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With so many distractions, what we need more than anything is to remember Jesus.
Church Online May 3rd David Hodgens Remember Jesus Christ by WDBC
Sunday, April 26, 2026 Abiding and Obeying 1 John 2:1-17 Pastor Ben Price In this week's message, Ben unpacks what it truly means to know God—not just in words, but in the way we live. Rooted in 1 John 2, we're reminded that Jesus is our advocate and that real relationship with Him is revealed through obedience and a life set apart from the world. This message calls us to remain in Christ and reflect Him daily. 3 Key Points to Remember: Jesus is our advocate. When we fall, He stands in our place and restores us. Knowing God is shown through obedience. Our actions reveal whether we're truly walking with Him. Abide in Christ, not the world. Lasting life is found in doing God's will, not chasing temporary things. Connect with us at www.bcn.org! Need prayer? We would love to pray for you, simply submit your request here.
Let's remember, without faith it's impossible to please God. Remember Jesus words to Nicodemus, “unless one is born again, he cannot SEE THE KINGDOM of God.” And there's only one way someone can be born again, and that is by faith. In other words, not only is it impossible to please God without faith, it's impossible to see God without faith. Remember what faith is: a conviction based on evidence. A formal declaration. Evidence of the unseen.
What would it mean to you to have someone know you – to know your strengths and your weaknesses and to know this accurately? All of us carry a fear of being found out and rejected. The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus does Know us Completely *and* has not rejected us. No! On the contrary He loves us more deeply than we can even comprehend. Remember: *Jesus is who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father – to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (Rev 1:5-6)* This is the One who is moving in His church even today. And this is the One who is speaking through His word given to us in our Bibles. And this is the One speaking to these churches in Asia. Ephesus was a seaport city and a place where the Apostle Paul founded a church. The temple of Artemis (or Diana) was ranked among one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Apostle John also spend time in Ephesus ministering to the Ephesian church there. In Acts 19:1-10 we read of how the gospel went forth out of Ephesus and in Acts 19:23-41 we read of how the silversmiths feared a loss of income from their sale of idols by the rise of Christianity there.To really make the most out of this week's message (and this series) we encourage you to read Acts 19, the book of Ephesians and Revelation 2:1-7. It would take about 30 minutes, less then a podcast episode!, and will greatly enhance your understanding of the church in Ephesus, give insight into what they were facing, how God has been at work among them, and the means of maintaining Love and Devotion to Jesus – who is Worthy of it all.Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Revelation 2:1-7, with Acts 19 and Ephesians 1-6
Today's readings.. (Numbers 35), (Proverbs 26), (John 8) What did Jesus mean, “The Truth will set you free?” Free from what? The 8th chapter of John today contains aspects of the teachings of Jesus that we have to think around and put into context to get the correct meaning. The critics of Jesus were usually those whose thought processes were mechanical. Concerning the woman caught in adultery, They thought they had him cornered, if he said the Mosaic law should be observed and she should be stoned they would probably have done so, or got others to, and then blamed Jesus before the Roman authorities because the Jews had no right to put anyone to death – that is why they brought Jesus before Pilate.. See John 18 v.31.If Jesus has said something different, they would have denounced him before the people for not upholding the law! His reaction confounded them – and after he said “Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” [v.7] they slunk away from Jesus, no one was without sin among them. Only Jesus was without sin – and he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? She said, ‘No one Lord' And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'” [v.10,11] Notice how she addresses Jesus as “Lord”! She saw him as far more than a “teacher” which is how the Jews addressed him.Jesus speaks to all who come to him – in the same words as he spoke to the woman – whatever our failures have been, and the closer we come to “the light of the world” the more we are aware of those failures – but we also learn the truth of his words, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” [v.12] and all the “darkness” in our character will be obliterated, indeed Christ will then be “formed in you.” [Gal. 4 v.19]Jesus went on to tell them, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” [v.31,32[ The key action on our part is to “abide” in the word of Jesus. John uses the Gk word for ‘abide' more than 40 times in his gospel and the translators render it variously as ‘continue', ‘dwell' ‘remaining' etc. Are you abiding in his word? Is the word ‘abiding' in you? If the answer is ‘Yes' – you have been set free!Jesus made the point, “ … I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” – it has become part of their character. But “if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed” [v.36] He told the religious leaders, “…you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.” [v.37] May it have found a place in us – in you – or will soon do so. Remember Jesus said, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God.” [v.47] – and as we read – we “hear.”
Easter Sunday Remember Jesus is Risen! Luke 24.1-8 by Upcountry Calvary
Remember Jesus | Jo Geerling by iSEE CHURCH
Do you find yourself looking back at your past with regrets? Remember Jesus' nail-pierced hands have already paid the price of our sins. Listen to Pastor Miranda's teaching from Hebrews 10 and be encouraged to draw near to God today with full confidence that you're His beloved. My friend, the work is finished, draw near to God and don't go back. Connect with us through social media at http://tiny.cc/sibklchurch and visit us at www.sibkl.org.my
Craig unpacks John 21, where the risen Jesus meets his disciples by the sea—and everything changes. After a night of failure, Jesus provides, restores, and recommissions.Focusing on Peter's story, Craig explores what happens when we mess up—and whether we can really come back from it. Around a charcoal fire, Jesus doesn't shame Peter for his failure; he restores him, forgives him, and calls him forward again.This is a powerful reminder that failure is not the end with Jesus. He meets us in it, calls us by name, and invites us to keep following him—no matter what lies ahead.
Jesus is not just alive from the dead, but he is alive as the King who will reign forever — of his kingdom there will be no end.
In this message about the final supper, Pastor Nelms teaches on the last Passover feast with Jesus and His disciples, and the new covenant that Jesus introduced through His body and the blood. We pray that you are blessed by this teaching.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/renaissance-school-of-the-spirit--3241606/support
Finding peace and overcoming anxiety are challenges we all face in a world that never slows down. We often let stress dictate our days, but there is a way to guard your mind and reclaim your joy. By shifting your focus and practicing a few intentional habits, you can experience a calm that lasts through any storm. Let's explore how.Chapters:00:00 What Is True Peace00:57 Define Peace of God03:18 Philippians 4 Reading05:48 Promise of Peace07:41 Peace That Guards12:35 God of Peace Within13:43 Four Keys to Peace13:55 Be Considerate Always16:13 Remember Jesus' Returns20:42 Worry to Prayer23:46 Fix Your Thoughts26:07 Win the Moment28:42 Closing ChallengeTAKE A NEXT STEP:INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Gospel - John 9:1-41 We are glad you are here with us! This week we're focused on Jesus' healing touch. He makes a blind man see- leading to lots of questions from those who should be ‘in the know'. The man who was blind stands firm in his responses to the Pharisees- he knows Jesus healed him and believes! Where, in your life, are you sure Jesus is working? How exciting to know he is with you! In what persistent difficulty might he work a miracle? Remember Jesus knows your heart! May you be blessed with confidence in him. Amen.Message written for LCA and read by Bridgitte Willshire. Support the show
Presented by Jenn Miller Is it really that big of a deal if I have little idols in my heart? Since we are naturally sinful and are prone wander, why does God care so much about idolatry? These questions are good to think through. Even though idolatry is common in the human heart, the Bible says it is extremely dangerous. In Exodus 20, God commanded his people to have no other god before him. Before giving this command, he described his relationship with the people. He was their God and they were his people. He rescued them and called them into special relationship. Therefore, he cared for them and was rightly jealous when their hearts wandered from him. God cares about you today as well. If you have turned from your sin and trusted in Jesus as your savior, God has chosen you to be his child, and he cares about your relationship with him. He has designed you so you are most satisfied and whole when you worship him alone. Any other worship robs you of true joy and will eventually leave you empty, hollow, and lost. Psalm 115 describes idols as having mouths but unable to speak, having eyes but not seeing, having ears but not hearing. They are incapable of action or service to the worshipper. But then verse 8 says something striking. Those who make them will become like them, and so will all who trust in them (Psalm 115:8). As my heart runs after substitutes for God himself, I actually become less. Idols rob us. This is because idols are the tools of Satan to lure our hearts. Remember Jesus' words in John 10 where he warns us that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. This is the work of idols. But Jesus has come so we might have life to the full. If you recognize idols in your heart, know that through Jesus, you are not condemned but invited to repent.
Join Pastor Derek Neider in this inspiring episode of The Daily Devotional as he kicks off a powerful new series on the book of 2 Timothy. Through thoughtful reflections, Derek encourages us to embrace our calling to serve Christ wholeheartedly and live out our faith with purpose and surrender.Tune in for insightful teachings, practical application, and a fresh perspective on what it means to live as servants of the gospel. This is just the beginning—there's so much more to come as we journey through Romans together!Thank you for listening! Here are some ways to learn more and stay connected!New to faith? Click here!Learn more about Pastor Derek NeiderFollow Derek on Instagramor FacebookSubscribe to email Subscribe to the daily devotionalExplore recent messages!This podcast was created by Pastor Derek Neider as a ministry of Awaken Las Vegas.Visit our website. We are located at 7175 W. Oquendo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89113. Our gathering times are 9am & 11am Sundays and 6:30pm Thursdays.
In this sermon, Pastor Nathan asks us to consider: “Why keep praying?” Why should we persist in prayer even when the answer seems to be no. Pastor reads the scripture and preaches: Remember Jesus is Lord: He can help, He answers in His time, He answers according to our faith. So: 1 – keep asking, […]
Inside our theme of love this month, this week we are focusing on teaching our kids what love is. One of the things we love about God's love is hearing how much He loves us, will forgive us, and show us incredible mercy and grace, no matter what we do. But then the very tough thing about God's love is, as sinners, we struggle when He tells us to love others that we do not want to love. Teaching our kids that kind of unconditional love will be one of the hardest things we ever do—to encourage them to follow God in loving someone with His love and grace that we do not want to love and don't think we even can love.Much of Jesus' teaching was counter-cultural then, and it certainly is today. The religious leaders of His day wanted to separate people into two categories: acceptable and unacceptable. And those men would make that determination without God. In fact, Jesus' teaching against their standards ended up getting Him on their unacceptable list. Listen closely to this passage as I read. No matter how many times you may have heard it, try and listen with fresh ears about how God wants us to love …“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. (Luke 6:27-36 NLT)Love your enemies? … That's a cute catchphrase until you actually feel like someone is your enemy and is working to make your life miserable. Loving that person feels impossible. Do good to those who hate you? Bless those who curse you? Really, Jesus? But what is so great about Jesus' teaching here is He told us why He wants us to do that.In short, Jesus said… “if people who have no God, who don't believe in God, who care nothing about Me, can be kind to those who are kind to them and love those who love them, then you don't need Me to do that, do you? But now, loving your enemies? Doing good to those who hate you? You are most definitely going to need Me to help you do that. Why? Because by yourself, you can't!”Now, to be clear, turning the other cheek does not have anything to do with abuse or letting someone run all over you. Remember—Jesus was the guy who got angry and cleared people out of the temple with a whip. But to love like God and to teach your kids to love like He does, that's going to take Jesus giving you the power and ability every time.Let's say it this way, if we're going to call ourselves His kids, we need to act like He's our Dad.Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, this loving my enemies thing is so hard. Doing good to someone I deem as bad, blessing people I can't stand, that feels impossible. But you are the God that makes the impossible possible. Help me, Jesus, to love like You and to teach my kids these really hard things about how to love like You. Because me and my kids are Your children. As above, so below.”
Faith is not in ourselves. It is in the God of the Bible—the Godwho has made great and exceeding promises to us. We must choose to believethose promises. InPsalm 9:10 it says, “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who trust in You, who seek You.” Wecan only experience and know God by faith! His many names in the Bible revealHis attributes, His character, and the way He works with us. My friend, faithis not powerful because we are strong. Faith is powerful because God isfaithful. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 30:5 that: “Every word of God ispure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” Tohold up the shield of faith is to put ourselves under God's protection. Thatmeans we are under God's authority and any other authorities He has placed overour lives: Romans 13 reminds us, “Let every soul be subject to the governingauthorities, for there is no authority except from God. The authorities thatexist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists theordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” Inthis chapter Paul goes on to tell us in verse 13, “Let us walk properly asin the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not instrife and envy.” Notice especially verse 14: “But put on the Lord JesusChrist, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.” Thatis so powerful. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. We have talked about putting offthe old man and putting on the new man. Now we are talking about putting onChrist. Remember Jesus said in John 10:9, “I am the door.” When He saysHe is the door, that is a beautiful picture of a door-shield that is so bigthat it protects us. It keeps the enemy away from us. It shuts the devil out.But Jesus is also the door that we can go into and through, to live a life thatis full of the fullness of God Himself in us and through us—facing the trials,the temptations, and the problems of life. Faithtakes God at His Word. We believe God's promises such as: “If God is for us,who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). James 1:17: “Every good gift andevery perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights.” Philippians 4:19:“God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in ChristJesus.” And then in Ephesians 1:3, we have already been “blessed withall spiritual blessings in Christ”. So when Satan whispers, “God is holdingout on you,” faith says, “No, God is always good.” When Satan says God doesn'tcare, faith says, “He loved me and gave Himself for me.” When Satan saysyou will fall, faith says, “God is able to keep me from falling.” Myfriend, faith always wins over fear and worry. Faith always puts that shield ofprotection about us. Alsowe need to always remember what Jesus said in John 10:27–28 that His sheep willnever perish, and no one will pluck them out of His hand. That is security. Faithtakes hold of Christ. Faith puts on Christ. Then we make no provision for thelust of the flesh. My friend, we can find forgiveness. We find cleansing. Wefind the washing of the blood taking away every sin that the devil holdsagainst us, accuses us of, and tries to tell us we are not good enough. Becausein God's sight, we have been justified through Christ and Christ alone—not byour goodness. 1John 5:4 sums it up: “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even ourfaith.” We are not fighting for victory. We are fighting from victory.Jesus Christ has already conquered the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our jobis to stand in that victory by faith. So today, by God's grace, take up theshield of faith. Trust God's Word, trust God's character, trust God's plan,trust God's promises. And when those fiery darts come—and they will—remember,they will be quenched by God Himself. And you will be ready to walk that lifethat glorifies Him every day.
Paul is drawing from thepicture of a Roman soldier. The Roman soldier wore strong sandals—oftenreinforced and fitted with hobnails. Those nails gave him traction andstability in battle. A soldier could not stand, advance, or fight effectivelyif his feet were slipping or injured. And spiritually speaking, if our feet arenot protected, we will not stand very long. The Gospel gives us firmfooting and a key word in this verse is “preparation.” And that is exactly what weneed in spiritual warfare: stability, firmness, and confidence. So manybelievers fall—not because they do not love the Lord—but because their footingbecomes unstable. They are shaken by fear, doubt, temptation, ordiscouragement. And often because of unconfessed sin in their lives their feethave gotten dirty with the world. Remember Jesus washed the feet of thedisciples in John 13 signify the need of forgiveness. Paul also calls it the “gospelof peace” because the Gospel brings peace in every direction. First, it brings peacebetween God and man. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” One of Satan'sfavorite weapons is accusation. He wants believers to doubt their standing withGod. He wants to disturb their conscience and rob them of assurance. But theGospel settles the greatest issue of all: our relationship with God. ThroughJesus Christ, we have peace with God. That means we do not have to fear thedevil, and we do not have to fear men. We belong to Christ. Second, the Gospelbrings peace within our hearts. Even when life is difficult, the believer canstand with confidence because we are resting in Christ. Third, the Gospelbrings peace with one another. This is important because Satan loves division.If he can destroy peace among believers, he can weaken the church. These shoes also remind usthat our feet must be protected everywhere we go. There are places Christiansshould not go. There are doors we should not walk through unless God is sendingus there and we are walking in the protection of His armor. The temptations aretoo great otherwise. But wherever we do go, we must go as soldiers of the Kingand ambassadors for Christ. This verse also speaks ofreadiness. We are not only called to stand—we are called to go. Jesus gave ourmarching orders in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go ye therefore, and teach allnations… and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Myfriend, the world is full of people who have never heard the Gospel clearly.Lost men and women are held in the grip of Satan. Surely there is someone towhom we can go with the Gospel of peace. And that brings us back to that word “preparation.”Many believers shrink back from Christian service because they do not feelprepared. But preparation matters. Jesus spent years training His disciples.Paul often traveled with young men and trained them for ministry. And in thesame way, each of us must learn Scripture, grow in our faith, and learn how toshare the Gospel. A Christian does not become effective overnight—we growthrough obedience, service, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. These shoes as protectionagainst traps laid in the path—sharp sticks and hidden snares meant to stop anarmy. That is exactly what Satan does. He lays traps to hinder our walk, tostop our progress, and to wound our feet so we cannot stand. But when our feetare shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, we can walk steadily—evenwhen the path is difficult. When we join God in the publicationof the Gospel we have this wonderful promise in Isaiah 52:7: “How beautifulupon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publishespeace…” Paul quotes this again in Romans 10:15, reminding us that Goddelights in the believer who carries the Gospel.Satan declares war, but youand I are ambassadors of peace. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 tells us we have beengiven the ministry of reconciliation.
Remember Jesus death with Christian hope,
Episode Notes:Key Takeaways:Jesus had to die because sin demands a payment, not just pardonThe cross satisfies two things at the same time: God's justice and God's loveJesus didn't die as a victim—he died as a substituteScripture References:Romans 6:23 - "The wages of sin is death"Romans 3:25-26 - Jesus as propitiation to show God's righteousness2 Corinthians 5:21 - "He made him to be sin who knew no sin"Romans 5:8 - "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"John 10:17-18 - "I lay down my life of my own accord"Isaiah 53:5 - "He was pierced for our transgressions"Galatians 2:20 - "The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me"Key Theological Concepts:Sin as Cosmic Treason: Sin isn't just a mistake—it's rebellion against a holy GodPropitiation: A payment that satisfies God's wrath against sinSubstitutionary Atonement: Jesus took our place and received our punishmentThe Great Exchange: Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousnessJustice and Love: The Cross doesn't choose between them—it satisfies both simultaneouslyThis Week's Question to Consider: Have you personally accepted what Jesus did for you on the cross? Or are you still trying to pay your own debt?Challenge: This week, reflect on the cross. Don't rush past it. Don't sanitize it. Don't take it for granted. Jesus died your death so you could live His life.Next Week: Did Jesus really rise from the dead? What's the evidence?---Subscribe & Share: If this episode helped you understand the Bible better, share it with someone who needs to hear why Jesus had to die. New episodes every week.Quote to Remember: "Jesus died your death so you could live his life. He took your punishment so you could have his peace. He absorbed God's wrath so you could experience God's love."
Praise Series 24: There is Joy in Our TrialsJames 1:2-4 “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”This verse doesn't talk about praise, but it does say we should consider our hard times nothing but joy, because the testing of your faith produces endurance. In other words, we are not going through this hard time for nothing. We won't get to the other side and be the same person that we were before the hard time. This verse shows that it is okay to praise the Lord during hard times because something good will come of it. After we make it through this impossible time, we will have more endurance. Then endurance will lead us to becoming mature and complete, lacking nothing. All that sounds pretty good to me.The question is, how do we praise the Lord in these difficult times? I know a lot of you who are listening to this episode are struggling right now and have been for a long time. Your struggles are intense and real, and some days you feel like you can't take it for another moment. You are tired of feeling so sick you can't get out of bed. You are tired of feeling as though you are going to lose your house or your car because you don't have any money to pay your bills. Some of you are depressed and don't even want to get out of bed. Understanding that this is about building endurance isn't going to be what gets you out of bed.However, what if praise could be that thing that gets you out of bed? What if you just need one thing to start changing things for you? What if you just need to have a different outlook? What if this verse could help you switch from a “why me” mindset to a “thank you” mindset? You might be wondering what you have to be thankful for in this hard time that you are in. However, there is always something to be thankful for. Things could always be worse. I know it doesn't seem like it at times. I know it doesn't feel like things could be any worse, but they can always be worse.Another thing that can be helpful is to remember that you will be so much stronger when you get through this. When you make it to the other side of this hard time. I know if you have lost someone, then there isn't really another side to this. The grief you feel will always be with you. However, you will learn to cope with the grief. You will learn to live with it, and I promise you that joy will come back into your life someday. You will begin to feel joy again, little by little. It won't erase the pain and sadness, but they will both be there. Some days grief will be stronger, and some days joy will be stronger.Praise and worship can help bring light into the dark place that you are in. Especially if you feel you are under a spiritual attack. When we are suffereing and we praise God anyway, that confuses evil spirits. They don't understand why we would still praise the Lord even when things feel overwhelming, and it seems like nothing is going right for us. Remember, this is how Job ended up suffering. The devil told God that Job was only faithful because God had blessed him. So God allowed the devil to take away the things that Job loved the most so that the devil could see what it really meant to be faithful to the Lord. Even after he had lost everything, Job was still faithful to the Lord. Even after Job got sick and was in agonizing pain, Job was still faithful to the Lord.I am sure when the devil made this deal with God, he was sure he had it in the bag. I am sure he thought he knew what he was doing. I am sure he was 100% positive that Job would turn on the Lord. And yet he didn't. I want to be clear that God knew Job wouldn't. God wasn't just taking a gamble with Job's life. God knew what would happen. He knew how it would all work out. God knows everything. However, this is a lesson the devil still gets wrong a lot. He still tries to take our family away, take our health away, take our financial security away, in hopes that we will turn on the Lord. That is not what we are going to do.Instead, we are going to praise the Lord all the more when times are hard. We are going to sing to the Lord, yell to the Lord, talk to the Lord, whatever it is we can do to let God know we are still with Him and we want Him with us. When we feel we are under spiritual attack, we don't have to be eloquent with our praise. We can simply say the name of Jesus, and the enemy will flee. We can simply be grateful to God for the small things until we are ready to be grateful for the big things. And just in case you are wondering if I actually do the things I tell you to do. Yes, I do.The other day, I was having a really rough day with my boys. It was one of those days when I just wanted to throw in the towel. One of those days where I wonder and ask how much longer until this gets better, and will it ever get better. No one is immune to those kinds of days. When I was in the thick of it, I reminded myself that I needed to praise the Lord. Even though I didn't feel like it, I turned on praise music and looked for the words and sang along. There were some songs I had to skip because they were too sad or too upbeat. Whatever you are feeling in the moment, someone else has not only felt that way, but has also sung a song about it. You just need to find those songs.One great thing to do that I just thought of and will begin working on is to create different playlists of Christian songs. For instance, a worship list when you are so grateful for all God has done for you. Another playlist for when you are really struggling, and you need to hear songs about how this won't take you down, or how they struggled and yet came through it all. There are all types of songs out there. You just have to find the ones that resonate with you. You can find joy in the struggle if you are looking for it.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode today. Lord, we love you, and we want to praise you. We just struggle when everything feels so heavy. Please help us to remember that even when things feel heavy, there is always something we can praise you for. Even if the only thing is what today's verse taught us, that we can find joy because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. We won't be the same afterwards, we will be stronger! Lord, we ask that you give us the strength to get through these hard times. The strength to get out of bed on the days we really don't want to. The strength to keep showing up for those who need us. The strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other until things get better!! Thank you, Lord! We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember Jesus loves you just as you are and so do I! We are both rooting for you! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “You think you're not enough? Don't you know how much I love you? Can you not feel my presence in many, many moments of your life? Don't fear because there's only one or two. I could use a stone if I wanted to. But I chose you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
YOU - The Master Entrepreneur - A Guide to True Greatness with Stan Hustad
In a culture crowded with slogans, outrage, and instant opinions, a recent radio program in The Jesus Entrepreneur Experience does something surprisingly rare: it asks people to stop, imagine, and think. The program poses a single, provocative question—not to shock or inflame, but to awaken reflection: If Jesus were here today—now, in our time and place—and if He were a young man living in Israel, what kind of man would He be if required to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces? The result is a thoughtful, TED-Talk-length exploration that bridges history, faith, entrepreneurship, and the human condition—without preaching, ranting, or political positioning. Making Jesus Real—Not Distant At the heart of the program is a simple but profound concern: Jesus is real, but too often He feels unreal to modern people. For many, Jesus exists only in stained glass, ancient texts, or distant history—long ago, in a far-away land. The broadcast challenges that distance by re-anchoring Jesus in real life: born into political oppression, raised in an occupied land, a refugee as a child, a working tradesman and small-business owner, and a man without elite credentials, yet deeply competent and respected. Rather than asking the worn question "What would Jesus do?", the program reframes it in a more personal and practical way: What would Jesus do if He were you? The Thought Experiment: Jesus and the IDF In modern Israel, military service is not hypothetical. It is a reality of citizenship and survival. If Jesus were living there today as a young man, He would almost certainly be required to serve. The broadcast carefully avoids spectacle or sensationalism. There are no images of Jesus firing weapons or raging in battle. Instead, listeners are invited to imagine Him as calm, centered, and courageous—fully human, facing fear and duty. The question is not what position He would take, but what kind of man He would be. Character Over Certainty Rather than offering conclusions, the program offers mirrors. By refusing to answer the question for the audience, the program creates space for honest self-examination. The Entrepreneurial Connection Jesus spent nearly two decades as a working tradesman before beginning His public ministry. In modern terms, He lived most of His life as a small-business owner—serving clients, mastering skills, managing work, and earning trust. From this perspective, the term Jesus Entrepreneur is not irreverent—it is illuminating. Things to Remember - Jesus was fully real—historically, socially, economically. - Character is revealed under pressure. Things Worth Sharing - Thoughtful questions invite deeper conversations than fixed positions. - Understanding people is the foundation of influence. Things to Take Note Of and Act On - Examine what your assumptions say about you. - Practice leading with conscience, not just competence. Closing Challenge If Jesus were here today—walking our streets, facing our pressures—what kind of man would He be? And what kind of person are you becoming? For more information about The Jesus Entrepreneur Experience or working with Stan Hustad, reach out and continue the conversation.
Today we are continuing our study in Ephesians chapter 5. Right at thebeginning of this chapter, we are told to “be imitators of God as dearchildren.” As believers, we are called to put off the old man—to put offbitterness, anger, and wrath—and to stop living the way we lived before webecame followers of Jesus Christ. Then Paul gives us this clear admonition:“Walk in love.” Myfriend, as I have been thinking about this, I couldn't help but reflect on thetruth that when we walk in love, we are walking with God. Remember in 1John chapter 4, at least twice—in verse 8 and again in verse 15—the ApostleJohn tells us that God is love. One of the great attributes of God is that Heis love. Everything God does flows out of His love and His goodness, becauseGod is love and God is good. Aswe walk in love as imitators of God, as His dear children, we demonstrate tothe world around us that we truly belong to Him. People see that difference—notjust in what we say, but in the purity of our lives and in the love that ismanifested through us. Remember, Scripture tells us to love our enemies and toovercome evil with good. How do we do that? Naturally speaking, when we areoffended or hurt—when someone strikes us—the human response is to strike back,to get even, to retaliate. But my friend, it is just the opposite for someonewho has experienced the love of God. Remember Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, “Blessedare the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Romans5:8 tells us: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while wewere still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were still sinners—whilewe were alienated from Him, ignoring Him, blaspheming His name—Christ loved us.He died for us. While we were being mean to Him, rejecting Him, spitting in Hisface, and nailing Him to the cross, He loved us. My friend, that is anunfathomable love, an unlimited love, an unselfish love. That is theunconditional love of God, and that is the love God calls us to walk in. Howdo we do that? First, we must personally experience that love through JesusChrist. As we read at the end of Ephesians chapter 4, “forgiving one another,just as God in Christ forgave you.” Because we have been forgiven, we canforgive others. Years ago, I heard something that helped me greatly. My naturalresponse to offense or hurt has often been to get even—to strike back. I didthat as a teenager and as a young person, and even later in life I have hadthoughts I shouldn't have had when I was hurt. But my friend, our response isnot based on how we feel—it is based on what we have experienced in Christ. Thelove God speaks of here is agape love—God's love. It is not something wemanufacture. God is love, and He has an endless reservoir of love. When I amoffended or hurt, when I am tempted to respond in an unchristlike way, Ipicture reaching into God's reservoir of love. I don't give someone my love,because I don't have it. I give them God's love. I respond with kindness,forgiveness, and goodness. I have had people tell me that I'm being a hypocriteif I'm being nice and kind to someone when I don't feel like it. My response is,“No, I'm not being a hypocrite, I am being a Christian. AsScripture says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”(Romans 12:21). There is joy in doing that, because we are abiding in His love.Please read 1 John 4:14-19! 1Corinthians 13 tells us that love is not a feeling. It's an action that comesfrom walking with God in His love. Read 1 Corinthians 13 that gives us a description of God's agapelove. MayGod help us to practice this. As Paul points out here in Ephesians 5:2, we areto walk in love. How do you do that? One step at a time, everyminute of every day, when you are walking with God, you are walking in Hislove. And my friend, His love will be manifest through you to a world around usthat desperately needs to know that love.
SERMON IN A SENTENCE: Remember the promises of Jesus' return and reckoning.
Cody comes out strong with a challenge for us as we wrap up this Christmas season and head into 2026 with a Word from Romans 6 which is all about Remembering Jesus. You will definitely be blessed and encouraged by this challenging message. Thank you for listening to our podcast! We hope you have been encouraged today.Check us out on social media, or to learn more, you can visit our website at www.freedomcanyon.com.
As recipients of God's saving mercy, remembering is both a privilege and a responsibility for Christians. Today, Sinclair Ferguson explains how remembrance is related to keeping Christ central in our thoughts and in our lives. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/remember-jesus-christ/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts
Todaywe are looking at Ephesians 4:17–19. Here, the Apostle Paul explains thatbecause we have now trusted Christ—because He has saved us, changed us,transformed us, and seated us in the heavenly places, and because we havereceived the Holy Spirit—we are called to live differently. Hebegins explaining this in verse 17, where he gives a strong warning. He tellsbelievers not to live the way the lost world lives—the unconverted, those whohave never been regenerated. Their lives are described as empty in theirthinking, darkened in understanding, separated from the life of God, and drivenby ignorance and spiritual blindness. This way of life ultimately leads tomoral insensitivity, impurity, and greed. Paulbegins with a negative instruction: do not walk in that direction. Do notfollow the pattern of the lost world. He speaks with authority, testifying inthe Lord, reminding us that Jesus Himself has taught us how to walk inrighteousness—pursuing what is good, holy, just, and pure. This is the kind oflife Jesus described in Matthew chapter 5 through the Beatitudes, which revealthe attitudes that should mark a believer's life. Oneof the first things we notice in this passage is that Christians are different.How are we different? We no longer think the way unsaved people think. There isa strong emphasis on the mind in verses 17 and 18—the futility of themind, darkened understanding, and spiritual ignorance. But asbelievers, “we have learned Christ” (v. 20). Remember Jesus invited usto “come and learn of me” in Matthew 11:29: Learning Christ meanswalking with Him—following His Word, embracing His truth, and moving in thesame direction He walked. And that direction is one of continual obedience tothe will of God and sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paulreminds us in Philippians 2:5-8, that we are to have the same mind that was inChrist Jesus. What kind of mind was that? A mind of obedience, sacrifice,humility, and devotion to the Father's will. Jesus lived for the glory andpleasure of the Father. He said that He must be about His Father's business.This kind of mindset changes everything. As a result, we no longer walk as theGentiles walk, in the futility of their minds. That word futility speaks ofemptiness—a life without purpose. When Christ comes into our lives, we live alife of repentance, which means a changed mind. We change our mind about God.We change our mind about sin. We no longer seek the pleasure of sin; instead,we desire the pleasure of God. Ourvalues change. Our goals change. Our entire view of life changes. When Christcomes in, everything becomes new, just as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 5:17.“Old things pass away, and new life begins”. Pauldescribes the mindset of the unconverted person in Romans 1:21-23: “Because,although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, butbecame futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professingto be wise, they became fools, This is a life marked by empty thinking, darkened hearts,and self-deception. This is the futility of the mind. It is a life without truepurpose, without eternal focus. That is why we see so much violence, despair,and hopelessness in the world today. People fail to respect life because theydo not recognize God as the Creator and Giver of life. Butas believers, we are different. Our focus is no longer on temporary things orpersonal feelings alone, but on eternal realities and the life that only Godcan give through Jesus Christ. We think differently because; “… we do notlook at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. Forthe things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen areeternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18). ThankGod for that difference. May the Lord bless you today as you think on thesethings (Philippians 4:8).
In this powerful message, Ps Kenneth reminds us of a timeless truth — the devil fears nothing but the name of Jesus. Too often, as believers, we place our confidence in our abilities, resources, or even other people. But when life gets tough, we need to be reminded of the one unshakable foundation — Jesus Himself.Through this message, Ps Kenneth calls us to refocus our hearts and minds on Christ — to remember Jesus in every situation. Because when we lift up His name, power is released, darkness trembles, and victory is assured.
John 12:1-8,Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And the Lord, in verse 7, defends the way Mary of Bethany expresses her devotion to him.What Mary does in verse 3 is good and right, and I think we can learn from her. So that's the goal of this sermon. All last week, my prayer for today has been that through Mary's example in John 12, the Spirit would reawaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus. I want us to learn from Mary how to be more like Mary for the glory of Jesus. To that end, this morning I want to show you seven truths of Mary-like devotion.1. Mary-like devotion is surprising. Verse 1 opens with the setting: we are six days away from Passover, and Jesus has come back to Bethany. Now remember that Bethany is where he raised Lazarus from the dead in Chapter 11, verse 43, but then when the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus, John tells us in verse 54 that Jesus “no longer walked openly” among them, because they were looking for him. The Pharisees wanted to arrest him. So Jesus left that area and went to Ephraim, which gave him more distance from Jerusalem. (Bethany was 2 miles outside Jerusalem, Ephraim was about 15 miles). So by the end of Chapter 11, Jesus is laying low.But Chapter 12 opens here and he's back in Bethany, where news travels quickly to Jerusalem, which means this is dangerous — why would he do it? Why would he come back to Bethany now? It's because Passover is six days away. Remember Jesus has a purpose to accomplish in Jerusalem, and now he's getting closer. But since Jesus is in Bethany they throw a special dinner for him. And because it's Bethany, we would expect our favorite Bethany family to be there. We saw these three siblings in Chapter 11 — Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Now, John knows we'd expect their attendance, so he takes roll in verse 2. Look what he says:“So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served [check her name off — she's there], and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him as table [check his name off — he's just happy to be in the room].And right away that's Martha and Lazarus. Which sibling is missing?Mary. Now look at verse 3 (verse 2 was just a build up to this):“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.”The first thing I want you to see is that this was not expected. This is a dinner! People are sharing a meal. Martha is staying busy like she does. Lazarus is at the table (you know he's getting seconds). And then Mary, finally, enters into this dining room with a bottle of ointment (or perfume) and she does this extravagant display of worship.Most of us had big dinners a few days ago. Imagine for a minute if something like this happened! It was not on the menu. It's never happened before. This was a surprise! That's the first thing to know about Mary-like devotion. This is not what most people would expect — because it responds in the moment to the glory of Jesus regardless of the context.2. Mary-like devotion is costly.We can see in verse 3 that this perfume was expensive. John tells us that plainly. But he also gives us two details that explain why. It has to do with quantity and quality.First, with quality, this perfume was made from “pure nard.” That's a plant that's grown in India. The root of this plant produced an oil that was collected to make this perfume.So it's a product derived from nature, created by a process, imported from far away — that sounds expensive. (This is why many scholars believe this Bethany family was well off — this perfume would have only been owned by the luxury class of the Mediterranean world.)Second, notice the quantity. John tells us it was a pound — and that's a Roman pound. The Greek word is litra — and it's equivalent to about 12 ounces. So imagine the American pop can. (I don't know the last time you turned a can of pop upside down to pour it out, but it takes a little longer to empty it than you might think.)Twelve ounces is not a little bit. And Mary doesn't have pop, it's perfume — 12 ounces of perfume — that's a lot of a really nice thing. And to give us more of an idea of how precious it is, John tells us the number value in verse 5. Judas says it's worth 300 denarii — which is about a year's wages.So to draw a parallel to our day, this is what we'd call an annual salary, and the average annual salary in the Twin Cities, Google says, is between $80,000–$90,000. So translate this in your imagination... Picture this: Someone at dinner this past week walks into the dining room and pours out $90,000 on somebody else's feet … Again, this is stunning. And the costliness amplifies the surprise! Those two things go together in Mary-like devotion. It's surprising because it's costly.3. Mary-like devotion is humble.Now, for our imagination's sake, it helps to know how people ate together at this culture and time. They didn't use raised tables and chairs like we do, but they used low tables, and sat on cushions on the floor. They “reclined” on the table, like verse 2 says, and their feet were stretched out behind them, away from the table. So Mary approached Jesus, verse 3, while he was sitting like that, and she anointed his feet.This is a key detail. Because with the extravagance of her gift, we might imagine Mary's actions to be surrounded by pomp. Like maybe Mary enters the room and first clears her throat, and makes sure somebody's getting the video, and then she does it. But it's just the opposite.Mary comes into the room, and stays at the feet's distance away from the table. She's not the center of attention. Nobody was probably even looking in her direction, and then she pours the perfume on Jesus's feet and wipes his feet with her hair. This is borderline undignified. She definitely looked a little silly. To everyone's surprise, with likely the costliest thing she's got, she humbles herself at the feet of Jesus in worship — but then the most vivid display of her humility is the use of her hair.In the ancient world, a woman's hair was her glory. It was her honor. This was Mary's strength, but here she turns her strength into a servant's towel … Her radiance into a rag. Her splendor into a sponge. Her crown becomes a cloth. … to wipe feet.Which means, Mary gives the best part of herself for the least part of Jesus. The highest aspect of her presentation (hair) is submitted to the lowest aspect of his (feet).This is profound humility.Mary is not even audacious enough to pray here: “Jesus, take my utmost for your highest.” She just says, “Jesus, take my utmost!” — And I don't care what anybody else thinks. I'm not concerned about appearance. It doesn't matter what people might say. This is all about Jesus. Mary shows us a marvelous self-forgetfulness. Mary-like devotion is humble.4. Mary-like devotion is fitting.This is #4 of 7, and it really is the central truth in Mary's example.So far we've seen that Mary-like devotion is surprising, costly, and humble, but here's where we need to be clear that the only reason any of this makes sense is because of Jesus. And Jesus doesn't just make Mary's actions make sense, he makes them right. Because of who he is, what Mary does is fitting. John calls her act an “anointing,” which is something done to set someone apart for a certain office. The examples we have in the Old Testament are individuals anointed as a priest or king, and we should think especially of kings in the Gospel of John. If you remember, way back in Chapter 1, when Nathaniel first met Jesus he confessed right away that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel (1:49). Then in Chapter 6, verse 15, after Jesus fed the five thousand, the crowd wanted to take him by force and make him king.So we've seen a kingship theme already.But then right here in Chapter 12, the very next day after Mary anoints Jesus, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey, and the crowd paves the way for him with palm branches, and they say — in verse 13 — “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”So we have every reason to see that Mary's anointing of Jesus is anointing him as King.Because that is who he is. It'll be explicit and public tomorrow in this story, in Jesus's ‘triumphal entry,' but tonight, at this dinner, with Mary, it's implicit and private. In the moment, even Mary doesn't know the full extent of what she's doing, but we as readers can see it. In Chapter 11, we saw her fall at Jesus's feet in grief, here she bows at Jesus's feet in worship.Last chapter she came to Jesus needing his help; now she comes to him just giving him glory.This doesn't mean we ever stop coming to Jesus for help — we do! We always need his help! But sometimes we can also just come to him in simple worship.This is when we come to him, not to ask him for things, but to give him whatever we can because he is worthy — just because he's our king and he's a good king! It is fitting to worship him!Think about this: When was the last time your heart moved toward Jesus, not for what he gives, but for who he is? When was the last time you were simply compelled by the worth of Jesus?The Little Drummer BoyMary's devotion here in Chapter 12 actually reminds me of what used to be one of my least favorite Christmas songs. “Santa Baby” is dead bottom, but not far from there used to be “The Little Drummer Boy.” And the reason I didn't like the song is because for years it didn't make sense to me, and it was kinda irritating. The pa-RUM-pa-pum-pums are distracting. But if we can get rid of that part and focus on the real words in the song, it's actually beautiful. It's a song about a boy who is invited to meet the newborn Jesus (and it's fictional; didn't really happen; we're supposed to use our imaginations). The boy starts the song by saying:Come, they told meA newborn king to see, Our finest gifts to bring,To lay before the king,So to honor himWhen we come You get it? The boy is invited to come meet Jesus, so he does. And in the second stanza he's at the manger, and he speaks to the infant Jesus:Little baby,I am a poor boy tooI have no gifts to bringThat's fit to give a KingShall I play for you on my drum?See, I imagine that's what Mary of Bethany thought. While Martha was busy serving and Lazarus was sitting at the table, Mary thought: The king is here. He's in the room. What do I have that's fit to give a King?And the technical answer is nothing. Nothing we have is enough to match the glory of this King, but Mary thinks I've got that bottle of perfume — just like the boy thought, I've got this drum. And the boy says, “Shall I play the drum?” Mary thinks, “Shall I pour the perfume?” So the boy plays his best, and Mary pours it all. I don't have enough to give you, but I'll give you my best because you're worthy.That's what the song is about. That's what Mary does here. And it's fitting because of the King!And John tells us that the fragrance of her worship fills the entire house. Which means: her personal reverence and self-forgetfulness in recognizing the glory of Jesus becomes uncontainable. Everybody around her can literally sense her devotion for Jesus.5. Mary-like devotion is criticized. This is verses 4–5: But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”Apparently, Judas caught the aroma, but instead of recognizing Mary's act as a surprising, costly, humble, and fitting act of devotion, he criticized her. He immediately liquidated the value of the ointment in his head, and he corrected her decision. That could have been used for something better! That could have been a lot of money to help poor people! Mary is being unwise!Now, before we look closer into the criticism, I just want to note that it happened, and right away, because that's just how things go — even things as wholesome as Mary's devotion.The Bible gives us no impression that devotion to Jesus will be easy — it actually ensures the opposite. There's a Forest Frank lyric my younger boys love. It goes: Jesus promised that the bad would come along, ‘Cause if life is always easyProbably doin' something wrong.That's true. I want everybody to know: when your devotion to Jesus meets difficulty, that's a good sign. The question for us is about our willingness to endure difficulty. Are we willing to be criticized? Are we willing to express devotion to Jesus that others would call wasteful but Jesus calls beautiful?6. Mary-like devotion is vindicated.Let's look closer at what Judas said in verse 5.At face-value, we might think Judas is onto something, because what he says is not untrue. That perfume was worth a lot of money — three hundred denarii/$80–90K — that's a lot of money you can do a lot with. Judas names one possibility. The problem, though, is that he's thinking about it all the wrong way. See, he's thinking about gifts from the giver's perspective, not from God's perspective. He's thinking about everything from earth looking around, not from heaven looking down.In his mindset — the ‘Judas mindset' — all value is monetary, and all that is monetary is a zero-sum category: which means I'm always thinking, “whatever I give here is what I cannot give there.” And see, Judas is so caught up in this mindset — he cares so much about the optimal management of the gift — that he's blind to the One the gift is for. That is what is most striking about verse 5 — it's the absence of anything to do with Jesus. Judas says nothing about him. So Judas not only rebukes Mary here, but he also registers how little he thinks of Who she worships.And if that wasn't clear, John adds in verse 6. He wants us to know that Judas said what he said:“…not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”Judas was part of a program called ‘Feeding Our Future' …Greed is an ancient sin — it's the root of all evil, and it ruined Judas. (And it's behind the ruin of our state. God help us.)In verse 7, Mary doesn't say anything back to Judas, but Jesus speaks up on her behalf, and he says, first, “Leave her alone.”Which is amazing. Jesus doesn't argue with Judas. He doesn't explain why his mindset is wrong, he first just tells him to stop. Jesus defends Mary, and he makes the issue about himself, because it is!With this perfume Mary has prepared Jesus for the day of his burial, because, verse 8:“…the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And it's clear now, with the mention of his burial and that he won't always be here, Jesus is talking about his death. Which raises the question for us: Was Mary anointing Jesus as king or preparing him for his death? And the answer is Yes.Again, Mary is doing more here than she realized. She is anointing Jesus as King — it's just that he's a king who will sacrifice his life for his people.He's a King who has come to die. His reign will conquer the grave for good — remember Lazarus — but first Jesus's reign will come through the grave. Our triumphant King will also be a slain Lamb. And John wants us so badly to get this! He gives us hints here in Mary's devotion, but then later in the Book of Revelation he tells us about a vision when saints and angels together pour out their praise to Jesus, and they say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)Listen: I want you to know that the final vindication of our every sincere act of devotion to Jesus will come on that day when we see him. If it's Mary-like devotion, it is never wasted. Jesus is worth it. And this brings us to the last point.7. Mary-like devotion is instructive. We're gonna finish how we started: I think we can learn from our sister Mary. It is a gift to us to be able to see her gift to Jesus, and I want us to be more like her. That's been my prayer: that the Spirit would reawaken or awaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus.Devotion that is surprising because it responds to Jesus in the moment, even if it doesn't fit the setting. Costly because it brings Jesus our best, humble because it doesn't worry about what others might think, fitting because Jesus is the King and nothing given to him is too much, criticized because it's not supposed to be easy, and vindicated because the King who Mary worshiped is the Lamb who was slain and one day we will see his worth with our own eyes.Mary's devotion is instructive because it shows us what it looks like when a heart is overcome by the worth of Jesus.And what's incredible for us, is that we know more about Jesus's worth than Mary does here. We already know the end of the story! That Jesus who has come will die, will be resurrected, and will come again.So in closing, I want to invite you to ask yourself this: For Advent, in this season of waiting, what is Jesus calling you to do that would simply reflect his worth?That's what brings us to the Table.The TableWe come here to this Table to rest in the worth of Jesus Christ. Let his glory be your comfort by taking refuge in him. That's what it means to trust in Jesus, and that is who this table is for. If you're here and you have put your faith in Jesus, we invite you to eat and drink with us and give him thanks.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!”- Psalm 118:24-25 ESV
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”- Psalm 118:22-23 ESV
“I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.”- Psalm 118:21 ESV
Remember Jesus' words—a powerful reminder today that the world is fleeting, and what is of God is eternal: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).
**Thank you for supporting this ministry, I lovingly refer to as "The Little Green Pasture." Click here: PayPal: http://paypal.me/JoanStahl **Please prayerfully consider becoming a ministry partner: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/joaniestahl **Contact Email: jsfieldnotes@gmail.com **Subscribe to me on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-534183We set out for a trip to the local mountains, but what we encountered was far from a peaceful retreat. Knowing the history of the property, I spent the days leading up to our stay in dedicated prayer, spiritually cleansing the grounds before we even arrived.What followed was a raw and terrifying re-awakening to the undeniable reality of the spirit world. We experienced firsthand the presence of volatile spirits, encountering genuine mischief and hatred that they manifested directly toward us. This wasn't a movie—it was a real spiritual attack in a truly haunted place.But this message is not about fear. It's about victory. This trip solidified the truth: we have absolute power over and against the powers of Satan's kingdom through Christ. This is proof that the long, faithful prayers you've fought for decades are guaranteed to result in guaranteed victory. Remember Jesus never loses any battles.Join us as we share this intense testimony and remind you of the essential reality of spiritual warfare and the ultimate authority we walk in."Do not let anyone deceive you. Spiritual darkness can never be expelled except by union with Christ." - William Gurnallspiritual warfare, power of prayer, spiritual victory, haunted cabin, volatile spirits, spiritual cleansing, guaranteed victory, reality of the spirit world, overcoming evil, demonic mischief, spiritual attack, christian testimony, faith message
Do not drift from the gospel; remember!
At times, we may feel that we're all alone and God is not at work for us. Remember Jesus's promise to all his followers to never abandon us.Subscribe to daily devotions e-mails: https://wcm.link/ddsub
A "blood pressure" check of our soul goes like this, "Is my heart troubled?" Remember Jesus said, don't let your heart be troubled; to be troubled is NOT His Word, will, or way for you. Please understand; stress is not from God. Peace is from Jesus!
Come As You Are Series - The Broken Ones Are Beautiful Too!Romans 7:19-20 Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.”God knows we are broken. He knows we struggle. He doesn't get disappointed. Instead, He celebrates every time we don't give in to temptation. Every time we mess up, we can bring that to God with the assurance that He welcomes us with open arms and celebrates because we came home instead of being upset we messed up.We live in an age where social media lets us see what everyone is doing. Social media has many benefits. I get to see photos of friends I haven't talked to in years. We can notify everyone with one post about the biggest things in our lives. We get to post all the amazing things happening in our lives. It also has downsides, and one of them is that people tend to post all the amazing things and leave out all the bad stuff. Which in itself isn't bad. I mean, who wants to read about negative things? However, when we see all the good and none of the bad, our brain tells us stories about how everyone else has it all together. Everyone else can do all the things, so why can't we? Why are we struggling when no one else is? Our mind starts to play the comparison game. Comparison is the thief of joy. We can go on Facebook for 20 minutes, then feel terrible, and we can't figure out why. It's because we compare ourselves to others and decide everyone else has so much more than we do, they are so much further along than we are, they are happier than we are, and so on. We may not even realize we are doing it. Do you ever notice your mood change after spending time on social media? That could be why.We can do the same thing when we look at the various saints or we look at the people of the Bible. We can look at how God used them and get discouraged. We can tell ourselves He will never use us like He used them. We put them on a pedestal and assume that they were so holy, which is why God used them. We look at all they did for God and are sure they were much holier than we are. We tell ourselves they had it all together; they must have said their prayers perfectly, always worshiped God, and were always perfect. We do this with people we see in church, too. We see the Deacon, the Priest, the minister, and his wife; we think they must be so holy. They must not have the struggles that we have. Let me tell you a little secret: they struggle just like we do. No one is exempt from struggling. No one has this life figured out.I found an article titled' The Bible Heroes Who ‘Failed Forward' by Greg Laurie. I just want to read you the beginning part, as it shows us that these people came just as they were. They didn't change before God used them. God knew who they were, and he chose them anyway.Pastor Levi Lusko tells the story of collecting shells on the beach with his daughter Clover. Levi was looking for the nice shells that were in good condition. Meanwhile, Clover was picking up all the broken shells.When her little hands couldn't hold any more shells, she turned to her father and said, “Daddy, the broken ones are beautiful too.”I think God sees things the same way.The New Testament book of Hebrews includes a collection of great heroes of the faith, men and women whom God used and blessed. I find that interesting because these people messed up. They weren't perfect examples.But the funny thing is that chapter 11 of Hebrews mentions only their victories and not their mistakes. That is because God sees what we will become, not necessarily what we are.In fact, a lot of people we read about in the Bible messed up. Abraham, the father of faith and of the Jewish people, lied about his wife twice. His son Isaac did the same thing. Sarah, Abraham's wife, laughed at the promise of God and then denied that she laughed.Jacob lied and connived. Noah got drunk. Samson was immoral. Gideon was fearful. Rahab was a prostitute. David had an affair and then had someone murdered to cover it up. Elijah was deeply depressed and didn't want to live. And Jonah ran from God. The disciples fell asleep when they should have been praying, and Simon Peter openly denied the Lord. Then there was Moses, who killed a guy.”This article shows us that these amazing people in the Bible weren't perfect. Could God have selected perfect people to do these things? Yes, absolutely. He is God. He can do whatever He wants. Yet He didn't. He chose people who had made mistakes. He chose people who had done things that we might think are unforgivable. He chose people who probably didn't feel up to the task. He chose people who failed more than once. Do you know what these people all had in common? They said yes. Not all of them said yes the first time they were asked, but God wouldn't have used them if they didn't cooperate with Him. I love that Greg said in his article that God sees what we will become, not necessarily what we are.The same is true for you. If you want God to use you, all you need to do is say yes. There is a song I love titled Nobody by Casting Crowns. The lyrics confirm that God uses the unlikeliest of people to do the most amazing things. God isn't looking for perfect people. Just like we talked about in previous devotionals in this series. Jesus didn't come for the righteous; they do not need a savior. God is looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary things. The song starts out:Why You ever chose meHas always been a mysteryAll my life I've been told I belongAt the end of the lineWith all the other not-quitesWith all the never-get-it-rightsBut it turns out they're the ones You were looking for All this time Is this you? Have you always been on the outside looking in? Have you always been told you wouldn't amount to anything? Have you always struggled to feel worthy or part of the crowd? Have you always felt different or less than? Have you been told you are either not enough or too much? Have you been told no one would ever love you? Well guess what? You are the one God has been looking for all this time.The song goes on to say:'Cause I'm just a nobodyTrying to tell everybodyAll about SomebodyWho saved my soulEver since You rescued meYou gave my heart a song to singI'm living for the world to seeNobody but Jesus This is great because it says, I'm living for the world to see nobody but Jesus. Would you relate as much to those in the Bible if they were all perfect? If they were perfect from birth and never made the wrong choice? I know that is how we see them in our eyes. Yet, when we learn they weren't perfect, don't we feel better? Isn't it somehow comforting to know they aren't perfect? If God only used perfect people, then we might say, Of course, they could do that; they were perfect. However, when we hear about some ordinary person doing something extraordinary, we know it had to have been God. No one is looking at the ordinary little shepherd boy, David, and saying that He killed Goliath because he is just that good and he is that strong. It is clear that God was with Him, and He could only kill the giant because He was with him. The song points out people that God chose and why they probably wouldn't have been our first choice. Moses had stage frightWhen David brought a rock to a sword fightYou picked twelve outsiders nobody would have chosenAnd You changed the worldWell the moral of the story isEverybody's got a purposeSo when I hear that devil start talking to me saying"Who do you think you are?” I sayI'm just a nobodyTrying to tell everybodyAll about SomebodyWho saved my soul I want you to remember this when the devil starts talking in your ear, too, because he will. I am not even talking about if you have some big mission for God. Even if you try to come to God in prayer, the devil will get in your ear and ask, “Who do you think you are?” “Why would God want to hear from you? Remember that thing you did last week? Do you think he will ever forgive you for that?” “God has more important people to talk to.” “God has better things to do than to listen to you complain about the same pain you have been complaining about all month.” The enemy can be relentless. When this happens, not if, but when, you need to be armed with truth. That is what this series is all about. During this devotional series, we have been finding the truth in the scriptures, in songs, and in the lives of those who came before us. My prayer is that by the end of this series, we will be so confident in our ability to go to the Lord just as we are when the enemy asks us, “Who do you think you are?” We will be able to say I am a child of God. I am a son or daughter of the one true king. I am worthy because Christ died on that cross for me. I can come to God just as I am because of God's mercy and grace. God doesn't want me to wait till I am perfect to come to Him. He wants me to go right now, right where I am. I know you might not be there yet, but we are done with this series yet!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening. Lord, I ask you to show us how wonderful we are in your eyes. Please help us to really believe that you want us to come to you just as we are. We love you, Lord, and we want to believe it! We want to believe you love us even though we are deeply flawed. We want to believe you love us even though we sin. Please help us Lord! We ask all of this in accordance with Your Will and In Jesus's Holy Name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. We are coming to the end of this Come As You Are series. If you have an idea of a topic you would like me to cover next, please reach out and let me know. Also, please check out my book; it is on Amazon right now. Walk Boldly With Jesus Devotional: Who I Am: Discovering God's Truth About Me. If you do get the book, I would be really appreciative if you could leave a review on Amazon. It doesn't have to be long, and it doesn't have to be glowing. Just leave an honest review, even if it's just one sentence; it will be helpful. I need to have a certain number of reviews before I can run ads, and that would help more people find the book. I look forward to meeting you here again on Monday. Remember Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend.Today's Word from the Lord was received in June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I saw their ways, but I will heal them and lead them. I will give comfort to those who mourn for them. I, the creator, who gave them life, peace to the far and to the near, says the Lord, and I will heal you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
Could You Perform Miracles?John 14:12-13 “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is one that I read, and when I heard it, I believed it right away. Some verses are like this in the Bible. When you read the Bible, some things are easy to take in and others are difficult. These easy and difficult things are different for everyone. We all have different experiences when we read the Bible because we have all had different experiences throughout our lives. There is a quote by Steven R. Covey that I really like. Steven R. Covey said, “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are.” This is true for the Bible as well. We look at and interpret the things we read in the Bible through our own unique lens. For instance, if we had people letting us down our whole lives, we may read the parts of the Bible that talk about trust and struggle to believe we can trust God because we haven't been able to trust anyone on earth. If we have grown up in a very unloving environment, we may struggle with the parts of the Bible that talk about unconditional love. Other things may come easier to us. I instantly loved this verse. I know the Bible is God's Word and that God chose His words very carefully. Sometimes, when we are reading the Bible, there may be a question in our minds about why they used this word vs. that word. One thing I have learned from doing Bible studies is that there is always a reason why certain words were chosen. Also, if you have done Bible studies, you have had the benefit of hearing all about the original Greek or Hebrew words that were used in the original translation and what those words meant. Sometimes, when translated, we don't have an exact word to mean what they were saying. I find Bible studies fascinating because you gain so much more insight into what the verses are really saying. Anyway, back to the verse. I heard this verse, or read this verse, and I believed Jesus' word to us. I have never really been one to struggle with trust. I grew up in a loving family, I had great friends growing up, and I am blessed to be able to say I was not let down by those I know and care about, often growing up. Therefore, I trust pretty easily. But what if you don't trust easily? What if you look at that verse and say there is no way we could perform the works Jesus did, Jesus was God, of course, He performed miracles. Also, the apostles were right there with Him for 3 years during His ministry; of course, they could do miracles too. We can all usually agree that Jesus did miracles when He walked the earth, and we can also usually agree that the apostles were sent out and they performed miracles, too. Where we run into trouble is trying to believe we could do signs and wonders in the world today. Who are we? We are not holy enough, we are not worthy of that power and authority. I agree with both of those statements, and yet Jesus still says we will do the works that He did and even greater works than He did. How is this possible?It is possible through the Holy Spirit. Did you ever realize or notice that there is not a single miracle recorded in the Gospels before Jesus was baptized? Jesus was fully human and fully God the entire time He walked the earth. There was nothing stopping Jesus from performing miracles during the first 30 years of His life. However, He chose to wait until after He was baptized and received the Holy Spirit to start performing miracles. This is something I recently found out and found fascinating. It was not a surprise to me that Jesus did miracles in the Bible; He is God after all. What I didn't know is that Jesus didn't use his divinity to perform miracles. He used the Holy Spirit, working through Him, to perform the miracles. He chose to put his divinity aside and act from his human nature, with the help of the Holy Spirit, because it would be greater glory for God. St. Lawrence of Brindisi explains it like this:"Christ came into the world to do battle against Satan, to do away with idolatry, and to turn the world to faith and piety and the worship of the true God. He could have accomplished this by using the weapons of his might and coming as he will come to judge, in glory and majesty… But in order that his victory might be the more glorious, he willed to fight Satan in our weak flesh. It is as if an unarmed man, right hand bound, were to fight with his left hand alone against a powerful enemy; if he emerged victorious, his victory would be regarded as all the more glorious. So Christ conquered Satan with the right hand of his divinity bound, and using against him only the left hand of his weak humanity.”Is this new to you, too? Did you know that God performed these miracles and defeated satan without using his divinity? He relied on the power of the Holy Spirit working through Him. Do you know why this changes everything? It changes everything because Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us as well. If you are baptized, then you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. If you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, then you have the power to defeat Satan and to perform works like Jesus did. Another one of my favorite verses is Romans 8:11: “ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you…” I wish we all knew how much power we actually have inside our frail human bodies.This verse can be scary to many people. Wait, if I can perform works like Jesus did, does that mean I have to travel all over the world and be a missionary like the disciples were? No, you don't have to travel anywhere if you don't feel called to do that. What they talked about in my class is ministering to your sphere of influence. You can start small. Be an example to your family, your friends, and your coworkers. Let's read the verse again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”If you were able to believe and adopt this verse as your own personal truth, how much greater would your life be? How great would it be to do works like Jesus did? How great would it be to be able to heal a loved one? Did you know there are people doing this every day? Did you know there are lots of people who have read this verse, decided to believe it, and are now living out a supernatural lifestyle with the power of the Holy Spirit? The last line of the verse says, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” How awesome a promise is that? God has so much more for us, and we aren't asking for it. We aren't going to God to ask Him what He has for us. Why are we choosing to live a normal life when God is offering us a supernatural one of signs and wonders? You might be thinking, That is great for you, Catherine. I am glad you believe this verse and you want that life, but I am happy with mine as is. If this is what you are thinking I challenge you over this next week or so to bring this to prayer. I challenge you to be brave enough to just talk to God about it. Tell Him how you are feeling about this verse and ask Him if He has anything to say to you about it. When we do signs and wonders, we build up people's faith. Don't you think this world needs some faith-building right now? Look at the day of Pentecost, 3,000 were baptized on that day. I know this verse can be scary. I know the thought of us healing or performing miracles is strange to most of us. I know it is way outside of our comfort zone. I also know God is calling us all to it. I also know that this world really needs people who are willing to step outside their comfort zone. God needs people who will step out in faith, knowing they have the Holy Spirit living inside of them and that He will guide them. If this verse is something that you struggle with, write it down and look at it often over the next month. Bring it to God and ask Him to show you how this applies to your life. Ask God what He wants you to do with this verse? Be brave, be bold. If you ask the Holy Spirit for help, He will help you. Just start small. Step out in faith and ask a loved one if they want you to pray for them. If you spend time with God, He will guide this journey for you. He will lead you to where you need to go. We just have to be brave enough to say three small words, “Use me, Lord.” Can you be brave enough to say those words? Can we be Christ's hands and feet here on earth? Remember, we have a good good Father. He is going to ease you into this lifestyle. He is going to meet you where you are at and build your faith along the way. Trust Him and give Him permission to work in your life, give Him permission to use you, and He will. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask you to send your angels to prepare the way for everyone listening to hear this message today. We pray you give us the courage to believe this verse and to step out in faith, knowing you have given us the power of the Holy Spirit to help us do your work here on earth. Lord, the world needs you more than ever, and if we can bring you to others, please show us how. Show us what you want each of us to do. Reveal to us what this verse means for each one of us in our individual lives. We love you, Lord. You are incredible. We are so grateful you gave us the Holy Spirit. Lord, you are the almighty one, you are the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. You are the light of the world. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow. Remember Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I. Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, hear my whispers of love that I speak to you each day. Take the time to be quiet. Hear them. Hear my whispers of love. I speak with whispers of love throughout the day. You only need to listen. The more you listen, the happier you will be.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
In all of the Bible, in all of life and our faith, there is nothing more important than who Jesus is and what He’s done for us. We can get so easily distracted and pulled away, confused. We need to take the time to remember Jesus and that our story is just a small part of God’s greater story of redemption. Get your Bibles ready to 2 Timothy 2 for today's Moody Presents with Mark Jobe.Become part of our Advance Team: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/moodypresents/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nick Murray - 2 Timothy 2:8
The New Testament gets really serious about remembering as well. It's in Jesus' language and it's picked up by the rest of the NT authors. And … a consistent theme that keeps coming up, over and over again, is the big idea that we have to REMEMBER JESUS. Now, that may be the most simplistic statement you've ever heard in a sermon of any church ever at any time, right? Well, duh, of course we have to remember Jesus. Maybe you would argue that a church couldn't possibly forget Jesus, right? He's too important. He's a really, really big deal. What a simplistic, small, little idea to lay out that we would have to remember Jesus. But … sometimes people forget and forgetting leads to sin. Bad things happen when people forget.
Slow down with this guided communion moment and reflect on what you're thankful for. Remember Jesus, practice gratitude, and find hope in his love, forgiveness, healing, and justice. SUBSCRIBE TODAY for Weekly Service messages, Daily Guided Prayers, & more! Download the FREE Churchome app in the Apple App store or Google Play store! https://www.churchome.org/app
Jesus is not just alive from the dead, but he is alive as the King who will reign forever — of his kingdom there will be no end.
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