Podcasts about sometimes christians

This sermon is based on Philippians 3:17-21. It talks about Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hudson, Ohio's mission statement: Gathering People to Christ, Building belivers in Christ, Serving the World as Christ. As Christians we prioritize all three of those activities, even if those outside of the church might only prioritize service. Sometimes Christians behave as "enemies of the cross" when we ignore the full work of the gospel in the world. If we find that we've behaved this way, we are blessed to return to the gospel and remember that the kingdom has come to us and our sins are forgiven in Jesus' death and resurrection, too.

Sometimes Christians think the answer to all the chaos in the world is ensuring that more and more believers take significant roles within government and become political leaders. If only Christians were in power, we wouldn't find ourselves in such a mess. But is that necessarily true? This idea of Christian nationalism has been believed to be the answer. The reality is, at its core, Christian nationalism is idolatry. How do we navigate this if we live in a Christian nationalist country? Check out this week's episode with host Andrew Marcus and guest Drew Strait as they dive into this very important conversation. 

Followers of Jesus are called to bless, do good, pursue peace, and show hospitality, using whatever gifts we've been given to serve one another. This is what it looks like to live a saved life; but a saved life is not always a safe life. Sometimes Christians must follow Jesus' example by suffering while doing good. Whether we […]

Are Christians allowed to judge? This video addresses the common misconception that all judgment is wrong. It explores Jesus' teachings on judgment and emphasizes the importance of discernment, especially in addressing harmful behaviors. Join the discussion on the balance of judgment and grace.Check out more at Worldview Summit: https://worldviewsummit.orgFeatured video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipym_PANZecSee 16:30 and following#Judgment #Christianity #DiscernmentSupport the show

Today's Lesson: HE is Not an Option On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: Sometimes Christians are accused of having an exclusive religious perspective. Did Jesus make himself an exclusive way to get to God? Do you think that rejecting Jesus in order to maintain the traditions of the Old Covenant is the same degree of rejection as rejecting Jesus for some other religious path? As you reflect over this past year, does your life reflect that Jesus has been a priority or an option? The reading for the day is Hebrews 3.

A Sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 & St. Matthew 11:2-10 by William Klock Imagine a little church.  Most of the people in it are converts from paganism.  They used to worship false gods: sex, money, war, power, government.  They all had their favourite sins: lying, cheating, anger, pornography, drunkenness, drugs, adultery.  You name it, they'd done it—often as part of their worship.  But then this funny Jewish man showed up preaching a bizarre message about the God of Israel and his son, the Messiah—the anointed king—who had been crucified and then raised from death.  And this man, Paul, he'd been abused, beaten, stoned, left for dead so many times for the sake of this message, this “good news” he was so earnest about.  He was a little frightening to look at, because he  literally bore the marks of this gospel, the marks of Jesus on his own body.  But this good news was unlike any news they'd ever heard before.  This God, this Jesus, was unlike any god they'd ever worshiped.  He brought love, mercy, grace, and hope into a world of darkness, greed, selfishness, and brutality.  They were won over.  They were baptised into this God who is Father, Son, and Spirit and the new creation begun by Jesus was born in them.  Paul stayed and he taught them and they grew in Jesus and the Spirit.  And then Paul moved on.  And they started to struggle.  The temptations of their old pagan ways came back—as so often happens.  The new life of Jesus and the Spirit—so thrilling at first—became hum-drum and they started seeking after new experiences and new excitements.  That resulted in factions in the church: this group became a fan of that preacher and that group became fans of this preacher.  In the name of Christian liberty they became tolerant of sin—even some that were unspeakable to the pagans.  And that led to further divisions.  And when Paul heard what was happening and wrote to them.  Think of Advent.  He wrote to them: “Hey, you're living like you're still part of the old evil age, subject to the old false gods that Jesus defeated at the cross.  You're supposed to be living as heralds of God's new creation!”  And they wrote back a nasty letter telling him they were done with him—they didn't want to hear his “correction” anymore.  They had grown beyond his teaching and they were doing well on their own, thank you very much!  This was the church in Corinth. And this is what's behind our Epistle today, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.  Let's read: This is how we should be thought of, as servants of the Messiah and stewards of the mysteries of God.  And this is what follows: it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.  Having said that, I regard it a matter of small concern to think that I should be judged by you or by any human court.  In fact, I don't even judge myself.  I don't actually know of anything that stands against me, but that isn't what vindicates me. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore, do not pass judgment before the time when the Lord comes.  He will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will lay bare the intentions of the heart.  Then everyone will receive his commendation from God.   I've always wondered how hard it was for Paul to write this, especially the bit about “This is how we should be thought of: I'm a servant of the Messiah and a steward of God's mysteries.”  Good clergymen tend to err on the side of humility, even to a fault.  The only guys I've ever known to say things like this have been egotists who never should have been in ministry in the first place.  But Paul had one advantage that only the apostles had and that was that they had known Jesus in the flesh and had been commissioned by him personally.  I can't say that and neither can anyone else alive today.  That said, there is a place for God's stewards to assert their calling in the face of unjust judgement.  Most pastors, when faced with unjust criticism just nod humbly, say nothing, and take it to God, but Paul reminds us that there is a time to speak up against these kinds of judgements.  And not just “pastors”.  This goes for every Christian.  We're all ministers of the gospel.  And we live in an age that is becoming increasingly hostile to the gospel and to gospel people.  Sometimes the criticisms we receive can be justified.  Sometimes Christians and sometimes churches have failed and done awful things.  But those are the outliers.  Most of the criticism we face comes from people who hate Jesus and the message of the cross, who don't want to hear about sin and don't want to repent, who have their own ideas of what the world should be like and only want new creation on their terms, not God's.  Jesus warned us this would happen, but most of us still aren't prepared for the attacks.  And so even though we're ministers of the gospel and stewards of the mysteries of God, all too often we let the false judgements and accusations of pagans back us out of the room.  We go silently and sit facing the corner like scolded children—and I think a lot of the time we actually feel guilty when we hear these accusations, even though we know better. Brothers and Sisters, Paul stresses that ministers are to be found faithful.  That goes for apostles and for pastors and for all of us.  Yes, we need to weigh criticism.  We need to ask if there's anything to it.  Sometimes there may be.  Maybe we're not being faithful to Jesus' instructions and we need to hear it.  But Jesus' instructions aren't hard to understand or discern.  As a minister, I'm called to preach the word, especially the gospel about Jesus, and to administer the sacraments.  It's not quite that simple, but that is the core.  And for all of us, we're called to proclaim the gospel about Jesus to the world around us and to live in a way that accords with being the people of God.  We proclaim Jesus and we live the life—the fruit—of the Spirit. We need to reflect on our lives in light of that and ask if we're being faithful.  This is one of the reasons we need to steep ourselves in God's word.  If we don't know what God expects, how will we be faithful?  It's a bit like a bread recipe.  Bread is one of the simplest things in the world to make.  But as simple as it is, you still have to read the recipe and follow it.  Start changing things up and you spoil the bread.  But that's what we all too often do.  It's not that we're not well-intentioned.  We want to see things happen, but sometime we get impatient.  We take shortcuts, because we don't want to wait.  Sometimes we get bored with plain old bread.  We remember the time we had cinnamon-swirl bread—or chocolate cake!—so we try to change up the recipe or add exciting things to it.  People out there don't like to hear about sin, so we'll tone that part of our preaching down.  People out there don't like commitment, so we'll make the gospel commitment-free.  People out there don't like liturgy and sermons, so we'll have a rock concert and cut the sermon to a few minutes of feel-good self-help.  People don't feel like getting up on Sunday mornings and driving to church, so we'll broadcast it to their TVs and computers instead.  Maybe we're just not confident that people will want to eat our bread.  We're not confident in the power of the gospel and the Spirit to change hearts and to bring them to Jesus, so we instead build churches around programmes and activities that people do want or we use manipulative techniques to get them to believe.  We make the gospel about them and not so much about Jesus and the glory of God.  These things can and often do bring short-term gains, but in the long-term they've been a disaster.  We wonder why people won't commit, why they're still worldly, why we're losing our children, and why we're seen as increasingly irrelevant.  It's like we've tried to bake bread by replacing the flour with glitter.  The end product might look exciting, but in the end it's not only unable to nourish, it's slowly poisoning us.  In contrast, the real work of the gospel is rarely flashy.  Sometimes it brings persecution and even martyrdom.  It means relying on God, not ourselves.  And it means being in it for the long-haul.  Consider Israel.  God called Abraham and it was two thousand years before Israel's story culminated with Jesus.  And the in-between was as full of hardship, slavery, judgement, and exile as it was prosperity and growth.  And that was God working with a single, small people.  Brothers and Sisters, our mission is the world. We need to follow the simple recipe: Be faithful to the gospel, build churches around word and sacrament, pray and fellowship together, raise covenant children who know Jesus.  And live as the people of God's new creation in the midst of the old so that the people around us will see what Jesus has done in his death and resurrection.  Make them constructively curious about what makes us different, then explain it to them—proclaim Jesus and the gospel.  Let your neighbours see you live it—when it's a joy to follow Jesus and when you struggle to bear that cross.  And as we do that, remember that the judgement that matters is not the judgement of other people or the world, but of God.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't have an ear to the ground.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't listen to the world's judgements.  Sometimes we need to know how the world sees us—even if it's false—so that we can better know what we're up against.  So that we can better respond with the gospel.  And, sometimes, the world's rebukes may have some truth to them.  Jesus promised that his people would be persecuted for his sake, but we need to make sure that we're actually being persecuted for his sake and for our faithfulness to his word.  I know some Christians who claim they're being persecuted, but when you get down to it, it's just that people don't like them because they're jerks, not because they're preaching Jesus.  People will still hate us for preaching Jesus, but Friends, we do need to be sure that as we preach Jesus and as we stand firmly on the Scriptures that the world rejects, we remain committed to being a godly people in every respect.  We need to live the gospel as much as we preach the gospel.  We're to announce God's judgement on sin, yes, but we're also to announce God's mercy to repentant sinners. It's simple—it may be difficult, but it's nothing if not simple: stick to the bread recipe: A church of word and sacrament, a church of koinonia—of gospel life lived together.  Just be faithful in that.  This is the bread that feeds us and the bread that will give life to the world.  And, who knows, every once in a while the Spirit has been known to sprinkle in some raisins or some cinnamon or to drizzle some honey into the recipe—but that's his prerogative, not ours. So that's the Epistle.  Let's turn over to today's Gospel in Matthew 11 as we continue with this theme.  Again, what does it look like to be gospel ministers who are prepared.  Well, John the Baptist.  In the Gospel, John has gone from announcing the coming kingdom and baptising people in the Jordan to being locked up in prison.  He got there by way of criticizing Herod.  It wasn't just some off-the-wall criticism.  Tied up with his announcement of the kingdom was John's denouncement of Herod for marrying his former sister-in-law.  Herod couldn't help but draw a connection between John's fiery preaching and himself.  If John was saying that the King was soon to come, it meant John was saying that Herod wasn't really the king.  So poor John is now in Herod's dungeon and he's frustrated and confused.  He'd been faithful in his divine calling to herald the coming Messiah—his cousin, Jesus—and he's landed in prison.  No big surprise there.  He wasn't the first prophet to offend a king and end up in prison.  But Jesus—the Messiah—was on the outside, preaching, teaching, healing, forgiving, having dinner with tax collectors and sinners…and leaving John to rot.  Something was wrong or so John was beginning to think.  These things happen to faithful ministry and it's easy to get frustrated.  We're preaching the gospel!  Why are we being opposed?  We're faithfully being what the church is supposed to be.  Why aren't we growing and why is that other group preaching a false gospel and making glitter bread doing so well?  We'll pick up from there: Meanwhile, John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah.  He sent word through his disciples and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we be looking for someone else?”  (St. Matthew 11:2-10) I don't think John was really doubting whether Jesus was the Messiah.  I think this was his way of saying, “Um…Jesus.  Shouldn't the Messiah be getting his faithful herald out prison?”  Of course, that also meant all the other things to go along with it.  A simple jailbreak wouldn't do.  The jailbreak would have to be part of a wholesale overthrow of Herod and the Romans—which, of course, is what most people expected the Messiah to do.  Here's what Jesus says to John's men in return:  “Go and tell John what you hear and see: Blind people are seeing!  Lame people are walking!  Lepers are being cleansed!  The dead are being raised to life!  And the poor are hearing the good news!  And God bless you if you're not offended by what I'm doing.”  (Matthew 11:5-6) You see, John expected the Messiah to be like Elijah, confronting the prophets of Baal and calling down fire from heaven.  John wanted to see fire and brimstone.  There is a place for that.  In a sense John wasn't wrong.  Jesus is the Judge and, you can be sure, he will judge the world and everyone in it.  There will be a time for fire and brimstone and judgement.  I suspect that being a fire-and-brimstone sort of prophet—and that is what John was called to be so there's nothing wrong with that—I suspect that being that kind of guy means that you get a little fixated on judgement.  And Jesus responds by saying something like, “You expected Elijah…and you've got Elijah…but before I come in judgement, there are a lot of people…people like the widow of Zeraphath…people who need to know God's mercy.”  As Jesus says in John's Gospel: “I came not to condemn, but to redeem.”  Brothers and Sisters, remember: Sinners already stand condemned.  Judgement is coming.  Announcing that judgement and calling people to repentance was John's mission.  But before the judgement comes, what Israel needed most was to know God's mercy, to know his salvation.  This is why Jesus' road to the throne had to be by way of the cross. So Jesus corrects John.  He sets him straight about the Messiah.  But he then turns to the crowd and praises John: As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What were you expecting to see when you went out to the wilderness?  A reed shaken by the wind?  No? Well, then, what were you expecting to see?  A man dressed in silks and satins?  If you wanted to see a man like that you'd have gone to the king's palace.  All right, so what were you expecting to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,          who will prepare your way before you.' (Matthew 11:7-10) Even though Jesus' mission was one of humility and of mercy, Jesus praises the faithfulness of John to his ministry as the fiery herald of judgement.  Again, John was expecting the Messiah to come like Elijah, bringing confrontation and fire from heaven, but what Jesus says—albeit a little obliquely for reasons that get beyond our lesson today—what Jesus says here is that John is the prophet like Elijah.  John is the fire-and-brimstone preacher.  John is the herald announcing judgement and calling the people to repentance.  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3 and confirms two things: John is truly the one sent to herald the Messiah and, two, that means that Jesus truly is the Messiah—the one whom Malachi said would come both to refine Israel and to make her offerings pleasing to the Lord and to judge the unrepentant. Now, in the short-term this was bad news for John.  It was bad news for Jesus, too.  Both the Messiah and his herald would be put to death.  But death was not the end.  As it turns out, we know, it was by the death of Jesus that deliverance was bought and in his resurrection he was vindicated and the unjust verdict on him overturned.  In his resurrection and his ascension, Jesus was confirmed as the Messiah, as Lord.  In that we see the faithfulness of God to his promises and knowing God's faithfulness, we have hope.  As St. Paul wrote to the Romans: “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall surely be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).  This is one of those parts of the gospel that we often prefer to ignore or to leave out of our preaching, because it offends.  We've sort of got the opposite problem John had.  John was fixated on judgement and on fire from heaven.  Like so many Jews, he wanted to see God vanquish Israel's enemies and he nearly forgot about God's mercy.  Our problem is the opposite.  We've become so afraid of preaching about sin and about judgement, that we can't even preach mercy and grace anymore—because mercy isn't mercy and grace isn't grace if we're not guilty of anything and if there is no judgement headed this way.  And if we gut our preaching of mercy and grace, we can talk all day about the love of God, but there will be no depth to it.  We will make the cross of Jesus pointless.  Why?  Because we can only begin to plumb the great depths of God's love when we see that he gave his Son to die for our sake—for the sake of sinners who would otherwise stand condemned to destruction. And that brings us back to the recipe for bread.  Brothers and Sisters, bread is simple and often kind of boring.  But if you make it right, it nourishes.  It keeps us alive.  There's a reason why Jesus used it as a metaphor for himself when he said, “I am the bread of life.”  There's a reason why it's a symbol over and over in the story of God's people for his faithful care and sustenance.  And it points to the way God works and the way his gospel and his word work in the world.  It's hardly ever flashy.  And you have to be patient, because it takes time to rise and it takes time to bake.  But like the Messiah, who humbled himself to take on lowly human flesh, who humbled himself to be born of a lowly virgin, and who humbly went to death on a cross, the simple bread of the gospel, the good news that Jesus died, that he rose, and that he is Lord, brings life to the world.  To preach it faithfully means to preach it whole and to preach it pure.  Friends, be faithful stewards.  Stick to the recipe.  Preach the Lord Jesus, crucified and risen to give forgiveness and life to sinners.  Pursue holiness.  Build churches centred on the faithful preaching of God's word and the administration of the sacraments, where, knowing God's faithfulness, God's people sing and pray together, where they raise covenant, gospel children, where we live as people who know the hope of God's life in the age to come. Let's pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Sometimes Christians can become more fixated on the details of Christ's second coming than on the Christ who is to come. Today, Sinclair Ferguson offers an unexpected suggestion to help balance our view of the Lord's return. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/proclaiming-his-death-until-he-comes/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Sometimes Christians get accused of "picking and choosing" when it comes to which laws of God we keep and which we don't keep. Is that the case? Mike and Brian discuss how Christians relate to the laws in the Old Testament, and why we aren't under the Law anymore.

Sometimes Christians get accused of "picking and choosing" when it comes to which laws of God we keep and which we don't keep. Is that the case? Mike and Brian discuss how Christians relate to the laws in the Old Testament, and why we aren't under the Law anymore.

How do you stir up another believer to love and good works when they are freaking annoying! This week on the show we have another Rabbit Trail. After reviewing my recent sermon on Hebrews 10:19-25, I sit down to answer the question, "how do I stir up someone to love and good works when they are so freaking annoying?" We all have "that person" in our lives that can be difficult to love, and social media wasn't a thing when this epistle was written. Also, how do I do all this while also setting healthy boundaries? In this episode, I reflect on all of that and walk away with a few takeaways. Facebook & instagram: @myseminarylifepodContact: emailseminarylife@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/mslpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MySeminaryLifeShop: https://my-seminary-life-store.creator-spring.com/

How do you stir up another believer to love and good works when they are freaking annoying! This week on the show we have another Rabbit Trail. After reviewing my recent sermon on Hebrews 10:19-25, I sit down to answer the question, "how do I stir up someone to love and good works when they are so freaking annoying?" We all have "that person" in our lives that can be difficult to love, and social media wasn't a thing when this epistle was written. Also, how do I do all this while also setting healthy boundaries? In this episode, I reflect on all of that and walk away with a few takeaways. Facebook & instagram: @myseminarylifepodContact: emailseminarylife@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/mslpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MySeminaryLifeShop: https://my-seminary-life-store.creator-spring.com/

Do you know that your tongue holds the power to destroy or to give life? If you are longing for a breakthrough in your health, or in any other area, you must learn how to speak words of life and avoid declarations of self-defeat.  We live in an increasingly voice-activated universe. Phones and tablets, cars and gadgets are increasingly being programmed to recognise and respond to what we say. But voice-activation is not so original and innovative as you might think. This was the same means God used to create the physical universe and the laws that govern it, as well as inputting the same operating system into His most precious creations – human beings (Genesis 1:3,9,26-28; Hebrews 4:12 ESV). Your words have power and influence in the spiritual realm (Proverbs 18:21; Job 22:27-28 NKJV).    When it comes to the spiritual realm, the reality is that the enemy can use anything you say against you, to oppose your prayers. So we have to be so careful with our words. We were created to rule and reign with our voices. The problem is, many of us have learned how to use our tongues more from the world than the Word.    We see three core principles from a story recorded in Mark 5:22-42 that will help you to see healing miracles in your life and the lives of those around you. These lessons come from a man who knew that Jesus was the only hope for a precious member of his family, and was able to take great care in the words he spoke and the words he left unspoken.      1. Speak words of life over your circumstances (Mark 5:23 NKJV; 2 Corinthians 4:13; 1 John 5:14; Mark 9:22; Isaiah 53:5)   2. Refuse to utter a declaration of despair (Mark 5:35-40; Mark 11:24; Proverbs 18:7 NKJV) 3. Keep hope alive in your heart (Proverbs 17:22; Proverbs 18:14; Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV)  Apply   1. Speak words of life over your circumstances (Mark 5:23 NKJV). Speak with faith: Jairus' daughter was in a critical condition, but he knew Jesus had power to heal her. He spoke out his faith clearly. As a synagogue leader he would have known that bowing down and declaring trust in Jesus publicly could put his job at risk, but he was more concerned about his daughter's life than the opinions of his peers or the potential consequences, so he spoke up. Speaking aloud with faith is the first step to the miracle. You may feel intimidated but remember that you have been created in the image of God to rule with your voice in the same way He does (2 Corinthians 4:13). Whatever miracle you think you need, one important step that needs to precede declaring things with faith is to ask God what His will is (1 John 5:14). Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his daughter. Once Jesus had agreed, he had all the reason in the world to stand in faith. When you know Jesus is saying ‘yes' to your miracle, then you need to pray with authority, not like the man who Jesus had to correct for saying “…if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). You must also speak the truth. Sometimes Christians get confused about this. Having faith does not mean denying the existence of a real problem, but it does mean being careful with what you declare. Jairus was explicit about what the problem was, and Jesus didn't have any problem with that. But Jairus was also careful not to make a negative declaration about her future. The only thing he said about her future was that Jesus' ministry would heal her. Then you must speak in line with the Word of God. You can declare the Word of God over your situation, or you can declare in line with it – the key thing is to know the Bible promise you need and speak it out. Regarding healing, the clearest promise in the Word is written in Isaiah 53:5. Forgiveness and healing are part of the same promise.   2. Refuse to utter a declaration of despair. Jairus faced a delay in Jesus coming to heal his daughter. Then came a spiritual attack of intimidation (Mark 5:35). He was confronted not just by one messenger but several, and told his daughter was already dead. They advised him not to bother Jesus any more, even referring to Jesus as just a ‘teacher'. How do you react when faced with bad news? Jairus must have been tempted to vent his grief and frustration, to abandon or contradict his faith declaration, or just hang his head and walk away. But in the moment of temptation Jesus was right there (Mark 5:36). Jesus didn't need Jairus to say anything more, only to hold onto his faith. Like Jairus, sometimes we've prayed and received a healing touch, but the problem has not disappeared. The trouble may even intensify. How do we respond? David Yonggi Cho in ‘The Holy Spirit, my Senior Partner' explains that healings can come via two routes: “When the gift of the working of miracles works, the disease departs in a moment and the person immediately begins to recover health. When the gift of healing works, the cause of the disease is removed slowly and the effect of treatment starts to work, leading to recovery.” If it's a ‘miracle' you tend to notice straight away, but if it's a ‘healing' you receive that you are healed in your spirit by faith, but you must keep persevering in faith until the completion (Mark 11:24). Derek Prince talks about this in his book ‘Secrets of a Prayer Warrior', explaining that if you've asked for and ‘received' healing in prayer, then you stop asking for it and move to thanking God for it. He writes “Now you're plugged into God's supernatural power. Keep the plug in.” Any time you feel a twinge of pain or see a symptom, don't fear, just believe, and declare “Thank you Lord. Your supernatural power is at work in my body.” It's not just a matter of speaking words of faith in the high moments but holding your tongue from venting negative declarations in our lowest moments (Proverbs 18:7 NKJV). The final lesson from Jairus came as he reached the threshold of his home where his daughter lay dead (Mark 5:38-40). Jesus was determined to get rid of the professional mourners because He recognised the effect it was having on the family's home. They needed an atmosphere of faith, not sadness.    3. Keep hope alive in your heart. It would be difficult for Jairus to hold onto his faith in an atmosphere of loud grieving and wailing. This is a major factor in every battle of faith. It is vital to keep hope alive in your heart through the time of testing (Proverbs 17:22). The joy of the Lord is not only your strength but like medicine for your body (Proverbs 18:14).There are some practical things you can do to nurture hope and joy through a time of trial, including: not keeping company with people who drag your spirit down; being sensitive to what music you are listening to and what you are watching and how these influence your heart and mind (Isaiah 61:3); raising your voice in praise, thanks and worship to find the presence of God (Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV). If you have been facing a battle of faith for your miracle, be it health, family, financial or ministry, just like Jairus who faced waves of opposition and intimidation, choose to speak words of life and not death. We need to develop a culture of positive speaking and declaring the promises of God in every area of life. Our words bring life or death, and that applies in relationships, emotions, and in supernatural healing. This is a moment to decide to change the way that we speak and to speak words of life and faith. 

Do you know that your tongue holds the power to destroy or to give life? If you are longing for a breakthrough in your health, or in any other area, you must learn how to speak words of life and avoid declarations of self-defeat.  We live in an increasingly voice-activated universe. Phones and tablets, cars and gadgets are increasingly being programmed to recognise and respond to what we say. But voice-activation is not so original and innovative as you might think. This was the same means God used to create the physical universe and the laws that govern it, as well as inputting the same operating system into His most precious creations – human beings (Genesis 1:3,9,26-28; Hebrews 4:12 ESV). Your words have power and influence in the spiritual realm (Proverbs 18:21; Job 22:27-28 NKJV).    When it comes to the spiritual realm, the reality is that the enemy can use anything you say against you, to oppose your prayers. So we have to be so careful with our words. We were created to rule and reign with our voices. The problem is, many of us have learned how to use our tongues more from the world than the Word.    We see three core principles from a story recorded in Mark 5:22-42 that will help you to see healing miracles in your life and the lives of those around you. These lessons come from a man who knew that Jesus was the only hope for a precious member of his family, and was able to take great care in the words he spoke and the words he left unspoken.      1. Speak words of life over your circumstances (Mark 5:23 NKJV; 2 Corinthians 4:13; 1 John 5:14; Mark 9:22; Isaiah 53:5)   2. Refuse to utter a declaration of despair (Mark 5:35-40; Mark 11:24; Proverbs 18:7 NKJV) 3. Keep hope alive in your heart (Proverbs 17:22; Proverbs 18:14; Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV)  Apply   1. Speak words of life over your circumstances (Mark 5:23 NKJV). Speak with faith: Jairus' daughter was in a critical condition, but he knew Jesus had power to heal her. He spoke out his faith clearly. As a synagogue leader he would have known that bowing down and declaring trust in Jesus publicly could put his job at risk, but he was more concerned about his daughter's life than the opinions of his peers or the potential consequences, so he spoke up. Speaking aloud with faith is the first step to the miracle. You may feel intimidated but remember that you have been created in the image of God to rule with your voice in the same way He does (2 Corinthians 4:13). Whatever miracle you think you need, one important step that needs to precede declaring things with faith is to ask God what His will is (1 John 5:14). Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his daughter. Once Jesus had agreed, he had all the reason in the world to stand in faith. When you know Jesus is saying ‘yes' to your miracle, then you need to pray with authority, not like the man who Jesus had to correct for saying “…if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). You must also speak the truth. Sometimes Christians get confused about this. Having faith does not mean denying the existence of a real problem, but it does mean being careful with what you declare. Jairus was explicit about what the problem was, and Jesus didn't have any problem with that. But Jairus was also careful not to make a negative declaration about her future. The only thing he said about her future was that Jesus' ministry would heal her. Then you must speak in line with the Word of God. You can declare the Word of God over your situation, or you can declare in line with it – the key thing is to know the Bible promise you need and speak it out. Regarding healing, the clearest promise in the Word is written in Isaiah 53:5. Forgiveness and healing are part of the same promise.   2. Refuse to utter a declaration of despair. Jairus faced a delay in Jesus coming to heal his daughter. Then came a spiritual attack of intimidation (Mark 5:35). He was confronted not just by one messenger but several, and told his daughter was already dead. They advised him not to bother Jesus any more, even referring to Jesus as just a ‘teacher'. How do you react when faced with bad news? Jairus must have been tempted to vent his grief and frustration, to abandon or contradict his faith declaration, or just hang his head and walk away. But in the moment of temptation Jesus was right there (Mark 5:36). Jesus didn't need Jairus to say anything more, only to hold onto his faith. Like Jairus, sometimes we've prayed and received a healing touch, but the problem has not disappeared. The trouble may even intensify. How do we respond? David Yonggi Cho in ‘The Holy Spirit, my Senior Partner' explains that healings can come via two routes: “When the gift of the working of miracles works, the disease departs in a moment and the person immediately begins to recover health. When the gift of healing works, the cause of the disease is removed slowly and the effect of treatment starts to work, leading to recovery.” If it's a ‘miracle' you tend to notice straight away, but if it's a ‘healing' you receive that you are healed in your spirit by faith, but you must keep persevering in faith until the completion (Mark 11:24). Derek Prince talks about this in his book ‘Secrets of a Prayer Warrior', explaining that if you've asked for and ‘received' healing in prayer, then you stop asking for it and move to thanking God for it. He writes “Now you're plugged into God's supernatural power. Keep the plug in.” Any time you feel a twinge of pain or see a symptom, don't fear, just believe, and declare “Thank you Lord. Your supernatural power is at work in my body.” It's not just a matter of speaking words of faith in the high moments but holding your tongue from venting negative declarations in our lowest moments (Proverbs 18:7 NKJV). The final lesson from Jairus came as he reached the threshold of his home where his daughter lay dead (Mark 5:38-40). Jesus was determined to get rid of the professional mourners because He recognised the effect it was having on the family's home. They needed an atmosphere of faith, not sadness.    3. Keep hope alive in your heart. It would be difficult for Jairus to hold onto his faith in an atmosphere of loud grieving and wailing. This is a major factor in every battle of faith. It is vital to keep hope alive in your heart through the time of testing (Proverbs 17:22). The joy of the Lord is not only your strength but like medicine for your body (Proverbs 18:14).There are some practical things you can do to nurture hope and joy through a time of trial, including: not keeping company with people who drag your spirit down; being sensitive to what music you are listening to and what you are watching and how these influence your heart and mind (Isaiah 61:3); raising your voice in praise, thanks and worship to find the presence of God (Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV). If you have been facing a battle of faith for your miracle, be it health, family, financial or ministry, just like Jairus who faced waves of opposition and intimidation, choose to speak words of life and not death. We need to develop a culture of positive speaking and declaring the promises of God in every area of life. Our words bring life or death, and that applies in relationships, emotions, and in supernatural healing. This is a moment to decide to change the way that we speak and to speak words of life and faith. 

So often today the word 'heresy' is thrown around at random, and over time it has lost its punch. Sometimes Christians are quick to call certain beliefs or people heretical when they don't meet the necessary qualifications to be so, and are slow to give the label to something that is actual heresy. In this episode, we explore the root meaning of the word 'heresy', different heresies that have been rampant in the church throughout church history, and how we can know for sure if a teaching or doctrine today deserves the label.     Hi, I'm Mackenzie. I'm a music artist, worship leader, wife, mom (I wear a lot of hats), and host of the Godly Whistleblower podcast. I seek to shine a light on popular teachings and music in the church today and share what Scripture teaches on how we are to worship in spirit and in truth within the church gathering. My desire is to learn together with my listeners how Christians are to live lives ultimately as a pleasing worship to God. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd appreciate so much if you left me a review!   Thank you for listening! - Mac   Website: https://godlywhistleblower.podbean.com/   Sign up for the newsletter: https://rb.gy/huteir   Socials: https://www.facebook.com/godlywhistleblower https://www.instagram.com/godlywhistleblower https://www.tiktok.com/godlywhistleblower   Follow Mackenzie at: https://www.instagram.com/themackenziemorgan https://facebook.com/themackenziemorgan https://youtube.com/mackenziemorgan   Email: godlywhistleblower@gmail.com

A Sermon for Whitsunday Acts 2:1-11 by William Klock “Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?  How about now…now are we there yet?”  As you read the Gospels the disciples' questions about the kingdom of God feel a bit like that.  All Jesus needed was one of them kicking the back of his seat on the way to Jerusalem.  “When will the kingdom come?  How long?  Are we there yet?  Is it almost time, Jesus?”  But it wasn't just the disciples.  It was First Century Judaism.  Pretty much everyone was on the edge of their seat with anticipation for the kingdom.  Everyone except the Sadducees, because of course, they were sitting on the top of the heap, already in control of everything.  They'd already arrived and weren't particularly interested in anything that might upset the status quo.  But even then, they knew it was the Romans who were really calling the shots, so I suspect even the Sadducees were thinking “Are we there yet?”  They just didn't say it out loud.  Everyone knew it was time.  It had to be.  And that sense was even stronger for the disciples, because they knew Jesus was the Messiah—the one come to usher in God's kingdom and to set the world to rights.  So if the Messiah had come—well—the kingdom had to be really close. And so Luke, as he opens the book of Acts with the Ascension of Jesus, he tells us of Jesus' promise to his friends: “Don't go back to Galilee.  Stay in Jerusalem.  As John baptised you with water, in a few days I will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”  But they hadn't asked Jesus about the Holy Spirit.  They wanted to know when the kingdom was coming, because it had to be soon.  And so even as Jesus was leading them up the Mount of Olives and about to ascend to his throne, they were pestering him, “Is this the time?  Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”  And, remember, in answer to their question Jesus ascended, up on the clouds, into heaven, to take up his throne, to rule and to reign. And as he did that, he commissioned his disciples to do something that I don't think they expected.  He commissioned them to be his royal heralds, to go out and to proclaim this good news to Jerusalem, to Judea, even to Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth.  Now, this wasn't the first time Jesus had sent his disciples out to proclaim the kingdom, but when he'd sent them out before, it was to a people who were also asking those “Are we there yet?” questions.  The disciples had gone out and told the people that in Jesus the Messiah had come and that the kingdom was in sight.  But now Jesus is sending them out to proclaim that in his resurrection and ascension the kingdom has come and that was no small task.  Because even though the disciples had seen their risen Lord and even though they saw him ascend to his throne, this wasn't how anyone expected the kingdom to arrive.  They thought everyone would be resurrected all at once.  They though the Messiah would put down the enemies of God's people and cast down their empires.  They expected a king like David who would punish evil, wipe away all the problems, and make everything as it should be.  Instead, the wrong people were still in control, evil people still did evil things, so much was still wrong with the world—and yet Jesus had inaugurated something, he really had risen from the dead, and they'd seen him ascend to his throne with their own eyes, so they knew he was truly Lord and that the kingdom had come.  The Lord's plan was to work through them, to spread the good news and to tell the world that Jesus is Lord, and to grow the kingdom.  That wasn't what anyone expected, but they should have, because that's how the Lord had been working in the world ever since he called Abraham out of the land of Ur and set him apart from everyone else, and made him and his family a witness to the world—that one day, through this people, the whole earth would know the Lord and his greatness and his goodness and his faithfulness and come to give him glory. I wonder if we, too, don't forget this sometimes.  We might know better deep down, but we kind of assume that the Christian life is, more or less, a personal thing.  We raise our kids in it.  Maybe we talk to a few close people about it.  But we act as if our duty is mostly just to be good, godly people until Jesus comes back and sets everything to rights—as if he's the one who's going to make it all happen by doing all the hard work.  Sure, there are some people called to be missionaries who go off to faraway places where they've never heard of Jesus, but for most of us, it's just a quiet, personal, individual sort of thing.  Even the dominant eschatology of our day assumes that things will just get worse and worse until Jesus zaps us all out of here and rains down fire and brimstone on this awful, corrupt world.  But that's never what the story was about and that's never where it was headed.  The Lord called and created a people to make him known with the expectation that eventually that people—not in their own power, but in his—but that people would really make him known until, as the prophets Isaiah and Habakkuk both said, the knowledge of his glory would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Maybe we forget our part in this kingdom mission because it seems so impossible.  What?  Us?  Grow the kingdom until the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth?  What?  Us?  Bring the nations to give him glory?  That's too big for us?  We'll just be holy over here and wait for Jesus to come back and do the impossible stuff.  And at this point, Jesus' disciples had no idea just how big and impossible the task was.  Taking the gospel to the gentiles wasn't even on their radar.  They were still thinking it was a message for Jews.  It would be some years before the full extent of it even sank in.  And this is why Jesus told his friends to stay in Jerusalem and to wait.  In his resurrection he was vindicated as the Messiah.  In his ascension he took his throne and sent the clear message that the kingdom has come.  But before the disciples could go on with the work of the kingdom, they needed something that God's people had never had before—at least not in this way.  They needed the power of the Holy Spirit to truly be the new Israel, to carry on the mission the Lord had given to Abraham and Isaac, and to all of Israel: to bless the nations by making him known to them.  Without the Spirit, Jesus' disciples would have the same problem God's people had always had and after a time, when the excitement wore off, they would become fickle and faithless and their loyalties would be divided and they would fall into sin and the nations would mock them, this time jeering, “Where's your Messiah now?”  No, they needed this gift of the indwelling Spirit to set their hearts on God and to write his law of love on their hearts—truly transforming their affections.  And it was this Spirit who would empower them to go out into a hostile world with the good news about Jesus and to live out his love and his grace and his justice, carrying the kingdom to the ends of the earth.  That's why they had to wait in Jerusalem. I don't think they really had any idea what was about to happen.  They didn't even really understand the full extent of the mission he'd given them.  They were just excited because of his resurrection and his ascension and Luke says that while they waited in Jerusalem that they spent their time in the temple praising and blessing God.  And then comes our Epistle today.  Look at Acts 2.  Luke writes, When the day of Pentecost arrived…   Let's stop there.  This isn't an incidental detail.  It's integral to the story.  As integral as Jesus having been born a Jew.  As integral as his death and resurrection taking place at Passover.  “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” in Greek.  Greek-speaking Jews gave the festival this name because it fell fifty days after Passover, but its biblical name was the “feast of weeks” and it was connected with the wheat harvest.  It was when the Lord commanded his people to bring him their firstfruits.  That's the very first part of the harvest.  It was an offering to the Lord and it was an act of faith on their part.  Other peoples brought offerings to their gods after the harvest had been brought in, once they knew what they could spare.  But Israel gave in faith from the very first of the harvest, trusting the Lord to give the rest.  So Pentecost was a feast of expectation and faith. But Pentecost was also the feast when Israel celebrated the giving of the law, the torah, at Mt. Sinai.  That's where the significance of “fifty” comes from.  Again, it follows fifty days after Passover and you'll remember that Passover commemorated Israel's exodus from Egypt: their slavery, Moses and the Lord's command to Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”, the plagues, the blood on the doorposts, the sparing of Israel's firstborn sons, the flight from Egypt, the rescue at the Red Sea.  Passover was a festival of the Lord's deliverance of his people and it celebrated that great event in which Israel was born as a nation.  And each generation participated in those events anew as they gathered year in and year out in their homes to share the Passover meal.  It marked them out as the Lord's covenant people. But that wasn't the end of the story.  From the Red Sea, the Lord led his people into the wilderness and fifty days later he gave them his law.  He called Moses up to Mt. Sinai and when Moses came back down he brough the law with him, carved on stone tablets.  In the Exodus the Lord had made Israel his people.  At Mt. Sinai he showed them what it meant and what it looked like to be his people.  So at Passover the Jews celebrated their redemption.  At Pentecost they remembered that the Lord had redeemed them for a purpose: to live a new kind of life in order to fulfil his purposes and their calling. Can you see how this all fits together with the events of the Gospels?  Easter is our Passover, when we remember how, through Jesus, the Lord redeemed us from our bondage to sin and death and made us his people.  And now, on Pentecost—this is our Mt. Sinai.  Let's continue with Acts 2: When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.   In Exodus we're given an awesome picture of the holiness of God as his presence descended on the mountain in smoke and fire and thunder, and here the Spirit comes again like a storm, in this mighty rushing wind and fire descends upon his people.  And here Luke tells this new story to parallel the old.  As Moses went up on the mountain to the Lord, so Jesus has ascended into heaven.  And now Luke wants us to understand that Jesus, just as he promised he would, has come back down.  Moses came down with tablets of stone to tell the people how to live as the Lord's covenant people.  And now Jesus has returned, he's come down from heaven in the person of the Holy Spirit, to write his law of love on the very hearts of his people. Don't misunderstand.  That doesn't mean that Israel had a harsh and rigid law written on stone and that Jesus' people just “follow their hearts” or something like that.  There's a sense in which that's true, but definitely not in the sense that the world talks about following your heart.  Following our hearts is what got us into trouble and made a mess of this world, because apart from Jesus and the Spirit our hearts are set on sin and self.  That's the point here.  The law written on stone showed Israel how to live as God's holy people, but it couldn't change the affections of their hearts.  The Spirit, on the other hand, takes away the need for those stone tablets by changing our very hearts, filling them with a love for God and a desire for holiness, and by turning us away from sin and from self. And notice how the wind and the fire come from heaven.  Through the Spirit the creative and renewing power of the Lord—the very breath that he breathed into humanity to give us life in the first place—it descends on his people to accomplish his work on earth.  Jesus taught his disciples to pray “on earth as it is in heaven” and Pentecost was the firstfruits of an answer to that prayer.  Sometimes Christians treat the presence and gifts of the Holy Spirit as things that raise us up above the world or that make the world irrelevant, but it's really just the opposite.  The Spirit is the life-giving breath of God that gives us a foretaste of the resurrection and of the life we hope for one day in this world set to rights.  As the Spirit sets our hearts on God, he makes us the “on earth as it is in heaven” people, the people who not only show the world what God's kingdom looks like, but who actually live out his kingdom and its values of love and grace and mercy and justice in the midst of a world that values all the opposites of those things. But the first manifestation of the Spirit's “on earth as it is in heaven” ministry is what we see here.  Luke says, first, that Jesus' people were all together when this happened—they were united—and then the first manifestation of the Spirit was this amazing speech in other languages.  But what exactly was it?  Let's keep reading from verse 5: Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.  And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.  And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?  Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”   Jews had spread out across the known world and festivals like Passover and Pentecost brough them back to Jerusalem.  The Spirit came on Jesus' disciples with fire and the sound of a mighty rushing wind, but what everyone else couldn't help but notice was the ruckus they made as they began to speak in these other languages.  And it got their attention.  The disciples were a bunch of rubes from Galilee, way up north, or at least that's how people in Jerusalem would have seen them.  Galileans spoke Aramaic and Greek—the local languages—but they weren't cosmopolitan enough to speak all these other languages.  And yet these men visiting Jerusalem from places like Egypt and Asia and even from places like Parthia, beyond the borders of the empire, heard these Galileans speaking in their own languages.  That made them stop and take note.  But what they were saying caught their attention even more.  Luke says they were telling of the mighty works of God.  In the context here that can mean only one thing.  They were proclaiming the good news about Jesus.  That he had come proclaiming the kingdom and calling the people to repentance, that he had been crucified, that he had risen from the dead, and that he had ascended, and is now Lord—and maybe most of all, that he had done this in fulfilment of the Lord's promises and to show the Lord's faithfulness.  Many of these visitors had, no doubt, heard about Jesus and how he'd been crucified just a few weeks before.  Some of them had probably heard rumors that he'd risen from the dead.  If they'd been spending any time around the temple, they would have heard and seen the disciples praising God for what he had done in Jesus—and they probably thought they were crazy.   But now they hear these bumpkins from Galilee declaring the might works of God miraculously in their own languages and they stop.  And they listen.  And some of them, Luke says, sneered at the disciples thinking they were drunk.  But that's when—if we were to continue on from today's Epistle in Chapter 2—that's when Peter stood up addressed them, saying, “It's nine o'clock in the morning.  It's hardly the time of day for men to be drunk.  No, what you're seeing is the fulfilment of the words spoken by the prophet Joel when he told of the Lord's promise to pour out his Spirit and to redeem his people.  And Peter went on to tell the men there, again, of the mighty deeds of God: of Jesus, of his death, of his resurrection, and his ascension.  And he walked the men through the scriptures they knew so well and through the promises the Lord had made to his people, and he showed how Jesus had and was fulfilling them.  He finished his sermon, Luke says, proclaiming: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”  (Acts 2:36) And the men who were listening were cut to the heart and cried out to Peter, “What should we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”  So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:38-41) The “on earth as it is in heaven” people began to grow.  The rest of the book of Acts is Luke's testimony to the mighty deeds of God through these people, empowered by Jesus and the Spirit.  We see the gospel—and with it the kingdom—going out from Jerusalem, to Judea, and then to Samaria, where it united Jews and Samaritans for the first time.  And then we see it go out to the nations, to the gentiles, the book ending with Paul proclaiming the good news about Jesus in Rome, right under Caesar's nose.  And Acts shows us churches sprouting up across the world.  Acts is the firstfruits of the kingdom harvest—a harvest that would, eventually include the whole Roman Empire and beyond.  And, Brothers and Sisters, Pentecost reminds us how.  Without it we might be tempted to give up, to retreat into the church building, and wait for Jesus to come and do it all himself.  But Pentecost reminds us that going all the way back to Abraham, the Lord has been calling and creating and empowering a people to make him known to a world lost in darkness, a people to be light, a people—like the disciples that day in Jerusalem—to proclaim to the world the mighty deeds of the God of Israel.  A people to proclaim the good news that in this Jesus who was crucified, who has risen from the dead, and who has ascended to his throne to rule and reign, that he is and that he will set this world to rights.  But, maybe most importantly, Pentecost reminds us that Jesus has called us and made us this people, not only to go out and to tell, but to go out and live and to do and to make and to build and to show his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  We do that as we live the fruit the Spirit has given and as we show the world, in real, practical, hands-on ways what God's new creation is like, living his love and his mercy and his grace and his justice and working for those things in the world.  It is an impossible task, but Pentecost also reminds us that we are not called to do it in our own power or on our own terms, but as we are empowered and guided by Jesus and the Spirit. Let's pray: O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Sometimes Christians disagree.  One of the things Christians disagree about is the strategy we ought to pursue.  We might have the same goal, but we might have different ways of getting there.  What do we do then?  How do we decide? This morning we'll look at a situation in which Paul and a lot of his friends disagree and we'll watch as they figure out what to do. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show

March 3, 2023 - Sunday AM Sermon   When Jesus Comes Again...      Introduction:    1. The first century church was ___________ and ___________ His _____________.     2. Sometimes Christians _______________ have forgotten that His _________ is a         __________________.     3. What will _____________ when ____________ comes _________? There is a lot of       __________ and ____________ about Jesus' ___________. The Bible gives a clear       picture of what we can ________________.     I. It will be __________________ (Mark 13:32-33)    II. The Dead will be ______________ & __________________ Judged (John 5:21-23,        5:28-29)    III. __________ will _____________ (Matt. 25:46; 1 Thess. 4:17)    IV. He will ________ everything that is _________ (Romans 8:19-23; 1 Cor. 15:42-57)    V. The __________ will be ___________ to ___________ (1 Corinthians 15:24)    VI. Christians will ___________ with __________ (2 Timothy 2:12)    VII. _______________ will _____________ His _________ (Phil. 2:9-11)      Conclusion:    1. The __________ tells us He's ___________ again.     2. We don't have a ___________ we have a _________, be ___________!    Duration 41:16

The Spiritual Meaning of Lent There is a definite structure to Lent. It is not merely a calendar structure. It is a spiritual structure! The more we can appreciate this fact, the more we can enter into the fullness of this holy season. Lent means many things to Christians. We use words to describe this season, like fasting and penance. Lent is associated with certain devotions, including the Stations of the Cross. All of this is good and helpful! However, sometimes we wonder how this all fits together! What is the relationship to the Ashes on Ash Wednesday to the Stations of the Cross? What is the relationship between ashes and fasting? How does fasting connect us to the Stations of the Cross? What we want to do is back up a little bit and look at the Lenten Season as a whole. Sometimes Christians get caught up in the details that we miss the overall framework in which they are set that gives them meaning. Lent is forty days, hence the song. But that is true and not true at once. If you take out the Sundays, there is forty days of Lent. But we refer to these Sundays as Sundays of Lent. Therefore, the Lenten Season has actually more than forty days. Informative, but what is its significance? Lent contains multiple periods. It begins with the introductory period, then the longer period determined by the Sundays. The introductory period begins on Ash Wednesday and includes the next three days. Then the Lenten Season shifts as we celebrate the first Sunday. Hear more within the Homily and why understanding these periods are important to us! The beginning of Lent is connected to the end of the Lenten Season . . . Easter Sunday. We must not ever forget that! Hear more as to what that really means. Lent exists to prepare us for the celebration of Easter! How spiritually does it do that? Listen to this special Meditation Media given as a conference on the first Friday of Lent. Listen to: The Spiritual Meaning of Lent ------------------------------------------------- Image: The Taking of Christ: Italian Painter: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.: 1602 Each Friday, a special Mediation . . . a special conference will be held throughout the Lenten Season. Look also for the next meditation installment.

Sometimes Christians soar, sometimes they run, sometimes they walk.  Wherever you are at, know that God has not forgotten you!

Sometimes Christians struggle to understand the Old Testament and its relationship to Jesus. The book of Hebrews is a tremendous help here. Today, R.C. Sproul explains how Hebrews presents Christ at the center of redemptive history. Get the 'Dust to Glory' Special Edition DVD and Digital Study Guide for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/3139/dust-to-glory Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources. A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Sometimes Christians pray without a sense of great need. In the New Testament, we're taught to combine prayer and fasting. In this message, Pastor Lutzer dispels misconceptions about fasting, highlighting the benefits physically and spiritually. Praying while fasting changes our hearts. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at moodyoffer.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. 

Sometimes Christians pray without a sense of great need. In the New Testament, we're taught to combine prayer and fasting. In this message, Pastor Lutzer dispels misconceptions about fasting, highlighting the benefits physically and spiritually. Praying while fasting changes our hearts. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/173/29

Sometimes Christians pray without a sense of great need. In the New Testament, we're taught to combine prayer and fasting. In this message, Pastor Lutzer dispels misconceptions about fasting, highlighting the benefits physically and spiritually. Praying while fasting changes our hearts. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/173/29

The Third Sunday in Advent: Faithful Stewards 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 & St. Matthew 11:2-10 by William Klock As Advent continues, our lessons continue to call us to be prepared.  Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  And Christ will come again—to finally bring to completion what he began that first Christmas and that first Easter.  And as we continue with this theme of being prepared, our lessons today focus our attention on the faithfulness of God's ministers.  The Epistle focuses on St. Paul and the Gospel on John the Baptist.  The choice of lessons is linked to the Ember Days.  They fall later this week.  You all know what the Ember Days are, right?  The Embers Days come around four times a year and, at least historically, they were the traditional times for ordinations.  So with that in mind, our advent lessons today call the clergy to faithfulness to our mission and remind the Church of the importance of faithful ministers.  But even though today's focus is on what we might call “professional” ministers, there's a broader application for all of us, because, Brothers and Sisters, never forget that every Christian is a steward and minister of the gospel.  We're all ministers and as our Declaration of Principles makes abundantly clear, Christian ministers are not “priests” in any other sense than that in which all believers are what Peter called a “royal priesthood”. So let's start with our Epistle, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.  And we'll want a little background to understand it.  The Church at Corinth had a lot of problems and a big part of it was that some of them were having trouble setting aside their old, pagan ways.  They had compromised much.  There were some serious sins in the church that needed to be dealt with, but weren't.  People were justifying them by appealing to Christian liberty.  Some of them were even patting themselves on the back for their tolerance.  (There's nothing new under the sun, is there?)  There were also divisions within the congregation.  Paul had founded this church, but the people didn't want to listen to him anymore.  They'd become enamoured of other preachers.  As far as we know these other preachers were faithful to the gospel.  The problem in Corinth doesn't seem to have been their fault.  The problem was that Paul was about the least flashy person you could imagine and when other preachers came along who were more attractive and who were better speakers than Paul—that was something the Greeks put a lot of value on—the church kicked Paul to the curb.  That, and they didn't like him trying to hold them accountable.  Not only would they not listen to him, he wasn't even welcome anymore.  They judged him a loser.  That's what's behind our Epistle today.  Let's read: This is how we should be thought of, as servants of the Messiah and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court.  In fact, I do not even judge myself.  For I am not aware of anything standing against me, but that isn't what vindicates me. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time when the Lord comes.  He will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will lay bare the intentions of the heart.  Then each one will receive his commendation from God.   I've always wondered how hard it was for Paul to write this, especially the bit about “This is how we should be thought of: I'm a servant of the Messiah and a steward of God's mysteries.”  Good clergymen tend to err on the side of humility, even to a fault.  The only guys I've ever known to say things like this have been egotists who never should have been in ministry in the first place.  But Paul had one advantage that only the apostles had and that was that they had known Jesus in the flesh and had been commissioned by him personally.  I can't say that and neither can anyone else alive today.  That said, there is a place for God's stewards to assert their calling in the face of unjust judgement.  Most pastors, when faced with unjust criticism just nod humbly, say nothing, and take it to God, but Paul reminds us that there is a time to speak up against these kinds of judgements.  And not just “pastors”.  I think this goes for every Christian.  We're all ministers of the gospel, but we live in an age that is becoming increasingly hostile to the gospel and to gospel people.  Sometimes the criticisms we receive can be justified.  Sometimes Christians and sometimes churches have failed and done awful things.  But those are the outliers.  Most of the criticism we face comes from people who hate Jesus and the message of the cross, who don't want to hear about sin and don't want to repent, who have their own ideas of what the world should be like and only want new creation on their terms, not God's.  Jesus warned us this would happen, but most of us still aren't prepared for the attacks.  And so even though we're ministers of the gospel and stewards of the mysteries of God, all too often we let the false judgements and accusations of pagans back us out of the room.  We go silently and sit facing the corner like scolded children—and I think a lot of the time we actually feel guilty when we hear these accusations, even though we know better. Brothers and Sisters, Paul stresses that ministers are to be found faithful.  That goes for apostles and for pastors and for all of us.  Yes, we need to weigh criticism.  We need to ask if there's anything to it.  Sometimes there may be.  Maybe we're not being faithful to Jesus' instructions and we need to hear it.  But Jesus' instructions aren't hard to understand or discern.  As a minister, I'm called to preach the word, especially the gospel about Jesus, and to administer the sacraments.  It's not quite that simple, but that is the core.  And for all of us, we're called to proclaim the gospel about Jesus to the world around us and to live in a way that accords with being the people of God.  We proclaim Jesus and we live the life—the fruit—of the Spirit. We need to reflect on our lives in light of that and ask if we're being faithful.  This is one of the reasons we need to steep ourselves in God's word.  If we don't know what God expects, how will we be faithful?  It's a bit like a bread recipe—one of the simplest things in the world.  But first you have to read it and then you have to follow it.  Start changing things up and you spoil the bread.  But that's what we all too often do.  It's not that we're not well-intentioned.  We want to see things happen, but sometime we get impatient.  We take shortcuts.  Or we think we can make better bread by changing the recipe.  People out there don't like to hear about sin, so we'll tone that part of our preaching down.  People out there don't like commitment, so we'll make church commitment-free.  People out there don't like liturgy and sermons, so we'll have a rock concert and preach pop-psychology instead.  People don't feel like getting up on Sunday mornings and driving to church, so we'll broadcast it to their TVs and computers instead.  We're not confident in the power of the gospel and the Spirit to change hearts and to bring them to Jesus, so we instead build churches around programmes and activities that people do want or we use manipulative techniques to get them to believe.  We make the gospel about them and not so much about Jesus and the glory of God.  These things can and often do bring short-term gains, but in the long-term they've been a disaster.  We wonder why people won't commit, why they're still worldly, why we're losing our children, and why we're seen as increasingly irrelevant.  It's like we've tried to bake bread by replacing the flour with glitter.  The end product might look exciting, but in the end it's not only unable to nourish, it's slowly poisoning us.  In contrast, the real work of the gospel is rarely flashy.  Sometimes it brings persecution and even martyrdom.  It means relying on God, not ourselves.  And it means being in it for the long-haul.  Consider Israel.  God called Abraham and it was two thousand years before Israel's story culminated with Jesus.  And the in-between was as full of hardship, slavery, judgement, and exile as it was prosperity and growth.  And that was God working with a single, small people.  Brothers and Sisters, our mission is the world. So be faithful to the gospel, build churches around word and sacrament, pray and fellowship together, raise covenant children who know Jesus.  Proclaim the good news and call your friends and family and neighbours to take up their crosses daily and to follow Jesus.  And let them see you do it—when it's a joy to follow Jesus and when you struggle to bear that cross.  And as we do that, remember that the judgement that matters is not the judgement of other people or the world, but of God.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't have an ear to the ground.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't listen to the world's judgements.  Sometimes we need to know how the world sees us—even if it's false—so that we can better know what we're up against.  So that we can better respond with the gospel.  And, sometimes, the world's rebukes may have some truth to them.  Jesus promised that his people would be persecuted for his sake, but we need to make sure that we're actually being persecuted for his sake and for our faithfulness to his word.  I know some Christians who claim they're being persecuted, but when you get down to it, it's just that people don't like them because they're jerks, not because they're preaching Jesus.  People will still hate us for preaching Jesus, but Friends, we do need to be sure that as we preach Jesus and as we stand firmly on the Scriptures that the world rejects, we remain committed to being a godly people in every respect.  We need to live the gospel as much as we preach the gospel.  We're to announce God's judgement on sin, yes, but we're also to announce God's mercy to repentant sinners. So that's the Epistle.  Let's turn over to today's Gospel in Matthew 11as we continue with this theme.  Again, what does it look like to be gospel ministers who are prepared.  John the Baptist.  In the Gospel, John has gone from announcing the coming kingdom and baptising people in the Jordan to being locked up in prison.  He got there by way of criticizing Herod.  It wasn't just some off-the-wall criticism.  Tied up with his announcement of the kingdom was John's denouncement of Herod for marrying his former sister-in-law.  Herod couldn't help but draw a connection between John's fiery preaching and himself.  If John was saying that the King was soon to come, it meant John was saying that Herod wasn't really the king.  So poor John is now in Herod's dungeon and he's frustrated and confused.  He'd been faithful in his divine calling to herald the coming Messiah—his cousin, Jesus—and he's landed in prison.  No big surprise there.  He wasn't the first prophet to offend a king and end up in prison.  But Jesus—the Messiah—was on the outside, preaching, teaching, healing, forgiving, having dinner with tax collectors and sinners…and leaving John to rot.  Something was wrong with Jesus' priorities, or so John was beginning to think.  We'll pick up from there: Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  (St. Matthew 11:2-10) I don't think John was really doubting whether Jesus was the Messiah.  I think this was his way of saying, “Um…Jesus.  Shouldn't the Messiah be getting his faithful herald out prison?”  Of course, that also meant all the other things to go along with it.  A simple jailbreak wouldn't do.  The jailbreak would have to be part of a wholesale overthrow of Herod and the Romans—which, of course, is what most people expected the Messiah to do.  Here's what Jesus says to John's men in return:  “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.  And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”  (Matthew 11:5-6) You see, John expected the Messiah to be like Elijah, confronting the prophets of Baal and calling down fire from heaven.  John wanted to see fire and brimstone.  There is a place for that.  In a sense John wasn't wrong.  Jesus is the Judge and, you can be sure, he will judge the world and everyone in it.  There will be a time for fire and brimstone and judgement.  I suspect that being a fire-and-brimstone sort of prophet—and that is what John was called to be so there's nothing wrong with that—I suspect that being that kind of guy means that you get a little fixated on judgement.  And Jesus responds by saying something like, “You expected Elijah…and you've got Elijah…but before I come in judgement, there are a lot of people…people like the widow of Zeraphath…people who need to know God's mercy.”  As Jesus says in John's Gospel: “I came not to condemn, but to redeem.”  Brothers and Sisters, remember: Sinners already stand condemned.  Judgement is coming.  Announcing that judgement and calling people to repentance was John's mission.  But before the judgement comes, what Israel needed most was to know God's mercy, to know his salvation.  This is why Jesus' road to the throne had to be by way of the cross. So Jesus corrects John.  He sets him straight about the Messiah.  But he then turns to the crowd and praises John: As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?  What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?  Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  What then did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,          who will prepare your way before you.' (Matthew 11:7-10) Even though Jesus' mission was one of humility and of mercy, Jesus praises the faithfulness of John to his ministry as the fiery herald of judgement.  Again, John was expecting the Messiah to come like Elijah, bringing confrontation and fire from heaven, but what Jesus says—albeit a little obliquely for reasons that get beyond our lesson today—what Jesus says here is that John is the prophet like Elijah.  John is the fire-and-brimstone preacher.  John is the herald announcing judgement and calling the people to repentance.  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3 and confirms two things: John is truly the one sent to herald the Messiah and, two, that means that Jesus truly is the Messiah—the one whom Malachi said would come both to refine Israel and to make her offerings pleasing to the Lord and to judge the unrepentant. Now, in the short-term this was bad news for John.  It was bad news for Jesus, too.  Both the Messiah and his herald would be put to death.  But death was not the end.  As it turns out, we know, it was by the death of Jesus that deliverance was bought and in his resurrection he was vindicated and the unjust verdict on him overturned.  In his resurrection and his ascension, Jesus was confirmed as the Messiah, as Lord.  In that we see the faithfulness of God to his promises and knowing God's faithfulness, we have hope.  As St. Paul wrote to the Romans: “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall surely be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).  This is one of those parts of the gospel that we often prefer to ignore or to leave out of our preaching, because it offends.  We've sort of got the opposite problem John had.  John was fixated on judgement and on fire from heaven.  Like so many Jews, he wanted to see God vanquish Israel's enemies and he nearly forgot about God's mercy.  Our problem is the opposite.  We've become so afraid of preaching about sin and about judgement, that we can't even preach mercy and grace anymore—because mercy isn't mercy and grace isn't grace if we're not guilty of anything and if there is no judgement headed this way.  And if we gut our preaching of mercy and grace, we can talk all day about the love of God, but there will be no depth to it.  We will make the cross of Jesus pointless.  Why?  Because we can only begin to plumb the great depths of God's love when we see that he gave his Son to die for our sake—for the sake of sinners who would otherwise stand condemned to destruction. And that brings us back to the recipe for bread.  Brothers and Sisters, bread is simple and often kind of boring.  But if you make it right, it nourishes.  It keeps us alive.  There's a reason why Jesus used it as a metaphor for himself when he said, “I am the bread of life.”  There's a reason why it's a symbol over and over in the story of God's people for his faithful care and sustenance.  And it points to the way God works and the way his gospel and his word work in the world.  It's hardly ever flashy.  And you have to be patient, because it takes time to rise and it takes time to bake.  But like the Messiah, who humbled himself to take on lowly human flesh, who humbled himself to be born of a lowly virgin, and who humbly went to death on a cross, the simple bread of the gospel, the good news that Jesus died, that he rose, and that he is Lord, brings life to the world.  To preach it faithfully means to preach it whole and to preach it pure.  Friends, be faithful stewards.  Stick to the recipe.  Preach the Lord Jesus, crucified and risen to give forgiveness and life to sinners.  Pursue holiness.  Build churches centred on the faithful preaching of God's word and the administration of the sacraments, where, knowing God's faithfulness, God's people sing and pray together, where they raise covenant, gospel children, where we live as people who know the hope of God's life in the age to come. Let's pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Sometimes Christians can become more fixated on the details of Christ's second coming than on the Christ who is to come. Today, Sinclair Ferguson offers an unexpected suggestion to help balance our view of the Lord's return. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/proclaiming-his-death-until-he-comes A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://www.ligonier.org/donate/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Sometimes Christians can struggle with assurance of salvation, yet assurance is possible for all believers. Today, Burk Parsons looks to God's Word to help us think through questions relating to this topic. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/ask-ligonier/how-can-i-be-sure-that-im-saved Submit a biblical or theological question of your own by calling 1-800-607-9386 or by emailing an audio recording of your question to askligoniervm@ligonier.org. You can also receive real-time answers through our online chat service at https://ask.Ligonier.org/. A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://ask.ligonier.org/podcast/donate/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

  Big Story - Act 1 - Creation with Roger Kirby Question: which is your favourite television programme? Very probably your answer is either a “soap” (a series of episodes telling the story of a family or a group of people) or a series of linked episodes solving various crimes, containing the same central characters. Both of these are stories – and we love stories. When a girl meets a new fellow she may well ask “ tell me about yourself”, by which she does not mean the sort of list of accomplishments that would be appropriate in a job application. She wants to hear about things he has been involved in, people he knows or has met, strange things that have happened to him. Quite how we come to understand someone on the basis of disconnected small stories like that is not at all obvious. In His wisdom God has told us about himself through stories, some connected, some disconnected, some big, some small. Quite how we can come to understand something about God this way is not clear but we do. By story I do not mean some thing that is not true. Scholars call true stories ‘narratives' but that is too posh a word for us! The Bible is one huge story, the greatest story ever told. But we tend to read it and hear about it only in small disconnected chunks and have never heard any attempt to put the most important parts of it together as a big, continuous story. This set of studies aims to put that right! (Even although much modern thinking rejects the idea of big stories, thinking they only function as a method of control. But then perhaps God knows better than the moderns.) at best this story will only partly succeed because the Bible is so infinitely varied everyone sees different, hidden depths in it. There are 5 major parts to the story – I will call them Acts, as in a play, some of them subdivided into Scenes. These are headed: the Creation, the Fall, Israel, Jesus and the Church. I am going to tell the story as I see it. There must be a nearly infintite number of ways the Story could be told. This is mine. I hope you enjoy and learn from it. Very obviously the first one is Creation. In 5 days God created the non-human world. Here that is in Genesis 1: 1 – 23: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light, then a separation on the second day, vegetation on the third day, visible lights on the fourth day, living creatures on the sea and the air on the fifth day and on the ground on the sixth day. And – we are told of all these things that - God saw that it was good.. No part of Scripture has been subjected to more argument than these verses. I am not going to get into that argument. Just let me say that it is not true that we have but one God-given source of information about what happened. We have two: this scripture and the natural world round about us, both God-given as Psalm 19 clearly says: Psalm 19: 1, 4, 7, 8a: It starts off saying “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” But then it goes on to say: “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” There is no conflict between Science and the Bible, as is often suggested. There cannot be because they are different sorts of things. Science is man's understanding of the raw data of the natural world. The Bible is also raw data. Theology and Bible Study are man's understanding of what the Bible says. Science certainly can, and does, conflict with theology and our understanding of the Bible. The natural world and the Bible are two different types of raw data, both God-given and therefore not in conflict. The natural world is our best source of information about how and when God created. The Bible is our only source of information about by whom and why. Hundreds of years ago they used to talk about the ‘perspicuity of scripture'. By that they meant that it was easy to understand, transparent to everyone, even every ordinary person. You don't have to be a theological genius to know what it is saying to you. (Obviously the more you know about the context of scripture the better, but you don't have to go to Bible College to work out what it is all about.) The same thing is true of the natural world. You don't have to be a scientific genius to know what the world is telling us about God. It is not immediately obvious that we ordinary, created human beings can understand the ways of the Lord, in both his written word and his created world, but it is so. It is important to keep a balance between these two so different lines of thinking about the creation of the world and all that is in it. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in them. So the answer to “by whom” is God, though what exactly that means we shall only get a glimpse of even when we have looked at all the Big Story of the Bible. This is emphasized in quite a subtle way when those first few verses refer to the sun and the moon as just ‘those lights in the sky' not even giving them names. That is clearly done to avoid any least suggestion that they had anything to do with the creation, since they were considered to be gods in most ancient religions. “Why” is answered in the remainder of Genesis Chapter 1: verses 24 – 31. It is for the glory of God and then, quite astonishingly, for us, for mankind. We are not just specially developed animals who happen to have developed much further than any other creature. We are those for whose blessing and enjoyment everything was created. Wow! But don't jump to the wrong conclusion. It is still God's world. Sadly, mankind seems to have decided that it can do what it likes with it: rip it apart, use it up, dirty it, pollute it, empty chemicals into its rivers etc. in the hope that it will all work out all right in the end. One day the day of reckoning will come. We, and we alone, are made in the image and likeness of God. That means, I think, many things. We alone can reason, can think, can understand – amongst other things that death lies inescapably ahead of us – can love beyond the bounds of sexual desire, can think a long way ahead of the consequences of our actions – at least when we want to do so. To put it in very modern language, our brains, unlike those of any other creature on this earth, are, in computer speak, almost completely full of RAM, not the ROM that fills animal heads. RAM is random access memory where there is no information until some is put there; ROM is read only memory where the information has already been put there and cannot be changed or developed much. We humans, on the other hand, have to learn to speak, to walk, to understand just about everything concerning the world around us. Our brains have to learn, to be filled with knowledge. Animals are born with most of the things they need to know already implanted in their brains. That is a huge and wonderfully significant difference. So what? Those two words signal my comment as to what the immediate practical implication of the this passage, this part of the Big Story, means for us – for you and me – today. We are created in the image of God. Sometimes Christians get so excited by the next two chapters of Genesis that they think of everybody as simply “sinners” to the exclusion of these important and thrilling facts. Those who are not Christians, just like those who are, have these two directly conflicting aspects to their lives. We are both made in the image of God and fallen sinners. Sometimes one dominates; sometimes the other. So your unbelieving neighbour one side may be the most delightful, helpful, loving person you could wish to meet. Your unbelieving neighbour the other side may be the most unpleasant character, impossible to carry out any sort of decent conversation with, always getting into arguments and fights and probably a thief. Those are the ways we naturally are. Neither person is acceptable to the LORD God if they have made no attempt to enter into relationship with Him. That is the way we naturally are. We need to hold firmly in our minds our understanding of human beings as both God images and sinners and be careful to understand our world in the light of those two facts. Only as a consequence of the death, and resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who have set out to follow him can we be any different.   Right Mouse click or tap here to save this Episode as an audio mp3 file

Sometimes Christians can be really mean... ABOUT THE MESSAGEThere are many things within us that Jesus calls us to remove so that we can become more like Him. Have you ever wondered why so many times when we know the right thing to do we still fall into behaviors that don't represent Jesus well? In this message, Pastor Sam Muyaka breaks down some reasons why we still end up acting poorly at times. However, most importantly, he also shows us a pathway through scripture to clothe ourselves in all of the things of God to grow in these areas and better love others with the compassion of Jesus Christ! ABOUT JESUSIf you want to learn more about who Jesus is and what it means to have a relationship with Him, we would love to help you on that journey:https://www.thechurch.fm/jesusFor a deeper dive into The Word of God on a daily basis check out our Free Ancient Paths Daily Devotional: https://www.thechurch.fm/ancient-paths WHO WE AREWe believe that the goal of every Christian is To Be Conformed Into the Image of Jesus Christ, and a relationship with Jesus as well as being involved in a healthy church community are both important to achieving that goal. Find out more about who we are and all that we do at https://www.thechurch.fm/about.   We would love to meet you in person! Find our locations and service times here https://www.thechurch.fm/campuses and download our smartphone app here https://pushpay.com/get?handle=saintamantcampus&source=external to access video content, daily devotionals, updates on what is going on at The Church, and so much more.  To get connected here at The Church International simply visit us here https://www.thechurch.fm/connect-track and we will walk you through all of the life giving opportunities that we have to connect with you and your family.  We want to give a special thanks to everyone who donates to what God is doing through this ministry. If you would like to partner with us through generosity and giving you can do so at https://www.thechurch.fm/give-online. SOCIAL MEDIAThe Church International:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechurchinter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechurchinternational/Website: https://www.TheChurch.FM Pastor Mark:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkAStermerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_stermer/ Pastor Cindy:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindy.stermer.9Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindy_stermer/  MESSAGE BREAKDOWN00:00 Introduction03:54 Sermon Title07:56 No More Of This14:03 What Makes Us Mean25:30 What Would Jesus Do?26:24 Clothed With Compassion27:43 Kindness28:35 Humility30:13 Gentleness31:19 Patience36:20 Prayer & Closing

Sometimes Christians sound like they have their own language. A weird language. The words they use just don't make sense. Well this week we go through some of the most popular and try to make sense of them. Former cult of Christianity members what is a phrase or word you find yourself still using? Everyone else what is a word or phrase you heard that just didn't make sense or was really weird?

It has been said that you are either in a trial, exiting out of a trial, or entering into a trial...you just aren’t aware of it yet. We can either whine and complain when trials come or learn to become the men and women God wants us to be. We aren’t the first ones in history to ever face trials. Trials are part of the DNA of the church. When you look at how the church began, it was flooded with trials, especially the early church in Jerusalem. Their pastor, James, the half-brother of Jesus, encouraged his congregation to look at trials not as torture but as an opportunity to learn and grow. James knew that trials are not an option for the Christian. They will come in all shapes and sizes (v. 2). Like a baseball pitcher, some come in like a rocketed fastball. You hardly see them coming, and they set you back on your heels. Others are curveballs where you expect one thing, but it turns out to be completely different. James uses the word “testing” to denote a positive event intended to make our faith authentic and genuine (v. 3). Our testing results in perseverance, or steadfastness. The Christian faith is not a sprint; it is a marathon. James wants his readers to run to spiritual maturity (v. 4). Sometimes Christians get distracted, thinking that Christianity’s goal is merely to learn more about the Bible. While knowing the Bible is extremely important, this knowledge alone does not equal spiritual maturity. A few verses later, James writes, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (v. 22). As a leader, are you willing to reflect on and learn from your trials? >> No one wants to go through trials. But, as James teaches, these trials can help us grow in spiritual maturity. If you are going through a difficult time, ask God for wisdom (v. 5) to grow in your faith and learn from this experience.

Whitsunday: The On-Earth-As-In-Heaven People Acts 2:1-11 by William Klock Last week as we remembered Jesus' ascension we read Luke's account of the risen Jesus and his final days with the disciples.  He writes in Acts 1: And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.  (Acts 1:4-5) That was all just fine, but what they really wanted to know was when the kingdom was coming.  For years they'd been asking it in one way or another: When will you bring the kingdom?  When will you take your throne?  When will you set the world to rights?  Are we there yet?  How much further?  And, remember, in answer to their question Jesus ascended, up on the clouds, into heaven, to take up his throne, to rule and to reign. And as he did that, he commissioned his disciples to do something that I don't think they expected.  He commissioned them to be his royal heralds, to go out and to proclaim this good news to Jerusalem, to Judea, even to Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth.  Now, this wasn't the first time Jesus had sent his disciples out to proclaim the kingdom, but when he'd sent them out before, it was to a people who were also asking those “Are we there yet?” questions: When will the Messiah come?  When will the kingdom come?  When will the God of Israel set this broken world to rights?.  And the disciples went out and told the people that in Jesus the Messiah had come and that the kingdom was in sight.  But now Jesus is sending them out to proclaim that in his resurrection and ascension the kingdom has come and that was no small task.  Because even though the disciples had seen their risen Lord and even though they saw him ascend, things weren't what they or anyone else had expected.  They thought everyone would be resurrected all at once.  They though the Messiah would put down the enemies of God's people and cast down their empires.  They expected a king like David who would punish evil, wipe away all the problems, and make everything as it should be.  Instead, the wrong people were still in control, evil people still did evil things, so much was still wrong with the world—and yet Jesus had inaugurated something, he really had risen from the dead, and they'd seen him ascend to his throne with their own eyes, so they knew he was truly Lord and that the kingdom had come.  The Lord's plan was to work through them, to spread the good news and to tell the world that Jesus is Lord, and to grow the kingdom.  That wasn't what anyone expected, but they should have, because that's how the Lord had been working in the world ever since he called Abraham out of the land of Ur and set him apart from everyone else, and made him and his family a witness to the world—that one day, through this people, the whole earth would know the Lord and his greatness and his goodness and his faithfulness and come to give him glory. I wonder if we, too, don't forget this sometimes.  We might know better deep down, but we kind of assume that the Christian life is, more or less, a personal thing.  We raise our kids in it.  Maybe we talk to a few close people about it.  But we act as if our duty is mostly just to be good, godly people until Jesus comes back and sets everything to rights—as if he's the one who's going to make it all happen by doing all the hard work.  Sure, there are some people called to be missionaries who go off to faraway places where they've never heard of Jesus, but for most of us, it's just a personal, individual sort of thing.  Even the dominant eschatology of our day assumes that things will just get worse and worse until Jesus zaps us all out of here and rains down fire and brimstone on this awful, corrupt world.  But that's never what the story was about and that's never where it was headed.  The Lord called and created a people to make him known with the expectation that eventually that people—not in their own power, but in his—but that people would really make him known until, as the prophets Isaiah and Habakkuk both said, the knowledge of his glory would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Maybe we forget our part in this kingdom mission because it seems so impossible.  What?  Us?  Grow the kingdom until the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth?  What?  Us?  Bring the nations to give him glory?  That's too big for us?  We'll just be holy over here and wait for Jesus to come back and do the impossible stuff.  And at this point, Jesus' disciples had no idea just how big and impossible the task was.  Taking the gospel to the gentiles wasn't even on their radar.  They were still thinking it was a message for Jews.  It would be a few years before the full extent of it even sank in.  And this is why Jesus told his friends to stay in Jerusalem and to wait.  In his resurrection he was vindicated as the Messiah.  In his ascension he took his throne and sent the clear message that the kingdom has come.  But before the disciples could go on with the work of the kingdom, they needed something that God's people had never had before—at least not in this way.  They needed the power of the Holy Spirit to truly be the new Israel, to carry on the mission the Lord had given to Abraham and Isaac, and to all of Israel: to bless the nations by making him known to them.  Without the Spirit, Jesus' disciples would have the same problem God's people had always had and after a time, when the excitement wore off, they would become fickle and faithless and their loyalties would be divided and they would fall into sin and the nations would mock them, this time jeering, “Where's your Jesus now?”  No, they needed this gift of the indwelling Spirit to set their hearts on God and to write his law of love on their hearts—truly transforming their affections.  And it was this Spirit who would empower them to go out into a hostile world with the good news about Jesus and to live out his love and his grace and his justice, carrying the kingdom to the ends of the earth.  That's why they had to wait in Jerusalem. I don't think they really had any idea what was about to happen.  They didn't even really understand the full extent of the mission he'd given them.  They were just excited because of his resurrection and his ascension and Luke says that while they waited in Jerusalem that they spent their time in the temple praising and blessing God.  And then comes our Epistle today.  Look at Acts 2.  Luke writes, When the day of Pentecost arrived…   Let's stop there.  This isn't an incidental detail.  It's integral to the story.  As integral as Jesus having been born a Jew.  As integral as his death and resurrection taking place at Passover.  “Pentecost” just means “fiftieth” in Greek.  Greek-speaking Jews gave the festival this name because it fell fifty days after Passover, but its biblical name was the “feast of weeks” and it was connected with the wheat harvest.  It was when the Lord commanded his people to bring him their firstfruits.  That's the very first part of the harvest.  It was an offering to the Lord and it was an act of faith on their part.  Other peoples brought offerings to their gods after the harvest had been brought in, once they knew what they could spare.  But Israel gave in faith from the very first of the harvest, trusting the Lord to give the rest.  So Pentecost was a feast of expectation and faith. But Pentecost was also the feast when Israel celebrated the giving of the law, the torah, at Mt. Sinai.  That's where the significance of “fifty” comes from.  Again, it follows fifty days after Passover and you'll remember that Passover commemorated Israel's exodus from Egypt: their slavery, Moses and the Lord's command to Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”, the plagues, the blood on the doorposts, the sparing of Israel's firstborn sons, the flight from Egypt, the rescue at the Red Sea.  Passover was a festival of the Lord's deliverance of his people and it celebrated that great even in which Israel was born as a nation.  And each generation participated in those events anew as they gathered year in and year out in their homes to share the Passover meal.  It marked them out as the Lord's covenant people. But that wasn't the end of the story.  From the Red Sea, the Lord led his people into the wilderness and fifty days later he gave them his law.  He called Moses up to Mt. Sinai and when Moses came back down he brough the law with him, carved on stone tablets.  In the Exodus the Lord had made Israel his people.  At Mt. Sinai he showed them what it meant and what it looked like to be his people.  So at Passover the Jews celebrated their redemption.  At Pentecost they remembered that the Lord had redeemed them for a purpose: to live a new kind of life in order to fulfil his purposes and their calling. Can you see how this all fits together with the events of the Gospels?  Easter is our Passover, when we remember how, through Jesus, the Lord redeemed us from our bondage to sin and death and made us his people.  And now, on Pentecost—this is our Mt. Sinai.  Let's continue with Acts 2: When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.   In Exodus we're given an awesome picture of the holiness of God as his presence descended on the mountain in smoke and fire and thunder, and here the Spirit comes again like a storm, in this mighty rushing wind and fire descends upon his people.  And here Luke tells this new story to parallel the old.  As Moses went up on the mountain to the Lord, so Jesus has ascended into heaven.  And now Luke wants us to understand that Jesus, just as he promised he would, has come back down.  Moses came down with tablets of stone to tell the people how to live as the Lord's covenant people.  And now Jesus has returned, he's come down from heaven in the person of the Holy Spirit, to write his law of love on the very hearts of his people. Don't misunderstand.  That doesn't mean that Israel had a harsh and rigid law written on stone and that Jesus' people just “follow their hearts” or something like that.  There's a sense in which that's true, but definitely not in the sense that the world talks about following your heart.  Following our hearts is what has got us into trouble and made a mess of this world, because apart from Jesus and the Spirit our hearts are set on sin and self.  That's the point here.  The law written on stone showed Israel how to live as God's holy people, but it couldn't change the affections of their hearts.  The Spirit, on the other hand, takes away the need for those stone tablets by changing our very hearts, filling them with a love for God and a desire for holiness, and by turning us away from sin and from self. And notice how the wind and the fire come from heaven.  Through the Spirit the creative and renewing power of the Lord—the very breath that he breathed into humanity to give us life in the first place—it descends on his people to accomplish his work on earth.  Jesus taught his disciples to pray “on earth as it is in heaven” and Pentecost was the firstfruits of an answer to that prayer.  Sometimes Christians treat the presence and gifts of the Holy Spirit as things that raise us up above the world or that make the world irrelevant, but it's really just the opposite.  The Spirit is the life-giving breath of God that gives us a foretaste of the resurrection and of the life we hope for one day in this world set to rights.  As the Spirit sets our hearts on God, he makes us the “on earth as it is in heaven” people, the people who not only show the world what God's kingdom looks like, but who actually live out his kingdom and its values of love and grace and mercy and justice in the midst of a world that values all the opposites of those things. But the first manifestation of the Spirit's “on earth as it is in heaven” ministry is what we see here.  Luke says, first, that Jesus' people were all together when this happened—they were united—and then the first manifestation of the Spirit was this amazing speech in other languages.  But what exactly was it?  Let's keep reading from verse 5: Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.  And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.  And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?  Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”   Jews had spread out across the known world and festivals like Passover and Pentecost brough them back to Jerusalem.  The Spirit came on Jesus' disciples with fire and the sound of a mighty rushing wind, but what everyone else couldn't help but notice was the ruckus they made as they began to speak in these other languages.  And it got their attention.  The disciples were a bunch of rubes from Galilee, way up north, or at least that's how people in Jerusalem would have seen them.  Galileans spoke Aramaic and Greek—the local languages—but they weren't cosmopolitan enough to speak all these other languages.  And yet these men visiting Jerusalem from places like Egypt and Asia and even from places like Parthia, beyond the borders of the empire, heard these Galileans speaking in their own languages.  That made them stop and take note.  But what they were saying caught their attention even more.  Luke says they were telling of the mighty works of God.  In the context here that can mean only one thing.  They were proclaiming the good news about Jesus.  That he had come proclaiming the kingdom and calling the people to repentance, that he had been crucified, that he had risen from the dead, and that he had ascended, and is now Lord—and maybe most of all, that he had done this in fulfilment of the Lord's promises and to show the Lord's faithfulness.  Many of these visitors had, no doubt, heard about Jesus and how he'd been crucified just a few weeks before.  Some of them had probably heard rumors that he'd risen from the dead.  If they'd been spending any time around the temple, they would have heard and seen the disciples praising God for what he had done in Jesus—and they probably thought they were crazy.   But now they hear these bumpkins from Galilee declaring the might works of God miraculously in their own languages and they stop.  And they listen.  And some of them, Luke says, sneered at the disciples thinking they were drunk.  But that's when—if we were to continue on from today's Epistle in Chapter 2—that's when Peter stood up addressed them, saying, “It's nine o'clock in the morning.  It's hardly the time of day for men to be drunk.  No, what you're seeing is the fulfilment of the words spoken by the prophet Joel when he spoke of the Lord's promise to pour out his Spirit and to redeem his people.  And Peter went on to tell the men there, again, of the might y deed of God: of Jesus, of his death, of his resurrection, and his ascension.  And he walked the men through the scriptures they knew so well and through the promises the Lord had made to his people, and he showed how Jesus had and was fulfilling them.  He finished his sermon, Luke says, proclaiming: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”  (Acts 2:36) And the men who were listening were cut to the heart and cried out to Peter, “What should we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”  So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:38-41) The “on earth as it is in heaven” people began to grow.  The rest of the book of Acts is Luke's testimony to the mighty deeds of God through these people, empowered by Jesus and the Spirit.  We see the gospel—and with it the kingdom—going out from Jerusalem, to Judea, and then to Samaria, where it united Jews and Samaritans for the first time.  And then see it go out to the nations, to the gentiles, the book ending with Paul proclaiming the good news about Jesus in Rome, right under Caesar's nose.  And Acts shows us churches sprouting up across the world.  Acts is the firstfruits of the kingdom harvest—a harvest that would, eventually include the whole Roman Empire and beyond.  And, Brothers and Sisters, Pentecost reminds us how.  Without it we might be tempted to give up, to retreat into the church building, and wait for Jesus to come and do it all himself.  But Pentecost reminds us that going all the way back to Abraham, the Lord has been calling and creating and empowering a people to make him known to a world lost in darkness, a people to be light, a people—like the disciples that day in Jerusalem—to proclaim to the world the mighty deeds of the God of Israel.  A people to proclaim the good news that in this Jesus who was crucified, who has risen from the dead, and who has ascended to his throne to rule and reign, that he is and that he will set this world to rights.  But, maybe most importantly, Pentecost reminds us that Jesus has called us and made us this people, not only to go out and to tell, but to go out and live and to do and to make and to build and to show his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  We do that as we live the fruit the Spirit has given and as we show the world, in real, practical, hands-on ways what God's new creation is like, living his love and his mercy and his grace and his justice and working for those things in the world.  It is an impossible task, but Pentecost also reminds us that we are not called to do it in our own power or on our own terms, but as we are empowered and guided by Jesus and the Spirit. Let's pray: O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Sometimes Christians succumb to party affiliations and give into judging others who don't necessarily agree with them. So how are we to put an end to divisions that are wrecking the church?

The Wisdom of the Cross Lenten Mission: Day 2: The Cross Is Key to Knowing Jesus The first night of this Mission began with a reflection on the sign one makes at the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel. On the second night of the Mission, the reflection begins at the end of the proclamation of the Gospel. Hear more within the reflection. The Gospel we hear tonight is The Passion of Christ, according to St. Luke. Sometimes Christians and non-Christians ask a simple question. Why did Jesus die? Some answer it was because of the hatred against Him. Others say it was the political environment of the Romans. But the simple fact is these are not the reasons. Jesus came into the world to suffer, sacrifice and die for our sins. He chose The Cross, even before His birth. Therefore, there is no engaging Jesus without also engaging The Cross. The Cross is The Key This is why it is so important, especially during the Lenten Season, to engage this great mystery . . . The Cross which is the key that unlocks the fullness and truth of Jesus Christ. The Passion begins on Holy Thursday night, while He is in the Garden. The soldiers come at night, and He is ready . . . and He sees them coming. While He is ready, His close disciples crumble and abandon Him . . . and flee. Jesus is alone and He is taken. He is willing to stand before the unjust ruling of the world. The world, through Pilate, initially finds no guilt. Pilate states He committed no wrong. But ultimately, Jesus is found guilty . . . He is guilty of not being worth saving. Hear more of the opening of the Passion within this reflection. After Pilate sentences Jesus to death, they bring out The Cross to Him. A large and heavy piece of wood is brought to the carpenter. The Cross is large, so much so that it takes multiple men to bring it to Jesus. Brought to Jesus to carry it . . . by Himself. He carries not only The Cross . . . but the guilt of every person whoever lived (past, present and future). The latter is much heavier. That's The Cross. That's the burden He bears. Jesus Takes The Cross and Looks Toward Heaven The reflection briefly talks about artwork for The Cross. Good artwork shows Jesus taking The Cross . . . Lifting up The Cross, with His eyes toward Heaven. Visualize Jesus Carrying The Cross. Listen to the sound of hammer and nail / spike as Jesus is crucified. Hear more within this reflection. The Most Remarkable Statement Ever Uttered in the History of the Universe After being sentenced, carrying The Cross, and after being nailed to The Cross, Jesus remarkably says nothing. After He is on The Cross, Jesus says What Jesus utters is remarkable. It may be the most remarkable statement ever uttered in the history of the universe. Nothing before this moment can compare. The Lord speaks after all the events and all the blows. He asks for a blessing for the guy who is swinging the hammer. Father, forgive them. Forgive him, because he does not know what he is doing. Listen to this greatest of all statements. This statement shows Who Jesus is . . . it is why The Cross is key to understanding and knowing Jesus. The Two Thieves Have a Lesson For Our Own Spiritual Journey Even the guys (the thieves) who died with Jesus. Two other guys lifted up their cross, and they follow Jesus. But lifting up your cross is not enough. Two men, but only one gets it right. It is not enough to just lift your cross. One must deny himself first, then carry your cross to follow Jesus. Two men, but only one gets it right. These two men are important. In the entire history of the world, only these two men received this grace. Dying the same way, at the same time as Jesus. Only these two men received this grace. Going through it, they see the misery of their condemnation. Yet, Jesus is also condemned with them. Hear the lessons of the two thieves and its impact on our Spiritual Journey.

Sometimes Christians focus so much on Jesus' birth and death that they overlook the powerful message of his life. Today, lead pastor Josh Scott examines the different ways Jesus taught about the kingdom, from parables to aphorisms to memorable demonstrations. He also explores the question of how we can best respond to the teachings of Jesus. Episode Recap: Jesus showed what the kingdom of God was like through meals (1:17) Many Christians focus on the birth and death of Jesus, but not Jesus' life (2:40) Jesus taught in parables, and others used parables to describe him (6:25) When Jesus spoke in parables, he was encouraging people to really listen (12:56) God is not represented in the powerful characters, but in the powerless (16:05) Jesus used aphorisms to challenge the way people saw the world (17:16) Jesus taught through demonstrations (22:36) Jesus' teachings were were creative, cryptic, subversive, and counterintuitive (25:30) How do we respond to the challenging teachings of Jesus? (28:54) Resources: Learn more about GracePointe Check out our schedule of upcoming events Follow GracePointe on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time” by Marcus Borg “Bible Stories for Grown-Ups” by Josh Scott

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. -Matthew 7:1-6 One of the primary reasons why people reject Christianity is found in these verses. Gandhi commented, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Sometimes Christians condemn and judge motives and they do so without mercy. There are those who no longer attend church because of this. Their faith has been shipwrecked on the rocks of harsh and condemning attitudes. Perhaps you know of some. Even well meaning followers of Christ don't always get it right. However, there is an alternative. When loving correction is given, lives are transformed. So what exactly does Jesus mean, when he says, “Judge not.” The word judge has a rather large bandwidth of meanings. For example a sharpshooter misses his mark and says, "I didn't judge the wind correctly." What's he really saying? He made a mistake in is evaluation. The Bible says that God will one day judge the world. This judgment involves God's wrath and will consume and destroy the planet. What's the difference between these two judgements? One judgment is characterized by evaluation; the other judgment is characterized by condemnation. Here's the point -  Our responsibility is to evaluate, not to condemn. Only God has the ability to judge and condemn. It is our duty to judge and evaluate using discernment. A discerning spirit is constructive. A critical spirit is destructive.  How do you become good at this? You must first evaluate your own life before you speak into the lives of others. Once again, Jesus is there to help.

Sermon from February 5, 2023 | Sometimes Christians feel shame for not being able to walk in joy as much as they'd like (or as much as they believe they're expected to). Psalm 5 shows us that the experience of joy is wrapped up in our awareness and experience of God as a refuge, a protector. This sermon digs into how we are discovered by joy and released to boast in the name of the Lord as a result. For more information about Mosaic visit us online at www.mosaicknox.org

Sometimes Christians feel like they have to minimize and spiritualize loss, because of this idea that pain is a bad thing. But there is a holiness in our sorrow. We worship a God who suffered for us and suffers with us. For prayer, giving, and to stay connected, please visit cccgreeley.orgDiscussion Guide for this message: https://tinyurl.com/3edvafn7Christ Community Church – Greeley, CO

Sometimes Christians think that their sin is no longer n issue because they have been born again through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is true that faith secures one's salvation but sin or the avoidance of it is still crucial to our daily relationship with God.None of us are perfect and we all sin at times, but god has given us a remedy for that. He has because our sin has broken off our fellowship with Him and He desires that we would repent and get back to walking with Him.Listen carefully and the remedy for sin in your life so as not to continue down the road of regret.

Who Are You Relying On?Isaiah 22:10 “You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.”When I asked God to give me a verse he wanted me to talk about today this was the verse I felt I heard.  Normally, I would read a verse like this and then find another one as this doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.  However, when I read it the first thing that came to mind was that they were trying to rely on themselves, instead of relying on the Lord.  Let me read you the verses just before and after this to give you a little context.  Isaiah 22:8-11 “The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah, and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest. You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool. You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall. You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.”These verses start by saying that the Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah.  If God took away the defenses I am sure Judah was not living how they were supposed to live.  I am sure God was hoping that when he stripped away the defenses they would repent and turn back to Him.  It actually says in the next verse Isaiah 22:12 "The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.  God was calling these people to repentance and instead they turned to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest.  In verse 10 above it says, "you counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.”  When I looked up online what it was talking about when it said counting the houses one commentary said, “They numbered the houses of Jerusalem, that every house might send in its quota of men for the public service, or contribute in money to it, which they raised by a poll, so much a head or so much a house.” God was no longer protecting them and instead of repenting, instead of turning back to him and crying out for help, instead of relying on God as their shield and their refuge, they decided to rely on themselves.  I think what God is wanting us to ask ourselves today is “Where are we relying on ourselves instead of God? Also, where might he be calling us to repent and turn back to Him?I have heard the saying, “Pray like it is all up to God and work like it is all up to you.”  I don't think God gets upset with us when we do things to fix out situation.  I don't think He wants us to just sit around and wait for Him to do everything.  I don't think that is what this verse is saying.  I think it is not what the people were doing as much as it is what was in their hearts when they were doing it.  It is very different to pray to God for help and for protection and then to also fortify your city.  There are plenty of cases in the Old Testament of the wars the Lord's people fought.  They prayed to God for protection and for victory, but then they actually had to go out and fight the war. I really don't think God wants us to just sit and let Him fix everything.  However, I do think He cares about what is in our hearts while we are working.Have we prayed about a situation before doing anything?  Have we stopped and asked God what we should do?  Have we stopped to ask God for help in that situation?  Are we moving forward with the next right step with the confidence that God is in control and that He will help us?  God blessed the people in this verse with prophets.  The Old Testament is full of prophets that told the people when they were doing things that upset the Lord.  Did you know we have prophets in this day and age too?  There are people out there, right now, telling us we need to repent.  Telling us that God is not happy with a lot of things that are going on in the world right now.  Are we listening?  Are we even hearing them?  We seem to be so caught up in the ways of the world that we are not paying attention to God and the way that He wants us to live.  
God is calling us and has always called us to be set apart from the world.  He is calling us to a higher way of living.  Will this mean that we might stand out from others? Yes.  Will this mean that others might not understand us and might mock us or persecute us? Yes.  However, it says is Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Catholic beliefs today, and all Christian beliefs are not popular beliefs.  It is difficult to have a conversation right now, at least in America, because the country is so divided.  I have heard it said that we have all forgotten how to “agree to disagree.”  If we don't like someone else's opinion then we jump down their throat and tell them all the reasons why they are wrong.  The days where we can have a civil discussion about differing beliefs seem to have disappeared and often times we are attacked for our beliefs, and I am not just talking about Christians being attacked.  Sometimes Christians are the ones attacking.  Everyone is so set in their beliefs and feel so strongly that they want everyone else to believe what they believe as well.  What if instead of beating people over the head with our ideas, we just presented them with love and left it up to God to change their hearts?  It is not our job to make every person we meet a Christian.  It is our job to make sure everyone we meet, knows Jesus, has heard of Jesus, has felt His love.  God will do the rest.Think about your interactions over the last week or so, especially during the business of the Christmas season.  Have the people that you have interacted with seen Jesus in you this past week?  We are called to be a reflection of Jesus.  Have you been showing other's the love of Jesus this week?  Try to call to mind some of your interaction, would you want that interaction to be a reflection of Jesus?  I know people who have been turned away from church or from religion and faith all together because they looked around at the congregation and they didn't like what they saw.  They didn't understand how people who went to church on Sunday and worshiped God could act the way they did outside of church.  We are called to a higher way of living.  We are called to be representatives of Christ all the time, not just for that one hour on Sunday.  Today is the first day of our very last week in 2022.  Next Sunday we will begin a whole new year.  What could you do differently this next year to become more of a reflection of Christ?  What could you do to represent Christ better in your day to day life?  How can you grow closer to Christ in this upcoming year?  The more we know about someone the more we can imitate them.  How can you get to know Christ better this year?  My challenge to you for this week is to take some time, sit with God and ask Him what He wants you to do differently this year.  In what ways does He want you to rely more on Him and less on yourself.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord show us the ways we are relying on ourselves instead of you. Help us to rely more on you. Help us to see we don't have to do it ourselves. Lord help us to take time this week to see what we need to change in this upcoming year to depend more on you to be more of a reflection of you. Lord when others see us we want them to see you show us how.  Show us how to be a better representation of you through our entire week, not just on Sunday.  Lord we love you and we are sorry that you are calling us to a different way of living and we aren't listening.  Please help us hear you better.  Please help us live the way you want us to live.  Lord, I pray for every single person listening to this that 2023 is an amazing year of growth for all of us.  I pray that this year, we all learn to grow closer to you.  You are so amazing.  You are the almighty one and you are the Light of the World.  We are so grateful for all you do for us and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Remember Jesus loves you, and so do I.  Have a blessed day! 

Sometimes Christians can grow so weary of this corrupt and sinful world that they long to be away. Today, Sinclair Ferguson brings consolation and hope as he lifts our eyes to the new Jerusalem, where righteousness will dwell fully and forever. Thank You For Supporting the Global Outreach of Renewing Your Mind and Ligonier Ministries: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/2404/donate Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.

Sometimes Christians come across passages in the Bible that they find culturally embarrassing. Passages that talk about slavery or the conquest of Canaan, for example. When we give a secular friend a Bible, these are the passages we hope they skip over on their way to one of the gospels. In this episode we go through 6 steps you can take in reading these passages. And if you take them, who knows? Maybe you'll go from embarrassment over an OT text to worshipping the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! Scriptures Referenced:Nu 5:11-31 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook

Being holy means being like God. God does far more than “avoiding bad actions.” He also doesn't want to do bad actions. That is, he doesn't just say “no” to bad desires. Even his desires are pure. So holiness must also include purified desires. So much so that we can learn to “do as we please” once “what we please” is simply to please Him.Yes, it means set apart from evil actions. Yes, it means set apart from evil desires. But that isn't complete enough. How could God ever take up residence among us if the Holy God must always be “separate” or “distant” from anything less than perfect purity?Sometimes Christians face moral dilemmas. Some one or something moves into town, doing some things you disapprove of. So what should the Christian do in response? One option is to ban, boycott, or avoid. I think there is a time and a place for that. But we have to balance that with the call of Jesus to be salt and light in a dark world. The call to actually rub shoulders with the very people we are trying to reach with the gospel. To be incarnational—like Jesus was. Many in our culture see Christians as always aloof and unapproachable. That Christians are always marking and avoiding anything that smells unchristian. When we act that way, we are able to maintain our purity. But how can we purify anything else?It turns out God's holiness has two parts: one part speaks to how different (how high and holy) he is; the other speaks to how willing he is to rub shoulders with those who need his holiness to rub off on them. We see it in Isaiah 57:15: “God's name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy place, and also in the lowly of spirit.” Did you catch that? What does it mean to be holy, according to God? To be so high above it, and to also dwell within it—untouched by the evil, but present to help serve those wrapped up in evil.The sermon today is titled "Progress: The Spirit Makes You Holy." It is the third installment in our "This Present Strength" Series. The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 1:2 and Romans 8:1-11.  Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on September 18, 2022. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under Begin: A Faithful Presence.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter/tiktok)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.---In partnership with:West Side Church of ChristLife on the West Side: Nathan's Weekly Substack

Sometimes Christians say things that are meant to be a comfort to others but aren't theologically sound. Shocking, I know. Some of my favorite videos to watch are when the guest has to guess if it's something that comes from the Bible or a quote. Today on the podcast, we prove the comforting ideas found in Matthew West's song "Me On Your Mind" come from Scripture. We'll study a wonderful prayer of Jesus to encourage us that He, indeed, had us on His mind. In this week's episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Meditate on Scripture Read in context Use the subheadings to gain your bearings Follow the cross-references Slow down Look up words in the dictionary Consult an outside resource Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - Amazon Paid Link How Jesus had us on His mind in his recorded prayer in John 17 Backing up to John 13 and reading forward to get the full context of what was happening Contrasting two gardens in Scripture - "Two Gardens, Two Betrayals, Two Outcomes" by Dr. Jim and Janean Reish Jesus' posture - John 17:1 Exploring when Jesus' hour "had not yet come" compared to the hour that has come at the time of Christ's prayer John 2:4 John 7:30 John 8:20 "Glory" and "glorification" and what they mean Eternal life through Christ - John 17:2-3 Christ's role in bringing attention to God's character through His obedient life What it means that Christ "manifested" the name of God - John 17:6 Highlighting themes of sanctification and unity in addition to glorification A pattern we can follow from this prayer (see the Fire Bible Amazon Paid Link) Pray that they may know Jesus Christ and his Word intimately (John 17:2-3, 17, 19) Pray that God may protect them from the evil influences of the world, keep them from turning away from him and give them discernment to recognize and reject ungodly beliefs and false spiritual teaching (John 17:6, 11, 14-17) Pray that they may constantly possess the full joy of serving Christ (John 17:13) Pray that they may live by God's standards of purity and truth in thoughts, actions, and character (John 17:17) Pray that they may be unified in love and purpose, just as Jesus and his Father are (John 17:11, 21-22) Pray that they may lead others to Christ (John 17:21, 23) pray that their faith will endure so they will one day be with Christ in heaven (John 17:24) Pray that they may constantly experience God's love and presence (John 17:26)   Am I following Christ's pattern in my own life? Do I look at my obedience to God's ways as a way to magnify His character, or as something I'm supposed to do?   More Than a Song Playlist Additional Resources Lyrics - NewReleaseToday.com "Loved by the Father in the Son" - Ligonier.org Devotional John 17 Commentary - Enduring Word Commentary "What is sanctification? What is the definition of Christian sanctification?" - GotQuestions.org Article ESV Fire Bible - Amazon Paid Link "Two Gardens, Two Betrayals, Two Outcomes" - Dr. Jim and Janean Reish Article Weekly Challenge Read John 17 in context, then go back and study it line by line and word by word. Look up words

The post Sometimes Christians just don’t get along. appeared first on Key Life.

Bible Reading: 1 John 3:16-18"To start our game, I will be Simon," said Miss Elwood, Kennedy's teacher. "And remember, you must always do what Simon says, not what Simon does."All right! thought Kennedy. I'm going to be really careful this time."Simon says, 'Thumbs up,'" called Miss Elwood, turning her thumbs up. Kennedy and her classmates did the same. "Simon says, 'Step forward.'" As Miss Elwood spoke, she stepped forward. The kids followed her example. "Simon says, 'Snap your fingers.'" But Miss Elwood clapped her hands instead--and before Kennedy could stop herself, she clapped her hands too."Oops! I goofed!" Kennedy grinned and sank to her seat. She was out.That evening, Kennedy's family sat down to do devotions together. "Today's verse is First John 3:18," said Dad. "It says, 'Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.' Do you know what that verse means?""I know," said Kennedy's brother Tatum. "It means we shouldn't just say we love God or people. What we do should go along with what we say.""Right," said Dad. "If Jesus has changed our hearts, it should show in both what we say and what we do."Kennedy laughed. "Simon should learn this verse," she said. "At school when we play Simon Says, I always goof if the person who's Simon says one thing but does another.""That brings up a good point," said Dad. "Sometimes we may act as though we're playing a game like that--maybe it could be called Christian Says. Sometimes Christians say one thing and do another. Can you think of examples of that from your own life? I'll start. Christian says, 'Love your neighbor,' and then I act in my own self-interest.""Christian says, 'Love your enemies,' and then I spread rumors about a coworker who's been treating me poorly," offered Mom."Christian says, 'Share with others,' and then I don't let my friends touch my things," said Tatum.Kennedy found this interesting and wanted to add something too. "Umm…Christian says, 'Be helpful,' and then I sneak out of doing the dishes.""You've got the idea," Mom said. "Let's trust Jesus to help us make sure our actions match our words." -Hazel W. MarettHow About You?Do you play Christian Says? You can probably think of times when you said one thing and did another. But Jesus doesn't play that game. He tells us He loves us in the Bible, and He showed it by dying on the cross for our sin so we could be His children. His actions match His words. That's how we should love others too. Trust Jesus to help you show others His love in both what you say and what you do. Today's Key Verse:Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (NIV) (1 John 3:18)Today's Key Thought:Actions should match words

How are we to talk about Jesus to someone who does not believe the way we do? Very few of us feel comfortable articulating the truthfulness of Christ's death and resurrection to a peer outside of the church. Sometimes Christians feel intimidated by the objections of unbelievers who may say, "That's right for you, but not for me" or "That's just your opinion." This book provides questions, answers, and relational tips in overcoming these conversation stoppers. Join us to hear firsthand examples and stories of ordinary people who share the gospel while visiting nursing homes, throwing parties, renting out bars for open-minded skeptics, and more. Learn how to be winsome and confident in sharing the Gospel to nonbelievers.

How are we to talk about Jesus to someone who does not believe the way we do? Very few of us feel comfortable articulating the truthfulness of Christ's death and resurrection to a peer outside of the church. Sometimes Christians feel intimidated by the objections of unbelievers who may say, "That's right for you, but not for me" or "That's just your opinion." This book provides questions, answers, and relational tips in overcoming these conversation stoppers. Join us to hear firsthand examples and stories of ordinary people who share the gospel while visiting nursing homes, throwing parties, renting out bars for open-minded skeptics, and more. Learn how to be winsome and confident in sharing the Gospel to nonbelievers.  

“Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.  John 21:6Every fisherman would love to have the experience that Jesus offered the Apostles in the passage above.  The Apostles were fishing all night and caught nothing.  Then, in the morning, Jesus appeared on the shore but they did not realize it was Him.  He then gave them a simple command to cast their net off the right side of the boat.  And they caught so many fish they could not pull them in.  What an exciting catch!This catch of fish was much more than just a favor from Jesus to help them with their work.  It was highly symbolic.  The central symbolism is that Jesus was giving the Apostles a new calling.  They would no longer be fishing just for fish, rather, they were now to fish for souls.  And the important part is that if they attempted to do this by their own efforts, they would come up empty handed.  If, however, they did it at the Lord's command, in His way, within His timing, then their efforts would provide an abundance of good fruit.  More than they could ever imagine!This miracle of Jesus begins to reveal to the Apostles (and to us) the command that comes to evangelize the world.  This revelation comes after His Resurrection as Jesus gives His final instructions to the Apostles to carry out His mission of salvation.  We should see in this miracle our own call to spread the Good News.  And we must see in this miracle the command to spread the Good News only at the command of Jesus, in His way and within His timing.Sometimes Christians tend to come up with many “good” ideas to spread the Gospel.  But the key is to humble ourselves before God and realize that we are incapable of spreading the Good News of the Gospel unless the Lord is leading the way and giving the direction.  This tells us we should wait on Him and let Him speak.  We must listen to His voice and respond only when He leads.  Evangelization is a response to Jesus rather than something we do by our own effort.  This is the central message of this miraculous event.As we continue our Easter Day celebration, it is a good time for each of us to reflect upon our own responsibility to evangelize.  We all have a calling to share in this work of Jesus.  It will take on different forms for each of us according to our vocation and mission.  But the real question is this: “Am I responding to the call from Jesus to evangelize in the way He is directing me?”  This is an important question.  We should know that the particular mission Jesus gives us is not entrusted to anyone else.  And He does want to use us.  Reflect, today, upon this command our Lord gave to the Apostles and hear Him speak this same command to you, calling you to “fish for souls” in accord with His holy will.  Let the Lord speak to you this week and let yourself be open to His direction.  God wants to use you, so make sure you let Him!My commanding Lord, I do want to be used by You.  I do want to evangelize in accord with Your will.  Help me to confidently answer the call, and help me to sincerely listen to the direction You give.  Use me, dear Lord, to save many souls for Your Kingdom.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:1-3Mia panted as she tugged and pulled to get her Labrador puppy to go into the house. Prince was only six months old, but he was strong.Mom looked up from her computer and laughed. "I'm not sure who took who for a walk," she said.Mia frowned. "Prince always wants to go for a walk, but when I take him, he pulls on the leash the whole way! He acts like he's the one who should decide which way to go.""He's still just a puppy," said Mom."I know," said Mia, "but I wish he'd learn to listen to me. He should learn to heel like my friend Nevaeh's dog does.""Maybe we should take him to obedience school," said Mom. "Or at least start some obedience lessons on our own." Mom studied Mia a moment, then said, "Sometimes Christians act a lot like Prince. On our walk through life with Jesus, we pull and tug to go our own way too. We think we should decide for ourselves what's good for us, and we don't want to listen to God or to the people He puts in our lives to guide us--like parents--who really know best." She gave Mia a pointed look. "Like last week when I wouldn't let you go to Jessica's party."Mia sighed. "I didn't want to admit it, but you were right about that. Jessica's parents weren't home, and I found out today that some of the kids got so loud, the neighbors called the police.""Well, I'm very glad you weren't there," said Mom."I am too," said Mia. "I guess I am like Prince. I wanted my own way, but you knew it wasn't a good idea for me to go to that party. I'm sorry for acting like I thought you were being mean."Mom gave Mia a hug. "It's hard for all of us to remember we're not wise enough to choose our own way and need God's guidance," Mom said. "That's one reason why God gave kids parents--so we can share the wisdom God's given us with you as we teach you about Jesus and encourage you to trust in Him."Mia nodded thoughtfully. "From now on, I'll do less tugging and more listening." -Karen E. CoganHow About You?How do you respond to direction from your parents, grandparents, or other adults? Do you listen to them, knowing they want what's best for you? Or do you pull and tug, trying to go your own way? Parents aren't perfect, but God provided them for you because He loves you and wants you to learn to depend on Jesus. Appreciate and obey those God has placed in authority over you as they teach you to walk with Him.Today's Key Verse:Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls. (Hebrews 13:17 (NKJV))Today's Key Thought:Obey those in authority

Romans 8:26-27 — It is common for prayers to feel empty, as if the enemy stops the words from being heard by the Savior. Sometimes Christians find themselves groaning, not able to put into words what they need from God. They lose their confidence that they even belong to God. In this sermon on Romans 8:26–27 titled “The Spirit's Help,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that these groanings are actually additional proof of their sonship and one of the very reasons God sends His Holy Spirit to His people. He comes alongside to help them in their weakness, to be their advocate, and telling them what to pray when they come before the Father. He intercedes for the Christian who utters wordless groanings which God hears, understands, and approves because it is God who sends the Spirit to work these things in His people. He only sends his Spirit to true believers. If, therefore, one finds themselves giving vent to these groanings, be encouraged. It is proof of a true relationship with God because it is the Spirit that produces these groanings. Christians should rejoice as they belong to Him.