Podcasts about Pharisees

Read OnlineWhen the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Luke 2:22–24Forty days after a firstborn male was born, the law of Moses required that the mother participate in a purification ritual and that the parents were to “redeem” the child by offering a ritual sacrifice. As faithful Jews, Mary and Joseph took these obligations seriously. When they entered the Temple, they were met by a holy man named Simeon, who was among the faithful Jews “awaiting the consolation of Israel.”From its founding, the Kingdom of Israel had endured many troubled times. The last time the Kingdom of Israel had been united was under the reign of King David and his son Solomon in the tenth century B.C. After Solomon's death, the kingdom split into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom was captured by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., and the Southern Kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians in 586 B.C., leading to the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of many Jews to Babylon for about seventy years. In the centuries that followed, Greek culture was imposed upon the region after the conquest of Alexander the Great, and the Romans finally captured Judah in 63 BC, maintaining control beyond the birth of Christ.This history of oppression and division created various responses among the Jewish people. Many prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah, the one who would bring consolation to Israel. Some Jews expected the Messiah to be a political leader who would reunite and restore the Kingdom. Others were indifferent to the prophecies. But a faithful remnant, like Simeon, awaited the Messiah who would bring about a profound spiritual renewal.Simeon was not a Pharisee, Sadducee, or scribe, but an ordinary devout Jew filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit Who revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Messiah. On the day Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple, Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, came to the Temple and recognized the Christ Child. He took Jesus in his arms and rejoiced, saying, “Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled…”We should all strive to be like Simeon. Like the people of Israel and Judah, we are living in a world where God's Kingdom is often divided or overshadowed by immorality, wars, divisions, and a lack of faith. We might be tempted to address these challenges in various ways, but the best way is to become part of the faithful remnant who, like Simeon, trust in God's promises and eagerly anticipate His transforming action in our lives and in the world. Reflect today on the state of the world. In some places, the Kingdom of God is vibrant and alive; in others, it seems distant or absent. No matter where you find yourself, turn your gaze to the all-powerful Messiah, Who is capable of renewing His Kingdom on Earth as we await its fullness at the end of time. Devote yourself to His mission, and allow the Holy Spirit to inspire you to be an active participant in bringing about the reign of God. My Lord and Messiah, as I see the challenges and divisions in the world around me, help me to trust in Your promises. May I, like Simeon, be filled with faith and hope as I await Your Kingdom. Inspire me to be an instrument of Your grace, helping to build Your Kingdom here on Earth. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Janmad, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Homily by Father Peter Zwaans Mount Gambier Catholic ParishGospel according to Matthew 3:1-12In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea, and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.' This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said: A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. This man John wore agarment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan, they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into thebarn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.'The Gospel of the Lord.R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Want more joy and a closer walk with God? Chip shares the game plan for personal satisfaction and intimacy with Him.Breakthrough Concept #2: God owns everything. I am His money manager.The “Oikonomia” Principle: All that we are, and all that we have belongs to God and has been temporarily entrusted to us to manage according to His wishes. -1 Cor. 4:1-2The Setting: Correction of the Pharisees and instruction of His disciples concerning wealth.The Story: Luke 16:1-11Mismanagement occurs and dismissal soon follows.Two options are considered and a third is taken.A commendation by the owner, a good lesson from a bad example, “he was shrewd.”The Teaching: Faithfulness with material wealth is a prerequisite to being entrusted with spiritual wealth and rewards.The Test: Two basic financial practices that demonstrate God is our #1 priority.1. Generous stewards give the FIRST and BEST to God. -Pr. 3:9-102. Generous stewards give REGULARLY and SYSTEMATICALLY. -1 Cor. 16:2Three questions wise stewards regularly ask1. Am I using the money entrusted to me in accordance with the Owner's wishes?2. Am I carefully keeping account of where all the Owner's funds are going?3. Am I becoming “best friends” with the “Owner” by the privilege and opportunity of managing His resources?Broadcast ResourceSeries ResourcesMessage NotesYear End MatchDouble Your Gift TodayMinistry ReportConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

(This podcast was previously published on February 18, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    Some days I find I'm not interested in reading anything spiritual.   But I decide to read some of our blog or the writing on the Podcast.  And I start to be interested and by the time I finish reading those scriptures that are presented, I am restored again.   I Corinthians 1:21 ... it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.   Recently the thought came to me that I'm not really called by Jesus to be HIS minister, that I got it all wrong, and then I was reminded of the times after I was born again when I was taken into heaven.  It was in the night while I was sleeping.  I was "transported" into heaven.  I was with God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  (I saw no images it was spiritual.)  At that time I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, God and Holy Spirit witnessing. A few nights later, the exact same thing happened again.   As I thought on those experiences, I was restored and knew it had been a devil trying to cause me to doubt, for I believe I was ordained into the ministry offices when I was merged into the body of Jesus in heaven those two times.   The devil will try to convince us the way we are going is not the right way.  But then God will restore us by the Holy Spirit who reminds us of the way of God.   Often we are restored by an exhortation.   Hebrews 3:13-14 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;   Hebrews 10:25-26  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,   I present to you daily exhortations because these two verses tell me to do this.  And notice Hebrews 10:25 tells us to exhort one another even more as we see the day of the Lord approaching.   For God uses these exhortations to keep us in HIS way in the midst of the wickedness that surrounds us in this present world.   *****   Renew your minds to the Word of God:   * Matthew 5:32  Jesus says:But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.   - The divorced woman who remarries will commit adultery but her husband who divorced "the faithful wife" will be the cause of her adultery when she remarries.   - The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.   ***   * I Corinthians 7:10-11   And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband:and let not the husband put away his wife.   ***   * I Corinthians 7:39   The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.   ***   * Mark 10   2 And the Pharisees came to Him (to Jesus), and asked Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting Him.   3 And HE answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?   4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.   5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.   6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.   7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;   8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.   9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.   10 And in the house His disciples asked Him again of the same matter.   11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.   12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.   *** * Romans 7:1-3 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.   ****    * I Corinthians 6   15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.   ***   * Galatians 5   19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.   ***   * Romans 1   25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.   ***   * Revelation 3:5  Jesus says:   He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before MY Father, and before his angels.   ***   Scriptures such as the above are exactly opposite to that which the world teaches so as we read these scriptures we renew our mind to God's thinking and we pull back from thoughts brought by devils which are opposite to the Word of God.  

Want more joy and a closer walk with God? Chip shares the game plan for personal satisfaction and intimacy with Him.Breakthrough Concept #2: God owns everything. I am His money manager.The “Oikonomia” Principle: All that we are, and all that we have belongs to God and has been temporarily entrusted to us to manage according to His wishes. -1 Cor. 4:1-2The Setting: Correction of the Pharisees and instruction of His disciples concerning wealth.The Story: Luke 16:1-11Mismanagement occurs and dismissal soon follows.Two options are considered and a third is taken.A commendation by the owner, a good lesson from a bad example, “he was shrewd.”The Teaching: Faithfulness with material wealth is a prerequisite to being entrusted with spiritual wealth and rewards.The Test: Two basic financial practices that demonstrate God is our #1 priority.1. Generous stewards give the FIRST and BEST to God. -Pr. 3:9-102. Generous stewards give REGULARLY and SYSTEMATICALLY. -1 Cor. 16:2Three questions wise stewards regularly ask1. Am I using the money entrusted to me in accordance with the Owner's wishes?2. Am I carefully keeping account of where all the Owner's funds are going?3. Am I becoming “best friends” with the “Owner” by the privilege and opportunity of managing His resources?Broadcast ResourceSeries ResourcesMessage NotesYear End MatchDouble Your Gift TodayMinistry ReportConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Want more joy and a closer walk with God? Chip shares the game plan for personal satisfaction and intimacy with Him.Breakthrough Concept #2: God owns everything. I am His money manager.The “Oikonomia” Principle: All that we are, and all that we have belongs to God and has been temporarily entrusted to us to manage according to His wishes. -1 Cor. 4:1-2The Setting: Correction of the Pharisees and instruction of His disciples concerning wealth.The Story: Luke 16:1-11Mismanagement occurs and dismissal soon follows.Two options are considered and a third is taken.A commendation by the owner, a good lesson from a bad example, “he was shrewd.”The Teaching: Faithfulness with material wealth is a prerequisite to being entrusted with spiritual wealth and rewards.The Test: Two basic financial practices that demonstrate God is our #1 priority.1. Generous stewards give the FIRST and BEST to God. -Pr. 3:9-102. Generous stewards give REGULARLY and SYSTEMATICALLY. -1 Cor. 16:2Three questions wise stewards regularly ask1. Am I using the money entrusted to me in accordance with the Owner's wishes?2. Am I carefully keeping account of where all the Owner's funds are going?3. Am I becoming “best friends” with the “Owner” by the privilege and opportunity of managing His resources?Broadcast ResourceSeries ResourcesMessage NotesYear End MatchDouble Your Gift TodayMinistry ReportConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Wondering why faith feels like a duty? Chip explains the secret to finding lasting joy and a deeper relationship with God.Breakthrough Concept #2: God owns everything. I am His money manager.The “Oikonomia” Principle: All that we are, and all that we have belongs to God and has been temporarily entrusted to us to manage according to His wishes. -1 Cor. 4:1-2The Setting: Correction of the Pharisees and instruction of His disciples concerning wealth.The Story: Luke 16:1-11Mismanagement occurs and dismissal soon follows.Two options are considered and a third is taken.A commendation by the owner, a good lesson from a bad example, “he was shrewd.”The Teaching: Faithfulness with material wealth is a prerequisite to being entrusted with spiritual wealth and rewards.The Test: Two basic financial practices that demonstrate God is our #1 priority.1. Generous stewards give the FIRST and BEST to God. -Pr. 3:9-102. Generous stewards give REGULARLY and SYSTEMATICALLY. -1 Cor. 16:2Three questions wise stewards regularly ask1. Am I using the money entrusted to me in accordance with the Owner's wishes?2. Am I carefully keeping account of where all the Owner's funds are going?3. Am I becoming “best friends” with the “Owner” by the privilege and opportunity of managing His resources?Broadcast ResourceSeries ResourcesMessage NotesYear End MatchDouble Your Gift TodayMinistry ReportConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Introduction: Psalm 115:8 – Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. Ephesians 5:1 – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Hebrews 10:28 - Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. John 8:1-11 I Want to Be Like God (John 1:14–18) Grace without TRUTH = Not like Jesus. Truth without GRACE = Not like Jesus. GRACE and TRUTH = Like Jesus. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead John 1:14-18What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Define “glory” (John 1:14). What did John actually see when he says “we have seen His glory”?Do you tend to lean more towards “grace” or “truth” when dealing with someone's sin? Why? What do you need to do to be “full of grace and truth” like Jesus?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Turn in your Bibles to John chapter 1.While you're turning there,just going to ask,we pause for a second and I would ask that you wouldplease pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's word.I will pray for you to have a heart open to receivewhat it is God is telling us here tonight in this passage.All right? Let's pray.Father, we thank you for your word.It's easy tonight to get so caught up in,I guess the decorations and the sentimentality and all of that.But God, this is really no different to what we normally do.We come to worship you, come to know you,come to hear from your word.I just ask Father that your spirit be at work with your word today.In a profound way,make us into the people that you've called us to be.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said,"Amen, you become like that which you worship."It's a true statement."You become like that which you worship."You know, it's really obvious in children.I mean, just looking back at my life,if you would have found me in the late 70s, early 80s,I would have been walking around with torn pantsand a torn shirt because I was the Incredible Hulk.Remember that show, "Lufa Rigno"?That was me."Aah!"Oh, then you go forward just a couple of yearsand I would have been running around the housewith a sword fighting Skeletor.By the power of Grayskull, I was he-man.Right?And then you go forward a few more years,early 90s, grunge.Ironically, I once again had ripped pants onand the flannel shirt, the mop hair.And you can laugh and make fun of me all you want,but I know some of you got hammered pants in your closet.Some of you ladies back then had a Debbie Gibson haircutbecause you become like that which you worship.It wasn't even my idea, actually.The Bible says this.Psalm 115 verse 8 says, "Regarding idols,it says those who make them become like them.So to all who trust in them,you become like that which you worship."And then we come to church.We come to church and the truth is still the samebecause Ephesians 5:1 says, "Therefore,we imitators of God as beloved children."Like, well, how do we imitate God?By worshiping Him.That's how.It starts with worshiping Him.You're like, "Okay, all right, but how in the world,even worshiping Him, how can I imitate God?"And you know, I think that's one of the most awesome thingsabout the incarnation of Jesus Christ.What we're celebrating at Christmas, God became a man.And I think that's one of the most awesome things.One of the most glorious things is that we get to seewhat God's holiness and love looks like in a humanon this planet interacting with other humans.It's not conceptual. We've seen it.Yeah, the Christmas story. It's a familiar story, right?You know, you've got the manger and the shepherds and the light.But that's Matthew and Luke's version.Matthew and Luke in your Bible give the historical version.But we're looking at John this year.And John gives the theological version.That God became something He's never been without ceasing to bewhat He's always been.It's the miracle of Christmas.God entered the world through childbirth,becoming a real human being while remaining God.So, what do you want for Christmas?When we started this series, we said, "I want to know God."The only way you can know God is through Jesus.Jesus is the revelation of God.He is the living Word of God, right?Then on Sunday, Pastor Taylor gave a message,"I want to belong to God."The only way you belong to God also is through Jesus Christ.It's through Jesus, through His death and His resurrection,that our sins can be forgiven,that we can have the promise of eternal life,that we can be adopted children of God.Tonight, I want to be like God.What do you want for Christmas?Really, all I want is to be like God.This section we're looking at talks about the glory of Jesus Christ.Those who received Him get to know how glorious our God is.And when we worship Him, we do become like Him.Look at verse 14 in John chapter 1.It says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,and we have seen His glory,glory as of the only Son from the Father,full of grace and truth."Mark that.Grace and truth.Full of grace and truth.Verse 15."John bore witness about Him and cried out,'This was He of whom I said,'He who comes after Me ranks before Me,because He was before Me.'"And from His fullness,we have all received grace upon grace.I love that last phrase, "Grace upon grace."It's just waves and waves and waves of grace.That's Jesus.He's not stingy with His grace.And He tells us in verse 16 thatwe've received from His fullness.We've received from the fullness of grace.You know what that means?We're always in,if you belong to Jesus,you're always in the waves and waves of His grace.Meaning, I can't say,"Well, I came to Christ in 1995.Boy, you should have seen me back then.I really needed His grace back then.I need His grace just as much todayas I did then.And if I live tomorrow,I'm going to need His grace just as much tomorrowas I do today and as I did then."But that's the good news.He says, "Grace upon grace upon grace,that if you're in Christ,you're always in it."He just keeps on giving it to us."On your best day, you're in His grace.On your worst day, you're in His grace."Look at verse 17.He says, "For the law was given through Moses.Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."There it is again.Grace and truth.Grace and truth.The law though, he mentions the law.The law came through Moses.There was no grace in the law.Like you read your Old Testaments.There's only judgment.You break the law.You're guilty.In fact, the New Testament talks about thatin Hebrews chapter 10.Anyone who has set aside the law of Mosesdies without mercy in the evidenceof two or three witnesses.There's no mercy.Just guilt.That's what the law does.The law kills.The law only shows you that you are a sinner.Yet, through Jesus comes...Did you see it again?Grace and truth.What's showing us is that there's a stark contrastto the law with what came in Jesus Christ.Verse 18 kind of sums up the whole passage.It really sums up everythingthat we're celebrating at Christmas.Here it is.No one has ever seen God.The only God who is at the Father's side,He has made Him known.God the Son has made God known.One is saying, "We saw everything that is God.We saw that in Jesus Christ."So what's He like?What has God shown usof His character in Jesus Christ?I mean, what's He like?Well, you notice in this passage,He said it in verse 14,and He said it in verse 17.If you were to say,"Describe God in two words."He does.He says, "Here's what God is like."Two words.Grace and truth.Those two words exemplifiedwho Jesus Christ is,who is the perfect expressionof who God is.Grace and truth.I want to talk about grace and truthfor a few minutes.What is grace?Well, grace is compassion.It's mercy.Grace is kindness and patience.Grace is forgiveness.Read your Bibles.Jesus always manifestsjust a tender, loving grace.So He's full of grace,but it also says He's full of truth.Truth.Jesus always spoke the truth.Read your Bibles.Jesus always upheld the authorityof God's Word.Jesus never told half truths.Jesus never minimized the truth.Jesus never downplayed Scripture,contradicted the Old Testament.Jesus never sugar-coated it.He never watered it down.And He never, not once, ever did Heapologize for what the Bible says.I want to be like God.And when we look at this character of Jesus,it is astounding, full of grace and truth,simultaneously, full.And we could have this temptationto just kind of step backand admire that like, "Wow, isn't that awesome?Isn't that an awesome representation of God?"But you know, and we should do that, yes.But the Bible doesn't tell usthat we should just admire the character of Jesus.The Bible tells us that Jesus' characterisn't something just to impress us.The Bible says that we should imitate His character.I mean, so many times, right,we are called to imitate Jesus.Matthew 11, Jesus says, "Learn from Me."John 13, He was washing the disciples' grimy feet.And Jesus said, "I'm doing this to show you an examplethat you should do the same."Philippians 2, Paul says, "Have this mind,which is yours in Christ Jesus."1 Peter 2, 21 that Pastor Rich just read,says that Jesus is an example,and we should follow in His steps.And then we turn to John 1 here,and it says, verse 16, "From His fullnesswe have all receivedthat we don't worship a distant God.We worship a God according to thiswho is to be received."You see, I can stand up here,and I can talk for hours about Grace and Truth.Don't worry, I know it's Christmas, I'm not going to.But I could.But unless you've received Jesus Christ,this isn't going to matter.Because the Bible tells us that when we truly receive Him,God puts His Spirit in usso that we are able to imitate His character.So that we can truly be His image-bearers.That Jesus was full of Grace and Truth,perfectly full of both 100% Grace and 100% Truth.And this is the profound thing.Jesus was never one or the other.Never lopsided, never compromising one over the other,never wanted the expense of another.John makes it clear, he says,"This is what God is like, Jesus Christ."And if there are two words that sum upthe kind of God we worship, it's Grace and Truth.And we have to get that,because if we're to worship Godand therefore imitate God,if we're to represent God to the world,we have to imitate Grace and Truthas displayed by Jesus.So you know what our problem is.Our problem is we are not perfectly full of Grace and Truth.And the reality is each of us have a tendency to leanmore towards one than the other.Some of you are more Grace people.And some of you are more Truth people.And I just want to show you tonight thatyou can't be content to lean in one direction or the other,because that's not like Jesus at all.Like, well, can you give me an example?Yeah, there is an example I want to show you.Look at John 8.He just turned over in your Bibles a few pages.I want you to see.We're just going to read this and reference this.But if there's one story from Jesus' lifethat demonstrates this full of Grace and full of Truthat the same time, character,if there's one story that would show that, it's this one.John 8 says,"They want each to his own house,but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.Early in the morning, he came again to the temple.All the people came to him and he sat down and taught them,the scribes and the Pharisees brought a womanwho had been caught in adultery.And placing her in the midst, they said to him,'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.'Now, in the law, Moses commanded usto stone such women.What do you say?'This they said to test himthat they might have some charge to bring against him.Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground.And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them,'Let him who is without sin among yoube the first to throw a stone at her.'And once more He bent down and wrote on the ground.But when they heard it, they went away one by one,beginning with the older ones,and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him.Jesus stood up and said to her,'Woman, where are they?Has no one condemned you?'She said, 'No, Lord.'And Jesus said,Look at this.Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you.''Go, and from now on sin no more.'So if you have an outline,and you're taking notes which we always encourage you to do,I want you to jot a couple of things down here.I want to be like God.Number one, grace without truth is not like Jesus.Grace without truth?That's not like Jesus.Grace without truth is weak enabling.Never holding people accountable.You ignore the transformation power of the Holy Spirit.You disregard the truth that God says in His Wordthat we are called to righteousness and holy living.People who lean more towards gracecare more about being liked than they care about what's right and wrong.But I want you to see in this account in John 8,Jesus wasn't just grace.He didn't say to the woman,'I affirm you.You do you, ma'am.'And look, don't worry about what the Bible says.I mean, they're quoting the Law of Moses.That was a long time ago.That's not really for us.'I affirm you, ma'am.'He didn't say that.He wasn't just grace.You see, Jesus brought truth into it.Jesus says, 'Go, and from now on sin no more.'What Jesus said was,'Adultry dishonors God.'Hey, stop living like that.Okay?Stop living like that.And church, when we are content to overlook sin,when we're content to avoid the hard conversations,when we're ready to affirm people in their sin,that's not like Jesus.And now the truth people are like,'Yeah, give it to Him.Give it to the grace people.Hang on, truth people,because truth without grace is not like Jesus either.'Now look, I know the truth people.We've been around some truth people, haven't we, Aaron?Right now the truth people are like,'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.'How in the world could it be?Like, I thought Harvest Bible Chapter,I thought Bible was your middle name.Like truth is all that matters, right?Truth.It's truth that matters.How in the world could you have truth without grace?We realize in John 1.17 he told us.He told us again, John 1.17,'For the law was given through Moses.'Do you know what that is?Do you know what the law is?It's truth without grace.So let me ask you, was the law truth?This is a shouted out verbal reply question.Was the law truth?Yes, it was.It is.No, it was, it is.The law is truth.100% every letter of God's law in the Old Testament is truth.But there was no grace in the law.We referenced this earlier.This is how the law works.Oh, you broke the law.You're guilty.Now it's time for your punishment.Next, that's how the law worked.And truth without grace leads to cold, detached transactions with other people.That's truth without grace.You messed up.You're done.You're done.It leads to harsh judgment.Truth without grace leaves no room for mistakes.There's no second chances.There's no invitation to repent.There's no encouragement to turn it around.Listen, people who lean more towards truth than grace usually care more about their convictionsthan they care about actual people.And that is a problem.But you see in this John 8 account with the woman caught in adultery, do you notice Jesuswasn't just truth with her?Do you notice that?I mean Jesus didn't say to the woman, they bring the woman before Him, Jesus didn't say,"Hey lady, you know what the law says.You're guilty.There's nothing to discuss."He showed her grace when He says, "Neither do I condemn you."No good lived differently.That's grace.In church when we condemn people, when we are one striking you out, when we refuse toallow people the opportunity to change, that's not like Jesus.So we imperfect people tend to fall on one side or the other.So now that you've heard, I just want to ask you just for fun, which way do you lean?Show of hands.Many of you would say that you're more grace people.Put your hands up if you're more of a grace person.All right?Now raise your hand if you're more of a truth person.I have a note written from the first service.When I asked you the truth people were, they were a lot more bold to put their hands upthan the grace people.I think there's something to that.That'll be a sermon for Easter.Anyways, grace people, look, I love you, but you typically care more about the relationshipthan any sin issue.And that's not good.And truth people, you care more about upholding God's Word than loving someone in the relationship.And that's not complete either.And you know, I've been thinking about this a lot the last couple of weeks.While you do what you do at work, this is what I do at work, I was thinking so much,like what is it that causes people to lean one way or the other?And I was thinking about that, like whether you sit down with a grace person or you sitdown with a truth person, either way.But I was just thinking, like, if you set them down and said, what makes you lean inthe direction that you lean, what would they say?And then it hit me.Do you know what it is?And I'm sure of this.They think they're being loving.I mean, think about it.You sit down with the grace person.Why do you lean more towards grace?Because it's love.I'm loving.That's why my heart is so full of love.I'm so full of love.That's why, and you can't just discard the relationship just because of something theBible says, I'm just so full of love deep in my heart of heart of hearts.I'm so full of love.That's why I'm more of a grace person.But then, you know, if you sat down with the truth person and said, why do you lean moretowards the truth?Do you know what they'd say?It's love.Because what is more loving than giving people the word of our Lord?I mean, come on, Pastor Jeff, you're a pastor.You know this.The most loving thing you can do is tell somebody the truth, right?So that's what I do.I don't mince words.I tell them the truth.That's how I show love.That's how I love them.That's nothing more loving than that.I'm more true because that's the loving thing to do.There's a huge mistake in that line of thinking, isn't there?It's a mistake to think that grace is love because it's not.And it's a mistake to think that truth is love because it's not.You know what is love?God is love.And as a man, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, showed true love by being full of grace andtruth both.Well, that's number three.What do you want for Christmas?I want to be like God.Well, grace and truth is like Jesus.And see, that's the point of the story of the woman caught in adultery.Jesus showed her grace and truth at the same time.Grace, he forgave her.He says, "Neither do I condemn you."That's grace.Truth at the same time.Jesus said, "Your lifestyle is wrong.Go and sin no more."Jesus gave both.He says, "I forgive you.Now let's do better."In church, we need to learn this.We need to be people who represent Jesus accurately, full of grace and truth.Not a group of people that enable in the name of love, not a group of people who condemnin the name of upholding the Word.We need to be a people who demonstrate acceptance and accountability at the same time.Whereas John Piper put it, people who say, "I love you, but this is wrong."Parents, you're going to get that with your kids.Some of you parents need to sit down with your kids and say, "Look, I love you.I accept you, and nothing will ever change that.But this habit you have is wrong, and you need to stop this, and I'm going to help you stopthis because I love you."Do you see that?That's grace and truth both.Some of you have family or friends that are stuck in a sinful lifestyle.Maybe it's an addiction.Maybe they're in an unbiblical relationship regarding marriage and sexuality.You need to sit down and say, "Look, I care about you, but what you're doing is dishonoringthe Lord.Come on, let's get on a better path here.Let's get on track."For some of you, maybe it's even in church.Maybe it's in your small group.Maybe flagrantly in sin, and you're like, "I don't know what to do here.I don't know how to handle them.Here's how you handle them."You pull them aside, and you sit down with them, and you say, "Look, what you're doingis wrong, but I'm going to do everything that I can to help you get on track because I careabout you so much."You see, it's grace that refuses to beat people down, but it's truth that refuses to overlooksin.But what do you want for Christmas?I want to imitate God.The only way to imitate God, to demonstrate a love for God's Word and a love for God'speople is being like Jesus.And according to the Bible, it's full of grace and truth.Our worship team would make their way back up, and our candlelighters would come forward.We're going to close our service by singing to candlelight.Why on Christmas Eve do we sing by candlelight?Because it's pretty, right?It's so pretty.And it's a tradition, but this year, there's another reason that we're doing this.This year, thank you, Ashley, this year, it's also an illustration.In anticipation of this service, you know, I was looking at the order of service andthinking about this moment actually right now.And I was thinking about this flame.I thought, you know what is that flame?But two things perfectly.The flame is light and heat.Right?You can see the light.You'll just have to trust me on the heat.You can try it out if you like, but it's hot.But you see that flame?It's not one or the other.It's light and heat.It can't be one or the other.If you're going to have the flame, you're going to have light and heat both.You could say it is full of both aspects, light and heat.And as we sing, I just want you to look down at that flame and recognize how perfectlyfull it is of both light and heat.Then as you sing, I want you to think about grace and truth.It's like the flame imitating Jesus.You are to be full of both at the same time.We want to thank you for coming out and worshiping our Lord.And it is my prayer that your worship is genuine because then your imitation of Him will alsobe genuine.

Wondering why faith feels like a duty? Chip explains the secret to finding lasting joy and a deeper relationship with God.Breakthrough Concept #2: God owns everything. I am His money manager.The “Oikonomia” Principle: All that we are, and all that we have belongs to God and has been temporarily entrusted to us to manage according to His wishes. -1 Cor. 4:1-2The Setting: Correction of the Pharisees and instruction of His disciples concerning wealth.The Story: Luke 16:1-11Mismanagement occurs and dismissal soon follows.Two options are considered and a third is taken.A commendation by the owner, a good lesson from a bad example, “he was shrewd.”The Teaching: Faithfulness with material wealth is a prerequisite to being entrusted with spiritual wealth and rewards.The Test: Two basic financial practices that demonstrate God is our #1 priority.1. Generous stewards give the FIRST and BEST to God. -Pr. 3:9-102. Generous stewards give REGULARLY and SYSTEMATICALLY. -1 Cor. 16:2Three questions wise stewards regularly ask1. Am I using the money entrusted to me in accordance with the Owner's wishes?2. Am I carefully keeping account of where all the Owner's funds are going?3. Am I becoming “best friends” with the “Owner” by the privilege and opportunity of managing His resources?Broadcast ResourceSeries ResourcesMessage NotesYear End MatchDouble Your Gift TodayMinistry ReportConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann The Sight-Giving Power of Grace, Part 2Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:24-41 Episode: 501 Scripture Summary: In John 9:24–41, the Pharisees question the healed man again, urging him to say that Jesus is a sinner. But he stands firm, saying, "I was blind, and now I see." He challenges their disbelief by reasoning that God doesn't listen to sinners, and that never before has anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind—clearly pointing to Jesus as being from God. Offended by his boldness, the Pharisees cast him out. Later, Jesus finds the man and reveals Himself as the Son of Man. The man believes and worships Him. Jesus then declares that He came so the blind may see and those who think they see may become blind. The Pharisees ask if they are blind too, and Jesus responds that their claim to spiritual sight makes their guilt remain. Key themes include: spiritual sight vs. spiritual blindness, bold witness under persecution, faith leading to worship, and Jesus as the one who reveals truth and brings judgment.

Send us a textJesus doesn't want to admire our masks. He wants to cleanse our hearts.Matthew 23:27-28: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."Support the show

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann The Sight-Giving Power of Grace, Part 1Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:24-41 Episode: 500 Scripture Summary: In John 9:24–41, the Pharisees question the healed man again, urging him to say that Jesus is a sinner. But he stands firm, saying, "I was blind, and now I see." He challenges their disbelief by reasoning that God doesn't listen to sinners, and that never before has anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind—clearly pointing to Jesus as being from God. Offended by his boldness, the Pharisees cast him out. Later, Jesus finds the man and reveals Himself as the Son of Man. The man believes and worships Him. Jesus then declares that He came so the blind may see and those who think they see may become blind. The Pharisees ask if they are blind too, and Jesus responds that their claim to spiritual sight makes their guilt remain. Key themes include: spiritual sight vs. spiritual blindness, bold witness under persecution, faith leading to worship, and Jesus as the one who reveals truth and brings judgment.

Daily Dose of Hope December 23, 2025   Scripture – Acts 22   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you this morning with awe and humility.  Help us remember all you have done for us.  We are nothing without you.  We need you desperately, Lord.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts today as we focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us remember that we belong to you.  Help us lay our worries and cares on the throne of your grace...We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading.  We have been on a journey, reading through the Gospels and the book of Acts.  Today, we walk through Acts 22.   The chapter starts with Paul speaking to the crowd in Aramaic.  His knowledge of their language demonstrates that he is one of them.  All the lies are just that, lies.  He shares his background as an educated Jew and then tells his conversion story.  Remember, no one can ever argue with your conversion story.  It's your story!  Paul uses this time to talk about how Jesus led him to share the Gospel with the Gentiles.    But when he gets to this part --- mentioning the Gentiles --- things get heated again.  They demand that he be killed for his blasphemy.  It's now that the Roman commander demands that he be arrested and flogged.  But just as this is about to take place, Paul mentions that he is a Roman citizen by birth.  This changes things.   The scholars have mixed opinions on how being a Roman citizen in that day and time determined one's treatment by governing authorities.  Certainly, in Paul's case, it kept him from being flogged and lynched. In fact, the commander seems frightened when he finds out that the man he is about to whip is a Roman citizen by birth. (I would have hated to see what they did to the non-citizens. It was a brutal world.)    But one thing Paul could not get out of was being sent before the Jewish high council. I'm sure the Roman commander would be relieved to give Paul to the Jewish leaders. Let them be the ones faced with the repercussions of dealing with such a controversial figure. What will it mean for Paul to go before the high council? The council, also referred to as the Sanhedrin, was led by the high priest and consisted of Pharisees and Sadducees.  This group had broad authority, overseeing criminal, civil, and religious cases. This was a group that would not be sympathetic to Paul. Part of their role was to discern when the Messiah returned and they clearly did not think Jesus was it. Hearing Paul preaching Jesus as Lord would be deemed blasphemous.   Will their distain keep Paul silent or make him soften his message? I think we can all guess that the answer is no! Paul is resolute in what God has called him to do. No amount of persecution, oppression, or intimidation will keep him from teaching about Jesus. So our question for the day-what keeps us from speaking boldly about Jesus?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Todaywe are moving into a new section of Ephesians 4:25-32. In these verses, theApostle Paul gives us very practical applications for how to live out what hehas already taught in the earlier part of the chapter. That is why verse 25begins with the word “therefore.” This is the fourth “therefore” in thischapter. Paul follows a familiar pattern: he establishes a spiritual principle,reminds us of our position in Christ, and then says, because of this, here ishow you are now to live. Since we are no longer to walk as the Gentiles walk,and since we have been taught to put off the old man and put on the new man inverses 20 through 24, Paul now shows us what that looks like in everyday life. Paulalways applies truth to specific areas where the power of the Word and Truthmust be worked out. And in this passage, he is not afraid to name sins—specificsins. Can you imagine a pastor or preacher naming sins that people in thecongregation might actually be committing? Paul was not afraid to do that, andneither was God. These things are in Scripture for our instruction. InEphesians 4:25–32, Paul identifies five specific sins: Lying, Anger, Stealing, CorruptSpeech, and Bitterness. These are serious sins because they destroy unity,damage fellowship, and ruin a church's witness. Paul names them plainly becausethey must be dealt with honestly. Thefirst sin he addresses is lying and is found in verse 25: “Therefore,putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with hisneighbor," for we are members of one another.” Now, what is a lie? Alie is a statement that is contrary to fact and is spoken with the intent todeceive. Some people lie so regularly that all you have to do is see their lipsmoving to know deception is taking place. In some cases, people believe theirown lies because they themselves have been deceived by the evil one. Letme give you an example. If I tell you it is noon, and later discover that mywatch was wrong, I did not lie—I was mistaken. But if I tell you the wrong timebecause I want to deceive you, perhaps to make you late for a meeting so itbenefits me, then I have told a lie. The difference is intent. My friend, Satanis a liar. In John 8:44, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You are of yourfather the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murdererfrom the beginning, and abode not in the truth… for he is a liar, and thefather of it.” Whatis interesting is that Satan wants us to believe that God is the liar. The veryfirst lie in the Bible appears in Genesis chapter 3, when Satan said to Eve,“Yea, hath God said?” He implied that God did not really mean what He said andwas holding something back. Satan was saying, in effect, “God is the liar, notme.” That was a lie. And Satan continues to deceive people into believing thatGod cannot be trusted. Wheneverwe speak the truth—to others or even to ourselves—the Holy Spirit is at work.But whenever we speak a lie, Satan goes to work, using that deception to leadpeople into sin and destruction. Sometimes people think they are helping othersby lying, but that is never true. The consequences may not show up immediately,but they will come. Deception always leads to trouble. That is why it is soimportant that we know—and live—the truth. Yearsago, I read a helpful book titled “Telling Yourself the Truth” by WilliamBackus. He later wrote another companion book called “Telling Each Other theTruth”. Both emphasize the importance of truth grounded in the Word of God. Itall begins with telling ourselves the truth as God defines it. Oh,my friend, when you know the truth—who is Jesus Christ—and when you live thattruth, it makes all the difference in the world. We will continue our study onlying tomorrow, because there are many powerful Scriptures that go along withthis subject. Until then, God bless you and may you have a wonderful day as youlive in the truth of God's Word. Godbless!

Are you worshiping God, or just going through the motions? In this dangerous conversation, Kirk and his son James expose the difference between true worship and empty performance. From Jesus' words about the Pharisees to the Sermon on the Mount, we dive deep into what it means to worship in spirit and in truth. If worship has become about emotions, routine, or impressing others, it may be worthless. Join us as we challenge ourselves to keep worship pure and centered on God alone. To learn more about the sponsor of today's show and what our family currently uses for our healthcare check out Christian Healthcare Ministries by visiting https://hubs.ly/Q02vWQGy0 Carnivore Snax: http://carnivoresnax.com/kirk (Code: Kirk) America's Christian Credit Union: https://americaschristiancu.com/kirk Brave Books: http://bravebooks.com/kirk (Code: Kirk) Editing and production services provided by thepodcastupload.com #TheKirkCameronShow #DangerousConversations #TrueWorship #ChristianPodcast #WorshipGod #FaithAndTruth #BibleTeaching #ChristianLiving #EmptyReligion #DangerousConversation #BiblicalTruth #ChristianTalkShow #FaithOverPerformance #WorshipInSpirit #ChurchTruth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Faith or Fear? Part 2Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:18-27 Episode: 499 Scripture Summary: In John 9:18–27, the Pharisees refuse to believe that the man had been blind and was now healed, so they summon his parents for verification. The parents confirm that he was born blind and can now see, but they avoid giving details out of fear—they know that anyone who acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah will be put out of the synagogue. They say, "He is of age; ask him." The Pharisees call the healed man back and pressure him to discredit Jesus, claiming He is a sinner. But the man boldly responds, "Whether He is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see." When they continue to interrogate him, he replies with growing boldness, essentially saying, "I've already told you, and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again?" Key themes include: spiritual blindness vs. physical healing, bold testimony in the face of pressure, fear of religious exclusion, and the power of personal experience with Jesus.

In this third message of our Advent series "For Unto Us," we dive into one of the greatest Christmas verses of all time—Isaiah 9:6—and discover that it's not just about Jesus' first coming, but also about His second. The ancient Israelites were waiting in darkness for a light that would bring joy, break oppression, and establish everlasting peace. That light came 2,000 years ago when God Himself entered the world as a baby in Bethlehem. But while Jesus has already conquered sin and death, we're still waiting for the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy: a world where war ends, peace reigns, and God's government covers the earth. The problem is, it's easy to settle. Just like the Pharisees and King Herod stopped anticipating the Messiah and missed Him, we can stop anticipating His second coming and start "going through the motions" of our faith. But when we live with eager expectation for the coming kingdom, everything changes—our worship, our struggles, our daily lives become infused with the sounds, smells, and spirit of what's to come. This Christmas, don't just celebrate what Jesus has done—anticipate what He's about to do.

Monday, 22 December 2025   But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Matthew 15:13   “And having answered, He said, ‘Every planting that not He planted, My heavenly Father, it will be uprooted” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus' disciples came to Him, exclaiming that Jesus knew the Pharisees were offended when they heard His saying. In response to that, Matthew records, “And having answered, He said, ‘Every planting that not He planted, My heavenly Father.”   A new word in Scripture is seen, phuteia, a plant, but literally a transplanting. It is found only here in the Bible. Jesus is referring to the religious leaders, equating them with plants. It is probable, He is connecting this to the parables He gave in Chapter 13 –   “Another parable He near-set them, saying, ‘It is likened, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man having sown good seed in his field. 25 And in the ‘sleeps the men,' he came, his enemy, and he sowed darnel in between the wheat, and he went away.'” Matthew 13:24, 25   The explanation of that parable is found in Matthew 13:37-43. Along with that, there are other such references to be found in the Old Testament, such as in Deuteronomy 29 –   “...so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.” Deuteronomy 29:18, 19   “And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 29:28   As was recorded at times in the Hebrew Scriptures, something the scribes and Pharisees would have known and understood, and as Jesus relayed to the disciples in Matthew 13, Jesus notes of these apostate leaders, like darnel or a root of bitterness and wormwood, “it will be uprooted.”   Just as a plant can be transplanted by one person, it can be uprooted by another. If the devil has sown into God's field worthless plants, it is certain that the Lord will have them uprooted and disposed of through judgment and fire.   Life application: The Bible uses simple metaphors to convey deep spiritual truths. The things it mentions are things that were understood by the people in the land. And despite Israel being a land that many people may not be able to fully identify with, such as a desert if someone is raised in a forest, the surrounding explanations are usually sufficient to enlighten people to whatever is being conveyed.   And yet, the spiritual truths that are tucked away in Scripture are so deep and so profound that to this day, people are still discovering new information from this word. Because of this, you will get out of the Bible whatever effort you put into it.   At the same time, some things are only meant to be properly understood or interpreted at specific times. God slowly releases the information, inspiring His people to understand His word according to His wisdom.   This is why new things continue to be found. So don't be frustrated if something comes out and you think, “Why didn't I get that!” There is enough in the word of God to satisfy the minds of His people until the consummation of all things comes to pass.   Keep reading, meditating, and studying His word. It is a treasure trove of God's wisdom in relation to the process of redemption that is going on in the world around us.   Glorious God, what a wonderful word You have given us. Thank You for its insights into so many areas of life. When we pick it up and read it, it always seems relevant to what we need to hear right at that moment. What an amazing and relevant word You have given us! Amen.

Be sure to visit the show website at www.BibleCrossfire.com to see show notes and outlines for each episode. You will also be able to submit your Bible questions or comments.

December 22, 2025Today's Reading: John 1:19-28 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:1-24; Revelation 9:13-10:11“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Pharisees sent priests and Levites to scope out the preacher, the first of many encounters between God and His enemies recorded in the Gospels. Their questions aren't for idle curiosity and genuine desire for the truth. The higher-ups want to know what they're dealing with and who the new preacher in town is, drawing the people away from themselves to Bethany across the Jordan.We know from Matthew and Luke that John knew this wasn't a harmless delegation when he called them a “brood of vipers.” Still, he doesn't shy or shirk from his duty. Boldly, John confesses that he isn't the Christ, but rather a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. He is “the voice” calling people to readiness before the coming One Whose sandals he's not worthy to untie.The blessed Christmas season highlights the birth of Jesus, and as we reflect upon His coming by the virgin Mary in a stable, John's words are for us to hear: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” We crumple and break the ways of God in our sin. We know the Law, what God commands us to do, but daily our pesky, wretched Old Adam gets the upper hand. Try as we might, the Law still convicts, and our reliance before God can only be the One about Whom John boldly testifies and confesses. John calls us to straighten things out, get on the right path, and stop twisting and turning. In other words, John calls us to repentance. Christ is coming, the theme of Advent, and our lives anticipating His return for Judgment. Christ is coming on the Last Day and comes even now in Word and Sacrament. Repentance and faith define the life of the baptized believer, availing Himself of Christ and His gifts whenever possible.Finally, we should note John's courage to confess in the face of enemies. It happens when the Christian knows persecution from those asking questions with evil intentions is coming. The Truth, however, prevails, and it's another fruit of faith to be bold in the face of danger, knowing the One Who comes is the One Who has saved us from sin, risen from the dead, and gives to His Church that hope and freedom the devil and God's enemies cannot overcome.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Once He came in blessing, All our sins redressing; Came in likeness lowly, son of God most holy; Bore the cross to save us; Hope and freedom gave us (LSB, 333:1)Author: Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, senior pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Brenham, TX.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Work through the first ten chapters of Matthew and learn more about who Jesus is. As you move through this study, you'll ponder the theological, practical, and historical considerations of the text. With ample room for personal notes, this study will have you feeling confident in your understanding of Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 1:1-11:1 of the new Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series is available now.

Having been bothered in his spirit, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, approached Jesus at night. Though steeped in tradition, God was able to reach his heart, demonstrating that God can reach anyone. The man from Arimathea, a prominent member of the council, did not consent to the plan of the Pharisees to crucify Jesus. Gathering courage, he made himself known. Paul of Tarsus, a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee, was able to speak with great credibility to his former colleagues. God can reach anyone and give them the courage to allow their story to be used for His glory. Have you given your story to the Lord for His use? 

Having been bothered in his spirit, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, approached Jesus at night. Though steeped in tradition, God was able to reach his heart, demonstrating that God can reach anyone. The man from Arimathea, a prominent member of the council, did not consent to the plan of the Pharisees to crucify Jesus. Gathering courage, he made himself known. Paul of Tarsus, a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee, was able to speak with great credibility to his former colleagues. God can reach anyone and give them the courage to allow their story to be used for His glory. Have you given your story to the Lord for His use? 

John 12:35–50,So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”One reason this season is the most wonderful time of the year is because it's the end of the year — and that means it's an opportunity to look back and reflect on what the year was like — What are some favorite memories of the year? What are some key themes of the year that stand out? What kind of music did I listen to the most? (I didn't ask that question, but my phone told me anyway).This is the time of year when we're in a review mindset, and that fits very nicely with where we are in the Gospel of John. Because here at the end of Chapter 12, it marks the end of Jesus's public ministry — and John, the Gospel writer, has a review mindset. Just to get our bearings again on this Gospel as a whole, there are two main parts:Part One is Chapters 1-12, which is Jesus's public ministry.Part Two is Chapters 13-20, which is Jesus's private ministry focused on his disciples.Part One has been called the Book of Signs, Part Two has been called the Book of Glory. And it's worked out for us that Part One has been our sermon series in 2025 (and Part Two, God willing, will be 2026).And so here at the end of Part One, it would make sense to look back and reflect on what we've seen this year — and John actually does that for us. In today's passage, John highlights three themes we've seen so far in this Gospel, and the plan for the sermon is to unpack each one and then ask What does it mean for us? It's one thing to understand what John is saying — we start there — but then we need to know what difference it makes in our lives. That's where we're headed. Here's the first theme. It is …1. The Problem of Unbelief (verses 37–41)We see this right away in verse 37. John says,“Though he [Jesus] had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him …”You can hear the summary tone in how John says it. Even after all this time, after all these miracles, after all his teaching, still the people did not believe Jesus. That (unfortunately) is consistent with what we've seen since the beginning of this Gospel. Remember how John started back in Chapter 1, verse 10: [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.And that idea just gets repeated:3:19, “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light …”6:36, Jesus says, “you have seen me and yet do not believe.”7:5, “not even his brothers believed in him.”10:25, the Jews said to him, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe…”So yeah, this unbelief is a big deal. It's been a problem from the start, and even after 12 chapters (after this whole year!), the people still don't believe. But now John is going to explain why: He takes us behind the scenes theologically and he tells us that the people's unbelief is in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Bringing in IsaiahJohn shows us this by quoting two different passages from the Book of Isaiah — and we could spend so much time on this because it's so good — but I just wanna show you two things:The first is in verse 38. Everybody find verse 38. And help me out: when you find verse 38, look at the indented quote that starts with the word “Lord.” So everybody: verse 38, the word “Lord” — if you see it, say got it. The quote says:“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”This is Isaiah 53, verse 1, and it's from the famous passage about the Suffering Servant. The context of that passage is that God has exalted his Suffering Servant and the nations are astonished by him, but the people of Israel reject him. Isaiah is saying the message has been announced, the signs have been seen, but still, Israel does not believe. In other words, Isaiah is saying the same thing John is trying to say! — and so John connects the dots: The unbelief we see in response to Jesus in his public ministry is the unbelief that Isaiah prophesied. That's the first thing to see here.Here's the second … It comes in verse 41, but track with me for a minute …John says, verse 39, in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:1, “Therefore they could not believe.” And then he quotes Isaiah again, this time from Isaiah Chapter 6 about God blinding the eyes of unbelievers and hardening their hearts. That's verse 40.But now look what John says in verse 41. And this is one you're gonna wanna see. Everybody find verse 41. Chapter 12, verse 41 — if you see it, say Got it.Isaiah said these things [what things? It's the things of Isaiah 6 that John just quoted!] because he saw his glory and spoke of him [Isaiah saw whose glory? Who did Isaiah speak of? — John is clear: it's Jesus].Seeing the King!And if you know Isaiah 6, we can never read that passage the same way again! Isaiah 6 is the famous vision Isaiah had in the year King Uzziah died. Isaiah describes it:I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple. And right away this vision includes a throne and a temple — which is interesting because the throne is the place of a king, and the temple is the place of a priest. So is this a vision of a priest-king? This is something!And the seraphim were there — these are wild-looking angelic creatures with six wings — and they called to one another (and maybe you've heard this before):Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!And the foundations shook at their voices when they called, and the whole place was filled with smoke. And Isaiah, seeing all this, was undone! He said: Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”And John says here that Isaiah was talking about Jesus. Isaiah saw Jesus — just like the people in this Gospel for 12 chapters have seen Jesus — but the difference is that Isaiah was changed, the people still refuse to believe just like God said they would. And what it means for us is this: just like there's no such thing as generic faith, there is no such thing as generic unbelief. If you persist in unbelief … if you continue to disbelieve … it means you are rejecting Jesus. It's personal to him …You are rejecting the one who has come to save you. You are rejecting the one who has come to show you God. And you have seen him — that's the point John stresses here.These unbelievers had seen Jesus — there are many unbelievers in our cities today who have heard the message of Jesus — and their unbelief is a rejection of him. That's the problem of unbelief.It's a theme in the first half of this Gospel.Here's the second theme:2. The Priority of Witness (verses 42–43)This is verse 42. Not every single person full-out rejected Jesus, because, verse 42:Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue …This is fascinating: these are people who ‘believed' in Jesus but did not confess him. Which means these people must've had some kind of mental agreement — the claims of Jesus were compelling to them, Jesus made sense to them, but they kept their stance on Jesus private.They didn't want others to know that they thought positively about Jesus, and the verdict of this kind of ‘faith' is that ultimately it's not real. It's not true faith.And that brings up something really important on the topic of faith: it's that true saving faith is always personal, but never private. True saving faith is personal as in you have to believe as an individual — your parents' faith doesn't count as yours, your spouses' faith doesn't count; you, each of you, have to believe) — true saving faith is personal.But true saving faith is never private. If it's real faith, you don't keep it to yourself. That's why the apostle Paul says, Romans 10, verse 9, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.See, faith in Jesus includes allegiance to Jesus, and allegiance doesn't remain hidden. This is one of the reasons Jesus gave us baptism!Baptism is a public witness to our faith in Jesus. It's a way for us to stake our flag in the ground and say, I'm with Jesus, whatever the social cost might be. And, historically, faith in Jesus has always included some kind of social cost. In the days of Jesus — and at the time that John wrote this Gospel — verse 42 says the threat was expulsion from synagogue. That was a cost for Jewish believers: If you were in with Jesus, you were kicked out of Jewish community. That was a real issue for Jewish converts in the early church. And there was a similar issue with Gentiles, because to say “Jesus is Lord” is to say that Caesar is not Lord — and that was a head-turning statement to make as a subject of the Roman Empire!So no matter how you shook it back in the day — it didn't matter who you were or where you were from — there was no way to truly believe in Jesus that did not involve a social cost, or at least risk. Now that's history, but it's also still the case today … In fact, true story …Social Pressure TodayI heard last week from a credible source that there has been an underground Bible study going on with a group of Somali Muslims and 12 of them have embraced the claims of Christ — which is amazing — however, currently, none of them are willing to make it public. Because could you imagine the cost? (This is real. And we should pray for these 12 individuals — that their faith would go all the way, not partial faith, but true saving faith in Jesus Christ.)True saving faith is not private, and it says Jesus is worth the cost.And we have to be careful here, because we can think that this cost is just out there and it doesn't really affect us. But that's not true. It doesn't matter if your context is Islam or Progressivism or Alt-Right politics, there is social pressure everywhere to not be all-in with Jesus.And it's in different ways and in different degrees, but you know it's there … in your workplace … at your school … on your team — And what's dangerous for us is that in many of our circles it's respectable to be okay with Jesus as long as we're not over the top. Like: being spiritual is good. Talking about your ‘faith' is fine. But don't be all about Jesus. Don't love him that much.That kind of pressure might be more subtle than the pressure of Islam, but the irony is that the dynamic is the same: it's allowing social pressure to dictate what we do with Jesus.And John tells us in verse 43 what the real issue is — it has to do with what you love the most. John says the reason these partial believers did not go all-in with Jesus is because, verse 43:“they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”And look, I don't know about you, but this gets my attention. I never want to do this. Never.But it makes me wonder if this disordered love that John is talking about is always part of failed witness. Like in those moments when we have opportunity to be public about our faith and we choose not to, do we choose not to because we love the glory of man more than the glory of God?What John is talking about is part of a universal human weakness — we care so much about what other people think.And that's one reason public witness is so important. Because it puts feet to our faith. It shows that we're not just here because our stomachs are full or because we're enamored by miracles, like the way we've seen people be in this Gospel. But we are truly all in with Jesus. We believe in Jesus, and we want people to know, whatever the cost. That's the priority of witness.Here's the third theme:3. The Purpose of Advent (verses 44–50)Now I'm not just saying this because it's Advent. Look at verse 44: And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.Jesus repeats that he has been sent — and of course, he is referring to his first Advent. He's talking about Christmas! That he came here — and what was its purpose? Why did Jesus come? He's very clear about it, verse 46: I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.That's clear enough, but Jesus really wants us to get this. So he tells us again, verse 47:If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.And that sounds a lot like what Jesus said in Chapter 3. Remember back in Chapter 3, verse 17, Jesus said plainly: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.There is no ambiguity in the first half of this Gospel. This is the purpose of Jesus's first Advent: Jesus came to save. The Miracle of ConversionAnd one of the reasons Jesus stresses so much that he came to save, not condemn, is because a lot of people end up condemned — and Jesus wants to explain why. Here's the reason: it's because they don't believe in him. In his first Advent, Jesus came to bring salvation, but judgment happens when people reject his salvation. Judgment is what people bring upon themselves by rejecting Jesus who came to save. And their unbelief is judgment already — the blinding and hardening that Isaiah talked about is God giving people over to what they want. This is how the theologian D. A. Carson puts it: God's judicial hardening is not the capricious manipulation of an arbitrary power that curses morally neutral or even morally pure beings, but it is the holy condemnation of a guilty people who are condemned to do and be what they themselves have chosen ( 448–449, abridged)Listen: If you don't want Jesus now, you don't get Jesus later.And that would have been every single one of us apart from the grace of God. Everyone of us who believes in Jesus has the same story if you go back far enough — it's the sovereign grace of God! He chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world and set his love on us, and in the fullness of time he sent Jesus to save us! But we're all born broken and bent away from God, and our only hope is if God does something about that. And he does. By his Spirit through our hearing the gospel, God brings dead hearts to life — we hear the announcement of who Jesus is and what he's done, and we believe. That's the miracle of conversion:Long my imprisoned spirit layFast bound in sin and nature's night;Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;My chains fell off, my heart was free;I rose, went forth and followed Thee.That is how Christians are made! Yes, God is at work. He's the one behind it, but what concerns us is what we do with the message of Jesus now.And that's what makes this passage so remarkable. One More InvitationVerse 44 — notice the first few words. John tells us, verse 44:“And Jesus cried out and said…”That might not seem like a big deal, but we need to compare it with how this passage started in verse 36. This is the end of last week's passage. Verse 36, Jesus said:“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” [Then John comments] When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.Jesus has been saying, I will not be here much longer, and while I'm here it's your chance to believe. And then he withdraws. He leaves. It's an exit. Verse 36 could be the end of Jesus's public ministry. It seems like it is!But in verse 44 Jesus comes back out. He shows back up to this crowd that's kept rejecting him, and he does it to make one more invitation. He cries out to give one more chance: I am here to save! Believe in me!Hey, I want you to know that I'm so thankful that Jesus is the kind of Savior who gives one more chance — second chances, third, fourth, fifth chances. It took a lot of chances for some of us, and I know it did for me. Look, my whole childhood was chances — chances to believe over and over again, and then one day, I did. I'm so glad Jesus didn't give up on me. Isn't it amazing that the last thing Jesus does to close out his public ministry is give that one more chance? To offer grace one more time. That seems to me like the best way to end the first half of this sermon series. …Maybe you're here and you've heard about Jesus a thousand times, here's one more invitation…Jesus Christ came to this world to save. That was the purpose of Advent. It's the purpose of Christmas. Jesus came to save, and everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Would you believe in him today? Just tell him:Jesus, I can't save myself and I'm tired of trying! You came to save me and I believe you!That's a prayer of faith, and that's the invitation for everyone, right now.And that brings us to the Table.The TableFor those of us who have trusted in Jesus, if you've put your faith in Jesus, this Table is a continued public witness each week that we belong to him. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are saying: We are united to Jesus Christ by faith, and we give him thanks!

Sunday, 21 December 2025   Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” Matthew 15:12   “Then His disciples, having come near, they said to Him, ‘You have known that the Pharisees, having heard the saying, they stumbled!'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that it isn't what goes into the mouth that defiles a man. Rather, what comes out of his mouth is what does. Having said that, it next says, “Then His disciples, having come near.”   Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees, probably without the others grouped around them. Room was allowed for Jesus to engage in the conversation without interruption, but still close enough that the disciples could hear and learn.   Once the conversation with them was finished, Jesus called to the crowd, and with an implicit rebuke to these leaders, told the people His words about what defiles a man and what doesn't. After He said this, the disciples, probably seeing the leaders go off in a huff, came to Jesus to personally address Him. Once with Him, “they said to Him, ‘You have known.'”   This is not a question, as translations imply. The verb is a perfect participle without any form of negation to indicate a question is being proposed. The participle signifies a completed action with a state that continues into the present. More likely, it is an exclamation, “You have known!”   They were completely surprised that Jesus said what He said, knowing it would elicit a negative response. He was aware of what would happen, and He continued in that state, knowing they were miffed. That is explained in their next words, “that the Pharisees, having heard the saying, they stumbled!”   The word translated as stumbled is rightly paraphrased as “offended.” They took offense at Jesus' rebuke concerning transgressing God's commandment. They were offended at His continued rebuke of them for being hypocrites by placing tradition above that commandment. They were offended at His citation of Isaiah, which pointed directly at their hypocrisy, even suggesting that Isaiah was referring specifically to them.   And if they heard His words to the crowd, they would have been offended at what He said to them as well. He had taken their tradition and spoken against it to the general public, taunting them with His wisdom that was superior to their poor, self-centered customs.   Life application: Jesus came on a mission. It was to fulfill the Mosaic Covenant and introduce a New Covenant in its place. However, as long as the Old Covenant was in effect, He defended it while still implying that something better was to be found in Him.   There is nothing contradictory in this. The words of the covenant, along with their associated penalties for disobedience, were written down. Obedience was not optional. However, within the Mosaic code, which included the later writings, Jeremiah prophesied a day when God would cut a New Covenant with Israel.   Jeremiah never said, “This is great! Now we are no longer under this covenant, and we are free from the curses and the punishment.” Instead, he acknowledged Israel's transgressions and accepted that their punishment was just and deserved.   Jesus, likewise, conveyed this same truth to Israe l. They would remain bound to the Mosaic code until they came to Him. Knowing they wouldn't, He prophesied of all the disasters that would come upon them.   If those disasters came upon them, which were according to the Mosaic Covenant, then that means, by default, that they are still, even to this day, bound to that law. Unfortunately, because the Mosaic law is fulfilled by Jesus, it is no longer what God accepts in order to be right with Him.   They will build a temple. The rites and sacrifices associated with it will take place. And not one iota of what they do will be accepted by God. Rather, this will only continue to keep them from any possible right relationship with Him. Until they realize this, forsaking the law by coming to Christ, they will continue to suffer terrible times.   Jesus is the key to understanding all of Scripture and the entire history of the Jewish people. Pray for them as they continue to rebel against Him through their rejection of Jesus. It is right that we do so.   Lord God, we lift up the nation of Israel to You. Along with all the other lost souls in the world, they need Jesus. We pray that many will come to know Him before the rapture. After that day, hard choices will need to be made by them. Open their eyes to the glory of Jesus our Lord, O God. Amen.

Jesus, in response to the Pharisees' condemnation for associating with sinners, presents a unified parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin to reveal His mission: to seek and save the lost through divine initiative, not human merit. The parables illustrate God's active, relentless love—where the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep, and the woman diligently searches until she recovers the lost coin—emphasizing that salvation is not earned but freely given by a God who values every soul. The sermon underscores that all humanity, including the self-righteous, is spiritually lost and in need of repentance, as no one is inherently righteous; true salvation comes not from self-awareness or moral effort, but from God's original, unmerited love that seeks and restores the lost. The joy in heaven over one repentant sinner reflects the profound reality that God's redemption is both personal and cosmic, rooted in Christ's atoning sacrifice and eternal intercession, calling believers to humility, gratitude, and hope in His return.

This week's program looks at Matthew 3. What do we have in common with the Pharisees and Sadducees? Get ready to chuckle or even chortle with Pastor “Jolly” John Lukomski and Pastor Matt “Youngblood” Clark as they take a humorous approach to Bible Study. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Saturday, 20 December 2025   Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Matthew 15:11   “Not the ‘entering into the mouth' it profanes the man, but the ‘proceeding from the mouth,' this, it profanes the man” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus called for the attention of the crowd to “Hear and understand.” He now explains to them, “Not the ‘entering into the mouth' it profanes the man.”   This is based on the shocked attitude of the scribes and Pharisees as the chapter opened –   “Then they came to Jesus from Jerusalem, scribes and Pharisees, saying, 2 ‘Through what – Your disciples, they sidestep the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they may eat bread.'” Matthew 15:1, 2   Jesus then went through an explanation of how these same people who had set up traditions were actually violating God's law. Because of this, their hearts were far from God. What the people ate, regardless of any external washings of hands, pitchers, bowls, etc., was clean.   It was something God had given to man for food to sustain him, and that was its purpose. A man is not rendered unclean by such things. However, He continues, saying, “but the ‘proceeding from the mouth,' this, it profanes the man.”   He has already explained the meaning of this in His citing of Isaiah. What God finds deplorable are those who disobey Him, or even those who obey Him, but do it with an evil heart. Because the disciples missed the point of Jesus' words, He will have to explain the intent more fully in verses 18-20 of this chapter.   Life application: Missing the point of what is going on, Charles Ellicott, citing the general tenor of innumerable scholars, pastors, preachers, and teachers, says –   “Now a great broad principle is asserted, which not only cut at the root of Pharisaism, but, in its ultimate tendency. swept away the whole Levitical system of ceremonial purity—the distinction between clean and unclean meats and the like. It went, as the amazement of the disciples showed, far beyond their grasp as yet. Even after the day of Pentecost, Peter still prided himself on the observance of the Law which was thus annulled, and boasted that he had never ‘eaten anything common or unclean (Acts 10:14).'” Charles Ellicott, et. al.   The last thing on this planet that Jesus would have done is to hint that the Levitical law (the Levitical system of ceremonial purity) was done or that it could be ignored or sidestepped. He was born under the law, and He abided by it, fully and completely. To not have done so, or to have taught others to not do so, would have been to fail fulfilling... Anyone? – Yes, the law!   “Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.” Deuteronomy 27:26   More to the point, however, is that Jesus would have been taken out and stoned as a lawbreaker if He were to have promoted ignoring God's law. What Jesus is telling these people is something they would have understood from the context of their lives under the law. There were certain foods they were allowed to eat and certain foods they were not permitted to eat.   There were also times when foods were rendered impure as well. Jesus is not speaking of these things, nor would the people have thought He was. Jesus was questioned about ceremonial washing. As noted, Mark gives more details, saying –   “Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.” Mark 7:2-4   This is what these religious leaders were referring to and what Jesus was likewise referring to. The law deemed eating a camel as unclean. Not a person there would have thought or taught differently. The same is true with pigs, bats, bunny rabbits, and lobsters.   Mixing Peter's misunderstanding of the fulfillment and ending of the law in Acts 10 (and elsewhere) with what was occurring under the law is a doctrinal error known as “mixing dispensations.” Jesus is speaking to the people of Israel, to whom the law was given. The law had not yet been fulfilled, and it was in full effect upon every person of Israel.   Only after Christ Jesus fulfilled the law did it lose its force, power, and effect over those with faith in Christ Jesus' fulfillment of it. This is why Israel, to this day, still stands condemned through failure to uphold the law. They bound themselves to it by covenant agreement. They rejected Jesus' fulfillment of it, and thus, in God's eyes, they remain under its full penalty for failing to adhere to it.   The main theme of this life application is DO NOT MIX DISPENSATIONS. What belongs to the law remains under the dispensation of the law. What belongs to the grace of God in Christ belongs to the dispensation of grace. Keep the boxes separate, and your doctrine will be simple, sound, and sensationally super.   Lord God Almighty, give us wisdom to rightly apply dispensational understanding to our study of Your word. Without it, we will be contradicting, misunderstanding, and unsatisfying in our understanding of what it is instructing us. May our understanding be sensationally super through a right application of this important doctrine. Amen.

Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi to follow Him. Levi did not hesitate but left everything behind to follow the Lord. But he did not keep this changed life to himself. Instead, he gave a big reception for Jesus in His home and invited others to come. Jesus boldly declares that He came to call sinners to repentance and not the righteous. We know there are none righteous, but He was addressing the Pharisees, who were critical of His eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. In season 7, titled "Doctor Luke & The Great Physician", I have a unique offer relating to this series in the book of Luke. If you partner with Net Cast during our seventh season, I want to send you the complete outline for each episode to guide your study. If you would like to become a partner or donate, you can send PayPal donations using netcasthost@gmail.com or visit Patreon.com/netcast to learn more about how you can get on board with this podcast. I have also added this podcast to www.buymeacoffee.com/netcasthost where you can send a small gift of any amount to help support the show. I appreciate any help you can provide. If you cannot support this ministry's effort financially at this time, would you please consider doing one of the following? First, please subscribe and continue to be a dedicated listener. Next, please share Net Cast with your friends and family and encourage them to subscribe. Finally, consider leaving a review for the podcast so that your positive feedback can encourage others to listen.Please take a few moments after we sign off to visit our website at netcasthost.com. Here you will find transcripts of the podcast on the blog, you can sign up for the free newsletter, become a member, and join Net Cast for free, giving you access to hidden portions of the podcast host site.Don't forget to check out our social media sites on YouTube, Facebook, X aka Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to like and follow the podcast as we use these sites to keep you current on what is happening at Net Cast. Every new episode is announced on these media outlets.Until next time, God bless you richly in Jesus Christ our Lord.To pre-order a copy of my new book, "Do-DaDs", please visit this link:Do-DaDs: 52 Activities & Devotions for Dads to Do with Kids - Gospel Armory Store

“She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.” (Luke 2:7 NLT) Imagine for a moment that it’s your birthday and your friends and family have decided to throw you a party. It isn’t just any party. It’s a mega party. Everyone that you know is there. There are gifts galore and the largest cake you’ve ever seen. Your name is strung in lights outside the house. Pictures of you are on display. Songs with your name in them are playing in the background. But there’s just one small problem with your birthday party. Someone forgot to invite you. At first, you think it’s an oversight. You’re sure that your friends and loved ones want you to be there. But when you arrive at the party, the music is so loud and everyone is so preoccupied that no one opens the door, even though you’re pounding on it. Then you notice that some of the celebrants are looking in your direction. They discreetly whisper to others, who also look in your direction. But they go back to their celebration without stopping to let you in. What you don’t realize is that they’ve decided just to ignore you, hoping that you’ll eventually get tired of knocking and go away. They want to celebrate your birthday without making you the center of attention. They have their own thoughts about how to commemorate your big day, and they don’t want to make things awkward by trying to fit in the things you prefer. I think Christmas has become like this for many people today. They string their lights. They decorate their trees. They listen to Christmas carols. They run around buying things for everyone they know. But they forget to make room in their schedules for Jesus. You could argue that Jesus was an outcast from birth. Luke 2:7 says of Mary, “She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them” (NLT). The innkeeper decided who would enjoy the relative comfort and security of his lodging. Jesus and His parents did not get the invitation. Jesus had a heart for outcasts because He, too, was an outcast. Luke 15:1–2 says, “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!” (NLT). Jesus welcomed people whom others shunned. He made room for everyone in His ministry. This Christmas, will you make room for Him? Unfortunately, even Christians can become so busy that we forget about Jesus. Let’s not make that mistake this year. Is there room in your Christmas celebration for Christ? Reflection question: How can you put Christ at the center of your Christmas celebration? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 475 of The Reformed Brotherhood, host Jesse Schwamb explores the profound theological question: "Is God humble?" Through a careful examination of Philippians 2 and the narrative of Pharaoh in Exodus, Jesse unpacks how Christ's incarnation represents the ultimate act of divine humility. This episode reveals how Jesus—fully God and fully man—humbled himself through obedience to the point of death on a cross. As we approach the Christmas season, this timely reflection helps us understand that Christ's humility isn't just a theological concept but the very foundation of our salvation and the magnetic force that draws sinners to him. Jesse connects this humility to Jesus' parables about seeking the lost, showing that God's love manifests through the paradox of the exalted one becoming lowly. Key Takeaways Humility is fundamentally a creaturely virtue that acknowledges God as Lord and responds in obedience. Christ's incarnation wasn't a subtraction of divinity but an addition of humanity, allowing him to humble himself. Divine humility is displayed in Jesus becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Pride, the opposite of humility, is actively opposed by God throughout Scripture. Christ's humility is what draws sinners to him, as seen in the parables of the lost coin, sheep, and son. True humility embraces our limitations as creatures and recognizes God's rightful authority. Jesus learned obedience through suffering, becoming the perfect high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. The Paradox of Divine Humility Christ's humility represents one of the most astonishing paradoxes in Scripture. As Jesse explains, humility is properly understood as a creaturely virtue—it acknowledges God as Lord and obeys as a servant. For the eternal Son to humble himself, he first had to take on human nature. The incarnation wasn't God ceasing to be God but rather God adding humanity to himself. The divine Son emptied himself "not of divinity as if that were even possible, but of the privilege of not being human, not being a creature, not suffering the bounds and limitations of finitude and the pains and afflictions of the fallen world." This emptying makes possible Christ's perfect obedience. Since humility means acknowledging God as Lord and obeying as a servant, the Son took "the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." This allowed Jesus to demonstrate a servant heart with equal passion for God's holiness and his people's purity. Unlike our inconsistent obedience, Jesus' obedience was "an all the way kind of obedience" that persisted through suffering to death on a cross. The Magnetic Draw of Christ's Humility One of the most profound insights from the episode is how Christ's humility functions as a magnetic force drawing sinners to him. Jesse notes that in the parables, tax collectors and sinners were drawn not to the Pharisees' teaching but to Jesus himself. They came "almost magnetically" to be in his presence and hear his words. Why would this be? The answer lies in recognizing that "we all have a master" and "we are all bound to something." The critical question becomes: "How good and kind is your master?" Christ's humility reveals him to be the perfect master—one who does not lord his authority over us but uses it to serve us, even to the point of death. This servant-hearted humility draws people because it demonstrates love in action. When Jesus humbles himself to seek the lost, he reveals that the gospel isn't about making "naughty people good, but to make dead people alive and alive in him so that their life is hidden within him." Memorable Quotes "To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant. In order to do so, then the Son had to take this form of a servant being born in the likeness of men." "Christ's obedience was an all the way kind of obedience, a true obedience. It wasn't part and parcel, it wasn't peace wise, it didn't be for a part of time, as long as it was comfortable and then try something else." "To humble oneself is not to be less than human. It rather is pride that is our cancer. It's pride that corrodes our true dignity. To humble ourselves is to come even ever closer, step by step to the bliss, I think, and the full flourishing for which we're made." Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: So how did Jesus humble himself and this we could spend loved ones in eternity and likely will. Talking about how did he do this By becoming obedient. It wasn't even mean to. Here is the one who is the God man. Truly God. Truly man. To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant in order to do so. Then the son had to take this form of a servant being born in a likeness of men. Again, this is so rich because I think without understanding the servant heart of Christ, where there is a power and a passion in Christ for the holiness of God that is at the same time equaled with the passion for the purity and the holiness of his people. Welcome to episode 475 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast where all of mankind is on the naughty list. Hey, brothers and sisters, I am solo hosting once again on this episode, but I don't want you to worry. Tony will be back. Tony is alive and well. He is out in the wild doing his thing. Actually, this is probably the time of year where Tony and I bring forward that annual or perennial denial. You know, the one, it's sy against the frailty, weakness, contingency of humankind. And most often manifested in this time of year in sickness. So I don't know where you live in the world, but in my part of the world, everybody's getting it and everything is going around. The sickness is everywhere. And even if you're bobbing and weaving, if you're laying low, if you're trying to keep your head down, it just seems somehow. To snipe you. And so it sniped Tony last week and this week. Now it is his family and so he's doing what we shall do for another. He's caring for those in his own regard that are sick and unwell. And so that means it's just me on this particular episode, but not to fear. We've got lots of great things to talk about. [00:02:12] The Question: Is God Humble? [00:02:12] Jesse Schwamb: In fact, the whole purpose of this episode is going to be talking about this question is God humble and. This, if you think it's just a one-off episode. It's actually born out of this continued series that we're doing where we're going through the parables. And again, we've been talking a lot about lostness and finding things and Christ coming and seeking, saving those things that were very lost. And so as I continue to process this with Tony, one of the things that keeps coming to my mind is this question is God. Humble and what does that even have to do with any of these wild parables that we've been talking about? You know the ones too, especially if you've been listening along and hopefully you have go back, check those bad boys out. We've been talking about the lost coin, the lost Sheep, and we have yet to get to because we're just teasing this for you. We, we keep telling you it's coming, but that's just to build like this amazing anticipation for the parable of the lost son or the prodigal son. It's coming, and part of that, again, for me is wrapped up in this question, is God humble? So let's talk about that a little bit. [00:03:13] Humility in Scripture [00:03:13] Jesse Schwamb: It's interesting to me that throughout the scriptures, we find across both all the New Testament, that God gives us this imperative to seek humility or to put on humility, or to have a humble mind, as Peter says. And it's something that is so ubiquitous that we kind of just flies by us. Of course. Like we would get the sense that it would be ridiculous to be like. I am so good at being humble that that in itself is oxymoronic. And yet we also know that we don't want to advertise, that we're trying to seek after humility. 'cause it seems like that's the very thing that we're trying to avoid in proclaiming or promulgating our pride and that kind of thing. But it's not just that, of course, God is seeking his children to be humble, but I think one of the most condemning things the scripture says to us about how God behaves. Toward people is that he opposes the proud. So the opposite of being humble, and we'll get to that in a second. We had to define what that means, but let's just take for a second that the opposite of that might be being prideful. It is fascinating that it's not just God is indifferent toward pride, that he does everything in his volition to push against it. And of course, because nothing can thwart the outstretched in mighty arm of God, that means that he wins inevitably against all that is pride prideful. And so he opposes it. And this is what. We should realize is that really the eschatological judgment, the fact that there is both heaven and hell reward and eternal punishment. This is a reflection of God opposing the proud that in the final state, the one who says, I want nothing to do with God because I can take care of it myself, is the one that God must oppose pose because he always. Opposes that which is prideful, and so it makes sense. Then if he opposes the proud, if that is in a way, an enemy that he will ultimately defeat, it cannot stand up against him that shouldn't. That in that path is both destruction that is internally derived and chosen, but also destruction that comes externally because it will be defeated. Then the best thing that God's people could be is to be humble. And so the question I think then persists, can God be humble? Is God. Humble. One of the things that is clear in scripture, again, this is the testimony of the entire arc of the salvific story of God and his recu of his people. Um, the coming and drawing close giving of himself so that he might draw people onto himself. Is that the testimony of humility is both positive and negative in the scriptures. So we could look at examples of those who humbled themselves. That's what the scripture says, like Josiah, Hezekiah, Rebo, Ahab, Vanessa, and then there, of course, you could probably think of as just as many negative examples who did not. What comes to my mind, of course, is Pharaoh. Or am Amen or Zetia. So what becomes clear though is when you look at those examples that the humbling first belongs to the hand of God. That even here, once again, God's doing all the verbs. That's exactly what he does. And so this idea of even like humbling yourself. Has like a precursor, there's an antecedent. And is God doing some kind of great work to allow for this humbling to even take place? He initiates the humbling of his creatures. And once he has, then the question confronts us, uh, which is, are we going to receive it? How will we bear up underneath it? Will we submit ourselves to it because God has allowed us, or has humbled ourselves first so that we don't respond in kind. So in response to his humbling hand. Will we kick against him? Or as the, you know, king James version says, will we kick against the gods or are we going to come and humble ourselves before God? So this idea, I think of humbling ourselves isn't just like you wake up one day and you say, no, it'd be really fantastic. Is my life would be better if I was just humble. I, I hear that God opposed to the proud, I don't wanna get. Lost in that. I don't wanna get wrapped in that. I would rather, instead I just become more humble. Even the ability to humble oneself first comes from this humbling hand of God, which is of course the greatest gift. And so of course Peter writes, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. I mean, that's where I'm drawing this from and. That is the first descent of humility. The first coming down is a word that God would do that for us, will put us in a place that we might be humbled. And then the creature has somewhat in his turn kind of imperfect language, but somehow in his response that God is humbling me. Will I embrace it? Will I humble myself? So given that background, I think you know exactly where I'm about to go in the scripture, and that is. The pretty, I would say, epic passage of humility, which is Philippians two. It's one of the most striking assertions in all of scriptures. That Christ himself, Jesus the Savior, the one who is truly God and truly man, he humbled himself and God himself truly divine, truly human, and the person of his son, he humbles himself. And I think that is worth the slow meditation and a little bit of marveling again, as we consider that in light of. All that happens in these parables about lostness and ness is coming from in some way this first humility. And I think that's just so critical because it's not just context, it's the air in which we breathe and operate and understand who we are and who we are in Christ. And so I think before like we even assume. I wanna assume like too much about like this idea of humility and then getting it ultimately to this question is God humble, which you may think I just answered by reading Philippians two eight, but in fact I think it's even more complex and more beautiful and more deeply layered than all of that. I think it's worth for a second, just thinking about this idea of like, what is humility? [00:08:35] Pharaoh's Pride vs. Humility [00:08:35] Jesse Schwamb: And as far as I can tell, really the first mention of humility outright, like outright mention explicit notation in the scriptures comes in that showdown between Egypt's Pharaoh and Yahweh mediated through Moses and. And I picked this because it's really instructive for getting a sense of how the Bible, how the scripture, the Holy Spirit is apprehending this word and driving it into the context so that we might learn from it, so that later on we're told that we ought to exhibit humility, put on humility that we understand it in the way that God has taught it to us. And so you'll remember. Probably that Moses dared to appear before Pharaoh. He is an Exodus five, and he speaks on Yahweh's behalf, and it's that famous sentence, that famous imperative, let my people go to, which Pharaoh replies in my paraphrase, listen, I don't know who Yahweh is. I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't listen to his voice. I don't acknowledge him, and therefore you can't go. It's just not gonna happen. What is incredible about this. What I think is like really illustrative for our lives is that Pharaoh swollen in pride here, and again, God's gonna pose him swollen with all of this. Pride has, it's not that he hasn't thought through what he's saying here, it's just that he's made an incredible miscalculation. He actually did a little mathematics here as the creature, and he decides that. As a creature in relation to the creator God that he does not need to obey. In other words, he does not acknowledge or recognize or know this God, and because he doesn't know any of those things about Yahweh, then he's well within his reason to come to the conclusion that he does not need to obey and therefore he refuses. The reason why I think that's so critical and a little bit wild is that is exactly what the natural man is prone to do to make this miscalculation built on even some kind of reasonable logic, so to speak. That says, well, because I don't understand it, because I don't see it, because I can't acknowledge it because I've never heard it. Therefore, it cannot exist. It doesn't exist. It's not worthy of being obeyed. It's a bit like saying, just because I've never seen fire, that's not hot. And so it's crazy here that in the midst of all of that, we could say Pharaoh has made this enormous miscalculation. And so what he's going to do is he's going to essentially oppose God. He refuses to obey, and then of course, Exodus 10 as we move. This story describes this call to humility, and it is a call to humility, which when I was thinking back through this, I was like, this is wild. Because we tend to think this story as like submission and beating down and humility might not be the principle word. That comes to our mind when we think about how Har Pharaoh has to ultimately respond. But after seven plagues on the cusp of the eighth plague, God speaks to Pharaoh, and again, he's listen. He says to him, how long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? So fascinating because we have this. Humbling, mighty hand of God, the outstretched work of God, his hand and arm going out into the world of his creation and putting Pharaoh in a particular place and position. And the piercing question in this context of this extended powerful encounter gives us this glimpse into the heart of humility, which I think is this humility recognizes and obeys the one who is truly. God. So there's not just an intellectual scent, but an experiential knowledge that comes from the revelation of who God is that is under his purview granted to his people, and that then causes us to acknowledge and obey the one who's truly Lord. It's exact opposite of affairs response, which again says, I don't know that voice. I've never heard it. Who is Yahweh? And instead it's replaced with a humility that acknowledges that God is Lord of all, that Jesus Christ is one only son, and that his Holy Spirit is with and indwells his people and that he is truly Lord. So humility entails this kind of right view, I think of self. Because Pharaoh Miscalculates, but the humble person makes the right calculus, the one who is created by God and accountable to God, which requires the right view of God as creator and this authority in relation to all his creatures. And so humility then is of course, like not a preoccupation with self or one's, even one's own lowness only in so much as it's in relation to what we just mentioned. That's a right view of self. It's an agreement with God. Of course confession coming alongside agreeing with God, but it's a mindful and conscious understanding of who God is and his highness, his holiness, that he's high and lifted up, and then the self in respect to his position. You know, that's one of the things that I think always strikes me about humility is that it's this idea and this acknowledgement that God is high and lifted up. And so while we don't come too hard on ourselves merely because we want to create a pity party, it's a recognition that. Aside from the mediator work of Christ to to stand in the presence of God would to be literally torn asunder by the molecule because his holiness cannot be, or rather, I would say our sinfulness cannot be in this presence of the one who is perfect in majesty and in righteousness, in intellect, and in in comprehension and creativity. We cannot exist in that space apart from this mediated work of Christ the beautiful. Be editorial, like benevolent distance, so to speak, that Christ creates so that we might come into the presence of God, as Hebrew says, running as it were, coming in, not haphazardly, but purposefully into the throne room of God because. And his holiness. He's a way to, he's made a way for him to be just and justifier. That is incredible. Loved ones. It's beautiful. And that is all. Again, I think just underneath this parable, it's starting with this sense of humility has brought all of this into play, and it's a critical part of God's design and plan. There's a condescension, but I think even here, underneath that condescension is something about humility. That is worth discussing. And there is, the question again, is God humble. So put it another way. Humility, I think embraces the reality that you and I. We're not God. You know, pride led to humanity's fall when Adam and Eve desired to be like God, which is contrary to his command and humility would have obeyed his command, which is what we'll see when we come to Christ and especially Christ's work. So. [00:15:06] Christ's Humility and Obedience [00:15:06] Jesse Schwamb: It strikes me then, and this is why I threw out this question, is like, is God humble? It's kind of a setup, I'll be honest, because all of I said so far, if you are keeping score at home, you probably should be drawing out then that I'm essentially saying that humility is a creaturely virtue. Actually, it's not just me. A lot of people have said that, a lot of the old ones. I postulate that, that when we think about humility explicitly and in a narrow context, that's a creaturely virtue. It's a posture of. All of who we are, our soul, our body, our life, our activities, our families, our possessions. It's acknowledgement in those things and embracing that the goodness of God and that he is the one who controls and commands all things, all of our destiny, which means. This question is God humble? It is kind of like linguistically and theologically tricky, like not for the sake of creating a tricky question for like a part of the game, but the the answer is in a sense, no, but not because God, I think is the opposite of what we'd consider humble. He's not arrogant, he's not prideful. Rather, humility is a creaturely virtue and he's God. So we need to be again, in this appropriate separation of our state and who God is, recognizing that those are two very different things. All of this though, I think, contributes to moving us in a direction of understanding, well, what does this mean then? For Jesus Christ, the God man, the one who humbled himself. You've probably been screaming the entire time. Will you get to that? What about that? And I think that is the critical question that is behind everything that we're reading about. In these parables. In other words, why is Jesus this way? What has brought him into this particular place to say these particular things to these people? We talked last time about how one of the things that's remarkable is that all of these sinners, like the down out, the broken, the marginalized, the pariahs, they were all drawn to Jesus teaching, not even drawn. I mean, there's distinction not drawn to the Fara teaching, to the rules of the law, but drawn to Jesus, almost magnetically coming to him. Compelled as it were, to be in his presence, to hear the things he was saying. Captivate, I mean, can you imagine yourself there? Not necessarily there in that environment, but captivated again by the teachings of Jesus, how good they are, how true they are, how incredible they are. And so I think it's possible for us to marvel then at that remarkable word then from the impossible, Paul, when he says that Christ humbled himself in Philippians two, eight. And no, I think that that confirms our definition above of humanity, uh, of. Humility rather as being something in humanity, of being a, a creaturely virtue in that the eternal son first became a man. That's what Paul says in verse seven, and then humbled himself in verse eight. And I'm gonna submit to you that this is really the one of the most epic parts of the gospel that. This is the only way we can get this kind of humility, this humbling of God is if first he comes to undertake the creaturely virtue so that then he himself or become rather, lemme say it this way, I'm getting too excited, loved ones. It's rather that we first must have God become a creature, so to speak, not emptying himself as we'll. Talk about. Of, of his godness, but instead taking on this flesh so that he might humble himself be to be like his children who must be humbled and in fact will ultimately be humbled in the ES eschaton no matter what they believe. And so the verb Paul uses to capture the action of the incarnation is, is not humbled here first, but it's this idea of emptied. So again, Philippians two is verse six and seven. Paul writes, being in the form of God, Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of man. And so this movement. [00:18:59] The Incarnation and Humility [00:18:59] Jesse Schwamb: From heaven to earth, which if you're listening to this in more or less real or New York time, as we're coming into the season of the calendar where we celebrate the incarnation, again, I've been thinking so much about this beautiful gift of the incarnation, and I've been thinking about that in light of Jesus coming to seek and to save the lost and this real heart to hearts kind of way where he's speaking the truth to the people who need to hear it most, and they're drawn magnetically to him, into his teaching. And so that movement. From Heaven to earth is an emptying. It's the divine son emptying himself, not of divinity as if that were even possible, but of the privilege of not being human, not being a creature, not suffering the bounds and limitations of finitude and the pains and afflictions of the fallen world. I think a lot, honestly, especially this time of year, I think a lot about strange things like Jesus has fingernails and blood vessels and eyeballs and hair and toes. And shins and knee bones, you know, all of these things. Because to me it's this incomprehensible reality that God loves me so much that he would send his only son to be a creature, but in a way that was limited to the same creatureliness that I have. And then would forever, in a way, in his glorified state, identify still with that creature. And only in that process could he come and humble himself. I mean, that's incredible. I mean. Could not have grasped like the divine privilege of not being subjected to the rules and realities of creation. But instead, he empties himself by taking our humanity. He was emptying not by subtraction of identity, but by addition of humanity. This is the taking, the taking on, and this allows him then to become obedient and in that obedience, that passive and act of obedience. What we find is that Christ is able to say these very things that are exemplified in the parables, that this is the height of God, and he says, it is in your midst. The kingdom of God is here and I am the kingdom, and it's all because he has come in such a way. To empty himself again, where that was not a subtraction of divinity, but addition of humanity. It is an amazing and glorious truth. It's the thing upon which like turns all of salvation and all of the world that God would do this and do it so completely that again, it's finalized, it's complete, it's already done. So first, Jesus became a man. And then as a man came the ly virtue, he humbled himself. And Paul confirms what we learned about humility. In the negative example, I think in Pharaoh of Pharaoh in Nexus 10 and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [00:21:49] Christ's Obedience to Death [00:21:49] Jesse Schwamb: So how did Jesus humble himself and this we could spend loved ones in eternity and likely will. Talking about how did he do this By becoming obedient. It wasn't even mean to. Here is the one who is the God man. Truly God. Truly man. To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and then to obey as servant in order to do so. Then the son had to take this form of a servant being born in a likeness of men. Again, this is so rich because I think without understanding the servant heart of Christ, where there is a power and a passion in Christ for the holiness of God that is at the same time equaled with the passion for the purity and the holiness of his people. And those two things come together and coalesce in the gospel because we know that righteousness and holiness is completely vouched, safe to God. It's under his purview and his control, and it comes to his people when he draws close. That's how it was in the Old Testament, and that's how it was in the New Testament. And so as Christ in human form is coming and drawing near to his people, he's preaching this good news message that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will have salvation and eternal life in him So intimately wrapped up that again, he hasn't just come. In the Christmas season to make naughty people good, but to make dead people alive and alive in him so that their life is hidden within him, and therefore, because he's the indestructible life, your life and mine cannot be destroyed either. I. So it is this amazing mark of the fullness of humanity and identification with us that he didn't just come on special terms. You know, I often think it's not like God on a deck chair laid out looking down as a creation separate as he were, as it were, just observing and kind of more or less interjecting here and there. It wasn't Jesus coming at. Arms length, distance. It wasn't God snatching him up when the frustrations of our limits or the pains of our world fell him. He had the full human experience. He was all in fully human and body mind. Hearts will and surroundings. Fully human in our finitude and all of this frustrations that we share that are just part of our lives, fully human in. Vulnerability to the worst of the civil world can work. Clearly that's manifested in his ign Ammonious death. Nor was he at the bottom spared the very essence of being human. He was accountable to God. Even there, that humility is incredible, that he himself learned, undertook, became obedient so that he would be accountable to God a father. Hebrews five celebrates this. Exactly. I love this set of words. Although Jesus was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered and being made perfect. He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. And if he is our first brother, then the calling that we have is to do exactly the same, to come before him, to obey him and to see him as the one who is high and lift it up. But that self humbling, that humiliation doesn't just stop with obedience. And that's why the apostle keeps going. It says to the point of death, how far did it take him? How far did he go? How far was he willing to go? Volitionally all the way. To the point of death. And Christ obedience was an all the way kind of obedience, a true obedience. It wasn't part and parcel, it wasn't peace wise, it didn't be for a part of time, as long as it was comfortable and then try something else. You know, of course, even in the garden when he's praying and the disciples are with the in your shot and he asked that the cup might pass, we might reasonably ask what other option was there. And so here even Christ says. Even to the point of death, forsaking all other things, real obedience endures in obedience, which is a really difficult thing. And so I'm grateful because my obedience is peace wise, it is part and parcel, it is weak, it is feeble. And instead we have Christ who is transferred all of his righteousness into our account. And all of that righteousness is because of real obedience that he undertook, endured in obedience. And so Christ did not begin obedience and then surrender disobedience once the greatest threats loomed even in the garden. There he again. He is coming before the father and he is continuing to obey. He's humbled. So I think God does indeed command our humility and one of the ways that he can command that it, well, there's many ways. First and foremost, by fiat, he's God and his character demands it. The second way is that, again, coming back to these parables. Finally, and lastly, we see that Christ is exhibiting great humility in the message that he's bringing forward and all of this, that he comes forward to save and all of the seeking that he undertakes, he conspires with God in humility to bring his children. Into the fold. There was no other way without this incredible humility of Christ, this humility that shows us that it's not denigrating of humanity, but it's God's image shining in its fullness. That this is the very thing he comes to restore and to humble oneself is not to be less than human. It rather it is. Pride that is our cancer. It's pride that corrodes our true dignity to humble ourselves is to come even ever closer, step by step to the bliss, I think, and the full flourishing for which we're made. And Christ exemplifies that very thing. And I submit to you loved ones. It's that very humility. This is what I buried the lead on last week. It's that very humility that draws the sinner. Because we all have a master. We are all slaves to something, which I know is really unpopular to say, but hear me out. We are all stuck on something. We are all bound into something. It's just like we say with worship, it's not whether we not, we choose to worship. It's what we worship and we are what we worship. All those things are true. All those cliches stand and if they're true, then the opposite is true and that is that we're all bound to something. The question is how good and kind is your master. The thing in which you are bound to the thing which you choose to serve and submit to how life giving is that thing. And the humility of Christ clarifies that not all of our hum lings are owning to our own sin that Christ had. None, none. Yet he humbled himself. Sometimes repentance is the first step in self humbling. Other times it's not. Our self humbling may often come in response to our exposure to sin, but even in Christ sinless as he was. He heeded the father's call to humble himself. And so I think for us, as we think about what it means then to go and study these parables, we first even need to humble our understanding, our cognizance, our reasoning, our logic, that the scripture as given by God as his very word to us, stand so far above us. That while we study it and we interrogate it, that we dare not stand in opposition to it because it is the high and lofty command of God for us because he's good and his love endures forever. So I hope that as we continue to build into this next step of looking at this final lost parable, that we can all continue to just appreciate and boast in the God man who in his humility, makes the gospel possible, and that in his humility shows. A greater sense of what it means to have the abundant life. And we have to take Jesus at his word, loved ones when he says like He's come, not just to give life, but to give it in abundance that that is a real quantity, and that the humility of Christ in his life and death and resurrection testifies to one of God's clearest and most memorable promises in all of scripture. That again, he humbles the proud and he exalts the humble. So it was with Christ. He humbled himself and God has highly exalted him. I remember reading John Owen writing about. Justification and Christ's time of suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and his preparation for the cross and inevitably his, his forsaking, his forsakenness on that cross and how Jesus himself entrusted his justification to God the Father, which I think is a. A, a conception that will make your mind do a somersault. I mean, think about it long enough that even Jesus himself in learning obedience and taking upon himself the full measure of what it was to sit under the law and then to obey it perfectly, was still going to his death, knowing that he was gonna be the greatest sinner who ever lived yet was gonna be the one without sin, having committed any, that he himself was entrusting all of that he had accomplished and who he was. To God the father, to justify him and his resurrection on the third day loved ones is proof positive that he is the savior. That we all long for that in our sickness right now, as in our world, as all these things groan, as they all say, in some way, maratha, Lord, come quickly, that we are acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the one. Who in his complete humility satisfied the law of God to such degree that he was justified before God the father, and raised TriNet on the third day as proof positive that he is in fact the Savior, the chosen one, the Messiah, the first brother, the firstborn among the dead, the serpent crusher. The one who will come and redeem all of his people. So I hope there's something in there for you that's an encouragement that lifts up as if they were even possible to do more than they already are. That lifts up these parables that we've been talking about, that it's not just, of course, that Jesus on this mission because. He's full of love. His love predated all of this. Now, this is why we keep coming back to, uh, all Christians at all times, in all heirs. John three 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. Now whosoever should believe in him. Now, all the believing ones should have eternal life, and that eternal life is purchased by the blood of Christ and through his humility, but also it is a, a stark reminder that love always leads to giving. And here we have God the father, giving his son Unreservedly for us, becoming Creature Lee, so that he might undertake the humility of the creature. And in so doing fully, not just, I would say identify with who we are, but become like us in every a. Way yet without sin, which is why can we rejoice that even now in the sound of my voice or yours, wherever you are, there is Jesus Christ in Heavenly Rumble. Before the God the Father interceding perfectly as this incredible representative, as the scriptures are, he says, as this best of all, the high priests, the perfect one. Who is ushering us in to bend the ear, as it were of God because of what he's accomplished on our behalf. Man, that is good news. And if it's not good news and you don't think it is, you better check your pulse. Check it right now. [00:33:20] Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser [00:33:20] Jesse Schwamb: So you need to come back. And listen to the next episode because we are, I mean, I think assuming everybody's healthy, Lord willing, we're gonna talk about the Prodigal Son and really wrap up this culmination of the lost parables. But of course, you know that I'm contractually obligated to say to you all. That you don't have to just wait to interact until the next podcast. You can come hang out with us, and I gotta say it again for all the people in the back. The way that you do that is this little app called Telegram. You might be using Telegram already to message with your friends and your family. If so, you might not have known that. There's also a little group within Telegram for the Reform Brotherhood. Everybody who listens, everybody wants to hang out and talk about theology or life share prayer requests. It's all happening right there, and I promise you, you will not be disappointed if you come check it out. So you're probably saying enough already. Tell me how to do that. Alright, here's what you do. Get a piece of paper, stop the car, put down the backhoe for a second, and listen up. You go to your favorite browser and you type in t me slash reform brotherhood. T. Me Reform Brotherhood. Come hang out with us. Come talk about the episode, and until then, everybody stay. Well keep your head down. Don't list sick sickness night people. But remember, even if it does, you have this great high priest who endured obedience, in obedience to bring you abundant life, to identify with you, to resonate with you, to give you the love of God, and to finally conquer sin, death, and the devil. I say loved ones, so until next time, you know what to do. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Faith or Fear? Part 1Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:18-27 Episode: 497 Scripture Summary: In John 9:18–27, the Pharisees refuse to believe that the man had been blind and was now healed, so they summon his parents for verification. The parents confirm that he was born blind and can now see, but they avoid giving details out of fear—they know that anyone who acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah will be put out of the synagogue. They say, "He is of age; ask him." The Pharisees call the healed man back and pressure him to discredit Jesus, claiming He is a sinner. But the man boldly responds, "Whether He is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see." When they continue to interrogate him, he replies with growing boldness, essentially saying, "I've already told you, and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again?" Key themes include: spiritual blindness vs. physical healing, bold testimony in the face of pressure, fear of religious exclusion, and the power of personal experience with Jesus.

In this episode of Out of Zion, ICEJ USA’s Dr. Susan Michael shows how understanding Judaism helps us connect the Bible to life today as she traces its development from Jesus’ time to the present. She reviews the four major New Testament-era sects—Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots—explaining how the 70 AD temple destruction led to Rabbinic Judaism and how oral traditions shaped practice. She also examines the major modern streams and discusses the question of “Who is a Jew?” as a blend of peoplehood, culture, and religion Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Friday, 19 December 2025   When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: Matthew 15:10   “And having summoned the crowd, He said to them, ‘You hear and comprehend!'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus finished citing the words of Isaiah, which He had said rightly referred to the scribes  and Pharisees. Next, He will begin a new thought, but one which is still connected to His ongoing words against these leaders of Israel. The words begin with, “And having summoned the crowd.”   This would be the crowd gathered in the land of Gennesaret, as noted in verse 14:34. They would have seen the ongoing dispute the scribes and Pharisees had with Jesus. With His words to them complete, He turns to the crowd to instruct them on the matter.   This is particularly important because the scribes and Pharisees would have been considered the cream of the crop in religious circles. The people would have heard them and accepted their word concerning such matters. And yet, Jesus had strongly refuted them, directly quoting Scripture to make His point.   With that complete, He turns to the crowd. One can see the scribes and Pharisees still there while Jesus ignores any further discourse with them. Instead, He addresses the people in what will turn out to be a stinging rebuke of these religious leaders. It will conclude His thoughts about what they presented to Him in verse 15:2. Understanding this, Matthew records, “He said to them, ‘You hear and comprehend!'”   The crowds have been filing away the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees all their lives. Anytime they needed to know a matter, it would be these men who would be consulted for a definitive answer to their question.   In this case, however, Jesus will address the crowds directly. Saying, “You hear and comprehend,” is like saying, “Pay careful heed. I have an important matter for you to hear and then file away for future reference when these people come to you with their faulty conclusions concerning this matter.”   Life application: In any argument, be it religious, political, mechanical, structural, nuclear, etc., the only thing that matters is what is true. Truth can be defined as “that which corresponds to reality.” If two nuclear scientists disagree on the effects of adding tritium into the fission process when developing a nuclear bomb, there are certain parameters that can be determined by mathematical calculations.   The calculations will determine the truth of the matter. But if one scientist continues to disagree, building a bomb with the disputed amount of tritium and igniting it will resolve the matter. Likewise, if someone says that he wants to build a skyscraper in a certain way, there are calculations to determine if his plans will succeed or fail.   If a point of stress is misidentified or ignored, the entire structure could fail and come tumbling down. When debating religion, it doesn't matter how someone “feels” about a matter. If what he says contradicts Scripture, it doesn't matter if he claims the Spirit told him, God spoke to him, he had a dream or a vision, etc. If Scripture is God's standard in understanding Him, then such claims are irrelevant.   People all over the world, and also for the past two thousand years, have made claims about matters of faith, doctrine, inspiration, etc. And yet, none of them has added a single word to God's word. It is true that some have claimed such additions, like Ellen G. White of the Seventh Day Adventists and Joseph Smith of the Mormons.   However, their writings, which are supposedly inspired by God, have only caused division, confusion, and apostasy from the truth of Scripture.   Therefore, when talking to someone about matters of doctrine or theology, there must be a basis for any disagreement, meaning a standard by which the matter can be resolved. If someone claims he has had a dream that tells him something and it contradicts Scripture, then either Scripture is wrong, or his dream is false.   If the standard that is set is Scripture, then the dream, by default, must be false. However, if the claim is made that the dream is valid, there is no longer a standard by which the two can dispute the matter. You are now arguing apples and oranges. There is absolutely no point in continuing the discussion.   This is what Jesus faced. He was given a supposed standard. That standard was not in accord with Scripture. As such, He cited Scripture and ended the discussion, instead turning to the crowds to present information based on His conclusion.   Don't be duped into arguments with people who have no set standard that you can agree upon. You are wasting your time and will inevitably bolster their nutty ideas in their own minds and possibly in the minds of others.    Lord God, Your word instructs us concerning when to engage a dispute and when to step away from one. Give us wisdom to apply this to our own lives as we encounter those who have made claims on matters related to Scripture. Help us to know when to engage and when to disengage from such matters. Amen.

This episode is part 40 in a study of the gospel of Luke. Jesus tells us too parabales to teach something about prayer. The first of an unjuest judge and the second of a self-righteous Pharisee.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann How Do I Dispell Darkness in my Life? Part 2Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:8-17 Episode: 496 Scripture Summary: In John 9:8–17, the man who was healed from blindness becomes the center of attention in his community. His neighbors and others who had seen him begging are amazed and confused—some doubt he is the same man, but he insists, "I am the man." When asked how he received his sight, he explains that Jesus made mud, put it on his eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, after which he could see. The people bring him to the Pharisees, who question him about the healing—especially because it occurred on the Sabbath, which sparks controversy. Some Pharisees accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, while others wonder how a sinner could perform such miraculous signs. When they ask the healed man what he thinks of Jesus, he boldly replies, "He is a prophet." Key themes include: testimony of transformation, conflict over Sabbath traditions, growing recognition of Jesus' authority, and the courage to speak truth about Jesus.

The Pharisees accuse Jesus' disciples of not following their tradition in washing their  hands. Jesus points out their hypocrisy and the real source of defilement.Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible. Visit the radio station website: https://www.790kspd.com/simply-the-bible/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel.Subscribe to Pastor Daryl's daily devotional and listening plan. Visit the church website. If you enjoy Simply the Bible, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who art thou?Et hoc est testimonium Joannis, quando miserunt Judaei ab Jerosolymis sacerdotes et Levitas ad eum ut interrogarent eum : Tu quis es? 20 And he confessed, and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ.Et confessus est, et non negavit, et confessus est : Quia non sum ego Christus. 21 And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: No.Et interrogaverunt eum : Quid ergo? Elias es tu? Et dixit : Non sum. Propheta es tu? Et respondit : Non. 22 They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?Dixerunt ergo ei : Quis es ut responsum demus his qui miserunt nos? quid dicis de teipso? 23 He said: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias.Ait : Ego vox clamantis in deserto : Dirigite viam Domini, sicut dixit Isaias propheta. 24 And they that were sent, were of the Pharisees.Et qui missi fuerant, erant ex pharisaeis. 25 And they asked him, and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?Et interrogaverunt eum, et dixerunt ei : Quid ergo baptizas, si tu non es Christus, neque Elias, neque propheta? 26 John answered them, saying: I baptize with water; but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not.Respondit eis Joannes, dicens : Ego baptizo in aqua : medius autem vestrum stetit, quem vos nescitis. 27 The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.Ipse est qui post me venturus est, qui ante me factus est : cujus ego non sum dignus ut solvam ejus corrigiam calceamenti. 28 These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.Haec in Bethania facta sunt trans Jordanem, ubi erat Joannes baptizans.

The blindness of the Pharisee's as to the identity of the true Messiah was not limited to the time of His baptism, but lasted throughout the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, it has continued through the life of the Church. Just like the people who lived in Christ's lifetime, people down through the ages up until today fail to recognize Our Lord in their midst. Rather than submit themselves to God, they cling to their conception of who the Messiah should be and thereby reject the only true one.

Today Dot and Cara turn from the younger son to the older brother. Looking at Luke 15 and sharing insights from The Prodigal God by Tim Keller, they explore how we can “do all the right things” and still miss the Father's heart. This Christmas, what if we let God expose both the prodigal and the older brother in us so we can receive His grace? Grab your Bible, a cozy drink, and maybe your Christmas hat too and settle in for this hope-filled conversation.Got a question about today's episode or something else you'd like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! Episode recap:Intro (00:00)Start by writing down Luke 15:25-32 (0:14)It's easy to forget what we have been saved from (3:14)Like the Pharisees, we forget we need a Savior  (7:00) Both sons were using the Father for their own sake (11:00)We think the story is about actions, but it's about their hearts (14:15)Remember the context of this story is the disciples and the Pharisees (19:00)Ask God to protect you from a judgmental heart (23:30)None of us deserve it or could earn it, but we get to receive the Father's love (25:00)Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.Watch Write this Down! on YouTubeFind Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook Scripture Verse:  Luke 15:11-19 (ESV) ““Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller: https://amzn.to/44Qrj71

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann How Do I Dispell Darkness in my Life? Part 1Series: Seeing the Light Scripture: John 9:8-17 Episode: 495 Scripture Summary: In John 9:8–17, the man who was healed from blindness becomes the center of attention in his community. His neighbors and others who had seen him begging are amazed and confused—some doubt he is the same man, but he insists, "I am the man." When asked how he received his sight, he explains that Jesus made mud, put it on his eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, after which he could see. The people bring him to the Pharisees, who question him about the healing—especially because it occurred on the Sabbath, which sparks controversy. Some Pharisees accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, while others wonder how a sinner could perform such miraculous signs. When they ask the healed man what he thinks of Jesus, he boldly replies, "He is a prophet." Key themes include: testimony of transformation, conflict over Sabbath traditions, growing recognition of Jesus' authority, and the courage to speak truth about Jesus.

Wednesday, 17 December 2025   ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. Matthew 15:8   “He neared Me, this people – the mouth, And the lips – he honors Me, And their heart, it distances far from Me” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus called the scribes and the Pharisees hypocrites. He then noted that Isaiah had rightly spoken of them. What Isaiah said is next cited by Jesus, saying –   “He neared Me, this people – the mouth.” The words begin the quote of Isaiah 29:13. It is what people do when they speak about, praise, thank, or petition the Lord. They will draw near to Him with the mouth. The words are in a common Hebrew form of speaking.   First, the people are referred to in the singular through a masculine verb, as if one man, “He neared me.” It is then explained by the words, “this people.” From there, the plural is given when speaking of the individual mouth of each person, “their mouth.”   The Lord acknowledges this form of expression. As a collective, the people truly near themselves to the Lord. And more, He acknowledges, “And the lips – he honors Me.”   It happened all over Israel as people would call out, honoring the Lord with their lips. One can think of any apostate church. They will draw themselves near to the Lord in their words. In those words, there will be great words of honor and adoration for God. However, it is all done falsely as Jesus next notes while still citing Isaiah, “And their heart, it distances far from Me.”   A new word is seen, the adverb porró, far. It is derived from the preposition pro, forward (as in proceed, project, etc.). Thus, it refers to something at a distance. The point is that even though the people openly draw near to the Lord, honoring Him with their lips, the true substance of who they are (the heart) remains a far distance from Him.   One can think of a church with a lesbian preacher or priest, such as is quite common in many mainstream denominations today. They stand in the pulpit, raise their hands, and say, “We honor You, Lord of the universe. We call on You to send Your Spirit upon us anew today.”   The fact is that if they were honoring the Lord, she wouldn't have been appointed, and she wouldn't be a lesbian. There is no heart for the Lord. Instead, there is a show-and-pretend religion. This type of pretense allows people to claim they are right with God when their lives and actions deny any relationship with Him at all.   One can see the patterns in Isaiah's words that are common in Hebrew writings –   “He neared Me, this people – the mouth, And the lips – he honors Me, And their heart, it distances far from Me”   Nearing and honoring are set in parallel and then contrasted to distancing. The mouth and the lips are set in parallel and then contrasted to the heart. At the same time, the first two clauses are reversed in order, though parallel in thought. In the third line, the word “far” is given to accentuate the truth of the matter. The structure calls out for thought and then an active consideration of the state of those it is referring to.   Life application: One of the joys of reading many different translations is that the mind can think differently when seeing things laid out differently. The translators of the LSV disagree, saying, “While some readers may prefer paragraph breaks in narrative and line breaks in poetic portions for the purpose of readability, it was the decision of the translators to mimic the style of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek autographs in presenting God's word as a continuous text block. ... Furthermore, the modern trend even extended to differentiating the words of Christ in red letters, as if God's word should be divided in such a way. The LSV is the polar opposite, regarding the entirety of Scripture as God-breathed, with its different genres of literature resting on a level playing field.”   That is ridiculous. First, the translators admit that there are purposeful markers within the text that naturally break the flow of the reading for the mind of the reader. Why shouldn't such marks be variously employed for the modern reader in his own language?   But more poignantly, as noted above, there is almost no punctuation or capitalization in the original manuscripts. There are also no chapter or verse divisions. To use their logic in a consistent way would mean that they should do the same thing and have everything follow a simple block format with no other markings, including capitalization, punctuation, etc. It would be insane for an English reader to even bother reading such a translation, and so these changes are made.   A third point is that between the Old and New Testaments in their version, a painting is included in the hard copy translation. Where is that found in the original manuscripts? As nice as the painting is, was that painted by God as breathed out through His Spirit? Obviously not. It is a hypocritical thing to say one thing and do another. These and many other translational changes by them demonstrate that their words in the preface do not align with their translation at all.   As for the text itself with the various formatting differences, at what point does it become “wrong” to make a translation more understandable for the reader? This is the fallacy of the beard, and the LSV translators entered into it just when the beard was enough to tickle the faces of baby readers who first pick it up. Others have a beard a bit longer and can tickle even toddlers. While others choose for the beard to be fully grown and mature.   Don't get legalistic! Get into the word! How it is formatted is something each reader will find suitable to his own needs. So, look through the next Bible you want to read, see if it will help you in your reading, and buy that one.   Lord God, You have given us the freedom to translate Your word, highlighting nuances for the benefit of the reader, setting parts off for greater clarity and understanding, and so forth. Thank You for those who have done the hard work so that we can more fully appreciate this wonderful word You have given us. Amen.

Gospel  Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion?  A man had two sons.  He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'  The son said in reply, ‘I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went.  The man came to the other son and gave the same order.  He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,' but did not go.  Which of the two did his father's will?”  They answered, “The first.”  Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you.  When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did.  Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.” Reflection The beautiful part of this reading for me is we're in this world to go through a process called conversion. Transformation. We start with one truth or one half truth, or one lie or whatever, and we move closer and closer to what we are called to be in truth. And the whole thing that is important for one to understand is we have to change, continue to change. The Pharisees would not. And so Jesus points out, I came into the world to change people, to awaken them, to renew them. And the Pharisees were not interested at all. Closing Prayer Father, why should we ever be ashamed of something that we have done that is wrong, or something that we misunderstood? It's part of the plan. It's why you have made it so clear to us that your response to us in our failures is nothing but love, forgiveness, and the power to change. Bless us with that conviction that we should never be afraid to face where we have made mistakes, or when we continue to make mistakes. Help us to be transformed. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday, 16 December 2025   Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: Matthew 15:7   “Hypocrites! Well, Isaiah, he prophesied concerning you, saying,” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that they had invalidated the commandment of God through their tradition. He continues, sharply criticizing them for this, saying, “Hypocrites!”   The word has been seen several times already, but this is the first time Jesus has directly called these men “hypocrites” to their faces. The word comes from two separate words signifying under and judge. It is a person who judges like a performer under a mask. Thus, he is two-faced.   This is exactly how these men were in their ungodly teachings while claiming to be the epitome of godly examples to the people. Of this sort, Jesus said to them, “Well, Isaiah, he prophesied concerning you, saying.”   The words of Isaiah are words of Scripture, given by God through a prophet. Without yet reading what words Jesus will cite, we can already guess that His reference to these men will not be favorable concerning them and their actions.   Life application: These scribes and Pharisees had an agenda. The conversation began with them asking Jesus why His disciples transgressed the traditions of the elders. Although the tone of their voice is unknown, the very question implies that they felt somehow better than Jesus and His disciples because these supposed religious leaders do something that others don't do.   It is a way of attempting to shame others into compliance with their lifestyles, values, morals, etc. This is a common way that people handle such things. Look at the world around you at any given time, and you will see people doing this constantly. For example, people are currently in the habit of shaming others if they disagree with all sorts of perverse lifestyles, such as homosexuality. The news media and Hollywood elites shame people because of their skin color, as if being anything but black is bad.   In Christianity, people who read the KJV will constantly demean and shame those who don't, as if the translation they are reading makes them less of a Christian. One key aspect of all such matters is that the one who is making the accusation is the one who has no valid argument for his stand.   The shaming, when understood from this perspective, is an underhanded attempt not to do right, but to do what is wrong. Those who are doing right have no need to shame others in such a manner. They can call out what is wrong based on their properly aligned position.   For example, nature itself tells us that homosexuality is a perversion of what is normal. Being abnormal, there is no moral justification for such a stand. Therefore, the way to make people accommodate this type of behavior must be pressed from a position of weakness. Shaming others is an inevitable tactic that must be employed to silence those who oppose the behavior.   Shaming someone because of his skin color is a ridiculous proposition. A person is born with skin. It isn't the skin that makes the person. That is an incidental mark of who he is, like the color of his eyes or the size of his foot. How the person behaves within society, regardless of skin color, is what makes him valuable or worthless. But for those who have an agenda against a predominantly white society, shaming the majority because of their skin color serves their purpose. Let them go to China and try that with yellow skin!   As for cults, those who hold to an untenable position, like KJV Onlyism, will attempt to justify the unjustifiable in their doctrine, covering up errors in their own text as if they don't exist. At the same time, they will shame others because of the Bible they read, using fallacious thinking and verbal attacks in an attempt to embarrass others into acquiescing to their ridiculous stand.   Be ready to defend your stand on why you believe homosexuality is wrong, why it is ok for you to have whatever color skin you have, and why you read one version of the Bible rather than another. And these are only three of innumerable examples of such things you should be aware of in the world in which you exist. Jesus didn't cave to shamers, and neither should you.   Glorious God, thank You for the words of Scripture that give us insights into how to live and operate in the world You have placed us in. May we not be ashamed of our stand for the gospel or the truths contained in Your word. Help us to boldly stand on what Your word teaches, knowing that Your word is truth. Amen.  

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Join us today as we look at Matthew 5:20 and ask the question, does our righteousness surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees?

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) The scribes and Pharisees often plotted against Jesus. They sought to use the law of Moses to trap Him in a &ldquo... More...

Patrick answers listener questions on the Holy Eucharist, grief, prayer after tragedy, and tough calls about family boundaries and school choices. He responds to inquiries about supporting Jewish people and addresses scriptural tension between Jesus’s rebukes and his love, weaving in Catholic teaching on keeping Sunday holy and the importance of inner healing. Kevin (email) – Is there ever any reason to put the Consecrated Host in one’s pocket? (01:53) Angela - My friend's husband committed murder suicide. How can I pray through this? (12:15) Justin - As Christians, I know we are supposed to support our Jewish friends. Why are we called to support them if they don't even believe in Jesus? (18:27) Brittney - What are your thoughts at looking at schools for non-Catholic kids? I don't have any Catholic schools near me. (25:34) Maria - My sister was asked by brother and her son to go on a vacation. My brother allows his college age children to sleep with their boyfriends and girlfriends. Should they go? (31:23) Robert - When Jesus told the Pharisees that they were descendants of the devil has always bothered me. This seems to contradict what you are saying about being kind to Jews. (38:24) Butch - A couple of my coworkers feel deer hunting is more important than going to Church. What is your definition of keeping the Sabbath on Sunday? (43:43) Originally aired on 10/20/25

Angel Studios https://Angel.com/Herman Join the Angel Guild today where you can stream Thank You, Dr. Fauci and be part of the conversation demanding truth and accountability.  Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeOne of the common denominators in what I call "Church-aganda" is that it forgives all the wrong things it has no authority to forgive, and condemns all the things Jesus has already died on the cross to forgive.Episode Links:Church puts white people in chains where they cry“White people, I need you to make me feel better, make my day better…get in my comments and apologize to me and the rest of us." What do you want to say to this delusional woman?American woman says “I've had enough” of the white hate pushed on the population - “We're the only ones that are constantly having diversity shoved down our throats. We are a global minority being replaced in our own countries. And I've had enough”Woke pastor modernizes The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, likening the tax collector to an evil ICE agent who "pulls people from their homes...dragged beaten and tased, who shoots protesting pastors with pepper balls" and traumatizes immigrant children.Guest speaker explains he has gyne-comastia, and that the increased breast tissue has made him fearful for his life, lest he get gets labelled as trans and then murdered because of it. From Union Chapel Church, UK."This flag is bright because the life of transgender people is as bright as the transfiguration of Christ up on the mountain." - From Union Chapel Church, UK.U.S. ready to cut support to Scouts, accusing them of attacking 'boy-friendly spaces'