Podcasts about Saddleback Church

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 46:40

We've done many episodes of Doable Discipleship about identity, largely because it's such an important topic in a world that constantly tries to fight for the right to control your identity, but also because there's just so much to talk about, particularly from the Christian perspective. And today I want to add two more facets to that conversation: self-esteem and bias. The premise: who you think you are creates a bias, even an unconscious one, in how you receive input about your life and how you view other people. It affects how you handle success, failure, advice, friendships, and so much more. Christians have the opportunity to anchor their identity, and therefore their bias and self-esteem in two key biblical truths. To talk to us about bias, self-esteem, and these biblical truths is Dr. Erin Devers, professor of psychology and Indiana Wesleyan University and author of the new book, The Unbiased Self. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Unbiased-Self-Psychology-Overcoming-Cognitive/dp/1514009765Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:Delighting in Jesus with Asheritah Ciuciu - https://youtu.be/nHFPW4QLc9sEmbracing Brokenness with Michael John Cusick - https://youtu.be/Wzky80I2lPwMysteries of Faith: Salvation - https://youtu.be/0webo0ULhKkMysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxIMysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

D.C. Is Corrupt, But Seattle's Worse Ep-2183

The Todd Herman Show

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 35:18

Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bioptimizers https://Bioptimizers.com/toddEnter promo code TODD to get 10% off your order of MassZymes today.Bizable https://GoBizable.comUntie your business exposure from your personal exposure with BiZABLE. Schedule your FREE consultation at GoBizAble.com today. Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/toddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here! Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.Bulwark Capital Bulwark Capital Management (bulwarkcapitalmgmt.com)Do you know how tariffs can affect your retirement? Join Zach Abraham's FREE Webinar “Tariff Edition” Thursday May 22 at 3:30 Pacific. Sign up at KnowYourRiskRadio.com today.Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddListen and Watch on:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyTodd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeSeattle still trying to surrender to Antifa // Treasury Secretary Admits Massive Fraud Potential, Commits to Change // Thank GOD this Presbyterian Sect Has Stopped Making DisciplesEpisode Links:WATCH: Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the dumbest member of Congress, debuts new game called, 'Trump or Trans.' "It would be so beautiful to see your bodies hanging from the tree" - Trantifa/Antifa members threatened an elderly couple leaving a @Riley_Gaines_ event at the @UW campus. Police had to escort them as the militants followed. Video by @KatieDaviscourt:King County public defender among 30 arrested after Antifa occupation of University of Washington building; "We are working with law enforcement and through our own disciplinary processes to ensure those responsible face appropriate consequences for their actions," said UW President Ana Marie CauceREP DEAN: "When can I expect the FBI at my door?" KASH PATEL: "You know who was targeted by a weaponized FBI? Me. You should read the book." DEAN: "Should we worry more about your memory or your veracity?" PATEL: "Your lack of candor. Your accusing me of perjury. Tell the people how I broke the law… Have the audacity to actually put the facts forward instead of lying for political banter. So you can have a 20-second donation hit."SEN. KENNEDY: "Did Jeffrey Epstein hang himself or did somebody kill him?" KASH: "I believe he hung himself in a cell in the Metropolitan Detention Center." KENNEDY: "Are you going to release all the information about that...before I die?"The left got its wish. Ed Martin won't be U.S. attorney for D.C. Instead, he'll get a senior DOJ job heading the investigation into Biden-era weaponization of the DOJ against conservatives. Be careful what you wish for, libs. You just might get it!Treasury Secretary testified today that 1/3 of the 1.5 billion Treasury payments were Untraceable in 2024. He explains that 500 million transactions, where the US Treasury issued payments were missing a Treasury Account Symbol (TAS). THAT ENDS… now every single payment requires a TAS number.PC-USA has decided to stop making disciples … thank GOD! - Not The Bee.ICYMI. During COVID times, Saddleback Church instructed members on how to administer "self-baptisms" - "You should be the only person in the water" - Protestia

3 mistakes to avoid with your Lead Pastor

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 23:34 Transcription Available

3 mistakes to avoid with your Lead or Supervising PastorMistake #1: Wrong assumptionsIn the middle of a difficult moment with leadership relationships, it is very easy to assume the worst about them. A Christian counselor friend once said, “When we assume the motives of someone else we are wrong most of the time.” I have learned this is very true.We often forget is what it's like to be in their shoes. Remember when others misjudged you? What did you want from them? What did you wish for? It might be a good exercise to make a list of what you remember as a starting point for making changes in your relationships.The danger of assigning motives, of assuming someone's intent, is we never know all the facts. They maybe new to the church? To the role? To you? They come with their own often un-named values, beliefs, and assumptions about what we, their leadership, should or should not do. It's very complicated.The temptation is always to side with your own beliefs, to assume you are correct, because we know them…or think we do. But God is clear when He says, “You shall not be partial in judgment … For the Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the awesome God, who is not partial …” (Deuteronomy 1:17; 10:17). Meaningful relations can't happen if we are assuming the worst or assigning blame without knowing all the data. And we will rarely have all the facts.Conclusion: Choose to believe the best. Ask God to give you His love and grace and to help you give grace, expecting nothing in return. You will never know the full impact of the Lead Pastor world! Help them see you as a “friend” not a “foe”.Mistake #2: ImpatienceWe've had a lifetime to get to know our ministry, but when it comes to being the Lead Pastor…not so much. It's all too easy to impatiently expect these relationships to gel perfectly. Relationships take time … lots of time with many investments of grace, love, and patience. There are so many factors to consider—working styles, age gaps, passion gaps, interest gaps, etc.Often what helps me in impatience is to know, that through PRAYER, God can make things go far faster than I can. Simple, huh? Along with that, you need to be good for your church. You are part of the team to help, not just have your way. You need to show up, but not throw up!Basically, be what a friend taught me, “Be a good General, not a bad General”. A bad General takes their assignment and does whatever higher ups tell them. A good General will assess the situation, give their advise and then execute on whatever leadership decides. If you feel it is wrong, PRAY, God will course correct.Conclusion: We are only responsible to suggest and pray.. God is more than able to work His will in their lives without our help. Our job now is to be patient with the process and trust Him to do the work. SOMETIMES God is working in the background and doesn't tell us! LOLMistake #3: DefensivenessWhen a Lead Pastor points out a flaw he or she sees in us, it hurts. Our natural inclination is to be defensive, to explain our position and how hard we tried to do our best rather than just apologize and say, “I'm so sorry that hurt you so much or wasn't done the way you expected.” We forget so easily that we are all flawed, broken people and no pastor is perfect. So why are we surprised when stuff happens and people give us issues?This next statement isn't natural but … instead of having defensiveness of those of we serve (our Lead Pastor), we should be grateful for the opportunity to mend and apologize for the mistakes we make! Even if it was 100% unintentional. Modeling an apologetic heart and seeking forgiveness will open the door for you to do the same with those that serve under you (staff or volunteer). A friend once said, “Seeing a flaw in ourselves is a joy because we now have the opportunity to be rid of it.” It takes maturity and humility to see our shortcomings this way, but it's liberating.Only when we own our mistakes and admit where we failed leadership will we grow rich relationships with them and church leadership. The truth is always your friend.Only humility produces the beauty of meaningfully deep relationships. And continually acknowledging our own shortcomings and failures before God makes beautiful our lives in the greater body of Christ. It's been quite a journey at Saddleback Church since March of 1998. I've known lots of misunderstandings and mistakes. Thankfully I've known forgiveness too. I love our church so much, including the staff and people LOL. Each difficulty brings uniqueness which challenges us to a greater faith, and that is always good.He's got us, He's got our ministry and He's got our Lead Pastor too! ★ Support this podcast ★

Navigating the Bible: Psalms

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 52:48

O LORD, I give my life to you.2 I trust in you, my God!Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.4 Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.6 Remember, O LORD, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past.7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O LORD.Psalm 25:1-7The Book of Psalms is without question one of the most well-known books of the Bible. You open up your Bible in the middle and you're likely to open to a Psalm. Psalms are read at weddings and funerals, you see them written on artwork and mugs and frames. But how should we read the Psalms? What does Psalms teach us about God and about ourselves? Today I'm grateful to have Dr. Tremper Longman navigating us through the book of Psalms. Dr. Longman is the author of How to Read the Psalms, the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary on Psalms, and was one of the lead translators for the New Living Translation or NLT. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Psalms/dp/0877849412https://www.amazon.com/Psalms-Introduction-Commentary-Testament-Commentaries/dp/0830842853Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: Job - https://youtu.be/14jaf2T1eCQNavigating the Bible: Esther - https://youtu.be/7RZ7ATWQZucNavigating the Bible: Nehemiah - https://youtu.be/Gok4WDgwn5INavigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyoNavigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEINavigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgANavigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Mysteries of the Faith: Heaven

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 37:18

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I hear a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21:1-4 There are many pictures of what heaven may be like. From art to poetry to film and television, many people have depicted heaven one way or another. And I completely understand why people would want to do so – heaven is something I believe everybody thinks about at some point in their life. Even an atheist has likely gone through the mental exercise of thinking, if heaven is real I wonder what it may be like. So today I want to explore the mystery of heaven: what the Bible says about heaven, how culture has depicted heaven, and seek answer some of the most common questions people have. To do so I reached out to an expert. Dr. Alister McGrath recently retired as the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University where he started teaching in 1983. Dr. McGrath now serves as Senior Research Fellow at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at Oxford. He is the author of an immensely popular textbook, Christian Theology: An Introduction which is in its 6th edition and, most appropriate for this conversation, he's the author of A Brief History of Heaven. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Heaven-Alister-McGrath/dp/0631233547https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Theology-Introduction-Alister-McGrath/dp/1118869575Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Mysteries of Faith: Salvation - https://youtu.be/0webo0ULhKkMysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxIMysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

The Story of David

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 1:40

David wasn't even a grown up, but one day he found himself in the middle of a war. And suddenly there was a giant! A real one! What would you do? What did David do? Find out now!David And GoliathHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, David and Goliath, with your child after they've listened to the show!What was your favorite part of the story?Was David afraid of Goliath? Why did he feel this way?David wasn't afraid of Goliath because he knew God was bigger and stronger. He was confident in God!Why was David confident in God?David remembered the times that God had taken care of him before – like when he rescued David from lions and bears. He knew that God was bigger and stronger than all things – even Goliath. David didn't need to be afraid because he knew that God would still do great things.What are some great things God has done?Spend some time thinking with your child about the good things God has done in the Bible and some good things God has done for you and your family!Pray with your child. You might say something like this:Dear God, thank you for the great things you have done for me. Help me to remember those great things, and to always know that you will do great things again because you are a good God, and you love me. I love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week's Bible story for yourself. Read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood CraftYour child will create their own pouch filled with stones like the pouch David used to hold his stones. Each stone will represent a part of the Bible story and remind them they can be confident like David.DownloadEarly Childhood Coloring Page and Activity SheetEach week we have a new coloring page and activity sheet for your child to remember the Bible story for the week and learn more about our Big Idea.DownloadNavigating Parenthood Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about building our kids' confidence – not only in themselves but as children of God, too.Download

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David and Goliath

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 11:36

DAVIDHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, David, with your child after they've listened to the story!Who was today's Bible story about?David. David loved God and God loved him..David saw a giant, Goliath. He was rude and very tall. Who is the tallest person you've ever seen?Show me with your arms how tall. Wow, that is so tall! But Goliath was even taller.Was David afraid of Goliath?No not at all. Show me your face when you feel afraid. Now show me your face your face when you are brave!David prayed to God because he loved him. We can pray to God and love him, too. Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage them to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:God, thank you for making us and wanting to be our friend. Thank you for loving us, just like you loved David! We love you! Amen.Parent Encouragement - DavidHey Parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by this week and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!DownloadToddler Coloring Page - DavidAs your child colors this coloring page, they will be reminded that God loves David, and God loves them, too!DownloadToddler Crafts This week, your toddler will create their own scene from the Bible story by gluing 5 stones onto the river scene. This will remind them that David was brave and used a stone to defeat Goliath because he believed God was the biggest and strongest!DownloadToddler Activity In this activity, your toddler will have fun finding all the “stones” hidden around the room to place in David's shepherd pouch. This will remind of the Bible story about David!DownloadNavigating Parenthood Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out http://saddlebackparents.com/ for resources to help guide you as you do the challenging and worthy work of raising brave, loving, kind kids who love God and others!Download

Navigating the Bible: Job

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 43:20

Then Job replied to the LORD:2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.'5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”Job 42:1-6The book of Job is perhaps the most unique book in the Old Testament. Up until this point we had been reading narrative accounts of historical events, but Job ushers us into new territory as a wisdom literature book. It tracks events that happen in the life of a man named Job . . . but it does leave you to wonder if these events really happened as written, or if this is a different type of literature exercise altogether. Most importantly for the book of Job though is what it teaches us about God and about ourselves and there's a central question at the very heart of this book that will completely change and shape how you read it. To help us navigate the book of Job is Dr. John Walton. Dr. Walton is professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Wheaton College and other of many books including How to Read Job and the NIV Application Commentary on Job.Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Job-Application-Commentary-John-Walton/dp/0310214424https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Job-John-Walton/dp/0830840893Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: Esther - https://youtu.be/7RZ7ATWQZucNavigating the Bible: Nehemiah - https://youtu.be/Gok4WDgwn5INavigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyoNavigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEINavigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgANavigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Story of Creation

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 1:38

CREATIONHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, Creation, with your child after they've watched the video service!What was your favorite part of the video we just watched? Do you have any questions about what you saw?What are some of the things God created? What is your favorite? Why?Light, sky, land, seas, plants, moon, sun, stars, birds, animals, people. Give your child a few minutes to talk about their favorite parts of creation.How can I know God is real and his plans are good?I can look around me and see all the things he made and how amazing the world is.What can you do if you aren't sure about God's plan or things don't seem good?You can talk to God by praying. You can read your Bible and look for answers. You can talk to a parent or grownup for help understanding God's plan. Even if things don't seem good right now, God makes all things good one day in Heaven.Spend a few minutes talking with your child about how today's story shows us God's creativity. Talk about how we are made in God's image and can be creative too. Encourage creativity in your child in ways that fit their personality. Some ideas: drawing, singing, dancing, building, writing stories… the possibilities are endless!Parent DevotionalHey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this Bible story for yourself. We encourage you to read over this devotional sometime this week as a way to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadElementary Activity SheetsEach week we have a variety of activity pages to help your child remember the week's lesson. They include new coloring pages and activity sheets to enjoy!DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this Two-Minute Tip, The Universal Talk, all about communicating your child's value as someone created by God.Download

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Zaccheus

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 10:58

Zacchaeus did not have very many friends. Mostly because he wasn't very friendly. But one day he met Jesus and all of that changed! Join Arlo, Kelby, and Tilly as they learn all about Zacchaeus.

Episode 192: Special Edition with Jay Kranda

ROCK Cast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 51:02

Jay Kranda from Saddleback Church is one of the world's first online pastors. Join Jon and Emily as they dive into a can't-miss conversation with Jay about the history and future of digital ministry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All Creation Sings (Rewind)

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 19:11

In this episode, Doable Discipleship host Jason Wieland shares a devotional rooted in Jesus' Triumphal Entry in Luke 19. This devotional moves from Psalms to Luke to Genesis to John in an examination of what the Bible says about creation praising God. This Easter, you are invited to join in the song of praise from all of creation to Jesus - the King of Kings. Episode originally released March 26, 2024.Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Saddleback Church Content Development Pastor Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 350 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Doable Discipleship is a proud part of the Saddleback Family of Podcasts. To learn more about the Saddleback Family of Podcasts, visit saddleback.com/podcasts. So Will I (100 Billion X) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfVd5x9W1XcRelated Doable Discipleship Episodes:The Burden & Gift of Living - https://youtu.be/VP6kHyBUpP4Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIc

Easter

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 1:32

Jesus did it! He saved the day! Happy Easter, everyone!

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The Story of Joseph

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 12:52

Today, Tilly teaches the friends all about someone named Joseph! Joseph had some crazy dreams and a big family. Check out the whole story in this episode!And for more great stories, don't forget to look for Stories of the Bible from Saddleback Kids!“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NLT)Genesis 37 The same question gets asked in a variety of forms: Where is God when it hurts? Why do bad things happen to good people? How can a good and loving God allow suffering?Joseph could have asked these same questions; maybe he did. Mistreated and abused by his brothers, and eventually sold into slavery by them, Joseph could have easily chosen to believe that this was all evidence that God didn't love him or wasn't “on his side.” Isn't that the same place our minds are often tempted to go when we face difficulties or troubles? “God must not care about me. If He did, these things wouldn't be happening to me.” This seems to be especially true if our troubles come about because of other people's meanness or sin, while we were simply trying to live our lives following God.Joseph was living a life of obedience even as a young boy. He wasn't perfect, as evidenced by his somewhat boastful interactions with his brothers, where he relayed his dreams of ruling over them. But he definitely didn't deserve to be thrown in a pit and then sold as a slave by his own family members! Can you imagine how he must have felt when his brothers ripped off his colorful robe? This robe represented the special bond he had with his father and his brothers, in their jealousy, destroyed it.Have you ever seen something you treasured be ripped apart before your eyes? Maybe it was a tangible object like Joseph's robe, or maybe it was a long-treasured dream that you saw crumble. In those moments, it's easy to ask, “Where are you, God? Don't you see me?”One thing we can learn from Joseph's life is that God never leaves us. Even when we can't see Him or feel Him, He is there and He is working on our behalf. Joseph must have wondered what God was up to as he was being led off to Egypt as a slave, but he didn't waiver in his trust and obedience to God.Questions to think about:How does it feel to be mistreated when you have done nothing wrong?What do you learn from Joseph's life that can help you respond to people who mistreat you or are jealous of you?Do you ever struggle with envy like Joseph's brothers did? If so, what are some healthy ways you can deal with it?

The 4 "K"s of Small Group Ministry Spring Cleaning

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 20:58 Transcription Available

Sign up for the Lobby Gathering: Small Group Conference May 13-15th in Southern California at https://smallgroupnetwork.com/conferences/Food and lodging are included! Spring Cleaning for Small Group Ministry: The 5 Ks with Steve GladenIn this episode of FG Squared, Steve Gladen, the global pastor of small groups from Saddleback Church, shares insights from his 25+ years of experience to help listeners enhance their small group ministries. Joined by Derek, Steve discusses 'The 4 Ks of Small Group Ministry Spring Cleaning': Kinship with leaders, Keeping clean data, Knowing your playbook, Kindling leadership, and Kicking spiritual butt. They emphasize the importance of building deeper relationships with leaders, maintaining accurate data, ensuring everyone understands the group's playbook, fostering leadership pathways, and ultimately achieving ministry victories. Tune in for practical advice to rejuvenate your small group ministry.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:25 Personal Updates and Moving Challenges01:46 Spring Cleaning in Small Group Ministry03:02 The Four Ks of Small Group Ministry03:20 Kinship with Leaders07:42 Keep Clean Data10:50 Know Your Playbook12:50 Kindle Leadership16:56 Final Thoughts and The Fifth K18:30 Conclusion and Farewell ★ Support this podcast ★

Mysteries of Faith: Salvation

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 51:14

The Bible talks a lot about salvation, or our need to be saved. Jesus is the promised savior and the central tenet of the Gospel is it is faith in Jesus that saves you from your sin. All of this is, of course, true, and if you were to ask the average Christian what it means to be saved they would likely say that their faith in Jesus saves them from hell and gives them an eternity in heaven. Again, this is not wrong. But, it is incomplete. Salvation is far deeper, far more encompassing, and far more miraculous than we typically consider it. This is the goal of this “mysteries of the faith” series: to take a topic that we think we understand and dig a little deeper. To help guide us in the topic of salvation is Pastor Buddy Owens. Buddy is a teaching pastor at Saddleback and has been on this podcast many times. In this conversation Buddy and I talk about what happened on the cross, how salvation is more than just a saving from something, what it means to live out your salvation, and look to answer some of the most pressing questions people have about salvation. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:Buddy Owens: The Filling of the Holy Spirit - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uNk38Sug12hMTG4vrlbwmRGaW9Edn8Q6/view?usp=drive_linkRelated Doable Discipleship Episodes:Easter Eternal - https://youtu.be/OGxyaR2jl0oMysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxIMysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 3:50

Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?

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The Story of Daniel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 12:32

The friends at Happy Harbor learn about someone who was good friends with God. His name was Daniel! His story is in God's special book, the Bible. Let's check out his story!

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Easter Eternal

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 15:50

"I was reading the back cover of a new book when something caught my attention and just wouldn't let go. The book is called Easter by Wesley Hill and the phrase that grabbed hold of me read “Easter is more than a day – it's a season even longer than Lent. In fact, for the Christian who has died with Christ and been brought to life in him, Easter is the new, joyous, and radical way of living.” Woah. Let me say that last part again: for the Christian, Easter is the new, joyous, radical way of living. When I read this, I immediately knew deep in my soul how true this was, yet also how little I had spent thinking about it, let alone living out the truth of it in my life."This episode of Doable Discipleship is a look at the true, eternal nature of Easter and a celebration of a life lived eternally because of Jesus Christ. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. Edited by Yonane Tamez and Donovan Aromin. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Easter-Season-Resurrection-Jesus-Fullness/dp/1514000369Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sThe Burden and Gift of Living - https://youtu.be/VP6kHyBUpP4Music for this Episode:Written ByMarshall UsingerPerformed ByAcreageProduced ByAcreage

Zaccheus

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 1:21

Zacchaeus was not popular. A lot of people thought he was a liar and a cheater. Who knows why people thought that, except for the fact that he WAS a liar and a cheater. But then one day Jesus invited himself over for dinner. Find out what happened next!

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Jesus Calms the Storm

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 11:15

When there is a big scary storm going on, what do you do to stay brave? Do you find your parents and hide under them? Maybe you even like storms? Arlo and the gang learned about a storm that was especially scary for some fishermen, but Jesus took a nap right in the middle of it!Jesus Calms the Storm“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!' Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)Mark 4:35-41Jesus told us in scripture that we will face many trials in this life (John 16:33). This is a fact of life – not an “if,” but a “when.” Maybe you have not experienced trials yet or maybe you have been through more than your fair share of struggle. Whatever the case may be, God can handle it.Jesus demonstrates His power to the disciples by effortlessly calming a raging storm after suggesting He and the disciples cross the lake in a boat. Soon after setting off on their journey, a storm, described as “fierce,” comes upon them. The boat began to fill with water and, understandably so, the disciples began to panic. They looked around for Jesus, but could not find Him. Eventually, they found Him sleeping peacefully in the back of the boat. He was unfazed by the storm because He was not afraid. The disciples began yelling, “Don't you care that we are going to drown?” Jesus woke up and using only His voice, instructed the waves and wind to be still. Immediately, the storm subsided.Once the storm had ended, Jesus turned to His disciples and asked, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” In the midst of a raging storm, Jesus felt peace because He knew He was stronger than the storm. He would not let it bring down the ship. Yet, the disciples let fear consume them when they faced the storm, not believing that Jesus could save them.When trials or “storms” enter our lives, it is easy to let our fear lead us. Let this miracle be a testament to the power of Christ in our lives. By calming the dangerous storm, He showed us that He can calm any type of storm we are facing. When something scary happens, we do not have to be afraid because Jesus has proved that He is more powerful than anything we will face, including nature.Questions to think about:What storm are you facing?What stands in the way of you handing over your fear to Christ?Is there a time in your life when Jesus has calmed a storm you faced? Trust that He can do it again.

Navigating the Bible: Esther

The Built Different Podcast with Zach Clinton

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 48:13

On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.” – Esther 7:2-4Esther holds an interesting place in the Old Testament. It's a post-exilic narrative similar to Ezra and Nehemiah, but rather than focusing on the Jewish community returning to Jerusalem, it tells the story of some of the Jewish remnant in Susa – people who for one reason or another chose not to return to Jerusalem. In many ways, Esther reads like a thriller. There's a nefarious plot, divine providence, and bold actions culminating in a decisive moment for Esther herself and the Jewish people. But, at its heart, Esther is a very relatable story. There are no demonstrative miracles, just people making the choice to stand up for a cause important to them and the God who is ever-present, even if not specifically named. To help us navigate the book of Esther is Dr. Iain Duguid, Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary and author of a commentary on Esther. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Ruth-Reformed-Expository-Commentary/dp/0875527833Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: Nehemiah - https://youtu.be/Gok4WDgwn5INavigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyoNavigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEINavigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgANavigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Why & How We Should Fast: Rediscover the Ancient Practice for Unlocking Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual Renewal with Pastor, Speaker, & Author, Reward Sibanda, Ep. 222

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 58:34

Reward Sibanda is a dynamic speaker, writer, pastor at Saddleback Church, and the Senior Director of National Church Engagement at World Vision, the world's largest Christian humanitarian organization. Renowned for his unique perspective and transformative insights that inspire many and challenge conventional thinking, Reward thrives on empowering and challenging people from all walks of life to transcend limitations and pursue God's best for them. In today’s conversation, Reward joins Zach & Josh to help us futher understand and unpack an ancient, biblical practice - fasting. As he writes in his newest book, How to Fast, so many in our modernized culture and society view fasting as simply another fad dietting technique, when in reality it is a key to unlocking physical, emotional, and spiritual renewal and rejuvenation. Through Scripture, personal anecdotes, scientific insights, and practical advice, today’s conversation is a perfect reminder for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, that the ancient practice of fasting can truly help deepen your spiritual connection and intimacy with The Lord as well as enhance your overall well-being. Find Out More About Reward: https://www.rewardsibanda.com/ Pick Up a Copy of Reward’s Newest Book, How to Fast: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593601351?tag=randohouseinc11082-20 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Reward Sibanda on How Culture Shapes Ministry, The Role of the Megachurch Today, and Fasting as a Means to Soul Rest

Canadian Church Leader's Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 49:22

In this episode, Jason sits down with Reward Sibanda, a pastor, speaker, and writer, a leading voice on fasting and a Pastor at Saddleback Church. Reward is known for his contagious joy, his deep love for the church, and his ability to bridge cultural gaps in ministry.In this conversation, Jason and Reward explore:How different cultural perspectives shape our understanding of church, community, and discipleship.The tension around megachurches and why large-scale ministry can still be redeemed for kingdom expansion.The recent Return Gathering at Saddleback and signs of revival across the global church.The spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of fasting—and why this ancient discipline is crucial for leaders today.No matter your context, our hope is you would be strengthened and encouraged by this conversation today.BiographyReward Sibanda is a dynamic speaker, writer, pastor at Saddleback Church, and the Senior Director of National Church Engagement at World Vision, the world's largest Christian humanitarian organization. Renowned for his unique perspective and transformative insights that challenge conventional thinking, Reward thrives on empowering and challenging people from all walks of life to transcend limitations and pursue God's best for them. His ministry inspires many, and his book, How to Fast, offers a powerful guide to rejuvenation. Reward resides in California with his wife Pam and son Silo.We couldn't do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and ⁠give⁠ towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Applications close on April 1st!Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bible Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Guest NotesReward's WebsiteSaddleback ChurchHow To Fast—Reward's New BookReward's InstagramShow NotesWebsite⁠⁠Blog and Episode Write Up⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠Instagram⁠

The Lost Sheep

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 1:15

Have you ever lost something? How important was it to you? Jesus told a story about losing a little sheep one time. It turns out that the Shepherd in the story cared a LOT about that sheep.Talk It OverThe Parable Of The Lost SheepHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson about The Parable of the Lost Sheep with your child after they've listened to the episode!Who was today's Bible story about?Jesus.A man had 100 sheep. What sound does a sheep make?Baa.Uh-oh. What happened when he lost one of his sheep?He looked and looked all around to find it. Let's play peek-a-boo! You can pretend to be the sheep and I'll cover my eyes then find you. Ready? Peek-a-boo sheep!How did the man feel when he finally found the lost sheep?He was happy! He asked everyone to come celebrate. Let's jump and clap our hands and celebrate, too.Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage your toddler to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for making us. Thank you for wanting to be our friend. Thank you that you will take care of us. We love you! Amen!Parent Encouragement - The Parable of the Lost SheepHey parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!DownloadCraft – I-Spy BagIn this craft, your toddler will make an I-Spy bag filled with hidden items from the Bible story. As they look for the items in their bag, they will be reminded that the shepherd looked for the sheep. He loved the sheep, and God loves us!DownloadActivity – Balloon SheepIn this activity, your toddler will have fun as they find all of the sheep like the shepherd found his lost sheep in our Bible story. The shepherd loved his sheep, and God loves us!DownloadColoring Page - The Parable of the Lost SheepWe have a variety of coloring pages to help your child remember familiar faces from this month's lesson!DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out part 2 of this Two Minute Tip series all about how we can help our kids hold onto faith.Download

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The Big Story of Creation

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 11:38

Have you ever wondered who made everything? God did! That's why God loves you so much, because He made you! Let's hear about from our friends.thing just for you to enjoy this Bible story for yourself. We encourage you to read over this devotional sometime this week as a way to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadElementary Activity SheetsEach week we have a variety of activity pages to help your child remember the week's lesson. They include new coloring pages and activity sheets to enjoy!DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this Two-Minute Tip, The Universal Talk, all about communicating your child's value as someone created by God.Download

Navigating the Bible: Nehemiah

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2025 58:00

“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.“Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.'“The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” Nehemiah 1:5-10The book of Nehemiah continues the post-exilic story of the people of Israel that we started in Ezra. The people of Israel had been living in exile and the temple of Jerusalem had been destroyed. Yet now they had been allowed to return to rebuild the temple. Nehemiah is a book about the workers, about the real people who took up God's call to rebuild the temple. It's a book about putting God first, about leadership amidst trials and opposition – but ultimately it's a book about the truth that as much as we can build and rebuild buildings, it doesn't take the place of letting God build his temple in your heart. To help us navigate the book of Nehemiah is Dr. Dean Ulrich, author of the book Now and Not Yet about Ezra and Nehemiah.Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Now-Not-Yet-Theology-Ezra-Nehemiah/dp/1514004070Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyoNavigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEINavigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgANavigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Good Samaritan

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 1:47

What does it mean to be a good neighbor? Find out in today's episode! Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, let's find out what that even means!GOOD SAMARITANHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, Good Samaritan, with your child after they've listened to the story!Jesus told a story. Who was today's Bible story about?A Samaritan man.A Jewish man was hurt – he had lots of owies. A Samaritan man came. He helped the Jewish man. Let's say, Hooray for the Samaritan man. It is good to help people when they are hurt.God made people because he loves everyone. Can you point to someone God made?Help your child point to you and to themselves!Jesus is happy when we help someone and we can be happy, too. Show me your happiest happy face.Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage them to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:“God, thank you for making us. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for wanting to be our friend. Help us to help people just like the Good Samaritan. We love you! Amen.”Parent Encouragement - The Good SamaritanHey Parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas from this week to make the Good Samaritan lesson part of your everyday conversation with your toddler at home!DownloadToddler Coloring Page - The Good SamaritanAs your child colors this coloring page, they will be reminded of today's Bible story and that God made them! There are additional coloring pages with familiar faces from today's lesson, too.DownloadToddler Craft – The Good Samaritan BadgesThis week, your child will create a Good Samaritan badge to remind them they can help people just like the Good Samaritan helped in the Bible story.DownloadToddler Activity – Find the Hurt ManIn this activity, your child will find the hurt man hiding under a cup. They will remember they can be like the Good Samaritan. When they see someone who is hurt, they can help.DownloadNavigating Parenthood Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this Two-Minute Tip, How to Help Your Children See Themselves Through God's Eyes Pt.1, all about solidifying the basis of your child's identity through three words.Download

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Esther

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 12:24

Who is in Kelby's treasure chest this week? Kelby, Arlo, and Tilly all learn about an amazing woman named Esther this week! Come along with us to Happy Harbor to pop some bubbles, ride the Bible train, and hear an amazing story all about God's love.EstherHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson about Esther with your child after they've watched the video service!Who was today's Bible story about?Esther. God made Esther and she loved God.What did Esther wear on her head?A crown! The crown showed everyone that Esther was a queen.One day, she heard someone was going to do something bad. Uh oh! Did Esther stop the bad thing from happening?Yes! She stopped the bad plan. Shake your head “no” because the plan was not good.Esther had to do something brave and tell the king to stop the bad plan. Can you be brave, too?Yes! God helps us be brave. Show me your strong arms because God made us to do good and brave things.Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage your toddler to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:God, thank you for loving us and wanting to be our friend. Thank you for making us. Help us do good things and be brave like Esther! We love you! Amen.Parent Encouragement - EstherHey parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!DownloadToddler Craft – Esther Character StickIn this craft, your toddler will create their own Esther Character Stick to remind them of the main character from the Bible story. God made Esther, and God made them!DownloadToddler Activity – Talk Like EstherIn this activity, your toddler will bring the craft they made to life. They will practice saying and doing things with their Esther Character Stick to remember this Bible story about Esther.DownloadToddler Coloring Page - EstherWe have a variety of coloring pages to help your child remember familiar faces from this month's lesson!DownloadNavigating Parenthood - EstherHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about how to foster healthy obedience in our children that comes from a place of love and respect rather than rules they follow out of obligationDownloadAt Saddleback Kids we believe every kid should be known, connected, equipped and empowered. KNOWN by another kid and a leader. CONNECTED to a group where they can grow spiritually. EQUIPPED with the tools and the knowledge to develop a strong faith in Jesus. EMPOWERED to serve others and share Jesus in the world.To sum it up, Saddleback Kids exists to connect kids to God and others while helping them live a purpose driven life.

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Navigating the Bible: Ezra

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 43:59

“Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles. I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me.” Ezra 7:27-28The book of Ezra continues the narrative of the people of Israel into what is known as the post-exilic period. When we left things in 2 Chronicles, the king of Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed. But the final part of the book ends with a glimpse of what's to come. 2 Chronicles 36:23 says, “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the Lord's people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you.” That then ushers us right into the heart of the story of Ezra. Ezra 1 begins with this same retelling of Cyrus's words and then continues the story from there as we the Zerubbabel lead a group of exiles back to Jerusalem followed by Ezra's group. What follows is a story of rebuilding, opposition, and restoration. Ezra is a book that doesn't often get the credit it deserves as it sits alongside Nehemiah, but it is a beautiful picture of the God of continued second-chances and a people who so desperately need them. To help us navigate the book of Ezra is Dr. Tiberius Rata, Associate Dean and Professor of Old Testament at Grace College and author of a commentary on Ezra. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Ezra-Nehemiah-Commentary-Tiberius-Rata/dp/1845505719Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEINavigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgANavigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Story of Noah

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 1:49

Noah And The FloodHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, Noah and the Flood, with your child after they've listened to the story!What was your favorite part of the story we just heard? Do you have any questions about what you saw?How was Noah different from the people around him?Noah was the only man on Earth who still walked with God and made the right choices. All of the other people were evil and were doing things God says are wrong.What were God's instructions to Noah? Why might that have seemed strange?God told Noah to build a boat and put two of each animal on it. It was strange because God warned of a flood, but it had never even rained like that before! Noah had to have faith and trust God's plan.What did God promise Noah? How did he show this promise?God promised he would never flood the Earth again, and he put a rainbow in the sky to show his promise.What are some of God's plans for me?To love him forever, to love other people, and to be a part of his family.Think about this part of our Bible verse: “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” What does it mean that God directs your path?It means he tells us what is best and the right way to live. He does that by speaking to us through the Bible, through his helper the Holy Spirit, by talking to us through other Christians, or by talking to him in prayer.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week's Bible story for yourself. Read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!Download Coloring page and Activity SheetEach week we have new activity sheets and coloring pages to help your child remember the Bible story and learn more about how they can step up in faith.DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out part 3 of this Two Minute Tip series all about how we can help our kids hold onto faith.DownloadToday's Bible Story Comes Genesis 6-8 (from Bible Gateway)6 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women[a] and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with[b] humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord.The Story of Noah9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 10 Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!14 “Build a large boat[c] from cypress wood[d] and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.[e] 16 Leave an 18-inch opening[f] below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.The Flood Covers the Earth7 When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. 2 Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice,[g] and take one pair of each of the others. 3 Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. 4 Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.”5 So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.6 Noah was 600 years old when the floo...

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The Lost Sheep

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 11:00

This week Arlo looks for adventure through the telescope in his lighthouse! He is hoping to learn about someone new today. Will learn with the help of his friend Kelby the octopus? Let's find out!For more great stories and things to do, head to Saddlebackkids.comAnd to see the video version of Happy Harbor, check out our youtube channel!Parents, there's plenty for you too at Saddlebackparents.com, and don't forget to subscribe to the On Purpose Parents podcast from Saddleback Parents.Talk It OverThe Parable Of The Lost SheepHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson about The Parable of the Lost Sheep with your child after they've listened to the episode!Who was today's Bible story about?Jesus.A man had 100 sheep. What sound does a sheep make?Baa.Uh-oh. What happened when he lost one of his sheep?He looked and looked all around to find it. Let's play peek-a-boo! You can pretend to be the sheep and I'll cover my eyes then find you. Ready? Peek-a-boo sheep!How did the man feel when he finally found the lost sheep?He was happy! He asked everyone to come celebrate. Let's jump and clap our hands and celebrate, too.Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage your toddler to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for making us. Thank you for wanting to be our friend. Thank you that you will take care of us. We love you! Amen!Parent Encouragement - The Parable of the Lost SheepHey parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!DownloadCraft – I-Spy BagIn this craft, your toddler will make an I-Spy bag filled with hidden items from the Bible story. As they look for the items in their bag, they will be reminded that the shepherd looked for the sheep. He loved the sheep, and God loves us!DownloadActivity – Balloon SheepIn this activity, your toddler will have fun as they find all of the sheep like the shepherd found his lost sheep in our Bible story. The shepherd loved his sheep, and God loves us!DownloadColoring Page - The Parable of the Lost SheepWe have a variety of coloring pages to help your child remember familiar faces from this month's lesson!DownloadNavigating Parenthood: Step Up Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out part 2 of this Two Minute Tip series all about how we can help our kids hold onto faith.Download

god jesus christ bible parents parable amen encourage peek lost sheep comand bible stories saddleback church i spy baa kids ministry kelby happy harbor

5 Emotional Refreshments for You & Your Groups (Replay)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 32:40 Transcription Available

Equipping Small Group Leaders: Insights from Saddleback ChurchIn this episode of SG Squared, Steve Gladen, the global pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church, shares his extensive experience to encourage and equip small group leaders. The episode includes the 'Saddleback Scoop,' highlighting the church's shift from fruitfulness to faithfulness, an approach to combat COVID-induced depletion by focusing on all four aspects of personal refreshment: physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. The 'Network Nugget' segment introduces Saddleback's first online training course, Align, and discusses its positive impact on participants. Additionally, the podcast touches on new course releases, upcoming events, and the importance of maintaining various forms of personal well-being. The show wraps up with a focus on five emotional refreshments essential for small group leaders and members: support, stability, self-expression, significance, and satisfaction.00:00 Welcome to F G Squared00:19 The Saddleback Scoop: Refreshment and Recalibration07:03 Network Nugget: Align Learning and Cohort Strategy13:42 Leadership Learning: The Replenishment Cycle21:45 Trending Topic: Five Emotional Refreshments32:08 Closing Remarks and Resources ★ Support this podcast ★

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Embracing Brokenness with Michael John Cusick

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 46:51

There's something we all experience that we usually can't quite put our finger on or find the right words to describe. We hear the sermons about what the Christian life should be like. We read the books and hear the podcasts and we're told what a life lived for and with God is like – a life of joy, of ease, of clear direction, of no worry. And yet . . . it doesn't always go that way. Many people, maybe you right now, hear these things and think “why isn't my life like that? I love God, I try to follow his Word and yet my life is hard and sad. Why isn't the Christian life I hear about my experience?” Michael John Cusick calls this experience, “the gap” or “the delta”. And it's a very common thing for Christians to experience. Today host Jason Wieland is joined by Michael John Cusick to talk about his new book, Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love. In this conversation, Michael and Jason talk about embracing brokenness, what neuroscience teaches us about how we attach and process, the spiritual practice of being, addiction and shame, and much more. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://michaeljohncusick.com/https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Attachment-Escaping-Spiritual-Exhaustion/dp/1514008319Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

Joseph

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 2:13

Have you ever gotten into a disagreement with your brothers or sisters? So did Joseph. But even with trouble at home, Joseph still dreamed big!JOSEPH FORGIVESHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's Bible story called Joseph Forgives with your child after they've listened to this week's story. Remember the Big Idea: God has an important job for me.What was your favorite part of the story we just heard?Who was mean to Joseph and threw him into a pit?His brothers. They were jealous of Joseph because their dad loved Joseph the most.What happened when people thought Joseph did something wrong?They put him in jail.Who was always with Joseph, even when bad things kept happening?God!Is God always with you?Yes! We know God is always with us when we believe in him because he tells us in the Bible, and he helps us through the Holy Spirit. He helps us be brave and gives us what we need.Take some time to pray with your child. You might pray something like this:Dear God, thank you for always being with me. Help me remember you are with me when I am scared or when bad things happen. We love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this Bible story for yourself. We encourage you to read over this devotional sometime this week as a way to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood Craft – Joseph Story OrderColor the Joseph story cards and help your child test their memory of the Bible story as they put them in the right order. Remind them that God was with Joseph in every part of his story, and God is always with us.DownloadEarly Childhood Activity – God is With Me Pretend PlayYour child is learning that they can believe God is with them. As they play pretend, they will act out different things as a reminder that God is with them no matter what.DownloadEarly Childhood Activity Sheets Each week we have activity pages for your child to remember the week's lesson. They include new coloring pages and activity sheets for your child to enjoy!DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out http://saddlebackparents.com/ for resources to help guide you as you do the challenging and worthy work of raising brave, loving, kind kids who love God and others!Download

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Noah

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 12:55

Noah And The FloodHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, Noah and the Flood, with your child after they've listened!What was your favorite part of the story we just heard? Do you have any questions about what you saw?How was Noah different from the people around him?Noah was the only man on Earth who still walked with God and made the right choices. All of the other people were evil and were doing things God says are wrong.What were God's instructions to Noah? Why might that have seemed strange?God told Noah to build a boat and put two of each animal on it. It was strange because God warned of a flood, but it had never even rained like that before! Noah had to have faith and trust God's plan.What did God promise Noah? How did he show this promise?God promised he would never flood the Earth again, and he put a rainbow in the sky to show his promise.What are some of God's plans for me?To love him forever, to love other people, and to be a part of his family.Think about this part of our Bible verse: “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” What does it mean that God directs your path?It means he tells us what is best and the right way to live. He does that by speaking to us through the Bible, through his helper the Holy Spirit, by talking to us through other Christians, or by talking to him in prayer.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week's Bible story for yourself. Read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadColoring page and Activity SheetEach week we have new activity sheets and coloring pages to help your child remember the Bible story and learn more about how they can step up in faith.DownloadNavigating Parenthood: Step Up Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out part 3 of this Two Minute Tip series all about how we can help our kids hold onto faith.DownloadToday's Bible Story Comes Genesis 6-8 (from Bible Gateway)6 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women[a] and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with[b] humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord.The Story of Noah9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 10 Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!14 “Build a large boat[c] from cypress wood[d] and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.[e] 16 Leave an 18-inch opening[f] below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.The Flood Covers the Earth7 When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. 2 Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice,[g] and take one pair of each of the others. 3 Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. 4 Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.”5 So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.6 Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the ...

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Ep. 276 Reward Sibanda - Why and How We Should Fast

Shifting Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 61:21 Transcription Available

My conversation with Reward Sibanda is a deep dive into the spiritual practice of fasting. Reward grew up immersed in fasting as a cultural and religious tradition in Zimbabwe. But it wasn't until later that he grasped the profound theological significance behind it. Fasting is about aligning our whole being - body, mind, and spirit - with the will and presence of God. It's not some outdated ritual, but a powerful spiritual discipline. When we fast, we quiet the noise of our physical appetites and mental chatter, allowing our spirit to ascend and commune with God. This realignment is what enables the kind of faith and prayer that Jesus says can move mountains. Fasting humbles our soul, elevates our spirit, and puts us in a posture to help with unbelief. Reward's insights challenge us to see fasting not as a chore, but as a gift God has given us. In an age of constant distraction and self-centeredness, fasting offers a way to reorient ourselves towards the holiness and mystery of God. It has the power to revive our souls, renew our minds, and cleanse our bodies. This is a conversation that just may change the way you approach your relationship with God. Reward lays out a compelling case for why fasting should be a regular part of the Christian life today. So join us as we learn why and how to fast. Reward Sibanda is a Speaker, Author, Teaching Pastor at Saddleback Church, and Senior Director for National Church Partnerships, World Vision.Reward's Book:How to FastReward's Recommendations:Your Story Has a VillianThe Familiar StrangerSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowEmail jjohnson@allnations.us, so we can get your creative project off the ground! Faith That Challenges. Conversations that Matter. Laughs included. Subscribe Now!Breaking down faith, culture & big questions - a mix of humor with real spiritual growth. Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Navigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2025 42:47

“Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, ‘Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.' After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever.” – 2 Chronicles 20:20-212 Chronicles, the second part of the complete volume known as Chronicles, continues the retelling of the story we saw in 1 and 2 Kings. As we talked about in the 1 Chronicles episode, Chronicles is like a different vantage point look at the same events as Kings. But as we talk about in today's episode, the vantage point allows us to identify and focus on some beautiful themes – particularly what it means to live with God at the center of your life. 2 Chronicles takes us back to King Solomon, the Temple, the dividing of the kingdom, military victories, and the many good and bad kings of age. To help us navigate 2 Chronicles is Dr. Carol Kaminski, senior professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and founder of Casket Empty, bible studies that trace God's plan of redemption through the entire Bible, and author of a commentary on Chronicles. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/1-2-Chronicles-Story-Bible-Commentary/dp/0310490995Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgANavigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Jesus Calms the Storm

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 1:14

Storms can be scary... unless you know you're safe. Then they're kind of fun! But how can you know if you are safe? The disciples were scared of a storm in this episode. But they didn't need to be! Find out why they were so safe.Jesus is more powerful than any stormJesus Calms the Storm“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!' Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)Mark 4:35-41Jesus told us in scripture that we will face many trials in this life (John 16:33). This is a fact of life – not an “if,” but a “when.” Maybe you have not experienced trials yet or maybe you have been through more than your fair share of struggle. Whatever the case may be, God can handle it.Jesus demonstrates His power to the disciples by effortlessly calming a raging storm after suggesting He and the disciples cross the lake in a boat. Soon after setting off on their journey, a storm, described as “fierce,” comes upon them. The boat began to fill with water and, understandably so, the disciples began to panic. They looked around for Jesus, but could not find Him. Eventually, they found Him sleeping peacefully in the back of the boat. He was unfazed by the storm because He was not afraid. The disciples began yelling, “Don't you care that we are going to drown?” Jesus woke up and using only His voice, instructed the waves and wind to be still. Immediately, the storm subsided.Once the storm had ended, Jesus turned to His disciples and asked, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” In the midst of a raging storm, Jesus felt peace because He knew He was stronger than the storm. He would not let it bring down the ship. Yet, the disciples let fear consume them when they faced the storm, not believing that Jesus could save them.When trials or “storms” enter our lives, it is easy to let our fear lead us. Let this miracle be a testament to the power of Christ in our lives. By calming the dangerous storm, He showed us that He can calm any type of storm we are facing. When something scary happens, we do not have to be afraid because Jesus has proved that He is more powerful than anything we will face, including nature.Questions to think about:What storm are you facing?What stands in the way of you handing over your fear to Christ?Is there a time in your life when Jesus has calmed a storm you faced? Trust that He can do it again.

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Mysteries of Faith: Prayer

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 62:06

When I thought about doing a series on Mysteries of Faith, one of the very first topics that came to my mind was prayer. Now, I've been a Christian since I was 5. Prayer has always been a part of my life. But if I'm honest, there are elements about prayer that I always just accepted as true, nodded my head at, and then moved on with the general way I've always prayed. As I got older though, I started to wonder about some things the way I imagine many of you wonder about prayer too. “Do my prayers really move God to act?” “Is there a proper way to pray?” “Why doesn't God seem to answer all of my prayers?” I knew of prayer as talking with God, I even would say I knew why God wanted me to pray, but there were so many spiritual elements of prayer that were still so mysterious to me. Prayer is a completely spiritual practice. With Bible-reading, we're at least engaging with a book. Prayer, on the other hand, is totally spiritual so I was excited to dive into some of the more deeply spiritual elements of prayer with my friend Dr. Kyle Strobel. Kyle Strobel is Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology at Talbot and author of the book Where Prayer Becomes Real: How Honesty with God Transforms Your Soul. Kyle has been on this podcast a few times in the past, once to talk specifically about his book on prayer, but today I invited him on to pull back the curtain on some of the more mysterious elements of prayer – what is really happening spiritually when we pray. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Where-Prayer-Becomes-Real-Transforms/dp/1540900770https://kylestrobel.substack.com/Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

The Story of David

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 1:40

David wasn't even a grown up, but one day he found himself in the middle of a war. And suddenly there was a giant! A real one! What would you do? What did David do? Find out now!David And GoliathHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, David and Goliath, with your child after they've listened to the show!What was your favorite part of the story?Was David afraid of Goliath? Why did he feel this way?David wasn't afraid of Goliath because he knew God was bigger and stronger. He was confident in God!Why was David confident in God?David remembered the times that God had taken care of him before – like when he rescued David from lions and bears. He knew that God was bigger and stronger than all things – even Goliath. David didn't need to be afraid because he knew that God would still do great things.What are some great things God has done?Spend some time thinking with your child about the good things God has done in the Bible and some good things God has done for you and your family!Pray with your child. You might say something like this:Dear God, thank you for the great things you have done for me. Help me to remember those great things, and to always know that you will do great things again because you are a good God, and you love me. I love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week's Bible story for yourself. Read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood CraftYour child will create their own pouch filled with stones like the pouch David used to hold his stones. Each stone will represent a part of the Bible story and remind them they can be confident like David.DownloadEarly Childhood Coloring Page and Activity SheetEach week we have a new coloring page and activity sheet for your child to remember the Bible story for the week and learn more about our Big Idea.DownloadNavigating Parenthood Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about building our kids' confidence – not only in themselves but as children of God, too.Download

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Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles

Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 46:51

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O Lord God! What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like. For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.” – 1 Chronicles 17:16-19 The book of Chronicles, broken into 1 and 2 Chronicles, holds an interesting place in the Old Testament. When we finished the book of Kings, we were left with a back and forth tale of the divided kingdom between Israel and Judah seeing story after story of terrible king to terrible king, with occasional bright spots. 1 Chronicles, the next book of the Bible, goes back and tells much of the same story again, but from a different perspective. We once again read about King David, but it's as if we are getting a different vantage point to their reigns. 1 Chronicles is a fascinating book beginning with a series of genealogies, the death of Saul and the rise of David, military victories, the Ark of the Covenant, the role and duties of those who served God, and much more but, at its heart, it's a book about what it means to live a God-centered, worship-filled life. To help us navigate the book of 1 Chronicles is Dr. Mark Boda, Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College and author of the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on 1-2 Chronicles.Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/1-2-Chronicles-Cornerstone-Biblical-Commentary/dp/0842334319Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Story of Creation

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 1:38

CREATIONHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, Creation, with your child after they've watched the video service!What was your favorite part of the video we just watched? Do you have any questions about what you saw?What are some of the things God created? What is your favorite? Why?Light, sky, land, seas, plants, moon, sun, stars, birds, animals, people. Give your child a few minutes to talk about their favorite parts of creation.How can I know God is real and his plans are good?I can look around me and see all the things he made and how amazing the world is.What can you do if you aren't sure about God's plan or things don't seem good?You can talk to God by praying. You can read your Bible and look for answers. You can talk to a parent or grownup for help understanding God's plan. Even if things don't seem good right now, God makes all things good one day in Heaven.Spend a few minutes talking with your child about how today's story shows us God's creativity. Talk about how we are made in God's image and can be creative too. Encourage creativity in your child in ways that fit their personality. Some ideas: drawing, singing, dancing, building, writing stories… the possibilities are endless!Parent DevotionalHey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this Bible story for yourself. We encourage you to read over this devotional sometime this week as a way to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadElementary Activity SheetsEach week we have a variety of activity pages to help your child remember the week's lesson. They include new coloring pages and activity sheets to enjoy!DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this Two-Minute Tip, The Universal Talk, all about communicating your child's value as someone created by God.Download

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Special Episode from the Group Answers Podcast with Chris Surratt and Steve Gladen

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 46:14 Transcription Available

This episode is a very special cross post from the Group Answers podcast. We are sharing in honor of the passing of Chris Surratt, a friend and brother in Christ who has impacted thousands of small group point people around the world. Thanks for taking the time to listen, and don't forget to check out Group Answers podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.Original Description:On this episode of Group Answers, Chris talks to Steve Gladen about why we should go after hard and soft data to know if our small groups are healthy and creating disciples. Steve Gladen has been the pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church since 1998 and serves as an elder of the church. The post Group Answers Episode 235: Steve Gladen on Knowing Hard and Soft Data in Your Small Group Ministry appeared first on Adult Ministry.CLICK HERE to read the report from Lifeway Research about the state of groups. ★ Support this podcast ★

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Mysteries of the Faith: Union with Christ

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2025 57:32

Galatians 2:20 – “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”1 Corinthians 6:17 – “But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 – This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”These verses, along with many others in the Bible, paint a part of the picture of what happens as a result of salvation. And if we're honest, I think it's a part of the picture we tend to look past. When we think about salvation, our minds typically go to the part that is easier to understand: we will not go to hell, we will go to heaven. “I go here, not there, I get that.” But the picture of salvation in Scripture is so, so much more rich than that. In fact, as the verses I just read highlight, salvation makes us a new creation – and not just that but it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. The Bible paints a truly beautiful picture of oneness – it often uses the terms “in Christ” or “in him” or “united with Christ.” And again, speaking from a place of honesty, this is something I hadn't spent too much time thinking about in my life – and I think many of us are this way. We move past it either as a truth that doesn't seem to pertinent to the way I live every day, or too complex that we just add it to the list of mysteries of the faith. In this series we will explore some of the mysteries of the faith we tend to move past. I want to name them, examine them from different perspectives, and talk about who these mysteries can actually have profound effects on how we approach our personal walk with Jesus. This first episode is on what it means to be in union with Christ. To help navigate us through this is Dr. Clive Bowsher. Dr. Bowsher is provost of Union School of Theology and author of the books Life in the Son and One: Being United to Jesus Changes Everything.Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.ivpress.com/life-in-the-sonhttps://us.amazon.com/One-Being-United-Changes-Everything/dp/B0D8LNKHNG?ref_=ast_author_dpRelated Doable Discipleship Episodes:Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 38:40

“Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground. When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” - 2 Kings 2:7-9The book of 2 Kings picks up right where 1 Kings left off. The kingdom of Israel is divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, and the prospects for God's people seem to wax and wane on the different leaders to come to power in each of these regions. Let's be clear, most of the leaders are, to put it mildly, not good. But there are a few bright spots too. In 2 Kings we also see Elijah taken to heaven and ascension of Elisha as we heard in the passage I read at the beginning of this episode. Trust me, you'll want to stay tuned later in the episode when we talk about Elisha – he's such a fun, interesting figure in the Bible. 2 Kings is fascinating because it toggles back and forth from Israel to Judah and back, all the while pointing us to a God who remains sovereign even when the kings of this earth turn away from him. To help us navigate the book of 2 Kings is Dr. Philip Ryken. Dr. Ryken is the president of Wheaton College and author of a commentary on the book of 2 Kings. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Reformed-Expository-Commentary-Commentaries/dp/1629954462Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Delighting in Jesus with Asheritah Ciuciu

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 48:39

There's a question at the heart of the new book “Delighting in Jesus” that caught my attention: it says, “I know I should read by Bible and pray every day, but I'm just not consistent. For many Christians, ‘daily devotions' and ‘spiritual disciplines' strike guilt and shame in our hearts. But what if we got it all wrong? What if our Christian experience hinges not on perfect spiritual disciplines, but on the perfect love of a Father who delights in us?” This has been a topic I've been interested in for a while now: what does relationship with Jesus really mean. And now there's a new word entering the conversation: delight. We often talk about joy or happiness, but I'm so grateful to my guest today, Asheritah Ciuciu, for focusing in on the word delight. Asheritah is the host of the Prayers of Rest Podcast and author of many books including Full, Bible & Breakfast, Walking with God, and her latest, Delighting in Jesus. In this conversation, Asheritah and I talk about why “delight” is an important word when thinking about our relationship with Jesus, why we don't need to be afraid of being broken, how to build your joy center in your brain, and much more. I want to note too, in the show notes for episode you'll find links to purchase Delighting in Jesus (which I highly recommend) and also a link to a devotional personality quiz that will help you understand better how God created you to feel most connected to him. I hope you enjoy both of these resources. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.asheritah.com/https://www.delightinginjesus.com/Devotional Personality Quiz - https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/65654f1a7d4c35001488e815Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sWhat it Looks Like to Give God All My Worship - https://youtu.be/E33yKXp1E9wLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings