 23:7 – Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. Acts 17:30 – The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. And Justification is a Gift to Be Received By Faith. (Romans 3:27-28) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript Our next four messages, including Good Friday, which I just found out is on a Friday,will be talking about one of the most profound statements Jesus Christ ever made.And it was on the cross when he cried out, "It is finished."So we're going to be examining the question, "What is finished?"Think about finishing things, right?From a very early age, hopefully we've all been taught the importance of finishing things, right?Didn't you hear that growing up?And maybe some of you now parents are saying, "That's your kids."Hey, finish your supper. Finish your chores, right?Finish your homework.And we're taught that there are consequences when we don't finish.Well, the glorious reality that we're going to be looking at over these next four messages is this.The Son of God came to this earth to do something, and he finished it.So the question is, what is finished?Now let's go to the scene, John 19, verses 28 through 30.It says, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said,"to fulfill the Scriptures, "I thirst.A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hissy branchand held it to his mouth when Jesus had received the sour wine.He said, 'It is finished.'And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."What was finished?Well, today we're going to look at one thing of many that was finished.Today we're going to talk about the work of justification.Meaning our guilt is gone.I'd like you to buy your heads with me, please, and I just want to take a moment.If you would please pray for me to accurately communicate the Word of God as I should.And I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what it is the Lord wants to teach us today from His Word.Alright? Let's pray.Father in heaven, as we turn to Your Word, it's a thought that makes us tremble to think that right nowwe are about to talk about the most important thing anyone will ever hear for their entire lives.And Father, we recognize that as no overstatement whatsoever.We can't begin to fathom how important this message is.This message has just been so distorted and twisted and changed,and we just want to get back to what Your Word actually says.See what You said, God, and we want to not align our lives with our concept of You, God,but we want to align our lives with what You actually said.So I'm asking, Father, You would open our hearts up this morningand that You would bring much glory to Yourself through the straightforward understanding of Your Word.We pray in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said,"Amen! What is finished, the work of justification, the guilt is gone."Do I have to sell anybody on guilt?We've all struggled with guilt, and some of us might be struggling with guilt right now.What is guilt? Well, guilt is just that bad feeling that we get when what I did was wrong.There's another word that's often connected to guilt, and it's the word shame.And shame's a little different.See, shame is the feeling of guilt that I have when people know what I did wrong.You know what I mean? Like, you could have a secret sin that nobody knows about,and you might feel guilt over that, but you don't feel shame because nobody knows.But if that secret sin gets made known, if people know about it, now all of a sudden,people must think of me differently. That's what shame is.How I think people think of me now because of my guilt.The point is this, my friends, we have both of those before God.We have guilt. I disobeyed. We have shame. God is surely disappointed in me.I want you to look at verse 24. We're going to back up here and get to context.I just want you to look at this first phrase in verse 24.This is Romans chapter 3, right?He says, "We are justified by His grace as a gift."That's what we're talking about today. Justification. What is that?It's the most important thing you will ever hear.Justification is God pronouncing a guilty sinner as not only being not guilty,but being perfectly righteous instead. It's a legal term.It's the opposite of condemnation.But listen, it's more than pardoned.So when you pardon someone, you're just taking away the penalty of what they did.Penalty for, excuse me, what they did wrong.Justification is so much more than that.It's not just canceling the penalty, but actually making righteous.Think of it this way. In God's justification, it's not just you won't be punished.God says you can't be punished because there are no grounds whatsoever for punishment anymore.Do you see the difference?But even as Christians, we still wrestle with guilt, don't we?I mean, look, if you've done something wrong to somebody else,you need to take steps to make that right.And Pastor Taylor did an amazing job last Wednesday at our latest workshop.So we're not talking about that today.But today we're talking about guilt before God.Am I really forgiven?Have you ever wrestled with that?Am I really a child of God?Or is God disappointed in me?Well, from God's Word today, I want you to jot some things down.Here's three things to remind yourself when you feel guilty.And if you don't feel guilty now, you will.I mean, like, eventually, I didn't mean like...In 30 seconds, you're all going to be bowing your heads.We all struggle with it from time to time, don't we?Is it just me?Okay, alright.Three things.Look, we're not trying to pile on here, okay?Here are three things to remind yourself when you feel guilty.Number one, you are.Like, wait, wait, wait, wait.I came here to feel good, Pastor Jeff.Look, listen, it has to start here.Because if you don't really think that you're guilty before God,Jesus won't really mean anything to you.Look at verse 21.He says, "But now the righteousness of God has been manifestedapart from the law."Although the law and the prophets bear witness to it.So up there, the Old Testament law was to teach us that we are sinners.That was the purpose of the Old Testament law.It was to teach us that we have broken the law of God.And even if you just reduce the Old Testament law to the Ten Commandments,just looking at those shows us adequately that we are really law sinners.I mean, let me ask you, have you always made the worship of Godand your walk with God the absolute most important thing in your life?Has it always been number one?No.Well, if not, then you've broken the first couple of commandments.You should only have one God.You shouldn't have worshiped anything else other than God.You're guilty.Have you always honored your parents perfectly?Like, no, there are times I haven't.Well, you've broken the fifth commandment,which says honor your father and mother.Have you ever hated someone?According to Jesus, you've broken the sixth commandment,which says you shouldn't murder because it starts in here.Have you ever lusted?Jesus said that's the same thing as committing adulteryand you've broken the seventh commandment.Have you ever stolen anything?That's breaking the eighth commandment.How we doing?How we doing?You're like, I'm doing pretty good.Okay, have you ever told a lie?You're like, I think maybe I just did.Well, if you've ever known the truthand intentionally said something else,then you've broken the ninth commandment.Have you ever wanted something that God gave somebody else?Like, what's the big deal?I'll tell you the big deal.That's breaking the tenth commandment.That's called coveting.So you see, that's the purpose of the law was to show us,oh, I'm not a righteous person on my own.We need to be made right with God,but the law shows us that we're sinners.We're sinners.It can't make us not guilty.The Old Testament law can't do that.Look at verse 22.He goes on.He says, "The righteousness of Godthrough faith in Jesus Christfor all who believe."Stop there for a second,because we have to make a key distinction here.Because if you miss this,you're going to be really lost here in a second.He's talking about the righteousness of God.He says it twice.That's the theme of this passage.What is the righteousness of God?Hang on.There's a distinction.In verses 25 and 26,he talks about God's righteousness.Listen, God's righteousness is differentthan the righteousness of God.Those are two different things.And it's going to be crystal clear in the contextso long as you stay tuned in to what God is saying here.Like, what's the difference?Here's the difference.Listen, God's righteousness is the righteousness that God owns.The righteousness of God is the righteousness God givesto believers.So he's saying -one other run at that one -God's righteousness is the righteousness that God owns.That's just another way of saying God's holiness.God is holy, He's perfect.That's what God's righteousness is.But when the Bible talks about here,the righteousness of God,it's talking about the righteousness that God gives to believers.And again, that's going to be very clear in the context.But I don't want us to get tripped up on the terms.So, Paul is claiming here that God makes us righteous through faith,implying that we need to be made righteous,implying that we're guilty.You see that?Look at verse 22, he goes on.He says, "For there is no distinction,for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."Look, when we talk about being guilty before God,he says there's no distinction.It doesn't matter if you grew up in a Christian home.Or if you grew up in a home that didn't even have a Bible in it.It doesn't matter.It doesn't matterif you're the most rebellious sinner in the world.Or if you're just a pretty good person.He says we all have fallen short of the glory of God.Like, what glory of God? What is that?That's God's image.That's God's intention for man.We all failed to live up to being the peoplethat God has created us to be.We've all fallen short.Listen, it doesn't matter how short we've fallen.Because we've all fallen short.Imagine, we're standing on the shore of New Jersey,facing the Atlantic Ocean.And there's me.And there's my man, Max.And there's the Steelers quarterback.Who's the quarterback for the Steelers now?Oh, I'm sorry.I pushed a hot button.Let's just say Ben Rothlessberger.So let's say we're all standing on the shore of New Jersey.All right, me, Max, and Ben Rothlessberger.And we're each given a football.And we're told that we need to throw that football and hit England.I can do that. I mean, how far is England?And I -- everything that I got, I throw it.And it goes 10 feet into the ocean.And Max was like, "Pastor Jeff, step aside."Whoo!Tight spiral, 100 feet.Whoo!Into the ocean.Ben Rothlessberger steps up.And he's like, "I'm going to show you I still got it."And whoo! He throws it 200 feet into the ocean.Which one of us hit England?Right?We all fell short, didn't we?You're like, "Well, Jeff, you fell way shorter than Ben."Okay.But we all fell short. Do you see the point?It doesn't matter how short you've fallen.We all fell short of God's glory.And that's a big deal.Listen, church, we can't minimize that by saying,"I'm not really that guilty."We can't compare to say, "Well, I'm not as guilty as other people."And we can't trivialize it to say, "Yeah, okay, I'm guilty."So what?We need to confess it.I -- and by that I mean me --I am guilty of breaking God's law by my disobedience.So if you're struggling with guilt,this is just your friendly reminder that you are guilty.But number two,but God is totally satisfied by the cross.You are guilty, but God is totally satisfied by the cross.Look at verse 24 through the first part of 25.He says, "Okay, for all of us who fall short of the glory of God,a lot of us probably have that verse memorized, right?"But He says, "And are justified by His grace as a giftthrough the redemption it is in Christ Jesus,whom God put forward as a propitiationby His blood to be received by faith."Look, the cross of Jesus Christ is God's meansof making sinners righteous.Now, there's a word here in these verses we just read.You need to underline in your Bible right now.And we're going to have people at the door handing you an Easter devotionaland checking your Bibles to make sure that you underline this.But it's one of the most beautiful words in the entire Bible.And it's the word "propitiation."I think John uses it in 1 John as well.It's a beautiful word.Like, well, what is "propitiation"?Propitiation literally means to placate anger.I know some theologians try to dance around that.Like, almost to soften the blow.But no, that's what it means.It means God is furious over sin.Propitiation means He's not angry anymore.It means that Jesus' death satisfied God.Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, God saw that.And He said, "The full penalty has been paid.My wrath has been fully poured out.Punishment has been fully doled out."God says, "I am satisfied."You know, when we talk about salvation,sometimes we say, in our evangelism mindset,we say, "How do we get men to accept God?"And that's really not the question we need to ask.The question is, how do we get God to accept men?Because, listen, God was the one who was offended.Not me.God was offended.So any talk about salvation and being righteousand any talk of that has to satisfy God.And you see, that's where every other religion in the world,besides Christianity as presented in God's Word,straightforwardly, every other religion teachesthat there are things that we have to do to satisfy God.There are religious works or some kind of actionthat we have to take to make God satisfied.The Bible says we can't do it.Nothing we do can satisfy God.Look at verse 25 again.It says, "Whom God," talking about Jesus,"put forward as a propitiation by His bloodto be received by faith."Look at that.The Bible says, "God put Jesus forward."Do you see what's happening here?We sinned against God.We deserve God's wrath.And God took His Son and put Him forward.That means He demonstrated some things.He put Jesus on display.God showed us something on the cross.What did God show us on the cross?Well, later in Romans 5, verse 8,it says that God demonstrated His love on the cross.So love for sure.Here, specifically, He's saying that on the cross,God showed that His Son fully paid the penaltythat the law demanded.So now, God says, "Because of my Son..."Look, I'm showing you this.I'm showing you.This is what my Son did.Now, I'm satisfied.Propitiation.Propitiation.This is where theology is important, my friends.Christian, listen.I want you to listen real close, Christian.God is not mad at you.He's not.Because of Jesus,God has no wrath left for you.And to think that He doesis to minimize what Jesus accomplished on the cross.But some Christians think thatGod poured out His wrath on Jesus.They believe that.But they think that God's still mad at them.Like, God is just like,"Yeah, I know that you received my Son,but I'm so upset with you for what you did."He's not.That's what that word "propitiation" means.There's no wrath leftfor the one in Christ Jesus.God is satisfied.Look at the end of verse 25.This gets a little technical, so look.It says,"This was to show God's righteousness."Because in His divine forbearance,He had passed over former sins.It was to show His righteousnessat the present time,so that He might be justand the justifierof the one who has faith in Jesus.We define this term in the outset,but two times here,He says that the crosswas to show God's righteousness.Do you know what He's saying?The cross provedthat God is righteous.Wait, wait, wait, wait.Time out, time out.Time out.Hang on.Why would anyoneaccuse God of not being holy?What do you mean?What possible grounds would someone haveto point to God and say,"God, you messed up here.God, what you didor what you didn't do here,that's not holy, God.That's not righteous."What grounds would somebody have for that?Listen very closely,because this is what Paul's talking about.We're going to do a little theology herefor a couple of minutes,and I know what's the point.You're going to see here in a couple of minutesthat this will change your lifeif you really understand this.So here we go.What's Paul talking about here?When he talks about his divine forbearance,passing over former sins.What's he mean?Listen, in the Old Testament times,which was before the cross, right,God justified wicked people.And that is controversial.You're like, "Why?Why is it controversialthat God would justify the wickedin Old Testament times?"Oh, I'm so glad you asked.I'll tell you why.One reason is,He forbid us to do that.Look at Proverbs 17-15."He who justifies the wickedand he who condemns the righteousare both alike in abomination to the Lord."Do you see that?Do you know what abomination is?In my Bible, I put a little exclamation pointin the margin every time I see that word.That's like something that is so wicked,it like makes God sick.God's like, "I hate that."And here God says,"I can't stomach when the wicked are justified."You're like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second.You're saying that we can't do that,but you did that, God,before the cross."Hmm.Is that righteous?Well, actually,it gets even worseif we're barking up this tree,because earlier in your Old Testaments,God actually saidthat He would never justify the wicked.Exodus 23-7,it's pretty self-explanatory.And God says, "I will notacquit the wicked."Do you see the problem?Somebody would say,God in the Old Testament times didwhat He forbid us to do,what He swore He would never do,what He would never do.And we're talking about God being holy,God being perfect, God so righteous.How can we say that?And Paul doesn't -I love this becausehe doesn't shy away from that.He runs right at itwhen he says this was toshow God's righteousnessbecause -look at this again -in His divine forbearance,He passed over former sins.Again, it was to show His righteousness.In other words,He's saying in the Old Testament timesGod tolerated sin.Like, whoa, whoa, whoa.How can we say God's righteous?I mean, in the Old Testament,there was no perpetuation.There was no cross of Jesus Christ yet.So when somebody sinned in the Old Testament,if God is the holy judgethat you say that He is,why didn't He immediately just judge sinners?They didn't havethe blood of Jesus Christ to proclaim.I mean, you look at the guys in the Old Testament -Abraham, Moses, David -I mean, pick one -all sinners.And yet, when you readGod's interaction with them,over and over,we see God giving them the promise of eternal life.Was that really a righteous thing to dofor people that couldn't put their faithin Jesus Christsince He hadn't come yet?How could God give them that promise?Somebody would say,"Oh, that was the Old Testament sacrifices."Couldn't do it.They covered sin,but they didn't take away sin.And somebody else might say,"Well, it was their good works."It was their good works.That's how God was able to...No.Nowhere does the Bible sayyou can earn your salvation.So what's He saying?He's saying in verses 25 and 26 here,"And God's forbearance,"another word for patience.He passed over former sins.And that word "pass over"doesn't mean forgive.It literally means He overlooked their sin.God's patiencecaused God to not punish their sin immediately.This is exactly what Paul was talking about.Very curious verse in Acts 17, verse 30,on Mars Hill,exact same thing he's talking about.The times of ignorance,God overlooked.And now He commands all peopleeverywhere to repent.So how was God able to do that?See, this is what Paul's talking about here.It was still, even in Old Testament times,it was still because of Jesus Christ.You're like, "Well, how can they believe in Jesusif they don't know about the cross?"Look, God is outside of time.And if you study your Bibles like Revelation 13.8,Jesus Christ was always the Lamb of God.That wasn't some radical ideathat God dreamed up one dayabout 2,000 years ago.Like, "Oh, I got an idea."Now, that was always the plan.So here it is.Listen close.Even before the cross happened,God overlooked sin based on what was already determinedthat His Son was going to do.So what He's saying is this,the cross of Jesus Christ reaches backto the Old Testament saints.They were pronounced righteousbecause of what Jesus was going to do,just as we are pronounced righteouslooking back based on what Jesus did in our past.And kids that haven't even been born yetthat eventually will receive Jesus Christ,their sins are already forgiven in Christ.You're like, "Okay, so what's the point?"What's the point?Well, there's two points actually.Number one, it answers one of the most commonly asked questionsthat I get as a pastor.People ask me all the time,"How are the people saved in the Old Testament?"Because if Jesus is the only means of salvation,and I believe that,then how were they saved in the Old Testament?The answer is still Jesus.Their faith was based on what God was going to do.That's why God was overlooking their sin, so to speak.But listen, here's why this theology is so important for you.What were we talking about today?Guilt, right?See, this answers the guilt question.As a Christian, when I sin,and I will,is God mad at me?No.Do I have to ask for forgiveness?Do I have to plead the blood of Jesus over my sinevery time that I sin as a Christian?The answer is no.Or how about this one?What if I sin and then I die?Can I go to heaven since I sinnedand I didn't ask for forgiveness for that particular sin?I have known,pastors, I have known pastors that have taught that,that you better die on a good day.Because let's say you're living this perfect walk with Jesus' life.And let's say you have a blow-up with your wife on the way out the door.And you sinfully speak to her.And you get in the car and go to work,and you die in a car accident, you're going to hell.Because that sin wasn't confessed and repented ofand covered under the blood of Christ.I know pastors that teach that.That is completely wrong.That's why this theology is so important.Listen, when Jesus Christ was on the cross,do you realize all of your sins were yet future?Do you realize that?All of your sins were paid for,even the sins that you haven't committed yet.So if you are in Christ,and if you sin and you will,you don't need to ask for forgiveness.Because you already have it.So listen, somebody is going to misconstrue this.So just grab the shoulder of the person next to you and shake them.And tell them to pay attention.Thank you.Because somebody is going to misconstrue this.Listen, when you sin, church,you need to confess your sin.Then you need to thank Godthat He has forgiven you in Jesus Christ.And you need to turn from your sin.Because you don't want to do anything in your lifethat would dishonor the name of your Lord.But it's not as if God just keeps forgiving you over and over.He forgave you once when you received Jesus Christ.And that lasts for all of eternity.Do you see the security in that?So listen, whether it was Moses' sinor a sin that you are going to commit tomorrow,all sins have been taken away.God is satisfied because of the one-time sacrifice of Jesusthat covers all sins of all believers.There is incredible freedom in that.Three things to remind yourself when you feel guilty.Number one, you are.Number two, but God is totally satisfied by the cross.Number three, justification is a gift to be received by faith.Look at verses 27 and 28.He says, "Then what becomes of our boasting?It is excluded by what kind of law?By a law of works? No.By the law of faith.For we hold that one is justified by faithapart from works of the law."In this passage, faith has come up,have you been counting?Six times.And yes, I'm counting when he used the word "believe"because that's what he meant.Verse 22, including the word "believe," he says it twice.Verse 25, 26, 27, 28.Faith, faith, faith.And then he's like, "So what does that do for our boasting?"Pretty dumb, right?To have the audacity to think that you have anythingto contribute to your salvation at all?What could you possibly boast about?What do your works have to do with the death of Jesus?You realize when Jesus was on the cross,when Jesus was actually on the cross,most of you weren't even born yet.I was going to say all,but I don't know how old all y'all are.So I think it's safe to say when Jesus died,most of you weren't born yet.So what did you contribute to that exactly?See, the cross of Jesus Christ eliminateseven the very possibility of salvation by human works.Faith. Faith is the only way.Faith isn't one way to be saved.It's the only way.And don't think that faith is some sort of merit.Like, okay, God did His part in salvation,and now I'm going to do my part in salvation.It's not even really like that,because earlier he was talking about grace in verse 24,and grace by its very definition is non-contributory.Do you know what that means?If you put forth anything to contribute towards it,it's no longer grace at all.So what is faith?I like how one writer put it.He says faith is simply the eye that sees.He said faith is simply the mouththat drinks from the living water.And he said faith is the hand that receives the gift.I like that, because by the way, in verse 24,he calls it a gift.It is a gift.Imagine that it's my birthday today.It's not.My birthday is September 23rd.I don't see a lot of you writing that down.I can wait. September 23rd.But we're - for today,we're pretending that it's my birthday.And imagine this afternoon,you showed up at my houseand you had a gift for me.Something you went out and you boughtand you wrapped it,and you were so excited to give me this gift.And you come to my houseand you ring the doorbell and I open it upand you say, "Happy birthday."There's four ways that I can respond to that.Right? First way is,I can slam the door in your face and say,"I don't want your stupid gifts."I wouldn't do that.But that's an option, right?I mean, I could do that.Second option is you ring the doorbell,open it up, "Happy birthday."And I look at the gift and I say,"That's awesome. Where's my wallet?"Like, "How much do I owe you for that?"Let me see how much cash I have.I can probably pay you for that right now.Or can I write you a check?How would you feelif I offered to buy the gift that you got me?Pretty lousy, huh?That's another option.Or a third option is you ring the doorbell,I open it up, "Happy birthday."And I take the gift and I'm like,"Wow, you know what?This looks great."Thank you. This looks fantastic.And I set it down by the door.And then you come to my house.Six months later, and that gift is still sitting there.Except now it has an inch of dust on it.And you would think to yourself,"You know, Jeff actually seemed excitedwhen I handed it to him,but he didn't really receive it, did he?"He didn't really do anything with it.He just kind of set it aside.Or the fourth option,you ring the doorbell, "Happy birthday."I got you a gift.The fourth option is I take the giftand I say, "Thank you."Thank you so much for this.And I receive it, and I use it.And you realize those are the same four waysthat you can respond to God's gift in Jesus Christ.You have those same four options.That God says, "I am satisfied."I have paid the price of your sinwith the blood of my son.Here is a gift.And for some people, they take the first option.They slam the door and say, "No.God, I'm not interested in your stupid gift."Some people take that option.Some people take option two,and they think they can buy it."Oh God, that's so wonderful what you did for me in Jesus.Now, let me earn that.And I'm going to start doing this at the churchand I'm going to work at the soup kitchenand they think that they have to earn the gift.And I would suggest to you that Godis probably just as insultedat that notion as I would be,or as you would be rather,if I tried to pay you for the gift that you got me."It's insulting to try to buy a gift.The third option,and I think this is the most taken option in churches, honestly.That's what most people do with the gift of Jesus Christ.They're like, "Yeah, that you're sitting hereand worshiping the Word,and you're just like all into it.You're like, "Yeah, yeah, I need this.Yeah, that's fantastic."And you set them aside.And you never really receive them.You just sort of discarded them.Not flagrant rejection, but,shall we say, practical rejection.The option that the Lord wants you to takeis that you receive the gift.To understand why you need it,and you thank God that He gave it.That Jesus bore God's wrath on the cross.God is satisfied with what Jesus did.The guilt is gone by the gift of God.Did you receive that?So worship team makes their way back up.I'd just like you to bow your heads.And I'm sure sitting here today,there are some Christians that have wrestled with guiltthat have needed to take a fresh lookat what exactly Jesus accomplished on the cross.He didn't accomplish opportunityfor us to earn favor with God.Jesus accomplished our salvation in full.Jesus accomplished the full removal of our guilt and shameby bearing God's wrath on our behalf.But there might be somebody herethat's really hearing this for the first time.Whether it's somebody sitting here,listening to this podcast,or watching the stream.Today's the day that you need to stop setting the gift aside.And receive what it is that God has for you.Father in heaven.Father, this to me is the most mind-blowing conceptin the entirety of your Word.God, I've never really wrestled with creationor the trinity or eternity, things like that.But God, the fact that you can pronounce a sinner righteousis mind-blowing.God, we thank you for the work that you accomplished on our behalfthrough the death of your Son.Father, if there's anyone herewho needs to take that step,who needs to receive Christ,who needs to make their public profession of faith and baptismhere in a few weeks.Father, I pray that you would give them the faithto not put it off,to not talk themselves out of it,but to see the value,the incomparable value of Jesus Christ.What He's done, and in so doing, Father,they would run to you.So just now, Father,we've heard from you,and now we're going to express back to youlove and thanksgivingfor what you've done on our behalf.So Father, might this worshipbe a pleasing aroma,may it be a sweet sound in your earas we revel in your love and grace.We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead Romans 3:21-28What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Why do you think many Christians still struggle with guilt and shame?Explain the term “propitiation” (Rom 3:25). Why is this such an important aspect of the Gospel? What does it mean for a Christian in practical terms?What does it mean that God “passed over former sins” (Rom 3:25)? How could a Holy God just overlook sin (see also Acts 17:30)?BreakoutPray for one another to be salty and bright.

In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas embarked on their first missionary journey after the Holy Spirit revealed He had set them apart for such a work. They traveled to the island of Cyprus, the birthplace of Barnabas, and went from synagogue to synagogue proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When they arrived in Paphos, they encountered a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus. Bar-Jesus appears to have provided counsel to the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear the Word of God from Paul and Barnabas but Bar-Jesus opposed them and sought to “turn the proconsul away from the faith.” In many ways, what is recorded next in Acts 13, encapsulates the rest of Paul's ministry.During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd visits Pafos, Cyprus and shares insights about the Apostle Paul's confrontation with Bar-Jesus and the impact it had on Sergius Paulus. He also provides updates concerning Iran's nuclear program and Israel's war against Hamas.Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, Mars Hill, Acropolis, Bereans, Berea, Veria, Greece, Rapture, Return of Jesus Christ, Paphos, Cyprus, Paul's First Missionary Journey, Barnabas, Sergius Paulus, Bar-Jesus, Acts 13, Elymas

Acts 17:10-12 reveals that when the Apostle Paul came to Berea, he discovered the Bereans were “more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica” because “they received the word with great eagerness” and were “examining the Scriptures daily to see whether” the things Paul was teaching were true. During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd shares highlights from his visit to Berea, now called Veria, Greece, along with insights from God's Word regarding the Bereans and how they processed Paul's teachings. In addition, Dr. Dodd will provide a brief update concerning Israel. Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, Mars Hill, Acropolis, Bereans, Berea, Veria, Greece

Acts 17:10-12 reveals that when the Apostle Paul came to Berea, he discovered the Bereans were “more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica” because “they received the word with great eagerness” and were “examining the Scriptures daily to see whether” the things Paul was teaching were true. During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd shares highlights from his visit to Berea, now called Veria, Greece, along with insights from God's Word regarding the Bereans and how they processed Paul's teachings. In addition, Dr. Dodd will provide a brief update concerning Israel. Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, Mars Hill, Acropolis, Bereans, Berea, Veria, Greece

At Mars Hill in Athens, Greece, the Apostle Paul declared to the leading philosophers of his day that “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Jesus and John Wayne. Church of Cowards. Losing our Religion. Shepherds for Sale. In the last several years, there has been no shortage of negative commentaries on the Church. Why so much anti-vision? Are any Christians attempting to pave a positive path forward? Today, we're talking with Brad Edwards, whose forthcoming book, “The Reason for the Church,” provides the positive vision that the Church needs. He and Patrick discuss why Christian culture has been stuck in an anti-vision mindset and why a negative perception around institutions as a whole is partly to blame. Brad details why the Church is so necessary and explains how many Christians have forgotten the Church's role as a source of healing and community. But what about people who have experienced spiritual abuse at the hands of the Church? We hope this episode offers an honest-yet-hopeful vision for church as a necessary institution. Listen now! Have you read "Joyful Outsiders" yet? It's available now! Learn more, read a sample chapter, and grab your own copy here: https://joyfuloutsiders.com/ Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review!

In this story, we learn that because the one true God can be known, we should make him known. ✧ Check out more resources in The Biggest Story Curriculum ✧ Follow The Biggest Story on Instagram ✧ Watch The Biggest Story Animated Videos! ✧ Sign up to receive weekly emails about the new story each week!

Keith, Karen, Chad, & Cat sit down to recap the 2025 Institute Trip to Greece & Italy. Part 1 shares memories and highlights from Delphi, Corinth, & Mars Hill.

Kyle Worley is joined by Jared Wilson to discuss his new book “Lest We Drift” and answer the question, what happens if we depart from the one true gospel?Questions Covered in This Episode:Why did you write “Lest We Drift: Five Departure Dangers from the One True Gospel”?What are two of the five dangers?What is the solution?Guest Bio:Jared C. Wilson serves as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Author in Residence, and General Editor, For the Church. He is the author of a number of books including but not limited to Gospel Wakefulness, The Prodigal Church, The Pastor's Justification, and Supernatural Power for Everyday People. He also serves as an elder at Liberty Baptist Church. He and Becky have been married for twenty-three years, and they have two daughters: Macy and Grace.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:2 Corinthians 3:18“Lest We Drift” by Jared C. WilsonThe Rise and Fall of Mars Hill by Christianity Today Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteOur Sister Podcasts:The Family Discipleship Podcast | Tiny TheologiansSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchMidwestern Seminary is excited to announce FTC Talks, exclusive conversations with MBTS faculty about ministry related topics. Completely online and FREE, you can sign up for any and all FTC Talks today at mbts.edu/ftctalks to reserve your spot. Join us for talks about women's discipleship, God's heart for the nations, gospel-driven ministry, Spurgeon's pastoral ministry, and how every Christian is a counselor. We hope these conversations will spur you on in your service to the local church and help you connect with even more ministry leaders and friends across the country. Sign up today at mbts.edu/ftctalks.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page. Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

Move From toxicity to trust, healing, and renewed faith.   Host Curtis Chang and Mike Cosper, creator of "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill" investigate the unsettling realities of church abuse and the unchecked authority that breeds toxicity within faith communities. Drawing from his latest book, "The Church in Dark Times," Cosper discusses the urgent need for accountability in evangelical settings, using the Mars Hill case as a poignant example. Curtis and Mike explore the intersection of leadership and emotional and spiritual abuse to help us all discover pathways to healing and rebuilding trust in the aftermath of betrayal. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the dynamics of power and the importance of safeguarding church values.   Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: askcurtis@redeemingbabel.org   Get a 25% discount when you buy The Art of Disagreeing by Gavin Ortland at thegoodbook.com with code: GOODFAITH   Resources from this episode: Mike Cosper's The Church in Dark Times Listen to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Paul Petry's Joyful Exiles blog Mike Cosper's Land of My Sojourn Learn more about Hannah Arendt Hannah Arendt on Adolf Eichmann for the New Yorker: part 1 & part 2 Kant's Argument for Radical Evil by Stephen R. Grimm (pdf) Hannah Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: Don't Despair, God Isolates You for a Reason Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: How to Deal With Dark Times Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: Counter-Culture for the Common Good More From Mike Cosper: Books by Mike Cosper HERE Listen to Mike on The Bulletin Listen to Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Follow Mike's Instagram Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   Sign up:  Redeeming Babel Newsletter

Athens stands as a cornerstone of Western civilization, philosophy, and church history. Today, Stephen Nichols takes us to this ancient city, exploring its legacy as the home of democracy, Socratic thought, and Paul's famous sermon on Mars Hill. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/5-minutes-in-church-history-with-stephen-nichols/athens-in-church-history/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

https://www.kentdobson.com/    Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg Bridges of Meaning Discord https://discord.gg/KEPbZT28 https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ If you want to schedule a one-on-one conversation check here. https://calendly.com/paulvanderklay/one2one There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give

(Acts 17:1-34) Our generation has more information available than ever, and yet there seems to be such a lack of truth. Every question must be brought to the Giver of truth! Today we look at three treatments of truth. How do we treat the truth? (0937250210) ----more---- Finding Truth in the Information Age This generation is a generation that has more information than any generation in history. We have more access to facts and to stories and to news at our fingertips than our grandparents ever could have imagined. This is an age where people know much and yet have more questions than they've ever had. Isn't it ironic that we have so much information, and yet there seems to be such a dearth of truth. Our age is an age of questions. People are asking so many things. And knowing the answers to the questions, or at least where to find the answers to the questions, is absolutely vital for a believer. One of the worst answers you can give to someone when they start asking serious questions about spiritual truth, and eternity, and God is to answer this way, or even to say, "Someone else said." It'd be much better to say the Bible, which is the word of God teaches. So in the end, we must come back to this. What does the Bible say? What does God have to say about it?  The Foundation of Our Study We're beginning a brand new series of studies today on what the Bible says about a whole host of doctrinal issues and current issues. I'm very excited about this series, and I want to tell you right up front that before we give our opinion on anything, we must first lay the Bible foundation. We must begin with what thus saith the Lord. And then the application can grow out of that. Now though this is somewhat a topical series, I want you to know that we're going to deal with it. In a way that is expository. I mean by that, we're going to dig into the Word of God. We're going to let God speak for Himself. And today, I want to lay a little foundation for this series on what the Bible says by talking to you about three treatments of the truth. Three Treatments of the Truth: Thessalonica In Acts chapter number 17, the Apostle Paul is preaching, he's teaching the truth, and it's recorded for us that he's in three distinct cities. Now these three cities represent really three receptions or responses to the truth. In Acts chapter 17, beginning in verse number 1, he comes to a city known as Thessalonica. Thessalonica, of course, will be famous in history to Christians because there are two books of our New Testament written to the church at Thessalonica. And the Bible says in verse two that Paul, as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. And that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ. What a wonderful verse. In other words, he got right to the heart of the matter, and the heart of all of it is the person and work of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is not who he says he is, nothing else matters. What you believe about the living word is directly connected to what you believe about the written word. Their response in verse 4 says, And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort. And gathered a company, set all the city on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people. They literally are going to bring such persecution that the believers in Thessalonica have to sneak Paul and his missionary team out of town, undercover of darkness to spare their life. So in Thessalonica, you have a group of people who believe, but you have a large segment of people that not only do not believe, they don't want anybody else to hear the truth. I call them the Thessalonican thieves. Because they wanted to steal the truth from others. In our current day, we have a lot of Thessalonican thieves. Not only do they not want to believe, not only are they not willing to obey the word of God, they don't want anybody else to have it either. And so they speak against God, and they speak against the truth. It's almost comical, if it wasn't so sad, that many of those who profess they don't even believe in God spend a whole lot of energy and time Trying to prove he does not exist. And arguing against his existence. If he doesn't believe that there is a God, what difference does it make? Why even argue against it? The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. And you're gonna deal with Thessalonican thieves in this generation. who are trying to steal the seed of truth out of the hearts and minds of people. Let's go to the end of the chapter, because I want to finish our study today with the second church, not the third. Three Treatments of the Truth: Athens The third church that's found in Acts 17 is the beginning of the church, at least, in Athens. You'll remember that Athens was a very secular city. It was a culture that was filled with false religion. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul stands up on Mars Hill in Acts chapter 17 and verse 22, and he says, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. That sounds like our world, doesn't it? Full of superstition. Full of people who profess to be spiritual, but they don't even know the spirit of truth. And then in verse 23, the Apostle Paul says, For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. Oh, what a beautiful truth. He goes right on to preach to them the God that they needed to know. I would tell you that our world today is searching for the unknown God. Aren't you glad you know him? And if you know him, it's your responsibility to make him known. He begins with the Creator, and he comes all the way up to Christ. And the Bible says in verse 32, And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. And others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them, howbeit certain men claimed unto him and believed. Among the witch was Dionysius, the Areopagite. And a woman named Damaris and others with them. Are you noticing a pattern? That in every place where truth is given, some people receive and some do not. I call these people in Athens the Athenian Academia. And I'll tell you why. Because the Bible says here in Acts chapter 17 that they spend all of their time in either to tell or to hear some new thing. Oh, I believe novelty is the scourge of our day. Everybody wants something new. And the truth is not new. It may be heard for the first time, it is perennially fresh, but it's not new. It's eternal. It's connected to the God of truth who has always been. So you've got the Thessalonican thieves who are trying to steal truth away from others and then you've got the Athenian academia. Who just want to talk about it. They want to reason and philosophize and argue and debate, but they never arrive anywhere. Three Treatments of the Truth: Berea And then we come to the church, the city that's sandwiched between the two, and that's Berea. The Bible says in verse number 10 of Acts 17, And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica. And that they receive the word with all readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily, whether those things were so we've got the festival, ni and Thieves who want to steal the truth from others because they don't believe we have the Athenian academia who make it all intellectual and they want to reason and talk about lots of things. But many of them never came to the knowledge of the truth because they really weren't searching for answers. They just enjoyed talking about the questions. But here we have the great response. We have what we call the Berean believers. They wanted to receive the truth. They wanted to know the truth. I wonder, do you want to know the truth? If you do, you must do exactly what they did in Berea. You must search the scriptures daily.  Seeking and Sharing the Truth That's really what this broadcast is all about. Encouraging people to study the Word of God. To find out what the Bible says. For In the words of Acts 17 verse 11, whether those things were so you see only when you've settled that in your own heart and mind. Can you speak with confidence when others ask you questions? I wonder today, do you really want to know the truth? And when you hear it, how will you respond to it? For a Christian, your faith should not be full of question marks. It should be full of periods and exclamation points, repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. Greg: More Resources  We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our library of Bible teaching resources, including book by book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

From the creators of the hit podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill comes a new show, Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which takes you back to the Satanic Panic that gripped America in the 1980s and 90s. This limited series explores how hysteria gripped parents and teens through cautionary tales like Go Ask Alice, influenced notorious criminal cases like the West Memphis Three, and catapulted the political agenda of the Moral Majority. Join as we seek to understand how this wave of panic devastated innocent lives and diverted the church's attention from the evil lurking in its own pews. Episodes drop January 2025 but you can join our show discussion page on Facebook right now. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Host and Creator - Mike Cosper Producer - Rebekah Sebastian Sound Design and Engineering - T.J. Hester Motion - Steven Scheidler Production Assistant - Dawn Adams Theme music by Dirt Poor Robins Cover art by Nim Ben-Reuven Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the Executive Producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our Senior Producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices