Podcasts about New Testament

The 10 Commandments Hyperlink Episode (E15) — Sometimes at the close of a series, we'll dig through the podcast archives to find clips that discuss similar ideas from a different perspective. In this 10 Commandments series, we explored how trusting in God's wisdom leads to true life and flourishing, while building lives on our own terms often leads to pain. So in this hyperlink episode, we'll listen to three clips that explore this theme further. First, Jon and Tim break down the literary structure of the stories surrounding the 10 Commandments, which highlight humanity's reluctance to wait on God's commands. Second, Jon, Tim, and former BibleProject scholar Carissa Quinn look at how the golden calf story in Exodus 32 relates to the 10 Commandments. And finally, Jon, Tim, and Carissa discuss how all of the Bible's poems, narratives, laws, and letters are wisdom for us. CHAPTERS The Literary Structure of Exodus 19-24 (0:00-11:32) Obeying God on Our Terms (11:32-31:10) Commandments in a Modern Context (31:10-47:10) REFERENCED RESOURCES Find the 10 Commandments full collection of resources here. Clip 1 is from “Testing at Mount Sinai,” episode 6 in our 2022 series, Exodus Scroll. Clip 2 is from “A God of Our Own Making,” episode 2 in our 2020 series, Character of God. Tim reads quotes from both the Talmud (sometimes referred to as the Babylonian Talmud) and Midrash Exodus Rabbah in the discussion about the golden calf of Exodus 32. Clip 3 is from “Wisdom for Life's Complexity,” episode 8 in our 2021 series, The Paradigm. Find the 10 Commandments full collection of video, podcast, and written resources here. Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here. SHOW MUSIC “The Shepherd” by Lofi Sunday feat. Marc Vanparla “Just Truth” by Lofi Sunday feat. Yoni Charis BibleProject theme song by TENTS  SHOW CREDITS Production of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host for today is Michelle Jones. Our creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join us for Week 6 of This Is the Old Testament! Raechel and Amanda are joined by Terry Parkman to walk through several Minor Prophet books. Listen in as they discuss the timeless call to inward faithfulness to God over and above outward appearances of holiness.Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 6 of She Reads Truth's This Is the Old Testament reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our This Is the Old Testament printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this episode:Use code NT15 for 15% off the This Is the New Testament collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.She Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramTerry Parkman on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

In this episode, Mike and Tim explore the nuanced landscape of salvation, church community, and spiritual growth through a centered set approach. They challenge traditional boundaries, emphasizing that salvation is a journey rather than a destination, and highlight the importance of allowing people space to grow in their relationship with Jesus.Mike and Tim continue their conversation about center-set thinking and what it looks like to follow Jesus in a way that emphasizes relationship, growth, and grace rather than rigid boundaries.They begin with some lighthearted banter about endurance races, introversion, rest, and pop culture before moving into a deeper theological conversation about salvation, repentance, discipleship, and the differences between bounded-set and center-set approaches to church life.-The meaning of center-set language in Christian community-Why Jesus often seems to welcome people from many different directions-The tension between in-or-out thinking and process-oriented discipleship-Why salvation in the New Testament is described in multiple ways-How church culture can create pressure to “pretend” instead of grow-The difference between judgment and discernment-How church leadership can clarify the center without creating unnecessary barriers-Why invitation works better than coercion, shame, or fear-The danger of double standards in churches-How truth can be pursued rather than merely possessed-Why systems built on power often become more about control than transformationThe big idea of the episode is that following Jesus is a journey of becoming, not a checkpoint to pass. Mike argues that people should be allowed to grow into their identity in Christ over time, with the church serving more like a welcoming center than a gatekeeping wall.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to the episode: Embracing the journey of salvation01:00 - How many paths lead to Jesus? Multiple ways into the kingdom02:30 - The concept of salvation as a journey, not a static point03:15 - Jesus' invitational approach: Touching lives through relationship04:50 - The significance of allowing people space to be in process05:30 - Examining the "decision moment" and its limitations08:00 - The role of community discernment over uniform rules09:00 - Clarifying the center: Jesus and authentic following10:40 - The difference between truth possessed and truth pursued13:00 - The danger of legalism and exclusivity in faith communities16:00 - Allowing people to stumble through the process—examples from Scripture17:00 - How salvation is like a marriage: a relational journey22:00 - The danger of legalistic boundaries and exclusive doctrines28:00 - Strategies for cultivating a centered set community35:00 - How sin dehumanizes, and salvation restores full humanity41:00 - Moving beyond polarity: holistic, relational, process-oriented faith46:00 - Making space for everyone's growth, imperfections, and ongoing process48:00 - Final encouragement: live into the fullness of grace, not the boundaries of fearAs always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.Our Merch Store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/VOXOLOGY?ref=shop_sugg_marketLearn more about the Voxology PodcastSubscribe on iTunes or SpotifySupport the Voxology Podcast on PatreonThe Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology RadioFollow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on FacebookFollow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerreMusic in this episode by Timothy John StaffordInstagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Get ready for an incredible broadcast today as we dive into 2 Samuel 5–6 and John 5! We are stepping right into moments of radical power and boundary-breaking moments. In the Old Testament, we'll watch King David establish his kingdom and dance with unapologetic joy before the Ark of the Covenant. Then, we'll flip to the New Testament to witness Jesus stir up massive controversy by healing a man paralyzed for 38 years on the Sabbath. From passionate praise to miraculous healing and divine authority, these chapters are packed with truths that will challenge and inspire us.Connect with us on social:Telegram: @beholdisraelchannelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amir.tsarfati/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beholdisrael/X: https://x.com/beholdisraelYouTube: https://youtube.com/@beholdisrael

In this talk recorded at TGC's 2018 women's conference, Don Carson considers four New Testament passages that talk about the Law in relation to Jesus. He considers the Greek meaning of the word “fulfill,” explains the theological concept called the three-fold division of the law (moral, civil, and ceremonial), and discusses Old Testament typologies and trajectories.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As studiers of the Word, we have to correctly study the Old Testament (covenant) in light of our New Covenant, so we don't put ourselves in bondage. Here are a few things to keep in mind about the differences in the covenants. __________ Matthew 19:7–9 NLT, Acts 17:29–30 NIV, Galatians 3:10–13 NLT, Deuteronomy 28:1–2 KJV, Deuteronomy 28:15 KJV, Malachi 3:8–10 KJV, Galatians 3:14 NLT, Genesis 12:2–3 KJV, Matthew 23:23 NLT, Leviticus 27:30–34 NLT, Hebrews 7:11–16 NLT, 1 Peter 2:5 NLT, 1 Peter 2:9 NLT __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com __________    

We have been given the authority to invite God into every situation through prayer. It takes compassion and courage, but it's the best way to turn up the light in the darkness. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses the spiritual conflict raging in the earth and the power we have through prayer to make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. He draws from New Testament stories to teach about the different kinds of prayer and why this is a spiritual weapon we need to know how to wield. When we're feeling anxious, lonely, or overwhelmed with the problems in the world, we can rejoice in knowing our God hears us when we cry out to Him.

What were synagogues actually like in the time of Jesus? Were they places of worship, centers of local government, or something entirely different? In this episode, archaeologist and New Testament scholar Dr. Jordan Ryan joins Dru Johnson to challenge common assumptions about ancient synagogues. Drawing on archaeological discoveries, ancient texts, and the writings of Josephus, Philo, and the New Testament, Ryan explains why synagogues in the first century looked and functioned very differently from both modern churches and modern synagogues. The conversation explores the origins of synagogues, their possible connection to city gates in the Hebrew Bible, and their role as “town halls with Torah” in Judea and Galilee. Ryan discusses ritual purity, mikva'ot (ritual baths), Torah and prophetic readings, public debate, and the surprising evidence that synagogue gatherings were highly interactive communal events rather than passive worship services. Listeners will also hear fresh insights into the ministry of Jesus, including what happened when he taught in synagogues, whether men and women sat separately, why rabbis were not yet a formal office, and why Jesus seems to have avoided major cities like Tiberias and Sepphoris. This episode offers a fascinating glimpse into Jewish life, worship, and community in the world of Jesus and the early church. We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters: 00:00 Understanding Synagogues: Misconceptions and Functions 05:00 Origins of Synagogues: Historical Perspectives 07:48 The Role of Synagogues in Ancient Jewish Society 11:39 Worship Practices in Ancient Synagogues 14:21 Ritual Purity and Preparation for Synagogue 20:37 The Experience of Attending Synagogue on Shabbat 25:21 Scriptural Readings and Teachings in Synagogues 28:12 The Role of Discussion in Torah Readings 33:44 Understanding the Origins of Rabbis 39:08 The Structure and Function of Ancient Synagogues 44:15 Jesus in the Synagogue: A Cultural Perspective

Raised: When Jesus Calls the Dead to Life – John 11:27–57 In Episode 141 of Divine Table Talk, Jamie and Jane explore one of the most powerful miracles in all of Scripture—the raising of Lazarus in John 11:27–57. As grief, doubt, hope, and faith collide, Jesus declares Himself to be “the resurrection and the life” before calling Lazarus from the tomb. Together, they unpack what this miracle reveals about the heart of God, the power of belief, and how Jesus often works in ways that stretch our faith beyond what we can see. This chapter is not only about a man being raised from the dead—it's about a Savior who brings life into every place that feels hopeless, buried, or beyond redemption. If you've ever wondered whether God can still move in what feels impossible, this conversation is a reminder that Jesus specializes in resurrection. What area of my life feels beyond hope—and am I willing to believe that Jesus still brings dead things back to life?____________________________________ Connect with Jamie: Website: www.jamieklusacek.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieklusacek Connect with Jane: Website: www.janewwilliams.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewwilliams

Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 386Go fund me for Punta Arenas Trip Flat Earth Experiment: https://gofund.me/21ca67d84How to Support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicPaul and Crystals links: https://thetinfoilhatfactory.com/Youtube: ⁠@joshmondaymusicandpodcast ⁠ Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday⁠@rocketmail.com ⁠ Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news. To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.#christiancontentcreator #biblestudy #bibleBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.

What does the Bible actually say about natural law? In part two of our three-part series, host Phil Cecil and his guest make the biblical case that God has woven a real, knowable moral order into creation — one that even unbelievers can perceive.Guided by three questions (Is there an objective moral order? Has it been revealed? Can the unregenerate perceive it?), they walk through the key Old Testament texts: the ordered creation and image of God in Genesis 1–2, the universal Noahic covenant and the institution of human government in Genesis 8–9, and the wisdom-in-creation theme of Proverbs 3 and 8. Along the way they explore why capital punishment is distinct from murder, the "two governments" framework, Solomon's famous judgment between two mothers, and Old Testament unbelievers like Abimelech and Jethro who clearly grasp God's moral order. They then turn to the New Testament, beginning with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 and what our instinctive moral reactions reveal about the law written on the heart.The discussion continues in part three next week. Theologically Driven is a podcast of Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn more at dbts.edu.00:00 Introduction and recap 02:24 Three guiding arguments for natural law 06:16 Genesis 1–2: an ordered, purposeful creation 09:08 The image of God and human nature 13:33 The Noahic covenant and human government (Genesis 8–9) 20:53 Wisdom in creation: Proverbs 3 and 8 26:32 Solomon's judgment and the limits of "rules" 28:52 Unbelievers who perceive moral order: Abimelech and Jethro 32:13 Turning to the New Testament: Jesus in Matthew 6 35:06 What our moral instincts reveal 36:37 Wrapping up — and a look ahead to part 3

If there's one thing church leaders should be obsessed with, it's the front door. In this special compilation episode, we’ve pulled together four conversations from leading churches and ministry organizations that are seeing success in helping first-time guests move from curious visitors to fully engaged disciples. The challenge facing churches today is different than it was even a few years ago. Guests are arriving with different motivations, different expectations, and different questions. Churches that continue using yesterday's assimilation strategies may unintentionally lose people God is already drawing. Don’t miss the four critical lessons every church should consider as they prepare for the fall ministry season. From changing guest motivations to intentional follow-up systems, discipleship pathways, and data-driven care, each conversation offers practical insights that can help churches better connect with the people walking through their doors. People Are Coming to Church Looking for God Greg Curtis shares a remarkable shift he's seeing among first-time guests, particularly younger adults. Where people once came primarily looking for community, support, or practical life help, many are now arriving already searching for God. In some cases, they've already begun reading Scripture, exploring faith, or experiencing spiritual curiosity before ever attending a service. This means churches must be prepared to engage people with greater intentionality from the moment they arrive. Key Takeaway // Many first-time guests are no longer casually checking out church. They're arriving with genuine questions about God and faith, often after beginning a spiritual journey on their own. Churches must be prepared to meet that curiosity with intentional next steps. Listen to the Full Episode // They’re Looking for God … Don’t Miss Them: Fixing Your Church’s Assimilation Problem with Greg Curtis & Tommy Carreras (March 26, 2026) Follow-Up Can't Be Left to Chance John Sellers explains how Journey Church creates a clear and repeatable process for helping guests take their next step. Through intentional touchpoints—including a welcoming first interaction, relational next-step environments, and a six-week follow-up process involving texts, emails, phone calls, and personal invitations—the church ensures guests don't simply attend once and disappear. Consistent follow-up may not be flashy, but it remains one of the most effective growth strategies churches can implement. Key Takeaway // Fast-growing churches rarely rely on a single welcome interaction. They build systems that encourage guests to take multiple steps over several weeks, increasing the likelihood that visitors become connected participants. Listen to the Full Episode // From Guests to Baptisms: Building Clear Next Steps with John Sellers (November 13, 2025) A Clear Pathway Helps People Keep Moving Ashley Lentz outlines Lutheran Church of Hope's discipleship pathway, which helps leaders identify where people are spiritually and what their next step should be. Rather than treating every attendee the same, the church intentionally helps people move from seeker to believer, from believer to follower, and ultimately into servant leadership. The framework creates clarity for both staff and volunteers while helping people continue growing long after their first visit. Key Takeaway // People are far more likely to stay engaged when churches provide a defined pathway for spiritual growth. Clarity helps both guests and leaders understand what comes next. Listen to the Full Episode // Clarity Is Kindness: Simplifying Next Steps in a Growing Church with Ashley Lentz (September 18, 2025) Data Is a Tool for Shepherding, Not Just Administration Ronee de Leon of TouchPoint challenges churches to view their database as more than a record-keeping system. Using her framework of Conviction, Collection, Clarity, and Care, she explains how churches can use data to proactively identify opportunities for discipleship and connection. Effective data practices ensure people do not fall through the cracks and allow churches to provide personalized care at scale. Key Takeaway // Churches cannot effectively shepherd hundreds—or thousands—of people through memory alone. Healthy systems and meaningful data help leaders identify opportunities for connection, care, and discipleship before people drift away. Listen to the Full Episode // From Data to Discipleship: The Four Cs Every Church Needs with Ronee de Leon (April 30, 2026) This episode serves as a timely challenge for church leaders preparing for the months ahead. As more spiritually curious people walk through church doors, the question isn't whether guests are coming. It's whether our systems, pathways, and follow-up processes are prepared to help them stay. The churches seeing the greatest impact are not leaving assimilation to chance. They're intentionally creating environments where people can move from a first visit to a life transformed by Jesus. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Friends, Rich here from the unSeminary Podcast. Thanks so much for tuning in. We’ve got a very special compilation episode for you.Rich Birch — Listen, I have heard echoes of similar things happening over the last year or so on the podcast, so we’re pulling together these episodes because I want to point out to you critical lessons for your church, particularly here in the summertime, as you think about what are some things that we should be reloading for this fall. Listen, friends, you know, and I know that you and I are a part of the local church and the local church is the only organization in the world that exists for people that are not here yet. You and I should be fanatically focused on the front door.Rich Birch — We should be first-time-guest-obsessed. And on today’s episode, I want to peek in on four discussions that talk about changing dynamics when it comes to connecting with first time guests. And no conversation around this whole area of assimilation would be complete without talking to and listening to Greg Curtis. Rich Birch — If you do not know Greg, where have you been? He’s been at Eastside Church for the last decade running their assimilation work. And he’s really seeing some interesting shifts in particularly young adults when it comes that I keep seeing across the country. And in this clip, he’s going to open up and tell you about a subtle shift that he has seen and some of the changes they’ve made around assimilating people when they come in.Rich Birch — Now, today’s conversation, we’re going to really frame around Greg’s three part model. We talk about the screen to the seat, the seat to the circle, and then the circle to the street. We want you to understand that how we’re connecting with guests today is different than what it looked like five years ago.Rich Birch — It’s definitely different than what it looked like pre-COVID. So let’s listen in first and see if we can catch what Greg is seeing and think about the dynamics that you’re seeing at your church. Listen in to what Greg’s got to say… [Clip 1 Begins]Rich Birch — People get assimilated, get connected. What have you noticed maybe something that’s maybe different in the way people are engaging right now that’s different than maybe even a year or two ago?Greg Curtis — A crescendo over the last two years has been remarkable in its shift towards—this is going to sound crazy because we’re talking to churches—they’re wanting God now. And what I mean by that is prior, we were having to sell the benefits of following Jesus – most growing churches, which there are. And I think it was a compelling thing to share with the culture.Greg Curtis — And so people were coming to church to find community, to find help with parenting, to find support in marriage or to, you know, a variety of different things. And so the draw and what was causing people to engage with church was really, what help in my life? How can I increase the quality of my life? Maybe even get some pretty powerful pain points addressed. Greg Curtis — This has shifted. I’ll put it in the terms of our young adult pastor. His name is Charles. He came to me. He said, Greg, prior to two, three years ago, maybe not even that long, he said young adults were coming, 80% of them to find friends and community, and about 20% to find God.Greg Curtis — He goes, it’s flipped. It’s flipped. Now it’s 80% God and 20% community.Greg Curtis — And that has expressed itself in some remarkable ways. I’ll just throw two out. At the end of last year, I was covering somebody, a pastor who was going to baptize somebody after the service. He had to be gone. So I said, yeah, I’ll cover it. So in our context, I’ll meet that person ahead of time and kind of show them where to sit in the service, when to come out, where the baptistry is, et cetera.Greg Curtis — And I met her. She was 28 years old, named Connie. And I said, as we’re walking through the baptistry, so, you know, I asked these typical questions: how long have you been coming to Eastside, which is my church?Greg Curtis — And she says, oh, I’ve never been to Eastside. I was like, oh, so you’re from our online campus. And she goes, no, I’ve never really heard of Eastside.Greg Curtis — And I said, well, what’s led you to be baptized today? And this was her story. She goes, I grew up in a very non-religious home, and I’ve never been to church. And I vowed I’d never even date a religious person. But I had some friends, three months ago, that invited me to watch The Chosen with them. I didn’t want to.Greg Curtis — I was mad at myself for getting engaged after the first episode, kept watching, decided to buy myself a Bible two months ago. I started reading the Old Testament and New Testament concurrently and decided I love Jesus and I want to follow Him, and I could tell what I needed to do was get baptized. But, get this, I’m the game day operations coordinator for the NFL. So I work on Sundays, and I just Googled who would baptize me on a Saturday. And your form came up, and I filled it out. So here I am.Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing. Greg Curtis — Yeah. And I’ll tell you what, she didn’t know, Rich, that this baptism was going to be in front of other people until we were in the water and the whole church was looking at her. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s incredible.Greg Curtis — The questions she had, we’ve remained in touch. The questions she asks are so precious. But I’m telling you, I’ve had a few of those that are similar. That one’s pretty dramatic, but are very similar. No background at all. They’re coming because they’re having a God moment before they get to us.Rich Birch — Yeah. Greg Curtis — And that’s a big shift because God is doing something literally worldwide and in our culture right now that they’re coming to us to find God, and they’re already encountering him in some way, and they need help with that and want it. And that’s a huge shift. [Clip 1 Ends]Rich Birch — Fantastic. Listen, if 80% of the guests are arriving at your church with a God question burning in their heart, the first 60 minutes, what we do every single weekend is critically important. I have seen this over my career.Rich Birch — Listen, I had recently one of those birthdays with a zero on the end. And I can tell you, as someone who’s been three decades into ministry experience, there was a time where people stumbled into our churches. And that’s just frankly not happening anymore.Rich Birch — People are arriving with real questions. And we might have been able to, in a previous generation, entertain them or try to diffuse this idea that we ain’t your mama’s church. But that isn’t where people are at anymore. Rich Birch — They’re coming with real live questions in their heart. They’re not stumbling into your church on Sunday morning because they don’t know what’s going on there. They’re coming looking for real questions.Rich Birch — And you and I, our processes, what we do on Sunday morning has got to meet that intensity. We can’t just hand them a coffee mug and say, we’ll see you next week. We’ve got to follow them up with some fervor and excitement and frankly a bit more intensity than what most churches are doing. Rich Birch — I love this conversation that’s coming up with John Sellers. He’s executive pastor of locations at Journey Church in Central Florida—three campuses with a fourth on the way—and is one of the most consistently fastest-growing churches in the country. Now, listen to what John talks about when he talks about the follow-up process, that they aren’t just leaving it to chance. They are working with intention to move these first time guests and get them plugged in. Rich Birch — The question I have for you is, is this the kind of intensity that you’re following up your first time guests with? Let’s listen in. [Clip 2 Begins]John Sellers — So at our church, every location has a tent. It’s a new here tent. And so the first step that we’re communicating, the clear step on that first or second week is: stop by the tent.John Sellers — Like, I know that’s a big step and we have to remind our serve team. And behind the curtain, that seems simple to us, but like to a new person at a church, even going to a tent or making themselves known by filling out a Connect card, even if it’s digital, like that’s a big step for somebody. John Sellers — And so a lot of our communication’s go to the tent. We’d love to meet you. We’ve got a gift card for you just to celebrate the step of faith you took to be here today. And so once they take that step, it starts us being able to follow up through text messages, emails, phone calls, and really encouraging them to step into our Next Steps class.John Sellers — And so when they step into our Next Steps class, one of the things we’re even constantly trying to think through what we call it because “class” probably isn’t the best way to describe it. And we’re actually revamping it right now. John Sellers — But for us, even that Next Steps class is a round table. It’s relational. It’s getting them around our Next Steps team that wants to hear their story. You know, what brought you through the doors? Wants to begin to hear about maybe what’s on their heart? Where are they at? What’s their next faith step?John Sellers — And so those are the first couple of weeks. If we can encourage them to stop by the tent, that allows us to stay in contact with them relationally. And then the next step would be go to one of our Next Steps classes after a service.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Can we pull apart a bit of the detail there? Just because I know people are wondering this because I get these questions.Rich Birch — So it sounds like when you arrive at the New Year tent, there’s a gift card there. Where’s that gift card for? What is the value of that? And why a gift card? Talk to us about that.John Sellers — Yes. So for now, and we’ve experimented, we’ll change this up like constantly. But right now it’s for a local coffee shop. And it’s literally a $5 gift card. It’s just a thank you to say thank you for coming. John Sellers — It’s a little gift bag. It’s got information about our church, obviously. And it’s just a step. The way we phrase it is we know it’s a big step of faith you took to be here today. And so we just want to celebrate the fact that you made it in the room. And so that’s what it is – $5. John Sellers — On big events, we’ll do a Journey Church cup and make it a little more substantial. But it’s just a $5 gift card to a local coffee shop.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. And I love the thinking behind that, friends, that are listening in, is sometimes what I see churches do, they’ll be like, hey, if you want to get connected, or if you’ve got interested about your Next Steps, or if you’re wondering where to go, drop by the tent outside. People are not asking that question when they first come.Rich Birch — We’ve got to take a celebratory step. And I like what you’re saying. I love that language of we want to celebrate the faith step by being here today. And we want to give you a gift in exchange for that. People will do that for a $5 gift card, or a coffee mug, or whatever. That’s good.Rich Birch — And then the other thing that caught my attention you said was, you said: and we follow up with texts and emails. Talk about how many of that, what’s that communication process look like? There’s another area where I see churches drop the ball all the time.John Sellers — Sure, it’s a variety. There’s a workflow that we use through our database system planning center that is owned by our Weekend Experience team members. But basically, it starts with an email from our lead pastor with a short video for them to watch, a message directly from him.John Sellers — It includes a text message or phone call from the location pastors within two weeks. It includes other text messages and emails. So it lasts about six weeks. And it’s more information about how to take steps at our church. John Sellers — And so some of its vision, a lot of it is geared towards stepping into the Next Steps class. But yes, it’s multiple, and it’s a variety. And it’s over the span of six weeks. And then we even have, you know, workflows built out that, you know, if somebody goes through that six-week process without taking the next step, that periodically we’ll check back in with them. [Clip 2 Ends]Rich Birch — Boring stuff grows churches. I’ve said it before. I’m going to keep saying it.Rich Birch — A monthly Next Steps cadence or New Year cadence, whatever you call it at your church, a $5 gift card may not be exciting, but it’s the kind of thing that we see time and time again at fast-growing churches. But the question is, what happens after week six? Where do we take people beyond this initial connection?Rich Birch — In fact, I’ve seen in some churches that have done extensive studies on this. If people do not get plugged in in the first 100 days, they might come, they might even come back. But if they don’t take a significant step, that is get on a team or in a group in those first 100 days, they will just not connect to your church. Rich Birch — So I want to peek in on a conversation we had with Ashley Lentz. She’s the Connections Pastor at a fantastic church, Lutheran Church of Hope, a multi-site church with seven campuses in Central Iowa. There’s 7,000 people at their one location every single weekend.Rich Birch — And she really takes the longer arc view. Where do we go? It’s really, going back to what Greg talked about, there’s this kind of seat to circle, and then there’s the circle to street. That’s what this conversation is all about. How do we get these people who have taken these first few steps, what are we doing to get them actually plugged in? Let’s listen in to what Ashley has to say. Rich Birch — There’s so much we can learn here. And again, I want you to be thinking about when you think about this fall at your church, are there some things you should be adjusting as we go into the fall? [Clip 3 Begins]Ashley Lentz — One of the tools that we use, and it is very much an internal tool is what I would call it. We call it the Hope Circle. And it is what I would call a discipleship tool or a discipleship pathway.Ashley Lentz — And if I were to say that to our congregation members, they would really have no idea what I’m talking about. It is very internal. But it’s helpful to identify where people are on this Hope Circle.Ashley Lentz — And so the circle starts with being a seeker. At a church our size, we have people every weekend who have zero idea what the church thing is about. They’ve maybe never been introduced to Jesus. Someone just invited them to church. They maybe knew they needed church and walked in the door, but have no idea what to expect. And so they are seeking something that has been missing in their life.Ashley Lentz — And so helping people identify if that’s where you are, here are kind of the very preliminary places that would be helpful for you to start plugging in. As we move around that circle, we get to believers, people who are like, okay, I’m bought into the Jesus thing. I’ve heard the message, I believe, now what? I wanna understand this better. I believe in Jesus. I believe in God. I’m here for it, but I don’t really know the things. Ashley Lentz — So where do we go from there and how do we help them then move into being super excited about Jesus? I don’t just believe, I’m on fire for Jesus. I’m a follower, right? I am all in, my life looks different. I’ve been transformed. How do I follow him? Ashley Lentz — And then how do you serve people in that arena too? Because that’s gonna look different than somebody who’s come in as a seeker looking for Jesus and somebody who’s on fire for Jesus.Ashley Lentz — So how do we move them around the circle? So it’s seeker, believer, follower, and then kind of the last part of our circle is servant leader. How do we move them then into serving and letting the transformed nature of the gospel pour out of them into the world around us?Ashley Lentz — And I would say our secret sauce here at Hope is we love volunteers. Like as we move people around the Hope Circle, I and my colleagues, we want to equip people to lead. So being a servant leader inside these walls, but also outside these walls is really like, that’s what’s attractional to people is letting them know like you’re on fire for Jesus, go tell everyone about it and serve in the arena you find yourself in, whether in the church or outside the church. [Clip 3 Ends]Rich Birch — A pathway you can’t measure is a pathway you cannot improve. Friends, you’ve got a brain problem. Over 200 people, you simply cannot track where people are at in the processes we have talked about before.Rich Birch — Your mind literally cannot hold in place where all of these people are at in their process. And so underneath everything we’ve talked about today, you need a robust approach to data. Rich Birch — Listen, your church database is a care mechanism. It’s just a way we make sure people do not fall through the cracks. And so everything that we’ve talked about in today’s episode needs a robust approach to data and the way you handle data to move people just from a broad, kind of like they’re attending all the way through to caring, ensuring that they are plugged in. So I wanna peek into one final conversation. Rich Birch — Ronee de Leon, she’s the executive director of Partner Church Success at Touchpoint. But outside of that, she’s formerly on staff at a large multi-site church in Columbus, Ohio. And Touchpoint sits across hundreds of churches and Ronee sees the patterns.Rich Birch — Listen, what I want you to listen to carefully here is these four Cs that she talks about. Conviction, collection, clarity, care. And ask your question, are you doing this with your data?Rich Birch — Does your data structure actually allow you to move people along in a way that ensures that we’re actually getting them plugged in? Friends, I don’t want you to miss the opportunity that God’s bringing your way. And this conversation could help you think differently about that, particularly in the next couple of months. [Clip 4 Begins]Ronee de Leon — Let’s alliterate some more. Like I said, I was on church staff for a long time. Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.Ronee de Leon — And it does become memorable, right? So this is a really simple framework that really is more stages. It’s a progression. But even though it’s simple, whether they know it or not, every church is in one of these stages when it comes to data-driven discipleship. Ronee de Leon — And so four kind of Cs of this or stages are conviction, collection, clarity, and care. And I’ll just give a brief description of each of those and then we can go dive in a little bit deeper.Ronee de Leon — But conviction, really the question that we’re answering here is, do you truly believe this matters even when it’s not easy? So leaders believe that shepherding is important, but do we wanna move into doing it proactively? And are we comfortable using data as a tool to do that well? So that’s kind of the conviction piece. Do you really believe that this matters? Ronee de Leon — Collection then, are you committed to consistently gathering the data that’s needed? Not just once, but as a rhythm. It’s hard work, but it is a worthy cause, a valiant effort. Ronee de Leon — Let’s move to clarity real quick. Again, the question we’re answering is, now that you have the data, do you have the insight? Do you really see what it’s telling you? And what are we doing with it?Ronee de Leon — And then the last one here, of course, is where we’re acting on the insights to connect with our people. Will you actually act on the insights and shepherd people or will it stay theoretical? That’s kind of where we’re headed with this. [Clip 4 Ends] Rich Birch — We started this off today talking about how we see this pattern happening across the church. And I think these four episodes really hang incredibly together. Greg Curtis, he really named the moment that we’re in. I really do think that we’re seeing something that is generationally important. And I do not want your church to miss it. Rich Birch — John Sellers, I thought gave a really clear discussion around how we move these people that are arriving. How do we get them to take those first steps and get plugged in? Rich Birch — Then Ashley Lentz, she unpacked what it looked like to go from the seat to the circle, to the circle to the street pathway. What are we doing to actually get people to plug in deep in our community?Rich Birch — And then finally, Ronee brought it home, giving us a measurement layer to really bring the whole thing together with some honesty and truth. Rich Birch — Listen, this is the question: if I was sitting across from you and your staff this week, if I was in your staff meeting, the question I would simply ask is this, which of these four pieces is the weakest in our church as we approach this fall? And what’s the smallest move we could make in the next 30 days to improve where we need to in these areas? Rich Birch — We’ve got links to all of these show notes before. Please stay tuned. We’ve got incredible episodes coming up all summer long and all fall long here at unSeminary. Rich Birch — We’re on a mission to help 100 churches like yours grow by a thousand people by talking about stuff they don’t talk about in seminary. Rich Birch — Thanks so much for being here, friends. We’ll see you next week. Take care.

Moving into the New Testament, we learn that we cannot apply a singular definition to holiness and sanctification. In Jesus' high priestly prayer, we see that sanctification is not something we endeavor to do, but rather a passive act on our part; something that is initiated by God to conform us to the image and likeness of Christ as we are faithing in Him.  VF-2202  John 17 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2026 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved

(Romans 11:1-27) One of the most hotly debated topics right now is the nation of Israel. If we are not careful, we can allow political agendas or current events to color our understanding of what God says in Holy Scripture. It should be the exact opposite. We must always begin with the Bible. Listen to this broadcast as Scott Pauley answers a listener-submitted question about the nation of Israel. (10159269624). Join Scott Pauley's study through Scripture this year. Find resources for every book of the Bible by Dr. Pauley and Enjoying the Journey at enjoyingthejourney.org/journey-through-scripture/. Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. Explore now at EnjoyingTheJourney.org. Extend the Work Enjoying the Journey provides every resource for free worldwide. If you would like to help extend this Bible teaching, you may give at enjoyingthejourney.org/donations/

Father's Day in the church can often feel like a strange, high-stakes tension—usually landing somewhere between a heavy guilt trip and a shallow Hallmark greeting card. In this Father's Day episode, Matt Summers and Tommy Lum sit down to unpack a weekend message that intentionally tried to be neither. Instead, the conversation centers on Joseph, perhaps the quietest major character in the entire New Testament, and how his life offers us an incredibly honest, generous, and grounding picture of what faithful presence actually looks like in our lives today. The discussion dives into the powerful, counter-cultural reality of Joseph's story: he never gives a single speech, he never argues with God, and he never demands to explain himself to the culture around him. Instead, he simply wakes up and does exactly what he is told to do, over and over again, in the midst of wild, scandalous circumstances that would easily unravel most of us.  The conversation holds space for every kind of father, father figure, and family dynamic in the room, ending with a deeply hopeful look at why Joseph's quiet disappearance before Jesus' public ministry might just be the most encouraging thing we can say to anyone showing up and doing the hard work for someone else right now.

Original Post Date: June 24, 2025 === Gospel Luke 1:57-66, 80 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Reflection We see in this story a very, very important teaching. The Old Testament and the New Testament are not the same. The Old Testament, based on the law and performance. The New Testament based on God's presence within us. It's a radical shift. And it's so fascinating that in the plan of God, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets is the one that looks at Jesus and says, there that's the one. That's what we've been talking about. That's the direction you need to now take. Listen to him. I spoke God's words, but he is God incarnate. Closing Prayer Father, it's always been difficult for us to make the shift between the Old and the New Testament. The Old Testament is so much more attuned to our minds and our wills. And yet, the New Testament demands that we open our heart and let God dwell there. So help us in this transition. It's what we all go through in our own spiritual journey. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bible is a revelation of the sovereign God working to accomplish His glory in an unstoppable and predestined way. This is the basis for the good news, yet many rage at these things because they hate the sovereignty of God. Today we will go through the entire New Testament and look at several verses which settle this debate once and for all, and hopefully also offer you some great encouragement for the months and years to come.* 00:00 - Introduction* 16:23 - The Gospel of Matthew* 20:45 - The Gospel of Mark* 25:59 - The Gospel of Luke* 31:31 - The Gospel of John* 45:15 - Acts* 1:02:27 - Romans* 1:09:44 - 1st & 2nd Corinthians* 1:20:25 - Galatians* 1:27:56 - Ephesians* 1:35:00 - Philippians * 1:39:18 - Colossians* 1:41:47 - 1st & 2nd Thessalonians* 1:47:00 - Timothy, Titus & Philemon* 1:54:40 - Hebrews* 1:59:05 - James* 2:00:52 - 1st & 2nd Peter* 2:07:41 - 1 John* 2:09:57 - Jude This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

Can a prophetic word reach someone an argument never could? What if the most effective evangelism tool in Scripture is a detail about someone that only God could have known?JonMark Baker of the Minor Prophets Podcast joins Remnant Radio to talk about the gift of prophecy and words of knowledge as on-mission tools for evangelism.ABOUT THIS EPISODE:We live in a culture that's heard plenty of arguments for God and built a callus against most of them. Apologetics still matters. But what do you do with someone whose heart hardened against Jesus before you ever opened your mouth?That's where a word of knowledge does something logic can't. A divinely-given word proves to a stranger that God sees them, knows them, and has His eye on the actual details of their life. Paul described exactly this in 1 Corinthians 14:24-25: an outsider walks in, the secrets of his heart are laid bare through prophecy, and he falls on his face declaring that God is really among you. It's the New Testament's own case study for prophecy as evangelism.This is a conversation about giftings doing what they were always meant to do: building up the body of Christ, and pushing back the darkness in a culture that needs reminding God is real, and still speaks.0:00 – Introduction2:27 – JonMark Baker4:36 – Prophesying & Availability9:54 – God Speaks Subtly20:49 – Spirit, Mind, Thought25:33 – Prophetic Evangelism Steps36:38 – Parable of the Soils44:36 – Power & Evangelism49:30 – Closing ThoughtsSubscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com. Support the showABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO: The Remnant Radio exists to equip believers who are hungry for the radical middle of both Word and Spirit. Subscribe for twice-weekly content on theology, church history and the gifts of the Spirit.

Join the conversation as Matt and John talk the World Cup, the kingdom of God in the New Testament, and much more! 0:00 Intro 2:22 Sports Roundup 20:41 Summer Read - Return of the Kingdom Part 4 41:30 This Day in Sports History 47:38 One Thing We Liked

In this message, Kevin Conner draws insights from Jesus' prayer, as recorded in John 17, for the church today. For more in-depth teaching about the church, be sure to get a copy of Kevin's best-selling book 'The Church in the New Testament'. Visit www.kevinconer.org/church for details.

1 Timothy is the first of two letters written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy, a young pastor and leader at a growing church in Ephesus. This letter is filled with lessons and tools that apply to every believer and to pastors alike, and has been used for centuries to guide the lives of believers and ministries.   Join Jerry as he dives into 1 Timothy, helping us see how we can apply this book, and to "fight the good fight of faith" today.   You can take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann—so grab your Bible and let's get started!   Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

Phillips, in the Preface to The Book of Revelation:  "In this book the translator is carried into another dimension... He is carried, not into some never-never land of fancy, but into the ever-ever land of God's eternal Values and Judgements". "Although the majority of Christians quite cheerfully accept the inclusion of this mysterious book within the New Testament canon, my strong impression is that very few of them have read it in any detail." On Revelation, from the autobiography The Price of Success: "Certain themes emerge distinctly for the modern reader's profit: (a) The absolute sovereignty of God, and his ultimate purpose to destroy all forms of evil. (b) The inevitable judgments of God upon evil, upon the worship of false gods, which include riches, power and success. (c) The necessity for patient endurance, the ultimate security being the knowledge that God is in control of history (d) The existence of reality, represented here under such symbols as the New Jerusalem, set apart and secure from the battles and tribulations of earthly life, promises complete spiritual security to those who are faithful to God and his Christ.

Andy Bauer | Romans 8:8-30Romans 8 is one of the most powerful chapters in the New Testament. It speaks to the power of the Holy Spirit, God's love, how we should think about suffering, and more. In this series we will dig deep into these words and uncover the life that can be found within them.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!It's my eternal struggle: balancing keeping things proper and keeping things interesting. This week we'll cover whether efforts to sneak the gospel in the back door are ethical or even effective; the most interesting and perhaps least profitable sort of books I read; the inherently deceptive nature of modern news and what our response should be; and an entire category of games I avoid for no good reason whatsoever. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  

Biblical Success and Prosperity Program: For Zion's Sake Hosts: Shelly and June Volk Episode Description When you hear the words "success" or "prosperity," what is your very first thought? For most of us, our minds instantly drift to financial security, material possessions, prestigious career titles, and what the world calls "the good life." But as believers, we are called to look at things through a vastly different lens. In this episode of For Zion's Sake, hosts Shelly and June Volk break down the stark contrast between secular achievement and true, biblical prosperity. Pulling from foundational scriptures in the Old and New Testaments, they remind us that God's definitions are uniquely His own. Discover how spiritual prosperity isn't about the size of your bank account, but about the posture of your heart—delighting in God's instruction, meditating on His Word day and night, and having the courage to step out in radical faith. Key Scripture & Verses Covered The Divine Lens: Isaiah 55:8–9 – Setting the stage with a vital reminder that God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are infinitely higher than ours. The Planted Tree: Psalm 1:1–3 – Looking at the ultimate recipe for prosperity: refusing to walk in the counsel of the wicked, delighting purely in the law of the Lord, and becoming like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. David's Charge to Solomon: 1 Kings 2:3 – Reviewing King David's dying words to his son, instructing him to walk in God's ways and keep His statutes so that he may succeed wherever he turns. The Covenant of Blessing: Deuteronomy 29:9 – Moses' clear message to the people of Israel to keep and do the words of the covenant in order to prosper in all things. Joshua's Key to Success: Joshua 1:1–8 – Unpacking the only time the word "success" appears in the King James Version of the Bible. God commands Joshua to be strong and very courageous, promising that meditation and obedience to the Book of the Law are what make a person's way truly prosperous. Connect with For Zion's Sake Website: Visit shellyandjunevolk.com to find resources, listen to more broadcasts, and connect with the ministry. Mailing Address: If you would like to get in touch or support the program, write to P.O. Box 244, Kannapolis, NC 28082. Sponsorship: This episode is proudly sponsored by the Psalm 127 Fund. Shelly has served the body of Christ as a Pastor for over 35 years. He is a bible teacher and conference speaker on the subjects of The Kingdom of God, The Mystery of Israel & The Church and for God’s people to be prepared in their hearts for the end of this age. https://shellyandjunevolk.com/Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 10 Commandments E14 — We've come to the end of our series on the 10 Commandments, which are known in the Bible as the 10 Words. All throughout this series, we've returned to the idea that these commands are not rules to check off a list, but rather God's wisdom that leads to true life and flourishing. In this episode, Jon and Tim reflect on some final insights about how to approach the 10 Words (and all of biblical law) as wisdom literature, just as Jesus did. FULL SHOW NOTES For chapter-by-chapter summaries, biblical words, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode. CHAPTERS Building a Moral Universe (0:00-11:39) Wisdom Leading to Life (11:39-23:40) Biblical Laws as Wisdom, Justice, Mercy, and Love (23:40-40:18) Jesus as the Embodiment of Wisdom (40:18-53:42) OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT View this episode's official transcript. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS BIBLEPROJECT TRANSLATION View our full translation of the 10 Commandments. REFERENCED RESOURCES In chapter 3, Tim references episodes on biblical law from our How to Read the Bible series. Find those episodes here: The Purpose of the Law The Law as a Covenantal Partnership God's Wisdom in the Law The Law as a Revolution Jesus Fulfills the Law Law Q+R Find the 10 Commandments full collection of video, podcast, and written resources here. Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here. SHOW MUSIC “Nice Day ft. Marc Vanparla, John Lee” by Lofi Sunday “That Gospel ft. Bobcat” by Lofi Sunday “Blissful Thoughts ft. TBabz” by Lofi Sunday BibleProject theme song by TENTS  SHOW CREDITS Production of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What is the biblical role of an evangelist?Many Christians associate evangelists with traveling revival preachers who move from church to church preaching special services. While that model has been common in Pentecostal circles, is it the same role the apostle Paul described in Ephesians 4:11?In this episode of Apostolic Life in the 21st Century, Dr. David K. Bernard explores the New Testament ministry of the evangelist and explains why this calling remains essential to the church today. Drawing from Scripture, he discusses how evangelists fit within the ministry gifts Christ gave to the church, how their work differs from that of pastors and teachers, and how they help fulfill the church's mission of reaching the lost.Whether you serve in ministry, feel called to evangelistic work, or simply want a deeper understanding of biblical church leadership, this episode offers practical insight into one of the most important ministry roles in the New Testament.Apostolic Life in the 21st Century is a weekly podcast in which Dr. David K. Bernard answers questions about Scripture, theology, Christian living, and contemporary issues from an Apostolic Pentecostal perspective.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

(Romans 8:29-30) What do the Bible's teachings on predestination and election really mean, and how are they tied to God's foreknowledge? In this broadcast, Scott Pauley reviews key New Testament passages and provides answer from Scripture on this topic. (10148260622) Join Scott Pauley's study through Scripture this year. Find resources for every book of the Bible by Dr. Pauley and Enjoying the Journey at enjoyingthejourney.org/journey-through-scripture/. Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. Explore now at EnjoyingTheJourney.org. Extend the Work Enjoying the Journey provides every resource for free worldwide. If you would like to help extend this Bible teaching, you may give at enjoyingthejourney.org/donations/

The greatest spiritual battle isn't fought around you, it's fought within you, and it will shape how you approach God's Word.While we await the release of a new season of Paul's 5-Minute Bible Study, we're revisiting the first introductory episodes. Today, Paul explains why studying the Bible requires an expectant, humble, and obedient heart, warning that pride can cause us to gain knowledge while completely missing the transforming grace God intends.You can listen to the complete 5-Minute Bible Study journey through the Old and New Testaments at PaulTripp.com/BibleStudy, or by subscribing to the dedicated Paul Tripp 5-Minute Bible Study Podcast channel.

Share a commentSome of the most important disciples in the New Testament are the ones we barely notice. We wrap up our walk through Luke 6 by slowing down for the “last four” names on the list, and the result is both comforting and confronting. If you've ever felt ordinary, overlooked, or unsure your life is making a difference, this conversation reframes what spiritual impact actually means.We talk about James the son of Alpheus, sometimes called James the Less, a man with almost no recorded moments and yet a full calling from Christ. From there we dig into Simon the Zealot and the shocking reality that Jesus put a political firebrand side by side with a former tax collector, turning clashing backgrounds into a living picture of church unity. We also explore Judas the son of James, known as Thaddeus, whose tender question in John's Gospel highlights how Jesus reveals himself personally, one heart at a time.Then we deal honestly with Judas Iscariot: trusted, involved, and indistinguishable to the group, yet ultimately a traitor. It's a sobering reminder that exposure to truth is not the same as belief. We close with Matthias, why the apostolic office is unique, and a vivid illustration of the gospel as music played through ordinary instruments in the hands of the Maestro. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. What part of the disciples' story hits closest to home for you? Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

What if the three most famous Psalms in the Bible are actually one story, and that story was pointing to Jesus all along?In this episode, we dive into a Bible study on Psalms 22, 23, and 24. These psalms were written by King David nearly a thousand years before the New Testament, and biblical scholars refer to them as the "Shepherd's Trilogy." Hidden within these psalms is a stunning prophetic timeline of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. In our Psalms 22-24 Bible study, you'll learn:[06:26] Psalm 22 Crucifixion Prophecy: How David described Jesus on the cross in vivid detail, down to the pierced hands and divided garments, nearly 1000 years before the crucifixion[08:22] A Lesson from King David: How to feel the full weight of your pain and bring it to God the way David did to experience an unexpected peace and lightness[12:19] The "Bookend" Revelation: The jaw-dropping message Jesus sent to the Jewish crowd from the cross by quoting both the first and last lines of Psalm 22[19:25] The Real Meaning of Psalm 23: Why the rest, restoration, and “quiet waters” of this beloved passage only make sense through the lens of Christ's suffering[27:42] Psalm 24 and Palm Sunday: How this triumphant praise Psalm connects to the Ark of the Covenant, Handel's Messiah, and Jesus' final entry into Jerusalem on Palm SundayPsalms Show Notes:Psalms RoadmapPsalms Playlist on Apple MusicPsalms Playlist on SpotifyPsalm 8 (Hallé) by Phil WickhamACTS Prayer GuidePsalms Prayer List - Coming Soon!Group Discussion Questions for Psalms 22-24:[08:22] David vented his pain to God and then pivoted to praise, not because the suffering stopped, but because he transferred the burden. Is there something you are carrying right now that you haven't fully laid at God's feet?[20:27] God put David through “shepherd school,” Moses through the wilderness, and Esther through the royal court. In your life, what season or "school" has God put you through, and what do you think He was preparing you for?[23:16] People and sheep have a lot in common. What characteristics of a sheep can you most see in yourself: defenseless, needing constant care and to be led to (spiritual) food and water, resisting rest, or fearfulness.Contact Bible Book Club!Social: Instagram or FacebookWebsite: Bible Book ClubReview Us: Apple Podcast or SpotifyJoin the Fun: DONATE or Buy merchThis episode is part of our ongoing Bible Book Club series, starting with Genesis and journeying all the way through the Bible. Thanks for listening!

Is the crucifixion hidden in the Old Testament? Join Rabbi Schneider as he uncovers ancient prophecies that point directly to Jesus and reveals how they're fulfilled in the pages of the New Testament.

In this episode of the Church Planter Podcast, Peyton Jones sits down with Dr. Michael Cooper to talk about his new book, Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement.Building on his work in Ephesiology, Michael explores how archaeology helps us better understand the early church, the spread of the gospel, and the world Paul and the first Christians inhabited. From Ephesus to Laodicea, they discuss house churches, public gathering spaces, Christograms, the Hall of Tyrannus, and the evidence of Christian movement in the first centuries.The conversation also challenges church planters to think beyond simple church growth formulas and recover the kind of patient, contextual, culturally engaged mission we see in the New Testament. The early church adapted to real places, engaged real people, and took the time to make disciples who could carry the gospel into new spaces.If you want to understand first-century mission, think more deeply about church planting, and learn how history and archaeology can sharpen disciple-making today, this episode is for you.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New MovementNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the Church Planter Podcast. We're here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

It was one of those unforgettable, milestone moments for our family. Our firstborn child was holding her firstborn child. Wow! What a moment! And we got to join them in the delivery room just moments after the little guy's arrival. And I knew this presented a shocking development. My wife was a grandmother! Could you believe it? Me, living with a grandmother! Yes, I was living in denial. And then after becoming a grandmother more than once, well finally, I had to accept that disturbing reality and glorious reality. I am a grandfather! I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Why God Will Never Be a Grandfather.” All through the Bible, God introduces Himself to us as our Father in heaven, but never as our grandfather. God never has been and never will be anyone's grandfather. See, He only has children. He doesn't have any grandchildren. That might be some very important information for you to consider - eternally important - because you might be one of the many people who could be counting on the faith of their family to qualify them for heaven. If you've got a Christian mom or dad, that might help you know about Jesus. It won't do a thing for you when it comes to knowing Jesus personally though. You can't "osmote" a relationship with Jesus from your Christian parents or your Christian husband or your wife, or from the Christians you've been with your whole life. Unless there's been a personal transaction between you and Jesus to have your sins forgiven, you've never been born into God's family, and you'll never see heaven. God has no grandchildren. Jesus described the essential qualification for going to heaven when He said, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). A couple of chapters earlier, the Bible describes just how that birthing into God's family takes place. It's in John 1:12, our word for today from the Word of God. Speaking of Jesus, it says, “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” What does it mean to “receive” Christ? Well, it's consciously opening the door of your heart and welcoming Jesus in. So, has there ever been a time when you did that for yourself? This verse talks about “believing in His name.” What's that about? When you check out “believe” in the original language of the New Testament, it's clear that it's a lot more than just agreeing with all the facts about Jesus dying for your sin. It's about total trust in Jesus like He's your only hope. “His name” literally means, “Jehovah rescues.” That's what He died for—to pay for your sin so you don't have to. To rescue you. Just picture that you're desperately drowning and Jesus has come like the rescuer. You've got to grab onto Him like He's your only hope. Has there ever been a time when you did that with Jesus? You say, "I'm not sure." Well, if you don't know you have, I'd say you probably haven't. When you've grown up in a Christian home, spent a lot of time in a Christian environment, it's easy to feel like, "Man, I must have picked up Jesus somewhere." Well, no, not unless there's been a time when you consciously put all your trust in Him for yourself and you told Him that. That's when your sins get erased from God's records. That's when you get born into God's family. It may be God has you listening today so He could whisper to your heart, “Take care of this now. Look, you've known a lot about Me all these years, but you've never known Me. Don't wait another day to begin your personal relationship with Me.” You know, you could do that by telling Jesus, “Beginning this day, I'm Yours.” This what could be your Jesus day, this would be a great day for you to go visit our website. It's ANewStory.com. From now on, this date can be your new birthday—your second birthday. The day you got God as your Father. You got Jesus as your Savior—your personal Savior!

Share a commentSome of the most important disciples in the New Testament are the ones we barely notice. We wrap up our walk through Luke 6 by slowing down for the “last four” names on the list, and the result is both comforting and confronting. If you've ever felt ordinary, overlooked, or unsure your life is making a difference, this conversation reframes what spiritual impact actually means.We talk about James the son of Alpheus, sometimes called James the Less, a man with almost no recorded moments and yet a full calling from Christ. From there we dig into Simon the Zealot and the shocking reality that Jesus put a political firebrand side by side with a former tax collector, turning clashing backgrounds into a living picture of church unity. We also explore Judas the son of James, known as Thaddeus, whose tender question in John's Gospel highlights how Jesus reveals himself personally, one heart at a time.Then we deal honestly with Judas Iscariot: trusted, involved, and indistinguishable to the group, yet ultimately a traitor. It's a sobering reminder that exposure to truth is not the same as belief. We close with Matthias, why the apostolic office is unique, and a vivid illustration of the gospel as music played through ordinary instruments in the hands of the Maestro. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. What part of the disciples' story hits closest to home for you? Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

What is the difference between an elder and a deacon? Can a church function with just one pastor, or does the Bible require a plurality of elders? In this episode of Marked by Grace, Pastor Heath Lambert tackles one of the most common points of confusion in church polity: the blurred lines between elders, pastors, and deacons.0:13 - The question: confusion over elders and deacons1:38 - The two offices ordained in the New Testament2:43 - What deacons do: servants of the congregation's practical needs3:18 - What elders/pastors do: servants of the Word and leaders of the church4:19 - Where churches blur the lines between elders and deacons5:44 - Elder-led vs. pastor-led: why that question is trickier than it sounds7:18 - What the Bible says about plurality of elders8:16 - The role most people overlook: congregational authority9:18 - Matthew 18 and the congregation as the court of final appeal10:23 - How faithful churches apply these principles differently12:32 - The sufficiency of Scripture and freedom within firm biblical lines

If the kingdom of God is already here, what does that actually mean for how we live today? This episode dives into the original, often-overlooked instructions that Jesus and the apostles gave for kingdom living—stripping away the layers added by centuries of tradition. Discover a simpler, more powerful vision of faith rooted in love, forgiveness, service, and authentic community. If you're ready to rethink what it really means to be a kingdom citizen, this episode will both challenge and inspire you."The kingdom comes first. Everything else finds its place after that." - Tim WindersAccess all show and episode resources HEREEpisode Resources:NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.Episode Highlights:00:00 Kingdom Is Here 00:35 NT90 Reading Journey 02:44 Episode 12 Setup 04:32 Layers Over Scripture 07:44 Simplify Kingdom Living 09:45 Love God Love People 11:02 Make Disciples 13:01 Forgive Relentlessly 14:54 Serve Not Dominate 16:21 Seek Kingdom First 17:58 Be Peacemakers 19:07 Bear Spiritual Fruit 21:38 Real Kingdom Community 26:09 Steward Your Gifts 27:39 Justice Mercy Humility 28:55 Peter's Growth Trajectory 29:36 Final Letter Context 30:54 Faith to Love Ladder 31:39 Self Control Hinge 33:20 Progress Not Arrival 34:37 Drift Toward Decay 35:56 Stewarding Toward Love 37:22 Church Metrics vs Kingdom 40:47 First Century Lived Faith 42:02 Modern Misread of Fruit 42:33 Kingdom Today Politics Work 45:43 No Buildings Required 48:21 Next Episodes and Invite

Can you be deeply religious and still miss Jesus completely? That is the question at the center of Mark chapter 2, and the answer might be more uncomfortable than we expect. In this passage, Jesus and His disciples are walking through a grain field on the Sabbath when the disciples pluck heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees immediately accuse them of breaking the law. But Jesus points out something important: the disciples were doing exactly what Mosaic law permitted in Deuteronomy 23. What they violated was not Scripture but the man-made traditions the Pharisees had layered on top of it. The Pharisees had constructed thirty-nine categories of prohibited Sabbath activities, building fence after fence around the commandment until the original purpose was buried. God gave the Sabbath as a gift, a reminder of rest and relationship with the Creator. The Pharisees turned it into a burden and made their rules more important than the heart of God behind the law. Jesus responds with one of the most significant declarations in the Gospels: the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. This title connects directly to Daniel chapter 7 and the coming Messiah. Jesus was not just correcting a misunderstanding about grain fields. He was revealing that the entire law had been pointing to Him all along. As Paul later wrote in Colossians 2, the Sabbath and the festivals were shadows of what was to come, and the substance is found in Christ. The Pharisees did not have a Sabbath problem. They had a Jesus problem. They knew the Scriptures, believed in God, and pursued holiness, but when the Messiah arrived, they rejected Him because He did not match their expectations. This passage raises three important truths for every believer today. First, God's Word is the standard, not tradition, preference, or cultural expectation. Second, preferences are productive until they become pious, meaning traditions are helpful until they start replacing the mission rather than serving it. Third, it is entirely possible to be religiously busy and still miss Jesus. Topics covered include the Sabbath in the New Testament, religious tradition versus Scripture, the authority of Jesus Christ, the meaning of Son of Man, lessons from the Pharisees, Mark chapter 2 Bible study, how to avoid legalism, and what it means to surrender to Christ as Lord. Whether you are exploring Christianity for the first time or have been following Jesus for decades, this message is a call to examine whether your faith is centered on Jesus Himself or on the religious habits that surround Him. He is Lord over every day, every tradition, and every part of life.

Understanding the Imprecatory PsalmsAppoint someone evil to oppose my enemy. Let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty...May his days be few... May his children be wandering beggars... - Psalm 109Those words are in the Bible. For many Christians, reading Psalm 109 for the first time is shocking. It sounds more like a cry of vengeance than a prayer of faith. How can these words exist alongside Jesus' command to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)?These prayers have a name: imprecatory prayers.Imprecatory prayers are prayers that call upon God to judge evil, stop the wicked, and bring justice. They are not rare exceptions hidden in obscure parts of Scripture. The Psalms contain many of them, including Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 69, 70, 79, 83, and 109.But what are we supposed to do with them? Here are a few things to consider.They Are Inspired ScriptureOne temptation is to dismiss these psalms as emotional outbursts. Perhaps David lost his temper. Maybe the psalmists were simply expressing raw human emotion. But Scripture itself will not allow us to take that approach. The Psalms are inspired by God and accepted as such by both Jews and Christians. Even more significantly, Jesus treated them as authoritative Scripture. The New Testament quotes from imprecatory psalms without apology or correction. Jesus referenced them, and both Peter and Paul drew from them in their teaching.What About "Love Your Enemies"?The greatest tension comes when we compare these psalms with Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.Jesus said:Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. - Matthew 5:44How do we reconcile that command with prayers asking God to bring judgment?Context matters.The imprecatory psalms are often written from a kingdom context. David was not merely a private individual nursing personal grudges. He was God's appointed king, responsible for protecting a nation from those who sought its destruction. Jesus, however, was addressing personal relationships. He taught His followers how to respond when insulted, mistreated, or persecuted in everyday life. Turning the other cheek addresses personal retaliation, pride, and revenge. It does not erase the reality that evil exists and sometimes threatens innocent lives. The two teachings are simply addressing different situations.These Prayers Are Not About Personal RevengeThe imprecatory psalms should never become weapons for settling personal scores. They are not prayers against the coworker who gossiped about you nor tools for getting even with someone who hurt your feelings.God says:It is mine to avenge; I will repay. - Deuteronomy 32:35Personal vengeance belongs to God. Imprecatory prayers are not invitations to hatred. They are acts of surrender that place justice in God's hands rather than our own.A Cry for Evil to Be StoppedAt their heart, these prayers express a longing for evil to end. They arise in moments when wickedness seems unchecked, when innocent people suffer, and when injustice appears to triumph. For believers living in times of war, this reality becomes painfully clear. When missiles fall and innocent lives are threatened, the immediate prayer is often not, "Lord, help me feel more forgiving." Instead, it is, "Lord, stop this evil. Protect the innocent. Do whatever is necessary to bring this violence to an end." Imprecatory prayers remind us that longing for justice is not unspiritual. It reflects God's own hatred of evil.God's Glory Is the GoalThese psalms are ultimately God-centered.Psalm 79:9 says:Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for your name's sake.The deepest concern of these prayers is not personal comfort but God's honor. They ask: Will evil have the final word? Will the wicked appear victorious forever? Or will the world see that God is righteous, just, and worthy of glory?The imprecatory psalms cry out for God to vindicate His name.What Can We Learn?The imprecatory psalms teach us that:Evil is real and should never be minimized.Justice matters because God is just.Personal revenge belongs to God alone.There are times when it is right to ask God to stop evil.God's glory, not our bitterness, must remain at the center of our prayers.Most of us will not pray prayers like Psalm 109 every day.But perhaps our discomfort with these passages reveals something important. We often prefer a version of God that is loving but not judging, merciful but not holy. Yet the Bible presents a God who is both. He is patient and compassionate, but He also hates evil and promises that injustice will not endure forever.

1 Timothy is the first of two letters written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy, a young pastor and leader at a growing church in Ephesus. This letter is filled with lessons and tools that apply to every believer and to pastors alike, and has been used for centuries to guide the lives of believers and ministries.   Join Jerry as he dives into 1 Timothy, helping us see how we can apply this book, and to "fight the good fight of faith" today.   You can take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann—so grab your Bible and let's get started!   Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

Phillips, in the Preface to The Book of Revelation:  "In this book the translator is carried into another dimension... He is carried, not into some never-never land of fancy, but into the ever-ever land of God's eternal Values and Judgements". "Although the majority of Christians quite cheerfully accept the inclusion of this mysterious book within the New Testament canon, my strong impression is that very few of them have read it in any detail." On Revelation, from the autobiography The Price of Success: "Certain themes emerge distinctly for the modern reader's profit: (a) The absolute sovereignty of God, and his ultimate purpose to destroy all forms of evil. (b) The inevitable judgments of God upon evil, upon the worship of false gods, which include riches, power and success. (c) The necessity for patient endurance, the ultimate security being the knowledge that God is in control of history (d) The existence of reality, represented here under such symbols as the New Jerusalem, set apart and secure from the battles and tribulations of earthly life, promises complete spiritual security to those who are faithful to God and his Christ.

1 Timothy is the first of two letters written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy, a young pastor and leader at a growing church in Ephesus. This letter is filled with lessons and tools that apply to every believer and to pastors alike, and has been used for centuries to guide the lives of believers and ministries.   Join Jerry as he dives into 1 Timothy, helping us see how we can apply this book, and to "fight the good fight of faith" today.   You can take your daily Bible reading to another level with The New Testament Daily with Jerry Dirmann—so grab your Bible and let's get started!   Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

You can be doctrinally correct, faithfully serving, and completely checked out of your relationship with Jesus — all at the same time.The church in Ephesus was one of the strongest in the New Testament — active, discerning, and uncompromising in truth. Yet Jesus had one charge against them: they had abandoned the love they had at first. This message from Revelation 2:1-7 unpacks the quiet danger of spiritual drift — how activity for God slowly replaces intimacy with God, and how Jesus's call to Remember, Repent, and Return is less a warning and more an invitation home.Whether you've noticed a growing distance between you and Jesus, or you're simply going through the motions of faith without feeling much behind it, this message is for you.In this message you'll discover:Why the greatest danger to your faith isn't false doctrine — it's a cold heartHow spiritual drift happens gradually through a thousand small decisions, not one sudden fallThe difference between being busy for God and being genuinely close to GodJesus's three-step path back to your first love: Remember, Repent, and ReturnKey Scriptures: Revelation 2:1-7, Luke 10:41, John 5:39, Matthew 6:21

Have you ever won an argument—but walked away feeling like it wasn’t actually worth it? Maybe you settled your case, but you lost a relationship in the process. Pride hurts everyone. Yet while the world loves winning, God loves humility.

870 A Samaritan Woman Came to Draw Water, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 4:5-9 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 4 NET 5 Now he came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me some water to drink." 8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies.) 9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you—a Jew—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?" (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) NKJV 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Reflection on Scripture: I love this story. It is the moment Jesus reveals himself at Jacob's well, literally Israel's well and yet it is not in the country of the Jews. This leads to interesting questions like who were the Samaritans and why do they show up in the New Testament? I think it is meaningful to ponder these questions for a moment. The Samaritans had a meaningful history. Through the whole Bible we see God's interaction with people that he has called His. God called the people of Jacob as his people. Jacob's name was changed to Israel and he had sons that formed large tribes. After Solomon the tribes split into two parts. The Southern Kingdom which was mostly the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin and the Northern kingdoms representing the other tribes. The northern tribes fell to the Assyrians and interbred with the pagan nations that surrounded. As a result they adopted different habits and theology and for this they did not get along with the Jews well.  So this is why the well of Jacob is among the Samaritans and additionally why Jesus would be near the lands of the Samaritans. They had been Israelites in the past. Jesus chose to reveal that he was the Messiah at this well. He did not choose Jerusalem. He did not go to the Pharisees. He chose those who were rejected, not those who thought themselves very important. We will talk more about the choice of this woman in the future but for now it is important to reflect on God's choice of the Samaritans.  Each of us are, in a form, outsiders to God. We are His children, yet we have acted in a way inconsistent with His perfection. He is able ot use the imperfect to do His work. In fact, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. You are enough for God to love and for Him to accept. His grace is sufficient for you.   Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

How does our Western/individualistic perspective limit our understanding of the Bible that was written from an Eastern/collectivist perspective? Discover some cultural norms left unsaid in Scripture.   Receive As we read Scripture through the lens of our Western culture, this week's guest, Randy Richards, reminds us that we may miss or misread some key values embedded in the Ancient Near Eastern culture the Bible was written in. Our Western individualist culture values “me” over “we,” but the Eastern collectivist culture that the Bible was set in values kinship, patronage, and brokerage that emphasize the family or group dynamic rather than an individual.  Understanding the ancient Mediterranean culture that serves as the backdrop for the Bible can add rich context that can shed a whole new light on some passages of Scripture. How can discovering the cultural context of the Bible help you better understand and apply Scripture to your life? What could your next step toward learning more about the cultural context of the Old and New Testament look like?  Reflect  What can you learn about the family dynamics between Joseph and his father and brothers by reading Genesis 37 through the lens of valuing kinship, which emphasizes strong family ties and parents mediating between siblings? How does Ephesians 2:8 model the value of patronage, which emphasizes a patron giving a gift to help rescue a loyal friend? How do 1 Timothy 2:5 and 1 John 2:1 model the value of brokerage, which emphasizes having a mediator speak on your behalf? How do you feel reading John 1:12 and 1 Thessalonians 1:4 knowing you are part of God's family?  Based on Matthew 6:3 and Luke 6:35, how are Jesus' disciples supposed to differ from the patronage culture of that time? How significant is it that Jesus calls His disciples, including you, His friends in John 15:15? Based on Romans 1:20–21 and Psalm 50, how are we to respond to God's gifts? In Luke 7:1–10, why did the centurion send Jewish elders and then friends to Jesus instead of going to Jesus on his own?     Respond (Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) “Dear God, thank You that understanding more of the Bible's cultural context can help me get a deeper understanding of You! Help me grow in my knowledge of Scripture so I can grow in my love for You! Help me to apply Your words to my life.”      Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources Mentioned in this episode: Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes by our guest E. Randolph Richards  Listen: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes  Misreading Paul | Week 1 Misreading Paul | Week 2 Read: Understanding the Original Situation In the Beginning: Reading Genesis and Exodus  Watch: Biblical Context Explained The Holy Land 

In this special episode, Dr. Clark talks with the Rev. Dr. S. M. Baugh, Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Westminster Seminary California, about his commencement address at the Westminster Seminary California 2026 graduation ceremony and his forthcoming commentary on the book of Hebrews.  This episode of the Heidelcast is sponsored by the Heidelberg Reformation Association. You love the Heidelcast and the Heidelblog. You share it with friends, with members of your church, and others but have you stopped to think what would happen if it all disappeared? The truth is that we depend on your support. If you don't make the coffer clink, the HRA will simply sink. Won't you help us keep it going? The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All your gifts are tax deductible. Use the donate link on this page or mail a check to Heidelberg Reformation Association, 1637 E Valley Parkway #391, Escondido CA 92027. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and 1 Timothy 3 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where we gather each day to warm our hearts by the fires of God's love and journey together through the pages of Scripture. On this 21st day of June, Hunter, your Bible Reading Coach, guides us through powerful passages in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and 1 Timothy. In today's episode, we'll witness miraculous moments from the stories of Elisha, see the faith and prayers of King Jehoshaphat lead to God's deliverance, and hear the New Testament call to faithful leadership and mystery in Christ. Join Hunter as he helps us see how faith opens our eyes to the unseen goodness of God, welcomes both those near and far, and challenges us to live lives marked by love, peace, and gratitude. Let's turn our hearts together to today's reading, prayer, and reflection. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The life of faith is a mystery. Sometimes, all we can see is what's right before us—the armies that surround us, the troubles that besiege us, the hopelessness that presses in. But faith is not limited by our circumstances or by what our eyes can see. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant are faced with a terrifying sight: they are completely surrounded by a great army. The servant can only see defeat and death. Yet Elisha moves within a deeper mystery—a mystery that faith reveals. Elisha prays that his servant's eyes might be opened, and the Lord answers. Suddenly, the servant sees the hills filled with horses and chariots of fire. What was invisible becomes visible. God was present and fighting for them all along. That is the mystery of faith: there is always more going on than we know. God is at work in the hidden places, in the things we cannot yet see. And the story grows even more mysterious: God does not destroy the enemy army. Instead, those who came in blindness and hostility are led into the very heart of their enemy's city—not to be destroyed, but to be given a feast. A table is set for them, and they are sent away in peace. Those once far off, now are brought near; those blind are given sight. This is the mystery we see fully revealed in Jesus. In Christ, God opens our eyes—those who are near and far, friend and enemy—to see his love, his peace, his welcoming banquet. In Jesus, the perfect human life is lived before us. He loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and he loves his neighbor, even when the neighbor is an enemy. For the first time, we see this love embodied in its fullness. God's grace is for all. He opens blind eyes, he welcomes the stranger, he prepares a banquet for those who don't deserve it. The mystery of our faith is that God is so good, so loving, so gracious—to you, to me, and to the world. May our own eyes be opened to this mystery today. May we see God's hand at work beyond our circumstances, and may we learn to love as he loves—near and far, friend and enemy. That's a prayer I have for myself, for my family, and for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

 In this episode, Nancy Wilson reflects on God's ongoing work of restoration and renewal, drawing from the Psalms and New Testament passages about the renewing of the mind, the inward man being renewed day by day, and the Holy Spirit's work of regeneration. She encourages Christians, especially mothers, to see repeated daily labors as a small imitation of God's greater work of renewing, reviving, and restoring his people. Find more from Nancy and others on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/none/pages/nancy-wilson 

The New Testament regularly describes our redemption in Trinitarian terms. Today, Sinclair Ferguson shows that knowing the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in salvation can enrich our worship of the triune God. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/praise-father-son-and-holy-ghost/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts