Podcasts about second timothy

Discover the transformative message of "Fan Into Flame: Faith That Won't Burn Out" in this powerful sermon that explores Second Timothy 1:6-7 and its timely reminder to ignite the gift of God within us. Learn how to press into faith, overcome fear, and stand strong in the face of persecution during the End Times. With biblical insight and prophetic wisdom, this sermon unpacks the importance of spiritual perseverance and the promise of love, power, and a sound mind given by Jesus. As Pastor Mike shares, the battle against darkness intensifies, but the light of Christ shines brighter. Whether you're grappling with discouragement or feeling the fire of faith dwindle, this message offers hope, encouragement, and practical steps to reignite your passion for God's purpose. Be reminded of your eternal destiny and the divine calling that empowers you to resist the enemy and rise in victory. If you're ready to take the next step in your spiritual journey, make the decision to follow Jesus today. Let His salvation bring renewal, hope, and purpose to your life. Watch now and experience the life-changing impact of faith that won't burn out.

Isaiah 10-14; Psalm 102:13-22; Proverbs 22:1-5; Second Timothy 4

Isaiah 5-9; Psalm 102:1-12; Proverbs 21:26-30; Second Timothy 3

Isaiah 1-4; Psalm 101:16-29; Proverbs 21:21-25; Second Timothy 2

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. The Apostle Paul wrote those words to Timothy in chapter three of his second letter to the young clergyman. Today, Ron takes us to this important letter, written by Paul near the end of his life. Stay with us now as Ron continues his teaching series, “The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible: The Pauline Epistles.” 

Malachi 1-3; Psalm 101:1-15; Proverbs 21:16-20; Second Timothy 1

C.S. Lewis once said, “You can't go back and make a new beginning, but you can start right now and make a new ending.” What Lewis was talking about, among other things, was finishing strong. All of us, regardless of our past or our present, can start running our Christian race right now and finish well at the end. The Apostle Paul had just this idea in mind when he wrote the book of Second Timothy. Ron takes us there next, as he continues his teaching series, “The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible: The Pauline Epistles.”  

Mass Readings for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 26, 2025 Reading 1, Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 Reading 2, Second Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Gospel, Luke 18:9-14

In this profound episode of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb delve deeply into the Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30), exploring its implications for Christian assurance. Building on their previous discussion, they examine how this parable speaks to the mixed nature of the visible church, the sovereignty of Christ over His kingdom, and most significantly, the doctrine of assurance. Through careful theological reflection, the hosts unpack how true believers can find solid ground for assurance not in their own works or fruit-checking, but in the promises of Christ and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. This episode offers both encouragement for those struggling with doubts and a sobering challenge to those resting in false assurance. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Tares teaches that the visible church will be mixed until the final judgment, containing both true believers (wheat) and false professors (tares) who may appear outwardly similar. True assurance is not based primarily on good works but on the promises of Christ, the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, and the evidences of grace in our lives. False assurance is a real danger, as many who think they belong to Christ will discover at the final judgment that they never truly knew Him. The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18) provides a helpful framework for understanding biblical assurance as the proper possession of every Christian. Christ's role as the divine Master of the house (the world) and Lord of the angels is subtly yet powerfully affirmed in this parable, grounding our assurance in His sovereignty. Good works are the fruit of assurance, not its cause—when we are secure in our salvation, we are freed to serve Christ joyfully rather than anxiously trying to earn assurance. The final judgment will bring perfect clarity, revealing what was hidden and separating the wheat from the tares with divine precision that humans cannot achieve now. The Doctrine of Assurance: Reformed Understanding The Reformed tradition has always emphasized that believers can and should have assurance of their salvation—a conviction recovered during the Reformation in contrast to Rome's teaching. As Tony noted when reading from the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18), this assurance is "not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation." This assurance rests on three pillars: the promises of God in Scripture, the inward evidence of grace, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit witnessing with our spirit. What makes this understanding particularly comforting is that it shifts the foundation of assurance away from our performance to God's faithfulness. While self-examination has its place, the Reformed understanding recognizes that looking too intensely at our own hearts and works can lead either to despair or to false confidence. Instead, we're directed to look primarily to Christ and His finished work, finding in Him the anchor for our souls. The Problem of False Assurance One of the most sobering aspects of the Parable of the Tares is its implicit warning about false assurance. Just as the tares resemble wheat until maturity reveals their true nature, many professing Christians may outwardly appear to belong to Christ while inwardly remaining unregenerate. As Jesse observed, "The tares typically live under false assurance. They may attend church, confess belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical, it's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual." This echoes Jesus' warning in Matthew 7 that many will say to Him, "Lord, Lord," but will hear the devastating response, "I never knew you." The parable teaches us that this self-deception is not always conscious hypocrisy but often the result of spiritual blindness. As Jesse noted, referencing Romans 1, Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 2, the unregenerate are "not merely ignorant, they're blinded... to the spiritual truth by nature and by Satan." This understanding should prompt humble self-examination while simultaneously driving us to depend not on our own discernment but on Christ's perfect knowledge and saving work. Memorable Quotes "Assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions." - Thomas Brooks, quoted by Jesse Schwamb "When we are confessing, repenting, seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ, then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance." - Jesse Schwamb "The sacrifice and the service that a husband performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him, that is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it." - Tony Arsenal on how good works flow from assurance rather than cause it Resources Mentioned Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 7:21-23, Romans 1, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 2, 2 Timothy 3:5 Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter 18 "Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation" Thomas Brooks: "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" YouTube Channel: My Wild Backyard Khan Academy: Educational resource recommended during "Affirmations and Denials" segment Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 466 of the Reform the Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. We're going back to the farm again. Can't stop. Won't stop. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I'm stoked. [00:01:02] Discussion on the Parable of the Tears Tony Arsenal: The last week's discussion was interesting and I think, um, it's gonna be nice to sort of round it out and talk about some things you might not think about, uh, when you first read this parable. So I'm, I'm pretty excited. Jesse Schwamb: Oh, what a tease that is. So if you're wondering what Tony's talking about, we're hanging out. In Matthew 13, we are just really enjoying these teachings of Jesus. And they are shocking and they're challenging, and they're encouraging, and they're awesome, of course. And so we're gonna be finishing out the Parable of the Tears and you need to go back and listen to the previous conversation. This, this is all set up because we have some unfinished business. We didn't talk about the eschatological implications. We have this really big this, this matza ball hanging over us. So to speak, which was the, do the TAs in this parable even know that they are tarry, that they are the TAs? And so in this parable, the disciples learn that the kingdom itself, God's kingdom, the kingdom that Jesus is enumerating and explaining and bringing into being, they are learning that it's gonna be mixed in character. So that's correcting this expectation that the kingdom would be perfectly pure and would have, would evolve righteous rule over all of the unrighteous world. And so it's a little bit shocking that Jesus says, listen, they're gonna be. Tears within the wheats that is in the world, the seed that God himself, the sun has planted and that they're gonna exist side by side for a long time. And so we, they have to wait patiently and give ourselves to building up the wheats as the sons of the kingdom and be careful in their judgment, not to harm those who are believers. We covered a lot of that last week, but left so much unsaid we couldn't even fit it in. This is gonna be jam packed, so I'm gonna stop giving the tees instead start moving us into affirmations and denials. [00:02:45] Affirmations and Denials Jesse Schwamb: It's of course that time in our conversation where we either affirm with something really like or we think is undervalued or we deny against something that we don't really like or is a little overvalued. So as I usually say to you, Tony, what have you got for us? [00:03:00] YouTube Channel Recommendation: My Wild Backyard Tony Arsenal: I am affirming a YouTube channel. Um, I, I think the algorithm goes through these cycles where it wants me to learn about bugs and things because I get Okay, like videos about bugs. And so I'm, I'm interested. There's been this, uh, channel that's been coming up on my algorithm lately called My Wild Backyard, and it, it's a guy, he's like an entomologist. He seems like a, a like a legit academic, but what he does is he basically goes through and he talks about different bugs, creepy crawlies, looks at like snakes, all that kinds of stuff. It seems like his wheelhouse is the stuff that can kill you or hurt you pretty bad. Nice. But, um, it's interesting and it's. It's good educational content. It's, you know, it's not sensationalized, it's not, uh, it's not dramatized. Um, it's very real. There's occasionally an instance where he, he's not, sometimes he will intentionally get bit or stung by an, uh, by an animal to show you what it does. So he can experience and explain what he's experiencing. And sometimes he just accidentally gets bit or stung. And so those are some of the most interesting ones. So like, for example, just looking at his, his channel, his most recent, um, his most recent video is called The most venomous Desert Creatures in the US ranked the one previous was. The world's most terrifying arachni isn't a spider. And then previous to that was what happens if a giant centipede bites you? So it's interesting stuff. If you are one of those people that likes bugs and likes creepy crawlies and things, um, this is definitely the channel for you if you're not one of those people. I actually think this probably is the channel for you too. 'cause it kind of demystifies a lot of this stuff. Um. You know, for example, he, he will commonly point out that, um, spiders don't wanna bite you and they just wanna leave you alone. And, and as long as you leave them alone, even, even something like a black widow, which people are terrified of, and I think, right, rightfully so. I mean, they can be scary. Those can be scary bites. He'll, he'll handle those, no problem. And as long as he's not like putting downward pressure on them, uh, they have no interest in biting, they really just want to get away. So even seeing that kind of stuff, I think can help demystify and, and sort of, uh, make it a little bit easier. So my Wild Backyard, he can find it on YouTube. Um, he's safe for kids. He's not, he's not cussing even. I mean, I think occasionally when he gets bit on accident, you might, you know, you might have a beep here or there, but, um, he's not, he's not regularly swearing or things like that. And he does a pretty good job of adding that stuff out. Jesse Schwamb: What a great title for that, isn't it? This, yeah. Confluence of your backyard. That space that seems domesticated is also stealing its own. Right. Wild. And there's a be Yeah. Both those things coming together. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It, it's interesting stuff and it's really good. I mean, it's really compelling videography. He does a good job of taking good photos. You'll see insects that you usually won't see, or spiders you usually won't see. Um, so yeah, it's cool. Check it out. [00:05:51] Discussion on Spiders and Creepy Crawlies Jesse Schwamb: What are you, uh, yeah, I myself would like to become more comfortable with the arachni variety. If only be, I mean, I don't know. It's, it's a weird creature, so my instinct is to be like, kill them all. And then if I can't find them and I know they're around, then we just burn everything that we own. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: They just can't sink into the ground fast enough. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. There's something about the way they move, like their, their bodies don't move the way you would anticipate them to. Right. And it freaks, it just weirds out human sensibilities, so. Right. Jesse Schwamb: They're also like, I find them to be very surprising. Often. It's not kind of a, a very like, kind of measured welcome into your life. It's like you just go to get in the shower and there's a giant spider. Yeah. Oh yeah. Although I guess that spider, he's, he or she's probably like, whoa, where'd you come from? You know, like, yeah. He's like, I was just taking a Tony Arsenal: shower. You know what's interesting? Um, I saw another video was on a different channel, um, like common jumping spiders. Yeah. Which there are like hundreds of species of common jumping spiders. Jesse Schwamb: True. Tony Arsenal: Um, but spiders and jumping spiders specifically, actually you can form almost like a pet bond with, so like the, that jumping spider that like lives in your house and sees you every day. He, he probably knows who you are and is like, comfortable with you. And they've done studies that like you can actually domesticate jumping spiders, so they're not as foreign and alien as you might think. Although they certainly do look a little bit strange and weird. And the way their bodies move is almost designed to weird out people like it just the skinness, like the way their legs skitter and move it, it just is, it's, it triggers something very primal in us to That's wild. Be weirded out by it. Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: It's wild. I love it. That's a good, a affirmation. I'm definitely gonna check that out. I, any, anything? I really want to know what the, what like the terrifying arachni is. That's not a spider. Tony Arsenal: It's a, well, it's called a camel spider, but it's not really a spider. Oh, Jesse Schwamb: I know what you're talking about. That is kind of terrifying. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. They, they actually don't have any venom. Um, yeah. Check out the video. I mean, it, it was a good video. Um, but yeah, they're freaky looking and, um, but even that, like he was handling it No problem. Yeah. Like it wasn't, it wasn't aggressive with him once Wow. Once it figured out it wasn't, he wasn't trying to hurt him and, and that it couldn't eat him. Um, it, it just sort of like hung out until he let it go. So Jesse Schwamb: yeah, just be careful if you watch it one before bed or while in bed. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Probably not right before bed. Yeah. You'll, you'll get the creepy crawlies all night. Jesse Schwamb: I love it. But there's something somewhat. Like invigorating about that isn't there? Like it's, it's kind of a natural, just like kind of holy respect for the world that God has created, that they're these features that are so different, so wild, so interesting and a little bit frightening, but in the sense that we just draw off from them because they're so different than what we are. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And you know, again, there's places you would be happy to see them, but maybe your bathtub or like shooting out, like, you know, like where you live, the jumping spiders are legit and they will just pop out on you, you know? Yeah. You're just doing your own thing and then all of a sudden they're popping out. I think part of that is just that what, what gets me is like them just, you know, like I remember in my basement here, once one popped out from a rafter and then I was holding, happened to be holding up broom. My instinct just naturally was to hit it. I hit it with the broom and it went across the room and fell on an empty box and sounded like a silver dollar had hit the box. Like it was just a massive, I mean, again, like, it's like fish stories, like it's a massive spider. It was a big spider. Yeah. But you just don't expect to, to see that kind of thing. Or maybe, maybe I should, but anything that moves in that way, and again, like centipedes, man, forget it. We have those too, like in our basement. Like the long ones. Oh yeah. Yeah. That thing will come like squiggling down the wall at you, like eye level and you just wanna run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, you do run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. It's not that you want to, it's that usually you do. I don't mean like you specifically, although probably you specifically. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. There's, yeah, you just react. Well, j Jesse enough freaking out. I mean, we're getting close to Halloween, so I suppose it's appropriate, but, uh, enough of that. What are you affirming or denying today? Jesse Schwamb: Once again, without like any coordination, mine is not unlike yours. I know you and I, we talk about the world in which we live, which God has created, and this lovely command, this ammunition to take dominion over that. And one of the things I appreciate about our conversations is I think you and I often have maybe not like a novel. Kinda perspective on that, but one that I don't hear talked about often and that is this idea of taking dominion over what it is possible to know and to appropriate, and then to apply onto wisdom. [00:10:27] Affirmation: Khan Academy Jesse Schwamb: And so my information is in that realm. It's another form of taking ownership of what's in the wild of knowledge that you can possess. And again, equal parts. What an amazing time to be alive. So I'm affirming with the website, Khan Academy, which I'm sure many are familiar with. And this website offers like. Thousands of hours. Uh, and materials of free instructional videos, practice exercises, quizzes, all these like really bespoke, personalized learning modules you can create for topics like math, science, computing, economics, history, art. I think it goes like even starting at like. Elementary age all the way up into like early college can help you study for things like the SAT, the LSAT AP courses, and I was revisiting it. I have an open account with them that I keep in love and I go back to it from time to time. And I was working on some stuff where I wanted to rehearse some knowledge in like the calculus space, do some things by hand, which I haven't done. And I was just like, I'm blown away at how good this stuff is. And it's all for free. I mean, you should donate if you. You get something from this because it's a nonprofit, but the fact that there are these amazing instructional videos out there that can help us get a better understanding of either things we already know and we can rehearse the knowledge or to learn something brand new essentially for free. But somebody's done all the hard work to curate a pedagogy for you. Honestly, this is incredible. So if you haven't looked at that website in a long time or maybe ever, and you might be thinking, what, what do I really wanna learn? Lemme tell you. There's a lot of interesting stuff there and it's so approachable and it's such a good website for teaching. And if you have children in particular, even if you're looking for help, either helping them with their own coursework or maybe to have like kind of a tutor on the side, this is so good. So I can't say enough good things recently about Khan Academy 'cause it's been so helpful to me and super fun to like just sit and have your own paced study and in the private and comfort of your own home or your desk at work or wherever it is that you need to learn it. To be able to have somebody teach you some things, to do a little practice exercises, and then to go on to the world and to apply the things you've learned. Ah, it's so good. Tony Arsenal: Nice. Yeah, I've, I've never done anything with Khan Academy. I'll have to check it out. There's, um, there's some skills of needing to brush up on, uh, at work that I am probably not gonna be able to find in my normal channels, so I'll have to see if there is anything going on there. Um, but yeah, that's, that's good stuff. And it's free. Love freestyle. It's, and of course, like Jesse Schwamb: things like this are legion. So whatever it is, whatever your discipline or your field of study or work is, there's probably something out there and, uh, might, I humbly maybe encourage you to, if you use something like that and it's funded by donations, it's worth giving, I think, because again, it's just an amazing opportunity to take dominion over the knowledge that God has placed into the world and then to use it for something. I mean, I suppose even if all it is is you just wanna learn more about, like for me, I, I find like the subjects of, of math and science, like just endlessly fascinating and like the computing section I was looking at, I, I don't know much about like programming per se, but there is such a beauty. Like these underlying principles, like the, the organization of the world and the first level principles of like physics for instance, are just like baffling in the most glorious kind of way. How they all come together. So having somebody like teach you at a very like simplistic level, but allow you to grasp those concepts makes you just appreciate it leads me to doxology a lot when I see these things. So in a weird way, it ends up becoming maybe not a weird way and the right way. It becomes worship as often as I'm sitting at my desk and working through like a practice problem on like, you know, partial differential equation or, or derivatives is what I was working on today. And ah, it's just so good. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one. I, it's not be super nerdy, but you, are you ever like at your desk studying something? And it might not be like theological per se, but you just have a moment where you're overcome with some kind of worship. Do you know what I'm talking about? Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, um, this we're the nerdiest people on the planet, but let's Jesse Schwamb: do it. Um, Tony Arsenal: when I find a really fun, interesting. Uh, Excel formula and I can get it to work right. Uh, and it, and then it just like everything unlocks. Like, I feel like I've unlocked all the knowledge in the universe. Um, but yeah, I hear you like the, the Excel thing is, is interesting to me because, like, math is just the description. Like it's just the fabric of reality is just the way we describe reality. But the fact that we can do basically just take math and do all these amazing things with it, uh, in a spreadsheet is really, uh, drives me to praise. Like I said, that's super nerdy, but it is. Oh, you're speaking my language. Jesse Schwamb: I, we have never understood each other better than just this moment right now. We, we had some real talk and, uh, a real moment. Tony Arsenal: Yes. Welcome to the Reformed math cast. Jesse Schwamb: We're so glad that you're here. Tony Arsenal: Yes. We're not gonna do any one plus one plus one equals one kinds of heretical math in, up in here. Jesse Schwamb: No. Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, I have a feeling that, excuse me. Wow. Jesse Schwamb: We don't edit anything out. Listen, I'm choked up too. It's it, listen, love ones just so emotional. The moment Tony and I are having it. We're gonna try our best right now to pivot to go into this text, but it's, it's tough because we were just really having something, something special. You got, you got to see there. But thank you for trying to Tony Arsenal: cover for me for that big cough. Jesse Schwamb: This is like presuppositional editing. You know, we don't actually do anything in post. It's not ex anti editing. It's, it's literally presuppositional. [00:15:52] Theological Discussion on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: But to that end, we are in Matthew 13. This is the main course. This is the reason why we're here. There's lots of reasons to worship, and one of them is to come before and admire and love our God who has given us his specific revelation and this incredible teaching of his son. And that's why we're hanging out in Matthew 13. So let me read, because we have just a couple of really sentences here, this really short parable and that way it'll catch us up and then we can just launch right back into we're, we're basically like, we're already in the rocket. Like we're in the stratosphere. We're, we're taking it all the way now. So this is Matthew chapter 13. Come hang out here. It's in the 24th verse. And this is what we find written for us. This is the word of the Lord. He put another parable before them saying. The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the weeds and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also, and the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servant said to him, then, do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, no less than gathering the weeds, you root up the weed along with them. Let both grow until the harvest. And at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn. Tony Arsenal: That's good stuff. That's good stuff. Um, you know, we, we covered most of. I don't know, what do you wanna call it? The first order reading of the parable last week. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: On one level, the parable, uh, as Christ explains it, uh, a little bit down further in the chapter is extremely straightforward. It's almost out, it's almost an allegory. Each, each element of the parable has a, a, a figure that it's representing. And the main purpose of the story is that the world and specifically the church, um, is going to be a mixed body until the last days, until the end of time. And so there's, there's the Sons of God or the Sons of the Kingdom, uh, and then there's the sons of the evil one. And we talked a lot about how. These two figures in the parable, the, the, the weeds or the tears? Um, tears is a better word because it's a specific kind of, uh, specific kind of weed that looks very much like wheat at its immature stages. Right. And you can't actually discern the difference readily, uh, until the weed and the wheat has grown up next to each other. Um, and so, so part of the parable is that. The, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the enemy, or the sons of the evil one, they don't look all that different in their early stages. And it's not until the sort of end culmination of their lives and the end culmination of things that they're able to be discerned and then therefore, um, the, the sons of the devil are, are reaped and they go off to their eternal judgment and the sons of the kingdom are, uh, are harvested and they go off to their eternal reward. What we wanted to talk about, and part of the reason that we split this into two episodes. Is that we sort of found ourselves spiraling or spiraling around a question about, uh, sort of about assurance, right? And false assurance, true assurance. And there is an eschatological element to this parable that I, I think we probably should at least touch on as we we go through it. Um, but I wanted to just read, um, it's been a little while since we've read the Westminster Confession on the show. So I wanted to read a little bit from the Westminster Confession. Um, this is from chapter 18, which is called of assurance of grace and salvation. This is sort of the answer to Jesse's question. Do the, do the tears know their tears or, or could they possibly think that their wheat? So this is, uh, section one of chapter eight. It says, although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presuppositions or presumptions of being in favor with God in the state of salvation. Which hope of their shall perish yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed. And so we, in the reform tradition at least, which is where we find ourselves in the reform tradition, um, we would affirm that people can. Deceive themselves into believing that they're in proper relation with God. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Tony Arsenal: And so it's not the case that, uh, that the weeds always know they're weeds or think they're weeds. It's not even the case. And this was part of the parable. It's not even the case that the weeds can be easily distinguished even by themselves from, uh, from the weeds. So there is this call, uh, and this is a biblical call. There's a call to seek out assurance and to lay claim to it. That I think is, is worth talking about. But it's not as straightforward as simple proposition as like, yeah, I'm confident. Like it's not just like, right, it's not just mustering up confidence. There's more to it than that. So that's what I wanted to start with, with this parable is just maybe talking through that assurance. 'cause I, I would hate for us to go through this parable. And sort of leave people with maybe you're a weed and you don't know it. 'cause that's not right. That's not the biblical picture of assurance. Um, that's the, that's the Roman Catholic picture of assurance that like, yeah, there's no such thing as assurance and people might not realize, but assurance of salvation is actually one of the, one of the primary things that was recovered particularly by the Reformed in the Reformation. Um, and so I think we, we often sort of overlook it as maybe a secondary thing. Um, but it really is a significant doctrine, a significant feature of reformed theology. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I'm glad you said that because it is a, is a clear reminder. It's a clearing call as the performers put forth that it is. Under like the purview of the Christian to be able to claim the assurance by the blood of Christ in the application of the Holy Spirit in a way that's like fully orbed and fully stopped. So you can contrast that with, and really what was coming outta Catholicism or Rome at the time. And I was just speaking with a dear brother this past week who. Grew up in the Catholic church and he was recounting how his entire religious experience, even his entire relationship, if we can call it that in a kind of colloquial sense with God, was built around this sense of deep-seated guilt and lack of true performance, such that like assurance always seemed like this really vague concept that was never really fully manifested in anything that he did. Even while the church was saying, if you do these things, if you perform this way, if you ensure that you're taking care of your immortal sins and that you're seeking confession for all the venial stuff as well, that somehow you'll be made right, or sufficiently right. But if not, don't worry about it. There's always purgatory, but there'd be some earning that you'd have to accomplish there. Everywhere along the way. He just felt beaten down. So contrasting that with what we have here. I don't believe, as you're saying, Tony, that's Jesus' intention here to somehow beat up the sheep. I, I think it is, to correct something of what's being said about the world in which we live, but it's at the same time to say that there are some that are the TAs is to say there are some that are the children of God, right? That there are some that are fully crisply, clearly identified and securely resting in that identity without any kind of nervous or anxious energy that it might fall out of that state with God that, that in fact their identity is secure. And as I've been thinking about this this week, I, I'm totally with you because I think part of this just falls, the warning here is there's a little bit of the adventures in Romans one here that's waiting for us, that I like what you said about this idea of, of self deception and maybe like a. Subpart to this question would be, are the, are the terrors always nefarious in their lack of understanding? So we might say there's some that are purposely disruptive, that the enemy himself is, is promulgating or trying to bring forward his destruction, his chaos by way of these tears. But are, are there even a subgroup or another group, uh, co-terminus group or, you know, one in the same hierarchy where there's just a lot of self deception? I, I think that's probably where I fall in terms of just trying to explain that. Yes, I think it was present here is a real quantity, a real identity where they're self-deceived. Imagining themselves to be part of God's people, yet lacking that true saving faith. And this just, I'm gonna go in a couple places where I think everybody would expect in the scriptures, if we go to like Ephesians four, they're darkened and they're understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. And one Corinthians, when Paul writes, the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God, and he's not able to understand them because they're spiritually discerned. And then the book that follows the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. And of course then like everything in Romans one, so I bring all that up because E, even at the end, we're gonna get there, the Es, this eschatological reality when you know God is separating out the sheep and the goats. Still, we find this kind of same trope happening there. But the unregenerate, what I'm reading from this. Importantly is that the unregenerate, they're not merely ignorant, they're blinded, as we all were on point to the spiritual truth. Yeah. By nature and by Satan. That that is also his jam. He loves to blind, to lie, to kill, steal, and destroy. So thus, even if they're outwardly belonging to the church, they're outwardly belonging to the world. They're outwardly belonging to some kind of profession. They cannot perceive the reality of their lost condition apart from divine illumination. Who can, that might be stating the obvious, but I think that's like what we're getting after here. I I, I don't know if there's like any kind of like conspiracy here. It's simply that that is the natural state of affairs. So why wouldn't we expect that to be reflected again in the world and that side by side, we're gonna find that shoulder to shoulder. We are, there are the children of God, and there are those that remain blind and ignorant to the truth. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And, and you know, it, again, I, I, um, I don't know why I'm surprised. Uh, I certainly shouldn't be surprised. Um. But Matthew is like a masterful storyteller Yeah. Here, right. He's a masterful, um, editor and narrator. Um, and he's, he's put together here, of course, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Um, and, and there's some good reason to think in the text we're not gonna get too, in the nitty gritty here, there's some good reason to think in the text that Christ actually delivered these parables as a set as well. So it's not just, it's not just Matthew coating these, although it could be. Um, but it, it seems like these were all delivered probably as like a common set of parables. And the reason I say that is because when we start to look at this parable and the one we previously went through, the parable of the soils, um, or the parable of the sower. Um, what we see is the answer to your question of why do some people, you know, why are some people deceived? Well, yes, there is secondary causation. The devil deceives them. They blind themselves. They, you know, suppress the, the, the truth and right unrighteousness. But on a, on a primary causation level, um, God is the one who is identi, is, is identifying who will be the sons of the, you know, devil and the sons of the kingdom. Mm-hmm. This is another, and yet another example of election is that the, the good sower sowed good seed, and the good seed was the elect and the enemy. Although in God's sovereignty, God is the one who determines this. The enemy is the one who sows the reprobate. Right? So all, all men. Star, and this is, I, I guess I didn't really intend to go here, but this is good evidence in my mind for, um, infra laps, Arianism versus super laps. Arianism, right infra laps, arianism or sub lapse. Arianism would say that God decrees, uh, to permit the fall and then he decrees to redeem some out of the fall, right? Logically speaking, not temporally speaking. Super laps. Arianism, which is the minority. It's the smaller portion of, of the historic tradition, although modern times, I think it's a little bit louder and a little bit more vocal, but super relapses. Arianism would argue that God, um, decrees. Sort of the, the decree of election and reprobation is logically prior to the decree of the fall. And so in, in that former or in the super laps area model, the fall becomes a means by which the reprobate are justly condemned. Not, um, not the cause of their condemnation, but a way to sort of justify the fact that they will be separated from God, right? Because of their reprobate. [00:28:36] Exploring the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares Tony Arsenal: I know that there's, there's probably some super lab streams that would nuance that differently and some that are probably just screaming straw man, uh, in a coffee shop somewhere and, and people are thinking you're crazy. Um, but by and large, that's actually a rel, a relatively accepted, um, explanation of it. There are certainly potential problems with, uh, sub, sub lapse agonism as well. But in this, in this parable, what we see is the people who are, um, who are elect, are sowed into the field and the people who are reprobate are also sowed into the field. And so God saves the people who are sewed into the field that are, they elect, he saves them out of this now mixed world by waiting and allowing them to grow up next to the reprobate, um, in sort of this mixed world setting. And then he redeems them out of that. Um, and, and, and so we have to sort of remember. Although it is a pretty strict, sort of allegorical type of parable, it's still a parable. So we shouldn't, we shouldn't always draw like direct one-to-one comparisons here. It's making a theological point, but, um, but it's important for us to re remember that, that it is ultimately, it is God who determines who is the elected and who is not. But it's, it's our sin. It's the devil deceiving us. It's the secondary causes that are responsible for the sons of the devil, right? It, the, the men come to the, to the sower and say, who is done this? He says it was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Right. Tony Arsenal: He doesn't say like, well, actually I put the seed there and so, you know, I'm, I, it's not an equal distribution. He's not sowing good seed and bad seed. He sows the good seed and the devil sows the bad seed. [00:30:24] Theological Implications and Assurance Tony Arsenal: Um, and, and that's a, I think that's an important theological point to make. And as far as assurance goes. We, we can't depend on our ability to perceive or sort of like discern election in a raw sense, right? We have to observe certain kinds of realities around us. Um, and, and primarily we have to depend on the mercy and, and saving faith that God gives us. That's right. Um, you know, our, our assurance of faith does not primarily come from fruit checking. Um, we have to do that. It's important, we're commanded to do it, and it serves as an important secondary evidence. But a, a, a person who wants to find assurance. Of salvation should first and foremost look to the promises of Christ and then depend on them. Um, and, and so that's, I think all of that's kind of wrapped up into this parable. It's, it's, it's amazing to me that we're only like two parables in, and we're already, you know, we're already talking about super lapse arianism and sub lapse arianism, and it's, it's amazing. I, I love this. I'm loving this series so far, and we're barely scratching the surface. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's all there. I think you're right to call that out. It strikes me, like, as you were speaking, it really just hit me higher that I think you're right. Really the foundation on this, like the hidden foundation is assurance and it's that assurance which splits the groups, or at least divides them, or it gives us, again, like the distinct, kind, discrete compartments or components of each of them. So. Again, I think it's help saying, 'cause we wanna be encouraging. That's, that's our whole point here is when the Apostle Peter says, be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing of you. That herein we have the scripture saying to us, time and time again, be sure of what God has done in your life. Be confident in that very thing. And so if assurance is, as we're saying, that's the argument hypothesis we're making. That's the critical thing here. [00:32:11] False Assurance and True Faith Jesse Schwamb: Then the division between the children of God and the children of the devil is false versus true assurance. So the tears, I think what we're saying here, basically they typically live under false asserts. They may attend church, confess, belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical. It's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual. And of course, like just a few chapters before this, we hope those famous verses where Jesus himself drops the bomb and says, listen, many of you, he's talking to the people, the, the disciples around him, the crowds that we're gathering and thronging all about. He says, many of you're gonna say to me, Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy your name? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And then I will declare to them, I never knew you depart from me. These are not people who knew they were false, they thought they belonged to Christ. Their shock on judgment day is gonna reveal this profound self-deception. And that self-deception is wrapped up in a false type of assurance, a false righteousness. So I think one of the things that we can really come to terms with and grab a hold of is the fact that when we are. Confessing, repenting seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ. Then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally, Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance. [00:33:38] Historical Perspectives on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: You know, I was reading this week from Thomas Brooks and did incidentally come across this, a quote, an assurance and reminded me of this passage, and here's what he writes. You know, of course he's writing in like 16 hundreds, like mid 16 hundreds. It's wild, of course, but we shouldn't be surprised that what you're about to hear sounds like it could have been written today for us. In this conversation, but, uh, he writes, assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions. However, most Christians live between fears and hopes and hang, as it were, between heaven and hell. Sometimes they hope that their state is good. At other times they fear that their state is bad. Now they hope that all is well and that it shall go well. Well with them forever. Then they fear that they shall perish by the hand of such corruption or by the prevalency of such and such temptation. They're like a ship and a storm tossed here and there, and. I think that he's right about that. And I think the challenge there is to get away from that. I love where it starts, where he says, what wonderful turn of phrase assurance is the believer's arc or Noah, like, you know, we're sitting and the commotion, the destructions, the commotion, the confusions of all the world. That's why to get this right, to be encouraged by this passage, to be challenged by it is so critical because we're all looking for that arc. We all want to know that God has in fact arrested us so completely that no matter what befalls us, that everything, as we talked about before, all of our, all of the world, in fact is subservient to our salvation. But that's a real thing that cannot be snatched away from us because God has ordained it and intended it, built it, created it, and brought it to pass. And so I think that's all like in this passage, it's all the thing that's being called us to. So. I, I don't want us to get like too hung up. It's a good question, I think to ask and answer like we were trying to talk about here, but you're right. If we focus too much just on the like, let's gaff for these tears. Who are they? Like let's people's, like Readers Digest in People's magazine these tears. Like who are they? Do we have a list of them? Who do we think they are? How could it be me? Is it really me? Am I, am I anxious about that? Really what we should be saying is following what Peter calls us to do that is to be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and his choosing. So even there like our emphasis and focus, isn't it like you're saying Tony about like, let me do some fruit inventory. I got like a lot of good bananas. I got a lot of ripe pears. Like, look at the tree. This, this is good. Even there, the emphasis is to turn our eyes on Jesus, as it were, and to make certain about his work, his calling and his choosing of us. And I think when we do that, we're falling down in worship and in yielding and submission to him, rightfully acknowledging that the righteousness of Christ is the one that is always in every way alien to us and imputed. And that is what makes us sons and daughters of God, that good seed sown by Jesus himself. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I just wanna read, I wanna um, round out a few more paragraphs here out of the Westminster confession because I do think, you know, when we even talk about assurance, we're not even always all saying the exact same thing. And I think that's important because when we talk about assurance of faith, we need to be understanding that this is the rightful, not only the rightful possession of all Christians, but it's the rightful responsibility of all Christians to seek it. So here's, here's section two of that same chapter. It says, this certainty referring to assurance. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a, a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the spirit of adoption, witnessing with our hearts that we are the children of God, which spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption. So. One of the, the things that I think is, is important here is people read this and say the inward evidences of those graces unto which these promises are made. They read that and they think that it's referring to like good work and like spiritual renewal, but it's, it's not, it's the inward evidence of those graces unto which of the promises are made. So it's this inner, inner renewal. It's the spirit testifying to our spirit. And then, um, chapter, uh, section three here, it says. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it, yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given of God. He may without extraordinary revelation there, right there is response to Roman Catholicism in the right use of ordinary means at attain there unto. And therefore, it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence, to make his calling and election. Sure. And thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and in joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience. The proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to looseness? Right. [00:38:53] The Role of Good Works in Assurance Tony Arsenal: So we often hear and and I, I think there are good, um, there are good reformed Christians that put. The emphasis of assurance on, or they, they put an overemphasis, in my opinion, on how good works function within our assurance. Right. They, they often will ask us to look to our good fruit as sort of, not the grounding, but as a strong evidence. But at least in terms of the confession here, the cheerfulness in the duties of obedience is the fruit of assurance. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Not Tony Arsenal: the cause or grounding of assurance. So rather than, this is what this last line says. It says so far, is it from inclining? Mental looseness assurance should drive us to obedience and fruitfulness in Christ. And so yes, it is in a certain sense an evidence because if that fruitfulness and obedience is absent from our lives, there's a good reason for us to question whether this infallible assurance is present in our lives. But the assurance is what drives us to this obedience. Um. You know, like, I think you could use the analogy of like a married couple. A married couple who is very secure in their relationship and in their, uh, love for one another and their faithfulness to each other is more likely to cheerfully serve and submit to each other and to respect each other and to sacrifice for each other than a couple that's maybe not so sure that the other person has their best interest in mind. That's or maybe isn't so sure that this thing is gonna work out. I think that's the same thing, like the sacrifice and the service that a husband, uh, performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him. That is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it. It's good evidence that that love exists, but it's not caused by it. And assurance here is the same kind of dynamic assurance is not. We can't assure ourselves of our salvation by doing good works. No matter how many good works you do, there are lots and lots of people who are not saved and who will not be saved, who do perfectly good works in appearance. Right. They have the, the outward appearance of godliness, but lack its power. Right, right. Out of right outta Paul, writing to Timothy there. Yes. So that's, that's important for us as we continue to parse all this out, is yes, the fruit is present. Yes. The wheat is to, is discernible from the tears by its final, fruitful status. Right? It grows up to be grain, which is fruitful rather than weeds and tears, which are only good to be burned, but it is not the fruit that causes it to be wheat. It's wheat that causes the fruit to grow. If, if it wasn't wheat, it wouldn't grow fruit, not because the fruit makes it grain, but because it is in fact wheat to start with. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah, that's right on. So I think like by summation we're kind of saying. At least the answer to this question. You know, do the tears know that they're tears? Yes and no. Some do, some don't. I think, yes, there are some that are gonna be consciously hypocritical, willfully rejecting Christ while pretending for worldly gain. I think that's, that's certainly plain to see. And at the same time, do the tears know the tears? Sometimes? No. There's self deceived under spiritual blindness and they have some kind of false assurance. And this idea of, again, coming in repentance before God and seeking humbly to submit to him is I think one of those signs of that kind of true assurance, not a false assurance. And you already stole where I was thinking of Tony by going to Second Timothy again. Thomas Brooks in precious remedies against Saint's device is one of like the best. Books ever. I know that he's really outspoken. He loves to harp on the fact that one of Satan's most effective snares is to make men and women content with a form of godliness without its power. Yeah. And that's often what we're talking about here, I think, is that Satan loves to fish in the shallow waters a profession. And really that can happen in any kind of church or religious culture, that there is this shallowness where that loves religious appearance, prayer, knowledge fellowship, but not the Christ behind them. And so whether we're looking to somebody like Brooks or Jonathan Edwards and we're trying to parse out what are our true affections, not in a way again, that somehow leans well, I feel enough, then somehow that justifies, not inwardly, but again, definitely trying to understand our conviction for conversion tears. For repentance that. Really what we're after is not like just the blessings of Christ, but Christ himself, which I think really leads us to this eschatological perspective then to round all everything out because you know, we talked about before, there's an old phrase, it's like everywhere. A lot of people talk in heaven. Not everybody's going there. And so this idea of like, people will talk about be so great to be there and it's sometimes this, the heaven that they speak of is like absent Christ, you know, as if like, if Christ wasn't there, at least in their perspective, it still wouldn't be half bad. And so I think that does lead us to understand what is this in gathering? What is this? You know, bringing everything into the barn and burning everything else up. And like you just said, if at the beginning you cannot tell the injurious weed aside from that beautiful kernel of wheat that's coming up, but if in the end you can see what's happening in the end, then that brings us all to consummation. What does it mean in this parable? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:44:19] Eschatological Judgment and Assurance Tony Arsenal: And, and I think this actually sort of forces us to grapple a little bit with, with another sort of persnickety feature of this parable that, that I think, I think personally sometimes gets overlooked is we are very quick to talk about this parable to be about the church. And it is. Right. And, and there's reasons to talk like that. But when Christ explains the parable, he doesn't say the field is the church. He says the field is the world. Right. And so we have to, we have to, we have to do a little bit of, um. We have to do a little bit of hermeneutics to understand that this is also speaking of the church, right? It's not as though the church is some hermetically sealed off body that the dynamics of the world and the, the weed and the tears like that, that doesn't happen in the church. But when we talk about the end of the age here, he says the son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom. All causes of sin in all lawbreakers. Right? So, so the, the final eschatological judgment, it's all encompassing. And I dunno, maybe I'm, maybe I'm becoming a little bit post mill with this, um, the, the world is already the Kingdom of Christ. Right? Right. That's right. It, it's not, it's not just the church on earth that is the kingdom of Christ. And so when we talk about this eschatological reaping, um, what we see is, is very straightforward. There are those who are, uh, who belong to Christ, who were sown by him into the world, who were, uh, were tended by him, who were protected by him, who he intended to harvest from the very beginning, right? The good sower sows good seed into the field, and that good seed is and necessarily will be wheat. It's not as though, um, it's not as though, and again, this is one of those ways where like the parables sometimes, uh, are telling a little bit of a different story. Even though they're sharing some themes in the first parable, in the parable of the sower, he sows the same seed into the world. But the seed in that first parable is not the, is not the person receiving the seed. The seed is the one is the word of God. Yes. And so the word of God is sewn promiscuously, even to those who will be hard soil and who will be rocky soil and have thorns. The word of God is, is sewn to all of those people. Across the whole world in this parable. The seed that is the good seed that is sown is and always was going to be weed that was, or wheat, which was going to grow into fruitfulness and be gathered into the barn. Right? That was a foregone conclusion. The, the, when the sower decided to sow seed, all of that said he is the one who did that. He's the one that chose that. He's the one that will bring us to completion, right? And then also the ones that are not of his kingdom, the sons of the devil, they will also be reaped at the end. Actually we'll be reaped before the, you know, they'll be reaped and gathered and, and tossed into the furnace before the sons of the kingdom are gathered together. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: So it, again, this is a parable and even though this is Christ's explanation of the parable, I don't think that Christ was intending to give us like a strict timeline. Right. I don't think he was encouraging us to draw a chart and try to map out where this all happens in order. Um, I do think it's relevant that, that, at least in the explanation of this parable, I mentioned it last week, that, that the rap, the rapture is actually the wicked being raptured. They're the ones that are gathered and taken out of the world and cast into the fiery furnace before the, before the righteous are gathered together and, and brought into Christ Barn. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, there's a great unmasking that's happening here in this final stage. I mean, that's critically the point. I think there's a lot of stuff we could talk about open handedly and kind of hypothesize or theorize what it means. But what is plain, I think, is that there's this unmasking, this unveiling of the reality of the light of Christ's perfect judgment. But that judgment is for both parties Here it is coming and what was hidden beneath outward religion or more, a facade is gonna be revealed with eternal clarity. That's just the reality. It is coming. So in some ways it pairs. I think at least well in this, well purposely of course in this teaching because Jesus is saying, hold on, like we talked about last time. Do this is not for you to judge. You are ill-equipped. You are not skilled enough to discern this. And therefore though, you wanna go in hot and get spicy and try to throw out all the weeds. Wait for the right time. Wait for the one like you're saying, Tony has from all of eternity past intended for it to be this way. Super intending his will over all things in the casting of the seed. And as we say, Philippians, of course, finishing that good work, which was started, he will finish. It is God's two finish again. And so he says, listen, that day is coming. There's gonna be a great unmasking. Uh, get ready for it. And the scriptures bear witness to that in so many other ways. So. There's such a journey in these like handful of verses, isn't there? I mean, it's really wild. The things that not like we come up with or we read into the text, but as we sit in it a little bit, as we just spend even a cursory amount of time letting it pour over us, that we find there's like a conviction in a weight in these things that are beyond just the story and beyond just even like the illustrations themselves. What we find is, again, it's as if Jesus himself in his brilliance, of course, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is illuminating the mind in the spirit to open up our conception, understanding of the kingdom of God by bringing it to us through his perspective in our own terms, of course, which is both our language and like the context of the world in which we live, and that simple example of farming and seed. And again, even just that there are these interest weeds that look like wheat. I went on this like rabbit hole this week and did a lot of research on like tears and Yeah, like especially people in like the Midwest United States who like know a lot more about agriculture than I do have a lot to say about this. It's not just like we shouldn't be surprised like. Isn't it incredible that like there are actually weeds out there that look like, yeah, it's a brilliance of just knowing that this teaching is so finely tuned. Like we can even just talk about that. Like the world is finely tuned. This teaching is so finely tuned to these grant theological principles that we can at one point be children and appropriate them enough and assume them into our own intellectual capacity so that we can trust in them. And yet even as like adults with like, let's say like the greatest gift of intellectual capacity, still find that we cannot get to the bottom of them because they're so deep. They draw us into these really, really grand vistas or really like extremely deep cold theological waters. And I just find. That I am in awe then of what Jesus is saying here because there's a truth for us in assurance that we ought to clinging to. And there's also like stuff that we should come back to. We shouldn't just stop it here and put it out of our minds until the next time we, we want to just be stimulated by something that's interesting or that we want to just grab somebody and shake them cage style, cage two style and say like, look at this great thing that I just learned about this, this particular parable. But instead, there's so much here for us to meditate on. And in that, I think rather than the Christian finding fear in this parable, what they should find is great comfort. We should be Noah alike sitting in the ark saying, it is well with my soul. And our reason for that is because we know God has cast a seed through his son Jesus Christ. And to be a child, a child of God is the greatest thing in all the universe. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I, I think that, um, transitions nicely to, uh, I'll make this point quick because we're coming up on time here. Um. [00:52:04] Christ's Divinity and Sovereignty Tony Arsenal: The other little subtle thing that Christ does here in this parable is he, he absolutely asserts his divinity and sovereignty overall creation. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Yep. Tony Arsenal: Right. It, it's almost like a throw. There's a couple little like lines that are almost throwaway lines, right in the, the first, the beginning of the parable here. Um, the parable itself, uh, he says, um, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed into a field. And then he says, um, the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, right? And then when he interprets the parable, he says, well, the, the servants are, the field is the world, right? So he's the master of the world, and the servants are the angels. So he's the master of the angels. And then if, if there was any doubt left in your mind. Says in verse 41, the son of man will send his angels. That's right. And they will gather out of his kingdom, which is the world, all the causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. Right? So we have this, this robust picture that there is election. The the good sower sows good seed into the world, and the good seed will necessarily grow into wheat and will be preserved and protected and ultimately harvest Well, why can we have assurance that that will be the case? Well, because the master of the house is the son of man who is the Lord of the universe and the creator of all things. And his angels do his will. That's right. So, so the whole thing is all wrapped up. Why can we have assurance? Because God is a good God and Christ is a good savior, and the savior of the world is the creator of the universe, right? If any of those facts were not true. Then we couldn't have assurance. If God wasn't good, then maybe he's lying. If Christ wasn't the savior of the world or the God of the universe, the creator of the universe, then he wasn't worthy to be the one who saves. All of this is wrapped up in the parables, and this is what's so exciting about the parables. In most of the instances that we look up, especially of the sort of longer parables, these kinds of dynamics are there where it's not just a simple story making a simple point, it is making one primary point. Usually there's one primary point that a, that a parable is making. But in order to make that primary point, there's all these supporting points and supporting things that have to be the case. If the, if the good sower was not the master of the house and a, a competent, uh, a competent landowner who knew the difference between wheat and weeds, even at the early stage, right? His, his servants go and go, what happened? What's with all of these weeds? They can tell the difference somehow, Jesse Schwamb: right? Tony Arsenal: He's immediately able to go, well, this was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Tony Arsenal: And while they're bumbling around going, should we go rip it all up and start over? He is like, no, no, no, no. Just wait until, wait until it all grows up together. And when that happens, the Reapers will come and they'll take care of it and they'll do it in my direction, right? Because he's competent, he's the savior, he's the creator, he's the good master, he is the good sower. Um, we can be confi

Mass Readings for 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 19, 2025 Reading 1, Exodus 17:8-13 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 Reading 2, Second Timothy 3:14-4:2 Gospel, Luke 18:1-8

Mass Readings for 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 12, 2025 Reading 1, Second Kings 5:14-17 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 Reading 2, Second Timothy 2:8-13 Gospel, Luke 17:11-19

Today pastor John Randall pays a visit to Second Timothy chapter four, and here we find a great model for those who are called to teach and present the Word of God. It's important to know when and how to preach, but also why! And this charge from the apostle Paul to young Timothy will prove to be very helpful in that regard. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

Today we get back into Second Timothy here on a Daily Walk as we continue thru the Bible. In Second Timothy chapter four Paul the apostle encourages Timothy in his ministry to preach the word. It's the word that brings correction and encouragement. It's what equips us for life and service. It's how we come to know the Lord and grow in our relationship with Him. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

Mass Readings for 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 5, 2025 Reading 1, Habakkuk 1:2-3,2:2-4 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 Reading 2, Second Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 Gospel, Luke 17:5-10

Nowadays we can download an app onto our phones, and get specific driving directions for where we want to go! But remember life before GPS? A few wrong turns and we were totally lost and confused! Today on a Daily Walk we'll see how we need to listen to and follow the Word of God, as our GPS for life, if we're going to stay on course. Pastor John Randall will explain how it's powerful and profitable for our Daily Walk too, as he opens up Second Timothy chapter three. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

John Randall has an eye on Second Timothy chapter three today, and we'll be covering verses 10-17. The apostle Paul had his fair share of challenges and difficulty that's for sure, but he lived with determination and devotion to the Lord. We'll be encouraged to do the same in these difficult last days. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

In this episode, Dr. Leelo Bush reflects on the power of conviction and courage, drawing inspiration from Charlie Kirk's “Never Surrender” message. She parallels his example with the calling of Christian coaches, counselors, and leaders to live and teach boldly, even through difficult times and opposition. Dr. Bush shares practical coaching tools rooted in Scripture to help clients clarify convictions, transform grief into purpose, practice courage, and leave a Christ-centered legacy. What You'll Learn Why courage and conviction are essential for Christian coaching and leadership Four tools to help clients grow: Conviction Clarifier, Grief-to-Purpose Mapping, Courage Role Play, and Legacy Letter How to guide others in transforming personal loss into Kingdom purpose How Scripture anchors resilience, authenticity, and boldness in coaching practice The importance of living with conviction and modeling Christlike courage Quotable Moments “One life lived with conviction can awaken a generation.” CHRISTIAN COACHING SCHOOL - SEA… “Grief becomes the soil for new growth.” CHRISTIAN COACHING SCHOOL - SEA… “Never surrender to fear, never surrender to grief, and never surrender your calling.” CHRISTIAN COACHING SCHOOL - SEA… Scriptures Mentioned Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous…” 2 Timothy 1:7 – “God has not given us a spirit of fear…” Hebrews 12 – “Run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” Resources PCCCA Courses: https://pccca.org/courses/ Healing the Grieving Brain Guide: https://griefcoachu.com/healing/ The Comprehensive Christian Coach Handbook (Dr. Leelo Bush): Amazon link Courageous Christian Coaching Tribe (Facebook group): facebook.com/groups/courageouschristiancoachingtribe Full Transcript Charlie Kirk once said, “If you believe in something, you need to have the courage to fight for those ideas, not run away from them, or try and silence them.” Those words capture the heart of what I want to share with you today. This is more than a tribute to Charlie Kirk. It's a conversation about how his message of courage and conviction can inspire us as Christian coaches, counselors, and ministry leaders. This is today's topic. Welcome to the Christian Coaching School podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Leelo Bush. I'm a master coach, author, curriculum creator, and the number one authority on Spirit-led Christian coaching. I've trained tens of thousands worldwide since 2003. And if you are ready to uplevel your skills, find greater fulfillment, and employ the most powerful coaching available to mankind—let's go. Welcome, friends. I'm Dr. Leelo Bush, your host. I pioneered Spirit-led Christian life coaching more than 20 years ago and wrote the first comprehensive Christian coaching handbook, now in its second edition. Through my academies and training programs, I have helped believers around the world discover how to coach and counsel with the wisdom of Scripture, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the tools of transformation that change lives. I'm honored to have you with me today. Charlie poured his heart into building a movement to save America. He believed in young people. He believed in ordinary Americans. And he believed that even in our darkest hours, America was the beacon of goodness, freedom, and truth. And he gave his life for that. Our task now is not only to protect what he built, but to grow it bigger, stronger, and bolder than anyone ever thought possible. And look around you—it's happening. God took his one voice, and when the enemy came against him, multiplied it thousands and thousands of times greater. As a first-generation American and daughter of parents who fled communism, faith, freedom, and opportunity are hallmarks to everything I do and believe in. Charlie lived his life with boldness. He was unafraid to step into the public square and declare what he believed to be true. His motto, as his family shared, was “Never surrender.” He knew what it meant to take the heat, to endure criticism, and to keep going. Whether or not we agreed with him on every point, there was no denying that he embodied a spirit of courage that calls all of us higher. He leaves behind a legacy of boldness and impact, reminding us that one life lived with conviction can awaken a generation. For me, his life echoes the same conviction that God placed in my heart years ago when He called me to pioneer Christian life coaching. I remember when the idea of Spirit-led coaching was new, even unrecognized. And when it emerged, there was opposition from the old guard who thought coaching this way was too spiritual, too radical. There was no roadmap but the one God gave me. Yes, He gave me the vision, and I wrote the first Spirit-led Christian coaching textbook so that believers everywhere could have a biblical, Spirit-filled foundation for helping others. Since then, thousands have been trained, certified, and sent into the world as coaches and counselors who carry Christ's love and transformation to countless lives. That work continues today through many programs: Christian life coaching, Christian counseling, grief coaching, stress relief coaching, wellness, and so much more. These are all branches of the same tree that God planted in me. At the conclusion of this episode, I encourage you to visit the Academy. I know you have many options when it comes to training, and yes, you can invest far more or far less than our tuition. But here's the truth: you won't find training of greater value anywhere, at any price. Why am I so confident? Since I pioneered Spirit-led Christian coaching in 2003 and literally wrote the book on it, we have never stopped refining, improving, and aligning our programs with the unchanging, infallible Word of God. The results speak for themselves. Our students' lives are transformed, and through them God's power ripples outward, impacting families, communities, and nations for His glory. This is why so many of our graduates return again and again for more training. They know what we offer simply cannot be found anywhere else. In addition, we are honored to provide financial support opportunities, including tuition assistance for veterans and the Kingdom Impact Scholarship Program. Remember: God calls us to be evenly yoked in our relationships, in business, and even more importantly, in who we choose to learn from. Select your training with the same discernment you would use to choose your church. It's that important. Visit PCCCA.org/courses. While you're there, explore our programs. Pray for guidance, and when you're ready, enroll with confidence knowing you have found the right place. Your calling to impact lives is too important to wait. And when I reflect on Charlie Kirk's “Never Surrender” message, I see a bridge between his example and what we are called to do in coaching and counseling. He showed what it looks like to stand firm in public life. We are called to help people stand firm in their personal lives in the face of grief, loss, confusion, or pressure to compromise their values. Our role is to give clients the tools to find their courage, to clarify their convictions, and to live in a way that builds a legacy for Christ. So let's make this practical. One tool you can use is something I call the Conviction Clarifier. Invite your client or group to write down three values they will not surrender no matter what. Ask them: if your life were on display, what would you want people to see about you? Then help them define behaviors that show those values and identify what it would look like to compromise them. When they put those convictions into clear words, it becomes a compass for their life. Another tool is what I call the Grief-to-Purpose Mapping. All of us have experienced loss. Instead of letting grief silence us, we can let it fuel us. Ask your client: what did you lose, and what did you gain in strength or insight because of it? Then challenge them to map one concrete action that channels that new strength into serving others—maybe it's writing a book, starting a group, or simply encouraging someone who is hurting. In this way, grief becomes the soil for new growth. You can also practice what I call the Courage Role Play. Create a scenario where your client feels pressured to back down or stay silent. Play the role of that pressure. Then let them practice standing firm calmly and respectfully. Afterwards, debrief what felt strong and what felt shaky. This helps them prepare to live out their convictions in real life with grace and confidence. And then one of my favorite exercises is the Legacy Letter. Invite your client to imagine writing a letter to a future grandchild, describing the kind of life they lived and the values they stood for. This draws their focus away from the stress of today and helps them live in a way that their future self and future generations will admire. Scripture reinforces every one of these tools. Joshua 1:9 tells us, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Second Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” And Hebrews 12 reminds us to run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured opposition so that we would not grow weary. Those words anchor us as we encourage others to never surrender. So the question is: who do we need to become? If our lives were held up as examples the way Charlie Kirk's is now, what would people see? Would they see courage or compromise? Would they see faith or fear? Would they see a legacy that points to Christ, or a life that's simply drifting along? As Christian coaches, counselors, and leaders, we are called to embody courageous conviction, spiritual authenticity, resilience, rest, and legacy-minded living. That means we must walk the talk, so that when people look at us, they don't just hear words—they see a life that demonstrates what is possible in Christ. So here's my challenge to you: define one conviction you will never surrender. Write it down. Share it with someone you trust. And then live it out this week in a tangible way. Help your clients and groups do the same. Teach them to clarify their convictions, to transform grief into purpose, to practice courage, and to think about the legacy they will leave. As we close, let's return once more to Charlie's words: “If you believe in something, you need to have the courage to fight for those ideas, not run away from them, or try and silence them.” Let's take that to heart, not only in the public arena, but in the private battles of life—in the moments of grief, and in the coaching sessions where we help others rise to their calling. Let's pray. Lord, we thank You for examples of courage that stir us to live more boldly. Teach us to never surrender to fear or compromise, but to stand firm in truth, to comfort those who mourn, and to raise up leaders who will impact the world for Your glory. May our lives be legacies that point to Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen. Until next time, remember this: never surrender to fear, never surrender to grief, and never surrender your calling. Live with conviction, coach with courage, and leave a legacy that will echo for generations. Before you go, I want to personally invite you to join our private Facebook group, The Courageous Christian Coaching Tribe. This is where bold, Spirit-led coaches and aspiring coaches gather to grow, get equipped, and stay encouraged together. Inside you will find exclusive tips, training, supportive community, and the kind of Kingdom-minded conversations you just can't find anywhere else. If you're feeling called to coach, or if you want to stay sharp in your calling, this is your place. Our group culture is each one, bring one—so invite a friend to join you. The more the merrier. Just go to facebook.com/groups/courageouschristiancoachingtribe (no spaces). Or just tap the link in the show notes. But don't wait, because the sooner you join, the sooner we can start pouring into you. And I will see you inside the Tribe.

Just as there are good and godly teachers today, there are false teachers who seek to undermine what God is wanting to accomplish. But how are we to face these false teachers as they cross our paths? The apostle Paul gives us some help with that in Second Timothy chapter two. Timothy needed to face and confront them too. Join pastor John Randall for a Daily Walk as he provides a needed warning for the church today. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

We open up Second Timothy today with pastor John Randall for hope and encouragement. When we're in the midst of suffering questions start rolling through our minds. Have you ever thought, “What is God up to! Is there purpose behind the pain?” Second Timothy chapter one provides some insights and through this study we pray that you'll see you have nothing to be ashamed of, but plenty of reason to rejoice and be thankful in Christ. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

Send us a textPride blinds us to our own flaws while magnifying others' shortcomings. This profound truth sets the stage for a powerful exploration of how Christians can navigate disagreement without falling into the trap of variance – that persistent quarreling that flows directly from hatred.The conversation delves into a troubling phenomenon within Christian communities: believers who fight more passionately over worldly political positions than they ever would for Christ's kingdom. Many Christians can articulate detailed political stances but never share their faith with a single soul. This misplaced zeal reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of our identity as citizens of God's kingdom rather than this world.Scripture provides clear guidance for believers engaged in difficult conversations. Second Timothy 2:24 reminds us that "the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome," while Proverbs warns that those who hate correction are foolish. The participants share personal struggles with anger and pride, modeling vulnerability and the ongoing nature of sanctification. One speaker even asks forgiveness for past harshness, demonstrating the humility that should characterize Christian discourse.Perhaps most challenging is the discussion of when to engage and when to walk away. After presenting truth once or twice, there comes a point when continuing a circular argument becomes counterproductive. Some people mistakenly believe they possess persuasive powers even Christ didn't claim, spending countless hours in fruitless debates rather than accepting that some hearts aren't ready to receive truth.This conversation offers practical wisdom for speaking truth in love while avoiding unnecessary conflict. It's a reminder that winning arguments often matters less than winning hearts – and that sometimes, the most transformative truth is received when spoken gently, even when it initially provokes discomfort. Join us for this thought-provoking discussion about unity, humility, and Christ-centered communication in a divided world.The Balance of GrayFaith That Challenges. Conversations that Matter. Laughs included. Subscribe Now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Notes - https://www.generationword.com/notes/Epistles/08-Second_Timothy.pdf

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 4:16-18"Nick, can you come up here and hold this for me?" Mr. Manning asked.Nick's heart beat faster as he walked to the front of the classroom. He got nervous any time he had to be in front of others.With shaking hands, Nick took the poster his teacher asked him to hold. A minute later, he was sitting on the floor with his teacher in front of him."Just breathe," Mr. Manning said.Nick did as he was told and eventually calmed down. When he looked around, he found the classroom empty. "Wait…where did everyone go?""They went out to recess," Mr. Manning said. "You can go too."Nick frowned. Everyone had abandoned him, even his friends."Hey, are you okay?" A voice came from behind Nick as he headed for the door.Nick turned and saw Alex, a kid he barely knew, using his hands to move his wheelchair up to him. "Why aren't you at recess?"Alex shrugged. "I wanted to make sure you were okay.""I thought everyone just went out and left me." Nick sighed. "Thanks for caring."At church that evening, Pastor John talked about the apostle Paul. "In the book of Second Timothy, Paul writes about a time when everyone abandoned him but God," Pastor John said. "Have you ever felt like that? All alone? Sometimes we don't even feel God with us."Nick thought of how he'd felt at school that day. He had felt completely alone. He hadn't seen Alex in the corner of the room, and he had felt abandoned."God is always there," Pastor John said. "Whether we feel His presence or not, He is always with us."Nick looked at the stained glass window, the one that showed Jesus hanging out with a group of children. Are you always there, God? he wondered. Even when it feels like everyone has abandoned me?"God never abandons us," Pastor John said, as if reading Nick's thoughts. "Jesus died for our sins and rose again so we would never be separated from Him. Even if everyone else abandons us, God is with us and will help us with every problem we face. He also places caring people in our lives--sometimes ones we don't expect--to remind us we're not alone." –Emily AckerHow About You?Are there times when you feel alone? Does it ever seem like everyone else has left you behind or doesn't have time for you? God is there for you, no matter what. Jesus gave His life to save you, and He won't ever abandon you. He cares about what you're going through and often shows that care through people He's put in your life. Trust Him to be with you and help you through everything you face.Today's Key Verse:The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (NIV) (Deuteronomy 31:8)Today's Key Thought:God never abandons you

In this episode, Dr. Leelo Bush addresses the hidden power of excuses, showing how they silently derail our God-given potential. She explains the neuroscience behind excuse-making, the difference between boundaries and excuses, and how to dismantle these mental barriers through ownership. With scriptural encouragement from Philippians 4:13 and 2 Timothy 1:7, listeners are guided toward living a life aligned with their calling—excuse-free.     What You'll Learn How to recognize the subtle language of excuses Why excuses feel justified and the brain science behind them The difference between boundaries and excuses How to replace “I can't” with ownership statements Practical strategies to retrain your mind toward courage and action Scriptural truths to overcome fear and avoidance     Quotable Moment “Ownership is the difference between a life lived by default and a life lived by design.”     Scriptures Mentioned Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Proverbs 26:13 – “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets.'” 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”     Resources Professional Christian Coaching and Counseling Academy: PCCCA.org/courses Private Facebook group: Courageous Christian Coaching Tribe Transcript Let's be honest. Making excuses can be cringeworthy. It's awkward for the person saying it and just as uncomfortable for the person hearing it—especially when we both know better. Yet we still do it, wrapping fear or procrastination in pretty words and hoping no one notices. It's been a while, but I've done it. How about you? Today we're going to pull back the curtain, audit those excuses, and replace them with ownership, because nothing feels better than living aligned with your calling—excuse free. Welcome to the Christian Coaching School podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Leelo Bush. I'm a master coach, author, curriculum creator, and the number one authority on Spirit-led Christian coaching. I've trained tens of thousands worldwide since 2003. And if you are ready to up-level your skills, find greater fulfillment, and employ the most powerful coaching available to mankind—let's go. Welcome back. I'm Dr. Leelo Bush, and today we're cutting through the "can't because" clutter. I've trained and certified thousands of coaches worldwide over the last 22 years, and as a result, I have watched many people rise to great heights. But unfortunately, too many people with God-given potential stay stuck because of a handful of worn-out excuses. Entering a new school year, I thought the timing of this episode would be perfect if you are stuck with excuses. We will do an audit and end their bondage today. Excuses look harmless, but they are silent dream killers. They feel justified. They can sound logical and keep you stuck. Today we're going to expose them, dismantle them, and replace them with unstoppable ownership. Since school is back in session, it's your turn. If you've been feeling the nudge to step into your calling as a Christian life coach, counselor, or specialty coach, the Professional Christian Coaching and Counseling Academy—otherwise lovingly called PCCCA—has world-class training for you to help you get there. I encourage you to visit PCCCA.org/courses where you will find all the details, because the future you are praying for isn't going to build itself. Excuses are not harmless. They quietly chip away at your confidence. They limit your opportunities and shrink the vision that God has placed in your heart. An explanation tells the truth and points toward a solution. An excuse stops the conversation, locks the door, and throws away the key. The cost of excuse-making is massive. You lose opportunities you can't get back. You delay callings God already equipped you to fulfill. And you settle for a smaller life than the one you were created to live. Here's the dangerous part: most excuses feel justified. You're tired. You've been hurt. You don't have time, money, or support. But when you stop there, you have given the excuse the final word. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If Christ is your strength, the excuse has no authority. I remember when my daughter was in elementary school and taking ballet classes. She was really talented, and the teacher gave her solo lessons to do a solo dance in the recital. But she was terrified. When we talked about it, we decided that whenever she felt afraid, she would repeat, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And to this day, if she feels unsure about moving forward, she goes back to that scripture. We all get those feelings, but the Word has power—not because of who says it, but because it is the Word of God. We have to remember that excuses have a language, and once we recognize it, we will hear it everywhere. “I'm too busy.” “I'm not ready.” “I'm waiting for the right time.” Those can sound harmless, but they are all code for avoiding action. Look for patterns. Do you use the same excuse in your health, relationships, finances, or spiritual growth? If so, it's not circumstantial—it's habitual. Proverbs 26:13 says, “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets.'” Excuses are just imaginary lions keeping us from moving forward. But what's beneath the excuse? Excuses don't live in our words—they live in the mind and heart, wired into the brain. Every excuse we make is really a protective response from our nervous system, rooted in emotion. At the core, excuses are survival tools—the brain's way of avoiding perceived threats to our safety, identity, or sense of belonging. When you're faced with a challenge that feels overwhelming, the amygdala—the part of your brain constantly scanning for danger—lights up like a warning siren. Its job is to keep you safe, but sometimes it overreacts. It doesn't know the difference between stepping onto a stage to share your testimony and stepping in front of a hungry lion. It just says “danger” and looks for the fastest escape route. That's where excuses are born. The brain then recruits the prefrontal cortex, our reasoning center. But when you're stressed or anxious, your prefrontal cortex gets hijacked. Instead of helping you move forward, it starts manufacturing logical-sounding reasons to avoid the risk. And because those reasons sound rational, you accept them without question. This is why excuses often feel justified—they are supported by your brain's best lawyer, even when built on fear, not fact. Your brain's default wiring has three goals: avoid pain, increase pleasure, and conserve energy. This was useful when survival meant escaping predators and finding food. But in modern life, that wiring resists discomfort, challenge, or the unfamiliar—even when those lead to growth. Then there's your identity network—the deep wiring of beliefs about who you are and what's possible for you. If your internal story says, “I'm not the kind of person who succeeds at this,” your brain will work to protect that story, even if it limits you. Most people base their sense of what's possible on the past, not the future. But the past is not a good indicator of possibility. If it were, we'd never have developed planes, mobile phones, or countless other advances. People often confuse excuses with boundaries. Boundaries protect your values and priorities, coming from clarity and love. Excuses protect your comfort zone. One brings peace and alignment, the other brings guilt and frustration. Boundaries leave you feeling empowered; excuses leave you feeling smaller. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” That's your wiring in Christ—the Spirit designed you for power, love, and sound judgment. Every time you challenge an excuse, you weaken the old fear pathway and strengthen the neural circuit for courage and action. This is proven neuroscience. Here's how to shift: Name your choices out loud. Instead of “I can't because,” say “I choose not to because.” This admits you have the power to change it. If you don't like the choice, change it on the spot. Interrupt excuses as they form by asking, “What's the real truth here?” Upgrade your self-talk. Replace “I don't have time” with “I haven't made time yet.” Replace “I'm bad with money” with “I haven't learned money skills yet.” Create an ownership anchor—a quick physical trigger like snapping your fingers, tapping your chest, or standing taller—to remind yourself to move from retreat to responsibility. Track your wins. Progress, even small, proves you're rewriting your story. Taking ownership isn't about perfection—it's about refusing to give your excuses the final word. Every shift reclaims more territory from fear, delay, and self-sabotage, moving you closer to the life God has for you. You don't need another year with the same old excuses. God's calling on your life is too important to keep hitting snooze. Ownership is freedom. Excuses are chains. If today's episode gave you a breakthrough or fresh perspective, share it with a friend. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. And leave a review—it helps more people find this message. The best next step is to keep growing. Find your next course at PCCCA.org/courses and step boldly into the future God has prepared for you. I'm Dr. Leelo Bush, and I'll meet you in the next episode. Before you go, I invite you to join our private Facebook group, The Courageous Christian Coaching Tribe. This is where bold, Spirit-led coaches and aspiring coaches gather to grow, get equipped, and stay encouraged. Inside, you'll find exclusive tips, training, and kingdom-minded conversations you won't find elsewhere. If you feel called to coach or want to stay sharp in your calling, this is your place. Our culture is “each one, bring one,” so invite a friend. The more the merrier. Visit facebook.com/groups/courageouschristiancoachingtribe or tap the link in the show notes. Join now so we can start pouring into you. I'll see you inside the tribe.

Paul pray forthe church at Ephesus during their time of tremendous persecution they wouldknow how blessed they were in Christ. Today we want to give a little backgroundhistorically of this church and the reason Paul wrote this letter.  Nowas you read these first verses of this chapter, you find verse number one, Paulis the writer of this epistle. And we need to remember that the Apostle Paulwrote at least 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. And he wrote them asletters, as epistles to churches or to individuals that he knew. Nine of theseletters were written to churches. Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians,Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Four of theseletters were written to individuals. First and Second Timothy and Titus andPhilemon.  Weknow that Paul wrote most of his writings over a period of about 15 years. Fourof Paul's letters are what are called the Prison Epistles. They were writtenbetween AD 60 and AD 62 when he was in prison in Rome under house arrest (Acts28:30-31). He sent these letters from prison by four different men to thesechurches and one individual. Tychicus took the letter to Ephesus (Ephesians6:21). Epaphroditus from Philippi took the letter to the Philippians (Philippians4:18). Epaphras was from Colossae and he took the epistle to the Colossians.And then Onesimus who was a slave that Paul led to the Lord while he was in prison,was the one who took the letter back to Colossae where Philemon lived and deliveredhis letter to him. Nowas you read these letters and you read what Paul was going through during thistime, Paul was in prison. He was suffering. He was maybe facing immediatedeath. But we know that basically Paul was released for a period of time and laterwas sent went back to Rome under Nero's rule and there he was executed around AD67.  Thebook of Acts records at least three missionary journeys that Paul tookthroughout the Roman Empire. It was on the second missionary journey that hewas on that he went through Ephesus (Acts 18:19). He stayed only a short timebut two years later while he was on his third missionary journey he stayed inEphesus for at least two years and during that period of time it tells us thatall of Asia heard the gospel (Acts19:1-20) Later when Paul was on his way toJerusalem in Acts 20, he met with the elders of the church there at Ephesus andencouraged them to stand strong in the midst of persecution.  Later,when Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and then sent to Rome a prisoner is when hewrote this letter to the church at Ephesus. They were going through a difficulttime of persecution that was happening throughout the Roman empire and Paul waswriting a letter to help them. There's three words that stand out in this firstchapter I think are so important. Faith, Hope and Love.  Inverse one Paul talked about they were faithful in Christ Jesus. In verse15, Paul said, “he heard of their faith”, and “their love for allthe saints”. Obviously despite the hard time they were still exercising theirfaith and their love but then Paul said that he was praying “that they wouldknow the hope of their calling (v. 18). Faith, hope and love, three greatwords. Paul later to the Corinthians would say, "Now abide these three,faith, hope, love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). You can gage the strength ofyour Christian life on the amount that you have of these three spiritual connectionsto the Lord. When everything falls apart around you these three things will keepyou going! Myfriend, that's what you need when you're going through difficult, terribletimes. You need to know your position in Christ, the riches of His glory thatyou have in Him despite the circumstances around you. Keep your eyes on Jesus.He is the only hope that you can have that will bring you real security.  Today,how strong are your faith, hope and love? Godbless!

Active soldiers who fight in war are good soldiers and therefore they suffer. Unlike civilians, active soldiers have the duty of being disciplined and fight to obey their commanding officer who enlisted them. Second Timothy 2:3–4 highlights three things about good soldiers: 1. Good Soldiers are Dedicated to the Gospel Christ 2. Good Soldiers are Disciplined in Service to Christ 3. Good Soldiers are Devoted to the Person of Christ

Bro. Mervin Lloyd preached this sermon on October 6, 2024 entitled, "The Heart, the conscience, the faith." The foundational scripture was taken from Second Timothy chapter three reading from verses three to eighteen. He was reading from the NIV version of the Bible.

Second Timothy is a letter about suffering. The apostle Paul has Timothy's tears in mind as he writes the epistle. In 2:3-6, Paul encourages Timothy to lean into his suffering and endure it. In this passage, Paul warns Timothy against three temptations that promise to inappropriately ease the suffering of Christians in every age. 1. The temptation to ease suffering with distraction (vv. 3–4) 2. The temptation to ease suffering through disobedience (v. 5) 3. The temptation to ease suffering by dawdling (v. 6)

When we have a need – a real need – something we can't do or fix or resolve for ourselves – what we need, is a helping hand. And if we get that helping hand – the person who's attached to that hand, well, they go up in our estimation. They earn the right to say things that others can't to us.  Funny thing happens through a helping hand.   Healing with our Hands Well, welcome to the programme this week – the last message in a series that I've called, “Living Life as an Ambassador for Christ”. And today... today I would like to share with you how you and I can be real ambassadors ... ambassadors with a difference; ambassadors that really stand out from the crowd. Whenever there's a disaster somewhere in the world – a tsunami or an earthquake or a cyclone or a tornado – it seems to me that the wealthy countries like my own; the countries with the logistics and the equipment and the resources to help – it seems we take forever to mobilise. When people are buried under rubble, they only have days, perhaps only hours to live and what they need right then, is specialist search and rescue teams, with sniffer dogs and listening equipment and all that stuff. And the survivors, what they need, is medical help, food, water, shelter. And the last thing I want to do is be critical but it seems to take so long for the wealthy countries to mobilise their resources. We know that these disasters are going to happen every year – they just happen and I am always left kind of scratching my head as to why it is that it takes us so long to respond. What those poor people need, within the first twenty four hours, is a huge influx of capability to save lives. And these days, I mean, you can pretty much fly from anywhere to anywhere in not much more than twenty fours and yet, time and time and time again these disasters happen and it takes us weeks to mobilise. Does that kind of strike you as strange? You know, as a tax payer in a relatively wealthy country – all be it a smallish population, but never the less, a wealthy country – when I see the way public monies are spent, the last thing that I'd have a problem with is my government setting aside some money to establish and maintain some rapid response capabilities to help other nations when disasters strike. But as easy as it is to sit there and criticise a government, I wonder whether this lethargy in responding to need isn‘t something that you and I experience in our personal lives. I read about an extreme example of this in a newspaper recently. Have a listen to this short article. A South Korean couple addicted to online gaming, let their baby starve to death while raising a virtual daughter. Parents, Kim You-Chul and Choi Mi-sun, spent up to 12 hours a day at an internet café tending to their avatar child in the online game Prius. But they left their real baby home alone and fed her just one bottle of milk a day. Police have charged the couple with child abuse and neglect. Pretty bizarre, pretty extreme, one might think, "Got nothing to do with me; I'm not like that. I don't neglect my children like that." I would hope not but what about our friends; what about our family members; what about our neighbours; what about the couple next door whose marriage is falling apart? We hear them screaming and arguing but do we ever invite them over for a barbecue, to share in their lives and for them to share in ours? What about that person at church – you know the one – single; overweight; they're life's a mess, they talk a bit too much and no one ever invites them to their place on Sunday for lunch? What about that man at work – you see he's a workaholic; he's ruining his marriage, neglecting his children – ruining everything, all for want of a friend who can show him a better way of living? Where are we then, you and I? I'll tell you where: we are like ‘online' that Korean couple, watching TV! We're doing all the things we want to do in the comfort of our own lives and our own homes. And the more affluent we become the less we care for one another. But we justify that; we rationalise it away; we sit in our homes with more than enough – many of us – more than enough, telling ourselves, "We worked hard for it and now we need a rest." We are living virtual lives, watching TV shows about cooking, instead of cooking ourselves; watching TV shows about travelling, instead of travelling ourselves. Raising our virtual lives, our virtual gods and ignoring the real world. It sounds harsh doesn't it? Well, sometimes we need to be direct. Sometimes we need to call a spade a spade. God does that too. Have a listen to this – First John chapter 3, verse 17. If you have a Bible, open it up – towards the end – the First Letter of John chapter 3, verse 17: How does God's love abide in anyone who has all the world's goods and yet sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help? Now, I know that's hard because there seems to be so much need out there in the world. Sometimes we look at the news and we see the misery and we just turn it off, you and I – we can't make a difference; it's too big. Okay, I kind of understand that, although we can always make some small difference, but there are so many people closer to home; sometimes even within our homes, that we have the opportunity to serve – to heal with our hands; to heal with what we do as well as with what we say. Speaking first hand here, there is nothing ... absolutely nothing that speaks more about God's love into someone's life than when we step in to help them with that one thing they need help with. Sometimes it's the smallest thing – just a word of encouragement; a meal to someone just out of hospital; a visit or a phone call. Sometimes it's loving them over the long run; being there with them and for them. Whatever it is, when we have a need and someone just meets that need, there is nothing that speaks more of the love of Jesus than that. Believe you me, I know. It was people doing just that in my life who played such a powerful role in me coming to faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, their investment in meeting my needs bears fruit every day, as I sit down behind this microphone. Listen again to what Paul writes about how he sees his role and ours in this world. Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 20: So we are ambassadors for Christ; since God is making his appeal through us we entreat you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. Imagine now, an ambassador of a wealthy country who has taken up his or her post in a poor country. And one day that poor country suffers a devastating earthquake and that ambassador from the wealthy country moves heaven and earth to quickly mobilise rescue and medical capabilities. They come quickly; they meet the desperate needs and then, when finally the crisis is over, what do you think the ambassador's actions have just said to the people of that poor country, about the wealthy country that the ambassador represents? That ambassador's actions will have spoken volumes into the poorer nation about how much the richer nation cares for them. It's simply not rocket science! Do you believe in Jesus? I do! And anyone who does is called to be an ambassador of Christ and as the Apostle Paul writes, it is through His ambassadors, dotted all over the planet, that God makes His appeal for people to be reconciled to Him. We don't have to look very far to find the need, do we? Often it's right under our noses. And we can spend time in prayer and at church and worshipping God and all those wonderful, good things while the babies starve; while the needs go unmet; while marriages next door fall apart and people right across the street are living in fear. Or we can go ... go and be ambassadors of Christ. For how does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or a sister in need and yet refuses to help?   Loving with our Hearts As I said at the beginning of today's programme, this is our last message in this four part series, “Living Life as an Ambassador for Christ”. And as we draw to the end I always find myself thinking of so many other things we could have talked about. Over the last three weeks I guess, what we have been doing is taking a look at the different aspects of the Apostle Paul's assertion that he and by implication, you and me - if we believe in this amazing, loving, compassionate, powerful Jesus – are ambassadors for Christ. Have a listen again to how he put it – Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 20: So we are ambassadors for Christ; since God is making his appeal through us, we entreat you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. We have talked a lot about what it means to be an ambassador through whom God would make His appeal to a lost and hurting world. We've looked a bit at the way Jesus was an emissary of God into this world when He became a man. How He communicated God's message of grace to the blind and the poor and the diseased and the needy and the outcast. And I wish we could spend weeks and months more, taking a closer look at that. Maybe we will come back to it in a little while because at the centre of everything ... EVERYTHING is Jesus, the Son of God; the Maker of the heavens and the earth. So, as we draw this series together today, with so much more left to talk about, I had to decide on just one thing – the most important thing – and that most important thing; the one thing that Paul, at the end of First Corinthians 12 calls, "the yet more excellent way", is this: love! That's what we are going to finish up with today. I had a friend who, several years ago now, was called into Christian ministry, out of Australia into the United Kingdom. Now the particular place where he went to live and to work was, well, it was a part of the U.K. that was particularly depressed at the time. His job wasn't to work directly with the people but when I went to visit him and I wandered around the local town, I could feel that ... that oppression. There were derelict factories, rusting, decaying remnants of the industrial age. There was high youth unemployment and I spoke with the people; there seemed to be a hopeless; a lost-ness; an emptiness in this part of the country. It really stood out. Now we Australians, by and large, are a pretty optimistic lot. We have in our National character this ‘can do' attitude that to other cultures sometimes, comes across as being a bit brash. And so when I was confronted with this sad community's spirit, it really struck me between the eyes. And as I chatted with my friend over coffee late one night, he too confessed that he was finding that really difficult – moving from one culture to another – it's never easy. But the sadness and the listlessness and the hopelessness all around, particularly, coupled with the long, grey, cold winters, was really getting to him. Now, please understand me, I am not knocking the Brits. I love travelling to England but there are parts of the country – any Brit will tell you this – there are parts of the country where there is high unemployment, particularly amongst the youth – and it's tough going. Anyhow, a year or so later I was chatting with this man over Skype and he's a great guy – I love keeping in touch with him – and so I assumed he was still doing it tough in this unfamiliar culture. I started empathising with him and his response ... his response shocked me. He said in effect, "Oh no; no, no, we love it here; absolutely love it here. This is where God means us to be and it's really great." That was quite a turn around, so I asked him, "What's changed? You've moved your position a long way from where you were and what you were feeling a few years ago." And as I listened to him talk, it clicked! I could hear it in his voice – he had fallen in love with the people. God had touched his heart and he had this real compassion for the people out there – the unemployed; the people with that sense of hopelessness. He'd become part of a local church and he was part of the community and he realised that the joy and the enthusiasm and the optimism that he had in his heart could be a light in that place. He had fallen in love with the people. Sometimes we Christians feel like misfits in this world. There's a reason for that. As Jesus said in His prayer, just before He was crucified – John chapter 17 – He said that, “... we are in the world but not of the world.” The Apostle Paul makes the point that “ ... we are citizens of heaven, not of this world.” We are misfits; just like my friend the Aussie felt – he was a misfit in his new surroundings. And when we are misfits, the easiest thing in the world is to kind of criticise and poke fun and belittle those around us and complain – "I know Jesus; I have my life sorted out; I know what's right and all those other people out there, whose lives are in a mess, well, they're somehow less that I am." We criticise, we argue, we demean – it's called, "religious superiority". You see it often between races and cultures – one race looks down on another because of their skin colour or their traditions or just who they are. And I've seen people get this wrong over and over and over again. I love it when the Apostle Paul says in First Corinthians 13, it doesn't matter what gifts or abilities or what you do or how much you give, if you don't have love, friend you are nothing. And the love that Jesus showed was more than just love – it was compassion, it was empathy, it was kindness and gentleness. There are two Letters in the New Testament – First Timothy and Second Timothy – they are written by Paul to Tim, his young protégée. And in the second one, the Apostle Paul writes these words – Second Timothy chapter 2, verses 24 to 26: And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. The bit I love most in there is the bit about God perhaps granting that they will repent and come to know the truth; they may escape the snare of the devil and be set free. It's oh so easy, as someone who loves Jesus and is passionate about Him and who wants to see people's lives transformed, to start getting this idea that it's up to us. You know, we see many, many lives transformed through these radio programmes, all over the world but let me tell you this, with all that I am: nothing that I can do; nothing that I can say, can change lives! Just yesterday I received an email from a man in another country who wrote about a particular programme he'd listen to over the New Year period and he said, "One small thing you said, God took that and changed my life." He was an alcoholic and he'd stopped drinking. Now, I can't do that – only God can, by His Spirit when He takes His Word and brings it to life in our hearts. That bit is God's job. And when you or I become arrogant or pushy or superior in our attitudes we are working against God because, “God always opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble.” And I don't care what gift you or I have, how hard we work for Jesus, how much of our cash we contribute to His work, unless we have love, my friend, we are enemies of God; enemies of our fellow men, women and children. “These three things remain”, writes Paul in First Corinthians chapter 13, “faith, hope and love. All really good but the greatest amongst these is love.” Whatever we do, however we do it, if we do it in love, God can use it – kind, gentle, patient – that's what Paul writes to Timothy. The wisdom of a man towards the end of his life after many, many years of very difficult ministry – bound in chains; about to be executed, writing to his young protégée, just starting out on his career - kindness, gentleness, patience and love.   A Price to Pay Now, I had the honour the other evening of sitting and having dinner with a man who heads up a large international ministry that touches young people with the love of Jesus Christ. They have a passion for seeing the lives of young folk transformed and they have missions and people kind of all over the world doing that – it's a huge organisation. Now this man happens to be an Australian and him and his wife and a couple of kids had to move from Australia to the U.S. for him to be able to take up the role as global president of this missions and ministry organisation. So, several years ago they received the call and off they went. Now you would imagine Australia and America – both English speaking; both Western cultures; pretty similar countries in many ways – you would imagine. But as someone who has travelled to the U.S. a lot and as someone who's just received an American into our ministry; a man and his family who immigrated the other direction – from the U.S. to Australia – I can tell you, there are some huge cultural differences between these two, apparently similar countries. Anyhow, I asked this man and his wife, as we were having dinner together, how did they find things when they moved their family to a large city in the U.S. several years ago. ‘Aw,' they said, ‘it wasn't easy. Oh, there were some big adjustments. Oh, that first twelve months was really tough going and we still missed those familiar things and the people and the culture that we grew up in.' So, I guess this is my point, is that it would be easy for you and me to sit and look at and listen to this man and think to ourselves, "Well, he's blessed; he made it; he's at the top of the heap in this large ministry, without ever seeing the cost. It cost him something, it cost his wife, it cost his children to uproot themselves and follow the call of God." Now, this guy is such a gifted leader – he is so the right man to head up that organisation but it cost him. You get it – it cost him. And these days he spends a lot of time flying around the world at the back of the plane – he's a tall man – and that's tiring and uncomfortable and as someone said to me recently, this guy could be the head of any large global corporation. He just has what it takes – he could be flying first class; he could be earning stacks of money but he's doing neither because his heart burns with a fire ... a fire; a passion to see peoples' lives changed. Not as they embrace some new religion or learn a new set of rules but as they meet and encounter Jesus Christ. As they discover His love and His power and His compassion and His vision for their lives – Jesus. This man; this leader is an ambassador for Christ. For two reasons – first is his soft heart; his passion and the second are his hard feet. In other words, he was prepared to go. I think it was Corrie Ten Boom who once said something along the lines that, God calls us to have soft hearts and hard feet. But the problem is that many Christians have the exact opposite – they have hard hearts and soft feet. My friend, whenever we are called to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ, there is a price to pay. Jesus said, “If anyone would be my disciple then he must take up his cross and follow me.” Count the cost – there is a cost and, “Unless you take up your cross and follow me,” said Jesus, follow me where I lead, “then you cannot ... you cannot be my disciple.” Being an ambassador of Christ is going to cost us something. It is not for the faint hearted; it is not for the hard hearted. It is for those in who burns a fire for Jesus; a passion to see hurting, needy people encounter this risen Saviour, Jesus, whether it's across the world or across the street – a passion to see lives transformed by Jesus. Does that mean we all have to immigrate to a foreign land and head up a ministry? Of course, it doesn't! But it does mean that each one of us, in some way, shape or form, wherever Jesus leads, has to go. Just as Jesus came to us, so we are called to go to the lost – to the sinners, to the outcasts, to those amongst our family and our friends and our work colleagues and our local football club and our neighbours and our enemies – even our enemies – to go and make disciples of all the nations – to go and be ambassadors ... ambassadors of Christ. My friend, if you believe in Jesus; if you have given your life to Him, I encourage you to do something today – I want encourage you to go to Him, in prayer, and say: Lord Jesus, I want to be Your ambassador. I want to be part of Your great plan for this world, of transforming lives; I want to carry You into this world, Lord, I want to see people meet You. Lord God, show me how ... show me how.

When fear takes control, God just crushes it.None of us are immune from feeling unsettled at times. Circumstances have a way of knocking us off balance. How we respond not only affects our lives, but those who are watching us.In the film “The Patriot,” a Colonial militia leader sees the British kidnap his son. Taking the two younger sons with him, they wait in ambush in the forest. One of the sons is rattled and crying, so the father puts his hands on the boy's shoulders, looks him in the eyes, and says, “Steady.” Fear drains from the boy's face.In that moment of terror for the whole family, the father's example won the day, and their day ended well.In 2 Timothy 1:7, we learn the source of calm. It says this: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and a sound mind.”God has given you a spirit of power, love, and a good mind. So don't let fear, the enemy, or the world intimidate you when it comes to sharing your faith. Speak God's truth with boldness, and love. Your moment will come one day, and by keeping in mind the truth of God's word, courage will overcome fear.Notice the qualities mentioned in Second Timothy. God has actually given us courage, but also power, and a sound mind—also phrased as self-discipline. And discipline will help keep you steady in a crisis. That spirit of power actually does our fighting for us, and it is the enemy who is afraid.Let's pray.Father, you are good to us. Just as Jesus modeled for us how to handle fear when he prayed in the garden, we know that you have our back, and we can be courageous. Thank you for a sound mind and a calm heart in times of trouble. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

In this compelling kickoff to a new sermon series on Second Timothy, Pastor Karl dives into the heartfelt final letter of the Apostle Paul, written from a Roman dungeon as he faced imminent execution. Set against the backdrop of Nero's brutal persecution of Christians, Paul's words to Timothy—a young pastor and his beloved mentee—carry profound urgency and clarity. Pastor Karl unpacks the historical context of Paul's imprisonment and the demonic wave of persecution under Nero, emphasizing Paul's unwavering focus on the promise of life in Christ Jesus, even in the face of death.The central message of this episode revolves around Paul's charge to Timothy to "fan into flame" the gift of God within him. Pastor Karl challenges listeners to reflect on their own spiritual fire: has it dwindled to embers, or is it burning brightly? He stresses that God ignites the fire of faith, but it's our responsibility to fuel it through daily habits like Scripture reading, worship, and service. With vivid illustrations and practical wisdom, Pastor Karl warns against letting fear or neglect extinguish our faith, urging us to live boldly and offensively for Christ, embracing the power, love, and sound mind God provides.This episode is a stirring call to action for believers to stoke their spiritual gifts, reject fear, and let their lives burn brightly for God's kingdom. Perfect for anyone seeking renewed passion and purpose in their faith journey. Join Pastor Karl as he sets the stage for an inspiring exploration of Second Timothy.Watch all our sermons on our YouTube channel "Flipside Christian Church"Join us in person 9:00am & 10:30am every Sunday morning.37193 Ave 12 #3h, Madera, CA 93636For more visit us at flipside.churchFor more podcasts visit flipsidepodcasts.transistor.fm

Join pastor and international evangelist, Dr. Michael Youssef today in Second Timothy! He shares biblical tools to live out a life of FAITHFULNESS to God and His Word on this episode of LEADING THE WAY AUDIO! (2 Timothy 2) Support the show: https://au.ltw.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Dr. Michael Youssef today in Second Timothy! You'll get tools to live a life of FAITHFULNESS to God and His Word on this episode of Leading The Way! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/155/29

Our challenge is to be like Noah so we can find favor with the Creator. We read about the last days in Second Timothy chapter 3. We also read about certain "woes" in the Bible that we need to be aware of as we live in these latter "days of Noah." +++++++ We have begun building a new website which you can see here: https://www.noahdays.org/

Second Timothy chapter three encourages believers to follow Paul's example during challenging times ...

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) Someday soon God's people are going to get carried away! The next great event in the last days is the coming of Christ for His church. Are you ready to be caught away? (0969250319) ----more----   The Last Days Welcome to the last days. Second Timothy 3:1 says this, "Know also that in the last days perilous time shall come. For men should be lovers of their own selves. covetous, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent fiercce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." I repeat, "Welcome to the last days." We are living, my friends, in perilous times, and yet I'm afraid too often when we talk about the last days, it gives the connotation of some doom. Now, certainly those doomed for those who do not know God. It is a sad reality that people will be separated from God forever. But if you're a child of God, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, this is not a sad ending. Instead, it's a glorious beginning of eternity with God, of every good thing that God has planned for us. The Bible says, "Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither is entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him." Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? If you do, I want you to know the Lord who loves you first, and loves you more than you could ever imagine. Has mighty things in store for you.  The Rapture of the Church We're talking about what the Bible says about the end of time and what it will be set in motion. Now we know that scripture teaches, we just read it in 2nd Timothy 3, that the last days describes that period between the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ, and we know that Christ came the first time and he's promised he will come again. So I believe that the next thing on God's agenda. The next thing on the divine calendar is what is commonly referred to as the rapture of the church. And we're gonna talk about that word in just a moment, but a simply put, we're referring to the moment when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again. I. For us when he comes to take his children out of this world. Now, the word rapture is not actually found in scripture, and yet the teaching of it certainly is. You see the word rapture comes from a word that means to, to catch away, to seize or carry away. The word is actually used in scripture. For example, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says this, "We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds." That's the exact meaning of the word rapture. That is exactly what we're talking about. We're gonna be caught away. It's used of Philip in Acts chapter eight. Remember when the Holy Spirit caught him away? It's used of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12. He was caught up into the third heaven; and so we believe there's gonna be a definite moment when God catches away his children, when he removes us from this perilous world, this wicked age, and brings us into his presence forever. As a matter of fact, when you come to the last book of the Bible, the revelation of Jesus Christ. He talks to his churches in the New Testament age. In Revelation chapter two, revelation chapter three. When you come to Revelation chapter four, verse one, you read these words, "After this, I looked and behold a door was open in heaven, and the first voice, which I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter." It's my conviction that verse is representative of a shift from the church age into the things which shall be hereafter. Friend, there's about to be a door open in heaven. There's about to be a voice and a trumpet. There's about to be a word come up hither. That's the catching away of believers in this New Testament age to be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever. Scriptural Basis for the Rapture Now, the most definitive portion of scripture that deals with the rapture of the church is 1 Thessalonians chapter four. So let me read the portion of scripture and then we'll draw a few observations. First Thessalonians chapter four, beginning in verse thirteen says, "But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep." That means those who've died. "That you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again." May I pause and ask, Do you believe that's the only way? That you can truly know Christ as your Savior? Do you believe Jesus died and rose again? If you believe that the Bible says, "even them also, which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." In other words, as surely as Jesus didn't end at the cross and didn't stay in the tomb, he's not finished with us. There's more to come. The best is yet to come for the child of God. He goes on in verse fifteen to say, "For this, we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them, which are asleep. For the Lord himself," - not an angel, not a prophet - "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord." So what's the chain of events? What is set in motion? It begins with Christ returning. Christ himself is coming with a shout of victory. This is wonderful. God's gonna break his silence. Somebody said, I've never heard a booming voice from heaven. No, I haven't either, but God's going to break his silence. He descends from heaven, but He doesn't come all the way to the earth. Instead, the Bible says He comes in the air. Remember when He left in his ascension, the angel said, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go." He went up in the clouds. He's coming back in the clouds. The Bible says that those who are asleep in Jesus, who have died in Christ, they are coming back with Him. Their bodies are going to be resurrected from the grave. Isn't that gonna be glorious? They're coming out first, and so the Lord is coming back accompanied with all the pomp and circumstance of a king because he is a king. He's the King of kings and the Lord of Lord. So you have his return. Then you have the resurrection. That's the dead in Christ. Those who've died during this church age, they're gonna rise. Then the rapture, the living believers, I hope we're in that group. Frankly, the living believers are called up with them into the clouds, and the Bible says then there's a great reunion. A reunion both with them and with the Lord. First Corinthians 15:52 says, it's going to happen in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. Though we may talk about the process of it, it's gonna be a momentous occasion. It's instantaneous and complete in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  The Imminent Return of Christ Now we know that this is happening because the Lord promised it was gonna happen and God doesn't lie. We also know that it could happen any moment the coming of Jesus Christ. Is imminent. Jesus said in John 14, "If I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also." Let me just end today where the Lord ends. Let's let God have the final word here. Revelation 22:20 says, "He which testifieth these things saith. Surely I come. Quickly." Somebody said, What do you know about the coming of Christ? All I know is he's coming surely, and he's coming quickly. What should our response be? The rest of verse 20 says, "Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus." Your Faith and the Rapture If you don't know Christ as your Savior, would you put your faith in Him right now? Would you call on Him and ask Him to be your Savior so you can look forward to going to be with Him forever? He'll come to live in your heart today, and if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, I hope you can live today with victory and joy saying, "Even so come, Lord Jesus." My closing prayer for you today is the closing prayer of the Bible. In light of the soon return of Christ in the rapture of the church, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." Outro and Resources Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our Library of Bible teaching resources, including book-by-book studies of scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

Week 9 | Pillar #4 - DiscipleshipReturning to Second Timothy, we now study our final pillar as a church: discipleship. Paul charges Timothy to share everything he has learned from him with others who will then do the same. This means that our understanding of Jesus and His work should not be kept secret; it should be lived out and passed on to others. Discipleship, in other words is an intentional process where we are intentionally connecting in the lives of others, to intentionally lead them to deepening understanding and devotion to Christ.SERIES DESCRIPTION:We live in a culture where what's new is what's best. We like the updates, we like the shiny, we like the brand new. We like the smell of the new car, the peel of the wrapper off the package, of knowing that what we have is the latest and the greatest.To be sure we love the new, but what if the old was actually always the best. For that matter what if the old is actually only what renews, revives, and refreshes. That to be renewed requires going back to what has always worked.In second Corinthians chapter 3 the apostle Paul says these very important words:And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.He's referencing Moses. Moses, who stood on the mountain top and talked directly to God. Moses, whose face shone when he came down and back to his people. Moses, whose life was never the same after he had met with the Lord on high. What if the pathway for our transformation, lay in the same direction. What if what has always worked works for us too. What if our renewal as a church lay in our beholding the Lord!Join us for a series where, as a church, we seek fix our eyes upon the Lord, and we seek to behold his glory and hearing from him directly what the priorities of our church should be. But get ready, because these priorities are nothing new, but they are every bit as transformative as they have always been!Join us as we behold and renew!

(Hebrews 2:3) One little word reveals the greatness of God's salvation. It is a heart word, a word of joy and soberness. "So" both defies definition and, at the same time, reveals how great salvation is! (0957250305) ----more----   The Power of a Little Word A big truth can be packed into a little word. Have you ever considered the little word? So it's a powerful little word. It's an adjective that can be used in a myriad of different ways, but in scripture. It is used frequently.  The Meaning of 'So' in Scripture For example, John chapter three, verse number 16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son." What does that mean? He's so loved. You see the little word, so is a word that defies definition. Really. It's an intensive word. It's a word that says to an extent or a degree that cannot be explained. It cannot be expressed perhaps by finite minds. It cannot even be understood. He just so loved the world. Today in our study, we've come to one of those sows in scripture.  The Greatness of Salvation It's found in Hebrews chapter two and verse number three, where the Bible says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." I would submit to you that the little word, so here is both a joyful word and a sobering word. At the same time, we're talking about what the Bible says about salvation and God describes it this way. His salvation is not just salvation. It's not even just great salvation. No, it is so great salvation. It is so great that you need it. It is so great that without it you'll be separated from God forever. It is so great that you ought to rejoice when you have it, my friend. You ought to thank God that he saved you, but it's also so great that you ought to be sober about it and realize what a serious, costly thing this salvation is. We're talking today about the greatness of this salvation and if somebody said to me how great is it? I just have to use the Bible word and say, it's so great. An infinite God uses the word so to, to try to relate this truth to finite man. Why is our salvation so great?  The Divine Author of Salvation It's so great because of its divine author. Just this week I've been preaching in the place where I've been ministering from the little Book of Jonah, and I came to that verse. Just last night, Jonah chapter two at verse number nine, it says, "Salvation is of the Lord." Can I remind you that man didn't come up with salvation. Salvation was God's idea that apart from God, we'd all still be lost in our sin would either be in hell or on our way there. But the divine author of salvation is the God of love and mercy and grace. It came to us according to the eternal purpose of God. This was not God coming up with an emergency plan. No. Our sovereign God knew from the very beginning of the world, this was not an afterthought. He knew from the very beginning of the world that we were gonna need a savior. Ephesians one, verse four says, "Before the foundations of the world." Ephesians three verse eleven says, "According to his eternal purpose." Titus 1:2 says, "Before the world began." First Peter 1:20 says, "Before the foundation of the world." It sounds to me like God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. Don't you think that he's been writing this story of redemption? Graham Scragg, he wrote a powerful book on the Bible many years ago and he titled his book, and I love the title, the Unfolding Drama of Redemption. My friend that's really what the Bible is. It is God's redemptive story to man Herbert Locky wrote this deep and far in an untrackable eternity. Its foundations were laid. It's not a thing of yesterday, it will not pass away with tomorrow. The father has endorsed it with his own everlasting ness. Think of that my salvation is rooted in the eternalness of God. He's the divine author that makes it so great.  The Cost of Salvation It was also so great because of the price that was paid for it. In First Peter chapter one, we're told that we've been bought, not with corruptible things, but incorruptible. The incorruptible blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The precious blood of Christ was what the cost of my salvation was. Don't take this lightly friend. We should never discuss spiritual things in a flippant way. One of the things that is tragic today is the lack of reverence. When people talk about God and spiritual truths and friends, you might make a joke about some things, but never joke about Christ and about salvation. It's so great and then it's so great because.  The Universal Offer of Salvation Of the fact it's universally offered to every man. John chapter three, verse number 16, still says, "whosoever." First Timothy chapter two says that God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Don't you love that verse, John 2:2 says, "Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world." Does that mean everybody's gonna be saved? No, we know that some people are going to reject the truth and some people. Perhaps we'll never even hear the truth. What a tragic loss that is. But the fact remains that Christ died for every man. God loves all people, and the Holy Spirit has come to make the free offer of salvation available to all. Who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, you know what it sounds like to me, it's so great salvation.  The Eternal Duration of Salvation Not only that, it's so great because of its duration. How long is it gonna last forever? Salvation is forever. You see the great word used in scripture is this eternal life. Don't you love that eternal life? Isaiah 45 calls it "everlasting salvation." Isaiah 51 verse six says, "Whatever God does, it's forever." Hebrews chapter five, verse number nine says that the Lord Jesus has become the author of eternal salvation. Hebrews chapter nine, verse 12 calls it "eternal redemption." John chapter three, verse number sixteen says it is everlasting life. Don't you love the terms that God uses? Salvation has a beginning point. It's the moment you look to Christ in simple faith. But the beauty is it has no ending point. It is so great salvation. It's so great because of its divine author. It's so great because of the price paid for it. It's so great because it's universally offered to every man. It's so great because it's eternal in its duration.  Salvation in the Person of Jesus Christ But finally it's so great because it came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. It's not a system, it's not a church. Salvation is in the person of Jesus Christ. If it was in some thing, then we might have to struggle to keep it, and there would be constant fear that we would lose it. But salvation is not anything. It's in Jesus. You're not hanging on to Jesus friend. Jesus is hanging on to you. You're being held. By the hand of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm twenty-seven, verse one, "The Lord is my salvation." Second Timothy chapter one, verse twelve, "I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed, and I'm also persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day." No wonder Hebrews chapter two in verse number three calls it "so great salvation." Understanding the Depths of Salvation You know when you start studying what the Bible says about salvation, you almost. As you begin plumbing the depths and getting greater understanding, you almost start wondering, man, did I even understand enough of salvation to get saved? But may I bring you back to this simple truth today, you may be wondering even now I didn't understand all of this when I first called on Christ for salvation, but you may not have comprehended all that you received the day you got saved, but you got it all the moment you got the Lord Jesus Christ. In the same book of the Bible, the little book of Hebrews, the Bible talks about the things that accompany salvation. On the day you got saved, you just simply took Christ as your personal savior. But on that day, hallelujah, for that day, the hymn writer said, glad day. Glad day when Jesus washed my sins away on the day you took Jesus Christ as your personal savior. You got all that comes with Jesus Christ. You got so great salvation. In fact, you're gonna spend the rest of your life coming to a deeper understanding of it. And then if that's not enough, when you leave this world. You're gonna go to be with your savior for all of eternity, and I believe we're gonna spend the rest of eternity going deeper and further and higher into an understanding of the God of love. We're just gonna say, for all of eternity, this is so great. That's what the Bible says about our God salvation. Outro and Resources Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our Library of Bible teaching resources, including book-by-book studies of scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on enjoying the Journey.

Finally we come to Second Timothy. Paul is now an old man—one who had been over a lot of roads, been to a lot of places. He had been imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked. Paul may not have lived as many years as some in the Bible, but he put an awful lot of miles on in that period of time. He also changed a lot.The Paul we know in Luke’s early writings—the man who went up to persecute the Christians in Damascus, who was a fanatic in the plainest sense of the word—is the same man who was later so vehement in his defense of Christianity that he made enemies almost as fast as friends, and many people wanted him dead. A lot of people in the Church would not have been that disappointed if something happened to Paul, because he had caused them a lot of trouble.This is the man who, when he and Barnabas had a disagreement on whether to take John Mark with them on a journey, refused to have him. Barnabas wanted him, and the dissension between them was so sharp that they split up entirely. I speculated earlier that I wouldn’t be surprised if Paul was really at fault. Now, later in his life, he’s mellowed; and he tells Timothy to take Mark with him, as profitable for the ministry.I believe that suffering pain and loss, and getting older, brought life into perspective for Paul. You can see the change. It’s a slow change, but it takes place in Paul’s letters; and it’s finally capped in this last, mellow letter of Paul’s life.[Paul_Study_Questions_Link]

Believers are encouraged to stand firm in their faith against worldly challenges. Personal experiences of leadership transition highlight fears and the need for practical guidance. Insights from Second Timothy emphasize its teachings for all believers, focusing on faith heritage and the importance of understanding scripture's context. Paul encourages unity, support, and prayer among Christians while inviting non-believers to seek a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Week 4 | Pillar #1 - The Word Still in Second Timothy, this week we consider the critical importance that the Word of God plays in our lives by looking to an earlier passage. In 3:14-17 Paul describes the power of God's Word to transform our lives and to equip the follower of Jesus with everything he or she requires. No ordinary book, the Bible has the potential to bring wisdom, encourage faith, bring correction and instruction, and most of all lead us into a deepening relationship with God himself! SERIES DESCRIPTION: We live in a culture where what's new is what's best. We like the updates, we like the shiny, we like the brand new. We like the smell of the new car, the peel of the wrapper off the package, of knowing that what we have is the latest and the greatest. To be sure we love the new, but what if the old was actually always the best. For that matter what if the old is actually only what renews, revives, and refreshes. That to be renewed requires going back to what has always worked. In second Corinthians chapter 3 the apostle Paul says these very important words: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. He's referencing Moses. Moses, who stood on the mountain top and talked directly to God. Moses, whose face shone when he came down and back to his people. Moses, whose life was never the same after he had met with the Lord on high. What if the pathway for our transformation, lay in the same direction. What if what has always worked works for us too. What if our renewal as a church lay in our beholding the Lord! Join us for a series where, as a church, we seek fix our eyes upon the Lord, and we seek to behold his glory and hearing from him directly what the priorities of our church should be. But get ready, because these priorities are nothing new, but they are every bit as transformative as they have always been! Join us as we behold and renew!

Week 3 | Pillar #1 - The Word As the last recorded letter from the Apostle Paul, Second Timothy takes on a deeply personal tone as he addresses his young protégé. Confined once more to prison and facing imminent death, Paul writes to Timothy, reminding him of the core principles of Christian ministry. Ultimately, Second Timothy is a powerful and urgent plea for steadfastness in the gospel despite suffering, and as the letter draws to a close, our passage sees Paul delivering what just might be his most forceful charge ever recorded. SERIES DESCRIPTION: We live in a culture where what's new is what's best. We like the updates, we like the shiny, we like the brand new. We like the smell of the new car, the peel of the wrapper off the package, of knowing that what we have is the latest and the greatest. To be sure we love the new, but what if the old was actually always the best. For that matter what if the old is actually only what renews, revives, and refreshes. That to be renewed requires going back to what has always worked. In second Corinthians chapter 3 the apostle Paul says these very important words: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. He's referencing Moses. Moses, who stood on the mountain top and talked directly to God. Moses, whose face shone when he came down and back to his people. Moses, whose life was never the same after he had met with the Lord on high. What if the pathway for our transformation, lay in the same direction. What if what has always worked works for us too. What if our renewal as a church lay in our beholding the Lord! Join us for a series where, as a church, we seek fix our eyes upon the Lord, and we seek to behold his glory and hearing from him directly what the priorities of our church should be. But get ready, because these priorities are nothing new, but they are every bit as transformative as they have always been! Join us as we behold and renew!

You can read the whole text here: https://dougapple.blogspot.com/ +++++++ I'm Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) “For Thine is the kingdom.” That's what it says near the end of The Lord's Prayer. I pray through The Lord's Prayer most days and when I come to this part I expound on it. “Lord, the kingdom is Yours. Everything belongs to You, and I belong to You in your kingdom.” A kingdom implies a king, and Revelation 19:16 says that Jesus is the King of Kings. Psalm 47 says God is the King of all the earth. He reigns over the nations and sits on His holy throne. Isaiah said, “My eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” And what was Isaiah's response when He saw the King? It was great humility and repentance. He said, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” Isaiah also responded with a great desire to serve the King. In Isaiah 6:8 he said, “Here am I! Send me.” This is a proper response to a king, an offer to serve. So that's what I do when I come to “for Thine is the kingdom.” I say, “Lord, You are the king. I am your servant. I am here to serve as You wish. I'm at your beck and call. I want to do what is my duty to do.” So I am a servant of the King, but I am also a soldier of the King. Second Timothy 2:3-4 says, “endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with civilian affairs, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” I am a soldier of the King. When I roll out of bed each morning I take a knee, point to heaven and say, “Reporting for duty, Sir.” One of the things I like about being a soldier is that I don't have to come up with my own commands. A soldier doesn't wake up and say, “What should I do for the army today?” No. He is a soldier under command. He does what he is told. A soldier also doesn't have to worry about his provisions, his gear, his lodging, his health care, his training. That's all provided as long as he is a soldier under command. So when I pray, “for Thine is the kingdom,” I'm praying, “Lord, I am Your servant and I am Your soldier.” But there's more. I'm not just a servant and I'm not just a soldier. As a Christian I am also a son! I am a CHILD of the King! Galatians 4 says that Jesus came to redeem us so that we can be adopted as sons. We become sons and daughters of the King! It says we become heirs of the King through Christ. First John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” God is the King, and as believers we are the King's Kids! So when I pray, “for Thine is the kingdom” at the end of the Lord's prayer, I'm saying, “Lord, You are the King. It's Your kingdom, and I am Your servant. I want to do all that is my duty to do. And I am a soldier under command. And I am a son, so happy to be a child of the King, and that You love me and provide for me and lead me, not just as a servant and not just as a soldier, but also as a son. Thank You, Father.” For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. May God bless you today. I'm Doug Apple.

What if the Apostle Paul's last letter were addressed to you? Paul's epistles are among the most important pieces of literature in the world. He wrote his final letter knowing it would be his last, and he chose to communicate with a young Christian leader named Timothy. That's the note we call, "Second Timothy," and we'll be reading it closely in our new series. In these few pages of the New Testament there is Truth for our Toxic Times. While you turn there, Jim will get us started with a story. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS01152025_0.mp3Scripture References: 2 Timothy 1:1-9

Questions about whether a lack of persecution means you're not living a godly life, what to think about your faith if your suffering doesn't bring you closer to God, whether we need to nurture the fruit of the Spirit, and characteristics that separate a disciple from a new convert.   Second Timothy 3:12 says that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” so if I'm not being persecuted, does that mean I'm not living a godly life? I often hear that people wouldn't trade their suffering because of the closer relationship with God it produced, but my relationship with God didn't improve after I had cancer, and I wish it had never happened. Should I be worried about my faith? Are the fruits of the Spirit automatically received, or do we get a seed of them that we're supposed to nurture and grow to maturity? What characteristics separate a disciple from a new convert?

William Willimon Changes His Mind -Episode 563 - Voices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast)  In his new book Changing My Mind: The Overlooked Virtue for Faithful Ministry, Professor William H. Willimon narrates some of the twists and turns in his own journey as a pastor.    The context of ministry continually changes, the surrounding culture changes, and a living God demands constant movement and change. So, the book argues, pastors and preachers must be prepared to change! Some of the current assumptions about how to persevere in ministry need to be questioned. What ideas and approaches do we need to change, in ourselves and in our ministries? And how, exactly, do we change our minds and practices, when we're called to be steady, stable, and sure?  The book consists of guidance from an older, experienced pastoral leader to other pastoral leaders, especially young and new ones. Willimon frames the material around the ways he has changed his mind and offers crucial ways that he once thought about ministry compared and contrasted with how he thinks now. He depicts the pastoral vocation as requiring adaptation and revision by its practitioners. Along the way, the book includes conversations with First and Second Timothy as the precursor of this book, an older, experienced pastor (Paul) offering advice to a young, unseasoned pastor (Timothy).  William H. Willimon is professor of the practice of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School and a retired United Methodist Church bishop. A widely published author, preacher, and teacher of preachers, Willimon has written more than eighty books, many of which have been translated into many languages and have sold over a million copies. He is the author of Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation (Abingdon), The Gospel for the Person Who Has Everything (Paraclete Press), Leading with the Sermon: Preaching as Leadership (Fortress Press), and Aging: Growing Old in the Church (Baker Academic), among others.  For twenty years Willimon served as dean of Duke Chapel and professor of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School. He has served congregations in Georgia and South and North Carolina and is a retired bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church.         Email: Rick@RickLeeJames.com Blessings, Rick Lee James Get the new song - Whatever You Do Up on the Mountain Also, Don't forget to swing by Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or your favorite streaming platform and hit those follow buttons! By hitting the follow button, you'll stay updated on my latest releases and show your support for my music! I can't wait to meet you Up on the Mountain onJuly 12th. Blessings, Rick Lee James             10% Off Everything Rick Lee James on Band camp Instructions Visit https://rickleejames.bandcamp.com At checkout use code: 10off Advent Hymn (Watching, Waiting, Longing) This song appeared on over 80 Spotify playlists this Advent Season. I want to thank everyone for listening and sharing it this year.   Official Music Video:   Web Site: https://rickleejames.com   PURCHASE ALBUM: www.RickLeeJames.Bandcamp.com SongSelect: https://songselect.ccli.com/Songs/6152291/advent-hymn-watching-waiting-longing Downloadable Charts and More available from LIFEWAYWORSHIP.COM: https://worship.lifeway.com/findAndBuy/songPage/AdventHymn(Watching%2CWaiting%2CLonging)?versionId=93901&rowNum=0&searchString=Advent%20Hymn%20(watching,%20Waiting,%20Longing)#song-Parts Loop Community: https://loopcommunity.com/en-us/songs/advent-hymn-(watching%2C-waiting%2C-longing)-by-rick-lee-james-3892  Endorsements: “A perfect and needed addition to any Christmas playlist this year. Rick Lee James bringing home the Advent Message.” -CCM Magazinehttps://www.ccmmagazine.com/music-video/rick-lee-james-advent-hymn-watching-waiting-longing/ “I love Advent Hymn (Watching, Waiting, Longing), which gives newness to the phrases of Isaiah. Watching, waiting, and longing is what we do now, and these songs help us do that in confidence. I anticipate that this album will be received as a great gift by many who will find their faith nourished and awakened by it.” –Walter Brueggemann (Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary) "I've watched Rick grow as an artist and songwriter for many years. Congratulations brother on an excellent independent release." -Paul Baloche (Dove Award Winning Songwriter) "Rick Lee James is a poet and singer. You will not only enjoy listening, you'll be drawn into the source –Jesus." -Mike Harland RICK LEE JAMES INFO Web Sites: https://www.rickleejames.com Get The Single: https://rickleejames.hearnow.com/halls         More from Rick Lee James Shine A Light In The Darkness Get The Single: https://rickleejames.hearnow.com/shine-a-light-in-the-darkness Music Video:   Rick Lee James Playlist on Spotify:   https://t.co/S7nCRl0xqa        

Isaiah 10-14; Psalm 102:13-22; Proverbs 22:1-5; Second Timothy 4

Isaiah 5-9; Psalm 102:1-12; Proverbs 21:26-30; Second Timothy 3

Isaiah 1-4; Psalm 101:16-29; Proverbs 21:21-25; Second Timothy 2

Malachi 1-3; Psalm 101:1-15; Proverbs 21:16-20; Second Timothy 1

“You therefore, my child, be empowered in the grace which is in Christ Jesus; And the things which you have heard from me through many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others also.” (2 Tim. 2:1-2) Starting this week for the next six weeks, we bring you a special series titled, “Becoming a Timothy for the Lord's Recovery,” with speaking from brother Ron Kangas in Tuolumne, California from October 19-21, 2001. By going through Second Timothy verse by verse, brother Ron conveys the heavy burden for us to become a certain kind of person, a Timothy, as the continuation of the present ministry for the Lord's recovery in its final phase. This is message one of six.  The original recording can be found at: https://ageturners.org/becoming-a-timothy-for-the-lords-recovery/