Podcasts about paul god

The Prayers of Paul: God's Will and Purpose In Prayers of Paul – Part 4, Pastor Lawson shares powerful insights from Paul's prayers in the Bible, particularly from Colossians 1. […] The post The Prayers of Paul Part 4 – God's Will and Purpose: Learning from Paul's Prayers in Colossians appeared first on Charis Christian Center.

At the time of this episode's release, we're only a few weeks removed from the Mike Tyson v Jake Paul boxing match. Millions of users tried to watch this fight on Netflix, but most were thwarted by shoddy broadcast connections. Whether folks watched the fight live or not, almost all were dissapointed with the outcome. This bout with a 31-year age gap left a lot to be desired, and we here at DT!HQ are going to give the people what they desire. With that goal in mind, we've set out today to determine "which video game character would be the best to fight Jake Paul?" Todd suggests we fight fire with fire and billionaire with billionaire. Andrew suggests we make everyone in the room uncomfortable. Kyle suggests the void. Recommended reading: Here's that crazy Mike Tyson Interview: https://youtu.be/0jA3fKMiKMs?si=YsQwSoJ2cuhPlPQW&t=147 The title of this week's episode was selected by our Patrons in our Discord Community! If you want to help us choose the next one, join our discord, and/or get some bonus content, become part of #ButtThwompNation at patreon.com/debatethiscast! Have you seen our Twitter? twitter.com/debatethiscast Have you seen our Instagram? instagram.com/debatethiscast Want to send us an email? debatethiscast@gmail.com Hey do you like our Twitter content? Would it bum you out if we left the platform? Let us know because we're thinking about it. MERCH! We have that! Right now you can go on the internet and order things that say Debate This! On them! All you need to do is head to MerchThis.net and give us your money! Ever wanted socks with the DT! logo on them? Well now you can get em! One more time that website is MerchThis.net! Properties we talked about this week: Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Lex Luthor, Injustice Gods Among Us, Voldo, Soulcalibur, Kirby, Marquees of Queensbury, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Chess Boxing Music for Debate This! is provided by composer Ozzed under a creative commons license. Check out more of their 8-bit bops at www.ozzed.net!

Live Stream Sunday School - Akron Alliance Fellowship Church, Akron OH - December 1, 2024#Paul #God #apostle #salvation #grace #Europe #Greek #Athens #Greece #faith #Jesus #Areopagus #Stoic #religious #unknown #unknowngod #repent #resurrection

Today we will be talking about thankfulness▪ Not just because Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but because it a commanded aspect of our livesConsider the verse: 1 Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”1. As basic as this question is, I think it's important to ask: what does it mean to give thanks to God?2. Why is giving thanks to God so significant that He says this is His will for our lives?3. Paul (God) doesn't really mean “all” in these verses does he?4. How does the surrounding context relate to “give thanks in all circumstances”?Let's read and talk through some other pertinent verses dealing with this topic▪ Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God the Father through him.”▪ Colossians 2:6-7 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in himand established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving▪ Philippians 4:6 “...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication withthanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”5. It seems like we might underemphasize the importance of thankfulness in the Christian life. Why is it soimportant? What practical insights would you give to help foster a spirit of thankfulness?For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 8:00am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on 94.1 The Voice in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA. If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them. Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website: https://941thevoice.com/podcasts/gospel-for-life/

How well do you know God's voice? Do you know it well enough to follow it into a situation where the situation looks bleak?

I. The Main Theme of the Bible: God's Savior! (Our salvation) 1. God's Savior is Coming - The Patriarchs & Prophets of Israel 2. God's Savior is Here - The Apostles 3. God's Savior is Coming Back- The Church II. The Books written by Paul - God's Church is his main focus! God's chosen instrument for accomplishing His mission! 1. The Theme (Main Idea ) of I Timothy - 3:14-162. The Trouble in the Church - is not a new problem. a. Jesus loves His Church so we should love His Church - b. Jesus is also concerned with His Church - Revelation 2 & 3c. Jesus wants us to follow His Model for His Church - 3 BooksIII. Threats to His Church - I Timothy 1 a. The Personal relationship - vv. 1-2b. The Problem of false teachers -vv. 3-11c. The Passion of Paul for grace - vv. 12-17d. The Price of blasphemy - vv. 18-20

A series untangling some of the Prayers of the Apostle Paul by Simon Manchester of Hope 103.2's Christian Growth podcast and pastor at All Saints in Woollahra, Sydney. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2's app, Facebook or Instagram.Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There seems to be an order at work in this passage from Paul: God in the Holy Spirit moves in his people, the people, share what comes from God, and lives worth of God are the result. Not that we create our own salvation, but that our love for the one who has shown love to us is so great, it changes our normal responses.

Friends of the Rosary: Today, on New Year's Day, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, our Lady's greatest title. The title “Mother of God” goes back to the third or fourth century. The Greek term Theotokos (“The God-bearer”) was officially consecrated as Catholic doctrine at the Council of Ephesus in 431. It became the first Marian dogma. At the end of the Council of Ephesus, crowds of people marched through the streets shouting: “Praised be the Theotokos!” This Catholic doctrine is based on the doctrine of Incarnation, as expressed by St. Paul: “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (721) explains this: "Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense, the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom." On this day the Catholic Church also celebrates the World Day of Peace, a tradition established by Pope Paul VI and confirmed by Pope John Paul II. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Blessed Virgin Mary, Pray for Us! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • ⁠January 1, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

There are times when God seems inaccessible. When we pray and we don't feel God's listening, we can end up feeling abandoned and like we have to face our situations alone. And that can also make us feel terrified and even hopeless. Paul understood those feelings. He'd longed for an opportunity to preach in Rome, and was on his way there when a hurricane destroyed his ship. Before setting sail, Paul had foreseen the loss of the ship, cargo and everyone on board (see verse 10). He tried to warn the crew of the impending tragedy, but his words were disregarded by those in charge. When the storm hit, they all felt a sense of despair. Paul and his companions ‘finally gave up all hope of being saved'. Then after fourteen days lost at sea – when the hurricane was fiercest – God sent an angel. ‘Do not be afraid, Paul…God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you' (v.24 NIV). Just when it looked like Paul's mission to preach in Rome would be stopped, God faithfully brought them through the storm to the exact destination He'd planned for them. Paul would then go on to declare God's Word before Caesar in Rome (read about it in Acts 28). Sometimes we can feel like we're caught in a storm too. But when the storm's raging, we can run to God for comfort and protection. When the storm's over, He can use what we went through to grow us. Whatever trial we're facing right now, we can trust God to carry us through it.

In this podcast Keith Glasgow preached on Acts 9:1-20

BIRDS! This episode, the Podcast 2 get a call from David Zazlov, CEO of Discovery Warner, because he wants to tap into the recent success of Top Gun: Maverick and thinks Warner Brothers has the perfect property…Clint Eastwood's Sully. Now, Sam & Max need to figure out how to get Sully back in the cockpit so they can crash that plane again. What body of water will he land it in this time? Will Aaron Eckhart return? Does Chet Hanks go bad with no dad? Who are Hanks' Tanks? If Paul Giamatti was God, would he be Paul God-imatti or Paul Jesus-matti? Is Captain Phillips' real power how good he is at driving cars? How many hot dogs does Sam eat a year? All that and more as we aim to save 155 more lives on this week's Podcast 2: The Sequel.Follow us on Twitter and InstagramTheme song by Charle WallaceSupport our Feature film, Inter-State, currently in Post-Production

Share real hope with your family, friends, and community!  - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in [not instead of, but in!] all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ROMANS 8:31-39 (NIV) Send the Real Hope team a messageListen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2's app, Facebook or Instagram. FINDING HOPE THROUGH THE LIFE OF PAULA Series by Heidi Wysman  I walk by faith, not by sight - The Apostle Paul He was one of the most influential leaders of the Christian church but his life is a story of how a life so against God can be transformed by Christ and flipped on its head. As you journey through this six-part series written by Heidi Wysman, we pray that your sight be cleared, that Paul's life will bring new revelation to your own, and that your zeal and your desire to serve Christ will be inspired and renewed through the example of Paul.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friends of the Rosary: Today, day eight of Christmas is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, the Octave Day of Christmas. We also sanctify in Christ the New Year's Day. The Word took our human nature from Mary. The title “Mother of God” goes back to the third or fourth century. However, the Greek term Theotokos (“The God-bearer”) was officially consecrated as Catholic doctrine at the Council of Ephesus in 431, thus becoming the first Marian dogma. This Catholic doctrine is based on the doctrine of Incarnation, as expressed by St. Paul: “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). On this day the Catholic Church also celebrates the World Day of Peace, a tradition established by Pope Paul VI and confirmed by Pope John Paul II. Ave Maria! Jesus, I Trust In You! + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • January 1, 2023, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together. Now you will remember, if you've been with us, that in our study of the book of Acts, we have come to Paul's being shipped off as a prisoner to Rome. Luke and Aristarchus went with him to to be a support to him and to suffer with him for the sake of Christ. They change ships at Myra and eventually come to a small port called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Now they want to move on, but the season for sailing is now over; and continuing on their journey would be perilous. And so it Paul advises them to wait. They don't listen and set sail anyways. And not long after that the worst thing imaginable happens to them. They are caught in a deadly, typhoon-like storm known as Euroclydon. And they do everything they can to weather the storm. But is says in… Acts 27:18-21 (NKJV)— 18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. {So they are throwing overboard all unnecessary gear and cargo in order to lighten the ship.} 19 On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. 20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days {(once again, meaning no navigation)}, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. {But it is at this point that we see the turning point of the story, as it says in…} 21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.  Told Ya So!— Don't you hate it when somebody says, “It told you so!”? That's never easy to hear. But Paul, though he does say, “I told you so!”, he is saying it only because he wants the men to see that they need to start listening to him. He doesn't rub their nose in it. No, instead he offers them a word of encouragement; but a word of encouragement that doesn't come from him, but once that had been spoken to him by God Himself. And it is here that Paul's chains begin to pull their faces upwards towards God. He's says… Acts 27:22-26 (NKJV)— 22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.” Reflecting Hope— And so Paul tells of this [last of six visions …{he}… received as recorded by Luke (cf. 9:3-6; 16:9-10; 18:9-10; 22:17-18; 23:11).] And personally this vision must have meant so much to Paul. Often when Paul was going through intense circumstances, God would send him a word of encouragement through a vision. And now is one of those times, and so God gives him a message, reaffirming the promise that Jesus Himself had made to Paul in 23:11; but I love how Paul doesn't view this vision as just his word of encouragement. No, he shares it with the rest of his shipmates. He receives hope from God but also reflects that into the lives of those who also need to hear it. And that is a great model for the Christian life, by the way. You and I need to be more than receivers from God; we need to be channels of grace; reflectors of grace in people's lives. Whatever you have been given, whether financially or educationally or spiritually is not meant for you alone. It is meant to be shared. And in sharing it, you will also be blessed. Granted to Paul— Now I also find it interesting that the angel tells Paul God has granted you all those who sail with you., which shows that the lives of these sailors was a real concern for Paul. And that leads to my next point, which is that the angel is making it very clear that the reason they are being preserved is because of Paul and his mission; and God's intention of helping him to complete that mission. Paul is the only reason they are going to be spared; and not by whit or cunning, but by the Almighty hand of God. Had Paul been on another ship rather than this one, this ship would have perished. And what you need to see here is how God is establishing Paul as the means of their physical salvation.  Take heart, men, for I believe God— Now note how Paul models what we are supposed to do when God speaks. He tells the rest of the men on board in verse 25: Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. He has absolute faith and trust in God and knows, without a shadow of a doubt that God will be faithful to keep His promises: take heart, men, for I believe God…. I just love that. Here is a man who is in the midst of turmoil, but isn't himself in turmoil. To borrow the words of a famous hymn, he's “leaning on the everlasting arms”. And what you absolutely cannot miss about this (I mean, it's so powerful and yet so obvious) is how his faith creates faith in those around him. He becomes an anchor for these men stronger than any other anchor these men are frantically trying to use (and we'll see eventually lose). And what you to take from this is the reality that your being anchored in faith and trust in God can be a source of encouragement to others. And that's a theme we will come back to. But when you are strong in the Lord; when you know who you are, what your purpose is, and have assurance in God's plans for you, you are like a lighthouse in a world just as dark as this tempest. People will be drawn to you; people will come to trust and follow you and may even come to faith through you.  Acts 27:27-29 (NKJV)— 27 Now when the fourteenth night had come {(meaning the fourteenth night from when they had set out from Fair Havens)}, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land. {(This was probably because they started hearing waves hitting the shore.)} 28 And they took soundings {(which they did with a weight attached to a length of rope with markings on it, by which they could measure the depth of the sea after the weight would hit the bottom. So they did this…)} and found it to be twenty fathoms {(or 120 feet)}; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms {(or 90 feet)}. 29 Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern {(And the reason they dropped the anchors was in order to help hold this ship in place, but also to keep the bow pointed toward the shore. But that's not all they did. It says they dropped the four anchors)}, and prayed for day to come. No More Prayer Needed— Now who's praying? Not Paul; the text doesn't tell us he was praying at all at this point. Now he may have been. But verse 27 has identified the ones engaging in all these actions as being the sailors. I honestly don't think Paul was praying at this point; or if he was, he certainly not asking God to move on behalf of the situation. Why? Because God has already told him what's going to happen and Paul already has said he believes in God. You see, Paul is a man of faith; he's not going to keep frantically praying for something God has already promised him. I think Paul is completely and utterly at peace. These other men are frantically beseeching their gods to act. But Paul knows that (because of God's promise) this ship has now become invincible, as indestructible as God Himself; because God Has made a promise. Now let me ask you, how sure are you about the promises of God? How deeply do you trust in them? God never goes back on His word. And if He has a plan and a purpose for you, as long as you remain obedient at faithful to Him, He will bring that plan and purpose to completion. All you have to do is keep following Him. Now, contrast this kind of faith-filled, assured way of living with what we see in the very next verse, as it says… Acts 27:30-40 (NKJV)— 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow {(which would have provided additional stability for the ship)}, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off. 33 And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. 36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. 37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. 38 So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea. 39 When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. 40 And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. 41 But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves. 42 And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. {And that was [because they knew Roman military law. If a prisoner escaped, the soldier or guard would be liable for the punishment of the one who escaped.] Well, that would certainly meant death for them. However, it says…} 43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land. {And so God we see that God did indeed keep His promise to Paul and the sailors.} Anchors Found— Now for many years it was believed that all this happened at what is now St. John's Bay. But for a number geographical reasons, this is likely not the case. But because of the incredibly exacting detail with which Luke records these events, a team of researchers was able to pinpoint the most likely location as actually being St. Thomas Bay. And sure enough, four first-century lead anchors had been found there. Now the divers who first found them didn't realize what they had found and, over the years, [two of the anchors had been melted down for use in scuba-diving weight belts, and a third was lost—to a place unknown.] But [the fourth anchor was preserved as a part of a deceased diver's legacy to his widow.] And there is a very strong case that this is indeed one of the anchors. Now we don't know for sure; perhaps we'll never know. But what we do know is that that anchor was not what saved the ship; it was the hand of God. And the true anchor for the men on board was the faith of Paul. Paul (because of his faith) was an anchor for those men. But you know, that's pretty typical. Anchors for Others— Have you ever noticed how, when times of crisis come in the lives of lost people, it is Christians who step in (or are sought out) as persons who can provide stability and offer answers. The reality is that people look to Christians when times get tough; Christians who have confidence and assurance; Christians who are anchored in Christ and are therefore anchors for other people. That is the central point of this passage; not that Paul simply took leadership but that people came to trust him and follow him because God was speaking though him telling him what would happen and then how things would go after those very things happened. The unsaved crew came to understand that their very lives depended on their following Paul's instructions to a “T”. Through Paul, they would be delivered. And that was true spiritually as well. Their lives were headed for shipwreck, eternally. And Paul was the bearer of instruction on how to be delivered from THAT shipwreck. And God used this scenario to open their ears not just to yield control of the helm of the ship to God, but to make them also open to hear what Paul had to offer them spiritually as well. Now what you and I are to take from this story is this: If you are close to Jesus, you are going to find people coming to you. They won't always ask questions (they may not even know what questions they should ask you). They may not even understand why they find you an anchor for them or a person they want to be around. But (for some reason) they know their life is better with you in it. And the signature mark of a Christian is to allow these kinds of people to come to you or (like Jesus often did) seek those people out; because lost people who find you to be an anchor for them will often not even have the sense to come to you.  Our People— William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) said “Go straight for souls, and go for the worst.” And that's why [One Sunday evening, William Booth was walking in London with his son, Bramwell, who was then 12 or 13 years old. The father surprised the son by taking him into a saloon! The place was crowded with men and women, many of them bearing on their faces the marks of vice and crime; some were drunk. The fumes of alcohol and tobacco were poisonous. "Willie," Booth said to his son, "These are our people; these are the people I want you to live for and bring to Christ." Years later, Bramwell Booth wrote, "The impression never left me."] In Their Midst— The reality is that there are people all around us who are shipwrecking their lives. And after they hit the rocks, the don't even know how to get back up on their feet and pick up the pieces. And what they need are people like you and me to be Paul's in their midst. To bring into their midst the hands and feet of Christ; to be anchors who will keep them from washing away and point them to He who can be anchors for their souls. Let's be anchors for people so that through us they may come to faith in Christ. Let's do so. Amen.

Paul, God's Pattern (Hugh Sanders) - 8.27.2022

On this week's episode you'll see how Paul (God's disciple) was loved by strangers in one moment and judged in another. Does that sound familiar to you. A lot of times it's usually from individuals we've allowed to stay in our lives for way too long. It's my prayer that after you listen to this episode you will find your voice, strength and take the necessary action to FREE yourself unapologetically. Please be sure to listen to the entire episode to hear the invitation for you at the end. Please be sure to leave a review on Apple letting us know how this platform is helping you heal in life. Send me an email to: customerservice@conniesmcmillan.com with questions or comments regarding any of our episodes. BOOK YOUR CLARITY CALL (HERE) DOORS TO MEMBER ARE CLOSED JOIN WAITLIST here. Click here to purchase my digital course: Get your signed copy of my book "Alcohol Fiend To Sobriety Queen" to receive 25 tips to putting down the bottle and picking up your crown today. here Schedule your Freedom Call here To order your merchandise "Generational Curse Destroyer" Sober, Saved And Naturally Dope" Click the link below https://teespring.com/stores/sobriety-queen-connie?page=1 To get more information to support you on your healing life journey click the link to my website below. @conniesmcmillan #christiancoach #soberchristian #lowselfesteemsupport #lowselfesteemissues #womenwhohelp #womenwhosupport https://conniesmcmillan.com/ Love & Gratitude Always Connie McMillan --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/connie-mcmillan/support

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God… (Romans 1:1) If you were in class, begin at 20:46. Stay in the battle! Steve

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God… (Romans 1:1) If you were in class, begin at 20:46. Stay in the battle! Steve

This episode of the YOU MATTER To Christ Podcast features Paul Michalski, Founder of Integrous LLC. Sometimes, it takes a massive sledgehammer to wake you up to even the smallest realizations. Paul shares the story of when he realized that his marriage was in a downward spiral. He tells of the profound experiences God showed him to get through this and other hardships later on in his life. He also talks about what Integrous LLC does and how they advise leaders on how to lead faithfully.    HIGHLIGHTS Experiences growing up and how others would describe Paul The moment of realization that his marriage was spiraling down When God showed and taught him not to give up The focus of Integrous   QUOTES Paul: "The third thing, thankfully, is I did something I had not done in a long time is I cried out to God to help me. And that moment changed the rest of my life." Paul: "I've lost count of the number of people whose lives have been transformed because in a moment of desperation they said, God if you're real, now would be a really good time to show me." Paul: "God would show up to just show me in a way that I would understand, 'just don't give up.' The lesson I learned was so often I think we give up on the brink of success. That we give up just at that last moment."   Connect with Paul by following the links below: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmichalski/ Website: https://integriosity.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two very different shepherds feeding Jesus' flock

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. As you know, it has been a very challenging time for Paul and his missionary team here in the book of Acts. Paul and Silas have recently been released from prison, have continued ministry in both Thessalonica and Berea, and are facing fierce opposition from the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica who then come to Berea as well to try to inhibit their ministry. And Paul has therefore been forced to flee to Athens, where he is awaiting Silas and Timothy to join him. And so that is where the story of our passage today takes place; in Athens. It says in… Acts 17:16 (NKJV)— 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Deeply Disturbed— Now the word translated as “provoked” here [is the Greek word “paroxysm,” meaning “sudden, violent emotion.”] Paul looked at the spiritual lostness of these people who had been deceived and blinded by Satan and who are trapped within a pagan culture and system that was without hope and without salvation and was filled with a combination of both righteous anger and grief, which ought to erupt from the heart of any believer when they see either physical or spiritual slavery. Futile Idolatry— I remember having that feeling at times during my visits to countries like China, Singapore, Malaysia, or the Asian supermarket down the street (which they said I don't need my passport to get into). But honestly, here in the Seattle area there is a lot of it, as people have come here from all over the world and have brought their idols with them. I mean it's a very sad thing to see. My family and I sometimes go out to Asian restaurants and see those little golden cats waving at us; they sometimes have their little shrines set up; and there's often a statue of Buddha to greet us as we walk in and out. I feel sad because I know that many of these people trust in these things to save them when they really have no power to save. Impotent gods— Some time ago I read a story of how [Hideyoshi, a Japanese warlord who ruled over Japan in the late 1500s, commissioned a colossal statue of Buddha for a shrine in Kyoto. It took 50,000 men five years to build, but the work had scarcely been completed when the earthquake of 1596 brought the roof of the shrine crashing down and wrecked the statue. In a rage Hideyoshi shot an arrow at the fallen colossus. "I put you here at great expense," he shouted, "and you can't even look after your own temple.”] But you know, that is how useless idols are. And you and are grieved when we see people living in worship of those false gods. Compassion That Moves Us— And here I think Paul feels this similar overwhelming compassion when he sees the idolatry so prevalent there in Athens, where people are worshiping things rather than the Creator; things that have no power to save. And note how he is not just feeling sorry for lost people. No, he is demonstrating Biblical compassion, which is always something that moves you into action. If you and I feel concern for our lost loved ones (or anybody else we know who doesn't know Jesus), but never take action; never witness; never take the time to enter into their world to bring them the light of Christ, then we don't really have compassion on them. Compassion (in the Biblical sense) is a movement in your soul that translates into a movement of your body. And that is what Paul is demonstrating. He's being compelled into action, it says in… Acts 17:17 (NKJV)— 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. A Balanced Ministry— Now I'd like to point out that here you have a demonstration of a healthy balance in ministry. You preach the Word in Church, but then you also carry that Word out into the marketplace; the world. Paul was no doubt at home in the synagogue. But in the marketplace with lost pagans? That was probably outside his comfort zone. But that is where the need was and so that is where he went. And sometimes when it comes to us and our ministry, God may call us out of our comfort zone. He may even call us to another country; another culture. And though we might feel intimidated by that, as with Paul we can see great things happen if we are just willing to step out and obey that calling. Now as Paul is engaging with people in the marketplace, it says in… Acts 17:18a (NKJV)— 18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. The Epicureans & Stoics— Now [The Epicureans and Stoics were the dominant philosophers in Greek culture. The Epicureans believed that seeking happiness or pleasure was the primary goal of life. By contrast, the Stoics placed thinking above feeling and tried to live in harmony with nature and reason, suppressing their desire for pleasure. Thus, they were very disciplined.] So you have two very polar opposite philosophical groups. And it says… Acts 17:18b (NKJV)— And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” “Babbler”— Now I find it funny that the word they use to mock Paul is “babbler”. Where does the word “babbler” come from? Babel; the place where mankind rebelled against God and God drove them apart by confusing their languages. And early in our study of the book of Acts we talked about how (in many ways) Pentecost (where every person heard the Gospel in their own native tongue) was a picture of mankind's reunification with God in and through the atoning work of Christ, resulting in the outpouring of the presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit. How ironic it was then that they called the man who brought to them this good news “babbler”, which was actually the complete opposite of what he was really doing. Let me tell you, people may call you a bigot, intolerant, or any plethora of other things, when in fact you are the complete opposite. You are bringing the good news of perfect love, not hate; of salvation and freedom; not anger and condemnation. So, as my mentor Roman Miller used to say, “Have a thick hide and a warm heart.” And Paul obviously does. Now while some called him “babbler”, it says… Acts 17:18c-21 (NKJV)— Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. “some new thing”— Now that last part of the description is not a compliment. These are not people who are just curious about new ideas and who want to grow their understanding. No, these are people who are enslaved to novelty. They are very much like us in our day and age; a people who always think the new is better than the old. The new generation in our day and age, for example, thinks the old is foolish or (even worse) evil, which is why our founding fathers have come under such strong attack. And our progressive schools are getting more and more bold in their helping to shape their students to think ill of their ancestors and their “foolish”/“evil” beliefs. Because, after all, they weren't as scientifically sophisticated as we are in our day and age. And so what Satan has done is he's driven between us and our history a wedge of pride and arrogance that makes us incapable of fully understanding both who we are and who we are meant to be. That is what it means to be enslaved to novelty. And the way you break out of that mindset is through committing yourself to humbly examine all the facts and weigh your beliefs against them. You need to reason through your beliefs. And that is what Paul helps them (and all he comes into contact with) to do. It says “he reasoned with” them. Reasoning With Them— Now this is so important for us to grasp because Paul is not just preaching at them with passion and conviction. No, if you are going to convince thinking non-believers, you need more than just passion and conviction. You need to show how the evidence supports what you are saying. And this is what made Paul God's perfect choice for this ministry because these men of Athens were (despite their slavery to novelty) very intelligent, thinking people. Athens was not just a city of magnificent buildings and a plethora of gods; no, it was [a center for Greek culture, philosophy, and education.] And so Paul is the perfect one to bring these men the Good News of Jesus Christ because he himself was from a city that was considered an educational center: Tarsus. He was a rabbi who had trained under a great rabbi, Gamaliel (the finest scholar of his day), and had therefore spent much of his life thinking and reasoning through the scriptures. But not only did he receive training and knowledge in Jewish philosophy and in the Hebrew Scriptures, but he was (as we will see) also deeply familiar with Gentile works, poets, and philosophers as well. And so he was the perfect one to help Gentile pagans understand and connect with a Jewish Messiah. And next week we will see how he does that. Preparing Ourselves— But what we need to glean from our passage today is the reminder that you and I also need to prepare ourselves to be strong witnesses for Christ. You and I need to know our stuff and be ready to give an answer. Because [The more we know about the Bible, what it means, and how to apply it to life, the more convincing our words will be.] Now does that mean that we should wait until we feel we know a lot before witnessing? Of course not. We ought to start immediately with what we already know and understand, but at the same time seeking always to grow our understanding so that our witness will become more and more effective as we are able to answer more and more of people's questions and arguments. It's like it says in… 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)— 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, Let us ready and prepare ourselves this week. Amen. #lechempanim #christianity #GodsPresence #christianradio #christianpodcast #athens #Areopagus #idolatry #paroxysm #compassion #gospel #witnessing #evangelism #sharingyourfaith #rentonparkchapel #CameronUry #bible #newtestament #exegesis #ntstudies #ChristianSermon #biblestudy #SalemMedia

Lessons from their lives - Talk 28 Paul (Part Two) Welcome to Talk 28 in our series, Lessons from their lives. Today we continue with the subject of Paul. Last time, we talked about Paul's conversion and the vision he received on the Damascus Road. We noted, among other things, that the Lord Jesus revealed to Paul: God's purpose for his life Acts 26:16 Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. Acts 26:18 To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness… The things he would have to suffer for the sake of Christ's name Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.' Today we are going to consider: The miraculous help God gave him to fulfill God's purpose for his life The things Paul suffered in fulfilling God's purpose for his life The miraculous help God gave him to fulfill God's purpose for his life This is summarised in Romans 15:17-19 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. Examples in Acts Acts 13. In Cyprus   Elymas Acts 14:3 In Iconium So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. Acts 14:8-10 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!' At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Acts 16. In Philippi Demon possessed girl delivered Paul ans Silas delivered from Prison Acts 19:11-12. In Ephesus God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to those who were ill, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Acts 20. Eutychus Acts 27 Shipwreck Acts 28 Viper Father of Publius The sick of the island The things Paul suffered in fulfilling God's purpose for his life In the light of the miraculous way God used Paul in miraculous signs and wonders, especially healing, we might wonder why Paul had to suffer at all. Yet, as we read through Acts we see that persecution and suffering seem to have gone hand in hand with the miracles that accompanied the preaching of the gospel. And in 2 Corinthians 11 Paul himself describes many of the things he suffered for the sake of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 he tells us how he: was in prison frequently…flogged severely… exposed to death again and again Five times received 39 lashes Three times beaten with rods… once pelted with stones… three times shipwrecked… spent a night and a day in the open sea, constantly on the move… in danger from rivers… from bandits…from Jews… from Gentiles… in the city… in the country…at sea…. and from false believers. laboured and toiled… often gone without sleep… gone without food… been cold and naked. But in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Paul tells us of what was possibly a different form of suffering which he describes as a thorn in my flesh. This is set in the context of Paul's defence of his apostleship against the claims of those he calls false apostles (11:13). Having referred to his abundant labours and frequent persecutions at the end of chapter 11, he goes on to speak reluctantly of visions and revelations which he has received. He informs his readers that because of these surpassingly great revelations, in order to keep him from becoming conceited, he has been given  a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Read vv. 7-10. or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. What lessons for our lives can we learn from Paul's experience in this passage? What was the thorn? Some people believe it was a sickness. Others argue that it was not. In my book, Just a Taste of Heaven, I discuss the pros and cons and conclude that we cannot possibly be sure. The verse is set in a passage where Paul is talking about weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties (v10), but the word he uses for weaknesses can also mean sicknesses, so it would be foolish to be dogmatic either way. We simply do not know what the thorn was. But does this matter? It's quite possible that God had a purpose in not telling us what it was. This way there's a wider field of application to our personal needs. What we do know is that it represents some form of suffering which was: physical (in the flesh) extremely painful (a thorn, cf. torment) a cause of weakness (for my power is made perfect in weakness) The thorn was given Presumably Paul means that it was given by God although he also  describes it as a messenger of Satan The best way to understand this is to look at the story of Job. It was Satan who afflicted Job, but it was God who gave him permission to do so. God is sovereign. Whatever happens he has either caused or permitted. The thorn was given for a purpose In the case of Paul it was: to keep him humble - to keep me from becoming conceited to manifest God's power - my power is made perfect in weakness. God's purpose for allowing a thorn in our lives might or might not be the same. The important thing to know is that there  always is a purpose in what the Lord allows in our lives. Paul prayed persistently for its removal Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' The significant thing here is not the number 3. What's important is that Paul kept on praying until he had an answer. (Cf. James 5:13 which literally reads: Is anyone suffering badly? Let him keep on praying). God's answer was not what Paul was expecting No doubt Paul was expecting the thorn to be removed in answer to prayer, but on this occasion God said, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Paul's reaction Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I will boast… if we are weak or sick there is no need to feel ashamed I delight… Paul could rejoice because what he suffered was for Christ's sake. Despite physical weakness he was spiritually strong. Christ's power becomes available to us when we are not strong in ourselves. Conclusion The fact that God uses a person like Paul in performing miracles to confirm the message of the gospel does not mean that he is immune from suffering. Quite the opposite. God does allow bad things to happen to good people. But when he does there is always a purpose. If we are suffering it is always right to keep on praying until we receive an answer. This may be the removal of the suffering or the assurance that God's grace is enough for us to be able to endure it. And if that's the case, then we can rejoice that God's power is resting on us, that he has a purpose in allowing it (even if we don't know what that purpose is) and that his grace in enabling us to bear it may well be a greater testimony to others than if he granted us a miracle of deliverance!

Joining Laura Fleetwood this week is Pastor Jim Mueller. Jim is the Lead Pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Missouri. He's going to tackle what it means to be a Christian and how we live that out in our lives. Highlights from the episode include: *How “Little Christ” is in us *God's greatest intervention *Divine Love, what is it? *The “snap the finger” argument *Adam & Eve *Be honest like Paul *God is for YOU Normal Goes A Long Way Website: https://www.normalgoesalongway.com/ Normal Goes A Long Way Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normalgoesalongway/ Normal Goes A Long Way Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Normal-Goes-A-Long-Way-110089491250735 Normal Goes A Long Way is brought to you by Messiah St. Charles: https://messiahstcharles.org/

The Sweet in the Sour....

Paul: God Changes Everything - August 1st, 2021

Title- The Life of Paul- God Preserves His Church Against Saul-Series- Acts-Speaker- Creston Thomas-Bible- Acts 9-1-9-Date- June 20, 2021-Full Sermon-

Full Text of ReadingsSolemnity of Mary, Mother of God Lectionary: 18All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Solemnity of Mary, Mother of GodThe title Mother of God goes back to the third or fourth century, but the Greek term Theotokos (The God-bearer) was officially consecrated as Catholic doctrine at the Council of Ephesus in 431, thus becoming the first Marian dogma. At the end of the Council of Ephesus, crowds of people marched through the streets shouting: Praised be the Theotokos!This Catholic doctrine is based on the doctrine of Incarnation, as expressed by St. Paul: God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4).In its chapter on Marys role in the Church, Vatican IIs Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium (Light of the People) calls Mary Mother of God 12 times.On this day the Catholic Church also celebrates the World Day of Peace, a tradition established by Pope Paul VI and confirmed by Pope John Paul II. Saint of the Day Copyright CNA, Catholic News Agency

All For My Glory God’s Autobiography His book starts with a preface - Before the Beginning Genesis 1:1. - In the Beginning … GOD John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Psalm 90:2 - Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. While the Bible is God’s story in relation to us, He did not start on day one. God exists - always has; always will. It would be great to have a sequel to the Bible describing God’s back story - but His purpose in the Bible is to describe how all that is - is for His Glory. HIStroy Begins Wait a minute - didn’t you just say that God always has existed and always will? Yes - but time has not. Time was created by the one who is timeless (this is where the scify part of the Bible comes in) History exists because time exists and the introduction to the entire Bible starts with - God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) In the subsequent 30 verses found in Genesis 1 we find that God created all things for His Glory - Sun, Moon, Starts, Planets, Water, Land, Fish, Birds, Animals and yes - even Humans. All created in perfection. All created from His power and, like a great painting or piece of artwork, creation points back to the creator. Romans 1:19-20 - For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. But our story turns quickly - All Is Not Well in Paradise Into this wonderful creation that existed to bring Glory to the Creator - entered that which defiled His Glory. Man who was created in God’s image, possessing knowledge, self awareness and the will to act determines that they know better than the creator of what is good for them and they go against the rules of order that God established. That which was created for His Glory in perfection becomes cracked and broken through disobedience. Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-6 Broken, but not Forgotten Genesis 3:8-15 God did not need to - but He chose to seek us out in our place of failure. FOR HIS GLORY. God provided a way out of our dilemma - FOR HIS GLORY. God’s Autobiography then introduces character after character - from generation to generation - stories that intertwine one message - the message of His redeeming love that brings healing and hope. Men and women who He used not because they were great or worthy - but because they pointed to the one who is. Page after page we see God working out a great plan of salvation ALL FOR HIS GLORY! Let me point you to just a few that are found among the hundreds of examples: Abram and Sarai - Their eyes were fixated on the fact that they were barren, childless - without anyone to carry on their family lineage. Into their dark moment God brings light - but not merely an answer to their family problem - it is an answer to the problem of all humanity. They are granted a child (Isaac) Fast forward - The nation God established through Abram is placed into hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt - God sends a deliverer (Moses) into their hopeless situation. But God did not choose Moses because he was a great leader or wonderful orator or a powerful warrior - no, he chose one that was weak and flawed because it would point to HIM. The people of Israel are freed and delivered ALL FOR GOD’S GLORY. As chapter after chapter unfolds in God’s story, character after character that we are introduced to declare that every element of the story is FOR GOD’S GLORY. Jump ahead again to yet another unlikely person in God’s Autobiography: Joshua 2:1-15; 6:22; Matthew 1:2-5 Enter in Jesus at the climax - Here we see The Cost of Redemption What would it take for things to be set right and for God to be Glorified? Colossians 1:15-20 Matthew 27 Colossians 1:21-23 As we continue to read we see that this was not the end. God continued to use interesting characters to bring the message of redemption to those who were still far from Him. Even in this we see that it is all done for God’s Glory. And this story is not yet done - but unlike other historical biographies, we get to see the end of this one before it has actually taken place. God tells us what will take place. What will be A Glorious Ending All for His Glory. Revelation 22 Next Week: What is your part in God’s Story? And now - we have the distinct privilege to be involved in the story. Just as God used Abram, Moses, Rahab, David, Samson, Isaiah, Peter and Paul - God will use you The Gospel - The Best Story Ever - It is the Good News (Romans 1:16)

Where do you draw your line? At some point, we all either have faced or will face a situation that we believe is forcing us to choose between our core beliefs and professional success. But do you actually have to make that choice? Allen C. Paul from God and Gigs is here to help us answer that question, as well as shed light on how he's using the God and Gigs platform to help other creatives succeed without sacrificing their faith. Subscribe to the podcast and follow the show on Instagram and Facebook, @jaded80sbaby.Support the show (https://www.paypal.me/jaded80sbaby)

In this episode of Message Daily, L. David Harris continues his series entitled “Making Friends for God.” In this study Harris takes us to Acts 9:3-6; 10-20. >>> Injustice anywhere makes way for unrighteousness everywhere! Right living and understanding of the Scriptures stems all malice, injustice, pride, hatred, racism, and sin.

This chapter outlines the first actions these followers of Jesus were taking, from speaking to each other across various languages, able to understand each other because of a miracle God was doing right there in front of them, to a wonderful sermon by Peter that was laying the foundation of what the church would stand for, and then a picture of what community looked like for these early believers. Just a small thing that I noticed this morning - I noticed how the people that were there in Jerusalem saw these people speaking in tongues, and instantly they began to reason that these people must be drunk. It reminds me that sometimes, when we are seeking explanations for things that happen, we tend to give ourselves options that don't include God. In fact, I think this is probably one of the reasons I don't experience God as fully as I could...I typically just ascribe explainable, mundane things as coming from chance and or natural causes, without putting God in the equation. Yeah, it is possible that I made all of the lights on the way to work yesterday out of luck. But, it is equally possible that God was intervening in some way. My logical and natural inclination is to think to myself, “God wouldn't bother himself with that, there are far more important things going on that the lights headed to work. But there is where the logical fallacy takes place...is my God limited in His resources to where if he interacts with me on a small detail in my life like that, that he can't be saving a kid from drowning in a pool somewhere in France at the exact same time? Well, no...he isn't. ...that's just a tangent though. Certainly the bulk of this chapter is dedicated to Peter's sermon. And, though this isn't a ‘deep' thought, I am always reminded of it as I read through this chapter of acts, and this sermon of Peter's. It wasn't but a few chapters back, flipping back through the first chapter of Acts and back into Luke 18 that Peter was denying Jesus, questioned by a little teenage girl - and then the disciples (including Peter) disappeared, presumably hiding out and waiting to figure out what to do since their leader had died, before Jesus showed back up and helped them to connect the dots, now getting to a place where they could begin to understand that everything Jesus had been predicting and describing was actually taking place all along the way...they were blind to what was happening right in front of them. That same Peter now steps into the role of spokesman for the church; that same Peter who was scarred with confusion and spiritual blindness, is now awakened. Peter gives me hope. Peter, and later Paul, reminds me that God always redeems the heart and the mind and the life of the person who stays in there, trying to understand, leaning in for God's word...and, sometimes God even redeems those people who weren't doing any of that, just because they are part of His plan. In contrast, thinking of Paul - God really just snatched him up and inserted him into Christian history, almost out of the blue. But, Peter's story encourages me to continue to grow, to continue to pray, to continue to read...it reminds me of the recent study of Daniel, that our faith is grown progressively, over time, through time...and often by way of a path that is far from straight!

THE WRESTLEThe story of Jacob starts in Genesis chapter 25 (8 chapters) with Jacob grabbing his twin brother Esau’s heel at birth. He couldn’t wait, he wanted to be out there first, right from the beginning (The heel grabbing didn’t work by the way because Esau came out first), but that became the story of his life – Heel grabbing is all about impatience! Outa my way…Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, the father of the Hebrew Nation. Abraham was told by God that his descendants would inherit the Land of Canaan, the Promised land. So as the firstborn son of Isaac, Esau was in line for he and his descendants to inherit all the Promises given to Abraham. The inheritance was to be imparted at the end of Isaac’s life and now it was time to pass it on. The Bible says that Esau was a hairy man, a hunter, and he smelled of the hunting fields.But Jacob cheated his Father and older brother by dressing up to smell like his older brother, and when Esau was out hunting Jacob asked his blind old father for the firstborn blessing. When Isaac reached out to lay his hands on him and impart the blessing he thought it was Esau. So Jacob received the blessing of the firstborn, with the help of his mother, and Esau missed out. She knew that Jacob had a heart after God and that Esau wasn’t interested in the spiritual blessing anyway and she decided to give God a hand.. She then tells Jacob to run away to where her brother Laban and his daughters lived. He runs away in fear of his life, knowing how angry Esau would be. On his way he camped overnight in a place called Bethel and had an encounter with God – He received a vision where God said; ‘I am The Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you’. That was the first direct blessing from God to Jacob. The blessing of the PROMISE. The blessing was now Jacob’s. Many years later after he had skillfully succeeded in prospering himself at his father-in-law Laban’s expense he decides to return to his land with his wives and children and a wealth of goods. He had been told that Esau was on his way to meet him, and of course he was afraid. So he sent his wives and children and servants ahead of him with gifts for Esau to hopefully placate his brother’s anger. He waits back and stops at a brook and it was there that Jacob has another encounter with God and that changes his life. He wrestles with God, who appears in the form of an angel and they wrestle throughout the night. He tells God that he will not let go of him until God blesses him. God touched his thigh in the wrestle and Jacob’s hip is put out of joint, and God tells Jacob he has prevailed (Lasted the distance, endured)... That was the second direct blessing from God to Jacob – The blessing of the WRESTLE. During the struggle God asked Jacob his name and when Jacob tells him, God says ‘your name shall no longer be called Jacob, (which means conniving cheat )(the swindling heel grabber), but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’ So that night the old Jacob meets the new Jacob as Israel - a change of name to indicate the change of nature. Israel means You have power with God. He no longer had to live as an impatient heel grabber – God was at work.Jacob also asked God what his name was. God didn’t tell him his name but he asked him why he wanted to know, and Jacob says ‘because I have seen God face to face and have been preserved.’ Face=presence. He had been in the presence of God.Power with God – Preserved – Presence of GodThe real prevailing – lasting the distance, was that Jacob wanted God and needed God more than anything else, and that he was willing to face being changed and go through the wrestle with God, clinging to him and lasting the distance to receive that blessing that only God could give – being changed into the person God wanted him to be, being preserved, having power with God, living in his presence. From that time on after the second encounter, the wrestle, Jacob walks with a limp. God was saying to Jacob; You now have power with me, ruling with me in my strength, with your new name Israel, but only when you don't insist on ruling in your own strength as Jacob. I will be reminding you of your heel grabber weakness that you were born with every time you put weight on that leg of yours and have to limp.Jacob’s limp was the reminder that his inherent weakness was ‘heel grabbing’ and that he had always been tempted to impatiently use that as his strength. These two messages concerning two separate blessings from God to Jacob are lessons for us of two separate experiences of encounters with God and blessings from God that we have through Jesus. For Jacob the first encounter was the promise of the blessings of Abraham. Our first encounter is a revelation of the promise of the blessings we have in Jesus. The second encounter of blessing with Jacob was his wrestle with the angel proving to himself and to God that he had a heart to pursue God to wait on God and to wait for God. That took a few years to arrive.Our second encounter of blessing that we experience is the blessing of our WRESTLE with God, with a heart to pursue God and to wait on God and to wait for God. We don’t have to wait years for that – It can happen any time we’re ready. Jacob had to be reminded that he was a heel grabber – that is what the limp signaled to him – that he had the potential to go back to his old manipulative impatient ways as Jacob to impatiently make God’s promises come to pass, even though he already had all the promises of the blessings of Abraham! We have to go through the same kind of wrestle with God that Jacob went through to become the person we were meant to be. The weakness becomes the strength as we go the distance and are transformed – because of a limp! Having a limp does not mean that we ARE the limp. It is just the opposite. Having something isn’t BEING something. The Jacob in us does not get eliminated but just gets put in its place. It no longer has dominion over us after its power over us was put to death on the cross, and the power of another life has taken its place – God with us in Jesus. Jacob was born with a heel grabbing instinct. It was a drive to get ahead in life and his brothers heel was the closest thing to getting in his way. Jacob was given the gift of an energy to achieve, a drive that came from God. That gift also had a danger with it as well as opportunity - His life would be driven by winning and he would have defence mechanisms about losing. He would be skilled and pushy and probably put a lot of people offside. And God would be on that case to humble that attitude for the rest of his life. That drive had to be submitted to God in the Wrestle…We all have these gifts of God’s creation in us - all different. God has given all of us a drive to get something good done that God wants done – and we are born with it. I am calling this a ‘heel grabber’ syndrome that we were born with, but we do not all want to grab heels - we are all different but we all have our own way of trying to impatiently get that good thing done that only God can get done in us. EG, Another kind of person different to Jacob might have been created with the heart and the energy to be an encourager and a motivator, and they would not have grabbed the heel but maybe instead give Esau’s heel a shove forward - but then they would want the emotional payoff of being appreciated and approved of. They’d have to learn to manage that for the rest of their lives and they would have their Transformation sign post limp to remind them. Another might have a drive for justice and be given the gift of compassion and feel bad for poor Esau and Pat his little heel and shed a tear. That little justice warrior would have a sensitivity about victims all their life and perhaps even perceive themselves that way, and God would have to sort that all out in the Wrestle and give them a limp..And on and on it goes- So we are quite a zoo when it comes to this. We will look at a couple of others in the Bible whose impatient reaction to things that God allowed into their lives caused God to give them some kind of a limp to be made aware of their impatience and to learn to wait for God in how they managed their gift – and be Transformed..So - Jacob impatiently grabbed a heel and Moses impatiently struck a rock. (God had told him to simply speak to the rock but he got impatient). Paul became impatiently irritated by his thorn in the flesh and asked God three times to make it go away but God told Paul he had to live with it because his grace was sufficient for him. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was his limp, but he allowed that to be a signpost to Transformation - to show him that God’s grace was causing him to become the person who he really was in Christ. 1Corinthians 15:10: ‘I am what I am by the grace of God’Paul tells us about his wrestle with God and we learn about his ‘walks with a limp’ experience; 2Corinthians 12:7: (Message) Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap, a thorn in the flesh, to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's messenger did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, ‘My grace is sufficient; it's all you need because My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’ Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer (The hall of funny mirrors), these limitations that cut me down to size-- abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.Paul is telling us we are here to experience the awareness of our limitations but to use that to grow into spiritual growth in the limitless grace of God, and the limp simply loses its power to handicap us in living the life of Jesus within.With faith we accept the transformation process and the weakness becomes the strength. The nature of the wrestle – the struggle against impatience. Cling to God. We see God face to face in the sense that we know we are in his presence.We wait for his power to achieve what we cannot achieve – This needs faith and patience. With Faith and patience we inherit the promise. Faith receives it and patience perceives it we see it as out reality.So we last the distance ie, prevail with God – we have power with God..We wait on God so that we can wait for God.We can either wrestle with the world much of the time or wrestle against darkness much of the time. But if we wrestle first with God the wrestle with life in the world and with the attacks of darkness to defeat us are undertaken by God - showing himself strong on our behalf. We are living in a time in history when there have never been so many people who have sense of loss of the power of being able to control or change their circumstances and God is inviting anybody who is willing to come to him and have that wrestle.God showed Jacob – God showed Moses – God showed Paul – God will show you.  

God bless you

In the wake of the COVOID-19 pandemic and panic all around, we need to take time to remember that God IS in control. In reading through Psalm 118 we can see that God is for us, He's in control, and He has a plan. Pastor Paul encourages us to trust in God's provision and plan as we face this giant of uncertainty ahead.

The Life & Teaching of Paul God's Incomprehensible Paradox Acts 28 Christopher W. Martin © 2019 Context God's Incomprehensible Paradox God's Protection (v.1-6) A Note on Paul's Faith A Note on Paul's Protection God's Healing (v.7-10) A Note on Paul's Miraculous Healing Life Lesson: Beware of people who only want your __________. Historical Note: God's Encouragement (v.11-15) God's Blessing (v.16) His Circumstance His Opportunities God's Providence (v.17-22) A Note on Jobs You Have NOT Been Given: Definition: Application: God's Word (v.23-29) God's Freedom (v.30-31) Protection Preaching Discipleship Writing Application ___________ the Incomprehensible Paradoxes of Your ______ _____ God. __________ Where God Has ________ _____. ___________ the _____________ of God.

Podcast Notes:   Welcome to Talk 11 in our series on Ephesians. Today we’ve reached Chapter 3 and we’ll be looking at the first 13 verses. But first let’s set it in context by reminding ourselves of what Paul has been saying so far. In Ch. 1 he concentrates on the blessings of being in Christ.   In Christ: We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing We are chosen and adopted to be God’s children We have been redeemed by his blood and our sins have been forgiven We have the promise of the Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance We have the assurance that Jesus is already seated at God’s right hand far above all... In Ch.2 Paul reminds us: Of our lost condition before we became Christians Of the change that Jesus has made in our lives because of God’s love and grace That we are seated with him in the heavenly realms And that he has a wonderful plan for out lives These blessings are not just for those with  a Jewish background but are for Gentiles too In fact, when Jesus died the barrier between Jew and Gentile was broken down And God is creating one new humanity out of the two by forming his church which is the new temple in which God lives by his Spirit. This theme continues in Ch. 3 to which we now turn. 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. In this passage I notice three main themes: God’s messenger - Paul God’s mystery - the inclusion of the Gentiles God’s measureless love   God’s messenger Paul was a prisoner 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles   4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.   6:19-20 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.   Paul was a prisoner of Christ Jesus (v1) - not of circumstances - not of Rome Cf. v7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.   Paul was a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the Gentiles 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory (Greek: is your glory)           NB There was a purpose in his suffering   Paul saw his suffering for the gospel as a great privilege   Or, more precisely, his ministry was a privilege, and if that meant suffering, so be it   2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,   7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,   God’s mystery   Note the repetition of the word mystery in vv 3, 4, 6, 9.   2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.   The mystery was something kept hidden by God 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.   5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.   The mystery was made known by revelation 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.   10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.   NB The inclusion of the Gentiles was God’s eternal purpose!   Paul had special (but not exclusive) insight into this mystery   3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.   God has a specific purpose for each of our lives (cf. 2:10) So what is this mystery that Paul is talking about?   6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.   8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ   God’s measureless love the boundless riches of Christ (8)   We are:   6 ...through the gospel we are heirs together with Israel members together of one body sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.   11... part of God’s eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.   12 ...through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.   And all this is because of God’s LOVE As we shall see next time:   For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

September 14, 2019 / Pastor Jared Oldenburg. In this Bible series project, Pastor Jared looks at the life and lessons of the apostle Paul. Time of Grace is a donor-supported effort. If you would like to give a gift of support. please donate here:  http://bit.ly/2Zc5lHT  You can also watch Time of Grace daily video devotionals by subscribing on YouTube to get new videos each weekday: http://youtube.com/TimeofGrace

September 14, 2019 / Pastor Jared Oldenburg. In this Bible series project, Pastor Jared looks at the life and lessons of the apostle Paul. Time of Grace is a donor-supported effort. If you would like to give a gift of support. please donate here:  http://bit.ly/2Zc5lHT  You can also watch Time of Grace daily video devotionals by subscribing on YouTube to get new videos each weekday: http://youtube.com/TimeofGrace

Pastor Marcus continues his series in Ephesians and raises an important question for us to consider at the end of his message. The question is, "What do you smell like?"

Romans 1: 16-17

False teaching has reached crisis level in evangelicalism, and that's the topic of the discussion between Pastor Jason, Pastor David and Case Hubbart in Episode 27 of the Equip podcast. Highlights: 6:11: The attraction to fashion, fame and celebrity 13:13: Balancing humility with "being known" 20:21: Paul: God, not man, brings the harvest 25:19: "Market the message, don't message to market" 28:44: The subtleties of false teaching 32:33: How to spot false teaching

Paul’s journey to Rome is not an easy one, but God provides all that Paul needs. Acts 27:1-28:16 The post Life of Paul: God Provides. appeared first on PARAGON CHURCH - Grinnell Iowa.

God has a plan for Paul and He uses the unexpected to bring it about. Acts 23:12-24:27 The post Life of Paul: God Uses the Unexpected appeared first on PARAGON CHURCH - Grinnell Iowa.

Paul must stand before an angry crowd, an outraged guard, and a violent religious council. Acts 22:22-23:11 The post Life of Paul: God Gives Strength, Grace, and Peace appeared first on PARAGON CHURCH - Grinnell Iowa.

If you've ever felt like God has been keeping you in a season of waiting, you definitely don't want to miss this episode! This week we discuss one of the hardest challenges that we think a lot of Christians struggle with today - waiting. So often God will make us wait for something, but the question is not only why He makes us wait, but HOW are we supposed to wait? All over the Bible - Abraham and Sarah, Noah, Joshua, Paul - God makes people wait. There's simply no getting around it, and we all have to go through it.  But waiting doesn't mean the absence of God while He's busy with other people. It often means the exact opposite. Join us this week as we find out why God will make us wait and what we should do during that time!

When faced with overwhelming persecution Paul and Barnabas are compelled by the grace of God to continue to proclaim the gospel. Acts 14:1-28 The post Life of Paul: God’s Grace is Compelling appeared first on PARAGON CHURCH - Grinnell Iowa.

When tragedy hits the church, they stop and pray, but when their prayers are answered they are amazed. Acts 12:1-24 The post Life of Paul: God does the Unimaginable appeared first on PARAGON CHURCH - Grinnell Iowa.

How did TIVO lead to Netflix? How does good software lead to empowerment? In this episode, we deconstruct the everyday impact of great software. It’s pretty cool having control of the screen: This week Paul Ford and Rich Ziade meet with their friend Timothy Meaney, VP Product & Quality at Insight Catastrophe, to talk about what makes software great. Between the earliest spreadsheet programs, the hidden databases upholding Manhattan, and the ChromeBook interface that makes Paul’s kids cry, we learn how the best software is characterized by its simplicity. [Podcast player] ►iTunes/►SoundCloud/►Overcast/►Stitcher/►MP3 /►RSS 2:35 — Tim: “People also don’t think about software.” 6:10 — Tim: “There was something very powerful about computing, being from what you just described — me being alone in my room writing a game that I want to play myself — to talking to other people.” 6:50 — Tim: “The web, since [AOL Instant Messenger] has been about people.” 7:05 — Paul: “What’s interesting from the two of you is that the quality of greatness is accessibility. It’s not about inventing anything, it’s about making it accessible.” 8:00 — Paul: “Suddenly AIM replaced a whole category of communication. BASIC made it possible to program. MacPaint made it possible to draw.” 8:50 — Rich: “Photoshop has gone straight to hell! To hell with Creative Cloud! To tell with whatever is happening in Photoshop today. I don’t understand it.” 9:10 — Paul: “The magazine industry died, why do they make me relive it every day?” 10:05 — Rich: “Once it came to me — the mental model kicked in around layers in Photoshop — I lost my mind. I was like, oh my god, this is how everything is done.” 11:20 — Paul: “If you walk up and down the streets of Manhattan where we happen to be right now, billions and billions of dollars of decisions will be made this week based on Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint. Those are the tools and the software that people will use to move entire markets.” 16:05 — Paul: “I just want to pull SQLite out and point at it because it’s a tiny piece of software and it stores data. That’s all. It’s a tiny database. It used to be that you’d go to Oracle and spend $30,000 to have this database. SQLite is on every Android phone, every iOS phone — it’s in just about every computer and every platform.” 21:20 — Paul: “TiVo was our first step on our cultural path to Netflix.” 25:40 — Tim: “The cycle is funny, right. It’s reached a point where it’s so transparent that we’ve ceded the control. A 10-year-old is not getting excited about gaining that control, they just have it.” 25:55 — Paul: “If you ever want to see a 6-year-old have a temper tantrum, just give them the interface to a ChromeBook.” 26:25 — Paul: “I thought the NYPD was gonna arrest me for downloading Chicago 17.” 26:50 — Paul: “God, I love a good shared file system between friends! I miss that in my life!” A full transcript of this episode is available. LINKS Tim Meaney VisiCalc SQLite BASIC The Rise and Fall of AIM, the Breakthrough AOL Never Wanted OiNK.cd Shut Down, Admin Arrested Track Changes is the weekly technology and culture podcast from Postlight, hosted by Paul Ford and Rich Ziade. Production, show notes and transcripts by EDITAUDIO. Podcast logo and design by Will Denton of Postlight.

Pastor Joe Williams continues the series about underdog stories in the Bible, by looking at a person who went from killing Christians to writing much of the New Testament.

The Life Of Paul - God On The Inside - Pastor Mark RalstonNew King James VersionActs 17:5-34Acts 18:1

FaithChurch.CC uses creative and practical methods to teach Biblical principles. Join thousands of other people who are inspired to believe, grow, and serve in Jesus Christ every week. Visit www.faithchurch.cc/live for Church Online Sundays at 11AM EST.

FaithChurch.CC uses creative and practical methods to teach Biblical principles. Join thousands of other people who are inspired to believe, grow, and serve in Jesus Christ every week. Visit www.faithchurch.cc/live for Church Online Sundays at 11AM EST.

Sunday, March 11th, 2018 - Gavin and Paul - God Can Make Extraordinary Out Of Ordinary

People make assumptions about each other based on appearance, personal affiliation or both. A well-dressed person is assumed the better candidate; good taste is mistaken for competence or moral credibility; worst of all, people judge each other by association, as though a person's social circle, identity, family, or organizational affiliation have any bearing on their knowledge or wisdom. For instance, one might assume that the Pharisees—Israel's learned religious teachers—would understand Jesus. One might also assume that the disciples—the closest associates of Jesus—would be the first to grasp his parables, let alone his plain explanations. But in the Gospel of Mark, it is a woman—from a nation that is neither holy nor modest—who has no trouble accepting the criticism of Jesus or her station as the lowest and the least in his presence: a gentile dog. In this way, Mark demonstrates the teaching of Paul: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29) Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Mark 7:24-30. Episode 167 Mark 7:24-30; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Shaving Mirror” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/

Apostle Paul: God’s Transforming Power - NCFC Sermon 09062015 : Rev. Dave Chang

Paulie Walnuts/ These Tattoos/ The Inked One/ Tommy's Garlic/Jobs/ A metaphorical reading of Green Eggs and Ham/ Stormy/ Judgemental Search Engine/ Super Mario analysis/ Counting Russell Crowes/ Flower Paul/ Does Jay-Z use coupons/ Earl Dibbles/ church signs/ MORE.

Was Matthias or Paul God's choice to replace Judas as the 12th apostle? Should the 11 apostles have casted lots to choose the new 12th apostle, or should they have waited?

"The Lord stood over Paul": God has promised to never leave nor forsake us.

The Pastoral Letters of Paul: God's concerns for our everyday lives. HYMNS & SONGS: "Make a Joyful Noise" "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" "Te Deum" (Antonin Dvorak) "The Church's One Foundation"

The Pastoral Letters of Paul: God's concerns for our everyday lives. HYMNS & SONGS: "Make a Joyful Noise" "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" "Te Deum" (Antonin Dvorak) "The Church's One Foundation"