Podcasts about only christ

Welcome to Day 2936 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain and today is Day 2936 – Theology Thursday – Christ Consciousness and the Return of the Ancient Lie Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2936 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2936 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons are available on his website, theologyinfive.com.  Christ Consciousness and the Return of the Ancient Lie. The idea of “Christ consciousness” is often presented as a spiritual breakthrough where a person awakens to inner divinity. Jesus becomes a model of human potential rather than the incarnate Son of God. The appeal is obvious. It promises transcendence without repentance and enlightenment without submission. Yet behind the modern packaging stands a very old pattern. “Christ consciousness” is not a rediscovery of the teachings of Jesus. It is the rebirth of the ancient lie that humanity can ascend to divine status apart from Yahweh. From Eden to the pagan world, from the rebel watchers to the Gnostics, the same message has returned again and again. Its modern form is simply more polished and more deceptive. The first segment is: The Ancient Pagan Vision of Human Divinity. The idea that divine potential lies within the human soul is older than recorded history. Civilizations across the ancient world built their religions around the belief that humans could rise into the realm of the gods. In Egypt, initiation rituals promised access to hidden spiritual knowledge and the ability to traverse the worlds of the divine. The individual was told that the right rites and secrets could transform a mortal into a being of power. Early Greek philosophical schools detached the idea from ritual and reimagined it as an ascent of the mind. Through disciplined introspection, the soul could free itself from material limits and participate in the divine. In Mesopotamia, kings claimed divine sonship and presented themselves as intermediaries between heaven and earth. Their authority rested on the belief that humans could cross the boundary into divine identity. These systems differed, but they rested on a shared conviction. Divinity is within reach if one knows how to unlock it. “Christ consciousness” is simply the modern restatement of this worldview. It presents divinity as latent within each person, waiting to be awakened. In the ancient world, this was a spiritual pursuit. Today it is wrapped in therapeutic language. The underlying theology has not changed. The second segment is: The Deeper Pattern Beneath the Pagan Systems. Behind the rituals and philosophies of the ancient world lies a darker thread. Scripture describes a world after Eden where spiritual beings known as the watchers crossed boundaries Yahweh had set. They offered humanity knowledge not meant for them. The result was not enlightenment. It was corruption. Ancient traditions remembered these figures as culture bringers, sages, or divine intermediaries. Scripture describes them as rebels who distorted God's order and magnified human pride. The apkallu of Mesopotamian legend mirror this pattern. Their stories present them as semi-divine beings who brought advanced knowledge to humanity before the flood. Yet in the biblical worldview, this kind of ascent was always a counterfeit that led people away from the Creator. It encouraged humanity to seek elevation on terms that were forbidden. Modern spirituality celebrates the same impulse. “Christ consciousness” bypasses the Creator and promises transcendence through self-awareness. It is not accidental that this mirrors the oldest form of rebellion in the biblical story. It is the same attempt to seize divinity without God's blessing. The third segment is: Gnosticism and the Misuse of Jesus. Gnosticism took the ancient pagan vision of self-divinization and grafted it onto Christian language. It preserved the idea that salvation comes through unlocking hidden spiritual knowledge and added a new twist. Jesus became the revealer of this knowledge. He was not Yahweh in the flesh. He was not the crucified and risen Lord. He was a spiritual messenger who showed people the path to awakening their inner light. This allowed the Gnostics to attach their worldview to the authority of Jesus while stripping Him of everything that defines Him. The incarnation became unnecessary. The cross was reimagined. The resurrection was denied. Christ became a symbol for human potential rather than the Savior who restores humanity to God. “Christ consciousness” uses the exact same strategy. It employs the vocabulary of Jesus to promote a belief system that contradicts His identity and mission. This is not honoring Christ. It is exploiting His name to legitimize a worldview He explicitly rejected. The fourth segment is: The Biblical Vision of Humanity's True Calling. The tragedy of this deception is that it offers a counterfeit path to the very thing God already promises His people. Scripture declares that humanity was created to bear God's image and rule His creation under His authority. That vocation was not lost forever. It is restored in Christ. Jesus promises that those who belong to Him will reign with Him on the New Earth. Our resurrection bodies will be marked by glory and immortality. The destiny of redeemed humanity is not to awaken inner divinity but to receive resurrection life directly from the risen Christ. This is not a metaphor. It is the fulfillment of the plan Yahweh declared to Abraham. His family would shine like the stars and serve as His representatives forever. Every attempt to bypass the Creator and manufacture spiritual ascent is a pale imitation of this promise. Human beings cannot awaken what they do not possess. Only Christ can raise them into the glory intended from the beginning. The fifth segment is: The True Meaning of the Holy Ones. Modern spirituality treats “saint” as a moral compliment. Scripture treats it as a status. The New Testament uses the Greek word that translates the Old Testament term for the “holy ones,” the loyal members of Yahweh's divine council. Believers are given this title because they have been brought into that household by the work of Christ. This is not divinization through self-discovery. It is adoption through redemption. It is a restored identity, not a spiritual technique. Believers do not become gods. They become members of God's family, sharing in His mission and representing His rule. This is something no pagan system can produce. The sixth segment is: Judging Angels and the Restoration of Authority. Paul goes even further when he says that believers will judge angels. This statement reveals how far God intends to restore humanity. Those who are redeemed in Christ will participate in the judgment of the rebellious spiritual beings who misled the nations. This is the opposite of the path offered by pagan spirituality. Where the ancient world sought to submit to spiritual intermediaries for enlightenment, the redeemed will one day stand in judgment over them. No version of “Christ consciousness” can rival this. It promises temporary feelings of transcendence. Christ promises participation in the final victory that restores creation. In Conclusion. “Christ consciousness” is not an elevated understanding of Jesus. It is the revival of an ancient deception that has taken many forms across history. It repeats the pagan claim that divinity lies within. It mirrors the corruption introduced by the watchers. It copies the Gnostic strategy of using Jesus to promote a message He never taught. The Gospel is not a call to look inward for divine potential. It is a call to the One who is divine. Through Him, humanity receives life, resurrection, restored vocation, membership among the holy ones, and authority in the world to come. The New Age offers a shadow. Christ offers the reality. To further your understanding, consider these Discussion Questions. How does the modern idea of “Christ consciousness” repeat the core deception found in Eden, and what does this reveal about the unchanging nature of spiritual rebellion? In...

Bride of Jesus by Oried E Graves https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXNFR5LQ Christredeemsme.com Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and becomes part of the body and Church of Christ. The Church is the bride of Jesus on earth, and Jesus is her Bridegroom. He died to redeem her from sin and death, and He rose again to prepare a place for her in heaven where she becomes His wife. Jesus made His Church His bride on earth and His wife in heaven because she kept His Word and abided in His love, just as He kept His Father’s Word and abided in His love (John 15:10). Before the Church could become the wife of Christ, she first had to be redeemed into the spiritual image and likeness of God. Only Christ could redeem His Church, for she was created in His image and likeness as His closest relative. Jesus did not redeem her merely to marry her He redeemed her because He was already united with her from creation, and He came to save her from sin and the lake of fire. Do you believe this truth? You should want to if you don’t. For this is the greatest life mankind can live on earth or in heaven (Matthew 11:11).

In this episode, we explore the spiritual lessons hidden within The Odyssey, especially the danger of allowing “Trojan horses” into the gates of our lives. Just as the Greeks gained access to Troy through deception, we can unknowingly welcome influences, temptations, and compromises that weaken the walls we thought would protect us. But ultimately, no human effort can make our gates impenetrable. Only Christ can transform and eternally secure the gates of our lives. Through The Odyssey, we'll consider what we allow inside, what we're truly guarding, and why our ultimate security must rest in Christ. Connect With The Few! Follow us and join the conversation:

Dave is back from northern Michigan, and reality is terrible. The family cabin—built by a relative generations ago—delivered everything Tulsa could not: low-80s afternoons, cool nights, fires, golf, and a lake smooth enough for water skiing.Dave's three oldest girls all learned to ski, which meant it was time for their seasoned-skier father to show them how it's done. The only problem was the pontoon boat. It had enough power to pull the kids, but not quite enough to launch a grown man from a shallow-water slalom start. After several attempts and several falls in front of his daughters, Dave accepted the indignity of starting on two skis and kicking one off. His father's old rule—“In this family, we don't fall”—was not enforced.The pour is Celestial Hazy IPA from Chainsaw Brewing, an overtly Catholic brewery in Richland, Washington. Adam has the Dominions can; Dave has the Thrones. Same beer, different celestial artwork, 6.5% ABV, and Revelation-level labels covered in angels, eyes, and hops. If you want a good IPA from a Catholic brewer, support Chainsaw Brewing and help them #BeerEvangelize.Sponsor: Select International ToursWhen Adam and Dave decided to lead their first pilgrimage, the same recommendation kept coming back: Select International Tours. Having traveled with them, the guys can attest that they're excellent. Whether you want to lead a pilgrimage or join one, visit selectinternationaltours.com and see where they can take you.Sponsor: The Amen appSunday morning is not exactly easy like Sunday morning when you're trying to load a Catholic family into the van and beat Father down the aisle. The free Amen app helps the guys prepare their children for Mass by listening to the Sunday Gospel on the drive. It also includes Catholic classics like Divine Mercy in My Soul and True Devotion to Mary. No paywall, subscription, or upfront cost. Download the Amen app and help get it from 950,000 downloads to one million.The prayer request is Mary. She recently had surgery to place a G-tube, which should make feeding more comfortable and eliminate the constant gagging caused by the tube in her mouth. The immediate goals are to stabilize her, wean her from oxygen, and help her continue gaining weight so heart surgery can be considered in the coming months. A recent video caught her wide awake, smiling, and full of joy in the middle of a life that has involved more struggle than most. Keep Mary, Lady Haylee, and the whole family in your prayers.The Catholic Man Show Campout is also approaching. Registration should open near the end of August, with the campout taking place during the final weekend of September at Clear Creek Abbey. Brandon Sheard will return for a hands-on animal-butchering class, with foraging and woodworking also planned. Those experiences are valuable, but the heart of the weekend is the opportunity to pray with the Benedictine monks and step into the ordered rhythm of monastic life.Then the guys turn to the theological virtue of hope—the virtue a man in heaven no longer needs and a man in hell can no longer possess. Hope belongs to the man in the middle, the wayfarer who has not yet arrived. That means every one of us.Drawing from St. Thomas Aquinas, they explain the four marks of hope's object: it must be good, future, arduous, and possible. Theological hope is not the same as hoping for good weather or a Cowboys Super Bowl. Natural hope rests on circumstances, probabilities, and human ability. Supernatural hope rests on God's goodness, providence, and promises. Its ultimate object is not a better job, a healed body, or a trouble-free life. Its object is God Himself.That is why hope is “cashed in” when a soul reaches heaven. The good is no longer future; it is possessed. Souls in purgatory still have hope because the happiness they await remains future, arduous, and possible—even though their final destination is certain.Josef Pieper helps identify the two ways a man can abandon the road before reaching its end: despair and presumption. Despair decides the promise will not be fulfilled. Presumption decides the reward is already guaranteed without repentance, conversion, or cooperation with grace. Both seize the verdict before the journey is finished.Presumption is not too much trust in God. It is too little. It imagines a God too small to care about justice, transformation, and whether we become the men He created us to be. Despair makes a similar mistake by deciding that God's mercy may exist in general but cannot reach this sin, this failure, or this man.The deeper question is whether we actually trust God. Will He make us happy, or will surrendering to Him leave us regretting what we gave up? We repeatedly hang the weight of our hope on hooks that cannot bear it: a spouse, career, reputation, new client, new car, food, drink, or entertainment. Those things may be good, but none can carry the full weight of the human heart. Only Christ can do that.St. Francis de Sales brings the discussion into moments of panic, temptation, self-loathing, and spiritual dryness. Devotion is not a feeling of sweetness or consolation. It is a firm and active will to do what pleases God. When anxiety hits, do not make major decisions from agitation. A trapped bird only tightens the net by thrashing. Let the water settle, then move.Self-contempt is not humility either. Anger at yourself can be another form of pride because it still assumes you should have been able to save yourself. The better response to sin is quiet displeasure followed by courageous amendment: “Poor heart, rise up again bravely.” Hope allows a man to admit that he is nothing on his own while remembering the immense dignity God gave him through baptism.Spiritual dryness can also teach. If prayer tastes like nothing, examine what you have been eating. Screens, alcohol, entertainment, comfort, and constant stimulation can train the appetite to find spiritual goods tasteless. Keep praying without demanding an immediate emotional reward. Sometimes hope looks like doing the next faithful thing while feeling nothing at all.Dave shares a moment from adoration when he admitted that he was afraid God would ask him to leave a successful career and live in poverty through full-time ministry. His yes was reluctant, but it was still a yes. The answer he sensed was simple: “I just wanted your yes.” Years later, professional success has brought the same temptation back in a different form—the temptation to believe he can provide for himself and no longer needs to depend on God. Surrender is not something a man completes once. God keeps saying: do it again.The practical path is equally simple. Offer the trial already in front of you. Pray for an increase in hope. Pray the Rosary even when you do not feel like it. Make an act of gratitude when despair begins closing in. And stop demanding that this life provide what only the next life can give.We are on the Lord's team—the winning side. Raise your glass.

Politics matters, but it was never designed to carry humanity's ultimate hope. Modern political movements increasingly promise identity, security, justice, transformation, and societal redemption. When people expect politics to provide what only Christ can give, political involvement becomes political idolatry and political power begins functioning as a false gospel. In this episode, Dave Jenkins explains how Romans 1 exposes humanity's tendency to exchange worship of the Creator for created things. He considers why political systems create the illusion of control, how political identity can overshadow identity in Christ, and why every attempt to produce salvation through human power eventually disappoints. Governments can restrain evil, preserve order, and promote justice imperfectly. But laws cannot regenerate the heart, political power cannot reconcile sinners to God, and no earthly system can establish an eternal kingdom. Christians should care about truth, righteousness, justice, and the good of their neighbors. But they must engage society with their hope firmly anchored in Jesus Christ. Politics is important, but it is never ultimate. Only Christ can redeem what sin has broken. For more Equipping You in Grace, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

Politics matters, but it was never designed to carry humanity's ultimate hope. Modern political movements increasingly promise identity, security, justice, transformation, and societal redemption. When people expect politics to provide what only Christ can give, political involvement becomes political idolatry and political power begins functioning as a false gospel. In this episode, Dave Jenkins explains how Romans 1 exposes humanity's tendency to exchange worship of the Creator for created things. He considers why political systems create the illusion of control, how political identity can overshadow identity in Christ, and why every attempt to produce salvation through human power eventually disappoints. Governments can restrain evil, preserve order, and promote justice imperfectly. But laws cannot regenerate the heart, political power cannot reconcile sinners to God, and no earthly system can establish an eternal kingdom. Christians should care about truth, righteousness, justice, and the good of their neighbors. But they must engage society with their hope firmly anchored in Jesus Christ. Politics is important, but it is never ultimate. Only Christ can redeem what sin has broken. For more Equipping You in Grace, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/equipping-you-in-grace-2/

The Old Testament Passover contrasts with the New Testament reality of Jesus Christ as our eternal Paschal Lamb. Unlike the animals provided by the people, God Himself provided His Son as a sin offering, fulfilling the prophecy Abraham spoke at Mount Moriah. Who slew the Lamb? The people sacrificed their own Passover lambs in olden days. But as for Christ, while wicked men carried out the physical execution, it was ultimately Christ's own will and authority as High Priest that laid down His life. This voluntary sacrifice, offered once for all, accomplishes our eternal redemption, and sanctifies believers forever. Only Christ can present His perfect sacrifice to God, excluding any human priest from mediating the atonement, or "presenting" Christ to God as a propitiatory sacrifice for sin.

The Old Testament Passover contrasts with the New Testament reality of Jesus Christ as our eternal Paschal Lamb. Unlike the animals provided by the people, God Himself provided His Son as a sin offering, fulfilling the prophecy Abraham spoke at Mount Moriah. Who slew the Lamb? The people sacrificed their own Passover lambs in olden days. But as for Christ, while wicked men carried out the physical execution, it was ultimately Christ's own will and authority as High Priest that laid down His life. This voluntary sacrifice, offered once for all, accomplishes our eternal redemption, and sanctifies believers forever. Only Christ can present His perfect sacrifice to God, excluding any human priest from mediating the atonement, or "presenting" Christ to God as a propitiatory sacrifice for sin.

What if prayer, fasting, confession, and Holy Communion are not assignments from a strict schoolmaster but the ordinary practices of life in our Father's house? Reflecting on Galatians 3:23–4:5, this homily invites us to see the Christian life as a journey from guardianship to sonship, from preparation to fulfillment, and from obedience to loving communion with God. --- Galatians 3:23-4:5 In today's Epistle, Saint Paul says something that has puzzled Christians for centuries. He tells us that "before faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law." Then he says that "the Law was our tutor"—our guardian—"until Christ came." That naturally raises a question. If Christ had to come, then why did God give the Law in the first place? Was the Law a mistake? Did Christ come to replace what God had already done? Not at all. Saint John Chrysostom says Paul isn't criticizing the Law. He's defending it. The Law accomplished exactly what God intended it to accomplish. The problem wasn't the Law. The problem was thinking that the Law was the destination instead of the journey. Perhaps an example will help. Imagine someone saying, "Elementary school is useless because you can't become a doctor unless you go to medical school." Well, of course you can't. But that doesn't make elementary school a failure. It was never meant to produce physicians. It was meant to teach you to read, to write, to count, to think, so that one day you could become something greater. You don't despise elementary school because you've graduated from it. You honor it because it accomplished exactly what it was designed to do: it prepared you for something greater. That is exactly what Saint Paul is saying. The Law was God's elementary school—or, as Paul says, the guardian who escorted His children until they were ready for Christ. It taught His people who He is. It taught them holiness. It taught them justice. It taught them mercy. It taught them that sin separates us from God. It taught them that sacrifice is necessary. It taught them to long for redemption. Every commandment, every sacrifice, every feast, every priest, every prophet was preparing Israel for Christ. The Law was never the destination. It was preparing God's people for the One who is. That's why Paul calls it a guardian. The Greek word is paidagōgos. It doesn't mean a classroom teacher. It refers to the trusted servant who escorted a child to school, watched over him, corrected him, and protected him until he became an adult. The guardian had an important job. But no loving parent intended for the child to remain under the protection of the guardian forever. The goal was maturity. That is exactly what God was doing with His people. The Law guarded Israel. It preserved them. It protected them from idolatry. It formed them into a people through whom the Messiah would come. And when Christ came, the time of preparation gave way to the time of fulfillment. That is why Paul goes on to say something astonishing. He does not merely say that Christ forgives us. He says that "God sent forth His Son... so that we might receive adoption as sons." Notice how much greater that is. God's purpose was never merely to produce well-behaved servants. His purpose is to raise sons and daughters. He doesn't simply pardon sinners. He adopts us as His children and welcomes us into His household. That is why the Christian life is so much more than rule-keeping. Rules can regulate behavior, but they cannot create love. They can restrain evil, but they cannot heal the heart. Only Christ can do that. Through the Holy Spirit, He writes God's Law upon the heart. Only the life of Christ dwelling within us can make us into the kind of people who naturally love what is good. This is why Orthodoxy speaks so often about salvation – theosis – as a process and a way of life. God's purpose is not simply to forgive sinners. His purpose is to unite us to Christ so completely that we begin to share His life. As Saint Athanasius famously said, "God became man so that man might become god"—not by nature, but by grace. That is what Saint Paul is describing. We are no longer merely subjects obeying a king. We are children living in our Father's house. And that changes how we understand the Christian life. Many people imagine Christianity as an endless list of religious obligations. Pray. Fast. Confess. Attend services. Receive Holy Communion. Read the Scriptures. Give alms. Sometimes it can even feel exhausting. But what if we've misunderstood all of it? What if these are not assignments given by a strict schoolmaster? What if they are the ordinary practices by which children grow into the likeness of their Father? A child becomes part of a family in a single moment. But learning to speak like the family, to think like the family, to love like the family, takes years. So it is with us. The moment we are united to Christ, we truly become God's children. But growing into that reality is the work of a lifetime. As we discussed last week, that is why we return to church week after week. Why we pray the same prayers. Why we fast. Why we confess. Why we receive the Holy Mysteries. Not because we are trying to earn God's love, but because we already have it. These are the ordinary means by which the Holy Spirit forms us into the people God created us to be. Again, little by little, almost without noticing it, our desires begin to change. The sins we once loved begin to lose their attraction. The virtues that once seemed difficult begin to bring joy. We become more patient, more merciful, more truthful, more generous—not simply because we are trying harder or following more rules [even Orthodox rules], but because Christ is living His life within us. But this also comes with a warning. It is possible to remain spiritually immature. It is possible to spend years in the Church and still prefer the security of the guardian to the intimacy of the Father's house; to imagine that God is keeping score instead of raising a family; to measure our faith by checking boxes rather than by growing in love. Saint Paul calls us beyond that. He calls us into maturity. Into sonship. Into freedom—not the freedom to do whatever we please, but the freedom to become what we were created to be. And if we were to keep reading beyond today's Epistle, Paul brings his argument to its beautiful conclusion. He says, "Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'" Abba. That is the goal. Not merely that we obey God. Not merely that we fear God. But that, in Christ, we know God as our Father, and by the Holy Spirit we begin to love Him with the very love of the Son Himself. That is the fulfillment toward which the Law was always pointing. That is the life into which Christ has brought us. So let us not become discouraged if the road sometimes seems long or the growth seems slow. No child becomes an adult overnight. Formation takes time. God is patient, and He is faithful. As Saint Paul says elsewhere, "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, let us press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." For this is the good news of today's Epistle. The Law brought God's people to Christ. Christ brings us to the Father. And the Holy Spirit patiently raises us into the mature sons and daughters we were created to become. That is the Christian life—not merely obeying God's commandments from the outside, but gradually becoming the kind of people in whom those commandments are fulfilled by the life of Christ Himself, until we can truly call upon God with confidence and joy, "Abba, Father."

Matthew Chapters 5 -7 is often misunderstood or misapplied by the Christian reader. Grace and Justification are often put aside when wrapping our mind around Jesus' teaching on the holiness of God's law. This week we will look at the "beatitudes" and apply the correct theology to its high calling that ONLY Christ could fulfill. Watch Video Format: https://youtube.com/live/IQnazsreewA

Ibelieve one of the greatest mistakes we make is taking this verse out of itscontext. Remember, Paul did not write this verse by itself. It is theconclusion of everything he has been saying in verses 10 through 12. He hasbeen talking about contentment. He has been talking about learning to livewhether he had plenty or little. He has been talking about being full and beinghungry... Having abundance and suffering need. Then he says, "I can doall things through Christ which strengthens me." Whatare the "all things"? The context answers the question. Paulis saying, "I can live in poverty through Christ." "I can livein prosperity through Christ." "I can endure suffering throughChrist." "I can handle success through Christ." "I canremain faithful whether life is easy or difficult because Christ gives me thestrength."Thinkabout Paul's life. As he writes these words, he is not standing in a palace. Heis sitting in a Roman prison. He is chained to a Roman soldier. His future isuncertain. Yet instead of complaining, he is overflowing with joy. How? Notbecause he is naturally strong. Not because he has unusual determination. Butbecause Christ is strengthening him every day. Notice carefully what Paul says."I can..." Not, "I might." Not, "I hope." But,"I can." This is the confidence of faith.  Thennotice the next words. "...through Christ..." Paul'sconfidence was never in himself. Throughout this letter he has consistentlypointed us away from self and toward Christ. TheChristian life has never been about self-confidence. It is aboutChrist-confidence.  Noticethe final words. "...which strengthens me." The verb literallymeans, "to continually infuse with strength." Paul isn't sayingChrist gave him strength once many years ago. He is saying Christ keeps onstrengthening him. Every day. Every trial. Every hardship. Every opportunity. Thisreminds me of what Jesus said in John 15. "I am the vine, you are thebranches... for without Me you can do nothing." The branch does notstruggle to produce fruit. It simply abides in the vine. The life of the vineflows through the branch. In the same way, Christ's strength flows into thelife of the believer who depends upon Him. Perhapsthat is why Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me." What awonderful truth! The Christian life is not difficult. It is impossible—apartfrom Christ. Only Christ can enable us to forgive when we've been hurt. OnlyChrist can enable us to rejoice in suffering. Only Christ can enable us to loveour enemies. Only Christ can enable us to remain content when circumstanceschange. That is exactly what Paul is saying here. Foryears I have observed that this verse, along with Philippians 4:19, is oftenquoted without reading the verses that come before it. As a result, sincereChristians sometimes become discouraged. They expect these promises to workalmost like magic formulas. But God's promises are always connected to God'spurposes.Paulcould say, "I can do all things through Christ," because hehad spent four chapters teaching us how to walk with Christ. He had learned thesingle mind of chapter one. The submissive mind of chapter two. The spiritualmind of chapter three. The secure mind of chapter four. He had learned torejoice... To pray... To trust... To think on the right things... To practiceGod's Word... To be content. Now,after years of walking with Christ, he can testify, "I can do allthings through Christ which strengthens me." Friend, whatever God asksyou to face today... whatever burden He allows you to carry...  Whatever trial He asks you to endure...Whatever opportunity He places before you... You do not have to face it alone.TheChrist who saved you will strengthen you. His grace is sufficient. His strengthis made perfect in weakness. And because He is enough, you can faithfully dowhatever He calls you to do. 

Philippians4:11: "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned inwhatever state I am, to be content.” Immediately Paul wants the Philippiansto understand something. He is not thanking them because he was desperate formoney. He says, "Not that I speak in respect of want." Paulcertainly appreciated their generous gift, but his joy did not depend uponwhether he had plenty or little. His happiness was not tied to his bankaccount, his circumstances, or his physical comfort. Thenhe makes one of the most remarkable statements in Scripture: "For Ihave learned...".  Noticecarefully what Paul does not say. He does not say, "I was borncontent." He does not say, "I have always been content." He doesnot say, "Contentment came naturally to me." No. He says, "Ihave learned." That one word is full of encouragement. Contentment is nota personality trait. It is not something only optimistic people possess. It isnot the result of favorable circumstances. It is something that every believermust learn in the school of God. Justas a child learns to read one lesson at a time, so God patiently teaches Hischildren contentment one experience at a time. Each circumstancebecame another classroom where God taught Paul to trust Christ.  Godoften teaches us His greatest lessons in the classrooms we would never choosefor ourselves. None of us naturally enjoys trials. None of us asks forsuffering. Yet many of the deepest truths we know about God's faithfulnesscould never have been learned any other way. James tells us in James 1:2-3: “Mybrethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that thetesting of your faith produces patience.” Peter reminds us that the trialof our faith is more precious than gold in 1 Peter 1:6-7: “In this yougreatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have beengrieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much moreprecious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found topraise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Godis never wasting our hardships. He is teaching us something that prosperityalone could never teach. Notice the next phrase. "...in whatsoeverstate I am..." Paul is not talking about geography. He is not speakingabout whether he is in Philippi, Ephesus, Corinth, or Rome, North Caolina orVirginia. He is talking about every circumstance of life. Whether life is easyor difficult. Whether his needs are met abundantly or barely. Whether he isfree or imprisoned. Whether he is applauded or criticized. In every situation,God had been teaching him. Thencomes the great lesson. "...therewith to be content." The word"content" carries the idea of being inwardly sufficient, satisfied,and at rest. For the Christian, however, our sufficiency is not found inourselves. Our sufficiency is found in Christ. As Paul wrote elsewhere in 2Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves... but oursufficiency is of God." The world says, "You will be content whenyou get more." God says, "You will be content when you discover thatChrist is enough." The world constantly tells us that happiness is justone purchase away. One promotion away. One new possession away. One bettercircumstance away. But once we obtain those things, we soon discover that theycannot satisfy the deepest needs of the heart. Only Christ can do that. Augustinewrote many centuries ago, "Our hearts are restless until they find theirrest in Thee." How true that is!Perhapstoday God has enrolled you in the school of contentment. Maybe your lessoninvolves waiting. Perhaps it involves illness. Financial pressure.Disappointment. Or unanswered questions. Do not despise the classroom. YourHeavenly Father is an excellent Teacher. Every lesson has a purpose. Everyassignment has eternal value. Every trial is designed to make you more like HisSon.

Color: Green Old Testament: Genesis 50:15–21 Psalm: Psalm 138; antiphon: v. 8b Epistle: Romans 8:18–23 Epistle: Romans 12:14–21 Gospel: Luke 6:36–42 Introit: Psalm 27:3–4a, 5; antiphon: vv. 1–2 Gradual: Psalm 79:9–10a Verse: Psalm 9:4b, 9 Christ's Mercy Is Ours to Show to Others   “Be merciful, even as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36–42). The old Adam in us wants to condemn and seek vengeance. But the Lord says, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (Rom. 12:14–21). To condemn, to avenge yourself, is to put yourself in the place of God. It is to fail to trust that He is just. Ultimately, it is to disbelieve that Jesus suffered the full vengeance for all wrongs. Only Christ is merciful as the Father is merciful. He is the one who overcame all evil with the good of His cross, forgiving even His executioners. Jesus is our Joseph, who comforts us with words of pardon and reconciliation (Gen. 50:15–21). He is the One who does not condemn but gives life that runs over. Only through faith in Christ are we sons of the Father—being merciful, forgiving, doing good to our enemies. For in Christ we know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:8–13). Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Pastor Billy Driver opens by pointing to a sobering reality: we live in a world that spends over a trillion dollars a year convincing us that contentment is just one more purchase away. Drawing from Exodus 20:17, he defines covetousness as an illicit desire for what God has not given us — a heart that is dissatisfied with God's provision and seeks satisfaction somewhere other than Him. Paul reinforces this in Colossians 3:5, calling covetousness a form of idolatry, warning that it places people and possessions on the throne of the heart where God alone belongs. Pastor Billy then traces the Marks of a covetous heart — it doubts God, envies others, and breeds sin — walking through examples ranging from the fall in Genesis to David's sin with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. Against this, he sets four characteristics of a contented heart: it trusts God, gives thanks, loves others, and lives generously. Drawing from Philippians 4:11-13, he reminds the congregation that contentment is not natural — it is learned through dependence on Christ in every circumstance. He closes with a challenge rooted in the Gospel. The law exposes our guilt, but it cannot change our hearts. Only Christ can do that. The secret of contentment, Pastor Billy urges, is not to suppress desire, but to replace covetous desires with a desire for God Himself — the great exchange made possible through faith in Jesus Christ.  WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Take a moment to fill out our digital connection card here: https://www.bayleaf.org/connect We hope you enjoy this programming and please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of service to you. ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION. Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614 Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613 SERVICE TIMES Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM) CONTACT www.bayleaf.org (919) 847-4477 #BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration

Podcast Summary: Revelation – The Heavenly Prelude and the Opening of the Seven Seals This episode introduces the opening of the seven seals in the Book of Revelation, beginning with the heavenly throne-room vision of Revelation 4. Before any judgments unfold on earth, John is taken into heaven where he sees God's throne, surrounded by worship, twenty-four elders, and four living creatures. This scene establishes God's absolute sovereignty over everything that follows. The speaker presents the view that John's heavenly guide is Enoch, based on references in Jude and Revelation, and argues that Revelation from chapter 4 onward describes events that occur after John's lifetime, supporting a futurist interpretation of the book. The twenty-four elders are understood to represent God's covenant leadership—twelve leaders of Israel and the twelve apostles. The four living creatures symbolise key aspects of Christ's ministry: Lion – Christ the conquering King. Ox – Christ the humble Servant. Man – Christ's compassionate humanity. Eagle – Christ's heavenly perspective and exaltation. Revelation 5 introduces the sealed scroll, containing God's end-time purposes. Only Christ can open its seven seals. Each seal, once opened, remains active until Christ's return, progressively unfolding God's redemptive judgments upon the earth. The speaker gives an overview of the seven seals: First Seal – White Horse: Represents the victorious Church, beginning with the Reformation in 1517, restoring the truths of faith and grace and progressively preparing the Bride of Christ. Second Seal – Red Horse: Represents war and the removal of peace from the earth, beginning with the world wars and continuing until Armageddon. Third Seal – Black Horse: Symbolises economic hardship, inflation, and famine. Fourth Seal – Pale Horse: Brings widespread death through war, disease, pestilence, and societal collapse. Fifth Seal: The cry of the martyrs for justice. Sixth Seal: Cosmic disturbances and worldwide upheaval. Seventh Seal: Opens the seven trumpet judgments. The episode also connects Revelation with Daniel 12, where the prophetic book is sealed until “the time of the end,” identified by unprecedented global travel and a dramatic increase in knowledge. The speaker suggests today's world—particularly the rise of artificial intelligence—fits this description and highlights the moral responsibility to use knowledge wisely. Isaiah 29 is presented as another prophecy of a sealed book, linking Israel's present spiritual blindness with future restoration under the New Covenant. The discussion emphasizes that the final events of Revelation will profoundly affect three groups: The Church, through testing and purification. Israel, through judgment and eventual restoration. The kingdom of the Beast, through God's final judgments. The episode concludes by focusing on the hopeful message of the White Horse. Rather than symbolising deception, it is presented as Christ leading His Church through progressive restoration toward becoming the spotless Bride described in Revelation 19. Despite increasing global conflict, God is preparing a triumphant Church that will finish its race in victory before Christ's return.

Read OnlineWhen Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” Matthew 8:28–29After delivering His Sermon on the Mount and performing many miracles among His own people, Jesus intentionally journeys across the Sea of Galilee into Gentile territory—the region of the Gadarenes, near Gadara, a town within the pagan Decapolis. His choice underscores His mission to extend salvation beyond Israel.The location where Jesus and His disciples arrived was no accident. It was a desolate area filled with tombs, symbols of death, impurity, and spiritual desolation. According to Jewish law, contact with graves rendered one ritually unclean (cf. Numbers 19:16). Spiritually, these tombs vividly illustrate the isolation, emptiness, and lifelessness that sin imposes upon the human soul.The note that the demoniacs “were so savage that no one could travel by that road” further reveals the effects of grave sin. Evil seeks dominance and destruction; it isolates, destroys relationships, and makes peaceful coexistence impossible. This passage reflects the devastating consequences of allowing evil to reign unchecked within one's soul: It becomes uncontrollable, violent, and destructive. Evil never leads to peace, but rather to chaos, isolation, and fear.By entering into this territory, our Lord reveals His willingness to enter the isolation and desolation we all experience due to sin and every evil attack. He comes to us precisely when we are at our worst, most vulnerable, to set us free from the grip of the evil one and from all of his destructive works.When these two men see Jesus, the demons possessing them immediately recognize Him as the Son of God and acknowledge His authority over them. Their recognition raises an important spiritual question for each of us: Do I also recognize Christ's presence in my life? Am I aware of His divine authority over sin and evil, and do I trust in His desire and power to set me free? When the demons ask Jesus, “Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”, they reveal their full knowledge of their ultimate fate: eternal damnation. They understood this clearly because, even after their fall, demons retain their natural angelic powers. Among these powers is their exceptional intelligence and their capacity to tempt humans by subtly suggesting deceptive thoughts, drawing us persistently away from God's truth.Because demons know their eternal fate with clarity, they seek to use their intellect and suggestive powers to lead us into the very despair they themselves experience. They have no hope of eternal life. Out of their hatred for God and humanity, they attempt to conform us to their hopelessness, convincing us that we cannot escape sin, that hope is lost, and that we are doomed to misery.Only our Lord can shatter these demonic lies. Only Christ can break the chains of despair, isolation, and sin. By setting these two demoniacs free, Jesus illustrates His deep longing to do the same for us. By demonstrating His authority over the most severe effects of evil, Jesus reveals His absolute authority over every evil we encounter: every sin, temptation, oppressive thought, confusion, and especially despair.Reflect today on Jesus' choice to cross the Sea of Galilee for the sole purpose of setting these two demoniacs free from their oppression. Our Lord journeys to you with the same resolve. What is it that oppresses you? What thoughts tempt you to fear or despair? What sins do you habitually struggle with? Jesus wants to enter into every form of isolation and desolation you experience. Look for Him, recognize Him when He comes, profess your faith in His authority, and let Him fulfill His deepest desire by setting you free.Most powerful Lord, You have all authority over evil. In my weakness, I cry out to You and plead for Your mercy. Please set me free, O Lord, and protect me from the evil one. Forgive my sins and restore me to deeper communion with You and all Your children. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac, 14th-century fresco, Visoki Dečani Monastery.Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Delivered by Christine Gunawan from the Parish of Saint Joseph Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Pontianak, Indonesia. Deuteronomy 8: 2-3.14b-16a; Rs psalm 147: 12-13.14-15.19-20; 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17; John 6: 51-58.WE ARE SUSTAINED BY THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST The theme for our meditation on this Sunday, Solemnityof the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is: We are Sustained by the Body andBlood of Christ. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christinvites us to contemplate a profound truth: Christ does not only teach us froma distance. He gives Himself completely to us. In the Eucharist, Jesus becomesour food and drink so that we may have life in Him and continue our journeywith strength, hope, and love. In the Gospel, Jesus states frankly that His body, the flesh of the Son of Man, and Hisblood are the food we should eat. This reveals more than just His power toprovide material food, but a deeper gift. Just as people are nourishedphysically, Christ nourishes us spiritually through His Body and Blood. Humanshunger for many things: acceptance, peace, meaning, forgiveness, and love. Nogift from this world can fully satisfy our hunger. Only Christ can fulfill thedeepest longings of the human heart. The Eucharist reminds us that God understands ourweakness. We often become tired, discouraged, and burdened by life's struggles.At times we may feel inadequate in our vocation, family responsibilities,ministry, studies, or work. Yet Jesus does not leave us to rely solely on ourown strength. Every time we receive the Eucharist with faith, He shares His ownlife with us. His patience strengthens our impatience. His love heals ourwounded hearts. His courage sustains us when we feel afraid. The Eucharist is also a call to become what we receive.We receive the Body of Christ so that we may become the Body of Christ forothers. The bread that is broken for us challenges us to share ourselvesgenerously. The cup of salvation invites us to pour out our lives in service,compassion, and forgiveness. Nourished by Christ, we are sent to nourish othersthrough our words, presence, and acts of kindness. A father shared a story about how the daily and weeklyEucharist sustains him and his family. The burdens of life and theresponsibility of caring for his family are daily tasks that cannot beneglected. Therefore, every time he attends the Eucharist, he is given theopportunity to receive the Lord Jesus and bring Him into every situation andactivity in his life. Like that father, we often find that our strength isinsufficient. The Eucharist reminds us that we are not sustained by our ownefforts alone. We live by Christ himself. He feeds us so that we can continueour journey faithfully.Let us pray. In the name of the Father … Lord, Jesus, You give us Your Body andBlood as the food of eternal life. When we are weak, strengthen us. When we arediscouraged, renew our hope. When we are tempted to rely only on ourselves,remind us that You are always with us. May every Eucharist deepen our unionwith You and transform us into instruments of Your love for others. Glory tothe Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father…

"For the same reason you alsobe glad and rejoice with me." The Apostle Paul is inviting thePhilippians to share in his joy. Nowthink about it. Paul is in prison, suffering and uncertain about the future.Yet he keeps speaking about joy. This teaches us something so important:Christian joy is not based on circumstances. It is based on Jesus Christ. Theworld's happiness rises and falls with comfort and success, but biblical joycan exist even in suffering. Paul and the Philippians were united in sacrifice,service, and joy. TrueChristian fellowship is much deeper than just a social connection. You may goto church, attend Sunday school, participate in church events, and spend timewith other believers. You may go golfing together, play tennis, or enjoy otheractivities together. Those things are wonderful. But true Christian fellowshipis deeper than simply enjoying social events together. True fellowship issharing together in the work of Jesus Christ. Thereis joy in serving with other believers. There is joy in praying together. Thereis joy in giving together. Yes, there is even joy in suffering together. Thereis joy in seeing lives changed through the work of God as we labor togetherwith fellow believers. Some of the deepest joy believers experience comesduring difficult seasons when they see God working in powerful ways. Acts 5tells us that after the apostles were beaten, they returned to the churchrejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's name. James1 reminds us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials,tribulations, and troubles, knowing that the testing of our faith producespatience. Suffering produces Christian maturity in our lives. Joy grows when weserve God's purposes and trust God's purposes, even in suffering. Paul wantedthese believers not merely to survive hardship, but to rejoice in the middle ofit. That kind of joy becomes a testimony to the world. People expect us torejoice when things are going well. But when Christians rejoice in trials, theworld sees something supernatural, something different, and they want what wehave. Only Christ can produce that kind of joy in our lives. Maybetoday you're carrying burdens, disappointments, or heartaches. Remember this:your joy does not depend upon changing circumstances. It depends upon anunchanging Savior. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heis still on the throne. God is still working. The gospel is still true. Heavenis still ahead. Because of that, we can rejoice. We'vebeen talking about the submissive mind here in Philippians 2. As Paul hasdescribed it, the submissive mind ultimately produces joy. The submissive mindis the same as a surrendered life. And a surrendered life produces joy inChrist. The Bible teaches us that Jesus humbled Himself. He obeyed the Father.He endured the cross. He now reigns in glory. Thatreminds me of Hebrews 12:1–3: "Therefore we also, since we aresurrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, andthe sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the racethat is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of ourfaith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising theshame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For considerHim who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you becomeweary and discouraged in your souls." My friend, when we follow thesame principle that Jesus practiced, we discover that surrender leads to joy. Let'spray together. Father, thank You for the joy that is found only in JesusChrist. Teach us to rejoice not only in blessings, but also in sacrifice andservice. Help us to trust You in every circumstance and reflect the joy ofChrist to the world around us. In Jesus' name, Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Pastor Aaron Pennington kicks off our new series, Tell Me More About…, with a message on singleness, dating, marriage, and what it means to be complete in Christ.In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul refers to singleness as a gift. For many, that may not be the first word that comes to mind. But this message challenges us to rethink singleness, not as second place, but as a season where God can shape identity, security, purpose, and devotion.Whether you're single, dating, engaged, married, or walking with someone who is, this message offers biblical wisdom for relationships, boundaries, identity, and doing things God's way.Marriage is good, but it is not God. Only Christ can complete us. When we understand who we are and whose we are, every relationship in our life becomes healthier because of it.Scripture References:1 Corinthians 7Colossians 2:6–10John 15:13Trace Church | Colorado Springs, CO

Rahab: From Prostitute to Type of Christ by Autumn Dickson How could I not take some time to speak about Rahab? She was incredible. Here is our introduction to Rahab. Joshua 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. Rahab was a prostitute who hid Israeli spies as they were coming to look at Jericho. In exchange for hiding them, she asked them to spare her and her family. They gave her a red cord to put in the window, and all of Jericho was destroyed except for her and her family. In order to understand precisely why she was so great, it's important to understand the background she was born into. Jericho was getting utterly destroyed. There have been times throughout history where the Lord helped His people conquer without utterly destroying everything. Jericho was not one of those times. The land of Canaan was “full” of sin to the extent that destruction was necessary. It was so filled with misery that it needed a clean slate. Except for Rahab. The fact that she's a prostitute during this time period isn't unsurprising. What she's had to go through is not a sign of her moral failings but of her society failing her. We can see the type of person she is from her reactions. She is willing to follow the Lord after hearing the testimony of others. She wants to save her family, not just herself. She utilized her circumstances for the Lord's work. These are not the only reasons Rahab is incredible. The fact that she married is also amazing when you learn what trauma she likely accrued because of her circumstances. This is not a comprehensive list of her good qualities, but I specifically chose these ones. These qualities are what make her like the Savior. Rahab is a type of Christ. Let's talk about a couple of things in her life that reflect the Savior. 1) She is willing to follow the Lord despite what the society around her is doing. Rahab could have been blinded by her own society. She could have followed what everyone else was doing and simply been afraid. Imagine if the rest of the Canaanites had the heart that Rahab had. Imagine if all of them had approached the Israelite army and were like, “We heard how your God protected you and took care of you. We would like to follow Him too.” Imagine if all of us were able to look at what was going on around us and be willing to follow a better way. The Jews were not especially righteous when Christ came to fulfill His mortal ministry. In fact, many of them were evil. If Christ had been born to any other nation, they would have recognized Him as God. Some of the Jews of this time period were too wicked to see Him for what He was. Jesus broke a lot of their made up rules. He followed the Law of Moses perfectly, but He broke a lot of the rules that they had built up around that law. He looked at society and knew there was a better way to live. 2) She wants to save her family, not just herself. Rahab could have followed the spies out. Perhaps that would have been easier than sitting in her home and hoping all the soldiers followed the direction to spare her. We don't know all the reasons why Rahab stayed, but we do know she sought out her family and brought them into her home where they could be protected too. She cared enough about her family that she sought saving them too. Maybe she even felt that being saved wouldn't be worth it if her family couldn't be saved too. Christ's heart also pushed Him to look beyond Himself. Christ is the only One who was perfect enough to go to heaven. He could have come down here, lived perfectly, and gone on to live in heaven forever, but He loved us too much. He put Himself through difficult things in order to save us too. He was concerned with saving His family. He obviously didn't think heaven was going to be good enough without us despite our many failings. He loved us, and looked beyond Himself. 3) She utilized her circumstances for the Lord's work. It was actually important that Rahab was a prostitute. With all of the tension in the air from the Israelite army, it would have been difficult for the spies to get into Jericho. Because she was a prostitute, it allowed them to enter into the city. It wasn't as uncommon for strangers and foreigners to visit brothels in comparison to visiting repectable houses. Not to mention, Rahab's house was within the city wall and allowed them to escape. Now, the fact that she was a prostitute did not mean that the spies went undetected. Somehow, the residents of Jericho noticed the spies and they came knocking. Rahab hid them on the roof before helping them escape. This is actually also an important reflection of Christ. Only Christ was in the correct circumstances to save us. Because of His birth, He held power that no one else had. He had the ability to save us because of His circumstances. But, it was still ultimately His decision to save us. Rahab's circumstances put her in an ideal situation to save her family and help the Lord's work, but her choices and faith were absolutely key as well. Sometimes our circumstances make it difficult to believe that we could ever be like Christ. Sometimes what we've been through or are currently going through make us think that we can't serve. Sometimes our circumstances are the very things that put is in a position to be like Christ. I testify that like Rahab, we are all given opportunities to be like our Savior. I also testify that like Rahab, following the Lord and His prophet will ultimately save us. It doesn't matter where we started; we can make choices that will put us in line with the Lord's people. He can save us, and He can utilize us if we're willing to leave our old lives behind. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Joshua 1–8; 23–24 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

In this reflection on Ecclesiastes 6, the Teacher continues wrestling with the emptiness of life when meaning is sought in wealth, pleasure, work, or achievement. Though these things are not inherently bad, they cannot bear the full weight of the human soul or provide lasting peace and purpose. The passage serves as a warning against building our identity on temporary earthly things—whether money, politics, sports, approval, or success—because all eventually fail under the weight we place on them. Only Christ can serve as the true “load-bearing wall” for our souls, providing the lasting meaning and identity we were created to find.Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%206&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

In Colossians 3:1–4, Paul shows us that the Christian life is lived from our union with the risen, reigning, and returning Christ. Before he tells believers what to put to death, he reminds them who they are in Christ: raised with Him, hidden with Him, and destined to appear with Him in glory.This sermon explores what it means to seek the things above, set our minds where Christ reigns, and stop treating earthly things as ultimate things. Work, family, comfort, control, and approval may all be good gifts, but none of them can bear the weight of our souls. Only Christ can.Because Christ is your life, Christ must govern your life.In this sermon, we consider:What it means to be raised with ChristWhy does Paul call believers to seek and set their minds on things aboveHow our life is hidden with Christ in GodWhy future glory gives strength for present faithfulnessHow Christ frees us from moralism, passivity, and misplaced identityIf you feel worn down by performance, anxious about the future, stuck in sin, discouraged by weakness, or tempted to build your identity on something that cannot last, Colossians 3:1–4 gives deep gospel comfort and a clear call to look again to Christ.

In a world that avoids sorrow at all costs, Jesus speaks words that sound completely upside down: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The world tells us to hide grief, ignore sin, distract ourselves from pain, and pursue happiness above everything else. But Jesus teaches that true blessing does not come through pretending everything is fine. Real comfort begins when we honestly grieve over our sin, the brokenness of this world, and our desperate need for God's mercy.This mourning is not hopeless despair. It is the sorrow that leads us to the arms of God. Those who mourn before the Lord discover the deep comfort of His forgiveness, His presence, and His promises. God does not turn away the broken-hearted; He draws near to them.Jesus Himself is the perfect example of this beatitude. He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” as He wept over sin, suffering, and death. In the Garden of Gethsemane and at the cross, Jesus entered the deepest mourning so that sinners like us could receive eternal comfort through His resurrection victory. Only Christ can turn mourning into everlasting joy.SERIES: The Beatitudes: Kingdom Living in a Fallen WorldTITLE: Those Who Mourn: The Comfort of MourningSCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:4SPEAKER: Pastor David Hallett

There is a fierce honesty in the fathers that modern Christians often find difficult to endure. They do not allow us the comfort of remaining spectators to the Fall. We prefer to think of Adam's transgression as history, tragedy, doctrine, or inherited condition. But the fathers insist upon something far more painful: Adam's sin is repeated in us daily. Not first through sensuality. Not first through disobedience. But through judgment. Abba Mark says something astonishing: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is our constant distinction between “good” brethren and “bad” brethren. The Fall occurs whenever we separate ourselves inwardly from another human being through contempt, condemnation, suspicion, derision, or hidden hatred. We imagine ourselves discerning spiritually, morally, psychologically, or ecclesially, while in reality we are tasting again the forbidden fruit. This is why the fathers fear judgment more than humiliation. The modern mind often reduces sin to the violation of rules. But the fathers understand sin as the darkening of vision. The moment we begin to look upon another person without mercy, without reverence, without grief for our own condition, our sight becomes corrupted. We no longer behold the image of God. We behold instead the projection of our own passions. And this is why Abba Mark says: “In the eyes of one whose heart is possessed by the passions, no man is sanctified.” The impure heart cannot see purely. A man filled with anger sees enemies everywhere. A vain man sees inferiors. A lustful man sees objects. A fearful man sees threats. A proud man sees fools. The world slowly takes on the shape of our inner disorder. How terrifying this is for our age. We live in a culture built almost entirely upon commentary, denunciation, suspicion, exposure, ridicule, factionalism, and perpetual judgment. Men and women sit before glowing screens daily eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, deciding endlessly who is worthy and who is contemptible. Entire identities are now constructed around outrage. Even religious discourse often becomes little more than sanctified accusation. One no longer needs to enter a battlefield to lose one's soul. One need only remain online. The fathers would tremble at the atmosphere we inhabit. Not because they were naïve about evil, but because they understood something we do not: judgment wounds first the one who judges. The punishment is already contained within the act itself. The moment brotherly love dies, spiritual perception begins to die with it. Abba Mark says that once the mind tastes this fruit, it falls into the very sins it condemned. This is one of the great spiritual laws confirmed by centuries of ascetical experience. The one who delights in exposing others becomes inwardly exposed himself. The one obsessed with impurity becomes inwardly contaminated by the images he condemns. The one who cannot forgive slowly becomes incapable of receiving mercy. And yet the fathers do not say these things to crush us. They speak this way because they have seen Christ. This is what modern readers often miss. The fierce severity of the desert fathers is born from the overwhelming revelation of divine mercy. They have seen the humility of God in Christ. They have seen the Innocent One forgive His murderers, descend into our corruption, bear our nakedness, and unite Himself even to those who abandoned Him. Therefore every movement of contempt within themselves becomes unbearable to them. Their tears are not moralism. They are astonishment before mercy. The fathers know that no man truly sees his own sins and continues comfortably condemning others. When Isaiah saw the glory of God, he did not cry: “Those people are unclean.” He cried: “I am a man of unclean lips.” This is why humility and compassion always deepen together. The modern world confuses humility with low self-esteem or emotional softness. But the fathers understand humility as truthfulness before God. The humble man no longer needs enemies in order to preserve himself psychologically. He no longer builds identity through comparison. He no longer secures righteousness through accusation. He knows too much about the abyss within his own heart. And strangely, this knowledge makes him gentler. Not permissive. Not morally indifferent. But merciful. The fathers never deny evil. They simply refuse to stand outside the human condition while speaking about it. This is especially important today because modern Christians are tempted toward two opposite distortions. One side abandons discernment entirely in the name of compassion. The other weaponizes discernment in the service of hidden hatred. The fathers accept neither path. They see clearly. Fiercely clearly. Yet they weep over what they see. The true ascetic is not shocked by human weakness because he has descended into his own heart and found there every seed of corruption. He knows that apart from grace he is capable of every sin. Therefore he approaches others not from superiority but from shared poverty. This is why the fathers continually command: “Busy yourself with your own faults.” Not because the sins of others are unreal. But because self-knowledge is salvific while judgment is intoxicating. And this teaching becomes even more radical in the light of Christ's revelation that the true battlefield lies within the hidden man of the heart. The spiritual law judges not only external acts but secret thoughts, inward movements, concealed fantasies, silent condemnations, and hidden resentments. A man may appear peaceful outwardly while inwardly conducting trials against the entire world. Modern life makes this almost constant. We judge politically. Ecclesially. Morally. Psychologically. Liturgically. Socially. Intellectually. And often we do so while imagining ourselves defenders of truth. But the fathers ask a far more frightening question: “What has happened to your heart while you were defending truth?” Abba Mark says there is only one true goal: to rejoice when wronged because we are thereby given opportunity to forgive. This sounds almost impossible to modern ears because our entire culture is organized around self-protection, self-assertion, self-expression, and vindication. Yet the fathers understand that every injury endured without hatred enlarges the heart's capacity for God. This does not mean enabling abuse or denying justice. The fathers are not preaching psychological passivity. Rather, they are revealing that the deepest freedom is freedom from hatred. And this freedom is impossible without grace. That is why Abba Mark says that Christ Himself fights within us after Baptism. The battle is interior. The warfare is largely invisible. Pride, vainglory, pleasure, resentment, self-justification, condemnation, fantasy, and rage move continually through the thoughts. No merely human technique can heal this fragmentation. Only Christ hidden within the heart can do battle there. The fathers therefore call us not to moral performance but to radical cooperation with grace: through prayer, through repentance, through patience, through forgiveness, through refusal of judgment, through bearing humiliation, through hidden struggle, through learning slowly to love. And perhaps nowhere is this teaching more needed than now, in an age where almost every system around us profits from outrage, comparison, suspicion, and exposure. The fathers remind us that the soul does not become luminous through winning arguments or exposing others. It becomes luminous through mercy. For in the end, purity of heart is nothing other than learning to see others as Christ sees them: not sentimentally, not blindly, but through the terrible and beautiful light of compassion. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:31 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 13 Hypothesis II number 3 00:03:46 Bob Čihák, AZ: Vol. 3, p. 13, #3 00:08:55 Lorraine: Here is a link to the book you mentioned last week, Father 00:09:04 Lorraine: https://archive.org/details/orthodoxpsychoth0000vlac 00:13:29 Bob Čihák, AZ: Vol. 3, p. 13, #3 00:24:30 Julie: He said to them: Acts 10:28 “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.'" 00:31:50 Joan Chakonas: Interesting in Sundays homily the pastor said that God speaks to us through people around us.  He told us to do as asked by our spouses etc.  My husband is outside the faith and it had really never occurred to  me that God might be speaking to me through my faithless spouse- believe it or not I am that thick.  Anyway tying this back to todays hypotheses- our judgment is blocking our reception of God- when we are not even considering this possibility.  Sorry if I sound dense.  These readings are amazing to me. 00:34:36 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "Interesting in Sunda..." with

Does your soul feel dry, weary, or empty? You are not alone. In Psalm 63, David writes from the wilderness — far from comfort — yet his deepest longing is not for safety, but for God Himself.In today's devotion, Pastor Balla explores what it means to truly thirst for the Lord. The world offers many empty wells — possessions, approval, success — but none can satisfy the longing of the soul. Only Christ, the living water, fills what this world leaves empty.Jesus Himself said, "Whoever believes in me shall never thirst." His sacrifice on the cross brings forgiveness, peace, and eternal life to every weary heart.

In Mark chapter 7, Jesus confronts the Pharisees about their obsession with ceremonial hand washing, revealing that true cleanliness comes from the heart, not external rituals. He explains that evil thoughts and actions originate from within a person, making outward ceremonies powerless to address the real problem of sin. Jesus then demonstrates this truth by performing miracles for Gentiles - those considered outsiders - while the religious insiders who demanded more signs remained spiritually blind. Only Christ can perform the inside-out transformation needed to truly cleanse our hearts from sin.

This week in James 5:1-6, we hear a sobering warning about wealth, self-indulgence, injustice, and the danger of trusting riches instead of God. James reminds us that money can deceive, condemn, and destroy - but it cannot save. Only Christ can forgive sin, cleanse the heart, and make us truly rich toward God.

Friends of the Rosary,Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, John the Evangelist (John 10:1-10) presents the Lord, in conversation with the Pharisees, as the gatekeeper for the sheep, calling by name, leading them, and providing life in abundance.Jesus said,“I am the gate.Whoever enters through me will be saved,and will come in and go out and find pasture.A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."Christ is both the Shepherd and the Gate, meaning we must all pass through Him.And to enter through Christ is to embrace humility, truth, and authentic faith, as St. Augustine explained.Jesus also warned against false guides who seek their own gain rather than the good of the flock. Only Christ leads to life.Today, when we witness the third attempt on the life of President Trump, we pray for the end of political violence and peace in the U.S. and all over the world.Alleluia! Christ is Risen!Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• April 26, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Friends of the Rosary, Today, on the Memorial Day of St. George, the Gospel presents the reading from John 6:44–51, reflecting the heavenly origin of the Bread of Life and inviting us not to seek passing satisfaction but divine communion.Only Christ satisfies the deepest longing of the human heart.As St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Unlike manna, which sustained earthly life, Christ gives eternal life.”In this Gospel, we see Christ offering Himself as healing and life for the soul.Amen, amen, I say to you,whoever believes has eternal life.I am the bread of life.Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;this is the bread that comes down from heavenso that one may eat it and not die.I am the living bread that came down from heaven;whoever eats this bread will live forever;and the bread that I will giveis my Flesh for the life of the world."Today, as a spiritual application, we meditate on the Eucharist as heaven touching earth.St. Ignatius of Antioch called the Eucharist “the medicine of immortality.”Alleluia! Christ is Risen!Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠April 23, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

I received an excellent question about free will after my children's sermon on Sunday. Here is my rationale for answering the way I did, and I hope that writing this out will help me answer better next time:Questions about free will are ultimately questions about our sovereignty. I aim to show that we are not sovereign (we do not have the power, control, or abilities to do whatever we want) then I can get the children thinking along the correct lines.Instead of examining actions, I hope to show that it is what is inside our hearts that should be of concern, and the Bible says that we are slaves to sin. Only Christ can free us from our slavery to sin so we can have hearts that are free to love God as we should.I don't want to diminish the fact that we are responsible for our actions. The Bible is clear that we must all respond to the gospel, and believers must walk in step with the Spirit. God is not to be blamed for sin. We have the privilege of partnering with God and his providence.Taking on the children's questions is exciting and fun for me — but it's also something I cannot take lightly. I want my answers to be sharp and assuring for the children.

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that Jesus is the only life to live because we're looking to be rescued, loved and accepted. Only Christ can really love us and fill our lives with purpose.

IntroductionWe know that we are in deep trouble. Adam had the chance to do what was right, and he failed to do it. The problem is that we can only dig the hole deeper. We think that credit card debt is bad, but our debt is far worse. Our debt will never go away, even in death. We can't out-work it, out-live it, or out-think it. So our problem is very severe and beyond overwhelming. Lord's Day 6 of the Heidelberg Catechism helps us to see the eternal solution. Only God can implement this solution. Sin's Problem: We Need a MediatorThe catechism reminds us that we need a mediator. The very thought of a mediator means that something has gone wrong. A mediator means two parties are at odds. The very introduction of the concept of a mediator introduces an admission of our guilt. God is 100% righteous. We are 100% at fault. There is no way we can work to please God when we are 100% in debt. There is no payment plan. And the mediator's task is staggering: take people who have fully offended a perfect God and bring them into his presence as fully righteous. This is the greatest laundering effort ever in history! In fact, it is not hiding dirty money, but fully redeeming it to remove all controversy that surrounds it. Our cleansing requires someone who is both truly human (because it was humanity that offended God) and truly God (because no mere human can bear an infinite, eternal penalty and survive it). A human enduring his own sin would be in hell forever and never get out. There is no way that a person could pay the debt on behalf of another. This is why we need a person who is divine to endure an eternal punishment. The person also has to be human to stand in the place of the creature that offended. Only a divine person united to a human nature can absorb eternal wrath in a moment of time. Only Christ is such a mediator. God's Solution: The Folly of the CrossPaul addresses a church drunk on elitism. They love their gurus. They love how they can flaunt their spiritual gifts. Ironically, Paul, who had every credential to out-elite them all, goes straight to the cross. He does not call his accomplishments to their attention as he does in Galatians. No, he goes straight to the cross.That's a jarring move, because the cross was not a sentimental symbol like we make it today. No, the cross is a declaration of shame. In Roman culture, crucified criminals weren't even officially recorded. In Jewish culture, to be hung on a tree meant you were a covenant breaker, cursed by God. When the disciples watched Jesus die on the cross, they had every reason to think they'd been deceived. In their mind, God declared a messianic fraud who transgressed God's holiness. Paul knows all of this! He preaches it anyway. Why? Because the "foolishness" of the cross is precisely the point. Christ, who never broke the covenant, was publicly displayed as though he had, and that is why we need him. And because death could not hold him, the resurrection vindicates him completely. At Christ's weakest moment, he won the greatest victory. Worldly wisdom missed the cross. The Jews demanded signs and missed the sign of the cross. The Greeks sought wisdom and missed the wisdom of God standing right in front of them.Thus, the wisest people of this age did not see the wisdom of the cross. This is why Paul calls attention to the cross. If we do not see the wisdom of God's plan, then we will not see redemption. God's Proclamation: The Gospel Must Keep Being PreachedKnowing the facts about Christ isn't enough on its own. Calvin puts it plainly: as long as Christ remains outside of us, he is of no benefit to us. The work of Christ has to become our work. The Lord uses Gospel preaching that lays out Christ's cross to bring his people into their new relationship with Christ. The Corinthians had witnessed extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit, and probably interviewed eyewitnesses of the resurrection. However, Paul still keeps going back to the gospel. This message is not a one-and-done message. It is a message that is continually preached, and we continually need this message. The catechism traces this same pattern across all of redemptive history: the gospel was announced in Genesis 3:15, repeated to the patriarchs, foreshadowed in every sacrifice and ceremony, proclaimed by the prophets, and fulfilled in Christ. Generation after generation, God's people were sustained by this same message. It was repeated and repeated because we so easily forget Christ's message. We fail to see that without the gospel message, we have nothing. The cross of Christ is the message that Christ had to suffer for an insufferable people. We are such people. We don't outgrow the gospel. We need to hear it continually, because it is the ongoing means of grace by which God keeps his people alive and moving toward glory. It is in Christ, going to the cross, that God's wisdom is shown. It is in the cross that Christ is ultimately vindicated in his resurrection and ascension. His work was so perfect that the heavenly courts vindicated him. ConclusionSo how do we solve our unsolvable, eternal problem? We don't. We can't. But God has.He sent his Son. His son, who is fully God, fully man, stands in our place as the covenant breaker. We transgressed, but Christ did not. Christ bore what we deserved, was raised to prove he'd conquered it, and now the gospel goes out as the living word that unites us to him. The world will call it foolishness. Paul's response: “Fine. Call it folly. In that folly is life.”So let us not be ashamed of the Gospel. Let us keep hearing, submitting to the preaching, and clinging to the substance of the message: Christ. Let us exude the joy that we have been redeemed by the living God. That is our significance, our credibility, and our only boast is in Christ. Let us find it there, and live in it. Amen.

How Should I Do With A Burdened Conscience? | Christ For YouHebrews 9:11–15What do you do when your conscience will not leave you alone? When the guilt is real, the memory is fresh, and no excuse seems strong enough? Why does remorse hurt so deeply? And why do all our usual ways of dealing with guilt fail to give peace?In this sermon on Hebrews 9:11–15, Pastor Rojas explores the difference between regret and remorse, the burden of a guilty conscience, and the false ways people try to deal with their sin apart from Christ. From distraction and excuse-making to self-punishment and despair, sinners are always trying to quiet the conscience without actually being cleansed. But Hebrews declares that the blood of goats and bulls could never perfect the conscience of the worshiper. Only Christ can.This sermon shows how Jesus, our great High Priest, entered the true holy place with His own blood and secured eternal redemption for us. It shows what “dead works” really are, why human effort cannot remove guilt before God, and how the blood of Christ purifies the conscience and gives real peace. If you have ever been burdened by what you have done, haunted by your past, or desperate for peace before God, this sermon is for you.Subscribe & Share:Spotify: Christ For YouPortuguês: Cristo Para VocêWebsite: ZionWG.orgLooking for a Lutheran Church near you?Support the preaching of God's Word.

Years ago I heard a friend tell about a scene from his childhood that he never forgot. My friend was around on that black day in 1929 that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. One of the great traumas of America's financial collapse, of course, was that many banks just went under almost overnight. Well, my friend literally remembered seeing a neighbor at the locked gates of his bank, and he was literally pounding his fists bloody on those gates, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Give me my money! Give me my money!" There was no money to give. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Danger of Being Religious." That desperate man, and millions like him, placed their security in an institution. An institution that sure seemed safe but that ultimately and suddenly failed them. A lot of church folks are making that mistake today. Did you know that? Placing their eternal security in their church; in believing its beliefs, attending its meetings, even taking church leadership. Sadly, none of that's enough to get your sins forgiven or to get you into God's heaven. Sometimes religious folks argue over which church is the right church. Well, in Jeremiah's time there was no argument. God's people were the Jews and their temple was God's self-declared house on earth. But even that wasn't enough. In our word for today from the Word of God, in Jeremiah 7, beginning with verse 10, God says, "You come and stand before Me in this house, which bears my Name, and you say 'We are safe'...'But I have been watching,' declares the Lord." God goes on to point out the sin in their lives - sin that no amount of "church" can make right. He goes on to describe His pending destruction of what God calls (listen to these words) "the temple you trust in." Boy, that's the danger of being religious. You tend to trust in your religiousness instead of in Christ. Christianity will never get anyone to heaven. Only Christ can get you there. Only Christ died to pay for the sin that disqualifies every one of us from going to heaven. Jesus established the Church to represent Him on earth, to do His work on earth. But church can be the most dangerous place in the world if that's where your trust is. Christianity is all about Jesus, but it can actually cause you to miss Jesus. It's called false security; feeling like you're okay with God because you speak the language, you agree with the teachings, and you've been around it all these years. Why, no one would even question that you have a relationship with Jesus - except Jesus. And He's the only One who matters. Could it be that somehow in the midst of a religion all about Jesus you've missed a personal relationship with Jesus even while you've been a good church person for a long time? Jesus described some active church folks to whom He will say on Judgment Day, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:21-23). Somehow, they have never actually given themselves in total faith to the One who died to pay for their sins. There has to be that time when you say, "Jesus, some of those sins You died for were mine, and I have no hope of heaven except You and what You did on the cross for me. So beginning right now, Jesus, I'm yours." Have you taken that step? I would say that if you don't know, you probably haven't. If you've missed it, don't go another day without moving Christ from your head to your heart... from being a belief to being your own personal Savior. Tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm yours." Look, let me invite you to go to our website today. It's ANewStory.com. You can have the information there to nail down and be sure once and for all that you do belong to Him. The church you've trusted in, the religion you've trusted in, the goodness you've trusted in are inadequate substitutes for the real thing - putting your total trust in Jesus. Because, my friend, it's all about Jesus!

Years ago I heard a friend tell about a scene from his childhood that he never forgot. My friend was around on that black day in 1929 that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. One of the great traumas of America's financial collapse, of course, was that many banks just went under almost overnight. Well, my friend literally remembered seeing a neighbor at the locked gates of his bank, and he was literally pounding his fists bloody on those gates, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Give me my money! Give me my money!" There was no money to give. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Danger of Being Religious." That desperate man, and millions like him, placed their security in an institution. An institution that sure seemed safe but that ultimately and suddenly failed them. A lot of church folks are making that mistake today. Did you know that? Placing their eternal security in their church; in believing its beliefs, attending its meetings, even taking church leadership. Sadly, none of that's enough to get your sins forgiven or to get you into God's heaven. Sometimes religious folks argue over which church is the right church. Well, in Jeremiah's time there was no argument. God's people were the Jews and their temple was God's self-declared house on earth. But even that wasn't enough. In our word for today from the Word of God, in Jeremiah 7, beginning with verse 10, God says, "You come and stand before Me in this house, which bears my Name, and you say 'We are safe'...'But I have been watching,' declares the Lord." God goes on to point out the sin in their lives - sin that no amount of "church" can make right. He goes on to describe His pending destruction of what God calls (listen to these words) "the temple you trust in." Boy, that's the danger of being religious. You tend to trust in your religiousness instead of in Christ. Christianity will never get anyone to heaven. Only Christ can get you there. Only Christ died to pay for the sin that disqualifies every one of us from going to heaven. Jesus established the Church to represent Him on earth, to do His work on earth. But church can be the most dangerous place in the world if that's where your trust is. Christianity is all about Jesus, but it can actually cause you to miss Jesus. It's called false security; feeling like you're okay with God because you speak the language, you agree with the teachings, and you've been around it all these years. Why, no one would even question that you have a relationship with Jesus - except Jesus. And He's the only One who matters. Could it be that somehow in the midst of a religion all about Jesus you've missed a personal relationship with Jesus even while you've been a good church person for a long time? Jesus described some active church folks to whom He will say on Judgment Day, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:21-23). Somehow, they have never actually given themselves in total faith to the One who died to pay for their sins. There has to be that time when you say, "Jesus, some of those sins You died for were mine, and I have no hope of heaven except You and what You did on the cross for me. So beginning right now, Jesus, I'm yours." Have you taken that step? I would say that if you don't know, you probably haven't. If you've missed it, don't go another day without moving Christ from your head to your heart... from being a belief to being your own personal Savior. Tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm yours." Look, let me invite you to go to our website today. It's ANewStory.com. You can have the information there to nail down and be sure once and for all that you do belong to Him. The church you've trusted in, the religion you've trusted in, the goodness you've trusted in are inadequate substitutes for the real thing - putting your total trust in Jesus. Because, my friend, it's all about Jesus!

Only Christ can satisfy our souls and create true worshippers of God.

Only Christ can offer us the “better things” for which we long.

What the Bible Teaches About Sexual Purity in a Confused Culture Show: Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins Author: Dave Jenkins Date: March 5, 2026 Show Summary Question: What does the Bible teach about sexual purity in a confused culture? In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins answers an urgent question for our time: what does Scripture teach about sexual purity when the culture is constantly redefining sexuality and calling purity outdated or unloving? God's Word does not shift with the times. God's design is good, intentional, and for our flourishing. Sexual sin is not merely a cultural issue—it is a heart issue. It affects our conscience, our relationships, our work, and our walk with Christ. But God's Word gives clarity, hope, and direction, and Christ offers real forgiveness and lasting renewal. Listen Watch --> Key Scriptures Genesis 1:27 Genesis 2:24 Ephesians 5:25–32 Matthew 5:27–28 Romans 12:2 Galatians 5:16 1 John 1:9 Hebrews 10:24–25 Psalm 51:10 Episode Highlights God created humanity male and female—sexual identity is received from God, not invented (Genesis 1:27). God designed sexuality for covenant marriage—exclusive, permanent, and worshipful (Genesis 2:24). Purity is not only behavior—it begins in the heart (Matthew 5:27–28). Temptation lies and sin overpromises—but only Christ satisfies. Four biblical strategies to pursue purity through Word, Spirit, repentance, and community. Full Article God's Word Does Not Shift with Culture We live in a world where the meaning of sexuality is constantly shifting, where purity is labeled outdated, and where boundaries are rejected. But God's Word does not shift with our culture. God's design is good. It is intentional, and it is for our flourishing. Sexual Sin Is a Heart Issue Sexual sin is not merely a cultural issue—it is a heart issue. It affects our conscience, our relationships, our work, and our walk with Christ. And many today struggle in silence—trapped, ashamed, numb, or confused. But the Word of God gives clarity, hope, and direction. God's Design for Sexuality and Identity Genesis 1:27 teaches that God created man in His own image—male and female He created them. Sexual identity is not invented; it is received from God as part of His created order. Genesis 2:24 adds that a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. God designed sexuality to be covenant-based, exclusive, permanent, life-giving, and worshipful—because marriage reflects Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:25–32). Marriage is not merely relational; it is deeply theological. Purity Begins in the Heart Sexual purity is not only avoiding sinful behavior—it is devotion to Christ in body and heart. Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:27–28 that lust is adultery of the heart. Purity begins inwardly and works outward into obedience, shaping thoughts, desires, intentions, and behaviors. Scripture uses the category of sexual immorality to describe any sexual expression outside the covenant of marriage. This includes pornography, lust, fornication, adultery, sexual fantasy, and anything that distorts God's design. Purity is not simply avoiding sin—it is walking in holiness. Why We Need Biblical Clarity in the Battle The world normalizes impurity, our sinful nature is drawn to it, and the enemy tempts us with false promises. Temptation lies, and sin overpromises but never satisfies. Only Christ gives true peace, joy, and fulfillment. We do not fight in our own strength—we fight with the truth of God's Word. Four Biblical Strategies for Pursuing Purity Renew your mind with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). Purity begins with a renewed way of thinking—thinking God's thoughts after Him. Walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Purity is not achieved through willpower, but through dependence on the Spirit of God. Confess and repent quickly (1 John 1:9). Confession is not defeat—it is the path to restoration and cleansing. Pursue accountability and community (Hebrews 10:24–25). Isolation fuels temptation, but life in the local church strengthens obedience. Hope for the Guilty and Ashamed Maybe you feel guilty, convicted, discouraged, or ashamed. Hear this clearly: God does not shame His children. He restores them. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” God specializes in redemption—He washes, renews, restores, strengthens, and changes desires. Christ Is Better Sexual purity is not just saying no to sin—it is saying yes to Christ, because Christ is better. Christ satisfies, Christ renews, and Christ heals. Takeaways & Reflection Questions Where have you allowed cultural assumptions to shape your thinking more than Scripture? In what ways do you see temptation promising comfort or satisfaction that only Christ can give? What practical step can you take today to renew your mind with God's Word (Romans 12:2)? Who in your local church can you invite into honest accountability and prayer? If you're carrying shame, how does Psalm 51:10 reframe your hope in God's restoring grace? Call to Action If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Servants of Grace podcast wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. For more from Anchored in the Word with Dave please visit our page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube. Stay rooted in Scripture and anchored in Christ.

In Gospel of John 6:53–56, Jesus says something so shocking that many people walked away:“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”The crowd wanted bread on their tables.Jesus offered His body on a cross.In this powerful message, we unpack what Jesus really meant — not something physical, but something deeply spiritual. To “eat” and “drink” is to personally receive, by faith, what Christ accomplished on the cross. It's about more than admiration. More than good works. More than religion.It's about life.

Having been saved are you still hearing, or trying in your own power, to be obedient to save yourself? Only Christ can save...but He calls us to live holy and righteous and empowers us to keep His commands. Share. Make it a great day in the Love & Lordship of Christ (Mark 12:28-31)!

Work is a gift—but it makes a terrible god. This week in Prepare Him Room, we reflected on how achievement and productivity can quietly replace Jesus as the source of our worth. Ecclesiastes reminds us that true joy isn't found in what we build, but in who we trust. Only Christ can restore our work to what it was meant to be.

Ultimate Reconciliation of All (1) (audio) David Eells – 12/10/25 I have found that the truth always motivates people to holiness, to turn loose of the world and run after God; but a lie always makes people comfortable where they are, and there are a lot of lies out there. People who like to make up their own gospel turn the grace of God into lasciviousness by choosing to believe that once saved is always saved. That means there's no use in taking any warning from the Lord seriously, since that false doctrine negates the possibility of being lost. These people are not motivated because they erroneously believe their “ticket's been punched.” Today, I'm going to speak to you about a doctrine that's in the church denominations called “ultimate reconciliation of all.” Many Unconditional Eternal Security people find this easy to fall into since in effect you cant be lost. Ultimate Reconciliationists believe there will come a time when the wicked, including the devil and his angels, in some cases, will come out of torment and be reconciled to God. This doctrine did not come from Christians but Unitarians and Universalists who brought it from England to the New England colonies in the 18th century. The fruit of this doctrine is the same as that of unconditional eternal security. If no one can ultimately be lost, why fear God or the warnings of Scripture? It destroys motivation to study and obey the Word of God or evangelize the lost and dying. Like the unconditional eternal security people, many of these will take the mark of the beast and are taking the spiritual mark now. What else would the devil have you believe? I have ministered in several churches that believed this. Generally, the people are very prideful and judgmental of those who do not have their “deep revelation”. They are forced to pick and choose verses in order to justify this doctrine, and it makes them disrespect the Word. I have debated many with this doctrine over the years, some on our live internet chat Bible study a few years ago. When they can't back it up with scriptures, they generally resort to insults. We who believe the Word just don't have “the revelation”. Reconciliationists say the Greek words for forever and ever mean “unto the age of the ages”, meaning when used of those in eternal punishment, it is only for a period of time after which everyone comes out of the lake of fire. They lie. “Unto the age of the ages” is only in one place. (Eph.3:21) unto him [be] the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever (unto the age of the ages) Amen. Here it says, “unto all generations unto the age of the ages”, which is only as long as men have children, clearly making it a period of time. In the four Greek manuscripts I have, which range from the oldest to the Received Text, the second-to-last Greek letter of “age” in this verse is an omicron, the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet, which makes this word singular, “Age”. In every other place, the second-to-last letter in the word “ages” is an alpha, the 1st letter of their alphabet, making this word plural, “Ages”. In every other case where “forever and ever” is the translation, “unto the ages of ages” is the literal wording, which has no end. The manuscripts and Bible Numerics prove this to be the case. (Rev.14:11) and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever (unto the ages of ages); and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name. There is no end to the fiery punishment. Many will receive the mark because of this false doctrine. That means that God would die if it were only a period of time. Notice in (Rev.15:7) And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. So if they are correct, using the same words, when these people come out of hell, God dies. If it were only a period of time in the following verses, the devil, beast, and false prophet would come out of the lake of fire at the end of that time. (Rev.20:10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Even though many Reconciliationists say they do not believe the devil will be saved, according to this doctrine, he has to be. If there is an end to his torment, God will die for the same phrase is used for the longevity of each. They say that “forever,” Greek: “aionios”, meaning “unto the ages”, is for a period of time, but the Kingdom will cease if that is true. We are told forever is without end. (Luk.1:33) and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Vines says this is a Greek Idiom; i.e., an expression whose meaning cannot be derived from the elements of the word. Idioms can always be explained by their usage in the text. If one said, “After he kicked the bucket, I went to the funeral”, you know that “kicked the bucket” means death. It is so with the Greek word for “for ever” or “eternal”. Forever is clearly set apart from a period of time in this verse: (Phm.15) For perhaps he was therefore parted [from thee] for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever. Clearly “for ever” is far more than a period of time. They also say eternal, which is the same Greek word, “aionios”, meaning “unto the ages”, and has no end. (Joh.10:28) and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. Clearly the elect only are eternal and eternal is clearly set apart from a period of time in this verse: (2 Cor.4:18) while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal (temporary or for a season); but the things which are not seen are eternal. If eternal is only a period of time, then at the end of that period, the wicked come out of hell and God and the righteous die. (Mat.25:46) And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. If “eternal” is only a period of time, then, according to this doctrine, God, the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God, the new body, etc., would come to an end; but God is also immortal, i.e., deathless (1 Timothy 6:16); the Holy Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14); the Kingdom is eternal (2 Peter 1:11); and the new body, which is also immortal, i.e., deathless, is eternal (1 Cor­inthians 15:52,53; 2 Corinthians 5:1). Here is the clincher: Those who do not have eternal life will “not see life”. (Joh.3:36) He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life (Greek: aionios; “unto the ages”); but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. We can't twist those words. “Not see life” clearly means never. Those who have eternal sin “never” get forgiveness. (Mar.3:29) but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin. Once again, we can't twist those words. Reconciliationists use the following verse to claim that “eternal” has an end. (Rom.16:25) Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, (26) but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God. There is no end of eternity, just as God here is eternal, but there are points in eternity when things are manifested like the revelation of Christ here. From our point of view, eternity goes into the past and into the future. Something may be eternally future without being eternally past. For instance, we have eternal life because we entered into eternity. The spiritual man in Jesus is eternal for he came out of God. His flesh had a beginning for He was sown of God and born of Mary.  And even before that He was “the beginning of the creation of God” and “the first-born of all creation”. This was a point in eternity. When other terminology is used in the Word as we have seen, the Ultimate Reconciliationists are at a loss. (Isa.66:24) And they shall go forth, and look upon the dead bodies of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. Clearly the wicked souls do not die for they are in eternal fire. (Job.5:6) How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a worm! Which will not come out of fire. (Mar.9:47) ... it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell; (48) where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Notice that using different words they will always be in fire. (Psa.49:19) He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light. Again using other words they will never see the light of truth. They also say, “everlasting” is a period of time, but as we can see, it has no end! (Jer.20:11) But Jehovah is with me as a mighty one [and] a terrible: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly put to shame, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten. Everlasting here is clearly eternal. When I was younger, “Ultimate Reconciliation” was often called the “Restoration of All Things,” taken from the KJV. (Acts 3:21) whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things (Things is not in the original Greek.), whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been. Restoration here is “apokatastasis,” meaning “back in order”. Only God's people can go back to order because the rest never had order. Notice that when the Lord returns after the Tribulation, the “restoration of all” of His elect is completed. At that time, He is not restoring the wicked but destroying them. (Rev.19:15) And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. Even a thousand years later, when all the wicked are resurrected at the Great White Throne judgment, they are taken from hell and thrown in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-15). That makes it clear that “all” is all of the elect, not all people, as even the Jews understood. To the Jews, “all” meant all of the elect. It is the same today. All of the elect, but without racial distinction, classes or conditions of people, rather than just physical Jews. All Israel is all elect Jews and Gentiles who are grafted into the olive tree (Romans 11:19-24,26), not those who are broken off. Compare the “all” in Mark 1:5 and Luke 7:29-30, where “all” is clearly the elect. The “all” whom the Father gives to Jesus are the elect in John 17:6,9 and in John 6:37,45. We see the same thing when we look at John 8:2, Acts 22:15, 2 Corinthians 3:2 and 1 Corinthians 15:22. Compare Romans 12:3 and 2 Thessalonians 3:2. Read 1 Timothy 2:6, Colossians 3:11 and Matthew 20:28. Jesus came to save only all of His own (Isaiah 53:8,11; Luke 1:68,77; Romans 9:21). God is not wishing that any of His people perish (2 Peter 3:9). (Rom.9:11) For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Reconciliationists say that God unconditionally loves the whole world and could not fail to save it. They like to use this verse as proof. (Joh.3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. Yet, God clearly specifies what part of the world He loves here as “whosoever believeth”. Jesus disagreed with their interpretation of this verse. (Joh.14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. (22) Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? (23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (Joh.15:10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (15:14) Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you. Here's even more proof from the Word: (Rom.9:13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. (Psa.5:5) The arrogant shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. (Psa.11:5) Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. (Pro.6:16-19) There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: (17) Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; (18) A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren. (Pro.8:17) I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me. (Hos.9:15) All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters. Friends, we cannot make God's love a worldly love. God would not be love if He permitted the wicked into His Kingdom to leaven the whole lump. God does not dwell in time and can, therefore, love by faith the elect whom He foreknew and foreordained. (Rom.9:11) for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. (Psa. 11:5) Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. God's people who live in sin will prove themselves called but not chosen, and He will love them no more. (Hos.9:15) All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters. This is not traditional, but I hope I've made it clear. (1 Cor.15:22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Ultimate reconciliationists use this verse to say that those in Adam, the whole natural man creation, and those in Christ, the whole spiritual man creation, are the same people, so therefore God will save all. However, the next verse narrows those “in Christ” to those who are His at His coming. (23) But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming. As most know, when Jesus comes, He will eternally destroy the wicked who were obviously not in Him. (2 Thes.1:7) and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, (8) rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: (9) who shall suffer punishment, [even] eternal destruction from the face of the Lord....   PREDESTINED AND CHOSEN Let us see who the full measure of those in Christ are, and also if God ever planned to reconcile all of Adam's seed. “Predestine” means “to determine destiny before it happens”. “Foreordain”, which is the same Greek word, means “to ordain an event before it takes place”. (Eph.1:4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. You who are manifesting sonship by bearing fruit have been chosen and are being drawn by God. (Rom.8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained (predestined) [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. God foreknew and decreed all who come to the likeness of Jesus, but not the apostate. “Foreknew” here does not mean that He looked into the future and saw what we would be. “Foreknew” here means “to know before” and is not connected with actions or events, but persons. God knew these people before the foundation of the world because He does not dwell in time. God conceives and knows what He creates before He speaks it into existence, just as we conceive and design something first in our mind before we make it. “Knew” speaks of intimate knowledge; for instance, Adam knew Eve. Jesus will say to those who called Him Lord but do not do the will of the Father, (Mat.7:23) “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you (I.e.,from the foundation of the world): depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. To the foolish virgins who had not the oil of the Spirit, Jesus said, “I know you not”. The ones that God intimately knew He “foreordained” before the creation to be conformed to the image of Jesus. God is creating us through His gift of faith and grace and His Word in us. These are the people on the narrow road. This is grace. (Rom.8:30) and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. We see here that all who are foreordained will be called, justified, and glorified. They will not fall away but will bear the fruit of Christ. Are there others who are called but not foreordained? Let us see. (2 Tim.1:9) who saved us, and called us with a holy calling … Notice that only the saved are called. “Called” is from the Greek word “kaleo”, which means “to invite”. “Called” is an invitation given only to God's people (for more proof, read Hebrews 3:1; Hosea 11:1; 1 Timothy 6:11,12; Matthew 25:14; Romans 1:6,7) to partake of His heavenly benefits in Christ in order to bear fruit. Those who bear fruit 30-, 60-, or 100-fold will be proven to be the chosen, or picked. Naturally, if at harvest time you have no fruit, rotten fruit, or unripe fruit, you will not be picked. The called are the vineyard of God (Isaiah 5:7). The chosen are the much smaller percentage who bear fruit (verse 10). (Mat.22:14) For many are called, but few chosen (Greek: eklektos; “elect”). The “called” can fall, but the elect or chosen will not ultimately. (Hos.11:1) When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. (2) The more [the prophets] called them, the more they went from them .... The Lord saved those who ate the lamb and were baptized in the Red Sea. He then tried them in the wilderness to see who would be a believer in the midst of trials, and only those entered the Promised Land. Jude warned the called of this very thing. (Jud.1) Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called ... (5) Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. Notice that the called were saved, but some did not continue in faith to bear fruit and were destroyed. Friends, God is not looking for what we loosely call “Christians”, but believers or disciples, as they were called. Jesus gave us very clear examples of His servants who are called but do not come and partake in order to bear fruit. Jesus shared a parable in which a king made a marriage feast for His son. (Mat.22:3) … and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden (Greek: “called”) to the marriage feast: and they would not come. They were full of excuses (a farm, merchandise, a new wife, etc.). (Mat.22:8) Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. Even one who appeared to come did not have on a wedding garment, which implies putting on Christ (Romans 13:14) or putting on righteous acts (Revelation 19:8). (Mat.22:13) Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few chosen. A few of the called are chosen or elect because they bear fruit. (Mat.25:14) For [it is] as [when] a man, going into another country, called his own servants (Greek: “bondservants”), and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey. Obviously, the man who went away was the Lord, and His bondservants are His people. Two of these example servants brought forth fruit of the talent given them (Matthew 25:20-22), but one buried his in the earth (used his talent for the earthly, Matthew 25:24,25). When our Lord returns, He will say, “And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth” (Mat.25:30). The apostle Paul, who said of himself that he was called in Galatians 1:6, also said, “But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected” (That's the Greek word for “reprobated”) (1 Cor.9:27). There is much more proof that the saved and the called can fall. Some good examples are 2 Peter 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:11,12; Hebrews 3:1,6,12,14, and Romans 11:1-7,19-23. Friend, you probably know if you are called, but are you chosen? You must be diligent in your walk of faith to prove this with fruit. (2Pe.1:10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election (“choosing”) sure: for if ye do these things (the attributes of Christ listed in verses 5-7), ye shall never stumble: (11) for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God, at the cross, has already given us everything that we need to bear fruit through faith. (3) Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; (4) whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Faith in the promises through the midst of trials will give us the fruit. The called have the power and the opportunity. The called and the chosen, or foreordained, use the power by faith and take the opportunity. The only ones who will ultimately be with the Lord are identified in this verse. (Rev.17:14) These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they [also shall overcome] that are with him, called and chosen and faithful. Notice that the called who are chosen will be faithful. I did not make these verses up; they are the Word of God. Those who have eyes and ears will see and understand, but the rest will justify their religion and ignore the Scriptures. Before time and the future, God sovereignly spoke the end from the beginning, bringing these things into existence in time. Some would argue, “How could God make a promise to all of His called and then not keep it for those who do not bear fruit?” The answer is that every promise in the Bible is useless until someone walks by faith in it. Our part of the covenant is faith; God's part is power and salvation. We can break the covenant through unbelief. (Num.14:11) And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them? (12) I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they. Notice that God is saying this to His own people who did not believe that He would disinherit them. Lest any believe that God cannot make a promise and then take it back when they do not walk in faith, pay attention to this: (Num.14:23) surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised me see it. (30) surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. (34) and ye shall know my alienation (Hebrew: “revoking of my promise”). Unless we mix faith with God's promises, they are void. (Heb.4:2) For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they (God's people): but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard. Many Israelites walked in sin and were disinherited and blotted out of God's book. (Exo.32:33) And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. The same is true of the Christians who do not overcome sin. Notice what the Lord said to the church. (Rev.3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life... They will be rejected from the body of Christ. (Rev.3:16) So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Many of God's people, Israel, were broken off because of unbelief, and Christians who were grafted in but do not walk by faith will be too. (Rom.11:20) Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: (21) for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. (22) Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Those who are still grafted in at the end are called “all Israel”… (26) and so all Israel shall be saved... Those who are still in the Book of Life, still grafted in, are the elect (Greek: “chosen”). (Rom.11:2) God did not cast off his people, which he foreknew ... (5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (Greek: “chosen”) of grace. A remnant is the ones who are left. Notice that they are foreknown and chosen. Sovereign God will have those who are truly His. Abiding in Christ is where salvation is. Some say God gave us the gift of eternal life so He cannot take it back. In Galatians 3:16, we are told, “To Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ”. So the promises were given to Christ, not to us individually. The only way the promises are ours is if we abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ is bearing fruit (John 15:1-6), walking as he walked (1 John 2:3-6), believing the same teachings given by Jesus and the apostles (1 John 2:24; Jude 3; Matthew 28:20), not adding or subtracting from the Word (Revelation 22:18,19), not walking in sin (1 John 3:5,6), and keeping his commandments (1 John 3:24). In Christ is the only place we can claim the gift of eternal life. (1Jn.5:11) ... God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. God does not have to take His gift back; His people walk out of it. (1 Cor.6:18) ... Every sin that a man doeth is without the body ... When you walk in willful sin, you are not abiding in His body, for in him is no sin (1Jn.3:5). (6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not … For instance, fornication, whether spiritual or physical, takes away the members of Christ and makes them members of a harlot (1 Corinthians 6:15,18). Only Christ and those abiding in Him are chosen. (Eph. 1:4) Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world... Only Christ and those abiding in Him are going to heaven. (Joh.3:13) And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven... Jesus Christ is the Manna from heaven, the Word, Who takes up residence in those who love Him; this is the fruit that God is coming to choose. By this time, I am sure some are thinking that they do not measure up. We must first abide in Christ by faith accepting the gospel report that “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me” (Gal.2:20). Those who walk by faith that they are dead to sin and Christ now lives in them are accounted as righteous until God uses that faith to manifest righteousness in them. (Gal.3:6) Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Amen. Next, I'd like to share with you a couple of testimonies from our website of people who received the revelation of the error in their thinking concerning their own salvation.   Coming Judgment on the Lukewarm Sandy - 01/15/2014 I had a dream that thousands of demons entered my bedroom, then jumped on me while I was in bed, devouring my flesh. I was totally paralyzed. I repeatedly shouted out, “You must flee, in the name of Jesus!” These demons continued to attack me. There was total darkness -- no Jesus. It was HORRIFYING. I felt as though I was in the pits of hell, and this is where my soul is going if I don't change my ways. Then I was whisked away, and I was standing in front of a large cross. From the center of the cross, a bright light was shining. I heard the Lord say to me, “Come to the cross. I did not hear or respond to your cries because you are not abiding in Me. Horrific evil is here, and more is coming, and if you do not abide in Me, you will be devoured. I will not hear nor respond to your cries, if you do not abide in me, and you will not be able to fight off this evil in your own strength”.  Then I was whisked back to my bed, where the demons were devouring me again. I was once again paralyzed. I breathed on them, saying, “Jesus”, and they eventually all fled. I woke up with tears streaming down my face, crying out to the Lord. Now, here is what is so IRONIC: I considered myself to be a born-again, saved Christian! Over the past few years, I've started to walk in the ways of the world, thinking it is okay because ‘I know the Lord loves me; I am a good person and I am saved.' How many other Christians are thinking in the same way? How many other Christians are not truly saved? I turned away from Jesus in my walk. It was a slow and subtle turning away, convincing myself all along the way that I can walk my walk, give the Lord ‘courtesy prayer' and everything will be okay. I WAS SO WRONG.  Thank You, LORD, for Your warning, as horrifying as it was. Thank You, LORD, for giving me another chance to make You Lord of my life.   My Salvation and Deliverance from Satanic Music James Austin - 07/08/2008 When I was a child and up to the age of 15, I had gone to some Baptist and Methodist churches off and on. I had even been what I believed at the time to be saved and baptized. I never really placed importance in my salvation as most Christians at the time. I was scared about hell, so I thought if I got saved, then I would go to heaven and still do whatever I wanted. When I was about 16, I cared only about the world and gave God no attention at all. I was associating with people who weren't Christian and listening to music that wasn't Godly. I began to stop believing that there was a God and didn't care if He even existed. A year and a half ago, I was up late one night and I had nothing to do and I started thinking about life and the world and I felt a sudden loneliness and sadness, and I looked up and said, “God, if You are real and Your Word is true, then help me; I want to know the truth.” I don't think it was even two weeks and God led a brother I work with by the name of Nehemiah to me to inquire about carpooling with me. By this time, I had forgotten about what I had asked God. I was still listening to satanic music and living very worldly. The first week he rode with me to work, I didn't play any music because I began to feel ashamed and did not want people to know which music I listened to. At this time, I didn't know Nehemiah was a Christian. A few weeks later, someone else with whom we were carpooling informed me that Nehemiah was a Christian. Then I really felt low and inadequate to be around him. One day, I was looking at some space nebula and stuff, and I saw what looked like Jesus' face in one of these objects in space. Then I started thinking about God even more. I asked Nehemiah one day about it, and we began talking, and he told me some things the Bible spoke of. Then, after about two weeks of talking and debating with him, he led me to your website, and I started reading and listening to some of your stuff and became very fearful of where I was headed. That morning when I got home from work, I cried to God to forgive me and save me. I confessed to so many evil things I had done and wept, and then felt a peace come over me. I have been reading and listening to your programs and teachings ever since, and I feel the Holy Spirit every time I do. God began to work in me, and I bought your “Sovereign God” book and an ASV Bible. Now I have the New Testament on audio, and I only have the desire to listen to music that glorifies God, and I listen and read the Word of God. I have lost the desire to watch all TV programs because I can now see the sinful nature of TV and how TV glorifies sin. I believe God has saved me and He also healed me from plantar fasciitis (a painful tendon injury) by faith alone. Glory to God! God Bless you, brothers and sisters. I don't listen to evil music, and I feel better inside. God has really changed me. Thank you! I had sent an email about my wife a while ago, but I couldn't remember if I had ever given my testimony to you. My wife is still an unbeliever, but I continue to pray for her salvation. I believe that one day God, in some way, will also save her.

Malachi Tresler. Galatians 4:4-5. "Only Christ the God-man, in his saving work, can solve our guilt and give us hope."

Because Christ has triumphed in the cross, no one can judge Christians based on those things that Jesus has fulfilled. The Old Testament regulations concerning food and drink and Sabbaths are a shadow of the body of Christ who has now been revealed. Although false preachers peddle practices that may look religious, any worship or piety that does not teach us to cling to Christ has no value. Only Christ, the Head of the Church, can hold His body together and cause it to grow and bear fruit.  Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Brenham, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Colossians 2:16-23.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit gracebrenham.org. “Letters from Prison” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that studies Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Even when Paul was imprisoned for the sake of Christ, the Word of God remained unbound. The apostle's letters from prison still fill us with the same joy that his chains could never silence. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

In this episode of the C-Suite for Christ Podcast, we're declaring war on the counterfeit religions of Communism and Antifa. A spiritual war is raging for the soul of our nation, fought not with tanks, but with ideologies that have a single mission: to dethrone God.This episode pulls back the mask on two of the enemy's most effective weapons: Communism and Antifa. These aren't just political theories; they are counterfeit religions, preaching a gospel of rebellion, envy, and chaos. From Marx's blood-soaked history to the modern-day riots in our streets, the same serpent is at work, promising utopia while delivering tyranny.We're here to arm you with the truth. To expose the lies disguised as "social justice" and "equity." And to call the church to stop whispering while the world burns.Buckle up. This isn't a political debate; it's spiritual warfare."For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." – Ephesians 6:12Episode Highlights:32:17 - You can't legislate love or redistribute righteousness. Only Christ can do that. Communism enslaves people economically. Antifa enslaves them emotionally. One binds the body, the other binds the mind. Both promise liberation and deliver slavery.43:16 - Antifa's tactics don't end with the riots of 2020. They've evolved. The group learned that you don't need to burn cities when you can burn reputations. Cancel Culture is Antifa's digital weapon. Social pressure is its firebomb. Today they don't wear masks in March; they wear HR badges and moderate your social media.54:23 - Silence in the face of evil is not neutrality, it's surrender. Speaking truth in love is not hate speech, it's hope speech. The most loving thing you can do for someone lost in deception is to tell them the truth.Connect with Paul M. NeubergerWebsite

When the Heart and Mind Agree: Finding Peace in Christ The prophet Joel calls the priests and people to repentance and fasting, . . . . . . warning that “the Day of the Lord” will bring judgment for those who remain unconverted but salvation for those who turn back to God with sincere hearts. True conversion means harmony between the heart and the mind . . . when our thoughts and desires are aligned with God's truth. Jesus illustrates this in the Gospel by confronting the Pharisees, who accuse Him of casting out demons by the power of the devil. Their hearts recognize His goodness, yet their minds reject Him out of pride and deceit, revealing an inner division. Jesus teaches that a “house divided against itself cannot stand” and warns that a heart cleansed of evil must be filled with God's grace, or else greater evils will return. The Homily concludes with an invitation to examine our own hearts: Are we filled with the Spirit of God or with division? True conversion brings harmony within us and, through us, harmony to our families, Church, and world. Only Christ, who is Truth itself, can bring this lasting peace and unity. Listen to this Meditation Media. Listen to: When the Heart and Mind Agree: Finding Peace in Christ ---------------------------------------------------- Art Work Christ And The Rich Young Ruler (cropped): German Painter: Heinrich Hoffman: 1899 ---------------------------------------------------- Gospel Reading: Luke 11: 15-26 First Reading: Joel 1: 13-15; 2: 1-2

As Paul traveled around the Roman world, he had made numerous disciples in various places. They were all regular people, and they all had different home towns. But they began to congregate around him, and the truly international nature of the Christian church began to take shape. It was becoming visible. The secularists play at unity and diversity, but it always veers to one side or the other. It either collapses into an anarchic mess, or it solidifies into a total state.Only Christ can give us form and freedom together. Paul had gathered these men together, and he was going to Jerusalem with them, a trip that would certainly underscore the point.

In this program, Chip explains four principles and four related practices that will increase our peace and provide absolute assurance that our needs are provided for, even in the midst of life's most difficult circumstances.Introduction: What would it take for you to be content?Content: Happy enough with what one has or is; not desiring something more or different; satisfied. -Webster's DictionaryThe Problem: The horizon is always moving.Two Historical Solutions:Conquer, achieve, and acquire until satisfied.Desire less and less until it doesn't matter.The Question: How can we be satisfied…today?The Answer: Philippians 4:10-13The Occasion: A “Thank You” Note -Philippians 4:10-13The Conclusion: Contentment is not a thing to be achieved, but a secret to be discovered.How?Four Principles – Four Practices:Principle #1 - Our contentment is not dependent on our circumstances.Practice = BE THANKFUL/GRATEFUL -Philippians 4:10Principle #2 - Contentment is an attitude we learn not a thing we achieve.Practice = BE TEACHABLE -Philippians 4:11Principle #3 - Prosperity does not have the power to give us contentment; nor poverty the power to take it away.Practice = BE FLEXIBLE / CHANGEABLE -Philippians 4:12Principle #4 - Only Christ has the power to give us a contentment that transcends all life's variables.Practice = BE CONTENT / TRUSTING -Philippians 4:13Conclusion: Contentment is not passive acceptance of the status quo, but the positive assurance that God has supplied one's needs, and the consequent release from unnecessary desires.Broadcast ResourceDownload Free MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource Mentions"I Choose Peace" BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

As we travel, we understand the horizon is always moving. The same is true in our desperate search for peace. In this program, Chip tells us peace is not a thing to be achieved, but a secret to be discovered.Introduction: What would it take for you to be content?Content: Happy enough with what one has or is; not desiring something more or different; satisfied. -Webster's DictionaryThe Problem: The horizon is always moving.Two Historical Solutions:Conquer, achieve, and acquire until satisfied.Desire less and less until it doesn't matter.The Question: How can we be satisfied…today?The Answer: Philippians 4:10-13The Occasion: A “Thank You” Note -Philippians 4:10-13The Conclusion: Contentment is not a thing to be achieved, but a secret to be discovered.How?Four Principles – Four Practices:Principle #1 - Our contentment is not dependent on our circumstances.Practice = BE THANKFUL/GRATEFUL -Philippians 4:10Principle #2 - Contentment is an attitude we learn not a thing we achieve.Practice = BE TEACHABLE -Philippians 4:11Principle #3 - Prosperity does not have the power to give us contentment; nor poverty the power to take it away.Practice = BE FLEXIBLE / CHANGEABLE -Philippians 4:12Principle #4 - Only Christ has the power to give us a contentment that transcends all life's variables.Practice = BE CONTENT / TRUSTING -Philippians 4:13Conclusion: Contentment is not passive acceptance of the status quo, but the positive assurance that God has supplied one's needs, and the consequent release from unnecessary desires.Broadcast ResourceDownload Free MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource Mentions"I Choose Peace" BookConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Chad Williams joins Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar to discuss how to protect children in an increasingly wicked world. The conversation begins with Chad's powerful testimony. Though Chad completed Navy SEAL training, he was struck with a deep emptiness. Becoming a SEAL had been his life's goal, but achieving it left him hollow. He realized no earthly accomplishment could satisfy the soul. It was through confrontation with Scripture that he began to understand the depth of human pride and sin. Only Christ can take away sin and cover His people with grace and mercy.Chad shares how, from the moment of his salvation, he was a changed man. He immediately began proclaiming the gospel and eventually crossed paths with Ray, who encouraged him to try open air preaching. That initial step was difficult, but it launched Chad into a bold and public faith. The guys talk about a clip of Chad engaging a skeptic with clarity and conviction. Mark recalls a humorous but intense moment when someone tried to steal Chad's ID during a preaching event—only for Chad to chase the man down and recover it. Chad's faith would soon lead him into another kind of battlefield: local politics.Now a city councilman in Huntington Beach, Chad stepped into office after seeing how far the culture had shifted. Once elected, Chad focused on defending the defenseless, particularly children. He and the council took action after discovering sexually explicit books in the children's section of the library. In response, they made plans to form a review board made up of community members to flag and relocate inappropriate materials; however, this initiative sparked backlash, with critics labeling it censorship and a book ban. One deeply disturbing organization sued the council over the committee's formation.This legal battle has reached a critical point. On June 10, there will be a vote on whether to preserve or dissolve the committee. The opposition is determined to shut down any effort that brings community accountability to public content. The guys along with Chad emphasize that this is not just a local issue—it is a spiritual battle with eternal stakes. If parents are not discipling their children, the world will. He reminds believers that discipleship is lived out daily. If sin isn't named, it will be renamed and rebranded as progress. He urges listeners to pray, support, vote, give, and reach out to those in Huntington Beach. The time to act is now. Children are watching, and their future depends on how boldly this generation stands.Send us a textThanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro