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I urge . . . first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. . . . — 1 Timothy 2:1 Maybe you have seen a plaque or a sign that says “Prayer Changes Things.” Indeed, God has shown in the Bible that he uses the prayers of his people in his kingdom-building work in this world. Many examples show that God often provides what his people ask for in prayer. But that doesn't mean God is something like a good-luck charm or a magic genie that grants our wishes. Our prayers need to be in line with God's will for our lives and for his kingdom work in this world (see Matthew 6:9-13; 1 John 5:14-15). And while God will often answer our prayers aligning with his will, there are times when the answer may be different from what we ask. At times we don't understand God's will or his plans or even his ways (Isaiah 55). Sometimes God's answer may be “Yes, but not yet” or “Not in the way you think” or even “No.” (See Luke 22:42.) In 1 Timothy 2 Paul urges believers to intercede (pray) for everyone—including “kings and all those in authority”—because “this is good, and pleases God our Savior.” When we intercede faithfully for others, we become personally involved in God's redemptive work. Each spiritual victory, I believe, is a testament to the fact that someone has been praying. Lord and Savior, help us to pray faithfully for others, that they may come to know you and have faith in you. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And when we struggle, Lord, please give us your peace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
We're back with Joe List. The triumphant return of Joe and the podcast. The fellas talk Joe spilling on his seatmate, 9/11 and Santa Claus, and much more. Go see Joe's new special SMALL BALL in theaters May 21st, and his documentary TOM DUSTIN: PORTRAIT OF A COMEDIAN also in theaters everywhere. See Luke on tour: punchup.live/lukemones Connect with Joe: Tom Dustin - Portrait of a Comedian: https://punchup.live/tomdustindoc Tickets: https://punchup.live/joe-list Instagram: instagram.com/joelistcomedy X: https://x.com/JoeListComedy YouTube: youtube.com/@joelistcomedy TikTok: tiktok.com/@joelistcomedy Facebook: facebook.com/comedianjoelist Connect with Luke: Tour Dates: Punchup.Live/LukeMones Twitter: x.com/LukeMones Instagram: Instagram.com/LukeMones Tiktok: tiktok.com/@LukeMones Facebook: facebook.com/LukeMones Youtube: youtube.com/@LukeMones #LukeMones #standup #comedy #entertainment #podcast
For Christians, the resurrection of Jesus is not something that is celebrated once a year but a moment that forever changes your life.In a few weeks, many will celebrate the completion of their high school or college studies. To recognize these achievements, schools will host graduation ceremonies, called commencement exercises. Because these ceremonies celebrate the completion of a course of study, most people think of a commencement service as a ceremony to mark the conclusion of something.However, to commence means to start. Commencement exercises are intended to mark the beginning of something. For high school graduates, that is the beginning of their life as adults and entering the workforce, and for college graduates, that is the beginning of the career they trained for.This is similar to how many think about Resurrection Sunday. In many ways, Resurrection Sunday can feel like the conclusion – the big event. And thus, the Sunday after is more about getting back to normal. The family pictures have been taken and posted to social media. The new clothes are now just another piece in your wardrobe. All of the candy has been eaten. And now things are back to a regular routine and norm. For those who have confessed Jesus as Lord and believed that God raised him from the dead, the resurrection is not the conclusion but the beginning. For Christians, Resurrection Sunday is not an event that comes and goes; it is a celebration of a moment that forever changes their lives.Luke 24:13-35 recounts the experience of two men who seemed very familiar with Jesus and what He taught. They seemed to have had high hopes that Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah. Yet they are perplexed because of the events that led to Jesus's crucifixion and death. They have heard reports that His body is no longer in the grave and that He is, in fact, alive.These are amazing and perplexing things to these men, but at the point that we meet them in Luke 24, these events have had no impact on their lives. They are walking home and getting back to their regular lives. But as they walk home, they meet Jesus, and everything about their lives changes.The resurrection forever transforms your understanding and your life.Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.This sermon was originally preached on 4/27/2025 for Resurrection Sunday.Books and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben's sermon notes are available at http://bensmithsr.org/resources.For more information on Central Baptist Church, visit www.cbcwaycross.org.
SERIES: Open Door PoliciesAs we begin Holy Week, we see Jesus bury humanity's endless attempts at seizing power. In our world, power dynamics are almost always in play. Those who don't have power want it, often more than anything else. Those who have power are willing to do anything to keep it. In contrast, Jesus—who possesses all power as the Son of God—willingly surrendered his power and placed himself in the hands of his enemies. Why? What he wanted more than anything else was not power, but you.So, Jesus begins this Holy Week riding into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, knowing full well that he was riding to the cross. He would surrender himself to the punishment that our sins deserved, so that through Spirit-wrought faith we might seize the glory and heaven that only he deserves.
Joseph's life serves as a vivid contrast between the freedom that forgiveness brings and the chains that unforgiveness can place on the heart. Joseph, despite the grave injustices he suffered, chose the path of mercy. For his brothers, however, though they had been forgiven, their hearts remained bound by shame and anxiety. This kept them from fully experiencing the freedom Joseph enjoyed because they had not yet received the peace that comes from truly accepting forgiveness. Join us for session fourteen as we examine the power of forgiveness and the freedom it confers.Verses Used:Gen. 50:7-10Gen. 50:15Lk. 6:35-361 Tim 1:15-17Gen. 50:19Rom. 7:24-8:2Gen. 50:20Discussion Questions:*In a conflict when you hold a grudge or repay evil for evil, what is the result? Is there peace? Is there resolution to the conflict?*What does Joseph's response to his brothers teach us about the power of forgiveness?*How do you think he was able to forgive them despite everything they did to him?*When his brothers expect Joseph to bear a grudge and repay the evil they had done, he asks, “Am I in God's place?” What did he mean by this? How does taking our own vengeance usurp God's place?*While our instinct may be to repay evil for evil, what are we called to instead? (See Luke 6:27-36, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, Colossians 3:12-14) Why is it hard to act like this? Why should we obey these verses, even though it's difficult?*Is there someone in your life with whom you have unresolved issues or you bear a grudge against? What can you purpose to do to help you walk in obedience to how you are called to treat your enemies?
"I want to see..." Luke 18:31-19:10Luke 18:9-14Luke 18:18-23Luke 18:24-2724 Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”26 Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”27 He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”What is the fundamental orientation of your soul? Luke 18:35-19:1-1035 As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. 37 “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.38 So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”40 Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”“Lord,” he said, “I want to see.”42 “Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.” 43 Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. 4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”6 So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. 7 All who saw it began to complain, “He's gone to stay with a sinful man.”8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I'll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I'll pay back four times as much.”9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”Zacchaeus & the Blind Man• Zacchaeus was 'small in stature.'• "Salvation (soteria) has come to this house..."Acts 28:28 Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”• What does the word 'salvation' mean in Luke's writing?“Today salvation (soteria) has come to this house,...because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”“Your faith has saved (sozein) you.”Acts 4:9-129 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy. 11 This Jesus isthe stone rejected by you builders,which has become the cornerstone.12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”"There is salvation (soteria) in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved (sozein).”"There is healing (soteria) in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be healed (sozein).”
This week we're reading Luke 18:31-19:10, the stories the disciples being unable to comprehend Jesus's impending death and resurrection, a blind man asking Jesus to regain his sight, and Jesus inviting himself to the home of Zacchaeus. Each of these stories, we realize, is about perception—who is able to see correctly and whose vision is blocked. The disciples cannot grasp Jesus's words about his suffering, death, and resurrection, perhaps mercifully so, since seeing clearly what was about to transpire may have been more than they could handle. With some irony, we note that it is the blind man who sees correctly, recognizing Jesus as the Son of David and having the courage to imagine that a new reality is possible for him. And while Zacchaeus famously climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus, it is the crowd who misperceives Zacchaeus, accusing him of being a sinner when in fact he is living a righteous life. Who is it we misperceive, we sonder, and how might we be bold enough to imagine a new reality?
More of His Saving Fullness See (Luke 7:1-17) by Edgington EPC
Love to hear from you; “Send us a Text Message”This is a supplement and interim update: How to face the overwhelming moral complexities of our time. Join Jack and navigate this challenging landscape, drawing inspiration from the prophecy of the "last great battle" over marriage and family as articulated by Sister Lucia of Fatima. This isn't about conflict with individuals but rather a stand against the manifestations of evil. This battle, primarily fought through the power of prayer, the sacraments, and aligning with Jesus' teachings, we aim to build the "City Of God" and inspire you to pursue righteousness and eternal life. Amidst a backdrop of corruption and crumbling societal values, we examine the middle class and the working poor's struggle in a culture dominated by the lies and distortions of powerful entities. Figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump are highlighted for their roles in challenging government overreach and the deep state, amid concerns about excessive taxation, government spending, and failing public education. Moving to the next step in your "Spiritual Formation" the meditative practice of Lectio Divina, and developing a deeper relationship with scripture, and the building of a supportive faith community. You will need courage and your intellect as you prepare for spiritual battles and find the path to peace and joy amidst life's present chaos.1. Spiritual Formation: a. 3 Simple Morning Solution to combat evil! Knees before looking at the phone! 1. Kneel with Our Blessed Mother, your mother! "Let it be done to me according to your word" (See Luke 1:34-38) 2. Temptation is not a sin: Use every temptation as an invitation to pray! Divine Mercy reading (Download app) 3. Charity, Love the next person you see...action!b. Daily 15-30 minutes Prayer with Scripture (Lectio Divina: read, meditate, pray, contemplation-silence) Daily Readings can be found: Magnificat Subscription (on-line only $19.99 Year!) or a complete prayer app Hallow or for free at USCCB Bishops.c. Mass-Eucharistd. Confessione. Daily Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy (Hallow app includes the Rosary, Divine Mercy app the Chaplet) (The Video-Podcast of this Episode will be made available on Rumble. For past episodes on Video visit our Rumble Channel and don't forget to subscribe!)Follow us and watch on X: John Paul II Renewal @JP2RenewalOn Rumble: JohnPaulIIRCCatch up with the latest on our website: jp2renew.org and Sign up for our Newsletter!! Contact Jack: info@jp2renew.orgRead Jack's Blog: https://jp2renew.org/Support the show
What Can You See | Luke 12:49-13:9 | 9 Feb 25 | Philip Deller | AM | Luke by Campden Baptist Church
Love to hear from you; “Send us a Text Message”Disillusioned by societal institutions that have failed to provide genuine meaning? Generation Z, especially young men, are awakening to a world that is off-kilter. We dive into the societal pressures and spiritual battles they face, offering practical resources through Claymore and essential practices to find truth and peace amidst the storm of moral relativism. You'll discover how Jesus's steadfast mercy and the transformative power of a personal relationship with Christ can guide you towards your true purpose and value.Step into a new morning routine designed to arm you for the spiritual battlefield of daily life. We'll walk you through a three-part ritual that begins with prayer and the support of the Blessed Mother, turning temptations into opportunities for growth and peace. Discover how to lean on the saints and Divine Mercy readings to combat the lure of modern distractions, and understand how these moments of struggle can actually bring glory to Jesus. Stay tuned as we offer insights into the rich young man's encounter with Christ, urging you to look beyond the superficial and embrace a life aligned with eternal truth. On the way we learn not to bury our passions and desires but instead understand the significance of aligning our passions and desires with the intrinsic human desire for God, as articulated in the opening paragraphs of Catechism of the Catholic Church. As we navigate personal journeys and the search for eternal truth, we invite you to engage with us on this spiritual formation journey, asking questions about prayer, the Mass, and Catholicism. Join us again next Friday as we continue to challenge inefficiencies and seek divine truth, offering gratitude and blessings to all listeners along the way.1. Spiritual Formation: a. 3 Simple Morning Solution to combat evil! Knees before looking at the phone! 1. Kneel with Our Blessed Mother, your mother! "Let it be done to me according to your word" (See Luke 1:34-38) 2. Temptation is not a sin: Use every temptation as an invitation to pray! Divine Mercy reading (Download app) 3. Charity, Love the next person you see...action!b. Daily 15-30 minutes Prayer with Scripture (Lectio Divina: read, meditate, pray, contemplation-silence) Daily Readings can be found: Magnificat Subscription (on-line only $19.99 Year!) or a complete prayer app Hallow or for free at USCCB Bishops.c. Mass-Eucharistd. Confessione. Daily Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy (Hallow app includes the Rosary, Divine Mercy app the Chaplet) (The Video-Podcast of this Episode will be made available on Rumble. For past episodes on Video visit our Rumble Channel and don't forget to subscribe!)Follow us and watch on X: John Paul II Renewal @JP2RenewalOn Rumble: JohnPaulIIRCCatch up with the latest on our website: jp2renew.org and Sign up for our Newsletter!! Contact Jack: info@jp2renew.orgRead Jack's Blog: https://jp2renew.org/ Support the show
Reading Luke 7:24-27 where Jesus challenges the people and their understanding of who John the Baptist is and the message he spoke during his ministry. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!
Have you noticed this detail of Zacharias' account in Luke 1... that there was assembly of worshippers that gathered to pray? That they gathered during the "hour of incense"? See Luke 1:10. Try reading it in multiple versions. Will you be gathering with your family or church family to offer up sweet incense to Jesus? May you find some inspiration to do so through this Advent episode that includes language of worship to lift up to His Holy Name!
The Gospel According to Luke: Encountering the Real Jesus Pastor Anson McMahon
A Christadelphian Video Production: CHRISTADELPHIANVIDEO.ORG, a worldwide collaboration by Christadelphians to help promote the understanding of God's Word to those who are seeking the Truth about the Human condition and God's plan and Purpose with the Earth and Mankind upon it. Christadelphianvideo.org is dedicated in establishing just how far removed today's mainstream Christianity is from the 'True Christian Teachings' of the 1st Century Apostles. NEW ON CHRISTADELPHIANVIDEO.ORG! You can follow us online at some of our other services.. #1 Our Main site... https://cdvideo.org #2 Our podcast on Podbean... https://cdvideo.org/spotify #3 Our podcast on Apple...https://cdvideo.org/podcast-apple #4 Our podcast on Anchor...https://cdvideo.org/truth-talk #5 Our facebook...https://facebook.com/OpenBibles #6 Our Whats App... http://cdvideo.org/WhatsApp #7 Our Instagram... http://cdvideo.org/Instagram #8 Our X... http://cdvideo.org/x #9 Our YouTube Channel... http://cdvideo.org/@christadelphians #10 Our Audio site Scripturescribe.com... https://cdvideo.org/mp3 #11 http://youtube.com/@christadelphians?sub_confirmation=1 Watch / read / Listen to other thoughts for the day on our site here https://christadelphianvideo.org/tftd/
Matthew 3 Matthew 3:1 – John was not a Baptist. John was a baptizer. See Luke 1:36. Elizabeth was a blood relative, but not technically…
Why is it that some people 'see' who Jesus is and others don't? Is it just a matter of intelligent investigation? In this passage we are surprised to see that those who really should have seen Jesus do not whereas a man who really should not have seen Jesus does!
It is incredible to think that anyone could misunderstand the simple teachings of Christ. Sadly, so many did. In this message, Brother Luke looks at the reasons why so many did not see what was happening or understand what was being taught by Jesus, when it was all so clear and simple. This is an …
Simon Peter . . . dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. — John 21:11 Years ago we lived on the edge of a lake in eastern Ontario. We often took our fishing poles out to see what might be swimming in the water. Some seasons were better than others, and we released many sunfish so that they could grow bigger. Some bass ended up in the frying pan, but we certainly were not experts. The fishermen in today's story were experts. They didn't know who was calling out to them from the shore, but they knew what it was like to try fishing on the other side of the boat. Yet on this day they were not sure what to expect; they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. These men had also had a rough time lately. They had been following Jesus, the Messiah, but they were confused with the outcome. Jesus had died and risen again, but Rome was still in control. What was the Messiah up to? Then, after throwing their nets on the other side and getting so many fish that they couldn't haul the net in, something triggered in their minds: “It is the Lord!” (See Luke 5:1-11.) Eventually they dragged their overflowing net ashore, and it was not even torn. A reminder that God can do more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Today Jesus wants to remind us that he has called us to follow him too. What is Jesus up to in your life? In your neighborhood? Your community? Your area? Is he calling you to trust him again like you did when you first met him? Lord, thank you for your abundant love as you keep calling us to love you and others. Amen.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has made headlines for being picked as Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate. One underreported aspect of his record is signing Minnesota's first “right to repair” law last year. The bill took effect last month.The concept sounds simple enough: if you buy something like a phone or a car, you should have the right to fix it. But as our world becomes more digitized, doing it yourself, or having your devices repaired by third-party mechanics or cell phone shops, can be complicated. Everything from opening a car door to adjusting your refrigerator can now involve complex computer code, giving manufacturers more control over whether, and how, devices can be repaired. Frustrations over this dynamic sparked the “right to repair” movement, which advocates for legislation to require manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and guides to consumers and third parties. While powerful companies like John Deere and Apple have cited cybersecurity and safety concerns with farmers and iPhone users tinkering with their devices, right-to-repair advocates say irreparability undermines consumer rights, leads to higher prices and worse quality, and harms small businesses that provide third-party repair services.As more states continue to adopt and debate these laws, which industries will be impacted? And will the federal government consider imposing the policy nationwide? Evan and Luke are joined by Kyle Wiens, perhaps the most vocal proponent of the right to repair in the U.S. Wiens is the co-founder and CEO of IFixit, which sells repair parts and tools and provides free how-to-guides online. Read Kyle's writing on repair rights and copyright in Wired and his article in The Atlantic on how his grandfather helped influence his thinking. See Luke's piece in Reason on how the debate impacts agriculture.
Read Online“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17–19Saints Peter and Paul are often referred to as two of the great “Pillars of the Church.” They each played an incredibly essential role in the establishment of the early Church. And though each of their roles was essential and foundational, their roles were as different as they were different as persons.Peter was a family man, a local fisherman, uneducated and quite ordinary. From what we know about him prior to being called by Jesus, there was nothing that made him uniquely qualified to become one of the pillars of the new Church to be established by the Son of God. Jesus simply called him, and he responded. Jesus got into Peter's boat, ordered him to lower the nets, and produced a huge catch of fish. When Peter saw this miracle, he fell down at Jesus' feet and acknowledged that he was “a sinful man” who was unworthy of being in Jesus' presence (See Luke 5:8). But Jesus informed Peter that he would from now on be catching men. Peter immediately left everything behind and followed Jesus.Paul describes himself as “a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili′cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama′li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day” (Acts 22:3). Paul was well educated in the strictest interpretation of the Jewish law, understood philosophy and was quite zealous as a young man. Recall, also, that prior to becoming a convert to Christianity, he “persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). In many ways, Paul would have been seen as the most unlikely person to be chosen to be a pillar of the Church, because he so vigorously opposed it at first. He even supported the killing of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.Though each of these men would have been considered by many as very unlikely founders of the Christian Church, this is exactly what they became. Paul, after his conversion, traveled far and wide to preach the Gospel, founding several new Churches throughout Asia Minor and Europe. Eventually he was arrested in Jerusalem, brought to Rome for trial and was beheaded. Over half of the New Testament books are attributed to Paul and half of the Acts of the Apostles detail Paul's missionary journeys. Paul is especially known for his missionary activity to the Gentiles, those who were not Jews.Peter's role was truly a unique one. His name was changed from “Simon” to “Peter” by Jesus. Recall Jesus saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church…(Matthew 16:18). “Peter” in Greek is Petros, meaning a single stone that is movable. However, the Greek word petra means a rock as a solid formation that is fixed, immovable, and enduring. Therefore, Jesus chose to make Peter, this single stone, into a solid foundation of immovable rock on which the Church was to be built.You, too, have been called by our Lord to a unique mission within the Church that has not been entrusted to another. In your own way, God wants to use you to reach certain people with the Gospel as He did with Saint Paul. And like Saint Peter, God wants to continue to establish His Church upon you and your faith.Reflect, today, upon these two holy and unique pillars of our Church. As you do, ponder how God may want to use you to continue their mission in this world. Though Saints Peter and Paul are among the greatest and most consequential Christians within our world, their mission must continue, and you are among the instruments that God wants to use. Commit yourself to this mission so that the preaching of the Gospel and the rock foundation of our Church will remain strong within our day and age just as it was of old.Saint Peter, you were uniquely chosen to be a rock foundation of faith upon which the Church was established. Saint Paul, you went forth to preach this faith far and wide, establishing many new communities of faith. Please use me, dear Lord, to continue the mission of Your Church so that the faith may be firmly planted in the minds and hearts of all Your people throughout the world. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Saint Peter and Saint Paul By Jusepe de Ribera, via Wikimedia Commons
1 Samuel 8 starts by telling us “when Samuel became old …” and the next few chapters tell us of all the drama that happened in his old age. The first problem was that Samuel's sons whom he had made judges “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.” [v.3]. There is no record of Samuel's wife. How important it is for a wife to support her husband in the spiritual training of their children especially one as busy as Samuel for “he judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel …” [7 v.15-17] We live in a world where few if any of those in authority have any real Bible based principles, everyone is “after gain” in some way to some degree. Those who seek to serve the Almighty and his Son must be after a different kind of “gain” – treasure that they can lay up in heaven! See Luke 12 v.21,33,34. When Jesus returns those who have done this will be “judges” – reigning with him in his kingdom. Maybe Samuel's role as a judge is an example – but they will have divine power, which the Apostles experienced as a foretaste of “the powers of the age to come.” [Heb. 6 v.4] In those days the whole world will be taught righteousness and what a wonderful word picture we read today in Isaiah of this time! “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says in Zion, ‘Your God reigns.' … The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” [52 v.7,10] To talk of beautiful feet is a poetic expression of the joys of doing the Lord's work. What a challenge it is to “walk” in that way now. As a final passage look at Hebrews 13, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he (Jesus) has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'” [v.5,6] Let us confidently say that! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christadelphians-talk/message
From the The Logopraxis Workbook Step 6 - Preparing a Submission - Questions for Reflection The key to preparing a summary or submission for our group is to focus on how our task influenced our mental state: What did we actually experience? What did we learn about our self? About the Lord? About the inner activity of our mind? Were there any insights related to the contents of the reading that illustrate what was experienced? How can I frame this, so it supports others in my group? Reflect & Discuss In what way is each submission the Lord's Gift to the Group? How does sharing too much personal stuff distract me, or the Group? In what way do I experience the Life Group as a spiritual community? The Lord's Providence exists in what each person selects to work with. The Life Group is an opportunity to share the Holy Supper. How might this be true? See Luke 22:14-20. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.
The Gospel According to Luke: Encountering the Real Jesus Pastor Anson McMahon
AN ABILITY TO SEE Luke 18:31-43 Jeff Kelly April 28, 2024
Faith of a Mustard Seed: Messages of faith Through challenges with M.S.
See Luke 22:13-20.This Easter Sunday, If this Sunday's, "LORD SUPPER," is being done to include, "The foot washing," of each believer's feet [who are participating] in the LORD's Supper, you might choose to do the "foot washing first, before the LORD's Supper. Before the celebration of the LORD's SUPPER, See what The Apostle Paul said when he chastised the early Corinthian Church for their "rendition," of The Lord's Supper, worship service, see that you do not repeat this behavior in any way or example this type of behavior. see 1 Corinthian 11:1-22. The Lord Jesus Christ asked that we do this supper in remembrance of Him.See What The Apostle Paul told the Corinthian Church, in the Bible at 1 Corinthians 11:23-34.
Also, from the Logopraxis Workbook: STEP 6: PREPARE A SUBMISSION Each Submission is the Lord's Gift to the Group One of the real delights of Logopraxis group life is seeing how each person's experience of the Word becomes woven together to form an integrated collective experience. This is a regular occurrence in Logopraxis that bears witness to how the intentional practice of the Word can form affections and deep connections between practitioners and create spiritual community. In Logopraxis group life, we experience how the Word leads, guides, and directs all things toward a fuller experience of the Lord in and through others, as the “living bread come down from heaven.” (John 6:51). Step 6 involves creating a concise summary that we can offer to our Life Group of what happened as we worked with our task. This summary is known in Logopraxis as a ‘submission', and typically, a submission includes the following: The number of the paragraph and the chosen piece of Text we worked with. The spiritual principle we drew from our chosen piece of Text. The task that was formulated from the principle, to give us a work focus. A concise summary of what our work revealed for us over the period. For the Benefit of Others The Logopraxis submission describes how we experienced the Word working in us, and the material that we gather individually in our practice, when shared with our group, is to support the spiritual lives of others in the group as well as the group as a whole. Each person's submission is the Lord's gift to the group, and in Logopraxis, we recognise the Lord's Providence in what each person settles on from the Text to work with. So, in a sense the submission isn't really ours but has been given to us as if it were ours. In this way, the Word is acknowledged as producing what's needed for the life of the individual, for the life of others in the group, and for the life of the group taken as a whole. Because Logopraxis is focused on the practise of truths, we try to avoid commenting on things in our submission that don't fall within the range of our direct experience of the Text. It's also good practise to keep any personal details, related to specific events or people to a minimum. We seek to offer only the essential aspects of our work, and a general description of the external details that framed our experience to provide context. This also provides a great opportunity to work, and notice any form of judgement, merit, self-condemnation, or ownership that can easily be running in the background. As we share these experiences of the Word working in our lives with the members of our group, it creates a rich learning environment through which the Lord as the Word can teach us. What has been worked into each member, through their willingness to engage with the Text, is what sustains the Logopraxis community; it is the bread which, when broken through being shared with others, opens our hearts so that we might see the Lord in our midst (See Luke 24:30-31). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.
We have been looking at how various people respond to Jesus. In this week's sermon, Joshua Kansiewicz explores how Jesus uses common sayings to express spiritual truths, including Jesus' image of a light not being hidden from the world. Jesus final advice was to be careful how we hear.
Sunday, 17 March 2024 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: Acts 26:1 A more literal translation would be, “And Agrippa said to Paul, ‘It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.' Then Paul, made his defense, having stretched out the hand” (CG). The previous verse ended Chapter 25 with Festus noting that it was unreasonable to send a prisoner without specifying charges against him. Now, Chapter 26 begins with, “And Agrippa said to Paul.” Scholars state that he was not in a superior position to Festus, but rather a different type of position. Therefore, his speaking first isn't a yielding to his status. Instead, Agrippa, as the one who has requested the audience (25:22), and as the one who has been petitioned for assistance in the matter (25:26), is the one to grant Paul permission to speak. Understanding that, Agrippa says, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.” Agrippa, having previously noted to Festus that he wanted to hear Paul, eagerly hands over to the chained apostle the right to speak. There is no introductory statement, no question added concerning the words of Festus, and no repetition of any of the charges of the Jews. One gets the sense that Agrippa truly was excitedly curious about Paul and what he had to say. Having given the platform to Paul, it next says, “Then Paul, made his defense, having stretched out the hand.” This stretching forth of the hand has already been seen by Paul in Acts 21:40 and by Alexander in Acts 19:33. Barnes notes, “This was the usual posture of orators or public speakers. The ancient statues are commonly made in this way, with the right hand extended. The dress of the ancients favored this. The long and loose robe, or outer garment, was fastened usually with a hook or clasp on the right shoulder, and thus left the arm at full liberty.” As for Paul's defense here, it is not one petitioning release. He was bound by law to go to Rome because of his appeal. Rather, he is repeating his case of innocence, knowing that it will be recorded for his trial in Rome. Further, his appeal to Agrippa may ease the burden of other Christians in the future who would be subject to Agrippa's rulings. A third reason is that Paul was an evangelist. What better opportunity to speak out the message of Christ? See Luke 21:12, 13 where Jesus spoke of exactly such an opportunity. Life application: There are always times in life when it seems inconvenient to stop and tell someone about Jesus. We may be busy, we may have other things on our minds, etc. And yet, if we let the chance pass, we are bound to find out that whatever was distracting us wasn't that big of a deal after all. But more, we will then consider that we missed our opportunity to tell that person about Jesus. The “I'll get it next time” never happens. The message of Jesus is the only message that can redirect a person from condemnation to salvation. Without it, they will be lost forever. Let us remember this and use every opportunity to share the good news. Remember this from day to day. Redirect your mind to make sharing the gospel a priority. The more you do it, the more you will be willing to do it. Like everything else, such things take mental effort to do. However, as you continue to share the good news, it will become more and more natural until it becomes a part of your daily life. So get started and continue on! Lord God, we often only get one chance to talk to a particular person. May we make talking about You a priority so that when we have that one-time meeting with someone, we at least can say we used it properly and told them what You have done for us. Help us not to be people who later regret neglecting this most important of all human interactions. It alone can make an eternal difference in their destiny. May we be willing to share it! Amen.
Help me continue making great content for listeners everywhere at patreon.com/JeremyMcCandlessSubscribe here to receive my new church history podcast every week.https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comIn today's episode, we encounter an account of a blind man who, despite his physical blindness, possesses an acute spiritual vision. As Jesus passes by, this blind beggar cries out, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" His desperate plea pierces through the crowd and graps the attention of Jesus.Through our exploration of this narrative, we'll unpack themes of faith, persistence, and the transformative power of encountering Jesus. We'll witness how the blind man's unwavering faith and persistence lead to his miraculous healing and ultimately, his newfound sight—both physically and spiritually.In the summary I attempt to help us draw lessons from the blind man's encounter with Jesus that are relevant to our lives today. Whether you're seeking spiritual insight, encouragement, or a deeper understanding of God's transformative work, "A Blind Man Who Could See" promises to be a journey of real discovery.Thank you for joining us on this podcast adventure.Support the showJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com
The post Road to Resurrection Part 9. Handle Me and See, Luke 24v1-48 appeared first on Calvary Chapel Crossover.
How do you tell the next generation about Jesus? Everyone needs to hear the good news, but it can be challenging for one generation to share it with the next. Here's help.=====At 2Rivers, one of our core values says, “We are all in on the next generation” because God Himself commands it! Psalm 78:4 reads:We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generationabout the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.If Jesus has made a difference in your life, pass that message on and tell the next generation about Him. In this message, 2Rivers Youth Pastor Brandon Johnson shares what the Bible says about sharing Jesus with the younger people in your life, plus eight practical steps to help you do it.HOW TO TELL THE NEXT GENERATION ABOUT JESUS1. HELP THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE FALL IN LOVE WITH THE BIBLETalk with young people about the Bible, and model studying the Word for yourself. See Deuteronomy 6:4.2. TALK ABOUT GOD WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAYWords and actions are a powerful combination. Though we must be wise—saying things in the right way and at the right time—don't neglect words altogether.3. MAKE CHURCH A FAMILY PRIORITYChurch isn't the only way to pass on your faith, but it is a crucial commitment that shows the young people in your life that you're serious about Jesus.4. TALK ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFEIt's easy to keep some of our most intimate moments with God to ourselves, but the young people in your life need to hear what you experienced!5. REALIZE YOUR FAITH IS OFTEN CAUGHT, NOT TAUGHTWhen your words of faith don't seem to make an impact, it can be discouraging, especially when trying to pass your faith down to the next generation. Trust that God will show Himself through your actions, not just your words.6. BE WILLING TO BE EXHAUSTED FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERSThe young people in your life may not want to discuss important matters on your schedule. But they may be open to late-night conversations! See the story of Nicodemus in John 3:1-21.7. INVITE GOD INTO THE SITUATION INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING ADVICEWhen young people open up to you, it's easy to just give advice. Spend a minute praying, inviting God in. Give Him room to move in your interaction.8. BECOME LIKE A CHILD TO REACH THE NEXT GENERATIONThere's a big difference between being like a child and being childish. To be like a child is to humble yourself, be willing to learn, and realize you could be wrong. See Luke 18:3.Resources for you: Learn about 2Rivers Kids: https://www.2riverschurch.com/kids.htmlLearn about 2Rivers Youth: https://www.2riverschurch.com/youth.htmlWant to invest in the next generation? Learn how you can get involved: https://www.2riverschurch.com/serving.html Struggling and need prayer? We'd love to pray for you. Submit a prayer request here: https://2rivers.churchcenter.com/people/forms/29709Include social media handles, website, other ways to connect:
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. What will you consistently do to move forward in your spiritual life? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Last Week we looked at our main priorities. I listed a few I think are required to be near the top for everyone. They were: Here are a few non-negotiables as I understand them. God must be first. Exodus 20:2-3 – (See Luke 10 Mary and Martha Example, Jesus over serving others.) Character Counts. Romans 5:3-5 – Galatians 5:22-26 – Our Relationships Matter, A Lot. 1 Cor. 6:1-11 – Eph. 2:1-3 – I often think about relationships and how important they are by considering all the different relationship that God has given us. Relationship With God Relationship With Spouse Relationship With Children Relationship with the Church Family Relationship with the Unbeliever I asked the question a few shows ago, What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? You have a lot to think through here. What place does God have in your life? What place should he have? Work in important. How important is it? What comes before work? We will be right break after a short break but first, if you are looking for an interesting and educational podcast to listen to, try this one. Truce Podcast. Truce Podcast – 1.40 length! = 26.20 for first half PART 2 Family, health, community relationships and responsibilities, etc. How do you judge how much time to give each one of these? Ok, you will do something every day. Maybe only spend too much time scrolling through your facebook or Instagram but it's still something. The big question in life for many of us seems to be , what will I do with my time? After work and taking care of urgent needs, how do you choose what to do with your life? It's not my intent to get too wrapped up in the big questions today, Why am I here? Etc. But you can't shy away from those questions if you want to live life well. Assuming we are on the same page and you accept that God is there, He really does care for you and He really is dong something in your life as well as the world around you.. How did God make you unique? What gifts has He given and How do they fit into what God is doing in the world and in your church? Bible reading – learning Who God is and what He is doing Prayer – chewing on how that Truth relates to How HE made me Community – spending time pursuing meaningful relationships that center on Who God is and what He is doing. As you work on your top priorities in life of Pursuing God, developing the character of Christ in your life and building healthy Jesus centered relationships – you should consider what actions you will need to consistently pursue over time to do well at each of these. You want to develop a plan but you have to start with the ideas. Brainstorming how to practically live out the life God has for you. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I'd love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. What will you consistently do to move forward in your spiritual life? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Two weeks ago we looked at our purpose comparing Peter Drucker's Five Magic Questions with what the Bible tells us about our purpose. God's call for you to be an active disciple maker on His mission of reconciliation is clear. How do you respond to God's call? What does that mean that you should do with your life? Let's start to answer that question today! First a quick review since we have been away from the topic for a few weeks. Resources https://andrewsobel.com/article/peter-druckers-five-magic-questions/ ****** Peter Drucker's Five Magic Questions The management guru Peter Drucker framed his consulting advice around five critical questions. With the answers to these five questions, you could run and grow your business. Here are Drucker's five questions: 1. What is your mission? 2. Who is your customer? 3. What does your customer value? 4. What results do you seek? 5. What is your plan? The Bible doesn't tell you exactly what to do each day but God does tell you what is important to Him and what you should value in life. That is a pretty good place to start when you consider your priorities. Matt. 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Luke 10:38-42 – Mary and Martha – busy first or Jesus first? Matt. 22:35-40 – Deut. 6:4-7 - Romans 12:1-2 – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (to vs 13 with deacons)– Qualifications for Leaders in the church Matt. 28:18-20 – Great commission – Make disciples Two weeks ago we ended with the questions, “What does that look like in your life? How are you living out these truths?” Have you had a chance to think and pray about your answer? Let's put the question another way. What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? Where do you get your priorities? Answer that one wrong and you will never be on the right path in your life! What does the world say? Media of all kinds, TV, movies, music, SM, magazines, books, billboards, etc. What is the dominant message of the copmmercials we ingest so much of? YOU NEED MORE! STUFF WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY AND FULFILL YOU! After a short break we will look at some biblical advice for our priorities. PART 2 Stephen R. Covey -The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : “As a longtime student of this fascinating field [of life and time management], I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.” Here are a few non-negotiables as I understand them. God must be first. Exodus 20:2-3 – (See Luke 10 Mary and Martha Example, Jesus over serving others.) Character Counts. Romans 5:3-5 – Galatians 5:22-26 – Our Relationships Matter, A Lot. 1 Cor. 6:1-11 – Eph. 2:1-3 – Romans 12:9-21 – Phil. 2:1-4 – There are so many places in the bible where God tells us to love each other and care or each other. As part of God'd fanily we are to pursue meaningful relationships with others. A meaningful relationship is one that is centered on Jesus and moving toward Him. So my quick summary of three top priorities. God FIRST. God FIRST in us. God FIRST in our relationships. How is this working out in your life? Next week we will look a little more at priorities and try to get practical. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I'd love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Today we continue thinking about how we can be intentional about making spiritual progress in our life. What will you consistently do to move forward in your spiritual life? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. There are lots of moving parts to the journey but our foundation is built on the solid Rock. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep making steps forward on your spiritual journey. Two weeks ago we looked at our purpose comparing Peter Drucker's Five Magic Questions with what the Bible tells us about our purpose. God's call for you to be an active disciple maker on His mission of reconciliation is clear. How do you respond to God's call? What does that mean that you should do with your life? Let's start to answer that question today! First a quick review since we have been away from the topic for a few weeks. Resources https://andrewsobel.com/article/peter-druckers-five-magic-questions/ ****** Peter Drucker's Five Magic Questions The management guru Peter Drucker framed his consulting advice around five critical questions. With the answers to these five questions, you could run and grow your business. Here are Drucker's five questions: 1. What is your mission? 2. Who is your customer? 3. What does your customer value? 4. What results do you seek? 5. What is your plan? The Bible doesn't tell you exactly what to do each day but God does tell you what is important to Him and what you should value in life. That is a pretty good place to start when you consider your priorities. Matt. 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Luke 10:38-42 – Mary and Martha – busy first or Jesus first? Matt. 22:35-40 – Deut. 6:4-7 - Romans 12:1-2 – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (to vs 13 with deacons)– Qualifications for Leaders in the church Matt. 28:18-20 – Great commission – Make disciples Two weeks ago we ended with the questions, “What does that look like in your life? How are you living out these truths?” Have you had a chance to think and pray about your answer? Let's put the question another way. What will you prioritize and pursue in your life? Where do you get your priorities? Answer that one wrong and you will never be on the right path in your life! What does the world say? Media of all kinds, TV, movies, music, SM, magazines, books, billboards, etc. What is the dominant message of the copmmercials we ingest so much of? YOU NEED MORE! STUFF WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY AND FULFILL YOU! After a short break we will look at some biblical advice for our priorities. PART 2 Stephen R. Covey -The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : “As a longtime student of this fascinating field [of life and time management], I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.” Here are a few non-negotiables as I understand them. God must be first. Exodus 20:2-3 – (See Luke 10 Mary and Martha Example, Jesus over serving others.) Character Counts. Romans 5:3-5 – Galatians 5:22-26 – Our Relationships Matter, A Lot. 1 Cor. 6:1-11 – Eph. 2:1-3 – Romans 12:9-21 – Phil. 2:1-4 – There are so many places in the bible where God tells us to love each other and care or each other. As part of God'd fanily we are to pursue meaningful relationships with others. A meaningful relationship is one that is centered on Jesus and moving toward Him. So my quick summary of three top priorities. God FIRST. God FIRST in us. God FIRST in our relationships. How is this working out in your life? Next week we will look a little more at priorities and try to get practical. Thanks for joining me again today! What is God doing in your lifeno? How are you focusing on abiding in Christ in the midst of a busy schedule? I'd love to hear from you, write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. Take time today to pause and thank God for His work in your life and keep running.
Well today's the third Sunday of Advent — just 8 days to go before Christmas — and the reason we're looking at this passage today is because of a little phrase at the beginning of verse 7 — and if it's possible, I want you to see this. So if you can, either with your own Bible or on your phone or you might have to look with a neighbor, everybody get a look at verse 7. It starts with the words: “in the days of his flesh.” That phrase is important. “In the days of his flesh” is a good literal translation. If you read the NIV translation, it says at the start of verse 7: “During the days of Jesus's life on earth.” That's a good interpretation of what the writer of Hebrews is talking about. He starts verse 7 by pointing us back to the time in history when Jesus lived on this earth as a man. He wants us to think about Jesus living here in flesh and blood like ours. But now why does the writer do this? Why does he bring up Jesus's life on earth?It has to do with the context and I'll explain this super briefly …It starts in Chapter 2, verse 17 (which we saw last week) when the writer tells us that Jesus is our merciful and faithful high priest because in every respect he was made like us. Then at the end of Chapter 4, verse 15 the writer repeats this same idea and says that Jesus is our high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because in every respect he has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.So Chapter 2, verse 17 and Chapter 4, verse 15 repeat the same idea. It's not just that Jesus is our high priest, but it's that Jesus is our high priest because Jesus became a man like us and actually walked in our shoes. That's what qualifies Jesus to be our high priest. It's because Jesus gets us. That's the point the writer has been making — that's the context — and so now in Chapter 5 he's about to drive that point home. That's why he starts in verse 7, “in the days of his flesh” … or “During the days of Jesus's life on earth.”The writer is about to prove to us, with an example from Jesus's life on earth, that Jesus gets us. And we're on the edge of our seats! This is going to be fascinating. I'm interested in this.And so here's a question for us: What example from Jesus's life might we use to make this point? … If you had to name one scene from Jesus's life that proves that he gets us, what would it be? …In the Days of His FleshWhat about the humble conditions of Jesus's birth? Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, was born in a stable. He had very simple beginnings. The days of his flesh started as something people can relate to.Or what about the time at the wedding in Cana when Jesus turned the water to wine? This was Jesus's first recorded miracle, which is something only Jesus can do, but it was such an earthy miracle. The party host had run out of wine. They had this big wedding celebration, with tons of people, and they ran out of wine, which was probably embarrassing, and Mary, Jesus's mom, was there, and she said: “Jesus, help them out.” And he did. He gave the people wine. In the days of his flesh Jesus met a super practical need. (See John 2:1–12)Or what about that time Jesus came to the home of Lazarus, his friend, after Lazarus had died. Jesus stepped into a place surrounded by the family members and friends of Lazarus and they were all grieving, and Jesus himself was grieved. He was moved and troubled, and the Bible tells us that Jesus wept. In the days of his flesh Jesus was sad. (See John 11:1–44)There's also the time when crowds were following Jesus and parents started bringing their kids to him, in hopes Jesus might touch them and maybe bless them, and the disciples didn't like this. People didn't think kids were that cute in the first-century world, so the disciples were telling these parents to beat it, but Jesus said No, let them come, and then he scooped up the children in his arms, and said, And if you wanna come to me, you need to be like these kids. We either will have Jesus as those who are helpless, or we won't have him. In the days of his flesh Jesus demolished pretense. (See Luke 18:15–17).Or what about the time Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus up in the tree? What a moment! Jesus was on his way into Jericho, and there was another big crowd swarming him, and Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but the crowd was too big and Zacchaeus was too short (the literal Greek there is “wee little man”). Remember what Zacchaeus did? He climbed up in a sycamore tree hoping to get a good view of Jesus as he walked by but rather than pass by him, Jesus came right to him, in the tree, and Jesus looked up and said, Hey, come down, I'm about to go to your house. It was a wonderful surprise for Zacchaeus and amazing irony. In the days of his flesh Jesus had a sense of humor. (See Luke 19:1–10)Then there's the time when Jesus turned the tables on the way James and John thought about greatness. Or there's when Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple. Or in John 4, when Jesus was walking from Judea to Galilee, just before he talked to the woman at the well, the text says, “Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, sat by the well…” Jesus never sinned, but he confronted sin and human weakness head-on, things like selfish ambition or greed or fear or hunger or disappointment or weariness. Jesus knows about all that, and they're all examples of how he gets us, but the writer of Hebrews doesn't talk about any of these examples.Instead, the writer of Hebrews takes us back to one scene in the Gospels when Jesus was alone. If you want to see how Jesus really gets us, if you wanna know how much he knows what it's like to be us, go to the Garden of Gethsemane. …Jesus's Excruciating PrayerNow the writer doesn't mention “Gethsemane” by name, and at one level, Jesus's whole life involved the kind of humiliation we see there, but verse 7 seems to be talking more about a specific event. Jesus “offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death.” This sends us back to the Thursday night before Jesus was crucified. We know that he got alone to pray, in Gethsemane, and the Gospel writers tell us that Jesus agonized in prayer. His soul was sorrowful and troubled, and he pleaded with God the Father, not only shedding tears but even sweating blood, and he cried, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Now the Gospels tell us that Jesus prayed often. He was constantly getting away to a place of solitude for prayer. But Gethsemane was the place where Jesus experienced excruciating prayer … “loud cries and tears” … this was a painful kind of praying … and because Jesus experienced prayer like that, I can be assured that he knows what it's like to be me, and he knows what it's like to be you. According to the argument of Hebrews, because Jesus prayed like this in the days of his life on earth, it verifies that he knows what it's like to be us.And that's what I want us to linger on today. We're going to focus in with one question:How does Jesus's excruciating prayer in Gethsemane make him get us?We're just going to focus on one answer. It's that Jesus had to wait.Jesus Had to WaitWe hate to wait, don't we? If you think about it, pretty much all of popular technology is created to conquer waiting. We've been shaped to think that waiting is a problem, when really, waiting is basic to being human. It's basic to our creaturely existence. And as much as we try to overcome that with our technology, waiting will always be what God expects of us in our relationship with him — and Jesus knows what it's like.Notice in verse 7 that the writer of Hebrews doesn't spell out the exact content of what Jesus prayed, but he does give us the category and manner of prayer. The category is “prayers and supplications” (or “petitions”). This means that Jesus was asking God the Father for something. He requested something. And the manner — how he requested something — was with “loud cries and tears.”So if we put these together, it means that Jesus was earnestly wanting something. This was a please, please, please kind of request.And now add to this that God is described in verse 7 as “him who was able to save him from death.” So get this: Jesus earnestly requested something from him who was able to save him from death.What then do you think Jesus requested? … To be saved from death.This is another reason why I think Gethsemane is in the writer's mind. Jesus earnestly wanted to be saved from death. Jesus asked the Father, If it's possible, remove this cup from me. Now we know that Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him, but he did not relish the cross itself. He despised the shame of the cross. Jesus dreaded his suffering. The Dread of SufferingAnd sometimes I wonder if we really appreciate this fact about Jesus. I think we can tend to think that Jesus was able to endure his suffering because he had special powers as the Son of God. This is complex, and I'm suspicious that somewhere in here in how we think about this, we imagine that Jesus's deity was the underwriter of his endurance. We think: Yeah, he endured unspeakable suffering … but he was God. And it's true that Jesus was never less than God — he was in every respect like his Father, and in every respect like us — so we would be misguided to think that his deity is what got him through his suffering. Gethsemane certainly corrects that. Jesus looked forward to having nails driven through his hands about as much as you would. Just imagine that you knew today that tomorrow, by noon, you were going to have spikes nailed through your hands and feet, and giant thorns crammed in your head, and then before that, you were going to get scourged, beaten 39 times, so that the skin of your bare back is just shredded. And the physical pain wasn't even the worst part. If you knew that was going to happen to you tomorrow, how would you sleep tonight? I get nervous about the dentist! What if you knew in 12 hours you were going to experience the worst pain ever inflicted upon a man? What would you sound like when you prayed?Jesus is like us here … and he prayed hard … it was excruciating prayer … and did God answer him?The WhirlwindThis is not an easy question, because Hebrews says God did. Look at the end of verse 7: Jesus prayed … “to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.” But wait a minute, we know what happened. The Father did not remove the cup. The crucifixion was every bit as horrible as Jesus dreaded, and probably worse. So how was Jesus heard? … it's that Jesus was saved out of death, but he was not saved from dying.The resurrection was God's answer to Jesus's prayer — which means Jesus was not saved from experiencing the horrible thing, he was saved from the horrible thing having the final say.And this means that there was a time, in the suffering of Jesus, when it seemed like his prayer would not be answered. Sunday morning did not happen like that! Jesus had to endure the waiting … which became in Gethsemane a whirlwind of suffering. And we tiptoe into mystery here. Jesus knew and believed that this Father would never abandon him, but then also: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It's a whirlwind, see …I know you won't, but it seems like you are. You've said this. I know this. But then … look around. The big realities and truths of God are less clear in the whirlwind of suffering — and what could be more human than that?We know what God can do. We ask him to do it. But we're stuck in this whirlwind where we're not sure if he's doing anything, and we have to wait. Have you ever been there?No Eagle LandingAnswered prayers are a wonderful thing. I've got a list in my mind of several different prayers I've prayed over the years and the ways God has answered them. And it's amazing. God is good, and we should be so encouraged and rejoice together when God answers our prayers. I saw last week, in a little video, there was a guy who was out fishing, and he happened to see this Bald Eagle a long ways off across this lake, and when he saw the eagle, he prayed, “God, would you let me get close to that eagle today and get a good look at him?” That's what the guy says to the camera, and he's doing a selfie video, telling this story. He asked God to get him get close to the eagle, and then he pans out with his camera and the eagle is standing on this guy's shoulder! No joke!This Bald Eagle came and landed on his shoulder. And I don't even know this guy, I don't know his theology, but I'm like, “Yes! That's awesome!” Can God make an eagle land on somebody's shoulder? Absolutely! But no eagle landed in Gethsemane … and although God does answer our prayers and we're thankful for that, there's a lot of times we don't have Bald Eagles on our shoulders …and Jesus gets that. Jesus prayed an excruciating prayer and he had to wait. Just like you and me. And in the waiting, his obedience was not easy.His Obedience Was Not EasyHebrews 5:8, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” The way the writer says this means it's not what we would assume. Similar to what we talked about earlier, it's natural for us to assume that Jesus as the Son of God somehow came pre-programmed to always obey. Or if we pretend the whole world was a big carnival full of carnival games, we might think that all the games were somehow rigged for Jesus to always win. Like instead of the basketball goal rim being bent in (so that the ball barely fits), we might imagine that when Jesus shot, the rim was stretched out extra wide.We might say: “Because he was a son, obedience was easy.”But Hebrews 5:8 says: “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” And we know that was the case for all of Jesus's life, but that was especially the case in Gethsemane. Gethsemane assures us that Jesus's obedience was authentic obedience. It was not laboratory obedience in a controlled environment. This was obedience in the waiting, in the whirlwind … which means although his heart always desired obedience, the practice of that obedience was tested. It was pressured. It was challenged. All of Jesus's obedience was predicated on “not my will, but yours be done” but how Jesus had to live out that obedience was in varied and unpredictable circumstances. It was as varied and unpredictable as the world we step into every day. That was Gethsemane. And Gethsemane became a school. He learned obedience in that waiting, and it was not easy.We Can Go to HimI've heard it said before, by older and wiser Christians, that the deeper you grow in your faith, the more aware you are of your sinfulness. The idea is that as you mature in faith you sin fewer times, but you also become more aware of how pervasive and subtle your sinfulness is. C. S. Lewis said, When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less. This gives me some comfort when I feel like an idiot. Which I'd say has increased in the last few years, I hope that's a good sign.Just the other day I was riding in the car with one my children who was driving, and this kid is a good driver. But we were in traffic and there was a moment when they had to hit the breaks, and it was one of those times when you gasp — you can't help it. You just react, and I did … And I've thought long and hard about this … I think Jesus would have gasped too. Jesus had reactions. It was a scary split second. But the problem wasn't the reaction … it was the comment I made right after it.And I knew right away I was wrong. You know there's usually a moment like that, in our sin, where we come to a kind of crossroads and we either go this way and double-down and try to justify our sin and act like it's not a big deal, or we go the other way, admit we're wrong and confess it right away … which, if this way were more comfortable we'd do it more, but it's not. Because you feel the shame and regret. That's not the kind of dad I want to be. That's not the kind of person I want to be. So what do I do with that? … I go to Jesus who learned obedience through what he suffered. He Knows Where We're Coming FromVerse 10: “And being made perfect…” — the idea here is completeness; this is referring to Jesus's resurrection and exaltation after ‘the days of his flesh was mission accomplished,' after he suffered in our place and died on the cross — God raised Jesus and enthroned him, and “he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.”Which means he is not just the Son who reigns, but he's the High Priest who has made atonement for us, and who intercedes for us. Jesus is seated on the throne of his rule, but it's also a throne of grace, and I can go to him. We can go to him! Because he knows where we're coming from. He's been here, in the days of his flesh, full scary split seconds and temptations, and he's been to Gethsemane … to the waiting and the whirlwind. Jesus has been here and he learned obedience. And he is so kind to us. This is where we have to remember Chapter 2 verse 11, that Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. He really gets us, and one thing that means is that his love for us is a love for us where we are. I want you to know that. Jesus loves you where you are, not where you pretend to be, or even where you aspire to be. Jesus loves us in the days of our flesh, during the days and moments of our lives on this earth in all our weakness and failure.And so the invitation this morning is to come to him. That's the invitation of this Table.
From 12/8/23 Friday Fellowship Zoom Call. See Luke's full teaching on North Sound Church of Christ youtube: https://youtu.be/Y8vZXuwvGFE?si=QG57z9TIS-td74Gy
The Beginning of the New Beginning Hanukkah means dedication, and it celebrates the ‘rededication' of the Temple after it had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes, who sought to forcibly convert all his subjects to Greek ways. The most popular game during Hannukah is the spinning of the dreidel. It is a 4 sided top with 4 Hebrew letters on it. The letters are short for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, “A great miracle happened there.” Matthew's gospel was written about 25 years after its events by an eyewitness of those events, Jesus' disciple Matthew the tax collector. It's no surprise then, that Matthew's gospel breaks 400 years of silence since the last writing in the Jewish Old Testament by showing that Jesus has the genealogical credentials needed to be the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior. Matthew using the word for both beginning and genealogy reminds us of how Genesis lays out. Ten times Genesis says “this is the genealogy of…,” using the Hebrew phrase eleh toldot. And I will establish my covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. -Genesis 17:7-8 Here's what is cool as the New Testament begins: Each gospel begins with a “new beginning” statement! Genesis begins the Old Testament with the beginning of the world and its fall; The gospels begin the New Testament with the beginning of the world's salvation and coming restoration. The name Jesus means “God saves,” and yes He does! He saves everyone who turns to Him in repentance and faith. Now don't get the idea that Jesus is His first name and Christ is His last name. Christ is the Greek way of saying Messiah, which in Hebrew means “Anointed One.” Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament prophecies. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. -Isaiah 61:1 (See Luke 4:16-22) Also don't get the idea that Jesus came into existence when He was born in Bethlehem. No, the Bible makes clear that He had always existed as God the Son. The Author of Life stepped into time when He was born in Bethlehem. For to us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this. -Isaiah 9:6-7 And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. -Genesis 22:18 “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” -God to Isaac in Genesis 26:4 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near: A Star shall come from Jacob, and a scepter shall rule in Israel.” -Numbers 24:17 Now therefore, please let your servant (Judah) remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy (Benjamim) go back with his brothers. -Genesis 44:33 Others have written you off, but Jesus wants to write you into His story – won't you let him this Christmas time?!
Questions Covered: 01:09 – What are your thoughts on the UFO/ET sightings being demons? 17:01 – In The Shining Dick Halloran the chef tells young Danny Torrance that the Shining gives people the ability to see the things from long ago and things that have not yet happened. With that being said is the ability to Shine in the movie & book the same thing as prophecy, extrasensory perception, intuition, empathy, precognition, and retrocognition? 12:10 – What are the historical ramifications if Abraham had never left Ur? 13:43 – Is it true that the Vatican has one of the best science labs in the world, and if so why and what is it used for? Thank you. 16:41 – Suppose an couple is engaged and is approaching the Church to be married. However, they are an unfortunate genetic match and have certainty that 100% of their children will perish in the womb. Would it be immoral for them to live as husband and wife? And does the Church have any legislation that would prevent them being married in the Church? 18:46 – Can a priest celebrate Mass if he has no arms? 22:42 – On May 31, 1985 I was baptized by the fire of the Holy Spirit from the crown of my head, through every cell in my body. See Luke 3:16 Do you think the fire of Purgatory is the same purifying fire I experienced? Meaning, do you think it’s the Holy Spirit that does the purging? 29:00 – How many times in one’s life can one vow “till death do us part?” 34:00 – If throughout the Bible angels (who are spiritual, non-corporeal beings) appear with enfleshed bodies as apparitions, could that be true for the Holy Spirit as well? Is it possible that those puzzling times in Scripture when people didn't recognize Jesus it was because the Third Person of the Trinity was making an appearance? When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the tomb (John 20:14-18), and to the two followers on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and to the seven disciples fishing (John 21:1-14), is it possible that they didn't recognize Him because they were not seeing God the Son at first, but God the Holy Spirit for a brief time? The One who they didn't recognize consoled, comforted them, revealed truth to them, testified to them, convicted them, taught them, walked along side of them (parakletos), witnessed to them, brought things to their remembrance, and revealed and glorified the Lord to them…all the things Jesus promised the Advocate would do when He came (John 14:15-31, John 15:26-27 and John 16:5-16). 40:05 – If angel are non-corporeal beings, why do we gender them? 46:42 – How does one mistake a reconnaissance balloon as an alien space craft? 48:30 – Where was Jesus between the ages of 12 and 30? 50:54 – Let's say that macro-PK is real. Where does the energy to move the objects come from? If there is a violation of the laws of thermodynamics, could the heat death of the universe be defeated by a sufficiently large, trained force of PKers? …
“1) They threw aside God's commandments and made the commandments of men and traditions into doctrines. (Mark 7:7-9). (2) They were more concerned with outer purity rather than the purity of the heart. Jesus said that they cleaned the inside of the cup but inside their hearts were full of wickedness! (See Luke 11:39; Matt. 23:25, 27, 28). (3) They tithed on herbs which is good but more important matters like justice and the love for God were overlooked. (See Luke 11:32; Matt. 23:23,24). They strained out a gnat but they swallowed a camel. ((Matt 23:24) (4) They loved the highest seats and public greetings in the market because they were selfish and wanted to be seen by people, to the point of enlarging the borders of their clothes. (Luke 11:43; Matt. 23:5-10; Mark 12:38) (5) They made people fall. Jesus said that they were like hidden graves that made unsuspecting people fall in. (Luke 11:44). (6) They did not want people to be healed on the Sabbath that God made for man but yet they would take out their ox if it fell in a pit on Sabbath. (Matt. 13:11-17). (7) They burdened people with unnecessary traditions and did not raise a finger to help. (Luke 11:46; Matt. 23:4) (8) They built the sepulchers of the prophets that their own ancestors killed. (Luke 11:47, 48; Matt. 23:29-31). In fact they killed Jesus. (See Matt. 12:14; 21:33-46; Matt. 27:20-22). (9) They took away the key of knowledge. They blocked people from getting into heaven and they themselves did not get in. (Matt. 23:13, Luke 11:52; John 12:42,43) (10) They devoured widows' houses! (Matt. 23:14) (11) They said long prayers pretending that they were righteous. (Matt. 23:14) (12) They went on land and sea to convert people and they made those converts twice a child of hell as themselves! (Matt. 23:15) (13) They forbade people from swearing by the gold of the temple but they swore by the temple itself! (Matt. 23:16,17) (14) They talked and do not did not do anything. (Matt 23:3). They even praised God with their lips and their heart was far from Him. (Matt. 7:6). (15) They were fools, blind guides and hypocrites. (Matt 23:16-25; Luke 11:44,46; 12:1-3). John the Baptist called them vipers (Matt. 3:7). 16) They loved to tempt, accuse and oppose Jesus. (Matt. 16:1; 19:3; Mark 8:11; 10:2; 12:13; Luke 6:7). They continuously tried to entangle Him in His talk (Matt. 22:15). Paul, who was a Pharisee, told of his own nature before his conversion: "I (Paul) verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." So when he came on the scene after Jesus' ascension he persecuted the Christian Church. (17) They asked for a sign to believe when many were already given. If given yet another sign they would not believe. (Luke 22:66, 67). Note that the incident mentioned in the given text was after three and a half years of Jesus working miracles, healing all types of diseases and even raising the dead! 18) There is hope even for “Pharisees”. Acts 6:7 tells us what happed after Jesus went back to Heaven and His disciples preached after being filled with the Holy Spirit. It says: “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” “In every religion there is love, yet love has no religion.” “My religion is, to live through Love.” “Be certain that in the religion of Love there are no believers and unbelievers. LOVE embraces all.” “I belong to no religion, my religion is love, my heart is my temple.” -Rumi quotes --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support
I Corinthians 15 I Corinthians 15:1-11 – Preaching Christ's resurrection See Luke 24:44. I Corinthians 15:5 – See Luke 24:34. We do not have…
I hope you're enjoying our “Trusting God” series as much as I am. So far we've talked about trusting God with our failures and our future self, and this week we're talking about trusting God with our resources. Don't worry, this isn't a discussion of giving away all your money. (Although we definitely are called to live generously with all aspects of our lives, including our finances.) Pastor Libin Abraham is my Pastor at Bent Tree Bible Church here in Dallas. My family attends this church, and I'm so excited that he's sharing ways to identify our resources and use them to impact our culture. He challenges us to leave the “shallows” of our faith and take a deeper dive into God's plans and purposes for our lives. (See Luke 5 for context) I have to be honest with you, today's conversation spoke directly to my heart and reminded me why I'm doing some hard things that don't make sense outside of God. Libin calls these life decisions our “irrational acts of obedience,” and gives two questions to consider when it comes to trusting God with our resources. I can't wait for you to hear this conversation! All things Cynthia Yanof Bent Tree Bible podcast with Pastor Libin Abraham
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17–19Saints Peter and Paul are often referred to as two of the great “Pillars of the Church.” They each played an incredibly essential role in the establishment of the early Church. And though each of their roles was essential and foundational, their roles were as different as they were different as persons.Peter was a family man, a local fisherman, uneducated and quite ordinary. From what we know about him prior to being called by Jesus, there was nothing that made him uniquely qualified to become one of the pillars of the new Church to be established by the Son of God. Jesus simply called him, and he responded. Jesus got into Peter's boat, ordered him to lower the nets, and produced a huge catch of fish. When Peter saw this miracle, he fell down at Jesus' feet and acknowledged that he was “a sinful man” who was unworthy of being in Jesus' presence (See Luke 5:8). But Jesus informed Peter that he would from now on be catching men. Peter immediately left everything behind and followed Jesus.Paul describes himself as “a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili′cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama′li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day” (Acts 22:3). Paul was well educated in the strictest interpretation of the Jewish law, understood philosophy and was quite zealous as a young man. Recall, also, that prior to becoming a convert to Christianity, he “persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). In many ways, Paul would have been seen as the most unlikely person to be chosen to be a pillar of the Church, because he so vigorously opposed it at first. He even supported the killing of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.Though each of these men would have been considered by many as very unlikely founders of the Christian Church, this is exactly what they became. Paul, after his conversion, traveled far and wide to preach the Gospel, founding several new Churches throughout Asia Minor and Europe. Eventually he was arrested in Jerusalem, brought to Rome for trial and was beheaded. Over half of the New Testament books are attributed to Paul and half of the Acts of the Apostles detail Paul's missionary journeys. Paul is especially known for his missionary activity to the Gentiles, those who were not Jews.Peter's role was truly a unique one. His name was changed from “Simon” to “Peter” by Jesus. Recall Jesus saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church…(Matthew 16:18). “Peter” in Greek is Petros, meaning a single stone that is movable. However, the Greek word petra means a rock as a solid formation that is fixed, immovable, and enduring. Therefore, Jesus chose to make Peter, this single stone, into a solid foundation of immovable rock on which the Church was to be built.You, too, have been called by our Lord to a unique mission within the Church that has not been entrusted to another. In your own way, God wants to use you to reach certain people with the Gospel as He did with Saint Paul. And like Saint Peter, God wants to continue to establish His Church upon you and your faith.Reflect, today, upon these two holy and unique pillars of our Church. As you do, ponder how God may want to use you to continue their mission in this world. Though Saints Peter and Paul are among the greatest and most consequential Christians within our world, their mission must continue, and you are among the instruments that God wants to use. Commit yourself to this mission so that the preaching of the Gospel and the rock foundation of our Church will remain strong within our day and age just as it was of old. Saint Peter, you were uniquely chosen to be a rock foundation of faith upon which the Church was established. Saint Paul, you went forth to preach this faith far and wide, establishing many new communities of faith. Please use me, dear Lord, to continue the mission of Your Church so that the faith may be firmly planted in the minds and hearts of all Your people throughout the world. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.
The show goes around the room and asks each other questions to get to know each other better, like where is a place they never want to visit again and has anyone tried something new? Hear their answers! Then, find out how Amy's daughter softball season is going and why she is proud of her for sticking it out! Mailbag: A listener purchased Luke Combs tickets months ago. Now her son's first flag football game is happening on the same day they would be traveling. This is the closest Luke's show is coming to them. What would you do? We share our thoughts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Luke and Andrew discuss some country music lyrics and weigh-in on how they make them feel. It's more interesting than it sounds. Plus, Major League Baseball finally owns the rights to the website twins.com after years and years of (pretty funny) legal wrangling.