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In this profound exploration of Matthew 25:1-13, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb unpack the parable of the ten virgins, revealing it as far more than a simple warning about preparedness. Moving beyond dispensational "rapture ready" interpretations, they demonstrate how this parable addresses the spiritual condition required for entrance into God's consummated kingdom. The discussion centers on the critical distinction between outward religious profession and genuine possession of the Holy Spirit's grace. With pastoral sensitivity and theological depth, the hosts examine the meaning of the oil, the significance of the midnight cry, and the urgency of both evangelism and personal examination. This episode challenges listeners to consider whether they possess not just the lamp of profession, but the oil of saving grace that alone sustains faith through the waiting period before Christ's return. Key Takeaways The oil represents saving grace, not perfect obedience - The critical distinction in the parable is not between those who stayed awake versus those who slept (all ten virgins fell asleep), but between those who possessed oil and those who didn't. The oil symbolizes the indwelling, regenerating, sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit—the grace that comes through effectual calling and genuine conversion. This parable warns against mere outward profession - All ten virgins carried lamps and waited for the bridegroom, representing outward religious activity and profession. The difference lay in the interior spiritual reality—whether that profession was accompanied by the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit or remained empty formalism. The "midnight cry" represents both personal death and Christ's return - Historically, Reformed expositors understood the midnight cry as either the actual cry of Christ's angels at His return or the voice of God in individual death. Each person's death functions as their personal midnight that irrevocably fixes their eternal state. Readiness is not about sinless perfection but possession of grace - The parable is not teaching a fearful "rapture ready" theology where Christians must be perfectly sinless when Christ returns. Rather, it teaches that readiness consists in possessing saving grace through faith in Christ, which sustains believers even when they "sleep" (fall into sin or spiritual drowsiness). There is urgency in the gospel call - The parable emphasizes that the opportunity for salvation has a deadline—"you know neither the day nor the hour." This creates urgency both for unbelievers to trust Christ and for believers to share the gospel, since no one knows when their personal "midnight" will arrive. Calvin's insight: you "buy" oil by receiving it freely through faith - Though the parable speaks of "buying" oil, Calvin notes this doesn't imply paying a price. Just as Isaiah invites people to buy wine and milk without money, we obtain the oil of grace not through merit or payment, but by receiving through faith what Christ freely offers. Key Concepts The Oil as Symbol of the Holy Spirit's Grace The oil in this parable has been consistently interpreted throughout church history as representing the grace of the Holy Spirit—specifically the indwelling, regenerating, and sanctifying presence that comes through genuine conversion. This interpretation aligns with Old Testament symbolism where anointing oil signified the Spirit's presence (as in "not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit"). The crucial distinction Jesus makes is not about external religious activity (both groups had lamps and waited), but about internal spiritual reality. Just as a lamp cannot burn without oil, religious profession without the Spirit's grace has no sustaining power. This oil cannot be shared or borrowed; it must be personally possessed. The parable thus exposes the deadly danger of assuming that outward Christian activities—church attendance, biblical knowledge, moral behavior—constitute genuine Christianity when the transforming work of the Spirit is absent. All the Virgins Slept: Grace Overcomes Human Weakness One of the most important details often overlooked is that both the wise and foolish virgins fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom. This demolishes any interpretation suggesting the parable is about maintaining perfect spiritual vigilance or sinless living. The wise virgins' readiness was not based on their superior wakefulness or moral stamina—they fell asleep just like the foolish ones. Their preparedness came from having secured the oil beforehand. This has profound theological implications: our salvation and readiness for Christ's return does not depend on our ability to maintain perfect spiritual alertness or sinless perfection. Even when believers "sleep"—when they fall into sin, experience spiritual dullness, or fail in vigilance—they remain prepared because they possess the oil of the Spirit's grace. The parable thus provides comfort alongside its warning: those who have truly received Christ need not live in constant fear that a moment of weakness will disqualify them when He returns. The Midnight Cry and Personal Eschatology The midnight cry in verse 6 functions on multiple levels theologically. Universally, it points to Christ's unexpected second coming at the end of history. But Reformed interpreters have also recognized its application to individual eschatology—each person's death serves as their personal "midnight cry" that ends all opportunity for preparation. This dual meaning creates urgency both for evangelism and self-examination. The parable warns that whether Christ returns globally or death comes individually, that moment will arrive unexpectedly ("at midnight," the hour of deepest sleep) and irrevocably fix one's eternal state. Once the door is shut, no amount of pleading ("Lord, Lord, open to us") can change one's condition. This underscores a biblical truth often denied in contemporary theology: there is no post-mortem opportunity for salvation, no remedial path after death. The time for obtaining oil is now, in this life, before the cry sounds. Memorable Quotes Every man's death to him is the coming of Christ. That's when our state is irrevocably fixed. And so there's an urgency here—an urgency of evangelism and self-examination because the midnight cry may come at any moment. The difference between the wise and the foolish virgins is not that one of them stays awake and one of them falls asleep. The difference between the wise and the foolish is that the ones that are wise are prepared for when the bridegroom comes, even though they fell asleep. The only way to be prepared for the end is to turn to Jesus. It's not about whether or not you've turned to Jesus and have become perfectly sinless. None of us are like that. It's about trusting Jesus. Full Episode Transcript Welcome to episode 494 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:01:10] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother.  [00:01:15] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. Looks like you and I need to get a midnight oil check. That's if you know, you know, that's what's coming up on this episode, and we're headed to Matthew 25 to do that oil check. We're still firmly in all of these beautiful parables that Jesus tells us, and this one goes by various names. You might know it as the parable of the 10 virgins, or if you're Petra. That classic Christian rock group who produced a song called Midnight Oil, which is absolutely a banger that that should be like the the theme song of this episode. If you haven't heard that song, go check out Midnight Oil by Petra and then come back and listen to us. Like, I wish we had the rights to that. We could just drop it in right here. But we're not that cool and we're not gonna edit that. So I'm gonna leave it up to you to craft your own version of this podcast with that great backing track. Have you heard that song?  [00:02:09] Tony Arsenal: I actually haven't. I, I came, uh, came into Christianity sort of at the tail end of Petra's Big Influence. So I know, I knew who Petra is. I've listened to a few of their songs, but they weren't mainstream by any sort, sort of, uh, stretch of the imagination when I was listening to Christian music. So  [00:02:28] Jesse Schwamb: this one's so good. It's so good. And it's right on point for our conversation today. So we're gonna get into all that stuff. The oil check, the midnight nature of it, the 10 virgins. What does it all mean? Of course, Tony and me, we have for you what I believe to be the definitive exegetical and hermeneutical reflection on the parable. So that's what you've come to expect from us and we're happy to deliver, but before we deliver on that, we got all the things we have to deliver to you, and that is affirming with or denying against something that's that point of course in the podcast or our conversation where we choose something they firm with that we think is. Undervalued, something we might recommend or conversely to deny against something that maybe is a little bit too overvalued or just not that great. So Tony, as is our customer, I say to you, sir, what are you doing? Are you affirming with something or are you denying against something?  [00:03:16] Denial Memory Blank [00:03:16] Tony Arsenal: I'm denying something. This is like denial. Ception is what's going on here. So, uh, first of all, thank you, Jesse for, uh, pitch hitting a solo episode at like, literally the last minute, last week. Um, I think we normally record at seven 30 on the Lord's Day, and I think I texted Jesse like 6 45 and was like, I just don't have it in the tank today. Can you do something? And he just hopped behind the mic. So that's a bonus affirmation there. But, uh, Jesse and I were, we're having a little bit of a pregame, uh, today, very much, you know, like five minutes of how you doing and are you ready to go? And, uh, I realized I, I had a really great affirmation last week, all ready to rock. I remember being super excited about it. I remember, uh, when I decided, or when we decided you were gonna do a solo episode thinking, I gotta make sure I remember this for next week. Right? And it has totally left my brain. It's gone. And, uh, it's, it's the worst feeling in the world when that happens. And I remember reading at some point, like, there's a biochemical reason why this happens and why it feels so weird. Like, it, it feels like you should be able to just dive into your mind and like search around enough and find it. And that's just not actually how your, how like your memory works. It's not, um. I think we think of memory as though it's like a big filing cabinet and you can just, like, you can just flip through the CAD catalog like long enough and find it. That's not how it works. Um, it's kind of like more organic network kind of stuff. But yeah, the, the, it's gone. It's just gone and I hate that feeling and it's gone. And that's what I'm denying is that feeling and losing your mind and feeling like you don't remember anything.  [00:04:56] Jesse Schwamb: I'm totally with you because incidentally, as we talked, we discovered we both had that experience because I had something too. And it's not just that, well, you know, we try to set aside or do a little prep on the affirmations and denials because you know, we come across something great in life, or again, the opposite. And you think, I gotta remember this because I wanna talk about this with Tony. And the worst part of that is like twofold. One, it never is great to forget something that you had or you knew you knew at one time, but it's all the less satisfying when it was something that you're super excited about and you're like, this is gonna be great. And it's that thing that you've completely forgotten that's like double the worst. So I'm, I'm totally with you in this denial. [00:05:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, it's, it's a really frustrating, terrible feeling. And there's not much you can do about it. And the, the secondary denial to that is it always comes back to you in the worst possible part of whatever conversation you're having. It's like you hem and hover it and you think about it and you, and I'm doing it right now. You, you sit here and you, you continue to try to talk thingy. It's gonna come, it's gonna come. Yes. It's gonna get here.  [00:05:59] Jesse Schwamb: Yep.  [00:06:00] Tony Arsenal: And then just when you finally have resigned yourself and, and the conversation moves on, that's when it comes back around. So I don't know if that's gonna happen or not, Jesse. If it does, I will try my best to ignore it, but I probably won't be able to. So No, I think you probably should get moving. So whatever it was the amazing affirmation, I don't remember. It can come back to us.  [00:06:16] Jesse Schwamb: It can come back. Yeah. I'm hoping that it does. And when it does, you guys just tell us you got, just let it, let it rip. Like even if we're like right in the middle of some deep, heavy, robust, thick theology, I just wanna be like. I, I can't even imagine what your affirmation was. It must have been like something pretty, pretty good.  [00:06:33] Tony Arsenal: I don't know. I don't know. I, I'm sure it was something interesting. I don't even, I'm  [00:06:37] Jesse Schwamb: trying to draw it out of you now.  [00:06:38] Tony Arsenal: Course. I can't even like, think of the ballpark of what part of like, what, what the category even was. It's just totally, it's totally gone. Like it never happened. Yep. It's, it's totally, totally gone. So I keep on saying, and you would think with all of my talk of like note taking apps and how important it's to keep a journal and all the stuff we've talked about that I would finally get around to like just jotting down in Apple Notes what my affirmations are and I just never do it. So. Yeah,  [00:07:05] Jesse Schwamb: I have every intention, but then I think, well, this is the record of them and I'll have it available to me when it comes time. The talk that's, and sometimes it just goes away. Has it happened yet? I'm still trying to draw it out of you by talking.  [00:07:15] Tony Arsenal: No, I'm just gonna give up. It's just gone. It's gone. That's just gone.  [00:07:19] Jesse Schwamb: That's, that's fair enough. Maybe. What do you  [00:07:21] Tony Arsenal: got for us, Jesse?  [00:07:22] Prayer and Anointing [00:07:22] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I was gonna say, maybe I can just help push it along, as it were by my own. So I'm also affirming with something, lemme just read a couple verses from James chapter five. Is anyone Among You Sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and there to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will save the one who's sick and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they'll be forgiven him. I had really just the profound opportunity and privilege today to participate in this because. My wife at the end of this week, uh, which will be a week past when this is, this airs, is about to go undergo that serious surgery, which she spoke about in an episode, I don't know, maybe several weeks ago. And, uh, my pastor asked if it would, if he'd like us and the elders, um, to come and to pray over my wife. And they did so after our service today. And it was just a really incredible thing. Even I'm still processing it. I don't really know. Like the words to say with what I can bring forward is just like words of gratitude and gratefulness for this kind of living out of the scriptures. What I can say is that the way in which he brought this forward and the elders prayed was just so incredibly loving and genteel and spirit-filled. And I think which is a manifestation of, of God's love for us in this moment as we prepare for this great thing to give us peace, peace, and to increase our faith and to do so by just following what the scriptures say here. So my affirmation is maybe twofold. One, it's for this particular experience, it's certainly for pastors, for elders who make it their objective to care for their flock and to do so under the rubric and the instruction of the scriptures. So I'm grateful, and if you have those kind of pastors and elders in your life, I hope that you'll be grateful to them for them as well, and that you might express that gratefulness. So this was a really incredible and, and lovely thing, and, uh, fills us with a kind of hope and encouragement. And if anything else was a reminder of the feel, there's something different going to experience like this armed fully with the promises of God and asking that he would be glorified, that our testimonies would be strong, and that of course, that he would bring healing through it. So I'm ever so grateful and affirming what this passage and this passage put into practice.  [00:09:51] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And if you are listening to this, when, uh, when it comes out or shortly after, probably not even shortly after, probably for a couple weeks after or months after, um, uh, Jesse's wife Jen did talk about the surgery and the condition she's been suffering under. So, uh, she's part of the Reformed Brotherhood family. She is, uh, just as important to the show, uh, as Jesse and I are in terms of the support that our wives give us and, and the space that we need to do this. So please do pray for Jen. Um, she'll be recovering when you hear this, if it's anywhere near the time that this comes out. Uh, it's a fairly large surgery with a, a, a moderately long recovery time. So please, uh, please do pray for her, uh, and, and make sure that you're lifting her up. Um, we are trusting the Lord for good things, uh, for her. Yes. And uh, we're confident that he, his will will be done 'cause it always is. But yeah, definitely pray for her. [00:10:42] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. Thank you for saying that, Tony. I appreciate that as her husband and. We are encouraged that we've said this before, but this is where our theology matters, isn't it? It's in the times where we come before the Lord in faith and in full trust, because one, there's nowhere else to go. He has the words of life for us. He is our life, but also because. In his son, this beautiful gift of salvation whereby his son is the suffering servant. So he's well acquainted with all of this kind of thing. And so stands with us in every conceivable way to be both so incredibly transcendent and above the nonsense and the noise of our world with full power and sovereignty over all things. And at the same time, to be fully eminent. To be literally with us in all the ways. In all the things. And again, well acquainted with our condition, including the grief and the suffering, the anxiety, the all of this, which we experience as part and parcel of what it means to be human, who is like our God in this way. And so we do sense his great and uncommon care for us, and it would be dishonest of me even in the midst of these difficult and challenging things to say that he doesn't care for us. He has good and he loves us, and he's making a way, even though that way be hired. So we're sensing even from, I think, following that time of prayer, that whether we receive the bread of affliction. Uh, or the, the water of of agony that we hear God's voice behind us saying, this is the way, walk in it, and he's with us. So I hope that's encouragement maybe to others who are also going through their own things and who isn't going through something, right?  [00:12:18] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:12:18] Jesse Schwamb: So we all have this great promise in the gospel that God is for us, and I love that James here gives us some practical instruction to that end. [00:12:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, for sure.  [00:12:31] Support the Show [00:12:31] Tony Arsenal: Well, before we move into our topic for the evening, uh, the internet tells me that I'm supposed to do this at this point in the show rather than at the very end like we usually do. Well, let's do it. Um, we are a listener supported episode, not like PBS, uh, not like other things. Uh, maybe kind of a little bit like PBS Yeah, a little bit. Anyway, uh, we have a, a pretty dedicated group of Patreon supporters who, uh, donate a little bit and sometimes some people, a lot, a bit of their discretionary income, uh, to help make the show go. And we've said before, like, we are not interested in providing special content or special gear or swag every once in a while. I think we did it once and we've, we've got plans to do it again sometime in the future. We'll send out a thank you gift to those who are subscribing through Patreon. Um, but we are committed to producing the show and making everything that we put online and everything that we make available, available to everybody. And really the only reason that we can do that, especially in today's economy, is uh, because there are people who support the show. And so we always want to make sure that we're saying we're thank you to those people. Yes. Um, they are a part of this show. I don't know if we are not gonna do like executive producer credits, but they're as close to that as you can get. Since we don't do that, um, we really wouldn't be able to do the show, at least not the way that it is without that supporting group of people. So if that's something that you hear and you no, I kind of think that maybe I wanna be a part of that. We would love for you to go to patreon.com/reform tears. There's no special swag, there's no early releases or anything like that. Um, but we would love if you would partner with us. Um, this is a lowercase m ministry, and if you've listened to the show for a long time, you know what I mean by that. Uh, we, we do consider this to be a calling, something that God has given us and we, we understand there's a responsibility with it, but we also know that we can't do it alone. So if you're interested after you've fulfilled all your personal finance obligations, your obligation to your local church and your immediate area, if there's a little bit left over that you're looking to spend somewhere on something that is valuable, uh, please do consider going to patreon.com/form Brotherhood. [00:14:39] Jesse Schwamb: And if you've been listening for a while and you've thought, you know what, I wonder who else is out there that's like me, that's listening to these guys on the internet. Guess what? You can actually meet some of those people. They have a little spot where they hang out. It's called Telegram. It's just a chat app, and we have our own little section of that app. If you just go to your favorite browser, whatever it is, you can choose and go to wherever you like, just go to t me slash Reform Brotherhood. And that link will take you into kind of a preview land where you can see the space where everybody's talking, and you can peruse some of the different channels, everything from uh, channels just for prayer, for a crusting, prayer to general conversation, talk about the episodes, talk about baptism, all kinds of things. It is, as we always say, one of the kindest, most charitable, most loving corners of the internet. Guaranteed. You can test us on that. So in fact, you should by going to t.me back slash reform Brotherhood, Tony, back to you. [00:15:36] Eschatology Shift [00:15:36] Tony Arsenal: Well, let's just slam it right into gear. We, we, we haven't figured out how to do transitions into or out of, uh, Patreon announcements, uh, or telegram announcements,  [00:15:46] Jesse Schwamb: right?  [00:15:46] Tony Arsenal: So this, I, maybe this is the awkward charm of the show, or maybe it's just the awkwardness of the show. It's just charm, Jesse,  [00:15:53] Jesse Schwamb: all charm. [00:15:53] Tony Arsenal: We need to talk about some things tonight. We need to talk about some oil. Yes. We need to talk about some lamps. Yes. We need talk about some bridegrooms.  [00:16:00] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:16:00] Tony Arsenal: It's the parable of the 10 virgins or the 10 lamps, or the parable of the oil flasks. Yes. There's lots of different things that it's called. Uh, it's what it isn't, it's not the parable of, uh, the 24 hour Jiffy Lube, which is what it made, what you made it sound like when you talked about the midnight oil check. Um,  [00:16:18] Jesse Schwamb: I  [00:16:18] Tony Arsenal: didn't even think about that. But yeah. This is, this is a good one. And I think we've, we've sort of. I've sort of observed that the parables do tend to clump around systematic theology themes, and they clump within the narrative of the gospel within Matthew itself around themes. So the last three parables that we talked about were all sort of like parables of judgment against the Pharisees and a, a lot of things like unconditional election and reparation were all baked into that pie. You know, we talked about with the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coins and the lost, um, the lost, uh, brother. We talked about how that has a lot to do with like election. It has to do with salvation and what the gospel looks like in terms of justification in the father's initiative. And we're moving into a section of Matthew, um, where Jesus is starting to teach on the last days. And so the parables in this section start to move toward ha to have more of an eschatological bent. Yes. We talked a little bit about some of the eschatology and the parables when we, we went through the, um, through the, the. Um, my brain just left me. It happened again, Jesse. The, the denial thing, uh, when we talked about the parable of the tears and the wind field and the, the, the different kinds of soils back on track, there was an eschatological element to that. But we are in like straight up eschatology Yeah. In these, these sections now. That's right. So we're coming to the end of Matthew, uh, our plan right now and who knows what the Lord has for us. But the plan right now is once we finish Matthew, to go back and visit some of the parables that are present in the other gospels. And there's not too many of 'em, but that are present in the other gospels that aren't necessarily, uh, present in Matthew. So, like you said, there's not a ton of 'em. Uh, we do want to hit all of 'em. And if there's, if there's time, and I say if there's time as though we have some sort of time constraints, um, if there's time we probably will talk a little bit about some of the I am statements and some of the things in John. 'cause John doesn't do parables quite the same way in quite the same fashion, but he does have sort of some of this. Allegorical figurative language baked into some of his, um, some of his writings or some of the accounts of Jesus that he, he, um, captures that are probably worth talking about in the seam light. So right now we're, we're coming up quick on the end of the parables of Matthew. Um, there's not very many left and then we'll, we'll keep moving on. Uh, that said. We are, it's almost unbelievable to say this. We're going to be coming up to the end of the parable series sometime in the next, I dunno, six to 10 months. Uh, if you've got ideas for what you think the next series should be, start thinking about those now. Bring 'em to the telegram chat. Let's start percolating those ideas up, right? And, uh, like a good coffee maker. And we'll, uh, we'll brew some goodness. How many more parables? How many more, uh, metaphors can I throw in there? Puns, can I throw in there? But yeah, Jesse, let's get started. This is a good one.  [00:19:08] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that was a really, I think, fine introduction. I always enjoyed this parable because it has some really fun, dramatic elements, but I think I, I really haven't really appreciated all the eschatological underpinnings that you were just mentioning. And when you think about it as we're, I think we're gonna soon find here. That this is one of the most searching and solemn parables, actually, that Jesus uttered, and you start to get a sense for that as we've just kind of been hitting them, one after the other. As you said, this one belongs to the great olive discourse. It's delivered by Jesus to his disciples on the Mount of Olives just days before his crucifixion. It's in direct response to their questions about the destruction of Jerusalem and the sign of his condiment coming and the end of the age. So you're right. I think this carries like unmistakable eschatological weight because it's not merely this fable about preparedness in general, which sometimes is where we go. Yeah. But it's really more of like a precise theological warning about the spiritual condition required for entrance into the consummated kingdom of God at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  [00:20:11] Tony Arsenal: Yeah,  [00:20:11] Jesse Schwamb: I think that's the full setup.  [00:20:12] Read Matthew 25 [00:20:12] Jesse Schwamb: We, we've gotta go to the scriptures, right?  [00:20:15] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:20:16] Jesse Schwamb: Alright. It's time. You want me to read it? [00:20:17] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, yeah, go ahead.  [00:20:18] Jesse Schwamb: Okay. Here we go. Matthew 25, beginning in verse one, then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bride groom. Now, five of them were foolish and five were prudent for when the foolish took their lamps. They took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout. Behold the bridegroom come out to meet him. Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the prudent, give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out. But the prudent answered saying, no, there will not be enough for us and for you too. Go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. And while they're going away to make the purchase, that bridegroom came and those who already went in with him to the wedding feast and the door was shut. And later the other versions came also saying, Lord, Lord, open for us. But he answered and said, truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Therefore, stay awake for you do not know the day nor the hour.  [00:21:27] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:21:29] Assurance Not Fear [00:21:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, this one's heavy. And I just wanna say, kind of coming into this, right, I think a lot of our audience, and I would, I would include myself in this, um, we, we came to sort of like an awareness of faith. And I, I don't say that in a sort of tongue in cheek fashion. What I mean, um. I'll, I'll just speak from my perspective, but I think it's probably one that resonates. I came to faith when I was a, you know, a relatively young teenager, 15 years old, and, um, when you first become a Christian, you're not aware of all the different theological debates or even all of the major implications of the Christian faith. And I think a lot of us and myself, uh, as, as sort of the example when we be started to become aware of the different conversations happening in different dynamics and some of the more, uh, maybe third or fourth tier doctrines that you learn when you're, um, sort of being catechized as a new Christian, uh, catechized in sort of an informal sense, eschatology is probably one of those ones that comes along fairly, fairly late in the game. And I recall, um, when I first became aware of the left behind books, right? And so I, I came to faith in a large Lutheran megachurch, uh, that wasn't really as Lutheran as you would think, cup being a large Lutheran megachurch. It was very dispensational. And I think there is a sense of dread and fear associated with rapture ready theology. And I don't, I don't think all dispensationalist that, um, believe in a, a literal rapture of the church either prior to or following or in the middle of the tribulation. I don't think all dispensationalist fall into this category. But there are definitely dispensationalist out there that would emphasize being rapture ready. And you know, you think of like the song, I wish We'd All Been Ready, you know, and, and this, this sort of existential fear that the Rapture's gonna come and I'm not gonna be ready and I'm gonna be left behind. Right. There's an, the entire book series is about people who thought that they were Christians who thought that they were justified and saved and then weren't. And, and I don't think the book gives all that much explanation other than sort of like a general sense of like, these are sort of nominal fake Christians that maybe some of them think they're saved and some of them don't. I know there were definitely characters in the book who really thought that they were followers of Jesus and then they didn't realize they weren't until they were not raptured with everyone else. The only reason I sort of launch into that progam is I think that the tendency in most circles because of the pervasive. Sort of all expansive influence of dispensationalism in the United States, and particularly sort of this like rapture ready, left behind theology that is a, a major thread within, um, American dispensationalism. There's a tendency to look at this almost exclusively in light of that sort of rapture ready fear that right the end is gonna come and I'm not gonna be ready and. I don't, I'm not a dispensationalist, I don't hold to a rapture in that sense. I don't think you do either. Jesse and I, I think there's an element of this that has that same flavor that we have to acknowledge, but I don't think we should read this in light of like, you think you're gonna be fine, but actually you're not. So you better get it together. I don't think that that's the point of the parable. Um, and I wanna say that upfront because it is easy to read a parable like this and to, to become extremely fearful to the point that it actually shakes whatever assurance you may have had. And I've said it before and, and I, I will say it again, it is not, I am not in the business of robbing the assurance away from Christians. The assurance of faith and the assurance of salvation is the rightful possession and inheritance of all those who are Christ. And so I have no, no desire to shake or rob you of your assurance. That's just not my jam. Um, so I wanted to get that out there. Like I don't think that this parable is here. To scare the daylights out of us and make us question whether or not we actually belong to the bridegroom. I actually think it's here for a different reason.  [00:25:39] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I agree.  [00:25:40] Watch and Be Ready [00:25:40] Jesse Schwamb: I, I think this may have more in common with like the tears in the wheat parable that we've spoken about before versus trying to promulgate a particular understanding of eschatology. There's no doubt that this is calibrated to the period preceding the perusia. At the same time, the parable is a reminder that describes like the visible professing church on earth as it moves toward that consummation. So this is why I think it is important for us to talk about, well, what do we mean by these 10 virgins? What do we mean about the lamps themselves? What is this saying generally about God's church? And again, him addressing the question of what does it mean for that church to be consummated in his kingdom?  [00:26:18] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I, I'm, I'm trying to find the specific passage, but um. We also should not miss the verbal affinity here. Uh, at the end of the parable, when it says truly, I say to you, I do not know you. We should really read this in light of, um, the, um, the statements. You know, I was hungry and you didn't feed me. I was, you know, and you say, Lord, we did these things. He said, away from me. I never knew you. We really should read this parable. I think in light of that passage and that phrasing, I think that's, that's actually the punchline of this  [00:26:54] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. [00:26:55] Tony Arsenal: Punchline. That's, that's the point. Parable is that last phrase, and then the, the extra parable, the outside of the parable, um, payoff or sort of like explanation that Christ gives is watch. Therefore, for you neither know the day nor the hour. The point is not, um, you may think you're a Christian. You may think you're, you're on top of things, but you actually, you might be totally wrong. And so you better get your stuff together. The point is what, what happens? Or the point is the same thing as I think it's the author of Hebrew is like, today is the day of salvation, right? Like, do not wait to turn to Christ. Do not wait. That's right to trust in Jesus. Do not wait to enter the kingdom of heaven until the last minute. Do not wait because you don't actually know when the end is coming. And I, I read this when I, when it's watch, therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. I read this less in light of, um. Like universal eschatology, uh, every single person that, that Jesus was speaking to in this original audience that he actually delivered this parable to, did not see that, like, did not see the last days. Right. Whatever the last days looks like. And I mean, like, yes, the last days is from the resurrection to the end of the age. So some of them saw those last days. But what I mean is none of these people saw the return of Christ, like the second return of Christ and that the last judgment. So he would, it would be sort of meaningless to be delivering this parable to those people. With only whatever the last things are with only the rapture in mind with only Right, exactly. The great judgment. None of that would make any sense. So I read this more in light of you never know when your day and hour is coming. Not, not necessarily like the day, like the day of the Lord, although that's true. Yes. There will be a generation on earth who the last day, the final judgment is also their last day in terms of their ordinary human life. But I think this is more of a general call to all of us, and especially to those, um, out there who are in the orbits of the church who are exposed to the gospel, um, and have not yet trusted Christ. [00:29:09] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:29:09] Tony Arsenal: Um, there is a call to turn to Jesus and to, uh, to, to come into the kingdom of heaven, to be prepared by coming into the kingdom of heaven here. That's, that's the main point of the peril that we have to land on.  [00:29:21] Bridegroom And Virgins [00:29:21] Jesse Schwamb: I agree with you, and I think all of the imagery here points in that direction. So even starting with this image of these 10 virgins, which of course you've been listening to us talk for long enough, or you've read through the Old Testament, you're gonna quickly, and I think cogently see that this is the Old Testament imagery of Israel as the bride or the covenant community. It's also of course, like the Greco Roman custom in which the bridesmaids attended the bride and accompanied the wedding procession when the bride groom arrived to claim his bride. So to your point, what I think is really interesting about this is that we're basically saying that this parable is not speaking of like strangers or enemies, but those who have made a profession of faith. And so even this like idea of the bridegroom who, who's without a question? Christ here, that's a self-identification that's rooted in like John chapter three, where even John the Baptist calls himself merely the friend of the bridegroom and a revelation where you are going already, where the marriage supper of the lamb consummate, consummate redemptive history. [00:30:19] Lamps And Oil Meaning [00:30:19] Jesse Schwamb: So once we get through the idea of we have those whom Jesus is speaking about, and even those who he's speaking to as those who have made some kind of profession, religious or otherwise, to me, where this hinges is in this idea of the lamps or these torches or or burning lamps, which I take to be like this outward profession. And so the question is you have all of them coming with these lamps. Lambs represent this external common to true or false professors alike. But I think to what you are driving at, it's whether within that profession there is a true and actual reliance on Christ himself for righteousness.  [00:30:57] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, oil, I think the oil is really key here too, right? Oil in the, uh, in the scriptures, particularly in the Old Testament. Um, but also in some places in the New Testament, oil is associated with the Holy Spirit.  [00:31:11] Jesse Schwamb: Yes,  [00:31:11] Tony Arsenal: exactly right. So if, if we wanna sort of take the symbolism here, take, take the, the situation sort of as a mixture of, of different kinds of symbols. We have these folks that have all of the outward things necessary to be able to light the lamps. They have the lamps, the wicks are there. Um, they're, they're sort of ready to go. They're, they're ready and waiting for a time. Uh, but what they don't have is they don't have oil, they don't have the Holy Spirit. So yes, we, we need in some senses about false professors, but I do think it's broader than that.  [00:31:43] Salvation Has A Deadline [00:31:43] Tony Arsenal: I think this is, um, again, is a generalized parable about. The, the fact that the hour of salvation, the day of salvation, the opportunity to turn to God, the opportunity to come into God's kingdom is not an indefinite opportunity. It's not going to be out there as a possibility forever. There is a day and an hour and a minute for every single person where that opportunity is no longer available. And of course we're the reformed brotherhood, not the Armenian Brotherhood, right? We're the reformed brotherhood. So yes, God has ordained who will come and who will not. He's ordained the hour and the minute of those who will, and he's ordained that some will never come. But that all operates on God's God's level in God's knowledge. And that's not something we have access to know down here, right? Deuteronomy 29, 29, the sacred things belong to the Lord, but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever. And one of the things that's revealed is that God calls us to salvation. He calls us to repent and trust in Jesus. And here in this passage, he is cutting us to do that, to not delay doing that.  [00:32:53] Personal Evangelism Story [00:32:53] Tony Arsenal: I think there are a lot of people, um. I can actually think of a couple really specific examples in when I was in high school. Um, I was, I, I don't do as much personal evangelism as I I did when I was, uh, when I was in high school and younger. I, I don't know for sure what the reason is. Some of it's probably my own cowardice, but I think probably just that's normal, that as you grow and you kind of settle into different kinds of relationships, you have a different context. But I remember a, a friend of mine named Dave, I'm not gonna say his last name, I remember his last name, but I'm not gonna say it, but a friend of mine named David, um, who. All of us were coming to faith, like all, all of our friend group were coming to Faith. There was one of my friends, James was sort of like the first guy who, he was raised in a Christian home and he sort of came to faith in a very real faith, real way. And he sort of brought all of us along with him and sort of one by one we, we sort of like, it was like Domino's falling. And we all came to a genuine, true saving faith kind of all right in a row. And then there was Dave and Dave just didn't like he, he with us. He did all the things we were doing. And I remember having a conversation with him where I was like, what are you waiting for? Like, what's, what's the hold up here? And I didn't have any, again, I didn't have any framework for like what apologetics were, I wasn't trying to make an argument or any sort of like, um, any sort of like persuasion. It was just a real raw like we are all loving this. We're all, we're all so joyful and happy. The lives are changing and we. This is real, Dave, what, what are you waiting for? He never had a real answer. He, he didn't ever make an argument against the faith. He was very clear that he believed that God was real. He believed that God existed, that the sort of the facts of the gospel were true. Like he, he, um, to sort of put like theological language on it, um, he had, he had a ticia and a census, right? Right. He, he acknowledged he knew the true facts of the gospel and he acknowledged the reality that, that those facts were true. He just never actually took the step to trust in Jesus. And I don't know what happened to Dave. Uh, there's another friend of mine named Theo that very similar kind of situation. I don't know what happened to Dave and Theo. I have no idea whether they eventually came to faith or not, but, but it was like, you guys never know when the day in the hours. That's the kind of person that I think this is pointing to.  [00:35:15] Against Rapture Ready Fear [00:35:15] Tony Arsenal: Not necessarily the person within the church, um, who has made some sort of credible profession of faith, but thinks, but like, because like they haven't stopped swearing yet, or because they still have lustful thoughts once in a while. Like I think that's the rapture ready theology is like. You better not hope that like that's the day that a pretty girl walks by and you have a lutful thought. 'cause if Jesus comes back right after that, you're really in trouble. Like those are, those are actually, um, again, this is, this is a caricature of dispensationalism, but it's a caricature that I experienced. It's, it was people who were being characters of themselves. Right? This idea that, look, you better, you better not sin ever. You better not be asleep. And being asleep means sinning. You better not ever sin. Because if you happen to sin right before the rapture, then Jesus is gonna leave you behind. Right? You're not gonna fly up in the clouds if you're not perfectly rapture ready. And like, again, not all dispensationalist are like that. I actually think most dispensationalist these days would probably not fit into that category. Right? But when I was coming to faith in the late nineties and early two thousands, that was the real theology being presented. I don't think that's what this is. This is about a life orientation of preparedness. This is about an entire life. Yes. That is prepared for Christ's second coming or for the hour of our death. And that the only way to be prepared for that is to be happy in Christ, is to be blessed, blessed assurance, like to have your blessed assurance because Jesus is mine. Oh, what a, you know, oh, what a happy delight like that is. The only way to be ready for death, to be prepared for the end is to turn to Jesus. It's not about whether or not you've turned to Jesus and have become perfectly sinless. None of us are like that, right? It's not about, I just got done writing this series of articles on John Piper's affectional theology, affectional Justification, like it's not about perfectly treasuring Christ. There are gonna be times where your emotions do not sync up with what you actually believe. It's not about being perfectly obedient or wanting to be perfectly obedient. It's about trusting Jesus. And there's only one day an hour that that opportunity closes, and you never know when that is, when that day an hour is gonna be. [00:37:26] Wise Versus Foolish [00:37:26] Jesse Schwamb: We know that to be true in this particular parable because of what's written for us in verse two, how Jesus himself bifurcates and labels these two groups. He says five of them were foolish and five were wise. So Christ himself introduces the critical distinction, not of course, with reference to whatever the external practice is, because both of these groups are carrying lamps, both weight, both know the bridegroom is coming, but with an interior character judgment one is literally foolish, which is the same contrast that Christ employs actually in the parable of the two builders at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, where the wise man hears and does, while the foolish man hears, but does not translate hearing into obedient transformation. So I'm with you on this. The terms carry, I think, significant Old Testament fruit because in the all the wisdom literature, wisdom is synonymous with the fear of the Lord, that true knowledge of God, right? And that practical orientation, I think as you were saying, of one's entire life toward God. The fool is not like an intellectual simpleton, but it's a world spiritual category. It's one who lives as though God does not exist or God does not matter, or refuses in the light of incontrovertible evidence to come before God and to submit to him In this way. They are foolish or they are wise. And so again, I like what you're saying. It's not as if like they've just exhibited some kind of quick departure or they've fallen into temptation or sinfulness, but instead, rather, there's something way larger at stake here with respect to a spiritual category. And I think that's really what Jesus is after, as he's bringing these two groups apart from each other, explaining that essentially that they access the same things. They heard the same stuff, they had the same on the outward, at least the same priorities, but the true internal character, the interior character of who they were, was not compatible. These are not the the same kind of person.  [00:39:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:39:21] All Virgins Fall Asleep [00:39:21] Tony Arsenal: And this is actually something, um, that I hadn't picked up on before. Right. I think we can get into these ruts when we're reading and understanding, uh, the scripture, especially really familiar passages like this. Um, probably like at some point in the past, someone has taught it to me in this way. I heard a sermon or I heard it at a youth group in a particular way, and I just never really went back. The, the wise virgins also fall asleep.  [00:39:46] Jesse Schwamb: Exactly.  [00:39:46] Tony Arsenal: Like, like that, that's amazing to me, like Right. I've always heard this passage as though like, falling asleep is the equivalent of spiritual death.  [00:39:54] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. [00:39:55] Tony Arsenal: But the reality is, in this passage, the difference between the wise and the foolish virgins is not that they, one of them stays awake and one of them falls asleep. One, the, the, the difference between the wise and the foolish is that the ones that are wise are prepared for when the bride root clump comes, even though they fell asleep and, and actually, uh, they're, they're shown to be even more wise because they all fell asleep. Yes. Right. If they hadn't fallen asleep, then the foolish ones probably would've had time to go get more. But the, the wise virgins in this, uh. And not only were they wise in terms of like they had the stuff they needed, they were ready to go, but so wise that in fact their wisdom overcame sort of this happenstance that they were in a state of, of preparedness being asleep when the comes is a state of Unpreparedness, but they have able to compensate for the ready in every other area. And I think this also kind of like mitigates away away from the idea of like the, um. The, the emphasis of the parable here, the readiness of the par of the virgins is not based on the wakefulness of the virgins, right? Yes. The virgins are ready because they have the supplies they need. Right. They're not Exactly, they're not exactly, they're not un 'cause they fell asleep. They're ready because they've, they've prepared by purchasing the supplies they need, by having the supplies they need when the breadroom comes. That's true. Whether they fall asleep or not. So I think like this whole parable needs to sort of like be reoriented in reference to the way a lot of us have, A lot of us have been taught and understood this parable. I was always taught that the, the foolish virgins were foolish because they fell asleep. Yeah, that's probably partially true in that it's foolish to fall asleep when you're waiting for something, but that can't be the only thing that makes them foolish. 'cause it doesn't make the other virgins foolish. [00:41:51] Jesse Schwamb: Yes, exactly.  [00:41:52] Oil As Saving Grace [00:41:52] Jesse Schwamb: And that's why it's so interesting that Jesus basically doubles down or elaborates in verses three and four by saying for when the foolish took their lamps. They took no oil with them. Yeah, but the wises took flasks of oil with their lambs. I think it's actually, as you're, I think leading us into like the theological height of this whole thing, the foolish virgins took their lambs, but no oil. The wise took lambs and extra oil in vessels. And of course the lambs cannot burn without oil in the same way. I think what we're led to believe here is profession without grace has no sustaining power. So I know like throughout church history, this idea of the oil has been interpreted in various ways, in various forms. I think there's a lot of unification though on the point that the oil is more or less like a representation of the grace of the Holy Spirit. That like specific indwelling regenerating, sanctifying presence of the spirit imparted in effectual calling and genuine conversion. And that's why I think this has a lot in common with both like the tears and the wheat parable. But also what you've been saying about the time that is appointed onto a man to die, either for Christ to return or just for you and I to die. And so this understanding, I think is consistent with the Old Testament symbolic use of, like you said before, anointing oil is a sign of the spirit's presence. Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit. And so I'm seeing here like this oil is, I mean, is it going too far to say almost like a saving grace? It's, it's not common grace, it's not the gifts of the spirit, which the reprobate may possess, but I think we're, we're seeing here like that special sanctifying preserving grace, which is inseparable from true election and calling. [00:43:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I mean, I think that's spot on. While you were talking, I was actually just looking up, uh, what Calvin has to say on this. I, I think it's funny because I constantly am saying things that I feel like I'm discovering for myself in real time. But if I actually just took the, a little bit of time to read some of our great sources a little more carefully, I would run into them. This is what he says. He says on, uh, verse five, he says, some interpret this slumbering in a bad sense as if believers along with others abandon themselves sloth. And they were, they were asleep amidst the vanities of the world. This is all together inconsistent with the intention of Christ as structure of the parable. [00:44:05] Slow Down And Read [00:44:05] Tony Arsenal: Like I think it's clear now here as we're working through this and this, and this is the main benefit, um, of taking time to just walk through the parables, any, any text of scripture, but the parables is what we're looking at. Taking time to just actually slow down and read them. I didn't intend to get to like a whole discussion about Bible reading plans, but the typical, I'm gonna read the Bible through, uh, the entire Bible in a year that typically has you reading three to five chapters a day is the average. That's probably too much if you want to be reading for understanding. And there is, there's definitely value. I've, I've commented in the past, there's huge value in reading large tracks of scripture all at the same time. Like if you wanna sit down over 10 chapters of Scripture day and you've got the time and the energy and the discipline to do it, then more power to you. But I think it's not realistic to think you're gonna sit down and read 10 chapters of scripture and have good comprehension and retention of the 10 chapters that you read. This is a really good example of that. If you sit down and you read three chapters, you're gonna be reading this, you're gonna be reading, uh, another parable. The parable of the talents you are gonna be reading. You know, the all of it discourse all at the same time, all in one sitting. Um, it's not until just now when I slowed down to really look at these passages, verse by verse individually and take an hour to discuss 13 verses with my brother-in-law in front of a microphone, right? Then I realized all of the virgins fall asleep. Like that's the kind of stuff that you really only, um, you only overcome. The assumed teaching that you heard when you were in high school, 15, you know, 15, 20 years ago at a summer camp. You really only overcome that when you slow down enough to read things and actually comprehend them. So that's not much of a commentary on the passage, but it is something that I'm learning as we do these parable studies. Just slow down, slow down and read them, read them multiple times, read it over and over again. Um, it is totally fine. The, this is the last, uh, Bible reading soapbox thing I'll say tonight. Um, I think like, because. Of the influence of like expository preaching and like wanting to read things in, in context, and all of those things are good. I think there is this tendency to think that if you sit down and just read a very short portion of scripture, that you're kind of automatically taking that out of context. I don't think that's the case. Like it's totally fine to sit down in the morning and go, you know what? I've got, I've got 10 minutes, I've got five minutes. I've got two minutes before the kids are up. I've got two minutes before the bus stop, you know, before the bus gets here. I'm standing at the bus stop. I've got 30 seconds before the coffee's done. It's totally fine to open your Bible app. And read two or three verses of scripture, that's a totally fine thing to do. It's totally fine because you've got 10 minutes before the kids got up. Oh, and by the way, you've gotta unload the dishwasher before they do. Totally fine to sit down and go, I've got time to read 13 verses of scripture today. So that's what I'm gonna get done. Um, and, and then just think about those things like meditate on those scriptures all day. I just think there's a lot of values to that and that's maybe that's my takeaway from this episode. I know like that's not a takeaway directly related to this passage. That's good. But I think we can oftentimes. Have and understand that isn't right because we've been taught it and we don't ever have the time or space in our life to like realize that what we were taught is maybe exactly right. This is like something so obvious on the surface of the text. It didn't even take any real thought. It just took slowing down and actually reading the words  [00:47:45] Jesse Schwamb: right. It's also a good reminder, like we said from the beginning, that our goal here shouldn't be to torture every detail, to like press it for some kind of allegorical significance.  [00:47:55] Tony Arsenal: Yes.  [00:47:55] Jesse Schwamb: But to take it on the face and to understand in context what's being said. And by context I just mean the context of the story. Of the accounts of the drama that's unfolding. And it is pretty remarkable that all 10 virgins sleep, that maybe even as you start with the details might not be your impression that that was gonna be, was gonna be the difference here, but both the wises and the foolish alike fall asleep. So to me, the parable is not condemning sleep per se, but I think it's the absence of oil which the sleep merely reveals, right? That's the critical detail here. And so Jesus delivers that to us and that's why it's, I think, important to think about these, these variables about what the oil represents and the context in which they're tested with their preparedness. But it's not because like they had it almost times you get the impression, it's like what we're saying here is the wise had more stamina, that they were the ones that were just willing to tough it out, and they knew the bridegroom was coming. And so as a result of that, they decided that they were going to ensure that they stayed awake, even if they had the drink, a couple of extra cups of coffee, just to make sure that was the case. But really their sleepiness, which they both have to endure, is the very context in which proves that they do are not prepared by having sufficient oil, not that they're unprepared by having sufficient energy or stamina.  [00:49:18] Prepared Despite Fatigue [00:49:18] Jesse Schwamb: Well, with all.  [00:49:21] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, that's a good takeaway too, is, is we all, um, we all will succumb to temptation in this life,  [00:49:32] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:49:33] Tony Arsenal: Right. Every single one of us. And even if we think of sleeping in this negative sense, which I think we probably need to move away from it, even if we do, I think the point that you're making is really good, for instance, between the foolish and the wises is not their ability to stay awake. So I do think that, I do think there's a slightly negative connotation to drowsy and slept here. Like I think that, I think it's intended to show some level of fatigue. Fatigue, maybe not like a moral right, maybe not a moral, uh, negativity, but there's a fatigue. There's something that overcomes both wise and foolish virgins in this parable. Fatigue and drowsiness overcomes them and they sleep. And it's because the bridegroom was delayed, right? We wanna talk about eschatology, right? This is probably also more a commentary on the church as a whole. The church becomes drowsy and sleeps right, and then there's the foolish and the wise. The foolish are the ones who are not prepared even though they are drowsy and sleep. And then there's the wise who are foolish, or the wises who are prepared and are drowsy and sleep. But E, either way, if we think of drowsy and sleep, even in moral negative terms, right? All of us will succumb to temptation. All of us will succumb to sin in this life. I would even go so far as to say all of us sin in every moment of our life in that we never love God. Truly. Yes. With our full hearts and souls. You got that right soul the way that we're, we're commanded to. Right. Right. So all of us become drowsy and sleep. The difference is not in those who pull themselves up by their bootstraps and tape their eyelids open so that they don't fall asleep. Right. I don't, I don't know if you ever like had trouble staying awake in school, but I used to, like I used to sit at my desk with my pencil under my chin. Oh my Lord. So if I started to fall asleep, it would like jab me and I would wake up so I could stay awake in school. Oh. It's not about like gimmicks to stay awake.  [00:51:20] Jesse Schwamb: Right, right.  [00:51:21] Tony Arsenal: It's about the fact that those of us who have trusted Christ. Have received the oil. Yes. So even when we sleep, yes. Even when we are drowsy, even when we are overcome by the fatigue that prevents us from, uh, from resisting sin. Right. Even when that happens, we still have the oil. We still have the grace of the Holy Spirit. We still have the empowering presence and the, the, the justifying reality of Christ's death For us, in my mind as I read this parable, that really is what it is, right? Get the oil, go get the stinking oil now, because you never know when the day or hour is coming. Mm-hmm. Whether that's the day or the hour that you fall asleep and you're not prepared, or whether that's the day or the hour that the bridegroom was, even if you're awake. That's the other element of this. Even if the virgins had stayed awake, they didn't have the oil.  [00:52:11] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:52:12] Tony Arsenal: So it it's not as though, it's not as though had they stayed awake, they would've had time to go get the oil and come back. They, they wake up right away. Like there's nothing in the parable that's like, oh, it took 'em a little while to get up. So that's why they didn't have time to get the oil. They, they didn't have time to get the oil. 'cause there wasn't time to get the oil  [00:52:31] Jesse Schwamb: right.  [00:52:32] Tony Arsenal: So the only way you're going to be properly prepared when the bridegroom comes is if you already have the oil and you're already ready to go. Regardless of whether you fall asleep or not.  [00:52:42] Gospel Call Get Oil [00:52:42] Tony Arsenal: So I, I think, I think we have to kind of close this with like a gospel, a gospel call here. Like we don't do this very often on the show, and I think the vast majority of our show are professed, regenerate Christians. I don't, I don't know anyone who listens to the show that is outwardly not a Christian, but I think this is a time for us to say, listen, if you are hearing the sound of my voice, be diligent to make your calling an election. Sure. And that both takes the form of what Peter talks about, where he talks about growing in graces and walking in, walking in the qualities of holine

Bob Schwahn | Lead Pastor | May 3, 2026 9am Referenced Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-19, John 5:39, Luke 24:44, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 3:15-16, Matthew 7:24 Reflection Questions:1. What was one thing from the sermon that stuck out to you? 2. 2 Timothy 3:1616 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, What questions do you have about the reliability of the Bible? What objections have you heard from others about the reliability of the Bible? 3. Do any of those objections create questions or doubts for you? Why or why not? 4. Do you have answers that help you remove those objections from your questions/doubts? Explain. 5. Read 1 Corinthians 15:14-19What convinces you that the bodily resurrection of Jesus was an actual event in human history? What does our faith rest or fall on this one singular event? What objections might there be to this having actually happened? What could be an answer to these objections? 6. What evidence for the reliability of the Bible from the sermon was helpful to you? What questions about the Bible's reliability would it be helpful for you to explore? How will you engage this? 7. Read Hebrews 4:12How can the Bible impact our life through reading/studying/reflecting on it? How have you seen this accomplished in your life? If this is true, why do you think so many Christians struggle to make time to hear from God in the Scriptures? What is your plan to regularly allow God to speak to you from the Scriptures? 8. Read Matthew 7:24The Bible is only authoritative in our lives if we actually DO what God says to us from the Scriptures. What parts of the Bible have you had a difficult time obeying? What is your next step in obedience to God's Word? What's your next step? * Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard * Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children * Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students * Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give * Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman * Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app * Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozeman  Chapters (00:00:00) - The Authority of the Bible(00:05:24) - Can we Trust the Reliability of the New Testament Documents?(00:13:41) - The New Testament is Reliable and True(00:22:41) - The Real Problem With the Bible(00:30:38) - Mark Twain: The Ultimate Test of Authority in Our Life(00:35:06) - The Case for Christ

Matthew 22:23-33 - - Feb 22, 2026

Main Text: Matthew 21:23-27 (ESV) 23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,' he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, ‘From man,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.Preaching Point: Jesus' tactic for exposing counterfeits should embolden us to use similar tactics to engage those who appear genuine yet lack the sincerity to follow Jesus.Teaching Points: Probe for Genuineness (vv. 23-25a) Expose Intent (vv. 25b-27a) Refuse to Answer Insincere Questions (v. 27b)Application Questions: Why did the religious leaders confront Jesus at the temple in Matthew 21:23-27 on the subject of authority?What did the religious leaders' answer to Jesus' question reveal about their intent?Why did Jesus refuse to answer their questions?Read Matthew 21:23-25a and Proverbs 14:15. Why is assuming that every spiritual question is sincere unwise? Where have you seen this play out in real conversations?How can you grow in your ability to probe for genuineness as you talk to others about Jesus? Read Proverbs 20:5 and Matthew 21: 25b-27a. What are some of the potential benefits (for you and for them) of exposing someone's intent before answering their questions?What would exposing someone's intent, as Jesus did, look like today? What would be a sinful or unhelpful way to expose someone's intent?Read Proverbs 26:4, Proverbs 23:9, and Matthew 21:27b. Like Jesus, why should Christian's refuse (for the most part) to answer insincere questions? What are the dangers of continuing a conversation with someone who refuses to deal honestly with the truth?

Jordan Grant joins Craig for a conversation about conservative Christianity, political deconstruction, Christian nationalism, and the long process of questioning power. What begins as a story about talk radio, Republican politics, and growing up inside a conservative Christian world becomes something deeper: a reflection on authority, coercion, medical culture, and what happens when the teachings of Jesus start pulling us away from the systems we once trusted. This episode traces Jordan's shift from political certainty to a more honest struggle with faith, power, and the kind of allegiance that belongs to Christ alone. They Explore: conservative Christianity and political identity political deconstruction and questioning authority Christian nationalism and the pull of power talk radio, media formation, and partisan loyalty medicine, expertise, and institutional trust why coercion conflicts with the way of Jesus following Christ beyond left-right politics

Icebreaker 1. What is the hardest thing you've ever done physically? 2. What stuck out to you from the Chosen service this week? Scripture: 1. Read Matthew 25:34-40. What role do these words play in your faith? 2. What does verse 40 mean by the “least of these?” 3. Read James 2:14-26 Why do you think James wrote these words to his original audience? What has changed for us today? 4. How do we balance these words of doing good works and being saved by grace? Live it Out: 1. What does it mean to be grace forward? 2. In what ways has God reminded you that you're not alone? 3. Identify and share one way you can love like Jesus loves and serve like Jesus serves this week. Close in prayer

Main Text: Matthew 21:14-17 (ESV) 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?” 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.Preaching Point: We must respond to Jesus' authority with humility and praise, knowing that our response reveals whether our relationship with God is genuine or merely a counterfeit commitment to Christ.Teaching Points: Notice the Kinds of People Who Come to Jesus (vv. 14,15b) Distinguish Religious Activity from Genuine Faith (vv. 15a,15c,16a)Speak Wonderfully of Jesus (vv. 16b-17)Application Questions: Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week's sermon. Why did it stand out to you? Read Matthew 18:3-4, James 4:6 and Isaiah 57:15. What do these passages teach you about the kind of people who truly come to Jesus? What area of your life do you need the reminder that God opposes the proud but draws near to the humble and contrite? Read Acts 17:22-31. Why is it possible to be very religious and yet not truly know God? What are some ways this can show up even in a church context?Where might you be relying on religious habits, knowledge, or background instead of genuine trust in the person and work of Jesus?Read Romans 14:23. Paul teaches that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Where are you tempted to engage in “religious activity” that is not flowing from real faith?What steps can you take to ensure that your beliefs, convictions, and actions are flowing from a genuine relationship with Christ and submission to his authority?Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 and 1 Peter 2:9. How are you doing at speaking wonderfully of Jesus in your interactions with others? Where are you most tempted to stay quiet about Jesus? How can you be more bold about speaking more wonderfully about Jesus in your daily life?

Come along with us as we continue tracing Jesus' final steps in Scripture toward the crucifixion. Remember what He did for you by exploring where He stopped to speak with women and criminals, where He cared for His mother, died on the cross, and was buried. Follow our Savior's journey to save us—and embrace how this can impact our lives today.Receive Christians once retraced Jesus' final steps, pausing at “stations” to remember His sacrifice. In “Cross Stations,” we follow that path through Scripture. In part two, linger at the cross and the tomb as we reflect on the moment Jesus' body is taken down and laid in the darkness, and consider what His death means for your faith today. Reflect Have you ever practiced the “Stations of the Cross”? If so, what was your experience? How do you respond now to this concept? The first cross station we identify is Jesus praying alone in the garden. Read Luke 22:39–46. Notice the setting and Jesus' experience, and then think about how His prayer struggle has impacted the intimacy you now possess with God. Read Matthew 26:57–75 and 27:11–26. Where is Jesus in this cross station? What does He experience? How does His endurance affect you today? Consider the torture Jesus endured as you read Matthew 27:27–31. Can you stand with Him at this cross station and receive what He has done for you? Jesus carried His own cross until Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to help Him in John 19:17, Matthew 27:32–33, and Luke 23:26. How would you have responded if you were asked to help Jesus? Respond (Use this prayer to start a conversation with God)  “Dear Lord, You have shown us through Scripture that even small faith can be used for Your glory. Reveal to me where my faith is lacking and help me to surrender my disbelief to Your perfect plan. In Jesus' name, amen.” Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources Listen: It Is Finished - https://go.odb.org/it-is-finished-dtw  Life After Easter - https://go.odb.org/life-after-easter-dtw  Forgiveness, the Story of Easter - https://go.odb.org/forgiveness-the-story-of-easter-dtw  Read: The Perfect Savior - https://go.odb.org/the-perfect-savior-dtw  A Rumor of Hope | The Good News of Easter - https://go.odb.org/a-rumor-of-hope-the-good-news-of-easter  40 Days. 40 Words. - https://go.odb.org/40-days-40-words-dtw  Messiah's Last Words Reading Plan - https://go.odb.org/messiahs-last-words-easter-reflections-dtw  Watch: Walk in Jesus' footsteps with The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories (Season 4) - https://go.odb.org/the-good-land-dtw

Come along with us as we continue tracing Jesus' final steps in Scripture toward the crucifixion. Remember what He did for you by exploring where He stopped to speak with women and criminals, where He cared for His mother, died on the cross, and was buried. Follow our Savior's journey to save us—and embrace how this can impact our lives today.Receive Christians once retraced Jesus' final steps, pausing at “stations” to remember His sacrifice. In “Cross Stations,” we follow that path through Scripture. In part two, linger at the cross and the tomb as we reflect on the moment Jesus' body is taken down and laid in the darkness, and consider what His death means for your faith today. Reflect Have you ever practiced the “Stations of the Cross”? If so, what was your experience? How do you respond now to this concept? The first cross station we identify is Jesus praying alone in the garden. Read Luke 22:39–46. Notice the setting and Jesus' experience, and then think about how His prayer struggle has impacted the intimacy you now possess with God. Read Matthew 26:57–75 and 27:11–26. Where is Jesus in this cross station? What does He experience? How does His endurance affect you today? Consider the torture Jesus endured as you read Matthew 27:27–31. Can you stand with Him at this cross station and receive what He has done for you? Jesus carried His own cross until Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to help Him in John 19:17, Matthew 27:32–33, and Luke 23:26. How would you have responded if you were asked to help Jesus? Respond (Use this prayer to start a conversation with God)  “Dear Lord, You have shown us through Scripture that even small faith can be used for Your glory. Reveal to me where my faith is lacking and help me to surrender my disbelief to Your perfect plan. In Jesus' name, amen.” Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources Listen: It Is Finished - https://go.odb.org/it-is-finished-dtw  Life After Easter - https://go.odb.org/life-after-easter-dtw  Forgiveness, the Story of Easter - https://go.odb.org/forgiveness-the-story-of-easter-dtw  Read: The Perfect Savior - https://go.odb.org/the-perfect-savior-dtw  A Rumor of Hope | The Good News of Easter - https://go.odb.org/a-rumor-of-hope-the-good-news-of-easter  40 Days. 40 Words. - https://go.odb.org/40-days-40-words-dtw  Messiah's Last Words Reading Plan - https://go.odb.org/messiahs-last-words-easter-reflections-dtw  Watch: Walk in Jesus' footsteps with The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories (Season 4) - https://go.odb.org/the-good-land-dtw

Main Text: Matthew 21:12-13 (ESV) 12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers.”Preaching Point: We must confront and eliminate all forms of counterfeit worship and strive to establish true worship that pleases God.Textual Points:Decisively Remove Counterfeit Worship (v. 12)Share Christ's Zeal for Pure Worship (v. 13)Share Christ's Zeal for the Nations to WorshipShare Christ's Zeal for Your WorshipApplication Questions:Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week's sermon. Why did it stand out to you? Read Matthew 21:12. What does Jesus' response in the temple teach you about how seriously you should deal with anything in your life that opposes God's Word?What is something in your life that you have had to, or need to, remove because it leads you to twist or reject God's Word?Read 2 Kings 22:8-13 and 2 Kings 23:24-25. How did King Josiah recognize the presence of counterfeit worship, and what stands out about how he responded? What can you learn from his example?Read John 2:13-17. How does your attitude toward worship and reverence for God compare to Jesus'? Where do you see a need for growth?Read Isaiah 56:1-8. How does Jesus' quotation of Isaiah 56 in Matthew 21:13 deepen your understanding of Jesus' desire for the nations to worship God? Do you share Jesus' desire for all nations to worship God? What in your life shows that you do, or don't?Read John 4:23-24. How are you actively pursuing genuine, God-centered worship? Where do you need to grow in sincerity, consistency, or reverence?

Have you ever traced Jesus' final steps in Scripture toward the crucifixion? Come along with us as we explore where Jesus prayed alone, was betrayed and arrested, tried and condemned, mocked, and carried His cross with Simon's help. Let these moments in the Bible help you experience our Savior's journey to save us.Receive Early Christian pilgrims once walked the path Jesus took to the cross, stopping at “stations” to remember His suffering and love. In “Cross Stations,” we slow down with Scripture and reflect on those moments together. In part one, follow Jesus from Gethsemane through His trial to the moment He carried His cross—and take time to consider how His sacrifice speaks into your own faith and life today. Reflect Have you ever practiced the “Stations of the Cross”? If so, what was your experience? How do you respond now to this concept? The first cross station we identify is Jesus praying alone in the garden. Read Luke 22:39–46. Notice the setting and Jesus' experience, and then think about how His prayer struggle has impacted the intimacy you now possess with God. Read Matthew 26:57–75 and 27:11–26. Where is Jesus in this cross station? What does He experience? How does His endurance affect you today? Consider the torture Jesus endured as you read Matthew 27:27–31. Can you stand with Him at this cross station and receive what He has done for you? Jesus carried His own cross until Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to help Him in John 19:17, Matthew 27:32–33, and Luke 23:26. How would you have responded if you were asked to help Jesus? Respond (Use this prayer to start a conversation with God)  “Dear Lord, You have shown us through Scripture that even small faith can be used for Your glory. Reveal to me where my faith is lacking,and help me to surrender my disbelief to Your perfect plan. In Jesus' name, amen.” Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources Listen: It Is Finished - https://go.odb.org/it-is-finished-dtw  Life After Easter - https://go.odb.org/life-after-easter-dtw  Forgiveness, the Story of Easter - https://go.odb.org/forgiveness-the-story-of-easter-dtw  Read: The Perfect Savior - https://go.odb.org/the-perfect-savior-dtw  A Rumor of Hope | The Good News of Easter - https://go.odb.org/a-rumor-of-hope-the-good-news-of-easter  40 Days. 40 Words. - https://go.odb.org/40-days-40-words-dtw  Messiah's Last Words Reading Plan Watch: Walk in Jesus' footsteps with The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories (Season 4) 

Bob Schwahn | Lead Pastor | March 22, 2026 Referenced Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, John 4:34-35, 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 4:11-16, Matthew 9:36-38 Reflection Questions:1. Read Matthew 28:18-20 — Make some observations about this command of Jesus to All In followers… 2. What is a disciple? What does it mean to make disciples? Does this command extend to followers of Jesus today? Why or why not? Explain. 3. What are your observations of the church today in making disciples? Does it seem that many followers of Jesus have disregarded this command? Explain. Can a person be a mature follower of Jesus and not make disciples? 4. What has been your experience of being discipled by others ? What has been your experience of discipling others? What has been encouraging to you? What has been challenging or frustrating? 5. What barriers have you experienced in trying to invest in the lives of other people? (Helping them learn to know and follow Jesus) How can a person overcome those barriers? 6. Bob mentioned that discipleship is… Relational… Intentional… Transformational… —How would you describe each of these words? Do you agree or disagree with this list? What would you add or change and why? 7. Whom could you move toward today to begin a relationship where you could help them know and follow Jesus? How might you approach them? What is your next step in doing that? 8. How would our church and our valley be different if followers of Jesus took this command to make disciples more seriously? What might it look like if this was increasingly true around Journey? What is your next step to make that a reality? What's your next step? Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozeman 

Have you ever traced Jesus' final steps in Scripture toward the crucifixion? Come along with us as we explore where Jesus prayed alone, was betrayed and arrested, tried and condemned, mocked, and carried His cross with Simon's help. Let these moments in the Bible help you experience our Savior's journey to save us.Receive Early Christian pilgrims once walked the path Jesus took to the cross, stopping at “stations” to remember His suffering and love. In “Cross Stations,” we slow down with Scripture and reflect on those moments together. In part one, follow Jesus from Gethsemane through His trial to the moment He carried His cross—and take time to consider how His sacrifice speaks into your own faith and life today. Reflect Have you ever practiced the “Stations of the Cross”? If so, what was your experience? How do you respond now to this concept? The first cross station we identify is Jesus praying alone in the garden. Read Luke 22:39–46. Notice the setting and Jesus' experience, and then think about how His prayer struggle has impacted the intimacy you now possess with God. Read Matthew 26:57–75 and 27:11–26. Where is Jesus in this cross station? What does He experience? How does His endurance affect you today? Consider the torture Jesus endured as you read Matthew 27:27–31. Can you stand with Him at this cross station and receive what He has done for you? Jesus carried His own cross until Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to help Him in John 19:17, Matthew 27:32–33, and Luke 23:26. How would you have responded if you were asked to help Jesus? Respond (Use this prayer to start a conversation with God)  “Dear Lord, You have shown us through Scripture that even small faith can be used for Your glory. Reveal to me where my faith is lacking,and help me to surrender my disbelief to Your perfect plan. In Jesus' name, amen.” Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources Listen: It Is Finished - https://go.odb.org/it-is-finished-dtw  Life After Easter - https://go.odb.org/life-after-easter-dtw  Forgiveness, the Story of Easter - https://go.odb.org/forgiveness-the-story-of-easter-dtw  Read: The Perfect Savior - https://go.odb.org/the-perfect-savior-dtw  A Rumor of Hope | The Good News of Easter - https://go.odb.org/a-rumor-of-hope-the-good-news-of-easter  40 Days. 40 Words. - https://go.odb.org/40-days-40-words-dtw  Messiah's Last Words Reading Plan Watch: Walk in Jesus' footsteps with The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories (Season 4) 

Main Text: Matthew 21:1-11 (ESV) 1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.' ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”Preaching Point: Jesus reveals himself as the promised King of Kings and urges each of us to decide whether we will worship him as King or remain uncertain about who he is.Teaching Points: Recognize That Jesus Came to Be Your King (vv. 1-6)Welcome Jesus as Your King (vv. 7-9)Correct Your Deficient View of Jesus (vv. 10-11)Application Questions: Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week's sermon. Why did it stand out to you?Read Matthew 21:1-7 and Zechariah 9:9-10. Why did Jesus intentionally ride a donkey into Jerusalem, and what does this fulfillment of prophecy reveal about the King he came to be?Read Matthew 25:31-34 and Philippians 2:10-11. How do these passages show that Jesus is King over everyone, not just those who acknowledge him as such? How should this shape the way we think about evangelism and calling all people to submit to Christ?Read Matthew 21:6-9 and 2 Kings 9:12-13. How do the actions of the people in these passages demonstrate honor and submission to a king?What are some ways you can actively welcome and honor Jesus as King in everyday life? (think of your priorities, time, obedience, love etc.)Read Matthew 21:10-11. The crowds described Jesus as a prophet, but their understanding of him was incomplete. What are some common misunderstandings people today have about Jesus? What are some deficient views of Jesus that you have had to correct in your life either in the past or present? And how can you guard yourself against a distorted or deficient view of Jesus moving forward?

Send a textSeven Days That Changed The World Signs Of The Times | Part 3Senior Pastor Keith StewartMarch 8, 2026 With everything that's happening in the Middle East right now, we're getting a lot of questions about end times prophecy. People are concerned is this the beginning of the end? Maybe it's coincidence or God's design, but day three of the seven days that changed the world is centered around the Olivet Discourse. This is the second longest sermon of Jesus and it's the most extensive teaching He does around prophecy. If there's ever been a time when we need to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn, it's now. Christ speaks clearly about things that are coming but also clarifies what He wants us to do. Discussion Questions Warm-up When you hear “end times” teaching, what emotions tend to surface for you (curiosity, fear, skepticism, urgency, confusion)? Why? Scripture understanding Read Mark 13:1–4. What prompts Jesus' teaching, and what does that tell you about what the disciples valued versus what Jesus wanted them to see?The message used the “now and not yet” (bifocal) framework. Where do you see “near” and “far” elements in Mark 13? What difference does this make in how you read the passage? Read Mark 13:7–8 and Mark 13:32. What do these verses correct in us when we're tempted toward speculation or anxiety? Discernment and discipleship The sermon argued that prophecy is best understood through Scripture and history—not by scanning today's headlines. What are some modern “headline-driven” habits Christians can fall into? How can we practice healthier discernment? Discuss this line: “Christian discipleship is a call to persevering gospel-centered faithfulness, not fascination with end-times speculation.” What would it look like to live that out practically this week? Mission and application Read Matthew 24:14. According to Jesus, what is the church's responsibility “in the in-between time”? How does that shift your view of the future? The message said: “When the world runs out of hope, that's when Christians run in.” Where is God inviting our group (or our church) to “run in” right now—locally or globally? In suffering, people often ask: “Where is God?” The sermon suggested a different set of questions (“Where's the opportunity? Who can I help?”). Which of those questions do you most need to practice, and what is one concrete action step? Prayer focus Spend time praying in three directions:Upward: expectancy and trust in Christ's returnInward: perseverance, alertness, and freedom from fearOutward: boldness and compassion to share the gospel and serve others

Brian Priebe | Executive Pastor | February 22, 2026 Referenced Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-4a, Luke 4:18-21, Luke 10:29b, Matthew 25:42-46 Reflection Questions:1. What's one thing that stood out to you from the sermon and why? 2. How would people close to you rate your protection of the vulnerable on a scale of 1-10? 3. What motivates you to protect the vulnerable? Can you share an experience of protecting the vulnerable that was meaningful to you? 4. What are Biblical examples of Jesus protecting the vulnerable? 5. Do you find that protecting the vulnerable comes to you naturally? Why or Why not? What things make it challenging for you? 6. Brian's focal point was that Jesus sought to bring justice to earth by protecting the vulnerable. Do you agree or disagree? Why? 7. Read Matthew 25:31-46. What differences do you see between how the sheep and the goats are described in the parable? 8. Are you naturally bent more like the sheep or the goats? What would it take in your life to serve more like the sheep than the goats? 9 What would the church look like if everyone took the sheeps posture of protecting the vulnerable or helping those in need? 10. Brian referenced the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) sacrificed his comfort, time and money to protect the vulnerable. Which of those is hardest for you to sacrifice and why? Which is easiest for you to sacrifice? What's your next step? * Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard * Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children * Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students * Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give * Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman * Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app * Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozeman  Chapters (00:00:00) - What Do You Do About A Homeless Person's Sign?(00:02:04) - What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?(00:11:00) - The Parable of the Good Samaritan(00:17:44) - Jesus on Protecting the Vulnerable(00:21:15) - Examples of People Who Protect the Vulnerable(00:27:36) - Count the Cost of what it Takes to Protect the Vulnerable(00:33:55) - God's call to help the vulnerable(00:35:40) - All About It

It's important to verify the source of our convictions.

Bob Schwahn  |  Lead Pastor  |  February 1, 2026 Referenced Scripture:  Matthew 11:28-30, Ezekiel 36:25-28, John 16:7, Romans 8:10-11, Galatians 3:2-3, Galatians 5:25   Reflection Questions: 1. When you realize that the invitation to follow Jesus means we actually are expected to become like Him, how do you respond to that idea?  Why can that thought be overwhelming?  Does this seem impossible?  Why or why not? 2. Read Matthew 11:28-30 What were the two uses of the word “yoke” that Jesus is referring to here?  Describe the imagery of being “yoked” to Jesus like two oxen?  How does that imagery help us understand how we are to walk our life with Jesus?  How does this help us to become like Jesus?   3. If we are weary and burdened in our life, what does that say to us about our walk with Jesus and our connection to Him?  How can Jesus actually make our yoke easy and our burden light?  Does that mean that everything in life will be easy and light?  Why or why not?   4. True life in Jesus is found when we surrender our lives fully to Him.  What does it mean to surrender fully to Jesus?  Why can that word be difficult for us to deal with?  What makes actually surrendering difficult for you?   5. How does surrendering to Jesus actually bring freedom and life to our souls?  Explain.   What things in this life can we become free of through surrendering?  Explain.   6. The opposite of surrender is control?  How can trying to control everything in life be exhausting?  (making us weary and burdened)   7. Reflect on the illustration from the sermon of the clenched fist vs the open palm.  What did that experience show you?  Where in your life do you need to unclench your fist and open your hands?   8. Serenity Prayer God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  What wisdom do you see in this simple prayer?  How could this be helpful in your learning to surrender?   9. Describe Spiritual breathing… What is exhaling?  →  why is confession of sin important? What is inhaling?  →  how can we tangibly give control to the Spirit? 10. If peace in your soul is evidence of a surrendered life… How surrendered is your life today on a scale 1-10?  Explain. If anxiety in your soul is evidence of a need to surrender… How anxious is your life today on a scale 1-10?  Explain. 11. Where do you need to surrender control in your life to Jesus today?   What's your next step?  Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app  ••Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week:

Bob Schwahn  |  Lead Pastor  |  January 25, 2026 Referenced Scripture: Luke 6:40, Romans 12:2, 1 John 4:19, 1 John 3:16, Luke 19:10 Reflection Questions: 1. Read Matthew 14:22-31
Why do you think Peter got out of the boat? What do you think Peter was thinking? (requires speculation)
(v. 31) Do you think Jesus was questioning Peter because he was doubting Jesus or because he was doubting himself? Explain your thinking. 2. Read Luke 6:40
Following Jesus is becoming like Jesus and imitating his life.
Why is learning about Jesus not enough? Is it possible that we can learn much about Jesus without being transformed by Him? Explain. 3. How can you know if you are being transformed by Jesus? What would be true of your life if Jesus was changing you? How can you see this in yourself and in others? 4. Read Romans 12:2
What things in this world can form us besides Jesus? What things have formed your life besides Jesus? 
How can a person know who or what is forming their life? 5. How can we intentionally be formed by Jesus rather than unintentionally formed by the world around us? 6. Framework of becoming like Jesus… (Triangle)
Imitating His love Relationships:
UP - love for the Father
IN - love for the Family of God
OUT - love for the Broken World In your own word describe how Jesus modeled these.
Which one of these comes most naturally to you?
Which one is the most challenging for you? 7. Why is it important that we are clear with others (and ourselves) what it means to be a follower of Jesus? 8. The invitation is not to be with Jesus when you die…
It's to die with Jesus while you live…
Agree or disagree with this statement? Why? 9. Assignment: 
Choose a gospel and read through it with these questions in mind…
How would I imitate what I see in Jesus in my own life?
What would I need to start doing? Stop doing? Keep doing?
How would my life be different if I took imitating Jesus seriously? What's your next step? Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozeman  Chapters (00:00:01) - The invitation to become like Jesus(00:08:02) - What Does It Take to Follow Jesus?(00:11:23) - Are You a Follower of Jesus or Who Are You Following?(00:20:33) - How Do We Grow in the Presence of God?(00:29:14) - The Bar of Being a True follower of Jesus(00:32:56) - An Immediate Look at the Life of Jesus

Bob Schwahn | Lead Pastor Referenced Scripture: John 6:60-69, Mark 10:17-22, Ephesians 4:1-3, Matthew 7:21-23 Reflection Questions:1. Describe your current relationship with Jesus. DTR (Define The Relationship)What adjectives would you use to describe your connection to Him right now? Is it growing closer, getting more distant, or staying the same? Explain. 2. What is the difference between being a fan of Jesus and being a follower of Jesus? What characteristics would you use to describe each of these kinds of people? Where do you see yourself currently? 3. In the life of Jesus (gospels), how does Jesus describe what it means to be a follower of Him? How does Jesus make this definition clear in his teachings and invitations to follow him? 4. Read Mark 10:17-31 (Rich Young Ruler)What are some observations you can make about following Jesus from this story? How does Jesus separate fans from followers in this story? Can you relate to the response of the rich young ruler? Why or why not? 5. In the sermon we talked about identity based spiritual transformation. Identity → Process → Outcome (fruit)(who we are) → (what we do) → (what we get) Why is it critical to start with identity as we approach the pursuit of spiritual transformation? What is the cost/problem with focusing on outcomes first rather than focusing on our identity?How would your life be different if your core identity was being a follower of Jesus? How would it shape your habits/disciplines and the outcomes of your life? 6. Read Matthew 7:21-23How is it possible for someone to think they are a follower of Jesus and not actually have a relationship with Him?What thoughts or questions come to your mind when you read this passage? Why does this passage make it so important for us to really answer the question, “Am I a follower of Jesus?” (as Jesus defines follower)How does Jesus define a true follower of Him? 7. If you had a DTR (define the relationship) with Jesus what do you think you would say? What do you think He would say? What's your next step? * Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard * Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children * Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students * Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give * Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman * Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app * Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozeman  Chapters (00:00:00) - Am I a True follower of Jesus?(00:08:17) - What is an All In Followers of Jesus?(00:08:59) - What Does It Mean to Be a Follower of Jesus?(00:13:07) - The Rich Young Ruler(00:17:58) - James Clear on the Process of Spiritual Transformation(00:25:55) - Paul on His Calling and His Relationship with You(00:32:00) - A Question About Where Is Jesus With Me?

Life Group Questions 1. Welcome to Life Group introductions! 2. Explain how Life Group works, etc. If everyone is familiar with each other & the group: 1. What spoke to you from this week's message? 2. Read Matthew 5:38-48.

Do you see Jesus in the midst of a storm, or only in the quiet times? As Jaclyn reviews Matthew 14, we see that even believers who were close to Jesus didn't see Him. Don't let your trials block your view of Jesus. Read - Matthew 2 and 2 Peter 1 https://www.inseparableministries.org/ https://www.inseparableministries.org/event-calendar

Paulhighlights five specific sins that must be put away from our lives. Even asbelievers, we still have to deal with these tendencies—these sins—that candestroy unity in our families, unity in our churches, unity in our communities,and even unity in our nation. We see these sins rampant all around us today. Thefirst sin Paul addresses is lying. He tells us plainly to put off lying and tospeak the truth to one another. We live in a country today that is saturatedwith lies. It almost seems as if people breathe them out. Proverbs speaks ofthis more than once, where Solomon says that the wicked “breathe out lies.”When I read that in the ESV, it paints a vivid picture—it's as though theycannot even breathe without a lie coming from their mouth. Myfriend, that should never be said of believers. Believers speak the truthbecause we know the truth. We live in the truth. We walk in the truth, as FirstJohn and Second John tell us. Truth is foundational to the Christian life. Thattruth is found in Jesus Christ and in a life committed to Him. Thisbecomes especially important as we prepare for a new year. As believers, wemust ask the Lord to give us hearts that truly seek after Him. Scripture tellsus to seek the Lord with all our heart, to lean not on our own understanding,and that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our heart (Read Proverbs2:1-5; 3:1-5; Jeremiah 29:13). That means intentionally setting aside time eachday to seek God. Iwas thinking again about something we mentioned yesterday—the tyranny of theurgent. Urgent things demand immediate attention: taking the children toschool, picking them up, getting meals prepared, making phone calls, changingdiapers, washing dishes, cleaning the house, getting ready for work, mowing thegrass, fixing the plumbing, paying the bills, and a host of other things. Theseare important responsibilities—but they are not the most important thing. It isso sad that so many of us will spend a lifetime staying busy doing the urgentthings and then realize that we never took care of the important things.Usually this is because the urgent things demand immediate attention while theimportant things can be put off till tomorrow! Myfriend, I remind you that the most important thing we should be doing every dayis seeking and knowing the Lord and His righteousness (Read Matthew 6:24-34).We do this by daily spending time with God, placing value on the people aroundus, encouraging them, and living a life that truly makes a difference in theworld. The only way we can live that way daily is by being filled with the HolySpirit. And when we are filled with God's Word, we will also be filled withGod's Holy Spirit. Aswe approach a new year, I cannot encourage you enough to take at least 15minutes a day to get alone with the Lord. Wake up 15 minutes earlier. Find aquiet place. Spend time asking God for direction for your day. Read Scripture.Use a devotional. We post devotionals on our Facebook page and on our website (https://www.pmiministries.org/),along with a daily Bible reading calendar. Even while driving to work, you canlisten to Scripture through your phone—there are so many ways available today.  Asyou fill your mind with God's Word, it replaces other voices, other influences,and you begin to walk in the truth and speak the truth to yourself and others. Sofirst, Paul tells us to put off lying. Instead, we are to speak the truth,because the truth lives in us through the Word of God. That's my encouragementto you today.  Godbless you as you prepare for a New Year in 2026—as you walk in the truth, asyou live the truth, and as you seek after God through His Word and throughprayer.

When we encounter genealogies in the Bible, it's easy to glaze over long columns of difficult-to-pronounce names. But today, Pastor David Harrop is explaining why the genealogy of Jesus brings so much depth to the Christmas story that we might just miss if we pass it by. Read Matthew 1

Send us a textKris Baker and The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn discuss everything Buffalo Sabres. Read Matthew's latest at The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6892569/2025/12/16/sabres-buffalo-jarmo-kekalainen-kevyn-adams/

Mark continues our Questions of Christmas with the unspoken but important question- What shall we call him? This message explores the power of a name, Jesus-centered salvation and how God becomes visible. www.thevineaustin.org Matthew 1:18-25 REFLECTION QUESTIONS: 1. What is the lineage of your last name? 2. What do you make of how Matthew starts his Gospel- through the line of descendants from Abraham to Mary and Joseph? What significance do you have of this lineage? 3. Read Matthew 1:18-25. Joseph is silent in this account, so we don't know about his internal world. How would you respond to the promise the angel made? What questions would you hold? 4. What from the sermon has stayed with you- as encouraging, curious or confusing? 5. How do you feel about the delineation between Joshua and Jesus, and their embodiment of different kinds of salvation? 6. Mark shared - One of the great issues the modern church must grapple with in American society is our relationship to power. Do you believe that? Where is that manifesting? 7. Spend time considering where in your life you need to release the power of Jesus' name and his saving work.

Ever followed the directions perfectly and still ended up lost? That's what life without pursuit feels like. Read Matthew 2:1–12 and think about how Herod had truth but wouldn't take the six-mile journey, while the Magi had limited light and followed it anyway. Join us for Part 2 of our new series, God With Us, as we talk about how to take your next step toward life with God and choose relationship over religion.

Send us a textKris Baker and The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn discuss everything Buffalo Sabres. Read Matthew's latest at The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6860874/2025/12/04/sabres-failed-challenge-defense-flyers/

Send us a textKris Baker and The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn discuss everything Buffalo Sabres. Read Matthew's latest at The Athletic:https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6854323/2025/12/02/josh-norris-return-sabres-jets/

Send us a textKris Baker and The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn discuss everything Buffalo Sabres. Read Matthew's latest at The Athletic:Five keys for Sabres after 22 games: Josh Norris' return, role players step up, more: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6837717/2025/11/26/sabres-standings-josh-norris-stats/

Send us a textKris Baker and The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn discuss everything Buffalo Sabres. Read Matthew's latest at The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6831740/2025/11/23/sabres-standings-malenstyn-quinn-hurricanes/

Send us a textKris Baker and The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn discuss everything Buffalo Sabres. Read Matthew's latest at The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6824170/2025/11/21/buffalo-sabres-roster-mason-geertsen/

Send us a textKris Baker and The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn discuss everything Buffalo Sabres. Read Matthew's latest at The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6816166/2025/11/18/sabres-noah-ostlund-rosen-ellis-oilers/

Mark kicks off our Third Way series by telling the story of where this conviction came from and what it means to our community. www.thevineaustin.org REFLECTION QUESTIONS: 1. Most families have stories they tell again and again. What is a story your family repeatedly told? 2. How would you define or describe the Third Way to someone who didn't know our church? 3. What stayed with you from the sermon- either as confusing, curious or encouraging? 4. Read Matthew 22:15-22. What stands out to you? 5. What does it mean to “give back to God's what is God's?” 6. What about our Third Way is hopeful or life-giving? 7. What about our Third Way seems challenging or impossible? 8. Discuss this phrase found on our website. “We choose to value empathy and compassion over certainty and absolute agreement. We seek unity in following Jesus within the essentials of our faith.” End in prayer with one another. Perhaps pray for these 5 weeks, that Jesus would form us in this journey- bringing a clarity of conviction, merciful view of others and a Jesus-shaped lifestyle.

The 44th edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival just concluded and we are here to talk about some of our favourite films that played! Joining Dakota and Matthew is Darren Zakus from Movie Scene Canada. The guys talk about Deathstalker and A Welcome Distraction (Dakota's picks), Wrong Husband and Blue Heron (Matthew's picks) and Blue Moon and Is This Thing On? (Darren's picks). Read Dakota's reviews of Blue Moon and A Welcome Distraction.Read Matthew's reviews of Wrong Husband and Blue Heron.Read Darren's review of Blue Moon.Read Jeff Bulmer's review of Wrong Husband and listen to his interview with Zacharias Kunuk.For more of Matthew's work check out his ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠personal portfolio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow him on ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠.Follow Darren Zakus on ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠. Follow Contra Zoom on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Check out more great Contra Zoom content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠That Shelf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!Listen to Contra Zoom on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anchor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Google Play⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Breaker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and more!Please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rate and review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contrazoompod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Create your ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today! #madeonzencastr

So much of what we see is a product of human behavior and too often not a conspiracy of unified design by evil. We have to learn to observe the patterns and identify the fruits rather than judge the heart. Only God knows the truth of the heart. We are in a time of transformation, where false paradigms and divisions are collapsing. Lean into Holy Spirit for wisdom; focus on the moments you live not the illusions shaped by the content of the web. Our commission is sharing the light of Christ, to go into the village and share the miracles of Jesus that lives within us. Read Matthew 10. #BardsFM_Morning  #EyesToSee #TheWayOfChrist Bards Nation Health Store: www.bardsnationhealth.com BardsFM CAP, Celebrating 50 Million Downloads: https://ambitiousfaith.net Morning Intro Music Provided by Brian Kahanek: www.briankahanek.com MYPillow promo code: BARDS Go to https://www.mypillow.com/bards and use the promo code BARDS or... Call 1-800-975-2939.  White Oak Pastures Grassfed Meats, Get $20 off any order $150 or more. Promo Code BARDS: www.whiteoakpastures.com/BARDS Windblown Media 20% Discount with promo code BARDS: windblownmedia.com Founders Bible 20% discount code: BARDS >>> TheFoundersBible.com Mission Darkness Faraday Bags and RF Shielding. Promo code BARDS: Click here EMPShield protect your vehicles and home. Promo code BARDS: Click here EMF Solutions to keep your home safe: https://www.emfsol.com/?aff=bards Treadlite Broadforks...best garden tool EVER. Promo code BARDS: TreadliteBroadforks.com No Knot Today Natural Skin Products: NoKnotToday.com Health, Nutrition and Detox Consulting: HealthIsLocal.com Destination Real Food Book on Amazon: click here Images In Bloom Soaps and Things: ImagesInBloom.com Angeline Design: AngelineDesign.com DONATE: Click here Mailing Address: Xpedition Cafe, LLC Attn. Scott Kesterson 591 E Central Ave, #740 Sutherlin, OR  97479

Introduction to Total Christ & the Five MarksIntroduction: The Mission of Christ and the ChurchRead Acts 2:22-47• What is Peter's argument about who Christ is and where Christ is now?• What is the proper response recorded here to Christ's exaltation? What didthese first disciples specifically do?• What is the role of the Holy Spirit in this passage?• “Five Marks” at CPC means gospel-centered, missional, confessional,sacramental, and communal. Where do you see each of these in this passage?Read Matthew 28:16-20• “All authority” - Christ is King (communal) because of what He has done oncefor all (gospel-centered)• “Make disciples” is the main verb of v. 19 and the main overall mission of thechurch. We are to do that by:• “Going” (v.19) - on the move, no longer constrained to Israel, hence “allnations” (missional)• “Baptizing” (sacramental)• “Teaching” (confessional)• Christ-centered - what Christ commanded, baptized into the name, and in/with Christ's presenceJohn 14:12 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the worksthat I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”• Why “because…”? Once Christ goes to the Father, He will send the Spirit,enabling the church to do “greater works” because the presence of God inChrist will be global through the church.Augustine wrote, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us; to thatflesh is joined the church, and there is made total Christ, both head and body.”2 of 4“Five Marks” at CPC also means we hope to experience the FULLNESS ofChrist, not just one emphasis or pendulum swing!1. Gospel-Centered: Trust in the gospel motivates us to be humble because weknow Christ's work to us is purely a gift, but also boldly confident in the faceof shame and sin because it's based in God's power! This grounds us in God'sfinished work on the cross, where he forgave our sins and reconciled us tohimself. Everything we do is motivated from and by the gospel. Think:Humble, honest, authentic, gracious, safe, desire to be truly known and lovedby God and others2. Missional: More (though not less!) than being evangelistic, we strive to bemissional because God promises to dwell with His people in all their Godgiven cultures, languages, and demographics through the church. Thisgrounds us in God's global presence, where the church is the evangelist for awhole new way of life, showing the world who Jesus is and what it means tofollow Him in all our relationships. Think: Culturally self-aware, open &inviting, purposeful, holistic evangelism3. Confessional - Christ as our Prophet: We are not the first ones to considerwhat church should be (thank God!). We humbly submit to God's revelationin the Word as it has been historically interpreted, seeking to be united inbelief across generations and cultures. Officially, we subscribe to thedocuments of Westminster (c.1630) as the summary of our faith. This groundsus in Christ as our Prophet who still speaks. Think: doctrine that is alive andan unwillingness to be distracted by cultural fads4. Sacramental - Christ as our Priest: Christ is "fleshed out" in a carefullydesigned four movement worship service that follows the logic of the gospeland culminates every week in a participation in eucharistic communion withChrist. Jesus is experienced in the body of Christ through different culturalstyles specific to each local community. Think: Friendly, worshipful,mysterious5. Communal - Christ as our King: Christ did not leave us as orphans, butjoined us with Himself to the church, so to be a Christian is to be a part of theredeemed community.

We continue our series about rage in our Sept 21 Sunday gathering. This week's discussion questions are below: Discussion Questions: 1. In what ways have you noticed culture forming you toward outrage, anxiety, or self-centeredness? The sermon mentioned consumerism, individualism, and digital formation. Which of these has the strongest pull in your life, and how do you see it affecting your peace? 2. Read Matthew 16:24–26. What do you think Jesus means by “deny yourself” in practical, everyday terms? How does Jesus' prayer in the garden—“Not my will, but yours”—challenge the way you usually respond when you don't get what you want? 3. John Ortberg said, “Anger is the energy I feel when my will gets frustrated.” Can you think of a recent time when your will was frustrated? How did you respond? What would a response of peace have looked like instead? Why do you think our happiness so often depends on “getting our way”? How does that set us up for outrage? 4. The sermon suggested practices like fasting, eating leftovers, letting someone else decide, or keeping a clever thought to yourself. Which one of these would be hardest for you? How might intentionally denying yourself something small help you resist larger temptations or grow in peace? 5. How could practicing self-denial not just change you personally, but change the way you interact with your family, coworkers, or neighbors? Imagine a community of people truly living this way—laying down their right to always get their way. What impact would that have on the world around them? 6. Where in your life do you most need to practice self-denial right now? What is one concrete step you can take this week to move toward becoming a person of peace rather than outrage?

Who has the final authority to receive and release members in the local church? Who is ultimately responsible for Jesus' name in his heavenly embassies here on earth? Jesus concerned himself with this question when he gave Peter "the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 16:19). But Peter is dead. So, who holds the keys? And how should they be exercised? Read Matthew 18:15–20 and listen in as we explore these important questions.

Did Jesus forget to mention a secret rapture? Discussion Questions: Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. Paul describes one dramatic, public return of Christ with a shout, trumpet, and the resurrection of believers. Why do you think Paul emphasizes these visible signs instead of describing a secret return? Read John 5:28–29. Jesus says both “those who did good” and “those who did evil” will come out of the tombs at the same hour. How does this challenge the idea of two separate resurrections or two separate comings of Christ? Read 2 Thessalonians 1:6–10. Why does Paul connect Christ's return with both judgment on the wicked and relief for the suffering church? How does this strengthen our hope in times of hardship? Read Matthew 24:27–31. Why do you think Jesus compares His return to lightning flashing across the sky? What does this tell us about how obvious and undeniable His coming will be? For nearly 1,800 years, Christians believed in one visible return of Christ and one final judgment. Only in the 1800s did the idea of a “secret rapture” appear. Is it helpful to you to know that particular history? Why or why not? Read Hebrews 9:28. The writer says Christ will appear a second time “to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Why is Christ's return essential to completing God's plan of salvation? If Christ is returning once, visibly, and finally to judge and renew all things, how might this shape the way think? What perspectives might change if we live in the hope of His coming?

Jason Leonard preaches through Matthew 5:17-20.

We typically spend eight hours a day on our jobs—with coworkers and peers whom we might never voluntarily choose to spend one-third of our waking hours each week. But there we are—together! And even though we're Christians, we're not immune to the irritations, aggravations, and outright conflicts that can exist between coworkers. Let's face it: coworkers can get to you! However, these relationships give us opportunities as Christians to demonstrate the power of Christ, to show that his presence makes a real difference in our everyday lives. Some close friends were at my home and several of them were sharing the struggles they are facing on their jobs with coworkers. But in each case, as they shared how God had helped them get along with those coworkers, they told of dying to their own rights and then watching God work miracles in those situations. And in each instance, their ability to deal in a Christ-like way with a difficult coworker has opened a door of witness on their jobs. In many of those situations, the coworker has not yet changed, and their behavior is extremely difficult. But even when they don't change, God can change us, so we are equipped to handle it properly. Often God just gives us grace to cope, grace to endure, grace to accept, even though the other person never changes. But isn't that just as great a miracle as changing the other person? I think so. Let's look at one type of difficulty we encounter with coworkers. Dealing with the lazy coworker Sometimes we have to work with a person who is lazy, and if we have to pick up his or her slack, we may find ourselves becoming bitter and resentful. And of course, that would show in sarcastic words, angry looks, body language, etc. In these situations, we need to know whether to confront the situation; to let the work go undone; to go to management; or to do the work for a while. One principle to consider is we are called to have an extra-mile attitude in our relationships with others. Read Matthew 5 beginning at verse 38 to refresh your memory on how Jesus taught us to go the extra-mile. Of course, this is not the world's solution, and it goes against all our natural reactions. But God may have good reasons for us to go the extra mile and be willing to do what we don't have to do.

LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, yet the stories of this community have often been obscured or misunderstood.   When we explore queer histories, we gain a much fuller picture of societies in the past, from when our palaces were first built, right on through to their more recent history.     In this week's episode, Curator Matthew Storey is joined by Assistant Research Curator Holly Marsden, and Dr Kit Heyam, to discuss some queer stories connected to our palaces, and how best to understand them in their historic context.      Explore more LGBTQ+ histories from our palaces on our website.  Read Matthew's article about Kathleen Woodhouse.   Read Molly McClain's article on Stuart women.  Find Kit Heyam's books on their website.   In this episode we use a range of different gender pronouns to discuss historical people, including those used in the original sources and those used by historians today.  Content warnings:   Homophobia, including the murder of queer people  Transphobia   Non-consensual medical examination   Suicide    

Graduation is a time of excitement, transition, and growth—but also uncertainty and change. In today’s devotional, Alicia Searl offers heartfelt encouragement and a prayer for graduates stepping into a brand-new chapter. Drawing from Jesus’ words in Matthew 7, listeners are reminded of the importance of building their life on the solid rock of faith. Whether on a mountaintop or in a valley, God is faithful, present, and ready to guide each step forward. Themes Explored: Encouragement for graduates Building a foundation on Christ Trusting God in new seasons The importance of godly community Spiritual preparation for the future Scripture References Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Today’s episode is a beautiful reminder that a “no” from God is never the end of the story—it may just be a “not yet.” Chelsey DeMatteis shares a powerful testimony of how God brought full-circle redemption to a door that was once closed. As we look to Matthew 2 and reflect on God leading Mary, Joseph, and Jesus back to Egypt—a place once synonymous with captivity—we see the incredible ways God repurposes our past for His glory. Let today’s prayer renew your faith in God’s timing and goodness. Themes explored: Trusting God when doors close Patience in waiting seasons Full-circle redemption Boldness to share testimony God’s sovereignty in our calling Scripture References Matthew 2:13–15 “After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,’ the angel said…”

As Christians, we do not have to fear death—because Jesus Christ defeated it. Easter was the death of death; it died when Christ rose! This Easter, hear Jesus as He says, “Don’t be afraid.” Notes: Focus verse - Matthew 28 #1 The world is full of fear. We live in a scary, frightening world.It’s an age of anxiety and global fears. There are personal fears too. Everyone has a fear of death. #2 Because Jesus rose from the dead, we no longer need to live in fear. Psalm 90:9 #3 The resurrection of Jesus replaces fear with faith. Read Matthew 28:1–10 The disciples were filled with fear and uncertainty after the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus came with the express purpose of dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. Jesus told His disciples He would suffer and die and then He would rise again. Death does not have the last word—Easter does. Death died when Christ rose.Easter is the death of death. A Christian will never die spiritually. Jesus said, “You must be born again.”John 3:7 (NLT) God’s plans are better than yours. Turn your panic into prayer,your worry into worship,and your fear into faith. "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come."Matthew 14:28–29 (NKJV) Faith gives way to fear. Trust gives way to worry. Peter sank because he was afraid and took his eyes off Jesus. When we are sinking, we need to call out to Jesus.Matthew 14:30 Death does not have the final word—Jesus does. A new day can dawn for you today: #1 Realize that you are a sinner. #2 Recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin. #3 Repent of your sin. #4 Receive Jesus Christ into your life. #5 Do it now. --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the truth about Judas Iscariot? Has he truly been misunderstood all this time? Pastor Greg Laurie makes a biblical case for just how evil Judas actually was. Notes: Focus verse - Matthew 26 Judas Iscariot was perhaps the most paradoxical and wicked man in the Bible. Was Judas Iscariot misunderstood? Satan put the idea into Judas’s mind to betray Christ.John 13:2 Judas could have resisted that temptation. Judas initiated the betrayal of Christ.Matthew 26:14–16 Judas was a pretender, an actor, a performer. Don’t let someone else’s inconsistency keep you away from following the only one who is consistent, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the perfect example. Read Matthew 26:21–24 Even though Jesus knew what Judas was up to, He demonstrated love to Judas to the very end. Read Matthew 26:39–50 Jesus was considering the load of sin He would bear. Jesus cried out "Abba, Father,"Mark 14:36 When worry causes you to choke, cry out to God. Jesus was a model of what to do in times of uncertainty. Jesus demonstrated His divine power and gave a glimpse of His glory when the Roman soldiers came to arrest Him. Jesus was in complete control of everything.He was going to the cross as a Victor, not as a Victim. Judas ignored all the warnings that Jesus gave. The way Judas betrayed Christ was so abhorrent.Matthew 26:49 Judas was a hypocrite. Jesus reached out to Judas with love.Matthew 26:50 Jesus offered Judas one last chance to repent. Read Matthew 27:2–5 Judas did not have a friend in the world except for Jesus whom he just betrayed. Judas was remorseful.Matthew 27:3 God will not violate the will of man.He will affirm us in the decisions we make. But a true child of God will not continue to live in a pattern of sin.1 John 3:9–10 Two men failed Jesus on one night, Judas and Peter. Judas Iscariot turned away and walked into eternal remorse.Simon Peter walked into the open arms of God. --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are “signs of the times” all around, yet we don’t talk about prophecy enough. In this message, Pastor Greg Laurie and Bible prophecy expert, Joel Rosenberg, give some needed insight. Notes: Focuse verses - John 14, Matthew 24 All around us are signs of the times telling us Jesus is coming. Read John 14:1–3 Jesus has prepared a place for us, and He is coming for us. Jesus said, “When you see these things begin to happen, look up!”Luke 21:28 The teaching of the Rapture was given almost 2,000 years ago by Jesus on the Mount of Olives. The disciples asked Jesus,“What will be the sign of your coming?”Matthew 24:3 The signs of the times mentioned in Matthew 24 are to alert us to His coming. Read Matthew 24:3–15 Jesus wants us to understand this and other passages about prophecy.It’s not God’s desire to conceal, but to reveal. #1 The Tribulation period begins with the emergence of Antichrist.Matthew 24:5 Christians will not be present for the Great Tribulation. The Church is the restraining force in the world today. #2 The Tribulation period ends with the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.Matthew 24:30 The emergence of Antichrist is close, but the coming of Christ for His Church is even closer. Read Matthew 24:36–44 Jesus is talking about the Rapture, not the Second Coming. There are differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming. At the Rapture, Jesus comes for His people.At the Second Coming, He returns with His people. The Rapture is before the Tribulation.The Second Coming is at the end of it. #3 What is the Rapture? Rapture is the English translation of Harpazo which was translated as Raptus in the Latin translation. It means to take forcibly, to snatch, or to be caught up. #4 Why is there a Rapture? 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Christians do not grieve hopelessly but hopefully. Jesus said, “And behold, I am coming quickly,”Revelation 22:12 (NKJV) When Jesus comes again, it will be fast and without warning. The return of Jesus is imminent. --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Failure wasn't the end of Simon Peter's story, and it doesn't have to be the end of our's either. God offers us second chances. Notes: Focus verses - Luke 22, Matthew 26 God sees the big picture. God chose Peter for his potential, not his perfection. Failure doesn’t have to be the end of your story. "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…”Joel 2:25 Jesus entered Peter’s world by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus saw what Peter would become, not just what he was. Peter saw sin. Jesus saw a spiritual leader. Our shortcomings and failures come as no surprise to God. Often the doorway to success is entered through the hallway of failure. The past cannot be changed, but our response to it can be.God can take our endings and turn them into beginnings. Peter was always talking.Peter confessed Jesus is the Christ.Matthew 16:13–17 Peter reprimanded Jesus.Matthew 16:22–23 Peter was at the transfiguration of Jesus.Mark 9:2–6 Peter is infamous for his denial of Jesus. Read Luke 22:31–32 Satan can do nothing in the life of the child of God without our Father’s permission. God has built a wall of protection around you. Were it not for the prayers of Jesus, we wouldn’t have a chance. "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."Luke 22:32 #1 Peter’s first step down was self confidence.Matthew 26:33 Peter’s words revealed unfounded confidence in himself anddirectly contradicted what Jesus said. #2 Peter’s next step down was his prayerlessness.Matthew 26:39–41 Jesus was in anguish as He contemplated the horrors of the cross.All He wanted was for the disciples to be present and praying. Pride and prayerlessness go hand in hand. Peter had no idea about the storm that was brewing. Prayerlessness can be as much of a sin as breaking a commandment.It’s a sin of omission.James 4:17 #3 Peter fell because he trusted human efforts instead of God’s power.Matthew 26:51-53 Peter just couldn’t get it right:1. He was boasting when he should have been listening.2. He was sleeping when he should have been praying.3. He was fighting when he should have been surrendering. Peter fought the wrong enemy with the wrong weapon. Our enemies are not flesh and blood and they cannot be defeated with ordinary weapons. Read Matthew 26:69–75 #4 Peter warmed himself by the enemy’s fire. Following at a distance, Peter became cold. “…and he [Peter] went in and sat with the servants to see the end.”Matthew 26:58 #5 Peter denied Christ. Peter wanted to be near Jesus, but he didn't want to stand up for Him. Peter denied Christ for the third time.Matthew 26:74 Peter had lost all sense of reality and seemingly all awareness of God.Luke 22:59–62 Peter’s disappointment would lead to a divine appointment.Peter’s greatest test would lead to his greatest trust in God. Jesus never gave up on Peter, and He never gives up on us. "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding."Jeremiah 3:22 (NIV) --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.