Podcasts about saducees

The Temperament of the Believer - David Hansen - May 18, 2025 Sanguine Actors Salesman Public speakers Politicians Choleric Producers Builders Leaders Scientists Melancholy Musicians, poets Inventors Philosophers Artists Phlegmatic Diplomats Accountants Teachers Bureaucrats Temperaments Phlegmatic (Abraham) Melancholy (Moses) Sanguine (Peter) Choleric (Paul) Phlegmatic (Abraham) stingy, fearful, indecisive, unmotivated, self-protective, spectator diplomatic, practical, efficient, dependable once under way, calm, easy-going, dry humour Phlegmatic (Abraham) examples Flesh: Waited in Haran because of father Terah (Genesis 11). Went to Egypt when Promised Land in famine (Genesis 12). Schemed twice regarding Sara (Genesis 12, Genesis 20). Spirit: Obeyed God and left Ur (Genesis 12). Rescued Lot and thoroughly defeated captors (Genesis 14). Was prepared to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22). Melancholy (Moses) theoretical, pessimistic, moody, upsets infrequent but dramatic, unsociable, rigid gifted, sympathetic, empathetic, great depth, loyal, great ‘composer' theoretical, pessimistic, moody, upsets infrequent but dramatic, unsociable, rigid gifted, sympathetic, empathetic, great depth, loyal, great ‘composer' examples Flesh: “don't send me, I stammer, send my brother Aaron” (Exodus 4). Struck the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20). Spirit: Interceded for his people (Exodus 32). Communed with God (Exodus 33). Sanguine (Peter) weak-willed, unstable, undisciplined, restless, reactionary, easily discouraged, fearful, exaggerates, does not analyze self, enjoys the stage outgoing, warm, exciting to be around, does not stay angry, enthusiastic, easily encouraged, heart on his sleeve, charismatic, outspoken, heart-driven examples Flesh: rebuked the Lord, denied the Lord, blurt-out on Mt of Transfiguration, ran into tomb, took out sword in Gethsemane, went fishing after crucifixion Spirit: More interaction with Jesus than anyone else, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6 - heart right place and usable). First recorded sermon is given by Peter (Acts 1). ‘I have nothing but Christ, walk!' (Acts 3 - no self-orientation). Peter stood and faced down all the ‘PhD' Pharisees and Saducees in the Spirit and with a powerful array of facts (Acts 4). Choleric (Paul) cold, demanding, cranky, crafty, unemotional, sarcastic, inconsiderate, calculating, driven, self sufficient insightful, perceptive, cerebral/cognitive, analytical, ‘doer'. examples Flesh: “..breathing out threatenings” (Acts 9), Mark not allowed to continue (Acts 15:39) Spirit: Undeterred by prospect of prison (Acts 23). Thoughts brought into captivity (II Cor. 10). Strength of the believer (Phil. 4:13). Love toward Timothy (epistles to Timothy). Self - Interest or fascination ? - Understanding or acceptance Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Forebearance Ephesians 4 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. in all. Colossians 3 12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Grace We are expected to grow in it. II Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Final Notes God can and has (and will) use very human humans. Major biblical figures seem to be very ‘real people' (because they were). A transformed temperament is a wonderful (usable) thing.

What is the definition of an apikoris? Several suggestions are brought, mainly related to one who does not treat the rabbis with the proper respect as it undermines belief in rabbinic Judaism. What is the definition of sefarim chitzoniyim, external literature, that if one reads them, one does not get a portion in the World-to-come, according to Rabbi Akiva? A braita says it is book of the Saducees. Rav Yosef says it is the book of Ben Sira. Abaye tries to understand what is wrong with learning it since many of the ideas there appear in the Tanach or in rabbinic thought.

What is the definition of an apikoris? Several suggestions are brought, mainly related to one who does not treat the rabbis with the proper respect as it undermines belief in rabbinic Judaism. What is the definition of sefarim chitzoniyim, external literature, that if one reads them, one does not get a portion in the World-to-come, according to Rabbi Akiva? A braita says it is book of the Saducees. Rav Yosef says it is the book of Ben Sira. Abaye tries to understand what is wrong with learning it since many of the ideas there appear in the Tanach or in rabbinic thought.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!”- Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Study Guide Bava Batra 115 Rabbi Yochanan quotes a statement of Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Shimon that a mother inherits her son. However, Rabbi Yochanan rejects this statement as it is contradicted by our Mishna which clearly states that a mother does not inherit her son. Rabbi Yehuda responded that he doesn't know who the author of the Mishna is and therefore is not concerned with the contradiction. The Gemara first explains why the Mishna cannot be explained according to Rabbi Zacharia ben haKatzav and then proceeds to explain that the Mishna has an inner contradiction regarding the drasha of the word 'matot'. However, they resolve the contradiction. The Mishna discusses the order of inheritance - at each stage, if the person who should inherit is not alive, it does to their descendants before moving on to the next in line. There was a big debate between the Saducees and the rabbis. In a case where there are two siblings, a son and daughter, and the son is no longer alive but has a daughter, the rabbis ruled that the son's daughter precedes his sister for their father's inheritance. The Saducees held that the sister and the granddaughter split it 50/50. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai debates them and wins and sets the law according to the rabbis' understanding.

Study Guide Bava Batra 115 Rabbi Yochanan quotes a statement of Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Shimon that a mother inherits her son. However, Rabbi Yochanan rejects this statement as it is contradicted by our Mishna which clearly states that a mother does not inherit her son. Rabbi Yehuda responded that he doesn't know who the author of the Mishna is and therefore is not concerned with the contradiction. The Gemara first explains why the Mishna cannot be explained according to Rabbi Zacharia ben haKatzav and then proceeds to explain that the Mishna has an inner contradiction regarding the drasha of the word 'matot'. However, they resolve the contradiction. The Mishna discusses the order of inheritance - at each stage, if the person who should inherit is not alive, it does to their descendants before moving on to the next in line. There was a big debate between the Saducees and the rabbis. In a case where there are two siblings, a son and daughter, and the son is no longer alive but has a daughter, the rabbis ruled that the son's daughter precedes his sister for their father's inheritance. The Saducees held that the sister and the granddaughter split it 50/50. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai debates them and wins and sets the law according to the rabbis' understanding.

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner I'm going through the book of Matthew this year at the church I lead in Tucson, Arizona.  Today, I'm covering Matthew 11:1-19, entitled “Ears to Hear.”  You'll learn what to do when you have doubts, why encouraging words are so important and what to do when you are shopping around for a different church, job or environment.  Transcript: After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.  Matthew 11:1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.  Jesus finishes his preparation of his disciples and continues his personal ministry.  The disciples' short-term or limited commission isn't described.  Chapter 11 and 12 describe the varied responses people had to John and especially Jesus. 1.    John's response to Jesus:  11:2-6 2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” John doubts After at least six months in a dungeon, John isn't the man he once was.  John is disappointed, disillusioned, doubting, discouraged and depressed.  Why?  Jesus doesn't follow his pattern of fasting and instead eats and drinks with sinners.  John has taken offence or has been “tripped up” by Jesus' approach.  Another thing that may have bothered John is that Jesus didn't immediately declare, “I'm the Messiah!”  John had predicted that Jesus was going to baptize with “fire.”  He may have had in his mind that Jesus was going to blow people away in massive judgment.  Elijah struggled when, after calling down fire from heaven, there was still opposition from Jezebel.  John may have felt like Jesus' didn't come through as he expected.  Jesus' “low-key” ministry of preaching, eating and drinking with shady people wasn't matching his expectations.  He was looking for something more “messianic” and judgmental.  The good thing about John is that he goes to Jesus with his doubts and fears.  He doesn't ghost Jesus, drop out or cut off communication.  He doesn't pretend or hide his worries.  He goes to Jesus himself.  Did you know you can go to church without going to Christ?  You can spend years in church and still have doubts about your faith.  That's when you need to get into the word and start praying to Jesus to help you build a solid foundation.  Jesus reminded him of all the scriptures he WAS fulfilling in 11:4-5, but apparently this was not enough for John, he wanted to see fire falling from heaven.  John's struggle shows how personal troubles and hardships can affect our walk with God. Jesus gives John a mild rebuke in 11:6.  He cautions him about getting tripped up spiritually because his expectations aren't being met.  It may have been because Jesus was bringing in a new era and a Kingdom that John only knew from afar.  He wasn't part of it. He offers a beatitude that shows the importance of being willing to elevate Jesus over and above our own expectations and feelings. There are times when we have been super strong in the past spiritually, but then things can “trip us up.” ·       Physical problems ·       Health issues ·       Losing people to death ·       Different church styles ·       Things changing in church ·       Things not being the way they are “supposed” to be ·       People doing things differently This is where it takes spiritually conviction and flexibility to go to Jesus and remember he, not any method or circumstance is the source of your faith.  Things are going to change.  You will lose your health, your friends, your family.  The question is will that damage or strengthen your relationship with God. 2.   Jesus' Response to John:  11:7-15 7 As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,     who will prepare your way before you.'[c] 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,[d] and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear. Jesus asks three times, what did you go out to see?  What were you expecting?  Not a reed swaying in the wind.  John wasn't flexible, sensitive or tactful.  It is not surprising that he got thrown into prison for challenging the king about marrying his brother's wife.  He wasn't the kind of guy who was going to spin things or overlook things.  Jesus highlights this.  That's what you'd expect from a prophet. The Greatest Jesus considers John the greatest of men and prophets up until that time.  He is not just a prophet, but the prophet who is predicted in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6.  3 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.  Malachi 3:1 5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”  Malachi 4:5-6 Imagine being a regular person who is predicted and highlighted in the Bible!  He is the last Old Testament Prophet.  He was great as a man, a prophet and a herald announcing God's arrival on the planet. What an encourager Jesus is!  He knew everything he said was going to get back to John.  So he takes time to really build up John and encourage him in his distress.  He verbally builds him up.  Are you an encourager?  Are you a person who not only recognizes the good points in other people, but talks about it, verbalizes it and praises that person both in their presence and when they aren't there?  Praise gets back to people.  It is a loving currency in the kingdom of God.  Who have you praised recently?  Who have you written a card to?  Recently, I received a card of praise from Lena Valenzuela.  It made me choke up.  I put it up on my refrigerator so my family and friends could read it.  It carried me for about a week.  Today, take some time, not to gossip and tear down, but to praise and build up with your words. The Kingdom of Heaven At the same time, John is outside of the Kingdom of heaven.  Jesus came to build his church.  The church is like an embassy from heaven.  In this world but belonging to heaven and filled with citizens of heaven.  John is on the hinge of history between the Old and New Testament.  Just as Moses was an amazing prophet and leader and yet never got into the promised land himself, John led the people right up to the gates of God's Kingdom but wasn't a part of it himself.  John was a servant to the law, Jesus revealed the sonship of the gospel.  John's message was about repentance and reformation, Jesus' was about repentance and regeneration.  Just like Moses, they are in heaven because of their faith, but they never were part of God's Kingdom on earth.    11:12:  Forceful men.  This is one of the most controversial scriptures in the Bible.  Is it forceful men who grab hold of it or is it subject to violence.  In the past it was interpreted as saying you needed to be forceful to enter or grab hold of the kingdom of God.  I lean toward the second explanation because both John and Jesus were victims of violence as they announced the Kingdom of God. 11:14  John=Elijah.  This is the only reference in the New Testament where Jesus makes the connection clear that John is the “Elijah” who was to come.  He looked like it, wearing the uniform of the prophet Elijah with a leather belt wrapped around him.  He preached like it.  He had a similar hardline temperament.  He experienced super highs and popularity and super lows and isolation.  11:15  Whoever has ears, let them hear.  Jesus often used this to invite people to concentrate and think deeply on what he is really trying to say.  This is why you can grow up in church for years hearing the Bible preached and yet one day, you finally “hear” the message for the first time.    How do you know if you are really hearing God's message?  You can feel it.  You can feel it in your body.  You get goosebumps or the hair on your arm stands up.  You lean forward, you get focused. You start thinking about it after church.  You come up with ideas to put it into practice.  You think, “That guy's talking about me!”  These are signs that you have ears to hear God's message to you and that should encourage you.   Many people go their whole lives hearing, but they aren't really listening.  Pray that God opens your eyes and ears to really see and hear his message for you.   3.   People's Response to John and Jesus:  11:16-19 16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 “‘We played the pipe for you,     and you did not dance; we sang a dirge,     and you did not mourn.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” 11:16-17  People of Jesus' time were unresponsive to both John and Jesus.  John and Jesus had two different ministry styles or approaches, but like a child that refuses to stop sulking, nothing could make the crowds happy.  John's method was appropriate for the work that God gave him, calling to repentance, getting your heart and life ready to come into God's presence.  He was single-minded, intense and strong.    Jesus' approach was perfectly suited to show another side of God, loving, seeking, reaching out, wanting to be with people.  There was no pleasing them the crowds.  John was too intense, hardline and strict.  Jesus was too loosy-goosy, indulgent and social.  He finishes by saying the “proof of the pudding is in the eating.”  We can make the mistake of getting more wrapped up in “style” rather than “substance.”  This is especially true if you have been around church for a while.  We are looking for the right delivery, the right feeling, the right package rather than the right message.  John and Jesus were both right for what they had to accomplish.  They got God's will done.  Many rejected them because they were hard to please.  They should have focused on the message rather than the man or the manner. You might be just like the people in these crowds.  People like the Pharisees, Saducees and Teachers of the law.  You see flaws in every church, church members and church leaders.  You can pick apart, dissect, scoff at all the failings of various approaches.  This often leads to church-hopping.  You never settle in to one spiritual family.  You are looking for the “just-right” church of Christ.”  This one is hard to find because it mirrors your desires, strengths and weaknesses.  The problem with this response is that you never engage spiritually, you always have a reason for not following Christ closely because no one can bring you the experience you say you are looking for.  I was interviewing Dr. Sean St. Jean on my podcast recently.  He wrote a book about spiritual trauma and talked about how people come to him who are looking to go to different churches because they aren't happy with __________.  He tells them “choose your dysfunction.”  Every family and every spiritual family has its own flavor of dysfunction.  You may not spot it until you've been there a few months, but don't worry, you'll find it.  And at that point you'll pick up and go looking for the perfect church that has: ·       The right kids kingdom ·       The right music ·       The right teaching ·       The right length of worship ·       The right time of worship ·       The right kind of people o  Same race o  Wealthy o  “Put together” o  People your age o  People you can date and marry ·       The right kind of parking Unfortunately, after a few years like this, people often get so frustrated that they can't get what they want that they disconnect entirely.  They look down on all churches and disconnect from Jesus' body.  They opt for a religion created in their mind.  Just them and Jesus.  If you've been playing your pipe trying to get churches to dance the way you want, maybe the problem is with you, not with Jesus or his church.        Next Steps ·       Don't let troubles trip you up.  Go to Jesus and ask him for the help you need in trials. ·       Encourage someone today and this week.  Praise people in front of them and in their absence. ·       Find a church and stick with it.  Connect to Jesus through his body and grow. 

In this segment from the Son Rise Morning Show on Sacred Heart Radio, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C.  continues the series on the Eucharistic Revival and discusses how we can accompany others on their journey to encounter Christ in the Eucharist with a focus on the call of St. Matthew, a tax collector, as read in Matthew 9:9.The National Eucharistic Revival is a three-year initiative sponsored by the Bishops of the United States to inspire and prepare the People of God to be formed, healed, converted, united, and sent out to a hurting and hungry world through a renewed encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist – the source and summit of our Catholic faith. The Revival officially launched in June 2022, and its milestone event will be a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN, from July 17-21, 2024. The National Eucharistic Revival and National Eucharistic Congress are a direct response to the Holy Father's call for a “pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are” so that the Church in the United States might be “permanently in a state of mission” (Evangelii Gaudium, n. 25).This eucharistic movement seeks to bring together clergy, religious, laity, apostolates, movements, and parish and diocesan leaders to spur momentum, collaboration, and lasting impact for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the U.S. over the next three years. Each year will have a strategic focus for formation and missionary discipleship.Living as Missionary Disciples: A Resource for Evangelization serves as a road map for leaders and provides principles of evangelization and missionary discipleship, with resources designed for pastoral leaders to develop, enhance, and review their own local strategies to create an evangelizing parish. Notes:Click to view Living as Missionary Discipleship ResourcesRead Ad Infinitum Blog Posts about the Eucharistic Revival Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner In this episode I continue my series on how to become a multiplying disciple.  I talk about the need to experiment with new things and to view your life as an experiment. Transcript “We won't be meeting for live church services for the time being,” I told my church members in March of 2020.  Little did I know it would be well over a year before we started hesitantly meeting back together after Covid.  I thought to myself, how can I help people during this time when I can't preach to them in a live setting.  I stumbled onto the idea of a podcast.  The only problem was I had no idea how to start one and had little confidence in the area of electronics or computer hardware.  In any case I decided to get started and step by step figured out how to start one.  I read a book on starting a podcast, I listened to books on it, I came up with my target audience and the reason why I was doing it.  There were many times I thought I couldn't do it, I'm too old, I'm no good at technical stuff and no one would listen.  I chose to ignore those voices in my mind.  Within a month I had cobbled together seven episodes to launch the show with.  Through experimentation, I was a podcaster. The reason we often don't see the spiritual progress we are looking for is that we are naturally attached to the person we are right now.  Our habits, our thinking, our belief system, our inclinations have a form of inertia to them.  Once set in a certain way, it takes a lot of effort to get them moving in a different direction.  Jesus points this out in Luke 5:37-39, “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.'”  We get used to certain foods, certain drinks and it keeps us from trying something new that God wants us to try.  This is one of the reasons Jesus ran into so much opposition from the Pharisees and Saducees and even from his allies such as the disciples of his cousin John the Baptist.  Jesus was bringing something new and most people preferred the old and refused to experiment with change.   It is incredibly helpful to maintain a flexible and adaptable mindset when trying to grow as a disciple.  One of the best ways to do that is to view life as a series of experiments.  I love Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote,  “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little coarse and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble.” When you experiment with anything, you are accepting up front that some of your experiments are going to fail.  Most may fail.  However, if you keep experimenting enough with new habits, techniques and skills, you will stumble onto breakthroughs in your life.  You will find things that multiply your growth, influence and fruitfulness. Viewing life in this way gives you permission to fail without fear and the shame associated with failure.  No one doing cancer research quits or gets discouraged when one attempt at a cure doesn't pan out.  In the same way, in order for you to grow and make a difference in this life, you will have to pick up and try many new habits and skills that may or may not take you where you want to go.  In 2004, I decided to plant a new church in my hometown of Ashland, Oregon.  I didn't have any outside funding.  I didn't have a team to support me.  I didn't have an existing church to pay me.  I didn't have a career I was stepping into.  I had to start a new career in real estate to pay my bills and support my family.  I chose to view this church planting as an experiment.  I remember thinking to myself and telling Pam, my wife, “This may not work.”  We may only be there a short time and then we'll have to go somewhere else.  I deliberately didn't ask anyone to go with me, because of the high risk of failure.  I didn't want to responsibility of taking care of other people when I didn't have the resources to support myself.  If I had waited to plant the church with full funding, a large team and a clear plan, the church wouldn't be there today.  People that I love wouldn't be Christians today.  It was a risky experiment that paid off.  If you are reading this book, you probably have big dreams for your future.  You want your life to count and you want to do big things for God.  You may want to: ·       Go overseas on mission ·       Learn a foreign language ·       Start a new church ·       Work as a pastor or minister ·       Start a new business ·       Learn a new instrument ·       Find a great life partner Whatever you are dreaming of, go ahead and take that first step.  View it as an experiment.  Expect and anticipate setbacks and failures.  Just keep going until you find the right path out of the many start down.  Here are some ideas to develop an experimental mindset: ·       Read a book on an area you are considering growing in. ·       Write down three things you could do immediately to go in the direction of your dreams. ·       Give yourself 90 days to experiment with your venture.  Allow yourself to bail out if after 90 days, you don't want to keep going. ·       Talk to someone who has done or is doing what you want to do.  Ask them how to start. ·       Give yourself full permission to fail, flop and fall flat on your face. ·       Reduce the risk by not including anyone else in what you are trying to do.  Limit your exposure. ·       Think about and fix in your mind others who have tried and succeeded in what you want. ·       Pretend that you are good at what you are trying to do.  Experiment with seeing yourself as more skilled than you currently are. When I launched the Rob Skinner Podcast, I had no idea what would happen.  I only hoped that I could inspire people to make this life count, live a no-regrets life and multiply disciples, leaders and churches.  I started podcasting into a great big dark empty void.  I wondered at times if anyone was listening.  I started receiving letters from people thanking me for the podcast and sharing how it had helped them.  Two years after the podcast started, Pam and I went to a large Christian conference in Orlando, Florida.  I got approached so many times by listeners thanking me for the podcast and for helping them grow and make this life count.  I'm so glad I chose to experiment with something new. ·       Practical Application o  What is one thing you've wanted to do, achieve or grow in that you've hesitated to start. o  Give yourself permission to fail and to experiment with your desire. o  Write down three things you can do this week to start your experiment.    

ACU Sunday Series. Part 1 of 2.  Dr. Kerry Muhlestein Discusses Matthew 15-17; Mark 7-9.   • Apr. 10 - Apr. 16 Who do you say Jesus is? Dr. Kerry Muhlestein explores how God's covenant path creates a kingdom of priests and priestesses, how humility helps avoid hypocrisy, and how formal covenants change our natures. Watch this discussion at- https://youtu.be/IWlnyd2BUbM?si=bNLdwHycWDWVFoXK followHIM Podcast 86K subscribers 79,014 views Premiered Apr 5, 2023 New Testament 00:00 Part 1–Dr. Kerry Muhlestein 00:56 Introduction of Dr. Kerry Muhlestein 02:14 Background about Pharisees, Saduccees, and how they vary by region 09:17 Ritual cleanliness and Jewish law and customs regarding parents 16:15 Rationalization and loopholes 17:46 What defiles a person 21:53 Finding fault 23:28 Jesus casts out an unclean spirit north of the Sea of Galilee 28:39 Jesus teaching Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles 32:19 Jesus returns to Capernaum and Decapolis and performs miracles 35:40 Jesus heals with touch, spit, clay, etc. and the symbolism connected 37:30 Some Pharisees and Saducees asked Jesus for a sign 41:43 When asking for a sign is a mistake 42:28 Bread, yeast, and metaphors of corruption 47:47 The challenge of the world's influence 51:02 Jesus heals a blind man in stages 56:20 End of Part 1–Dr. Kerry Muhlestein Please rate and review the podcast! Show Notes (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese): https://followhim.co Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Facebook:   / followhimpodcast   Instagram:   / followhimpodcast   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15G9TTz...   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    For Come Follow Me lesson manual and materials visit- Come, Follow Me For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/come-follow-me/2023?lang=eng     For a list of 100+ episodes of ACU Sunday Series visit- https://www.podbean.com/site/search/index?kdsowie31j4k1jlf913=85cb8104bdb182c048b714ad4385f9e82a3aeb49&v=ACU+Sunday+Series+ Note- Click on “100 Episodes Found” in upper right corner.   For many different Podcasts based on the ‘Come Follow Me' program visit- https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=come+follow+me+   Subscribe to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the latest videos: http://bit.ly/1M0iPwY Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchofjesu... Twitter: @Ch_JesusChrist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChurchOfJes... Website: ChurchOfJesusChrist.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints   BYUEducationWeek   Get a Free Book of Mormon | ComeUntoChrist Church of Jesus Christ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org › requests › free-...   The Book of Mormon brings you closer to Jesus. Click to download a free digital copy of the Book of Mormon and learn about it with online missionaries.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the Strength of Youth To help you find the Way and to help you make Christ's doctrine the guiding influence in your life, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has prepared a new resource, a revised version of For the Strength of Youth.   For over 50 years, For the Strength of Youth has been a guide for generations of Latter-day Saint youth. I always keep a copy in my pocket, and I share it with people who are curious about our standards. It has been updated and refreshed to better cope with the challenges and temptations of our day. The new version of For the Strength of Youth is available online in 50 different languages and will also be available in print. It will be a significant help for making choices in your life. Please embrace it as your own and share it with your friends. This new version of For the Strength of Youth is subtitled A Guide for Making Choices. To be very clear, the best guide you can possibly have for making choices is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the strength of youth. So the purpose of For the Strength of Youth is to point you to Him. It teaches you eternal truths of His restored gospel—truths about who you are, who He is, and what you can accomplish with His strength. It teaches you how to make righteous choices based on those eternal truths.13 It's also important to know what For the Strength of Youth does not do. It doesn't make decisions for you. It doesn't give you a “yes” or “no” about every choice you might ever face. For the Strength of Youth focuses on the foundation for your choices. It focuses on values, principles, and doctrine instead of every specific behavior. The Lord, through His prophets, has always been guiding us in that direction. He is pleading with us to “increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation.”14 He is inviting us to “hear Him.”15 He is calling us to follow Him in higher and holier ways.16 And we are learning in a similar way every week in Come, Follow Me.     ACU Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For The Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless. --------------------------------------------------------  

The Sadducees come to Jesus and ask Him about the resurrection, even though they don't believe in the Resurrection. They think they will be able to trap Him, but Jesus tells them they were wrong because they did not know the Scriptures. He took them back to school and told them what they should have known. In the historical narrative of Moses and the burning bush, the Lord had told Moses that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In other words, He is the God of the living and not the dead. --The Saducees' minds were restricted to the here and now. They assumed that if there was a resurrection, it would look just like on earth - complete with marriage and everything. They didn't believe in anything they couldn't see. They couldn't imagine anything after death. But that limits the scope of the power of God Who made the heavens and the earth. --In heaven, our relationships - including our marriage relationship - will be different than they were here on earth. They will be perfect and much better than even our best days here below. In heaven, there will be far better things for us to worry about. --We must make up our mind. Do we belive in Jesus as the only way, truth, and life-- Do we believe that even in the resurrection, He has great plans for us-- The resurrection is real because our Savior said it is. Will we believe in it, or reject it--

During the 400 years between the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi and first book of the New Testament, Matthew, the people didn't hear from God. It's called the Intertestamental Period. What happened during those years? Was God really silent? Did He abandon Israel — His chosen people? In this special 2-part series, we will cover historical accounts that tell us about characters like Alexander the Great, the Maccabees, Cleopatra, Caesar and Marc Antony, the birth of the Jewish sects, the Pharisees and the Saducees and finally, King Herod the Great. Keep reading in my blog where there are links to dig deeper with news articles, Bible studies, books, podcasts, and videos… Part 1: https://seekthegospeltruth.com/2022/05/21/between-malachi-and-matthew-400-years-when-god-was-silent/  Part 2:  https://seekthegospeltruth.com/2022/05/22/between-malachi-and-matthew-greedy-obsessed-people-far-from-god-vie-for-power/  We don't have a choice about what troubles come our way. However, we can choose to have a relationship with Jesus… If you'd like to follow along in my blog, go here and search for "Daniel": ⁠https://seekthegospeltruth.com/⁠ If you want a true relationship with Jesus, pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Or visit: https://seekthegospeltruth.com/how-to-invite-jesus-into-your-heart/ Great Christian Book Picks that make Great Gifts! Check out the Bookstore: https://seekthegospeltruth.com/recommended-christian-books/  Best Study Bibles — another Great Gift Idea! https://seekthegospeltruth.com/best-study-bibles-for-beginners/ (A Christianbook Affiliate) Free ebook to help reach your Catholic friends & relatives: https://seekthegospeltruth.com/catholic-mission-field-in-our-backyards/ Follow me… Twitter: https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/truthofthegoodnews/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icreatephx/ Telegram: https://t.me/seekingthegospeltruth Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/giselleaguiar/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giselleaguiar.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@seekthegospeltruth/ Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/seek-the-truth/message

In this episode J.J. and Dr. Simkovich dig into the differences between the Pharisees and the Saducees, and air some more second temple laundry. Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and the director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), and Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018), which received the 2019 AJL Judaica Reference Honor Award. Simkovich's articles have been published in the Harvard Theological Review and the Journal for the Study of Judaism, as well as on online forums such as The Lehrhaus and the Times of Israel. She is involved in numerous local and international interreligious dialogue projects which help to increase understanding between Christians and Jews.

The place was packed May have been Peter's house The preaching was personal He preached 'The Word' to them They needed to hear from God The problem was perplexing The friends had to carry their friend, and it would have gotten hard at times The house was full, and they could not get through because of the 'press' The performance was peculiar They tore up the roof They then lowered him down into the room below The patient was pardoned Jesus pardoned the sinner, and healed his ailment The persnickety were put out The Saducees and Pharisees refused to believe, and they thought in their hearts that Jesus was in the wrong The preacher was perceptive He knew about the thoughts that were in their hearts He called them out on it The paralytic was perfected He was no longer disabled He was also sinless because Jesus had forgiven him The people began praising They were amazed, and they all praised God

Who do you say Jesus is? Dr. Kerry Muhlestein explores how God's covenant path creates a kingdom of priests and priestesses, how humility helps avoid hypocrisy, and how formal covenants change our natures.00:00 Part 1–Dr. Kerry Muhlestein00:56 Introduction of Dr. Kerry Muhlestein02:14 Background about Pharisees, Saduccees, and how they vary by region09:17 Ritual cleanliness and Jewish law and customs regarding parents16:15 Rationalization and loopholes17:46 What defiles a person21:53 Finding fault23:28 Jesus casts out an unclean spirit north of the Sea of Galilee28:39 Jesus teaching Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles32:19 Jesus returns to Capernaum and Decapolis and performs miracles35:40 Jesus heals with touch, spit, clay, etc. and the symbolism connected37:30 Some Pharisees and Saducees asked Jesus for a sign41:43 When asking for a sign is a mistake42:28 Bread, yeast, and metaphors of corruption47:47 The challenge of the world's influence51:02 Jesus heals a blind man in stages56:20 End of Part 1–Dr. Kerry MuhlesteinShow Notes (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese): https://followhim.coFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannelThanks to the followHIM team:Shannon Sorensen: Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesJamie Neilson: Social Media, Graphic DesignWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish Transcripts"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com/products/let-zion-in-her-beauty-rise-piano

John 9:1-41As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,' your sin remains. I hinted a couple of weeks ago – by way of a disclaimer during my sermon about Nicodemus – that it can be hard, risky, dangerous, even, to preach on some of these Gospel texts about the Pharisees, considering the bad rap the Jews and the Pharisees get, week after week, chapter after chapter, verse after verse – especially in the gospels of John and Matthew. It's hard, risky and dangerous because so many throughout history have used this negative characterization of “the Jews” and “the Pharisees” to perpetuate hateful, destructive, sinful, anti-Semitism over the years and to justify it all in the name of faith.So, it's worth knowing a few things that matter about the Pharisees – then… for the people of Jesus' day, and for us… still, here and now. The Pharisees have become a caricature for some – and an easy target – for our judgement and condemnation by way of Scripture. Because of what we read there and because of the example Jesus seems to make of them so much of the time – as being hypocrites, religious zealots, gatekeepers of the synagogue, arbiters of the law and of works righteousness at the expense of love, mercy, and grace. And there were some Pharisees and Saducees and other Jews who believed and behaved in those ways, for sure.But there were also Pharisees who respected Jesus, who invited him to meals without ulterior motives, who helped him when he was in trouble, and who helped the Apostles in the early days of their ministry, too. Nicodemus, remember – a Pharisee and leader of the Jews – ended up following Jesus after they're late-night meeting, it seems; he defended him against his accusers on the way to the Cross; and he cared for and helped bury his body after the crucifixion. The apostle Paul was, himself, a Pharisee.Even in today's Gospel the Pharisees were “divided.” Some thought Jesus couldn't possibly be faithful because he'd broken the Law by healing on the Sabbath. Others thought he must be worth something because he had worked a miracle, after all.All of this is to say, like I said a few weeks ago: in these times when anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly, sinful head in ever-prolific ways, that when I make note of the flaws of the Pharisees in Scripture, I do that, not because they're Jewish – as too many misguided souls believe – and not even because all Pharisees were all bad. I do it because the ones who confound and confront Jesus so often look and smell and act so much like religious people of all kinds in the world as we know it. As I like to say, these particular Pharisees are meant to be more like reflections in our mirror, than targets for our self-righteous judgment and condemnation.And today's episode with Jesus, the Pharisees, the blind man and his neighbors is an example of that – particularly the exchange between the Pharisees (also called “the Jews,” here) and the formerly blind guy's parents. See, I was particularly fascinated and saddened by the notion that the man's parents were so afraid of being kicked out of the synagogue that they couldn't speak the truth about their son's experience. (Did you catch that?) When they were asked about what woulda/coulda/shoulda been the great joy of their son having received his sight, they're like, “Yes. That's our boy … he used to be blind … he can see now … but don't ask us how it happened. Ask him. He's old enough to speak for himself.” They were afraid, we're told, because anyone known to confess Jesus as the Messiah … anyone following this new way … anyone NOT following the rules of what faithfulness was supposed to look like, according to their standards … would get the boot. Just as their son eventually did, according to the story.And this caught my attention this time around because I saw a modern day example of it, just this week. A woman posted a letter she got from her church, signed by three men from the congregation's elder board. The letter, littered with passages and citations from Scripture, said this:“For the last several weeks we have noted that you have stopped attending the assembly of the church. After attempts to discuss this situation with you, we fear that you are no longer convinced in the need to assemble with the church for which Christ died. We are very saddened by your decision.“The ‘failure to assemble' is not the only problem that you must address. We have been informed and understand that you have a living arrangement that is not Biblical and must be terminated immediately. This action alone reflects that you have not avoided ‘all appearances of evil' as the scripture directs us. (1 Thess. 5:22)“Please understand our obligation as shepherds: first, we must watch for your soul (Hebrews 13:17) and second, protect the congregation by withdrawing from every brother/sister that walks disorderly. (2 Thess. 3:6)“If these issues are NOT corrected and public repentance made … by Sunday, Feburary 21, 2021 … we will withdraw fellowship.”Now, I don't know anything more about this church or their elder board or the three guys who wrote that letter, but it was a not-so-nice reminder about the truth that anyone and everyone can misuse religion and blame all sorts of ugliness on God and scripture and the certainty we wish we could find there and that we pretend too much of the time exists more often than is true.Which is the lesson I was reminded of by way of this morning's Gospel, this time around, and one we can't hear too often…First, that Jesus is more interested in forgiving sin than in punishing us for it. Second, when Jesus hears that that man had been driven from the synagogue and pushed from the fold, he goes after him. And when he finds him, Jesus is as curious as I think he believes we should be, more often.Jesus asks the guy if he believes, instead of telling him what to believe.And then Jesus reminds him of what he's already seen and experienced of God's grace in his life – “You have seen him,” he says – “I was the one with the mud and the spit, remember? – the one speaking with you is he.” This, for my money, is like saying, “Forget about what these knuckleheads have said and done and think they know. “Their certainty clouds their vision … “their single-mindedness about who God is and about doing things the way things have always been done limits their ability to experience God most fully …“their black-and-white, cut-and-dried, right-and-wrong world-view forgets that God is always up to something new, in and for and through us and that we are blessed and better when we look for those surprises – and when we find ways to share them – rather than resist them at every turn.”Now it feels slightly more faithful and fun and satisfying, if we're honest, to point fingers at some fellow Christians in all of this – much like everyone in that story about the blind was Jewish in one way or another. But let's keep to the notion that all of this is about holding up a mirror, not throwing self-righteous stones.And let's wonder who we are quick to judge and how? (prostitutes and addicts; people of other faiths or denominations, even; people of other ages or races or gender identities)What are we fast to condemn and drive from our midst? (the “woke mob” or the “far right” … the Republicans or the Democrats … anyone who challenges our worldview or familiar, comfortable way of doing things?)In what ways do we dismiss God's ability to work in the lives of others who don't live, move, breathe and practice their faith in ways that make sense to us?So let's learn to open the eyes of our hearts, more often, as the song goes. Let's believe that God's vision of the Kingdom and for the Church is bigger than what we are always willing or able to see. And let's have faith, that this kind of grace can change us; that it can show us something new and holy and different about the world as we know it; that, even if it's just a glimpse, it's worth seeing and sharing until all people – and each of us – are seen as worthy of the love God brings in Jesus.Amen

We all have personalities, but are they partial to Pharisees, Sadducees, Lawyers, Scribes OR believers. We are still cleaning up our lives in preparation for 2023.

You're about to study the New Testament... but over 400 years have passed since the time of the Old Testament. So, what happened during those 400 years? What influences created the world of the New Testament? Where did the Pharisees, Saducees, Essenes, Scribes, and synagogues come from? And how did the world become prepared for the birth of Jesus Christ? Answers to these questions and so much more are contained in this episode of the Hope in Christ podcast.

Shabbat Sermon by Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, member Bob Braun, December 31, 2022. (Youtube)

Jesus takes the Herodians, the Pharisees and the Saducees to school in this portion of scripture. Listen in to hear how Jesus beats all these groups at their own game.

Acts 23:6-10 ESV 6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. DIVISION IN THE COUNCIL The Sanhedrin regulated the practice of Judaism. It was comprised of priests, elders, and scribes, whereby most of them were experts in the Mosaic law. Most of all the priests members of the council belong to the sect of the Sadducees. They followed the Mosaic law only, that is, the first five books of Scripture with no additional regulation. And they tended to be wealthy and got along with the Romans. They believed there is no resurrection from the dead. To their thinking, any blessings God gives will come in this lifetime, so a person needs to get their benefits now. The Pharisees, however, also followed the Oral Law, which their scribes claimed came from Moses. This is in addition to their belief to the written Law in the Pentateuch. Pharisees believed in the resurrection from the dead. They liked power and money, but they didn't want to risk their chance for more power and riches in the afterlife, so they followed extra-biblical rules. Unlike the Saducees, they disliked the Romans. The Pharisees and Sadducees' validations came from the people who saw them as great religious leaders. Both, Jesus and John the Baptist later had criticized both sects (Mat 3:7; 16:6–12). Here, the Sanhedrin council convened in order to hear and determine whether the accusations against Paul was true or not based on the law. They heard Paul saying, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” As they heard this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. Paul's wit worked. He used the dissenting views about the subject of ressurrection to gain sentiment from the Pharisees who believed in ressurection and provoke the Sadducees, who believe not the ressurection. By doing so, he drew attention away from himself. Surely, the message of the ressurection from the dead makes his accusers find hard to handle. (Acts 23:1–6). And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. Their conflict was an indication of how the council had posed externally as respectable but rotten at its core. It is sad that religious leaders would focus and defend a particular persuasion, especially if it's a non-essential. Their pride to defend their turf had diverted them from the most essential – to know Christ.

Acts chapter 5 begins the stories of persecution of the church. Luke tells us that the Saducees and Pharisees—the religious and political leaders of their day were jealous of the successful ministry the Apostles were having and sought to persecute them. Like the disciples, we ought to see how the cultural challenges that lie ahead are not obstacles that hinder us, but avenues for our faith to shine brighter. Suffering is something that can produce endurance and strengthen our hope in God. Notes: “Since the states authority has been delegated by God, we are to submit right up to the point where disobedience to the state would involve disobedience to God. At that point it is our Christian duty to disobey the state in order to obey God.” John Stott “The idea that the current moment means we should jettison biblical traits like kindness, gentleness, unity, lack of quarrelsomeness, etc. Is foreign to a New Testament written predominantly by men about to killed for their faith to people about to be killed for their faith.” Daniel Darling “Historically, Christians have most influenced society not as culture warriors but as a praying, worshiping, giving, neighbor-loving minority. If given the opportunity would we return to that, or are partisanism and power now preferred as lord and savior.” Scott Sauls

Acts chapter 5 begins the stories of persecution of the church. Luke tells us that the Saducees and Pharisees—the religious and political leaders of their day were jealous of the successful ministry the Apostles were having and sought to persecute them. Like the disciples, we ought to see how the cultural challenges that lie ahead are not obstacles that hinder us, but avenues for our faith to shine brighter. Suffering is something that can produce endurance and strengthen our hope in God. Notes: “Since the states authority has been delegated by God, we are to submit right up to the point where disobedience to the state would involve disobedience to God. At that point it is our Christian duty to disobey the state in order to obey God.” John Stott “The idea that the current moment means we should jettison biblical traits like kindness, gentleness, unity, lack of quarrelsomeness, etc. Is foreign to a New Testament written predominantly by men about to killed for their faith to people about to be killed for their faith.” Daniel Darling “Historically, Christians have most influenced society not as culture warriors but as a praying, worshiping, giving, neighbor-loving minority. If given the opportunity would we return to that, or are partisanism and power now preferred as lord and savior.” Scott Sauls

Is there life after death? The bible says there is. Listen this message as Pastor Alex Klimchuk explains who the Saducees were, why they did not believe in resurrection and breaks down scriptures that indicate there is life after death. Mark 12:18-27   Website: http://www.newlifechurchsf.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewLifeSF/ Youtube: https://youtu.be/7Ig-qXgVAmE/ Pastor Alex Klimchuk New Life Church 500 S 1st Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57104

During the 400 years between the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi and first book of the New Testament, Matthew, the people didn't hear from God. It's called the Intertestamental Period. What happened during those years? Was God really silent? Did He abandon Israel — His chosen people? In this special 2-part series, we will cover historical accounts that tell us about characters like Alexander the Great, the Maccabees, Cleopatra, Caesar and Marc Antony, the birth of the Jewish sects, the Pharisees and the Saducees and finally, King Herod the Great. Let's dig in… Keep reading in my blog where there are links to dig deeper with other Bible studies, graphics and videos… https://seekthegospeltruth.com/2022/05/21/between-malachi-and-matthew-400-years-when-god-was-silent/ If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then… Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Or visit: https://seekthegospeltruth.com/how-to-invite-jesus-into-your-heart/ Best Study Bibles: https://seekthegospeltruth.com/best-study-bibles-for-beginners/ Free ebook: https://seekthegospeltruth.com/catholic-mission-field-in-our-backyards/ This is a daily podcast, published each evening. Subscribe so can get to know Jesus. And please share this with your friends. Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

Chagiga 23 : Marc Chipkin : 2022-03-04 Do we pattern a decree over the exact circumstances that were in place originally or do we broaden it? Concern over the spit of an am ha'aretz. Going against the Saducees when it comes to a tevul yom.

Today’s daf is sponsored by Sigal Spitzer in honor of Abby Flamholz. “Happy big birthday! May this just be the beginning of your Talmud Torah journey!” Today’s daf is sponsored by Viti Rosenzweig Kuns for the refua shlema of Matityahi ben Rosa and Sarah bat Vita. How was Rabbi Akiva able to see/identify God? Several verses are brought by various rabbis to try to answer this question. Comparisons are made between angels and demons, and angels and humans - in what ways are humans similar to angels and in what ways to animals? Why can't one ponder what happened before the creation? Two different explanations are brought to explain the line in the Mishna, whoever doesn't have concern for his/her Creator, better that he/she had never come into the world. Is it referring to one who looks at a rainbow (what is wrong with that?) or one who sins secretly. Not only should one not look at a rainbow, but also one should not look at a Nasi or at kohanim in the Temple when they are blessing the people. Do not believe the evil inclination if it tells you to sin and you will be pardoned. One who sins in private, who will testify against them that they sinned? Several answers are given. The Mishna brings the earliest debate that spanned all the generations of the zugot, the pairs, regarding whether or not one is allowed to do the mitzva of smicha, leaning on the animal on Yom Tov when offering the chagigah sacrifices. The last pair of rabbis was Hillel and Shamai - but before Shamia came there was Menachem, however, he was removed from his position - why? Rava and Abaye each bring a different explanation. The order the pairs are mentioned in the Mishna demonstrates which served as the Nasi and which as the Av Bet Din. However, there is a debate about one of the pairs - who held which position. A braita is brought which tries to be matched up with one of the opinions, but in the end it is inconclusive. The braita tells the story of Yehoshua ben Perachia who judged someone to death as an ed zomem (a type of false witness) incorrectly, in an attempt to make a point to the Saducees, and Shimon ben Shatach corrected him. From then on, he was only willing to rule in the presence of Shimon ben Shatach. Rabbi Yochanan proves from our Mishna that one should not take rabbinic ordinances lightly, such as using animals on Yom Tov/Shabbat. The Gemara tries to better understand why Rabbi Yochanan said that and what he really meant to say. Rami bar Hama infers from Rabbi Yochanan that smicha needs all one one's strength, The Gemara questions this by bringing a braita regarding the exemption of women from smicha and yet they permitted women to do it if they wanted to. If smicha is with all of one's strength, how could they have permitted women to "use" sanctified animals if they were actually not obligated?

Today’s daf is sponsored by Sigal Spitzer in honor of Abby Flamholz. “Happy big birthday! May this just be the beginning of your Talmud Torah journey!” Today’s daf is sponsored by Viti Rosenzweig Kuns for the refua shlema of Matityahi ben Rosa and Sarah bat Vita. How was Rabbi Akiva able to see/identify God? Several verses are brought by various rabbis to try to answer this question. Comparisons are made between angels and demons, and angels and humans - in what ways are humans similar to angels and in what ways to animals? Why can't one ponder what happened before the creation? Two different explanations are brought to explain the line in the Mishna, whoever doesn't have concern for his/her Creator, better that he/she had never come into the world. Is it referring to one who looks at a rainbow (what is wrong with that?) or one who sins secretly. Not only should one not look at a rainbow, but also one should not look at a Nasi or at kohanim in the Temple when they are blessing the people. Do not believe the evil inclination if it tells you to sin and you will be pardoned. One who sins in private, who will testify against them that they sinned? Several answers are given. The Mishna brings the earliest debate that spanned all the generations of the zugot, the pairs, regarding whether or not one is allowed to do the mitzva of smicha, leaning on the animal on Yom Tov when offering the chagigah sacrifices. The last pair of rabbis was Hillel and Shamai - but before Shamia came there was Menachem, however, he was removed from his position - why? Rava and Abaye each bring a different explanation. The order the pairs are mentioned in the Mishna demonstrates which served as the Nasi and which as the Av Bet Din. However, there is a debate about one of the pairs - who held which position. A braita is brought which tries to be matched up with one of the opinions, but in the end it is inconclusive. The braita tells the story of Yehoshua ben Perachia who judged someone to death as an ed zomem (a type of false witness) incorrectly, in an attempt to make a point to the Saducees, and Shimon ben Shatach corrected him. From then on, he was only willing to rule in the presence of Shimon ben Shatach. Rabbi Yochanan proves from our Mishna that one should not take rabbinic ordinances lightly, such as using animals on Yom Tov/Shabbat. The Gemara tries to better understand why Rabbi Yochanan said that and what he really meant to say. Rami bar Hama infers from Rabbi Yochanan that smicha needs all one one's strength, The Gemara questions this by bringing a braita regarding the exemption of women from smicha and yet they permitted women to do it if they wanted to. If smicha is with all of one's strength, how could they have permitted women to "use" sanctified animals if they were actually not obligated?

The original ולמלשינים was against the Saducees

I SPEAK JESUS - The Third Way. Pastor Steve shares a message about what Jesus came to do - give us a way to follow. Unlike the Pharisees and Saducees, whose relationship mirrored our cultural divides today, we're called to transcend the tribal ways and allow love and relationship to be what we stand on.

The gospel begins to look towards Jerusalem and the cross. The 'yeast' of the Pharisees and Saducees reminds Ruth of the temptation the Galatians faced to turn back to a works-based religion and she contrasts that to Peter's faith in Jesus.

Slideshow for this message is available Introduction As a society we disagree. With so many people, so many backgrounds, perspectives, religions, this disagreement is inevitable. Now, resolving factual disputes, in theory, should be relatively easy: find a group of experts to collect the data and ask them to lay out the conclusions. This approach works fabulously when the issue at stake is the atomic weight of helium. We hear the expert opinion and we have no reason to question it. It's settled. But what if those FACTS have implications? As humans we are programmed, maybe even hard-wired, to dismiss FACTS that don't align with our worldview. We have this built in tendency to interpret, favor, selectively recall certain information that confirms our prior beliefs or values. This tendency is strongest when we are dealing with highly emotionally charged issues or deeply entrenched beliefs. Social scientists call this MOTIVATED REASONING. We are all motivated to look at data a certain way based on your preconceptions. Take a hot topic issue. Are we all being objective with the data? What does the data say about climate change, or gun control or vaccination or the safety of nuclear energy or genetically modified foods? I'm sure you have an opinion on that. We are all biased. We are all victims of our own MOTIVATED REASONING. According to studies done on this subject, this MOTIVATED REASONING has nothing to do with the level of education a person has, the family they grew up in, the type of culture in which a person lives. None of us are immune to this. Now today we get to John chapter 11. This is the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This is one of the only examples we have in the Bible of Jesus intentionally making a miracle more dramatic. What Jesus is doing is graciously creating a situation in which even those who are heavily biased by motivated reasoning will have to confess the truth. He's trying to establish the FACTS of who he is so dramatically, so indisputably, so incontestably, so undeniably, so indubitably that his opponents will have no choice. Some will believe. But we will also see some, astoundingly, harden themselves further in unbelief. Now before we get too judgmental, let me assure you, all of us in the room are approaching the text this morning with MOTIVATED REASONING. Jesus will tell is things we don't want to hear and we are hard-wired to go to great lengths to explain those things away, to find alternate explanations, to rationalize, to justify and to excuse ourselves from the implications. So as we begin would you just ask the Lord to remove that from you right now. “Lord, would you allow the truth to penetrate my heart regardless of the implications and protect me from my motivated reasoning.” Overview We are in John chapter 11 and we are at a bit of a turning point in the book so we would do well to take a moment to get our bearings. Chapter 11 and the story of the raising of Lazarus occurs sometime between September and April. We know that because of two time markers we have been given in John 10 and 12. This is a calendar of the Jewish feast and how the Jewish calendar overlays on top of our Gregorian calendar. If you remember in John chapter 8-9 it was the feast of tabernacles. That's here in September/October. In John 10 we are told it is the feast of dedication (Hannakah) which is here in December and in John 12 we are told it's passover. And this is Jesus' last passover. So today we enter John chapter 11, which means we are somewhere in between those two which means we are approaching the final months of Jesus' ministry. Think about where we are in the book. We are just a little over half way. That tells you something about the emphasis doesn't it? The gospels are essentially four biographies of the Life of Jesus of Nazareth but they are oddly heavily lopsided in their content. If you were to count the number of chapters in Mt-Jn you'd have 89 chapters. 85 of those chapters focus on the last 3 1/2 years of Jesus ministry. Of those 85 chapters 27 of them deal with the last 8 days of his life. Why? Because you give space for that which you want to emphasize. The focus of Jesus life is his death. Because it is through his death that we achieve atonement, redemption, forgiveness of sins, resurrection and life. That becomes the entire focus of the epistles that follow. So we are roughly halfway through the book of John and John will spend as much time on these last 8 days of Jesus life as he does on the previous 33 years of Jesus life. Now there are events which really set the stage for these last eight days and John 11 is one of the most significant. Now to understand it, let's pick it up where we left off last week. Remember from John chapter 10, Jesus preaches the sermon on the good shepherd. The Jews say, tell us plainly who you are and Jesus says, "I and the Father are one." The Jews pick up stones to stone him. I want to focus for just a moment on the geography and strategy behind that move for just a moment. Let's ask the question, why does Jesus make this move to the area across the Jordan. Answer: this is almost certainly a political move on the part of Jesus. The emperor in Rome at this time is Tiberius. And the way Roman emperors ruled their empire is to appoint prefects over the various districts of the Roman empire. So the area we call Israel was broken up into these various regions. Here's a map that demonstrates that. In John 10 Jesus is in the city of Jerusalem celebrating the feast of dedication at the temple. Jerusalem was part of the region of Judea and this whole area was under the governing jurisdiction of Pontius Pilate who of course features heavily in the chapters to come. After the Jews pick up stones, Jesus flees and heads East to Perea. This area along with Judea were under the Jurisdiction of Herod Antipas. To go from Jerusalem to Perea is not very far, maybe something like 15-20 miles. Why would Jesus do this? You have to understand Pilate's situation. Pilate at this time, was a bit of a crippled ruler. Early on in his reign he was very powerful. He ruled with significant authority. He had a protector in Rome named Seganus who funded and protected him. But a couple things happened that changed that. First, Segenus his protector was executed for sedition. And then Pilate did a few things that upset the Jews and Rome sided with the Jews. So Pilate got in trouble and he no longer had a defender. Pilate was in the dog house with Rome and the Jews knew it. He couldn't muscle his way around among the Jews. The Jews had leverage on him and could get him to do their bidding. And the overwhelming evidence of this in the NT is the crucifixion. Just a cursory reading of the text shows that Pilate doesn't want to crucify this guy but the Jews force his hand. So Jesus flees from the area of Judea where Pilate is ruling because the Jews have all sorts of power there. He crosses over the Jordan river and ministers in Perea where Herod Antipas is ruling. Now let's talk about Herod Antipas. This is a different Herod by the way, than Herod you read about in nativity story. Herod Antipas and Tiberius (who, remember, was the emperor) were childhood friends. He's got all sorts of protection from Rome. In addition to that, Herod Antipas is ruling a largely gentile area. The Jews don't factor into the politics of this area. The Jews have no power over Herod Antipas. So Jesus flees to this area to escape the Jews and particularly to escape the political power the Jewish leaders enjoy in this area over Pontius Pilate. So he's going to be in Perea for 2-3 months. Now only Luke records this part of Jesus' ministry. And there's one very significant interchange that Jesus has that is going to be very helpful both in illustrating this political dynamic but also in setting us up for John chapter 11 and the raising of Lazarus. Now you have Pharisees coming to Jesus and warning him that Herod wants to kill him. Now right there, just that in and of itself, ought to be a red flag. Didn't the Pharisees, just a chapter earlier want him dead? Something doesn't seem right. Something's afoot. I'm pretty sure the Pharisee isn't motivated by his affectionate desire for the wellfare of Jesus. And almost certainly this is a ploy. Herod doesn't care about Jesus. Herod Antipas probably barely knows who Jesus is. He hasn't stirred up any trouble in his domain. So when the Jews say, “Herod wants to kill you.” Jesus knows it's a trap. The Pharisees are trying to push him out of the territory of Herod Antipas and move him into the territory of Pilate where they have control. That's what's going on. Now Jesus knows that and so he responds. 32 And he said to them, Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.' He's saying, my time has not yet come. It's really kind of dark humor. He responds, “You guys are coming from Jerusalem, the city that always kills the prophets. Remember Jeremiah? remember Micah? Prophets have to die in Jerusalem, so until I go there I'm safe.” If you wanted to make an analogy you might say, “Surfers don't have to worry about being eaten by sharks unless their surfing in shark infested waters and prophets don't have to worry about dying unless they are in Jerusalem.” Do, you realize the Jews of Jesus' day would actually build tombs for the prophets. They didn't pretend that the bodies were there, but they wanted a place to put wreaths and garlands as if to say, “We are so embarrassed that our forefathers killed the prophets who wrote our Bible.” And of course we would never do that. In another place Jesus is going to say, “You build tombs to the prophets, but you are going to bring the blood of Abel to Zechariah upon yourselves.” All those prophets spoke of Jesus, and they are trying to kill Jesus! And then you have this lament. 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. Jesus isn't in Jerusalem. But he's mourning their hardened hearts. And then he says this marvelous, prophetic WORD. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'" What does that mean? Jesus, right here is quoting Psalm 118. Psalm 118 is a Messianic Psalm. This is the Psalmist giving God's people instruction on how they are to receive their Messiah. It's almost like the Psalmist is giving them a future hymn book. When Messiah comes, you sing this Psalm. Who hasn't woken up and said, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Yeah, that's true. But that's not what this Psalm is talking about. It's talking about the day that Messiah comes. And when that day comes, you should all cry out, “Hossana” which means save us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. That's how you welcome Messiah. And so what Jesus is saying to the Pharisees is this: the next time you see me will be when all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem spill out of the city and lay down their garments and palm branches and WELCOME ME AS MESSIAH, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." The whole city is going to welcome me as KING. Now, here's the point, if you were to have been there when Jesus said those words, you would have said, “That's impossible. By this time it was public knowledge, The Pharisees hate Jesus. The Pharisees and Saducees control that entire hill. They control the temple. The disciples of Jesus are convinced that a journey to Jerusalem is the same thing as a journey to the grave.” How in the world, Jesus, are you going to OPENLY walk into Jerusalem with the crowds welcoming you as Messiah, when you know good and well that the Pharisees and Sadducees are BENT on destroying you? Well the answer in part the raising of Lazarus. And you want to talk about MOTIVATED REASONING? This is a text book example. Now let's regain our bearings. Jesus has crossed over the Jordan and has had this entire exchange with the Pharisees in the relative safety of Herod Antipas. But now Jesus gets word that Lazarus is sick. Jesus is good friends with Lazarus. Lazarus lives in Bethany. Where is Bethany? Bethany is only about a mile from Jerusalem so Jesus would have likely stayed here when he was in the city for Feasts. But notice the region in which Bethany lies. Bethany is right here, back in the region of Judea, right where the Pharisees want him (back in the jurisdiction of Pontius Pilate where they have control). So this is a dangerous mission. Jesus, come back to the area where you were just about stoned to death. As we continue through the text you can detect the disciples resistance to the suggestion that they should go back up to Judea. As a side note, it's very interesting that John distinguishes which Mary he's referencing. Mary, the one who annointed Jesus feet with oil and washed it with her hair. Why is that interesting? Because he hasn't yet told the story yet about Mary anointing Jesus feet with oil. That's coming later in chapter 12. This is a pretty good evidence that John assumes you've got the other gospels in your hand. Remember John wrote his gospel last. What he's doing is assuming that you as the reader know the story as told by Matthew, Mark and Luke and since we've been introduced to more than one Mary in the synoptic gospels, he's clarifying which one he's referencing. At any rate, Jesus gets word that his friend Lazarus is very ill. Now notice the careful wording of Jesus. This is an illness that does not lead to death. He doesn't say, Lazarus will not die. He says it's an illness that doesn't culminate, terminate in death. Instead it's a sickness that leads to the glory of God. Now let's get very specific as to what is meant by that. God's doesn't receive glory from the fact that illness exists. Illness is not part of the original design. God did not look at illness in the garden and pronounce it good. Death is the consequence of sin. But, this disease and its associated suffering will be the mechanism through which God's glory over illness is displayed. In the end, the illness DOES not win. The illness lead to death. In the LONG VIEW, this illness actually leads to resurrection life. And it's at that moment that God's glory is revealed. Now at this point, the disciples understand PRECISELY ZERO of what Jesus means by this. Here's almost certainly what is going through the disciples minds. They get word that Lazarus is sick and Jesus, using his divine insight responds to the messenger, this is not a sickness that leads to death and he sends the messenger away. Sweet! Instead this is an illness that leads to the glory of God. Great! He's going to get healed like many of the others that Jesus healed. There are multiple examples in the Scripture where Jesus heals from afar with a mere word. I'm certain that's what the disciples thought. I'm certain that's what the messenger who returned thought. I'm sure the disciples thought, it will be interesting to hear the rest of the story next time we meet up and see Lazarus. I'm sure everyone mentally checked the time and said, “Okay's about noon on Thursday and Lazarus will say, ‘yeah, right about noon on Thursday I just instantly started feeling better.'” And everyone forgets about it. Jesus announces no further intention. But, we as readers get special insight into his plan. But our special insight is shocking! Did you hear that? Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Let's zoom in on that word for love. As you know, there are several words for love for love in Greek and this is the word agape. It's the highest form of love. It's perfect, unconditional, pure. It most often refers to DIVINE love because only God can love with that much purity. So the text says, he LOVED these three with that kind of love. Now look at verse 6. The word so is a strong word. It means THEREFORE. Jesus LOVED these guys and on the basis of his love for them, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Did you hear that? Because God loved them so perfectly, in a totally unconditional way, he didn't come when they called upon him in their moment of GREATEST need. This is bottomlessly instructive for us. We think it ought to read, since Jesus loved them so much, he immediately did what they asked and went to the aid of Lazarus to make sure he wouldn't die. We think that the Love of God means doing what we we want. God if you loved me you would fix this financial problem in my life. God if you REALLY loved me, you'd fix this relational problem that I am experiencing either in my marriage or with my kids, or my friends or in the church. That, Lord would be evidence of your love for me. God if you REALLY, REALLY loved me then you would get rid of this cancer or this disease or this health handicap. But actually the love of God is doing what is best for the person even if it involves our suffering. Did you catch that? God LOVES you; and so often times he will wait those two extra days. The very best thing in the world for you right now might be the delay of God. Why did he wait two additional days? When Jesus arrived on the scene Lazarus had already been dead four days so If he had set out immediately, Lazarus would have still been dead two full days. But he waited. Why? Because he wanted to establish with spectacular certainty that LAZARUS was not just mostly dead, but CERTAINLY dead. God's delays are not denials. The fact you think its a delay is an evidence of your MOTIVATED REASONING. What Mary and Martha wanted was for Jesus to swoop in and overcome sickness. What Jesus wanted was to swoop in and overcome death. Which is better? Now at this point, remember, the disciples still have no idea that this is what's going to go down. Remember, the last thing they heard was that this was not an illness that leads to death. They assumed this was a healing from afar. That was two days ago when Jesus said that. They've completely forgotten about Lazarus. They've totally learned to trust Jesus. He's not going to die. End of story. Move on with our life. But then Jesus, undoubtedly, surprises them and says. Now I'm not sure they are even making the connection at this point between Lazarus and Judea. I think because they have so completely abandoned the idea that the sickness of Lazarus was a problem that when they hear Jesus say, “Let us go to Judea” they understood him to be updating them on their itinerary. And their initial reaction was this idea is not one of your better ideas, Jesus. To our ears this would be like Jesus saying, “let us go to Kabul international airport in Afghanistan.” What's wrong with JFK or Kona? When they hear this suggestion, they get real concerned. Jesus, you know the politics over there. Last time we were there they tried to kill you. You barely escaped with your life. Are you sure, Jesus? So out of their mouths comes this complaint and Jesus' response: Now Jesus is basically forcing them to square their theology with their fear. He says, why do we work in the day instead of the night? Because in the day you can see. You don't stumble in the day. There's no fear of stumbling when there is light. The light of the world prevents you from making a wrong step. If you are with me, guess what? It's daytime. Why? because I am the light of the world. You can't make a mistake if you are following me. Keep that in mind folks. You can't make a mistake if you are obeying what Jesus tells you to do. There is no possible way to REGRET obedience. That is a perfect step made in the light. The outcome might be horrendous by any other standard, but it's not a mistake. It's not a mistep. Following Jesus means you will never stumble. And the converse is true as well. "If anyone walks in the night he stumbles, because the light of the world is not in him." If you do anything apart from Jesus, if you make decisions in life and don't include Jesus, if you ignore your conscience and push Jesus to the side, then whatever decision you make, no matter how successful it is in the eyes of the world, will result in stumbling. You can't be on the right path if the path doesn't include Jesus as Lord and savior of your life. You will CERTAINLY stumble. Listen, we are going to Judea. Yes, it is dangerous. But you won't stumble because I am the light of the world. Now he tells them what their Judean mission will be. The disciples are, at times, dense; however, this is not one of those times. Jesus had plainly told them this was not a sickness that leads to death. How else is a person supposed to interpret those words? The disciples hear Jesus say, “I'm going to go wake up Lazarus.” Again, how else are they supposed to interpret those words. Jesus, I'm sure he's tired. After all, he's had a brush with death. But you told us it wasn't a sickness leading to death. Right? I'm sure he's sleepy. Do we really need to go to Judea and risk our lives to get him out of bed? He'll wake up when he's kicked the virus and feels better. Now comes plain language. Now here's where things get chilling. I am glad for your sake that I was not there so that you might believe that I really do have power to raise people from the dead. Which means what? Which means that they currently DO NOT believe. This is basically our stopping point. The miracle itself we are going to talk about next time. But I want you to just hear what Jesus is saying. You guys have been following me around for a few years now. And you still don't really believe. And this is applicable for all of us as well. We believe in Jesus, but we don't really believe he has power over the things we are suffering RIGHT NOW. You believe. But you don't believe. Jesus says to to his disciples, you believe I can heal people. You've seen that. But do you realize who I am? Who I really am? I can raise people from the dead. I can overcome the grave. You don't yet believe that. Now as evidence that they don't belive that, look what Thomas says. So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” This gives you some idea of the level of danger represented in Jesus' suggestion. In the minds of the disciples, this was a suicide mission. This was Normandy. These guys know the hornets nest of Judea. Now what does Thomas mean here? This is one place in the Bible where you'd love to have some tone, inflection and intonation. Either Thomas is saying: “Jesus, I'm so committed to you, I'll gladly go to Jerusalem and die with you.” In that case it's a very commendable statement of loyalty… “Fine, if you want to go to Jersualem to try and raise Lazarus from the dead, you'll likely be having to raise more than just Lazarus. We are all dead if we go there.” In this case it's heavy sarcasm But in either case, in both cases, what is Thomas lacking? He does not believe that Jesus has power OVER death. Either we will die, Jesus will die or both. But someone is going to die. And Jesus says, “I'm glad Lazarus died, so you can believe.” He's painting them into a corner. Let's apply this. Gospel Message Let me assure you. All of us today walk into the room with motivated reasoning. None are unbiased. None are objective. None are willing to just receive truth without question. There are FACTS presented here that our conception of reality wont readily support. What is the FACT established in this passage? The FACT above every other FACT is that Jesus has power over suffering and death. The FACT is that Jesus has purposes in SUFFERING and DEATH. Jesus is LORD over it. The whole Bible is written to establish that FACT. Now that conflicts with a deeply emotional conviction that if God loves me, I will not suffer. And so when we suffer, our MOTIVATED REASONING kicks in. How can God still love me. And rather than interpreting our circumstances through the love of God we interpret the LOVE of God through our circumstances. That's motivated reasoning. If you are suffering right now, what is true of Lazarus is true of you, "your suffering is for the glory of God." But I guarantee you that if you are suffering right now you are motivated to reason differently. It doesn't feel that way. The FACT that Jesus is LORD over suffering is in conflict with your sense that if Jesus loved you, he would rescue me from suffering. This passage is teaching us to look beyond our feelings to what is true. Of course it feels that way. Of course the suffering is not fun. Suffering always hurts. For Lazarus the coughing and the vomiting and the sweating and the fever were all real. He had to endure all that. The evil of suffering had its way. If God was to exercise supremacy OVER death, then logically speaking, death and the accompanying suffering must have its way first. Perhaps the silence of God in our life is the silence of those two days. Perhaps God is waiting so that he can establish with such spectacular certainty that he is sovereign over the suffering you experience. We don't know his good purposes. But we know that they are for his glory and our good. I'm glad, for your sake, that you are suffering. Why? How can you say that? Because through the suffering you will believe. You will know who I am. There's no alternate explanation. And would you not agree, that there is no more loving thing in the world that God could possibly do for you than to help you see him more clearly. Baptism This evening, we have a baptism service. And so come out to that. Come out and watch a FUNERAL and a BIRTH. That's what baptism is. We bury the old man. This man whose MOTIVATED to reason that this world is all about me. We put that old man in the grave. And what rises is new life. New life is born. Unless a man is BORN AGAIN, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. If you are not a Christian and are wondering how you become one, the answer of the Scriptures, is repent and be baptized. The Bible sees these events are simultaneous. It's a physical expression of what has taken place in the heart. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:4 ESV) Baptism is our funeral and birthday. We get a death certificate and a birth certificate on the same day. So bring a dinner to enjoy on the lawn afterwards. Bring a chair or a blanket and let's listen to the stories of life and celebrate Jesus' victory over death.

Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music written and performed by Jeff Foote.

Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music written and performed by Jeff Foote.

Toxic mix of religion and politics in the Second Temple era

Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music written and performed by Jeff Foote.

The Herodians, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Saducees…there were many groups who saw Jesus as their enemy. In Mark 2:18-3:6, we observe three interactions Jesus had with some of these people, who weren't really enemies from Jesus' point of view. Although they came at Him in the craziest and pettiest of ways, Jesus didn't consider them His enemies. To Him, they were hurting people who hadn't yet found the courage to confront what was really going on in their hearts. Jesus didn't take it personally. Instead, He gently led them again and again to God's word and to God's work.

After the scribes, Saducees, and Pharisees pose questions to Christ in order to catch him in His words, the Saviour now questions them on exactly who the Messiah should be. For the YouTube video, please click here.

Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music written and performed by Jeff Foote.

Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music written and performed by Jeff Foote.

Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here

Today, Palm Sunday is celebrated all over the world as the day that Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. However, its meaning goes much deeper than people shouting “Hosanna!” and waving palm branches. It was His time. Jesus had been preparing His disciples for what would be happening in a just a few days. But, the Jews, in general, Jerusalem, and definitely the Jewish leaders were not ready for Him. It’s not like God hadn’t warned the Jews. Jesus here is fulfilling several biblical, Old Testament prophecies. The problem was that the Jewish leaders — the Pharisees, Saducees, teachers of religious law, and the Sanhedrin — were so closed-minded and hard-hearted, that they didn’t see the truth when it was right in front of them. Unfortunately, the same things happens with many people today. Especially those involved and entangled in religion. The question is, if Jesus came back today, would you be ready? Let’s dig in… Keep reading in my blog where there are links to dig deeper and watch the special music videos at the bottom…. Jesus said, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” ~ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:22‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - This phrase is repeated 14 times in scripture. Kind of gives the idea that God wants us to pay attention. If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then… Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Jesus is coming back soon! Are you ready? Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! This is a daily podcast, published each evening. Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out! And please share this with your friends. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

The Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees and Saducees, wanted a miraculous sign from Jesus to prove His authority. Jesus only healed hundreds, if not thousands, of people, multiplied loaves and fishes to feed thousands, He walked on water and calmed a storm. What more did they need? Are you waiting for some sign from God? The answers to salvation are in God’s Word. Let’s dig in… Keep reading in my blog where there are links to dig deeper and watch the special music videos at the bottom…. Jesus said, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” ~ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:22‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - This phrase is repeated 14 times in scripture. Kind of gives the idea that God wants us to pay attention. If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then… Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Jesus is coming back soon! Are you ready? Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! This is a daily podcast, published each evening. Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out! And please share this with your friends. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

Many people are born with an illness or a disability. I, myself, have asthma. I always have to have a rescue inhaler with me, just in case. The other day, I went for a walk and the Phoenix “brown cloud” of dust, and whatever else is up there, must have been exceptionally bad. I started the annoying cough as my lungs tried to get good air. I had to go back home for the inhaler. Here in John 8, Jesus encounters a man who was born blind and He heals him. Of course, it was on a Sabbath. In those times, the Jewish leaders had taken a simple commandment of God’s and loaded it with more and more prohibitions. The commandment says not to work on the 7th day. One day of rest from labor. But with the Pharisees, you couldn’t do a lot more. If you’ve been going through the Gospels with me, it seems like Jesus always picks a Sabbath to heal someone. Probably just to anger the Pharisees and Saducees. Notice, too, that each time, it always leads to a discussion on WHO Jesus is. This is also leading to His ultimate arrest and crucifixion. Let’s dig in…. Keep reading in my blog where there are links to dig deeper as well as a special video movie depicting the Gospel of John chapter 9 and a special hymn... Jesus said, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” ~ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:22‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - this is repeated 14 times in scripture. Kind of gives the idea that God wants us to pay attention. If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then… Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Jesus is coming back soon! Are you ready? Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! This is a daily podcast, published each evening. Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out! And please share this with your friends. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

Paul causes a huge argument and fight between the Saducees and Pharisees, dividing the Jewish religious leaders against each other. They did not agree on what to think of Paul, or how to judge him. Thankful , the Roman Commander removed Paul from the situation safely. Later, Jesus visits Paul, and tells him to Be Brave...eluding the fact Paul will face more persecution , but that he should not worry because God is with him. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/biblereadaloud/support

Jesus walked in the favor with God and man. Favor is not being a people pleaser. Don't try to please everyone in your life — it's impossible. Favor doesn't mean that you will not experience opposition.  Jesus walked in God's favor when he cleansed the temple and challenged the Pharisees and Saducees. As you walk in obedience to Jesus you will experience God's favor in your daily life.  Subscribe to Healing Rain Podcast and Newsletter

As you read the Gospels, take note at how many times Jesus answers a question with a question. In Luke chapter 20, Jesus is asked 3 questions by the Pharisees, Saducees and the teachers of religious law. I can’t help but note the resemblance to Roman Catholic bishops, cardinals, priests and even the Pope as he warns the disciples to beware of the teachers of religious law in the last passage of this chapter. Even the parable He tells is about them. Let’s dig in… Keep reading in my blog where there are links so that you can dig deeper..... Jesus said, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” ~ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:22‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - this is repeated 14 times in scripture. Kind of gives the idea that God wants us to pay attention. If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then… Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Jesus is coming back soon! Are you ready? Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! This is a daily podcast, published each evening. Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out! And please share this with your friends. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

Opportunity is here -- we won't escape  hard times; rather we will grow and flourish through them.   The little Saducees and Pharisees are still with us today.   Fritz Berggren, PhD bloodandfaith.com

In Matthew, as well as Mark 2:22 and Luke 5:37-39. Jesus is recorded as making this statement. This illustration is about disciple of Jesus. He's telling the Jewish leaders and us and everyone throughout time about the actions of a disciple. Or rather, he's telling us about something different.   In this day, a disciple was a student. It meant a learner. They followed the rabbis around and learned from them and did what they were told. If you've watched The Chosen television series, you'll see this illustrated. Mostly they were Pharisees and Saducees. The pupil would apprentice with the teacher.    In all 3 of the Gospels, Jesus has just selected Matthew, the tax collector to be one of his disciples. To the people who followed John, and those who followed any respectable Jewish leader, they wouldn't let anyone follow them who had been a traitor to the Jews. But Jesus initiated the conversation and invited Matthew to follow him - radical.   The new wineskins are you and me. Jesus is telling them his disciples won't be like the disciples of the Jewish leaders? What can that mean for us? Today, let's do what Jesus did. Let's serve others and lay down our life for them. We'll look at another verse about disciples tomorrow. Today, remember our job is to appreciate others and serve them. Remember Mark 10:45 where Jesus said that he came to serve rather than to be served. Find a way to serve someone today.   Would you also consider paying it forward so one other person can join us and take the Marketplace Mission Trip. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click the button to donate. Also, sign up for the next Mission Trip while you're there, too!

Matthew 16:1-17  Leaven of Pharisees and Saducees – Peter's Confession of Christ

Guy Kassongo

Guy Kassongo

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/addisonsmitheverythingchurchpro)

In today's passage, Carlo explores Jesus having two conflicts - first with the Pharisees and Saducees, and then with his own disciples!

If you seek birthdays, Theophiloi, prepare for war — the War Scroll, that is! As we celebrate the Approximate Week between our two personal nativities, we dive into the Dead Sea Scrolls for the first time to find out all about the best of seven series between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness. Please note that these Sons of Light are not, like, half-angels or whatever, but they do write some extremely dope things on their swords. Topics of Discussion: Hobby Lobby being duped into becoming a literal Indiana Jones villain, Zydeco: the music of the Saducees, Alexander the Great, trumpets of ambush, trumpets of skambush, the strange acronyms of Forged In Fire Knife Expert Doug Marcaida, eternal slaughter, Dwayne "Cephas" Johnson. Hymnal: "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army" by the Hungarian Coverist ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHR1ZZ1bsYNkFBv1qkjQ1A ) Offertory: As Enoch writes, "Whoever of you spends gold or silver for his brother's sake, he will receive ample treasure in the world to come." Support the show via http://ko-fi.com/apocrypals, or check out Official Apocrypals merchandise designed by Erica Henderson! https://www.teepublic.com/user/apocrypals Black Lives Matter. Trans Lives Matter. Heck 12. Isaiah 1:17.  

In this episode, we continue our talk through the five main Jewish reactions to Hellenism during the Silent Years. Carrying on from last week’s discussion on the Saducees, this week we are covering the Herodians & Essenes. The post IBR Ep 37- The Silent Years: Herodians & Essenes appeared first on Out of Ashes Ministries.

Show #24. With Prof. Lawrence H. Schiffman discussing the Dead Sea Scrolls and more.A basic overview of what they are, who wrote them, the differences between the Perushim, Saducees, suggested reading material and more.To read more of Prof. Schiffman's work: https://nyu.academia.edu/LawrenceSchiffman and http://lawrenceschiffman.com/.To purchase his book "Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls": https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-Dead-Sea-Scrolls-Christianity/dp/0300140223For Geza Vermes English Translation of the Scrolls: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Dead-Sea-Scrolls-English/dp/0141197315/ref=sr_1_2?crid=HUUAXJ3ISEYN&dchild=1&keywords=vermes%2C+geza&qid=1596422662&s=books&sprefix=vermes%2Cstripbooks%2C150&sr=1-2

In Matthew 22 Jesus informed the Saducees that the cause of their confustion, the path that led them away from the truth and the hindrance of them drawing closer and having fellowship with Christ was their ignorance of the word of God, and their minimalist view of God. So it is with us today; much if not all of what makes us anxious, confuses us, hinders and overwhelms us is that we aren't governed by His truth and we are not resting secure in His power.

Modernity treats the human body pretty much as a machine for the production of pleasure. It is tuned up, fueled, and oiled for peak performance, and then when it is no longer of use, it is burnt and disposed of in a maximally efficient manner. Paradoxically, the denial of a soul which persists after bodily death has led us to deny the body itself as fundamental to human identity. The allegedly soulless modern has less hope of resurrection than the Saducees ever did. We somehow fear death more yet never engage with the reality of death. Scott Hahn joins the show to talk about how the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Son of God changed how our civilization viewed the body, death and the afterlife. Unfortunately, even Catholics today treat dead bodies in a way that does not convey this reality. Yet how we approach death & burial has the potential to show the Catholic difference and evangelize our culture. Contents [1:24] The present confrontation (or lack thereof) with mortality and death [4:28] Modern Gnostic attitudes towards the body [7:21] The ancient pagan sense of reverence for dead bodies vs. that of the Hebrews [15:08] The duality in Jewish treatment of corpses [23:48] Shift to early Christian attitudes [29:12] Rediscovering a healthy, balanced and hopeful view of the human body [31:41] What does it mean that we will have “spiritual bodies” after the resurrection? [47:07] Catholic beliefs about the consequences of failing to properly bury the dead [53:50] Revival of cremation by French revolutionaries, Masons, Communists and neo-pagans as a deliberate attack on the Church [59:51] The relevance of sacramentals and relics to the question of cremation [1:05:05] Inordinate fear of death during the present pandemic; reasons for hope Links Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body https://stpaulcenter.com/product/hope-to-die-the-christian-meaning-of-death-and-the-resurrection-of-the-body/  “In all things, charity (even pandemics)” https://www.lincolndiocese.org/news/diocesan-news/13928-in-all-things-charity-even-pandemics Scott Hahn http://www.scotthahn.com/ Emily Stimpson Chapman https://thecatholictable.com/about-emily-stimpson/ This podcast is a production of CatholicCulture.org. If you like the show, please consider supporting us! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

The interactions in this passage show who Jesus is - the Pharisees and Saducees try to trap Jesus, but only succeed in showing who He is. Then Jesus shows the true perspective to those who receive His word.

Today we're considering Jesus's confrontation with the Pharisees and Saducees. This Holy Week Devotional includes prayers, scripture readings, and a brief commentary meant to help you reflect on the final week of Christ's life. The closing benediction was adapted from, "The Worship Sourcebook."

What is the greatest teaching of God? Which one matters more than any other? That’s a great question, and we’re going to get Jesus’ answer today in Matthew 22. If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.Spend your first fifteen minutes of the day listening to God and responding in a personal way. This podcast will show you how and teach you in an easy to follow process.In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!The featured scripture in this episode is Matt 22:34-40. Jesus continues teaching in the temple courts in Jerusalem during the week leading up to Passover. Besides the priests and elders, he has also been challenged by the Pharisees and Saducees who are trying to catch him in a trap. They are asking hard questions of him and hoping he will misspeak and get himself into trouble. Today one of the Pharisees asks him which is the most important commandment in God's law. Jesus gives him the two most important commands of all.Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also watch this as a video podcast on Youtube at the Word of Prayer channelGet a copy of Book 4: Journey with Jesus: Praying Your Way through Matthew's Gospel - Book 4 on Amazon (or ebook)Download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen. Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.comSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=30142397)

In Matthew 12 The Pharisees and Saducees demanded that Jesus give them a sign. God wants to speak to us but not on our terms. In this message you will learn some of the ways God speaks to us.

When was the blessing against the Saducees instituted - by who and why? Once Shimon HaKatan was davening and forgot the words for that plessing and they waited for him a few hours - why didn't they remove him from being the chazan? Why weren't they concerned maybe he was a Saducee? Can good people turn bad? Where can we find references in the texts to the number of blessings in different shmone esrehs? What is the shortened version on shmone esreh that Rabbi Yehoshua says one can say? Are there days where one can't use the shortened version? Why? What does Rabbi Eliezer mean when he discourages people from making their prayer "set"? One who is in a dangerous place can say a short prayer instead of shmone esreh. What is that? One who goes on a journey shoudl say a prayer. What is the text? 

When was the blessing against the Saducees instituted - by who and why? Once Shimon HaKatan was davening and forgot the words for that plessing and they waited for him a few hours - why didn't they remove him from being the chazan? Why weren't they concerned maybe he was a Saducee? Can good people turn bad? Where can we find references in the texts to the number of blessings in different shmone esrehs? What is the shortened version on shmone esreh that Rabbi Yehoshua says one can say? Are there days where one can't use the shortened version? Why? What does Rabbi Eliezer mean when he discourages people from making their prayer "set"? One who is in a dangerous place can say a short prayer instead of shmone esreh. What is that? One who goes on a journey shoudl say a prayer. What is the text? 

Sometimes we imagine what life and existence would look like if things were different. Let's see what that fantasy would look like. You can find out more about Lakeland Baptist Church through our church website at www.lakelandbaptist.ca. Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lakeland-Baptist-Church-217617964922312/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ8TN0h_b3qJTFIflNcInXA

https://youtu.be/Oz_mmp7peC4 “In All Good Conscience” Acts 22:23-23:11 Twice in this brief section Roman law comes to Paul's aid. Paul declares his Roman citizenship sparing him from a Roman flogging. The flogging consisted of a scourge- a fearful instrument of torture consisting of leather throngs, weighted with rough pieces of metal or bone and attached to a stout wooden handle. If a man did not die under the scourge (which frequently happened), he would certainly be crippled for life. Paul is then taken before the Sanhedrin- the ruling court of the Jews where he begins to explain his position and is struck by the high priest for claiming his “good conscience before God”, which seems to Annias the height of arrogance, even blasphemy. Paul calls the high priest a “whitewashed tomb”, basically saying he is a hypocrite. As soon as it is revealed to Paul that he spoke harshly to the high priest, he repents quoting Exodus 22:28, “do not speak evil about the ruler of your people” Paul then spies the room and sets the Pharisees against the Saducees stating the reason for which he is called into question- the resurrection This triggers further arguing and becomes so violent for the third time the commander had to rescue him. The violence of the last two days and the enmity of the Jews must have made Paul wonder anxiously about the future. There seemed little prospect of him leaving Jerusalem alive, let alone traveling on to Rome. In his moment of discouragement Jesus comforts him with a straightforward promise that as he had borne witness to Him in Jerusalem, he must also bear witness to Him in Rome. What can we learn from this? Paul had a good conscience before God. “conscience”- Greek moral consciousness, moral awareness A good conscience involves an inner freedom of spirit that comes when we know God is not offended by our thoughts and actions. A good conscience is listed in Scripture as one of our essential weapons for a successful spiritual life and ministry 2 Corinthians 1:12 New King James Version (NKJV) 12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in [a]simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 1 Timothy 1:18-19 New King James Version (NKJV) 18 This [a]charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 1. A good conscience operates in repentance Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Repentance is not only one time thing- we are to maintain a repentant heart, routinely acknowledging sin and seeking God's grace and mercy in the midst of our daily mistakes. This is not meant as a means to secure our salvation, but to keep our heart clean and pure daily before Him. The Bible teaches the need for Repentance, referring to the repentance from dead works and a life lived apart from God. This is what is referred to as cleansing. “the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin”. It acknowledges we are sinners and in need of God's mercy to avoid the penalty of sin, which is eternal death and separation. This is a unique kind of repentance that only the Holy Spirit can produce in the heart of an unbeliever 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. Then, there's a daily repenting, referring to regret or sorrow over when we are convicted of a sinful behavior. This is also a work of the Holy Spirit to produce a sanctifying process in our lives in order that we might become more and more Christ-like. This is the process of sanctification which for our lifetime.

https://youtu.be/Oz_mmp7peC4 “In All Good Conscience” Acts 22:23-23:11 Twice in this brief section Roman law comes to Paul’s aid. Paul declares his Roman citizenship sparing him from a Roman flogging. The flogging consisted of a scourge- a fearful instrument of torture consisting of leather throngs, weighted with rough pieces of metal or bone and attached to a stout wooden handle. If a man did not die under the scourge (which frequently happened), he would certainly be crippled for life. Paul is then taken before the Sanhedrin- the ruling court of the Jews where he begins to explain his position and is struck by the high priest for claiming his “good conscience before God”, which seems to Annias the height of arrogance, even blasphemy. Paul calls the high priest a “whitewashed tomb”, basically saying he is a hypocrite. As soon as it is revealed to Paul that he spoke harshly to the high priest, he repents quoting Exodus 22:28, “do not speak evil about the ruler of your people” Paul then spies the room and sets the Pharisees against the Saducees stating the reason for which he is called into question- the resurrection This triggers further arguing and becomes so violent for the third time the commander had to rescue him. The violence of the last two days and the enmity of the Jews must have made Paul wonder anxiously about the future. There seemed little prospect of him leaving Jerusalem alive, let alone traveling on to Rome. In his moment of discouragement Jesus comforts him with a straightforward promise that as he had borne witness to Him in Jerusalem, he must also bear witness to Him in Rome. What can we learn from this? Paul had a good conscience before God. “conscience”- Greek moral consciousness, moral awareness A good conscience involves an inner freedom of spirit that comes when we know God is not offended by our thoughts and actions. A good conscience is listed in Scripture as one of our essential weapons for a successful spiritual life and ministry 2 Corinthians 1:12 New King James Version (NKJV) 12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in [a]simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 1 Timothy 1:18-19 New King James Version (NKJV) 18 This [a]charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 1. A good conscience operates in repentance Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Repentance is not only one time thing- we are to maintain a repentant heart, routinely acknowledging sin and seeking God’s grace and mercy in the midst of our daily mistakes. This is not meant as a means to secure our salvation, but to keep our heart clean and pure daily before Him. The Bible teaches the need for Repentance, referring to the repentance from dead works and a life lived apart from God. This is what is referred to as cleansing. “the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin”. It acknowledges we are sinners and in need of God’s mercy to avoid the penalty of sin, which is eternal death and separation. This is a unique kind of repentance that only the Holy Spirit can produce in the heart of an unbeliever 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. Then, there’s a daily repenting, referring to regret or sorrow over when we are convicted of a sinful behavior. This is also a work of the Holy Spirit to produce a sanctifying process in our lives in order that we might become more and more Christ-like. This is the process of sanctification which for our lifetime.

As we continue tracking the life and ministry of John the Baptist, we are given one final Advent alert about the greatest threat to Christmas and the Christian story. It's not politics or paganism. Rather, according to John the Baptist, the greatest threat to Christmas is religion. During the height of his baptizing ministry, John came face to face with the Pharisees and Saducees coming out to the Jordan River. This prompted a harsh word of rebuke about their presumption and performance. This Christmas, we are invited back to the manger to abandon our religious attempts to please God. Instead, we celebrate the names of love: Jesus (God Saves) and Immanuel (God is with us). Divine love drowns out religion and reminds us of our only hope.

I introduce the book of Acts. The book tries to harmonise the deeds of the two great apostles: the pro-Jewish Peter and the pro-gentile Paul. Paul's letters say that Acts is telling porkies. The first third of the book is centred on the Jerusalem Jesus club. The book of Acts describes the disciples' earliest Jesus club as a golden age, a hippie commune, but a commune with a dark side. The disciples are arrested, but keep escaping from prison. The authorities eventually give up, letting them go after a light flogging. The Saducees appear in a rare cameo.

Continuing in Matthew 22:15-33, Jesus answers the questions from the religious, political and legal rulers as he exposes the critical two things that causes error - not knowing the Scriptures, and underestimating the power of God.

The Saducees created a scenario that places the resurrection in a real pickle: "One wife for seven brothers." It backfired because they "neither knew the scriptures or the power of God." But Jesus knows both very well. Pastor Joe shares, in a very personal message, that the Gospel may be more about the Good News concerning God, and not primarily the story of Jesus, the resurrection, or how we should behave.

Luke 20:27-38Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to [Jesus] and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally, the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”This story is more than a little strange, so I want to unpack it while it’s fresh in our minds, before we get on with our sermon series and what it means to “Grow in wisdom and understanding of God’s Word and will for our lives.”See, these Sadducees are either, genuinely ignorant about what they ask Jesus to answer regarding this woman and her dead husbands, or – and what is commonly thought to be the case – they are trying to trick Jesus with an impossible question; baiting him to trip over an explanation about life after death that will likely upset the powers that be, break with their history, challenge their tradition and offend their theology – and, mostly, get him into some trouble.Jesus doesn’t give them what they’re after, of course. Or, at least he doesn’t trip and fall for what they may have thought was a hard answer to find. What he does is interpret their questions and their confusion in light of the resurrection – nothing more and nothing less.Jesus says that they’re questions about all they’re supposed to know from Moses and the Hebrew Scriptures are too narrow. When they ask about what will happen to this woman who’s had seven husbands, they’re asking very worldly questions about God’s other-worldliness. They’re assuming that life on the other side of eternity is bound in the same way as life on this side of it all. They’re suggesting that what is restricted by human laws and earthly limitations here and now, will be restricted, in the same way, where the God of the universe is concerned.And Jesus says, in not so many words, “Do you really think that the God of the universe and the ways of heaven will be constrained by the same parameters of life as we know it?” “This woman – and all of the knuckleheads she was forced to endure in this life – will be liberated, raised to new life, in a way that will release her from all of this, so that these laws you’re so worried about – and this life, even – will be unrecognizable, thanks be to God” “The God we’re talking about – the God of Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob – sets talking bushes on fire, for crying out loud, and yet they aren’t consumed.” “This is the God we’re dealing with, people. So let’s stop with your small questions about a God who’s so much bigger.” Now, I don’t mean to simplify all of this so dramatically, but I also don’t think this is as difficult as we’ve made it out to be. Because the truth is, Christian people in the world, still like to play games with God’s word, very much like the Sadducees back in Jesus’ day, and when we do – so much of the time – God gets the small, short end of that stick.So, like we’ve said, we’re beginning this sermon series with a call to “Grow in wisdom…” wisdom and understanding of God’s Word and God’s will for our lives. In the weeks to come, we’ll get to the other marks of discipleship – sharing our resources, telling people about God, praying daily, worshiping regularly, and giving of our time and abilities. But today, we’re starting with Scripture… and our call to grow in wisdom of what we find in the Bible, which is supposed to inform and inspire all the rest. And I’m under the impression most Christian people wish they knew their Bible better – me, included. Do you agree?When I’ve asked this question of others before, I’ve heard all kinds of responses. Some have said they feel like they’re missing out on things they would have, should have, could have learned over the course of their life, but they just weren’t taught or weren’t ready or weren’t paying attention when they had the chance. Some have said they just don’t have the time it takes – but if they did… when they do… they look forward to knowing more. Some have said it’s just too much, just too confusing; that there are just too many ways to come after it all, they wonder if it’s worth it. Some have said they want to know more so they can have more intelligent conversations and win theological debates at work or over Thanksgiving dinner. (You know who you are, you Saducees, you!) Some have said that’s what they have Pastors for – to do the studying and interpreting and understanding for them.But I want people to study their Bibles, to “grow in wisdom and understanding” of what we find there, for those water cooler conversations and at Thanksgiving Dinner and whenever we duke it out with the Sadducees, if we must. But I want people to study their Bibles and to “grow in wisdom,” because it can give you life and it can change your life and it can impact the way we engage the world, through our faith, of course.Like, I think it’s important to know there are two different accounts of creation, in the book of Genesis, which is not a science book, because it liberates us to read each of those stories in their own right, as artistic, poetic, beautiful expressions of a loving God’s creation, and of our role as a part of that. And – for me – it means I don’t have to check my brain – and all the things I learned in science class – at the church door.I think it’s important, too, to know that “money is not the root of all evil,” as some so often misquote that verse from 1st Timothy. But the love of money is the root of all evil. I think that matters because, if we dare to love our money less, it might impact how generous we are with our Building Fund commitments next week. It might also impact the way we love our neighbor as ourselves and vote and inform public policy. (It should never be just about “the economy, stupid,” as the saying goes.)And when it comes to growing in wisdom of what we find in the Bible, I think it matters that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah was never meant to condemn homosexuality; it matters that “an eye for an eye” is not a justification for the death penalty or for revenge and retribution at all costs; it matters that “where two or three are gathered in my name” has nothing to do with justifying low worship attendance or skipping church; and it matters that when Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” he was facing imprisonment and a death sentence, not hoping to win a football game. What I’m getting at is, “Growing in wisdom and understanding of God’s Word and will for our lives” stands to have a great impact on how we live and move and breathe and engage our faith through Scripture.And it takes time. And effort. And conversation. And discussion and discernment in the company of other believers. But it’s not rocket science, either. And I think it’s something like what Jesus was saying to the Sadducees in this morning’s Gospel.If you’ve been to the bathroom around here, you’ve likely seen this hanging on the door to your stall or above a urinal: In this cartoon, Jesus might as well be speaking to the same group of Sadducees who confronted him this morning when he says: “The difference between me and you is, you use scripture to determine what love means and I use love to determine what scripture means.” Let’s Grow in wisdom his way, shall we? Let’s read and receive and interpret and inspire others with God’s word – always and only through the lens of love, the way Jesus did. Growing in wisdom and understanding of God’s Word and will for our lives is about learning of God’s love for us, and of God’s love for all people, at all costs. And it’s about learning of our call to love God – and each other, back – in as many ways as we can manage. And it’s about the freedom and joy and new life we’ll experience when we do, because of the freedom and joy and new life we are promised, in Jesus’ name, the Word of God, made flesh, who died and who was raised, for the sake of the world.Amen

The Saducees, a group of the religious leaders in Jesus' day, tried to trap Jesus with a grossly exaggerated story designed to ridicule his teaching about eternal life. Not only did Jesus confound those attacking him, but he also gave his disciples deep insight into the grace of God's gift, available to all who believe and accept. [Organ / Pentecost 22]

The Pharisees and Saducees receive Jesus' rebuke when they ask him for a sign—unveiling an attitude that many of us also possess.

'Leaven, Seder & Keys' - The Leaven of the Pharisees is Hypocrisy and loss of Christ - The Seder is the Passover Meal - The keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood are given to Simon Peter   www.cwicmedia.com www.facebook.com/cwicmedia   Cwic Media LDS, Mormon Podcast

How do we reconcile the belief that Jesus is 100% divine and 100% human? What was religious and political life like during the time of Jesus? Who are the Pharisees, Saducees, and Essenes? Why should we study the humanity of Jesus and consider the context of 1st century Palestine?    

What is most important for the Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah to first work out in their lives? And How did Paul portray this in his writings and teachings. We discuss in this 5th installment of the Paul and Hebrew Roots series. Welcome.

11/11/2018 am-The Saducees Question Jesus by Pastor Greg Keenen

As Jesus continues in his ministry, he is again confronted by the Pharisees and the Saducees, who are working in concert to take him down. In response Jesus denies their request for a miraculous sign and then leaves the regoin. As they depart, Jesus teaches his disciples a profound point regarding cultural influence that is as releveant for our discipleship today as it has ever been. 

This was Palm Sunday in 1991.  Bufe looks at Jesus' final week in life.  He talks about the Sanhedrin Court made up of Pharisees and Saducees.  He shares the 'prophecy' of Caiphus, "Let this one man die for the people.  Why should the whole nation perish?".  Bufe talks about there being a right time, The Passover, for Jesus to die on the cross.  He explains what Passover was and why the people celebrated it every year.  Bufe talks about the dinner a few days before Jesus' death with risen Lazarus at the dinner.  He talks about the love of Mary for Jesus when she washed Jesus' feet with her hair and annointed them with expensive perfume.  Bufe talks about Palm Sunday and the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.  He points out, according to a census, the number of lambs killed at Passover were 256,500 and the minimum number of people covered by one lamb's blood were 10, so at least 2,564,000 people were there. John 11, John 3, Psalm 118, Zeccharia 9:9, John 8:12  

Jesus said death was ahead of him at Jerusalem and now it almost seems like he's calling it out to come fight him. First he flips tables full of money at the temple; then he calls the Pharisees out on their hypocrisy; then he tells the Saducees that they're, "Quite wrong"; and now he calls the Scribes out on their oppression and pride.In doing so, he leaves us with a comparison between the adored Scribe who thinks he's something and the oppressed widow who thinks she's nothing. But as is typical when seen through the eyes of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus shows us that the two are actually reversed.

In Deuteronomy 25:5, the commandment to marry your brother’s widow is given for one purpose: to ensure the continuation of life, so “that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.” The purpose of the commandment is life: so that your brother’s wife will not be abandoned; so that his household will continue for the generation yet unborn; so that—in fulfillment of God’s Law—life will continue. For Jesus, this life does not come from men, but from his Heavenly Father. When the Pharisees, the Herodians, and now, the Saducees, approach Jesus, their questions betray their personal belief, that life comes—not from God—but from men. They talk about God and they even quote his teaching, but their true god is Caesar. They do not hear Scripture in the light of Scripture, but according to the light of Caesar, which is passing away. This choice leaves them talking in circles about their theology, not only ignorant of God’s instruction, but actively working against it. Of course the Saducees do not believe in the Resurrection. One need look no further than their mishandling of Deuteronomy to understand this fact. “Is this not the reason you are mistaken,” explained Jesus, “that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mark 12:24) Indeed, they are greatly mistaken. Be warned, O Caesar: “The Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to die, does not salute you.” Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Mark 12:18-27. Episode 189 Mark 12:18-27; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “The Return of the Mummy” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com (http://incompetech.com/)) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/

Is repentance necessary for spiritual growth? Repentance is one of the greatest factors of our spiritual journey. It's presence/absence can really change our our growth in Christ. Check out how John the Baptist approached the necessity of Repentance.

"Radical Generosity" Maria Bond continues in Mark's gospel where we find, after much questioning by the Pharisees, Saducees, Herodians and scribes, Jesus sits down by the treasury and observes many people casting their money into it. When a widow arrives and gives all she owns, Jesus calls the disciples back to draw from this scene a lesson of true sacrifice. He shows that He observes not only the outward action of a person, but the inward affections of their hearts. How might we be challenged by this?

The Pharisees and Saducees had developed a long list of customs and traditions, that had turned into commandments designed to prevent the common person from being able to worship God. Jesus destroys their traditions with the Word of God in this encounter.

The Saducees | Jago Wynne | Sun 6th Nov 2016 by Holy Trinity Clapham

At times, it feels like life is a linebacker on a full-speed blitz, aiming to slam us to the turf. We can struggle to counteract the blindsides of compromise, anger, fear and doubt. But when we trust God's coaching, the game can shift in our favor. Join Horizon for Playbook, an Exploring series beginning Oct. 4th, and devise a winning strategy for life.

In this St Lukes Peckham Podcast, Ian Mobsby draws on the gospel text of John chapter 5 verses 36-47 to explore the theme of the bible as a resource for following Jesus, not bashing others.  Drawing on the examle of Jesus' encounters with the Pharasees, Saducees and the teachers of the law who were so certain of who God was and what God would do, Ian exploes how this was a form of early religious fundamentalism, that has existed until the present day. When ever we get so certain of knowing God or raise the bible as an alternative God, we diminish God's soverignty and and loose the calling of the New Testament to follow God in humility and love.  Religious Fundamentalism remains one of the most damaging forces in the world, that has little to do with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Villains - Pharisees And Saducees by New Community Church

Country Oaks Baptist Church Sermon – March 23 , 2014 COBC Podcast Episode 2014-12 Preacher: Mike Bourcier Text: Mark 12:18-27 Title: The Saducees Misunderstand The post March 23, 2014 first appeared on Country Oaks Baptist Church.

Leaven is often loosely understood to symbolically mean sin. In this teaching, we test that perspective...

Jesus knew exactly what to say and how to say it. He exemplified wisdom. In Mark 12, we learn two specific lessons through His wise words.

Death is real. It can happen to anyone at anytime. What are the possible views on death and what happens after death? Are there clues in the Bible? What did the Saducees believe?

Originally aired 3/25/51

Originally aired 3/25/51