Podcasts about serving christ

You can’t do everything, but find out what you can do and do it. The post Serving Christ appeared first on Key Life.

You cant do everything, but find out what you can do and do it. The post Serving Christ appeared first on Key Life. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1543/29

This evening Pastor Ryan continues our series in Matthew with his sermon, "The Reward of Serving Christ."

I wonder if someday I'm going to be banned from restaurants. I've been known to give the help a hard time. Now, believe me, that's not what I'm trying to do. And if you're a waiter or a waitress, don't write a nasty letter to me. I just figure that it can get pretty boring to be a server at a restaurant. I mean sometimes people just start to treat them like they're part of the menu or like a vending machine. I decide that I think they're people and I think we can have fun. So, I've been known to go out to lunch with somebody and I'll tell them, "Oh by the way, he just moved her from another country and doesn't speak English." And so we have a lot of fun! Of course they start ordering in English. I love to tell the waitress or the waiter, "Hey, you're a great cook!" And they look at me and say, "uh, I...I didn't cook it." In fact I literally have been told, "I didn't cook it, I just serve it." Yeah, I knew that. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Surprising Simplicity of Serving Christ." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 3:5. Here's what Paul says about himself and another great Christian leader of that time, Apollos. "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task." Now, I'm sure there were people who would have said, "Oh, Paul got me to Christ." "Apollos got me to Christ." Paul said, "No, I didn't. It wasn't from me. It was through me." That's the power of prepositions. "We are only servants through whom, not by whom, not from whom. Only through whom you came to believe." What is it that qualifies me to visit with you daily by radio like this? These thoughts don't come from me; they come through me. That's all. It's like that server in the restaurant. It's not her recipe, it's not her effort. She just delivers what someone else has worked on; something that someone else has made possible. That's what Jesus was saying when He said, "I am the vine. You are the branches." The branch doesn't produce the fruit. It looks like it's producing the fruit, but it comes from the vine through the branches. You know what that means to you? There are things that you can risk doing for your Lord that you thought you could not do, that were too much for you. You can dare to open your mouth about Jesus. You can dare to step up to that leadership role He's calling you to. You could dare to start that Christian group or Bible study, or prayer fellowship. You could dare to say "yes" to an assignment for the Lord that you've been saying "no" to. Why? Because the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, "The One who calls you will do it." And then Philippians 2:13 - "It is God who works in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure." God will give you the words. God will give you the insight. God will give you the plan. He'll give you the message. He'll give you the strength. See, any true work for Christ is Christ doing the work through you, not you doing the work for Him. Through - that's the preposition that opens up your life to all kinds of powerful new possibilities. It only comes through you. Just be available. There are a lot of meals I would have never eaten in a restaurant if it had been up to the waiter or the waitress to grow the food and prepare the food. But there was something they could do. They could deliver it. That's what Paul says we are; we're just "servants." The ones who deliver what God has prepared. That's what God's asking you to do - to deliver to hungry lives what He has prepared for them. Look, you could serve it couldn't you?

Dr. Mike Norris - Serving Christ in our Upside Down World by West Coast Baptist College

Esther O'Donovan shares Tuesday's devotional podcast from Bible Fellowship Church. 

Pastor Ballard's message from Sunday, January 5, 2025.

Today we continue our series considering Growth in the Christian life, and explore the relationship between service and spiritual growth. Jesus understood his mission as one of service of others. Having been made alive in Christ, we are called to follow his example of service.

Colossians 3:18-4:1 | Luke Hendrix | Moving on from his exhortations in the beginning of Colossians 3, Paul now takes those principles and then gives instructions on what it looks like to live life in Christ in the context of the relationships we find ourselves in. He first addresses the family, the foundational relationship of any society. He speaks to wives, husbands, children, and fathers before turning his attention to servants and masters. Our lives in Christ are to reflect him fully, no matter what role we find ourselves fulfilling, living out verses twelve through seventeen in every context.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. What role or roles in your life are you struggling the most to live out considering Paul's call in verses 12-17?2. In the roles of wife, husband, mother, father, boss or employee, what has helped you most in living as God's chosen ones? 3. Paul says that fathers are not to provoke their children, for those that are parents in the group, how do you do this well and where do you see yourself needing to grow in this area?4. The work that you do, who do you think people see you doing it for and why?5. Verse 25 tells us that God shows no favoritism and that judgment will be impartial regardless of human “class”. How should this change the way we think about people and the way we treat them in life?

Good morning my friend! This "When serving Christ and becoming faint and tired yet we keep pursuing." is more of what is going on in our life and ministry, and it's interesting from a ministry perspective. Blessings!—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

On today's Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers four ways to care for and encourage your pastors, seven ways to pursue holiness in the Christian life, and strategies to fight sexual sin in the Christian life.What You'll Hear on This EpisodeFour ways to care for and encourage your pastors.Seven ways to pursue holiness in the Christian life.Strategies to fight sexual sin in the Christian life.Subscribing, sharing, and your feedbackYou can subscribe to Equipping You in Grace via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast catcher. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a rating and share it with your friends (it takes only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show). You can also connect with me on Twitter at @davejjenkins, on Facebook, or via email to share your feedback.Thanks for listening to this episode of Equipping You in Grace!

Texts:  Philippians 1:3-11, 27-30; Romans 15:1-7; Romans 12:3-8   We Serve in a Gospel-centered Partnership (Philippians 1:3-11, 27-30) We are saved into a partnership with one another through the Gospel. This partnership manifests itself in a life worthy of the Gospel that strives side by side together.   We Serve in a Gospel-centered Culture (Romans 15:1-7) We are called to a unity and harmony by Christ. We are called to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us.   We Serve through Gospel-centered Gifting (Romans 12:3-8) We are equipped to serve one another by the grace that saved us in Christ. Each gift is an opportunity to build up the body of Christ and bring glory to God.

Generation by generation, God can accomplish great things through family. In this episode, Ray and Jani Ortlund joined us to discuss the importance of family and passing on a legacy of faith to future generations. We loved the wisdom they shared with us about how we each will impact future generations far more than we realize, whether you are a young mom, grandparent, or single person. LINKS: To the Tenth Generation Your Family Is God's Plan How Much More Bible Study by Lisa Harper Lifeway Women AcademyMore Resources from Ray OrtlundImmanuel Church RECOMMENDED:Listen to our conversation with Tara Dew on living a joy-filled life. MARKED is a podcast from Lifeway Women: https://women.lifeway.com/blog/podcasts/.Hosted by Elizabeth Hyndman.CONNECT WITH US!Follow Lifeway Women on Instagram.ABOUT JANI ORTLUNDJani Ortlund, the Vice President of Renewal Ministries, loves connecting women with the Word of God.  Serving Christ through writing, speaking and discipling is her chief passion in life.  Jani, who podcasts at herestoresmysoul.org, and Ray, the President of Renewal Ministries, have been happily married for over 50 years, with four married children and fifteen grandchildren.ABOUT RAY ORTLUNDRay Ortlund is the President of Renewal Ministries, a Canon Theologian in The Anglican Church in North America, and a founding member of The Council of The Gospel Coalition. He founded Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and upon retirement was named Pastor to Pastors. Ray has authored a number of books, including The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ and Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel. His Ph.D. is from The University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Ray and his wife Jani have been happily married for over fifty years, with four married children and fifteen grandchildren.We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message.Learn more about the Joy to the World Advent Bible study at lifeway.com/joytotheworld. Join us at a Lifeway Women event in 2025! Use code Livein25 through September 30 to save $10 on individual registration. Learn more about the Prepare Him Room virtual event at lifeway.com/preparehimroom.

Pastor Nathan continues the series in “II Corinthians ” on Sunday morning, July 21, 2024. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

https://youtu.be/tBka6ARvrEI?si=c7GyfQp6TgKQCwuH On the Go Leadership - 3 - Your Promotion Playbook   Welcome – Chris Fluitt | Redemption Church Plano Your career, calling, and cause   Case study: 120 people… no degrees, no capital backing, no government grants   Grow organization to over 2 Billion. This is the Church of Jesus. Week 1: How to become a leader.Leadership is INFLUENCE.Week 2: How to STEP UP and STEP OUT.   How can you always have the right thing to say and be able to step up and speak it?Always be on message.Message = Mission, Vision, and Values.Mission is WHAT you are trying to accomplish.Vision is HOW you will accomplish the mission.Values are the BEHAVIORS that are rewardable in your organization.   Today – Your promotion playbook   The Problem we can all relate to… Work hard but looked past… Passed over for the promotion. Taken for granted.Not in the position you want – Your sights set higher.   WANT MORE…   At the same time… how do I not fall into the rat race? How do I avoid the office politics and backstabbing? How do I get ahead without becoming a creep?   Can a Christian even make it in business? There are times where Christian faith can seem like a disadvantage. Moral limitations like…Honesty, kindness, not cussing others out.Not fitting in with the happy hour business crew. In school or on the job your Christian faith can actually seem like a disadvantage. The real successful people do FILL IN THE BLANK and I can't do FILL IN THE BLANK because I am a Christian. In business they have a saying…Always be Selling (Always be closing – ABC)   It means that you are always acting towards your own gain – trying to close the deal and make the sale.   It means that you willing to sale your self in order to make the sale…Value the sale more than… -Your authenticity-Your values and character-Helping the client   I imagine a used car salesman who is only talking to you to make the sale.-Every complement is self serving.-Willing to lie in order to make the sale.   How do we make the sale without being a sale-out?   How do we climb the ladder without stepping on others?   The answer according to Jesus… Always be Serving   Christ is counter cultural.He was when he walked the Earth 2,000 years ago...He is today…   Most of the leadership and sales advice today, line up with our Jewish carpenter.   Mark 9:33-37 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.   They are arguing over PROMOTION… The rat race mentality… DISCIPLES!   35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”   Upside down. The way up is down.The servant is greatest.Put others first…Lift others up… Become servant.Did Jesus demonstrate this? 36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” To be great – serve. Always be serving. But I want to be the manager. That does not work in the real world…Not in my line of work…You don't become one of the cool kids by being nice…You get the corner office by beating others…Become valuable by ADDING VALUE John Maxwell – 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: #5 Law of Addition Value others. Make yourself valuable to others. Know and relate to what others value. Do what God values.   Add value and become valuable.   Value everyone, but place 80% of your effort on your top 20%.   This is a key understanding for promotion. Pareto Princile (80/20 rule)20% of the effort nets 80% of the results.Prioritize your top 20% effort…Invest in your top 20%...Equip your top 20%...Promote your top 20%... As an employer – be on the lookout for your top 20%.As an employee – DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT DOING 80% OF THE...

The post The Price Of Serving Christ (2024) appeared first on Macedonia Baptist Church of Detroit.

Title: Serving Christ With ZealSpeaker: Drew GoodmanScripture: Romans 12:11Date: Jun 30, 2024

Today is day 145 and we are studying The Sacrament of Ordination. 144. What is the work of deacons? Serving Christ under their bishops, deacons care for those in need, assist in public worship, and instruct both young and old in the catechism. (Deuteronomy 15:7–11; Psalm 119:1–8; Luke 12:35–40; Acts 6:1–7; 1 Timothy 3:8–13) We will conclude today with the Prayer for the Ordination of a Deacons on page 475 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Today is day 144 and we are studying The Sacrament of Ordination. 144. What is the work of priests? Serving Christ with their bishops, priests (or presbyters) nurture God's people through the ministry of Word and Sacrament and pronounce absolution and blessing in God's Name. (Genesis 14:17– 20; Psalm 132:8–18; Luke 10:1–9; John 10:1–16; Ephesians 4:7–13) We will conclude today with the Prayer for the Ordination of a Priest on page 486 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sunday Morning Worship Service May 12. 2024 Guest Speaker: Bro. JC Lumibao

Paul says, “have the same attitude as Christ Jesus” or “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel.” That can be kind of abstract for me. It can seem impossible and so I feel free to ignore it. But then Paul says look at Timothy. This is what serving Christ, prioritizing Christ's interest means. It means caring for others. That simple. That real. Serving Christ's interest is caring for others, not winning them, not having all the right answers for them. Not fixing anything per say, but genuinely caring about others well-being. How does this orient our vision of next level discipleship like Paul's? Caring, that's the work. Easier said than done, yes, but also doable. We can train to become a person who can listen. Who has the space for others brokenness and isn't overwhelmed by it. Who can see needs and doesn't imagine they are the Savior, but a friend. Who can celebrate another's wins and grieve losses while putting away our own insecurities and our sense of scarcity. Who can speak out for someone who is bullied. Or make a meal when someone's sick. Or the call when someone's scared or grieving. Or speak a word of truth when a friend is lost or stuck. And in it all we can learn how to speak of our Jesus. And won't we also find our own loneliness unraveling. So, Timothy's going to come to Philippi and make a web of connection and relationship between the Philippians and Paul's work that much stronger. It's going to be awesome, but not yet. Because Paul needs him with him in this dark stinking prison.

The Bible says in Psalm 92:14, "The righteous will still bear fruit in old age. They will stay fresh and green." Join Michael and Joanie as their guest Jim Gustafson shares wisdom on living and thriving with purpose in our relationship with the Lord and with others.

Today we will be studying in the book of 1 Peter (SUNDAY 05/05/24) Today's sermon will be looking at 1 Peter 4:11 "How are We to live in these Last Days? Faithfully Serving Christ: Part 3"

Through the plague of darkness, the LORD answers who is the master of Egypt and throughout the universe. In this passage, we see three ways to look at masters in Egypt and in our world: the true master (vv 21-23), two masters (vv 24-26), and the doomed master (vv 27-29).

What if there was a simple tool that could transform your prayer life? In this episode, Asheritah and her friend Jani Ortlund talk about a simple notebook format that took what Jani calls “a scattered prayer life” and turned it into a powerful conversation with Jesus. They also talk about how to handle times of spiritual dryness, why Jani believes “PUSHY” prayers are Scriptural prayers, and how her mother-in-law's candor invited Jani into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Jani Ortlund, the Vice President of Renewal Ministries, loves connecting women with the Word of God.  Serving Christ through writing, speaking and discipling is her chief passion in life.  Jani, who podcasts at herestoresmysoul.org, and Ray, the President of Renewal Ministries, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren. Val Marie Paper | Prayer JournalSupport the Show.

Today we will be studying in the book of 1 Peter (SUNDAY 04/28/24) Today's sermon will be looking at 1 Peter 4:10b "How are We to live in these Last Days? Faithfully Serving Christ: Part 2"

This episode is part 2 of my conversation with Alan Larson. In this episode, Alan tells the story of how God blessed him with a family, and we talk a little about what a deacon is, and how they serve our church at Heights. Welcome to Heights Baptist Church! Our mission is to love and to lead all people to a new life with Christ. Digital Connect Card: https://www.heightschurch.org/connect To watch services online: https://www.heightschurch.org/media To give online: https://www.heightschurch.org/give

Today we will be studying in the book of 1 Peter (SUNDAY 04/21/24) Today's sermon will be looking at 1 Peter 4:10a "How are We to live in these Last Days? Faithfully Serving Christ"

On this episode of the Heights Podcast, I sit down with Alan Larson. Alan is one of our deacons at Heights and has been serving the church in various roles for decades. . .in the children's ministry, the student ministry, worship ministry, and even BUS ministry. We talk with Alan about how he serves Christ in his job as a farrier, at his church, and in his home raising his family. Part 1 of 2. Welcome to Heights Baptist Church! Our mission is to love and to lead all people to a new life with Christ. Digital Connect Card: https://www.heightschurch.org/connect To watch services online: https://www.heightschurch.org/media To give online: https://www.heightschurch.org/give

Listen to part two of Rashidah's conversation with Brother Amos from northern Nigeria, as they discuss evangelism to Muslims and the challenges of pastoring amidst the terrorism of Boko Haram.

Align  |  Week 5: The Legacy of Serving Christ  //  Ryland Walter  //  Our culture often leans into a "consumer" focused mindset where all we do is absorb... but what would happen if you started serving the people you worship next to every weekend? Even if you've been attending for years and years, it's never too late to start. Get Connected at RockBrook.org or download the Rock Brook Church App.

Listen to Brother Amos, a pastor from Muslim-dominant northern Nigeria, speak about the rise of Boko Haram and his own journey in ministry and compassion towards Muslims. He is a Ph.D. student in World Religions at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves on the staff of the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam there.

When we serve the poor, we serve Christ

In this episode, Ty-Shaun-Dra interviews Scott LaPierre, author of 'Your Finances God's Way,' about the importance of kingdom finances. Scott shares his personal experiences as a father of 10 and a pastor, and how he came to write the book. He discusses common financial problems, including small purchases that add up and worthless purchases. Scott emphasizes the need to overcome self-entitlement and impatience when it comes to finances. He also highlights the significance of the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment in teaching the value of self-control and patience. The conversation covers topics such as waiting and researching before making purchases, why Christians struggle with finances, personal experiences with trusting God with finances, understanding purpose and serving Christ, Scott LaPierre's 10 children and inspirations, and upcoming projects and how to connect with Scott LaPierre.TakeawaysTake the time to wait and research before making purchases, especially big ones.Christians may struggle with finances due to factors such as single-income households and giving to the church.Trusting God with finances is important and can lead to a healthier relationship with money.Serving Christ and fulfilling one's purpose should be the ultimate goal in life.Connect with Scott LaPierreVisit www.scottlapierre.orgFb @ScottlapierreMinistriesIg @pastorwccX @pastorwccYouTube @scottlapierre Support the Show.Join the Kingdom Fanatics community! Get access to exclusive content, green room access with guest and more. Visit our website; Like & Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel! We greatly appreciate all the love and support. To donate to the show, sow a seed here.Be Blessed AND Be A Blessing

"Serving Christ in the Community" is the longtime slogan (and jingle) of the nonprofit Valley Rescue Mission, which our guest Mike Gaymon came out of retirement to help lead nearly a year ago, as President/CEO. He has some advice for you about getting rid of the stuff/hurt in your ditch...faith where you're at, like at your job...how a good economy can be ministry...and following callings to serve God and others! Make sure to subscribe to this podcast too. (3:05) Gaymon, who was the top leader at the Chamber of Commerce in several states for nearly 40 years (26 years in Columbus GA). this preacher's kid felt a calling from God to serve the mission and the needy in this season. He has some personal stories on that. (9:45) His steps for letting God use you and your faith include: plant where God puts you, know your strengths, serve God not man, be honest, do the right thing for the right reasons. Mike also talks about hope...and vision! (14:42) After people have been in the "giving spirit" over the holiday season, the needs are still there at the start of 2024. It's about giving a hand up, not a handout. How can you take care of the needy where you are? How are your donations spent? The Bible talks plenty about serving others. (19:29) Hear what the Valley Rescue Mission has been doing for the last 60 years, with a high success rate of helping drug addicts too. Even the 2023 numbers are staggering. Mike talks about ways you can use your gifts and time to help people seen as "outcasts." (28:18) He also wrote a book called "A View From the Backhoe," short stories sure to inspire you. Mike and all of us have stagnant water in our ditch - hurts, anger, disappointment - that needs to be cleaned out, replaced with fresh water. Symbolic, right. How did he do just that? A big part of it is letting God use you, following His Will. (36:26) Way back, Mike was also a basketball coach at a junior college, seeing a door shut...surrendering to God...then a door opened. In life since, he's still been coaching those in economic development and now in the nonprofit ministry. (44:03) Valley Rescue Mission will be delivering coats to those who need them soon from our WTVM annual coat drive that ends Wednesday January 10. Here's how you can donate: https://www.wtvm.com/2023/12/19/wtvm-partners-with-local-businesses-host-coat-drive/. Mike encourages you to find a place where you can make a difference and impact, where you live! If you want to volunteer or give to their Mission, here's all the info you need: https://www.valleyrescuemission.org/ Thanks for listening to the #RunTheRace podcast! Also, write a quick review about it, on Apple podcasts. For more info and all past episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

Sister Judy was converted at 26. She shares her Christian life story. Why does she wear a habit? What has she learned from varied church settings? Sister Judy encourages us to find deeper life in Christ and fellowship with the fellow-disciples he brings to us.Access the Martyr's Mirror onlineAccess the Ante-Nicene Fathers onlineSee all our episodes with David BercotView Brother Bercot's “An Anabaptist View of Salvation” on YouTubeThis is the 201st episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

Hear some encouraging and wise words about caregiving from Joni and Ken Tada.

This episode is part of our "Wake UP! Church" series, which features inspirational highlights from the 2022 Wake UP! Conference. This week's show includes the full recording of the Government Leaders panel discussion emceed by TX State Rep. Matt Schaefer. These leaders discuss their lives as elected officials, including how they individually navigate their Christian walks, busy schedules, and criticism. The panel features TX Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, TX State Sen. Bob Hall, and Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack. Christians Engaged exists to awaken, motivate, educate, and empower ordinary believers in Jesus Christ to: ▪️ PRAY for our nation and elected officials regularly. ▪️ VOTE in every election to impact our culture. ▪️ ENGAGE our hearts in some form of civic education and involvement for the well-being of our nation. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠https://christiansengaged.org/⁠⁠⁠ Support our efforts: ⁠⁠⁠https://christiansengaged.org/donate⁠⁠⁠ Take the PLEDGE to PRAY, VOTE, & ENGAGE: ⁠⁠⁠https://christiansengaged.org/pledge⁠⁠

During our 5-fold episodes we never really gave a history of the 5-fold office thinking so we'll begin with that today and recap those 4 episodes before we look at the other gifts and how we should look at the church as a body of many gifts working together and not a hierarchical system with 5 gifts on the top. X44 Article written last March: Most of the Pentecostal world believes in the 5 fold ministry, and as I don't disagree with most anything said or taught about the 5 fold gifts specifically, I can also see how this term has become controversial and often thought of as divisive within the body of Christ towards the other gifts. I also Theologically cringe any time a doctrine or movement seems to be derived in large part by a singular text. (In this way the use of Ephesians to frame the 5 fold ministry as a doctrine has often been claimed as a “proof text.”) One of the first things to consider is that Paul gave us two other lists elsewhere in his epistles. The lists vary from this one significantly. This list in Ephesians wasn't intended to be a doctrinal model; if it was the NT or Paul sure didn't do a very good job of articulating that. If the intention was to present the list as a model of hierarchy in the church, I would think it would have been presented much differently. In other words, the laws of hermeneutics simply don't allow a scholar reader to interpret this way. To my point, 1 Corinthians 12 would speak to an 8 fold ministry where the order is different. In the same way Romans 12 presents yet another list. This Seven Fold list moves leadership to the very bottom, just ahead of showing mercy, and it moves service, teaching and encouragement to the top. It takes some theological gymnastics to make a doctrine out of the list in Ephesians. We will get into this a bit more in depth later in the film. OVERVIEW • 5-fold gifts and the other lists (7 and 8-fold?) are not about hierarchy but about building up the body of Christ. • The church is a body- a mutual and co-equal body- that reflects Jesus. There is no hierarchy in giftings. • These giftings don't lead to an office though some might lead or administrate in their gifting better than others based on maturity and humility- we should all mutually submit to each other. • Faith, Hope, and Love are the foundation for exercising our gifts. It should all be done in edification and grace towards each other. Be incarnational! • There should be a recognition and celebration of people's gifts- especially the behind the scenes and “on the street” type that aren't in front of people. • Order- we need to use our gift in an order. It is not about self-elevation but about building up the body. o Serving Christ is the purpose in the gathering. When the gifts are displayed people are built up, Christ is displayed and glorified, and the church is discipled. • Identify your gift and use it- the body of Christ is counting on you and suffers when you don't. For questions and comments please email us at ryan@expedition44.com or matt@expedition44.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today, Memorial Day, I want to share a commentary on Memorial Day from Chuck Colson. Here's Chuck:   This Memorial Day, reflect with me on how we should respond to the enormous sacrifices of our men and women in uniform.    Memorial Day is when we honor the men and women of our armed services who have made “the supreme sacrifice,” who gave their lives for their country.   Especially these days, when Memorial Day seems nothing more than a time for cookouts and swim parties, we cannot be reminded often enough about how great a debt we owe our war dead.   They gave up their hopes and dreams, families, and friends. They submitted themselves to rigorous discipline—something I understand as a former Marine—24-hour-a-day duty—and placed their lives in great peril. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”   Their sacrifice should inspire in us a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, bought with a price. And that gratitude should compel us to lives of service as well. Serving Christ, our neighbor, and yes, our nation.   I can't help but recall the brilliant film Saving Private Ryan. James Ryan, now in his seventies, has returned with his family to the military cemetery in Normandy. He visits the grave of Capt. John Miller, the man who, a half a century before, led the mission to retrieve—to save—Pvt. Ryan. At the end of the mission, Miller was fatally wounded. As he lay dying, his final words to Pvt. Ryan were “James. Earn this … earn it.”   We then see Ryan kneeling at Capt. Miller's grave, marked by a cross. Ryan, his voice trembling with emotion, says,   “Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me. “  Red-eyed, Ryan turns to his wife and says, “Tell me I've led a good life … tell me I am a good man.”   With great dignity, she says, “You are.”   With that, James Ryan salutes the grave of Capt. Miller.   I tell this story in greater detail in my book The Good Life, which you can purchase at colsoncenter.org.   You see, Pvt. Ryan, out of gratitude for Capt. Miller's sacrifice, did all in his power to live a good life.   And Memorial Day is a great time for each of us to look into the mirror … to examine our own lives. Are we living good lives in gratitude for all those who have sacrificed for us—including our men and women in the military, our families, our friends, and most of all Christ?   Are we, like Ryan, kneeling before the cross? Spielberg, a master cinematographer, had to realize the power of this imagery. Are we, out of gratitude, doing our duty for Christ, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, ministering to those in prison, in whatever harvest field to which the Lord has called us?   Examine your life.   And this Memorial Day, at the very least, thank those who have sacrificed for you and those you know who have served in our nation's armed forces. Maybe you'll do what I do when you see a guy or gal in uniform … at the airport, at the store, wherever … walk up to them and thank them for their service.   And then go and remember Whom it is you serve.  For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.  This commentary was last aired on May 30, 2022.