Podcasts about seek first the kingdom

What does peace look like? It's trusting God with all our cares. Through prayer, gratitude, and faith, we experience Christ's peace. Casting our worries on Him allows us to live free and focus on seeking His Kingdom.Jesus' command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through prayer, Scripture, and gratitude, we shift our focus from worry to His Kingdom. God's faithful provision assures us that His peace is enough for every need. Join Nate and Gabe as they take a look at the Command of Christ to “Take No Thought.”Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at https://homediscipleship.com  Study guide includes: Scriptures referenced in podcastReview of Old Testament contextGuide for Scripture meditationQuestions for application and prayerFor more information, visit us at https://homediscipleship.com  Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshiphttps://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetworkhttps://instagram.com/commandsofchristpodcast

How do we overcome anxiety? By replacing fear with God's Word. When we meditate on Scripture, our faith grows, pushing out worry. Trusting God through prayer and focusing on His character frees us from the burden of self-reliance.Jesus' command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through prayer, Scripture, and gratitude, we shift our focus from worry to His Kingdom. God's faithful provision assures us that His peace is enough for every need. Join Nate and Gabe as they take a look at the Command of Christ to “Take No Thought.”Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at https://homediscipleship.com  Study guide includes: Scriptures referenced in podcastReview of Old Testament contextGuide for Scripture meditationQuestions for application and prayerFor more information, visit us at https://homediscipleship.com  Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshiphttps://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetworkhttps://instagram.com/commandsofchristpodcast

In seeking to grow significantly in how we disciple the next generation, extend the hospitality of Jesus, cultivate leaders church-wide, and multiply Gospel-centered ministry, we're embarking on a two-year path of generosity that will ask something of each of us. As this series continues, we hope the life and leadership of our generous King (2 […]

How can we keep a Kingdom focus? Jesus teaches us to seek first God's Kingdom and trust Him instead of being consumed by life's cares. Anxiety fades when we prioritize Christ and meditate on His promises, allowing His peace to guard our hearts.Jesus' command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through prayer, Scripture, and gratitude, we shift our focus from worry to His Kingdom. God's faithful provision assures us that His peace is enough for every need. Join Nate and Gabe as they take a look at the Command of Christ to “Take No Thought.”Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at https://homediscipleship.com  Study guide includes: Scriptures referenced in podcastReview of Old Testament contextGuide for Scripture meditationQuestions for application and prayerFor more information, visit us at https://homediscipleship.com  Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshiphttps://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetworkhttps://instagram.com/commandsofchristpodcast

In seeking to grow significantly in how we disciple the next generation, extend the hospitality of Jesus, cultivate leaders church-wide, and multiply Gospel-centered ministry, we're embarking on a two-year path of generosity that will ask something of each of us. As this series continues, we hope the life and leadership of our generous King (2 […]

Christ calls us to seek first the kingdom of God 1. In your own life. 2. In the church. 3. In the world.Time:AfternoonMinister:Rev Joe PoppeTexts:Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 48Matthew 3:1–12Matthew 4:12–25Matthew 6:31–33

What does it mean to take no thought? Jesus commands us in Matthew 6 to trust God fully and release anxiety. By focusing on God's Kingdom and eternal priorities, we can live free from worry. The care God gives to birds and flowers assures us of His provision.Jesus' command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through prayer, Scripture, and gratitude, we shift our focus from worry to His Kingdom. God's faithful provision assures us that His peace is enough for every need. Join Nate and Gabe as they take a look at the Command of Christ to “Take No Thought.”Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at https://homediscipleship.com  Study guide includes: Scriptures referenced in podcastReview of Old Testament contextGuide for Scripture meditationQuestions for application and prayerFor more information, visit us at https://homediscipleship.com  Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshiphttps://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetworkhttps://instagram.com/commandsofchristpodcast

In seeking to grow significantly in how we disciple the next generation, extend the hospitality of Jesus, cultivate leaders church-wide, and multiply Gospel-centered ministry, we're embarking on a two-year path of generosity that will ask something of each of us. As this series continues, we hope the life and leadership of our generous King (2 […]

Has the Kingdom come? How do we know? Jesus spoke about the Kingdom as both already here and still to come.  It has been inaugurated but not yet consummated. Has it come to our church, our homes, and our lives? Look for a harvest. Message based on Matthew 13:1-9.Quotes:Augustine: You called, shouted, broke through my deafness; you flared, blazed, banished my blindness; you lavished your fragrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you; I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst; you touched me, and I burned for your peace.Duane Brooks: As long as we're alive, our hearts can soften to the good news that God is trying to give us.David Buttrick: There are people at Niagara Falls who hurry from the marvelous torrent to a cheap and crowded carnival. Alexander Findley: Indeed, it's not easy to be a Christian, but it is easy to start.David Redding: Christianity is fighting a losing battle in so many of our lives, not because we are bad, but because we're too busy with our backpacks of secondhand stuff that become more important to us than Christ.Charles H. Spurgeon: If you are a real Christian, you can't fall off the boat, you can fall on the boat and break all your bones and spend the whole trip in the infirmary.Buti Thlagale: (about Desmond Tutu) at his age, he should hate a little bit more.Duane Brooks: The same seed that Jesus planted is after all the answer. The good news of Jesus Christ is enough to meet us where we are. Cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you.Audrey Assad: Love planted deeply becomes what it ought to be.Duane Brooks: Don't you want to become what you ought to be? Not a hard heart, not a shallow heart, not a divided heart, good and noble heart, good seed, good soil, good life, good God who gives it to us.#faith #healing #gospel #transformation #hopeTo discover more messages of hope go to tallowood.org/sermons/.Follow us on Instagram, X, and YouTube @tallowoodbc.Follow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist

In a world filled with competing pressures and distractions, it's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the deeper, more meaningful life we long for. In our Spring sermon series, we'll explore how Jesus offers a path that frees us from these anxieties, inviting us to experience His peace and joy by realigning our […]

Guest Pastor Dr. Mark Mitchell sermon on Matthew 6:19-34, part of Jesus' sermon on the mount, challenges us to rethink where our true treasure lies. Worry is a universal human struggle, yet Jesus calls us to deeper faith — one that shifts our focus from earthly concerns to heavenly things. If this is your first time with us, we are honored to have you and we want to get to know you more personally - please, fill out our digital connection card. http://bit.ly/nncconnectDo you have questions about life or need prayer? We would love to hear from you. Submit a request here: http://bit.ly/nncprayerNew North is financially sustained through your partnership. Thank you for your generosity as you consider giving online.  http://bit.ly/nncgiveSTAY CONNECTED:Website: https://www.newnorth.churchInstagram: http://bit.ly/nncinstagramFacebook: http://bit.ly/nncfacebookSpotify: http://bit.ly/nncpodcast

How close are we to our King? After Jesus' disciples returned from a season of ministry, he invited them to come to him. Doing things for God must never interfere with being near God. His invitation still stands. Come near to Your King and he will come near to you.  RSVP. Message based on Matthew 11:25-30.Quotes: Lauren Daigle: You're gonna be okay. The sun will keep on rising in its old familiar way.Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll: I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt been-through-hell hallelujah.Vance Havner: Jesus said, come apart with me for a while, because this is what he knew. If we don't come apart with him, we're just gonna come apart.Bob Goff: Every day, God invites us to the same kind of adventure, it's not a trip where he sends a rigid itinerary. He simply invites us. God asks what it is He's made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world He made. And then, leaning over us, He whispers, Let's go do that together.Trevor Hudson: Look, Look. There there are special messages that only you can speak. Special songs that only you can sing. Special acts that only you can perform. Duane Brooks: And God knows what those are. He made you the way you are, and he empowers you to do those things.John Newton: I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master.Graham Kendrick: Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you, there is no greater thing. You're my all. You're the best. You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love you, Lord.John Wethington: If you liked Halcie, you are going to love Jesus.Duane Brooks: Lord, I thank you. I thank you that even though the cost of discipleship is high, the cost of not following you would be so much higher. And, Lord, we don't wanna pay that price. We don't wanna lose that love and that joy and that peace that come to those who are covered with the dust of our rabbi. Keep us close, Lord. We have never needed you more.#seekfirstthekingdomofgod  #jesus  #spiritualgrowth #Prayer #Discipleship #Rest #TransformationTo discover more messages of hope go to tallowood.org/sermons/.Follow us on Instagram, X, and YouTube @tallowoodbc.Follow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist

You ever just sit there, stressing about life—bills stacking up, relationships on the rocks, the future looking like one big question mark—and think… What is this worry actually doing for me? Has worry ever fixed anything? No. But you know what does? Faith. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom,” because when you put God first, peace follows. Your will leads to stress

In a world filled with competing pressures and distractions, it's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the deeper, more meaningful life we long for. In our Spring sermon series, we'll explore how Jesus offers a path that frees us from these anxieties, inviting us to experience His peace and joy by realigning our […]

- Pastor Matt Garwick

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” ‭‭- Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬   1. Stay In Your Lane.  2. Steward Your Season.  3. Seek First The Kingdom.  4. Serve People.

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As God pulled back the curtain of heaven in the temple, Isaiah worshiped the Lord high and lifted up, enthroned as King. After God cleansed Isaiah, he sent him, and Isaiah obeyed. King Jesus did the same with his disciples. When the sending God sends us, will we go? Message based on Matthew 10:1, 5-15; 21:28-32.Quotes: Duane Brooks: Jesus is the greatest of all time. He's undefeated.Fred Cameron: I looked at the picture of Jesus, and I am certain I saw tears in his eyes.Richard Starnes: Sometimes he looked at the world and he was tempted to say, Lord, looking at the injustice and, the disease and the hurt and the and the violence and the brokenness in our world, why don't you do something about it? His friend: So why don't you pray that prayer? Richard Starnes: Because I'm afraid that he would ask me the same question.Duane Brooks: You're on a trip. You're on a long term mission trip. For the rest of your life, you are empowered by God to make a difference in this world.Duane Brooks: Now, tell me, what can we do in a broken world? Can't we make a difference? And the question is, why aren't we making a bigger? If so many people are followers of Jesus and have received his authority to make disciples of all nations, why is it that our impact is so incredibly small?Miroslav Volf: The world's needs are larger than any one person's capacities.David Livingstone Was trying to recruit more missionaries.  And he sent a letter, and they sent a letter back and said: We think we've got some candidates to join you in taking the gospel to Africa, but they're wondering they have this question, how are the roads in Africa? David Livingstone: A lot like the road to Calvary. It's uphill. You carry your cross. And by the way, send me the people who would come if there were no roads. Send me those people, and let's see what we can do for the kingdom.Samuel Taylor Coleridge: In the shelter of each other. Friendship is a sheltering tree.Duane Brooks: You are not alone. We are with you. We are for you. God is for you. God is with you.John Wethington: So many of you have told me I'm not alone. We never felt alone because God was with us, because God's people will be with were with us.Avery Willis: Do you love Jesus? The room was universal, unanimous. We all love Jesus. Avery Willis: Do you obey Jesus? The room was not quite as unanimous or loud. Avery Willis: I just asked you the same question. God has sent us. If you love him, you will obey.Duane Brooks: We commit ourselves together today to be with you as you send us to announce the good news that our king has come.#authority  #adversity #peace #spirit #obedience #promise To discover more messages of hope go to tallowood.org/sermons/.Follow us on Instagram, X, and YouTube @tallowoodbc.Follow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist

Today on Uncommon Sense with Ginny Robinson, we're discussing Kanye West's latest internet meltdown and what it reveals about the state of our unfortunate over-sexualized and depraved culture. From celebrity chaos to societal decay, it's clear—without God, the world spirals into total confusion and sin. We're breaking down the bigger picture and talking about why it's time to turn away from worldliness/wickedness and the dysfunction of degeneracy and back to the truth and love of Christ. Jesus is the only sane way forward, ladies and gentlemen.--https://www.thebrandsunday.com/products/the-bible-study-copy?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=tbs_thebiblestudy_searchads-nixwdmd&tw_source=google&tw_adid=608801073541&tw_campaign=17672311083&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAC-_2dRN1WU6lhTaWFNApFgzBkVe_&gclid=CjwKCAiAwaG9BhAREiwAdhv6Y_Xc6w4LM7_4otTu1-XgzYjKKwhwbNBCdqLFVTDdXToND7Rt6JU2hBoC3hsQAvD_BwE

In a world filled with competing pressures and distractions, it's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the deeper, more meaningful life we long for. In our Spring sermon series, we'll explore how Jesus offers a path that frees us from these anxieties, inviting us to experience His peace and joy by realigning our […]

Discover Pastor Khomotso Molepo's powerful sermon 'Seek First The Kingdom,' urging believers to prioritize God's kingdom in every aspect of life—finances, relationships, and daily choices—for lasting spiritual fulfilment and alignment with divine purpose. A call to live as heavenly ambassadors on earth.

How will people know we are followers of Jesus? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called upon his disciples to love not only neighbors but their enemies. On another occasion Luke tells us that Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus defined a neighbor by telling of the unexpected kindness of a Samaritan to a man who had been robbed. Loving others reveals our relationship with the heavenly Father. Message based on Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 10:25-37.#Jesus #Love #Compassion #GoodSamaritan #Selflessness Quotes:Thomas Linacre: Either these are not the gospels or we are not Christians.Adam Davidson: I would understand Christians being sad about somebody else's sin, but I can't understand Christians being mad at them. Anne-Marie Zellers: Lord help me to treat others in a way that leads them to you.Duane Brooks: Every person we meet on the street or at the grocery store we know a few things:  they are created in God's image; Jesus loved them so much he died on the cross for their sins.Kurt Kaiser: Oh how he loves you and me . . . oh how he loves you and me; he gave his life, what more could he give? Oh how he loves you. Oh how he loves me. Oh how he loves you and me.Duane Brooks: We have been loved too well by our heavenly Father to speak and act unkindly to people even if they think they are our enemies.G. K. Chesterton: The Bible tells us to love our neighbors and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.Duane Brooks: We have been forgiven too much not to forgive others.A mentor said to John Claypool: stay as close as you can to the Father, and to others and work to bring them closer to each other.John Murphrey wrote a poem for his wife Ann.  She died on February 2, 2008.I met Him long ago, But why so long for meTo hear His daily whispers to my soulI guess I'll never knowHe lived and breathed before my eyes Each time she looked my wayToday she lives within my heartAn example of His bestShe opened up my mind to HimHis living-presence she displayedThis “living-presence in her heartThat's what defined her lifeLeft me aching for the sameUntil the Master cameNow I know what she knew thenHis spirit lives and breathsSeeks and find a heart like hers to express Himself to all on earthSoren Kierkegaard: Most people really believe that the Christian commandments (for example, to love one's neighbor as oneself) are intentionally a little too severe—like putting the clock ahead half an hour to make sure of not being late in the morning.Bishop Whipple: I have tried to see the face of Christ in those with whom I differed.Helmut Thielecke: Loving our enemies is not loving the dirt in which the pearl is buried but the pearl which lies in the dust.  God does not love us because we are lovable.  But we become lovable because he loves us.C. S. Lewis: Do not waste your time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. Thomas Merton:  To love someone is to will the good for them.Duane Brooks: Your enemies are not my enemies.To discover more messages of hope go to tallowood.org/sermons/.Follow us on Instagram, X, and YouTube @tallowoodbc.Follow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist

In a world filled with competing pressures and distractions, it's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the deeper, more meaningful life we long for. In our Spring sermon series, we'll explore how Jesus offers a path that frees us from these anxieties, inviting us to experience His peace and joy by realigning our […]

  That Thing Jesus Said: Understanding Jesus' Tough TeachingsPrioritizing God Above Else.Series: That Thing Jesus Said: Understanding Jesus' Tough TeachingsSpeaker: Herber CamposScripture: Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)#Jesus #God #Kingdom #Seek #ToughTeaching #PrioritizeGodSupport the show

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM!Today, let's pause and evaluate where our focus lies. Are we consumed by worries and distractions? Or are we intentionally seeking God through prayer, His Word, and acts of faith? Remember, when we align our hearts with God's will, He will take care of the rest.

People have been talking to our President this week. I remember a preacher in San Antonio who used to address the President regularly in his sermons. I didn't think the President was listening to him, so it seemed a bit dramatic to me. If you could speak the truth to someone in power, what would you say? If you met a King, what would you do? In the scriptures we read about people who had audiences with the King. What would you say if I told you that you may have an audience with the King of Kings today, what would you say? How would you pray? Massege based on Matthew 6:9-13, 7:7-11.Quotes:Duane Brooks: Jesus is teaching us that when we pray, we are literally experiencing nothing less than an audience with the king.Graham Goldsworthy: There is a king who rules. There are a people who are ruled. There is a sphere where this rule is recognized as taking place.S.D. Gordon: The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. Dave Peterson: I suspect if we could hear the voice of the heavenly father as we asked him for the things that we need, Not only would he give us what we need, but he would say, thanks for asking.George Herbert: Prayer, the church's banquet, angel's age, God's breath in man returning to his birth, The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage, The Christian plummet sounding heaven and earth; Heaven in Ordinary.Vernon McGee: This is God's universe, and God does things his way. You may be sure you have a better way, but you don't have a universe.Duane Brooks: Jesus' headquarters is in heaven, and his embassies are all over the world. And you and I are his servants. We have one king, and the reason for our unabashed audacity is his unlimited authority. Jesus said, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.Young Man: He said, if there's another way I can serve our country, I'd be glad to. But I don't wanna serve it with a rifle at this point.Judge: I understand. But you must be practical. The principles you're describing belong to the kingdom of God—and it hasn't come yet.Young man: Sir, I understand that it has not come for you, nor for Russia or the world. But the kingdom of God has come for me. I cannot continue hating and killing as though it hadn't.We know John Newton for his famous hymn Amazing Grace. He was a Baptist preacher and former slave ship owner in England. Another of his hymns teaches us about prayer:Come, my soul, thy suit pre­pare,Jesus loves to ans­wer pray­er;He Him­self has bid thee pray,Therefore will not say thee nay.Thou art com­ing to a king,Large pe­ti­tions with thee bring;For His grace and pow­er are such,None can ev­er ask too much. Karl Barth: Here's the thing about total need. Total need requires total help.#prayer #worship #divineguidance  #forgiveness #godspresence  To discover more messages of hope go to tallowood.org/sermons/.Follow us on Instagram, X, and YouTube @tallowoodbc.Follow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist

To support the ministry of Celebration Church please click here: https://subsplash.com/celebrationchurchtn/giveSubscribe to receive our latest content: https://tr.ee/2b6XuDKlaS...FOLLOW US►► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwmccollum/►► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rwmccollum/►► Twitter: https://twitter.com/rwmccollum#celebrationchurchnashville #online #jesus #celebrationchurch #church #onlinechurch #sermon #nashville....But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.Matthew 6:33The religious Jews of Jesus' day did not recognize their King or His Kingdom when it was all standing right in front of them. The same problem applies to much of the modern American Church when it comes to Christ's command to seek the Kingdom. You cannot successfully seek something if you don't know what it is or what it looks like.“If you don't know what it is you're looking for you are NEVER going to find it. You have to be clear on what it is you are seeking.”Germany Kent, Christian journalist-We hope you can be with us this weekend for Part 3 of Pastor Ray's teaching series on “The Mysteries of the Kingdom”... “Seek First the Kingdom”

How do we get into the Kingdom of God? Is it more of a domain or a dominion? Who gets into the Kingdom finally? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus answered these questions. It turns out it depends on who you know and who knows you. Do we know the King? Message based on Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23.Quotes:To discover more messages of hope go to tallowood.org/sermons/.Follow us on Instagram, X, and YouTube @tallowoodbc.Follow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist

Thanks for listening to this week's message from New City Church in Shawnee, Kansas. To learn more about New City Church, visit newcitychurch.com.

Happy New Year everyone!! In today's episode I will be speaking on Matthew 6:33 Seek, pursue, and let The Kingdom be your priority in everything you do this year. There is no greater purpose than to pursue God and all His righteousness. I pray

Matthew 6:33

Pastor Britton shares a message centered on three questions to ask before the New Year.  Where do I find approval?  How do I handle disappointment?  What do I value? 

HAGGAI 2:20-23

HAGGAI 2:10-1910 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?'” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”

Darian Helmuth - Sunday Morning Opening

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HAGGAI 2:1-91 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.'”

HAGGAI 1:1-151 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”The People Obey the Lord12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Sermon from Adam Robinson.

Drawing on both Christian and Buddhist tradition, this week Michael shares a secular interpretation of some fundamental spiritual truths about heaven, hell, and how life works here on earth!