Podcasts about Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 If you boil it down, a church with “the right stuff” believes the right message and behaves in the right manner. Its members live compelling lives, like the early church in Thessalonica. Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 1 with Pastor Chuck Swindoll. Learn from one of Paul's earliest epistles to a local church. Does your church have the right stuff? Find encouragement and insight for you and your church.

On this episode, Paul White talks about how to glorify and please God. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:4.

On this episode, Paul White talks about pleasing God versus pleasing man.  Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4. 

How do we respond wisely to the people in our care? In this episode, Gem reflects on 1 Thessalonians 5:14 and explores how discernment, patience, and unhurried presence shape healthy leadership and soul care. This conversation invites listeners to slow down, see others more clearly, and trust God’s work in the lives of those they serve. _________________________________________ Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On this episode, Paul White talks about the Apostle Paul's use of "the Gospel of God". Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:2-2.

Psalm 86 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

What if your job — even the one you don’t love — is actually sacred? In this episode, we unpack what it truly means to “work for the Lord.” Drawing from 1 Corinthians 15:58, we explore how every task, every shift, and every responsibility can become an act of worship when done with the right heart posture. What We Discuss Why every job can glorify God Working through difficult seasons with faithfulness Serving Jesus even when serving a challenging boss The difference between working for approval vs. working from purpose Why work is a blessing — not a burden How Jesus modeled servant leadership This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Work for the LordBy: Vivian Bricker Bible Reading:“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Like most people, I have had many different jobs. Some of these jobs I really enjoyed, but others, not so much. However, in every job, I have tried to do my best. For example, a few years ago I worked at an inn. It was extremely difficult, since I struggle with contamination-type OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). The responsibility of an assistant innkeeper means cleaning anything and everything—changing bed sheets, washing bed sheets, cleaning bathrooms, washing floors, dusting, and any other housework that needs to be done. As someone with OCD, this was incredibly stressful. However, by the grace of God, I lasted the entire summer. I tried my best every day, and I know that I served the Lord through my work. Someone might say, “No, you were working for your boss.” While this is true, I was also working for Jesus. In everything we do, we need to work as though we are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24). We are serving Jesus in any job we put our hands to. This is why we need to work at every task with our whole heart. Rather than becoming lazy, we need to glorify God in our work. Maybe you are at a job right now that is similar to when I worked at the inn—you don’t like it, and you can’t wait to get off each day. If this is true, know that you won’t be at this job forever. For the time being, continue to do your best and strive to serve Jesus through your work. Even if your boss is not kind or the job is taxing, try your best to show Jesus’ love to everyone around you. Jesus Himself took on the nature of a servant (Philippians 2:5–8). We need to follow His example by also taking on the nature of a servant. We should not view any job as inferior. Sometimes we have to take a job because we have no other choice. God does not call us to be idle or unproductive in our lives. Instead, He wants us to work and serve Him through our dedication to doing what is right. Many people have a distorted view of work. They think work is a bad thing. This is not true—work is a blessing from God. Working and being able to provide for ourselves is a good thing. We never need to view work in a negative light, because it can help us grow, build a strong work ethic, and produce endurance. Through our work, we can become more dependent on God. Intersecting Faith & Life: The Apostle Paul tells us, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). As Paul says in this passage, we need to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord as our hard work is not in vain. Working for the Lord will bring Him glory and point others to Him. Many people think the “work of the Lord” only consists of pastors, Sunday school teachers, or missionaries, but this is not true. The “work of the Lord” can be anything, as long as we are serving Jesus through our work. Therefore, even regular jobs, such as working at a hotel, a library, or a department store, can all bring glory to God if we are faithfully serving Him. As Christ followers, we must ask ourselves whether or not we will serve God in our work. If we become lazy and unproductive in our work, we are not working to the glory of the Lord. If we find ourselves in this situation, we need to bring our hearts back to Jesus. Every job deserves our full attention and productivity. Loving God and serving Him will help us to truly work for Him and not give up when times are hard. Continue to work for Him because your labor is not in vain. Jesus sees all the challenges you are going through. Even when days are tough, choose to live for Him, love Him, and serve Him faithfully in your work and in your life. What are some ways you can glorify God in your work? List a few here. Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 Colossians 3:17 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Deuteronomy 26: 12-19; Deteronomy 11: 22-25; 2 Machabees 1: 23-27; Sirach 36: 1-10; Daniel 3: 47-51; Daniel 3: 52-56; 1 Thessalonians 5: 14-23; Matthew 17: 1-9; Haydock Commentary Please consider donating to help keep this podcast going by going to buymeacoffee.com/catholicdailybrief Also, if you enjoy these episodes, please give a five star rating and share the podcast with your friends and family

On this episode, Paul White talks about Bible translations. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1.

In verses 11 and 12 of chapter 4, Paul teaches the Thessalonians to avoid unruly lives and to “mind your own affairs.” He encourages diligent work as part of a believer's witness to a watching world. 

On this episode, Paul White talks about the "end of the age".  Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

A companion can be anything you spend time with, but do we ensure we are companions to the right things? Psalm 119:63 says, “I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.” Today, Amy is joined by Becca to talk about the best companionship we can have. References: Proverbs 13:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Proverbs 27:17; Psalm 25:14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:24-25 Resources: Do What God Already Told You To Do https://atheycreek.com/teachings/s2-560 Contact us: devotedpodcast@atheycreek.com women@atheycreek.com https://atheycreek.com/ministries/women Follow us on IG: @atheywomen @ammcreynolds

Ever have one of those days you’d gladly return for a refund? Maybe it starts with something small — and inconvenient. Then another thing piles on. And another. Before long, you’re wondering if staying in bed would’ve been the wiser spiritual decision. In this episode, we talk about how to handle the days that hit hard — the ones filled with disappointment, frustration, or unexpected blows. Psalm 118 doesn’t give us an escape clause. It doesn’t say, “Rejoice when it’s going well.” It simply says: this is the day the Lord has made. Even this one. So what does it actually look like to rejoice when the day feels anything but joyful? What We Discuss Why bad days feel so overwhelming The difference between denial and biblical rejoicing How perspective shifts emotional response The role of humor in spiritual resilience Choosing gratitude when circumstances don’t cooperate Letting God shape us through daily frustrations This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: When It's One of Those DaysBy Cindi McMenamin Bible Reading: "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24 ESV). Do you know what it’s like to have one of those days you wish you could do over? My friend Holly recalls that her day like that started at 4:30 a.m. when she opened the door of her house to pick up the newspaper, which was usually on her welcome mat waiting for her. But as she opened the door, and before she even had a chance to look down on her welcome mat…Thunk! The newspaper delivery person, unknowingly, chucked that newspaper through the early morning still-dark air, and it pelted her right in the chest. She never even saw it coming! Stumbling over a bit, she regained her composure and just stood there. Nice aim, she thought, sarcastically, and turned around and closed the door. The rest of the day didn’t get much better. One disappointing situation after another. Until pretty soon, she wished she hadn’t even gotten out of bed that morning. Fortunately for Holly, she kept her sense of humor and laughed about it with several women in her exercise class at the end of the day. We all have days when we get pelted with something right in the chest. A stinging insult. An action by a co-worker or friend that leaves us shocked. Some news that causes us to stumble or double over. Sometimes it’s from someone, unknowingly, chucking something through the air that happens to hit us. And other times it’s a direct hit from someone with a pretty good aim! Whether it’s one incident after another that seems to be giving you a bad day or circumstances in which you are the one who is clearly messing up, there is a way to get through it. God's Word gives us simple instructions for handling the “bad days.” "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it," the psalmist said. But how can we rejoice? That word creates a picture in my mind of a person jumping up in the air and shouting for joy. Are we to do that when we’re having one of those days? Evidently so. It’s interesting that God’s Word doesn’t say: “This is the day the Lord accidentally let slip through the heavens; let us tolerate it and be done with it.” Rather, God’s Word specifically states that this day—even the one in which you get plunked right in the chest—is a day that He has made and therefore it is one worth rejoicing in. Intersecting Faith & Life: I suppose God wants us to realize that even when uncomfortable or hurtful or downright disastrous things happen, it is still a day in which we live, breathe, and exist. It is still a day in which we can choose to see the brighter side of things and acknowledge that He’s in control. It’s still a day in which we can, like Holly, keep a sense of humor and laugh at the day’s events by sundown. There is still something in this day worth rejoicing about because it is a day given to us by the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Can you, my friend, find something in this day worth rejoicing about? If not, then simply rejoice. This is the day the Lord has made—for you to live it with Him and become the kind of person He desires you to be. Rejoice in it, my friend. And see if it doesn’t change your outlook—and your day. Thank You, Lord, for this day—regardless of what it brings or has already brought my way. Today is a day that I live and breathe and exist. May I do so with a song in my heart simply because You have given me life. And may You be pleased by my attitude, my gratitude, and my praise. Thank You that You can grow me, mature me, sharpen me, and shape me through whatever comes my way. I surrender it all to You, Lord Jesus. In Your name, I pray this. Amen. Further Reading:1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 For daily perspective and reasons to praise, see Cindi’s book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

During the recent State of the Union, something stood out — not because of policy, but because of how we respond to moral issues in our culture.When did we stop calling evil… evil?In this video, we examine Isaiah 5:20, Romans 1, and the growing moral confusion in modern culture. This isn't about politics. It's about discernment. It's about truth. It's about whether Christians still have the courage to call right “right” and wrong “wrong.”Have we traded conviction for comfort?Have we allowed popularity to define goodness?Have we stopped testing everything through Scripture?Let's wrestle with it together.

In fact, he says over in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 13, that "when you receive from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men but for what it really is, the word of God which performes its work in you who believe"! You know when we welcome God's word into our life and we believe it; it performs a work in us, it changes us! God's word has that kind of life giving power! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1170/29?v=20251111

In verses 9 and 10 of chapter 4, Paul gets back to his emphasis on loving one another. The Thessalonians were known for their love toward other beilevers, and Paul wants them to keep growing in this.  

Daily Word God has given you a vision for a business, ministry, or nonprofit. However, cash is running low and the vision currently cannot pay your bills. What do you do? Well, don't quit the vision. Instead, look for an additional source of income. __________ 1 Timothy 5:18 KJV, 1 Corinthians 9:14 KJV, Ecclesiastes 3:13 KJV, Luke 8:3 NLT, Matthew 17:27 KJV, 1 Thessalonians 2:9 NLT, 2 Thessalonians 3:8 ASV, Acts 20:34 ASV, Acts 18:1–3 KJV, 2 Corinthians 11:8 NLT __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments __________    

On this episode, Paul White talks about preparing for God's judgment. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

Every Christian needs two people in their lives. We need someone we are learn from and someone we are discipling. We need someone in our lives that is helping us grow spiritually, and someone we are helping grow.Main Points:1. There is much emphasis today on our “personal relationship with Christ.” But sometimes because it's personal, we forget our responsibility to share it with others. 2. The Scripture informs us that the older women should teach the younger women. The older men should teach the younger men. This may not always refer to age because we know that just because a person is older it does not mean they are mature in the faith. I believe Paul is instructing us to find someone who is new in the faith so we can teach them how to follow Christ. This is discipleship.3. In discipleship, we model and teach toward a deeper love for and obedience to Christ. The goal of all discipleship is that we would be like Christ in our actions and character.Today's Scripture Verses:Matthew 28:19-20 - “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you…”1 Thessalonians 5:11 - “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”Hebrews 10:24 - “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Psalm 16 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

Culture shifts. Headlines change. Uncertainty rises. But Revelation 4 pulls the curtain back and shows us what never moves: God is still on the Throne. John is invited “after this” into a glimpse of what's ahead, and what he sees isn't chaos, it's order, glory, and government.This chapter reminds us that the rapture and the second coming are not the same event. Scripture paints a picture of believers being caught up “in the blink of an eye,” rescued from the coming wrath, because God doesn't save His children just to pour judgment on them. The rapture is a divine moment for a ready Bride, and heaven is already signaling that something is coming.John describes a throne surrounded by an emerald glow, echoing God's covenant with Noah. On earth the rainbow appears after the storm, but in heaven the rainbow surrounds the Throne, showing us that mercy surrounds justice and God carries His people in His heart. Lightning and thunder are not theatrical, they're divine warnings. The world wants the rainbow without the thunder, but God's love doesn't cancel His justice… it completes it.Revelation 4 also reveals heaven's worship. The elders, representing redeemed humanity, fall down in awe, not because of a manual, but because the presence of God is overwhelming. Praise is dependence. Praise destroys pride. Complaining and victimhood will rob your life, but when you bypass your feelings and live in praise, many problems begin to lose their grip. Worship is not just what we do, it's what we become, and when we live in praise we're practicing for eternity.This message brings it home: God is the source of all things. Creation was made to give Him pleasure and praise, and God cares deeply about what He made. The answer for the world doesn't begin in the noise… it begins at the Throne, falling at the feet of Christ.Key Scriptures: Revelation 4, 1 Timothy 6:15, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, Luke 21:36, Genesis 9, Isaiah 11:2, Romans 1:25, Romans 8:22, Revelation 11:18Next Step: Come ready. Lift your eyes. Choose praise. It starts at the Throne.

Send a textThis podcast covers the doubts the Thessalonians had about the return of Jesus. False teachers had clouded their minds telling them a hopeless option. Paul writes to elaborate on what he had started before being kicked out of their city. Listen to hear the truth about our future at Jesus' 2nd appearing. Support the show

Join us for a continued discussion on the hope and freedom we have in Jesus.We welcome Joseph Gonzalez to UpTime. Joseph is a Bible‑focused evangelist connected with *The Cloud Church*, where he teaches on faith, endurance, and the believer's daily walk with Christ. He is known for clear, Scripture‑driven messages and a passion for helping people understand salvation through Jesus. His ministry reflects a commitment to family, discipleship, and sharing the Gospel in simple, direct terms.We will also have a roundtable discussion on the Bible, world events that may pertain to bible prophecy and the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.-1 Thessalonians 1:10UpTime Community is a webcast that covers teachings and unique perspectives on end time events.Sign-up for updates and extra content that won't be posted on this channel: https://forms.gle/vQTPMs3kCt5X5Za88Unsure about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ? Go HERE: https://www.gotquestions.org/eternal-life.html

Best of Daily Devotions: 1 Thessalonians 3 Pt 3 Daily Devotions by Pastor Tim Dodson of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. Tim Dodson is the lead-pastor of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. These devotionals are designed to take the listener through the Bible verse-by-verse. [maxbutton id=”1″]

Uncle Si insists his kids are proof there's a God and that grace can transform even the most unlikely dad. He, Jase, and Al agree the greatest treasure isn't gold at all, and while Si claims he's discovered the fountain of youth, he's still planning his own eulogy just in case. The guys dive into a deeper discussion about “special knowledge” in 1 John, what truly changes a man, and the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Him.  In this episode: Proverbs 21, verses 30–31; Hebrews 11, verse 6; 1 John 3, verses 16 and 24; Romans 5, verse 10; 1 John 3, verses 1–10; 1 Corinthians 15, verse 17; 2 Thessalonians 1, verses 7–8; John 10, verse 18; Acts 2, verses 22–24 “Unashamed” Episode 1276 is sponsored by: https://chministries.org/unashamed — See why Christians are ditching health insurance for good. Get a simpler alternative at half the cost! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters: 00:00 Cranked Off & The Greatest Treasure on Earth 05:02 Uncle Si Says His Daughter Is Proof There's a God 10:45 King Cake Chaos & What Real Servant Leadership Looks Like 14:05 PTSD, Horse Therapy & God's Design for Healing 22:10 What Makes Moms Special 27:15 What Actually Changes a Man? 33:18 Special Knowledge in 1 John 44:05 Insane but Unashamed — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I'm sharing another special moment from the live podcast back in October, where I'm reading through 1 Thessalonians 5, and letting Scripture bring us back to what we forget most easily: who we are in Christ.This passage is such a steady reminder that we are children of light. We're not called to live in fear, anxiety, or spiritual numbness, but to stay awake, anchored, and strengthened in the Lord. As I read, I share what this could look like in real life: choosing patience with one another, leaning into community, praying with and for each other, and learning how to give thanks in all things… even when it's not easy.This special episode is for anyone who's felt discouraged in their growth, frustrated with the process of patience, or tempted to forget the miracle of what God already did on the cross.If sanctification feels slow and obedience feels heavy, I pray this reminds you: God is faithful, He is keeping you, and your identity has already been secured.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode, Paul White talks about when faith leads to fruit. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:8-9.

What if your greatest spiritual battle isn't happening around you — but within you?In this message, we explore how Scripture and neuroscience agree: your thought life shapes your peace, identity, and spiritual strength. God has given you weapons to fight the internal war.If you've struggled with anxiety, shame, fear, comparison, or mental exhaustion, this teaching will help you recognize the battle, identify strongholds, and renew your mind through truth.In This Sermon, You'll Discover:• Why negative thoughts feel louder than positive ones• How repeated thoughts build mental strongholds• The danger of rumination and thought loops• Why replacing thoughts works better than suppressing them• How gratitude literally reshapes your brain• The connection between stress, rest, and anxiety• Why identity drives behavior• How speaking truth regulates emotions• Why hope is spiritual AND neurological• How to actively take thoughts captive

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing. Jesus said, I AM the Main Thing! MESSAGE SUMMARY: Today, we delve into the profound mystery of the Holy Spirit and its vital role in our Christian walk. We're reminded that it's not just about having the Holy Spirit, but allowing the Spirit to have us - to lead and guide our lives. The message emphasizes three key sins against the Holy Spirit: grieving, quenching, and blaspheming. When we choose bitterness over love, or hold onto unforgiveness, we grieve the Spirit. Every time we sin, we quench the Spirit's flow in our lives. Yet, there's hope in confession, which reopens the floodgates of the Spirit's presence. This teaching challenges us to examine our hearts: Are we truly yielding to the Spirit's guidance? Are we living holy lives that honor God? It's a call to deeper surrender and a reminder of our constant need for the Spirit's empowering presence in our faith journey.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of love. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 132). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Compulsions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Patience. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Thessalonians 5:19; John 14:19; John 8:51; John 11:25; Exodus 3:14; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Peter 3:20 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Essentials Part 5 – The Holy Spirit”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

On this episode, Paul White talks about divisions within the Church. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7.

*Disclaimer* This episode contains adult content and is not recommended for young listeners.   284. DON'T MISS THIS! Controversial Sex Questions, Answered with Dr. Juli Slattery   1 Samuel 24:19b NIV “May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today.”   *Transcription Below*   Bio: Instagram Facebook Authentic Intimacy Website Java with Juli Podcast   Thank you to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Questions and Topics We Cover: As Christ followers, should we use a friend's preferred names and pronouns? If one part of Scripture talks about turning the other cheek, is that the same as saying God expects you to stay in an abusive marriage? Is it reasonable to assume that once they have a smartphone, 100% of kids will be exposed to pornography?   Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce, Including Past Episodes with Dr. Juli Slattery: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen  Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna  Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 222 Pornography: Protecting Children and Personal Healing, Victory, and Recovery in Christ with Sam Black Special Patreon Release: Holy Sex: An Interview with Dr. Juli Slattery Special Patreon Release: His Desires and Her Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen 224 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn 252 Maximizing Sexual Connections as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Cliff & Joyce Penner 260 Sex After Cancer with Dr. Kris Christiansen 277 Breaking Through Addiction in Marriage with Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:11 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 – 2:21) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.   Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.   My returning guest for today is Dr. Juli Slattery.   She has authored another book entitled Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes Everything, and we're going to cover a few themes from this book, but I think what you're going to find most helpful are her candid responses to some really tricky questions related to dating and pornography, technology, thought life, shows that we watch as believers, divorce, and just intimacy in general as married couples.   So, I think this is an episode that you're going to want to learn from yourself, but you'll also want to share with others because Dr. Juli has offered us such a gift as she directs us back to the heart issues and wisely guides us into sexual integrity in our own lives.   Here's our chat.   Welcome back to The Savvy Sauce, Dr. Juli.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (2:21 – 2:21) Thanks so much for having me back. It's always a joy.   Laura Dugger: (2:21 – 2:22) Well, I love that you've been a repeat guest many times. So, we get to just dive right in today because I'm going to link all of your previous episodes in the show notes. But to dive in, I'm just curious, as believers, where does your heart break as you see us compromising on God's design for sex?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (2:22 – 3:31) Hmm. That's such a good question. You know, I think my heart breaks the most in that when we compromise God's design for sexuality, or even when we don't understand it or understand His goodness, it means that there is a breach in our relationship with God.   And so, I am so passionate about what I do, not necessarily because I love talking about sexuality, but because for a lot of people, sexuality represents a wall between them and God, like an issue they can't resolve, or a place of shame that they just can't quite shake free from, or battle with sin that they feel like they're enslaved to. And so, those things mean that there's a limit to how much they invite God into their lives.   And so, for me, that's where my heart breaks the most is, you know, ultimately, we were created for the greatest fellowship with God and anything that gets in the way of that is something that God cares about and something that I care about.   Laura Dugger: (3:32 – 4:03) You say that well, and you've written many books, but in this most recent one, you plainly state one issue when you write, “You will not be able to obey God with your sexual thoughts, while binging shows and music that continually display the exact opposite.”   And I love how practical that is. So, Juli, why do you think this has become so normalized? And I would say, especially in Christian marriages.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (4:05 – 5:58) Yeah, you know, I think a lot of it is that the church has been historically really quiet about sexuality, you know, like we might talk about save sex for marriage, and don't cheat on your husband and that sort of thing. But the gray areas about how we think about our sexuality and kind of what we have the liberty and freedom to engage in, there's kind of silence, or maybe there's legalism.   And I think in that space, what ends up happening is the culture is so forthright with a message about sexuality, like woven throughout every single show that you could stream on any platform, you know, your music on Spotify, even the news you consume, the Instagram feeds, whatever, it's consistently showing you a way to understand sexuality that is contrary to God's design, and the messaging can be so subtle, or so repetitive that we don't even realize we're ingesting it.   And so, it's normal to talk about with your friends, like the latest season of The Bachelor, or, you know, the latest thing that you're streaming that if you really look at it, there's probably 100 references to sexuality that are outside of God's design. And so, we end up just having our mind conformed to this world.   And the scripture says really clearly in Romans 12, that we can't offer ourselves to God while we're still thinking like the world thinks that it requires an act of transformation of our thinking. And I don't know that there's anywhere more than we need this than in the topic of understanding our sexuality.   Laura Dugger: (6:00 – 6:59) Okay, so for I'm thinking of married couples, because I was recently at a wedding shower. And I love a friend from church. Her name is Dawn Karius. And she was giving the devotional and just sharing. You know, it's very easy to get married and fall into this trap. She was talking about what you watch specifically.   And she said, so many couples will watch something together, watch a show before bed, but be really intentional. If that is what you choose to do, then the shows that you're watching, even though you're with your spouse, is that drawing both of you closer to Christ? Because if it's pulling you further away from Christ, it's also pulling you away from one another.   And so, with all of that, and with what you've studied and written about, if a couple's hearing that and or some single person just hearing this, what would be your practical advice or encouragement for them?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (7:00 – 9:29) Yeah, some of it is, we can't live in a bubble. You know, it's, I think that there are some couples will have the conviction that, you know, we're just going to get rid of all of our devices, we're going to get rid of every streaming service. And there's nothing wrong with that decision, you might feel convicted to do that.   But for most couples, I would say, they're like, okay, we live in this world, we need to understand even the world we live in. And so, it's not like we're going to completely be cut off. But are we being discerning about what we consume?   And what are the standards that we might hit where we might just say, “You know what, we don't need to be watching this.” You know, like I can think of one show in particularly that my husband and I were watching. And it was a well-written show. It was exciting. But there was just so much profanity and just gross kind of sexual content that after two or three episodes, we're both just like, “You know what, as good as the show is, we just, this isn't, we're not watching this. Like we need to stop.”   And I think you need to have those discussions and you might have a different level of conviction than your spouse does. And that's okay, but at least have those conversations and you need to follow your conviction.   But then the other thing I would say that is equally important, if not more important, what are you consuming that helps you get God's perspective of sexuality? And what I've found is that a whole lot of Christian married couples know very little about what it looks like to build a healthy sex life in their marriage. And they're not consuming anything that helps them know how to love each other better, how to overcome differences, even how their bodies work, how to focus on one another and enjoy sex in a holy erotic way.   And so, even if you're watching and consuming very little content from the world, but you're not actively pursuing anything that gives you a biblical perspective, you're still going to end up defaulting to what the world says. And so, I think that again, it's equally as important or not, if not more important to be pursuing what's true and what's right and what's good.   Laura Dugger: (9:31 – 9:53) I love that, how you flipped it. And that discernment piece is huge because we don't want to be desensitized to then that we're consuming and we also want to feed on the good. So, I think it even leads to a broader question, again, as Christ followers, how can we recognize if our conscience is being pricked?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (9:54 – 12:05) Yeah, we can start by asking the Lord. You know, I mean, I think it's in, is it Psalm 139, where, you know, David is basically saying, “Search me, oh God, and know my thoughts, you know, show me if there's any offensive way within me.”   I think that's a beautiful prayer as an individual and as a couple, like God, we want to honor you with what we consume in media, with what we think about, would you guide us and would you show us? And then I think we all have that experience of watching something or listening to something or reading something where we're like, “Uh, I don't know, like, this is sort of a gray area. Like, I'm uncomfortable here. I probably shouldn't be watching this.” Or “Wow, that's really, that's really in your face. Like that's really graphic.”   And it's heeding the Holy Spirit when you get those prompts, instead of just pushing through and being like, “Ah, it's not that big of a deal. It's not going to affect me.” Like when you feel that sense of prompting, you respond to it and you say, “All right, I'm going to put this down. I'm going to shut this off.”   And, um, you know, the scripture says that we can become callous to those promptings of the Holy Spirit if we are in a habit of just running right through that. But we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when we yield and when we obey.   Um, and so, I think even just keeping track, you know, every day or every week, like where were the times regarding this or anything else that I really felt convicted by the Holy Spirit about maybe something I said about a friend, uh, or about a little white lie I told, you know, where were the times where I really felt the Holy Spirit nudging me and what did I do? Um, where do I need to confess that I didn't respond well? And where do I need to celebrate that? Yes, I listened, I obeyed, I yielded. Um, and so, I think that's a practice we get into of either ignoring that conviction or really yielding to it.   Laura Dugger: (12:06 – 12:28) Hmm. And that gets after the heart issue, which Jesus is so concerned about our heart. And that's a very softened heart approach. Yes. I hope we can have. And as it relates to sexual integrity, then what are some other ways that we need to be on guard so that we're careful not to be misled?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (12:29 – 13:37) Yeah, boy, I think there's just so much conversation. Um, again, even in Christian circles, sometimes around having a negative attitude towards sex, um, kind of accepting some forms of pornography as normal and even good, you know, husband bashing, wife bashing, you know, like complaining, kind of letting the thought feed in your mind of maybe I should have married somebody else.   Maybe that my life would be easier if I, I weren't married to this person. I wish they were this or that. So, sort of that discontent that is natural to feel in marriage. But the question is, what do you do with it? Do you give it space to grow and to nurture, or do you bring that before the Lord?   Um, so, I think those are some of the ways that we want to look at, like, how am I giving the enemy space in my life and in my marriage versus how am I inviting God to really reclaim what's broken here?   Laura Dugger: (13:38 – 14:01) Well, and then even thinking of the other side to guard ourselves from having a critical and judgmental spirit toward others or just having self-righteous pride. Can you educate us on some common reasons why some people may be predisposed to struggle with some certain sexual sins?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (14:02 – 17:20) Yeah, absolutely. I think that's so important, um, because the research really shows that some of us are more, I don't know if I'd say it that way, but we are going to be more predetermined maybe to struggle with things like pornography or same-sex attraction, or even hooking up.   And it's never like a one plus one equals two exactly. But there are what we might say indicators or risk factors that make you more vulnerable to those kinds of sexual struggles. And some of them might be unhealthy family dynamics growing up, you know, none of us had a perfect family, but let's say you grew up in a family where one of your parents was like overtly critical towards you all the time.   Maybe you went through a divorce with your parents where, um, you know, at a certain age, you just, your family fell apart and you're kind of looking for that stability and love. People who have experienced sexual trauma in childhood or the teen years are going to be more pre-dispositioned to want to understand that or act that out.   People who might struggle with anxiety. And, you know, some of it is we got to understand that sex, because it elicits dopamine in our brain and oxytocin and endorphins, which are all really feel good kind of experiences and hormones and neurotransmitters. When we had a sexual experience at a young age, our brain can learn, “Oh, this is how I deal with stress. This is how I deal with depression. This is how I deal with loneliness.”   So, a lot of times when you talk to somebody who has an ongoing struggle with a sexual temptation or sin, it's because they've learned as a pattern from maybe the time they were 10 years old or 12 years old or 15 years old, that this is how I dealt with the stress in my family. This is how I dealt with when my father died. This is how I dealt with when I was sexually abused. Like this was the way that I found to self-regulate and to self-medicate and to find comfort.   And that can be masturbation. It can be pornography or again, you know, acting out sexually. And so, for people who have that kind of story, and this might be your spouse, or this might be against somebody that you're looking at and judging to just say, “You need to stop that behavior,” is often not going to be enough. They need to do the work of really looking at what am I using sex for? What are the wounds that I'm using sex to cover up?   And how do I actually get the healing I need and find healthier and safer ways for me to cope with negative emotions? And that's why groups are really important for people who have sexual struggles. Counseling is really important. And again, that long journey of healing and freedom, not just a one-time decision that I'm going to try to never do this again.   Laura Dugger: (17:21 – 20:19) Love that word freedom, even because that hope is available. And just pointing out how you said this is not deterministic. That's not what we're saying is if you experience something, you will act out sexually. But I agree with you that it is fascinating and helpful to hear the correlation of certain things that happen, especially in childhood, and how that plays out long-term.   And I am blanking on which guest it was on The Savvy Sauce, but somebody was enlightening me. I think it was for females that if they were sexually abused, typically before a certain age, then they were more likely to struggle in marriage with wanting to completely avoid sex. But then if it was after a certain age, that it was completely opposite where they maybe used sex to medicate, or they were very aggressive and even would act out, let's say in single years, that they would sleep around with a bunch of partners if they had been wounded.   And so, I just think it just, it helps us to not be judgmental of one another. We don't know the full story.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (20:20 – 21:09) Yes. Yeah. There's always more there than we usually realize at first. And, you know, this plays out a lot in marriage because there are a lot of women who are married to guys who are addicted to pornography. And that's a deeply painful dynamic. That's really hard.   But to understand that your husband didn't want to have this struggle, often doesn't know how to get out of it, you know, gives you compassion. It doesn't mean that you look the other way, you need to get help, and you need to insist on getting help. But it does give you empathy and compassion that there's something underlying this and feeding it. It's not just, “Oh, I think I'm going to, you know, look at porn and hurt my wife again,” that there's always a deeper dynamic at work.   Laura Dugger: (21:10 – 21:50) Absolutely. And even an example from your book, I'll just read a quote where you said, “I spoke with a man who runs a sexual addiction program. He told me he had never met someone with sexual addiction, who did not also have significant sexual or psychological trauma in their past.”   And I think it goes along with what we're saying. But if we also then flip it and look at more of the positive side, how can we rightly prioritize connection and intimacy in marriage as God intended?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (21:53 – 24:24) I think first of all, we need to be convinced that this is worth it. You know, when we look at everything there is to do in life, there's so many worthy demands on our time. You know, from I want my house to look nice, and we need to make friends and we need to be an outreach to our community. And our kids are taking a lot of time and they should, and they've got all their activities and our church needs our help. Like when do you have time to do all this? And then, oh yeah, prioritize your marriage.   And I think we have to become convinced that if we're not working on our marriage, and specifically if we're not working on the sexual connection in marriage, then all those other things have the potential to fall apart. That the way I've learned it over time is that sex is never going to be a neutral issue in your marriage. It's either going to be something that is bonding you together and causing you to work on the deeper levels of intimacy, even as you talk through sexual difficulties, or it's going to be something not immediately, but over time, that becomes a wedge between you.   It might start as a wedge of resentment of my needs aren't getting met, or I feel like you're objectifying me or you're putting pressure on me. Or it might be a deeper wedge of a pornography addiction or something that's not being addressed. Or I don't trust my husband because of my trauma. And those things don't just stay dormant. The wedge becomes bigger and bigger and bigger until you get to the place where now you're not comfortable being in the same room anymore and you feel like roommates. And then now one of you is attracted to somebody else and the story plays on.   And there are very wonderful godly men and women who have gotten married with every purpose to stay together. But a wedge like this has grown over time to the point where they're now thinking about divorce or one of them has cheated on the other. And so, we have to be convinced that honoring God in our lives means prioritizing our marriage, and it means working on this intimate aspect of our marriage so that we can be a stable foundation for our families and our churches and our communities.   Laura Dugger: (24:26 – 24:39) And so, if we're getting as practical as possible, what are the best practices that you've seen in married couples who are happily married? How have you experienced that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (24:40 – 28:04) Yeah. I'll put it in kind of like a cliche sort of way because I think sometimes that's catchy. Number one, I would say they're couples who will resist the drift, who will repair the rift, and who will adjust to the shift.   So, I can kind of break that down a little bit. But you know, the first thing is resisting the drift of you can go weeks without meaningfully connecting with your spouse. And I don't just mean sexually, but I mean like eye to eye, you know, just loving touch, just connecting to their hearts. And so, couples who know how to resist that drift, like they have regular times built into their calendar where this is where we connect every day. Like even for 10 minutes, this is where we hold each other's hands, we look at each other in the eye, we really connect with what's in your heart, how are you? And they have regular rhythms of once a week or once every other week, we're going to go out and do something fun together, just the two of us. We've worked through what sex looks like in this season. Like how many times do we want to have sex? Are we scheduling that? How are we making sure that's a priority? And so, that's the resisting the drift.   And the second one is repairing the rift. And at every marriage, there are going to be things that tear you apart. And sometimes those things might be sexual in nature, like a temptation, an emotional affair, pornography use, sometimes it's going to be something else where you have a deep disagreement that you can't resolve on your own. And you need to be courageous enough to reach out for help and say, like, if we don't get help, if we don't address this issue, like it's going to become something that tears us apart. Any couple that you meet who is happily married for like 30 years or more, they can tell you a story of when they had a rift, and the kind of help that really address that.   And then I think the third thing is adjusting to the shift. And in even the normal stages of marriage, there are shifts that happen. Like, you know, I'm in the stage right now where me and the people my age are going through biological changes with menopause and with aging. And, you know, some people are going through becoming grandparents and retirement. And there's all these shifts that are happening even naturally. There's other couples that are younger who are going through the shift of pregnancy and battling infertility. And some people are going through cancer. And there are things that happen that require you to shift your expectations. And to not just wish that it is like it used to be. But this is the marriage we have now. Here are the circumstances we have now. Here are the bodies we have now. How do we learn to love each other and embrace this season, given the changes that we're experiencing?   And so, I think that's a framework that I've seen healthy couples navigate over time that really fosters intimacy.   Laura Dugger: (28:05 – 29:29) That is incredible. I love how you put that. And I've shared with you before that my background is in Christian sex therapy. So, sex is a topic that does come up a lot and people feel comfortable sharing or asking questions. So, just in regular conversation, I want to recap two conversations that kind of show stances on both ends of the spectrum. And I'd love to hear your wisdom on how to respond to each one.   So, first, there was a Christian married woman with children, and she was teaching younger women to say yes to every single sexual advance from their husband. And she said, “If your husband has the higher drive, and he wants to have sex twice a day, then consider yourself lucky. And don't ever say no, because your body is not your own.” Yeah, it's hard to recap. So, this is not my perspective. So, sharing both ends.   So, that was one person. And then on the other end, I've heard a woman tell me, “You know, I just didn't feel like having sex for about a year and a half after we had our baby. So, I just told my husband, you're going to have to wait.”   So, loaded question, but Dr. Juli, how would you respond to each of those?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (29:29 – 32:31) Well, Laura, I feel like you probably would have just as good of response as I would to those. Yeah, I like that you're presenting those as two extremes, because they are two extremes. And I think both extremes kind of miss the heart. We want to be able to say yes to sex and intimacy. And being able to say yes means also being able to say no.   In that first situation, essentially, what is going to end up happening is that that wife is going to start feeling like my husband wants me for sex. And I don't have the capacity to enjoy it twice a day. I'm starting to feel like an object or used. And the husband is never going to learn that covenant love requires self-denial. And at every level, you know, what did, what did Paul say to husbands in Ephesians 5, like love your wife as you love your own body and be willing to lay down your, your life for your wife. And that means being sensitive to the fact that she doesn't have the same sexual appetite as you do. She doesn't have the same biology you do, that it actually can be physically painful, emotionally traumatic for a wife to have sex when she's not physically ready. Really, that couple is not working on intimacy. They're, they're kind of reinforcing a pattern that sex is about the husband getting his needs and desires met only through the wife without considering her. And that might work for short term, but that's not building intimacy in the long term. And it's not teaching either of them. And that wife needs to learn her own sexual desires and patterns and be able to communicate those to her husband. So, that's what I would say in that first one.   And the second one, essentially, you have a wife kind of having that more selfish perspective of, I only have sex when I want it and on my terms, instead of considering the husband. And, you know, how do I focus on him? How do I work on experiencing sexual desire? How do I foster that? Because it's important for my husband, it's important for our marriage. And I don't want to be selfish.   And so, I think both of those situations are kind of approaching sex where one person gets to be selfish, and the other person has to sacrifice. That's ministry, that's not intimacy. And so, we really want to be at a place where both of us, the higher desire one and the lower desire one, are learning what does it look like to really love well, to love sacrificially and to communicate the ways that I feel loved. I don't know, what would you add to that or change?   Laura Dugger: (32:31 – 33:11) That's why I asked you, you said that beautifully, better than I could have responded. And again, you're getting back to the heart of it and pointing us back to Jesus with each answer. And, you know, commonly people do struggle with having a safe place where they can ask candid questions about sex.   So, I am going to throw some more at you. And some of these are ones that you wrote about. But just to give us a little taste, even of the book, or if somebody has a burning question like this, I'd love your healthy response.   So, how do you respond when people ask, “How far is too far to go in a dating relationship?”   Dr. Juli Slattery: (33:14 – 36:32) Yeah, I think people are looking for a line, you know, like, as long as I don't cross this line, are we good? And of course, I think their traditional line would be as long as you're not having intercourse. But I think that misses the larger context of the purpose of sex. I've had to be convicted of this in my own life. And we talked very early in our conversation about how we've just sort of ingested messages from the culture. And the culture says that healthy sexuality is an expression of how I feel, right? So, so if I feel safe with you, if I feel romantically connected to you, if I feel sexually attracted to you, then it would be healthy for me to engage sexually with you. And then Christians would come and say, yes, but as long as you don't cross this line. So, that's sort of the narrative that I think a lot of us have heard in the church.   But if we look at, from a biblical perspective, God did not design sex to be an expression of how I feel. Okay, let that sink in for a minute. God did not design sex to be an expression of how I feel. He designed it to be a seal and a celebration of covenant, of the choice that a man and a woman make to covenant their lives to one another. And for them to say, just like I give you my whole life, I promise faithfulness to you. I promise that we are becoming one as a family. We have now a physical way to symbolize that in becoming one with our bodies. And so, even if I feel romantically attached to somebody I'm not married to, I don't act on that. Or even if I don't feel romantically attached to my husband, we work on our sex life because we're in covenant.   And so, when you begin to understand sex from that standpoint, you answer that question differently of how far can I go? Why are you sharing your body with another person when you haven't shared your life with them? And, you know, I think that the standard is not legalistic, but the heart of the question is a lot, that's a harder question. You know, like it says, and I think 2 Thessalonians or 1 Thessalonians, you know, Paul says, the will of God is that you do not engage in sexual immorality. Don't take advantage of a brother or sister.   And how many times in dating relationships do you look back and you're like, “Wow, I gave too much of myself to that person or I took too much of myself from that person. Like we engaged in things that now we're broken apart. Like I wish I could take back.” And so, what does it look like to honor each other? What does it look like to honor the Lord? So, I think those kinds of questions help you get to the heart of how do we steward dating relationships a lot better than looking for a line we're not supposed to cross.   Laura Dugger: (36:33 – 37:31) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world.   So, we need your help.   Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.   As Christ followers, should we use a friend's preferred names and pronouns? So, how would you respond to that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (37:32 – 39:20) Boy, this is a hot topic. There are people who have really strong opinions on this. You're saying, do I use a friend's preferred names and pronouns?   And I think the fact that you have a friendship means that you can have a deeper conversation about the meaning of the names and pronouns. And I think that deeper conversation needs to happen. Because, you know, ultimately we don't like, we don't want to just say, “Oh yeah, whatever you want to call yourself is fine with me. Truth doesn't matter.” But on the other hand, we really want to get to the spiritual issue underneath this. And there's a, there's a big difference between somebody who doesn't know the Lord, doesn't know where you stand on any of this, and somebody that you can engage in a conversation with and seek wisdom on.   I think there, there's probably more latitude to use somebody's preferred name than pronouns. And I think in friendships, sometimes you can work that through and just say, you know, “Hey, I love you. I understand where you're coming from. I'm going to try my best to use the name that you're asking. But the pronoun is something that I'm not comfortable with. And here's why. And just like I'm, I want to understand where you are. I hope that you would have grace and understand where I am.” So, in a friendship, you're able to have those kinds of conversations. Whereas if it's a coworker or it's a stranger or a neighbor, sometimes we can't have that level of conversation. And so, I, we might choose to handle the situation a little differently.   Laura Dugger: (39:21 – 39:36) That's good. A hundred percent truth, a hundred percent love or kindness. And what if somebody asks, how much attention should we be giving these secondary issues as believers?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (39:39 – 41:03) Boy, I, I think first of all, the secondary issues come out of the primary issues. So, the primary issue, and you know, the issue I wrote Surrendered Sexuality is about is if my life belongs to the Lord, then my whole life needs to belong to Him, including how I think about cultural issues, including how I treat my neighbor.   And so, I don't see them as secondary issues. I see them as an outgrowth of the primary issue. I think when they become secondary issues are when we argue with other believers about it and it becomes the most important thing. Like I put you in a category based on, will you use preferred names and pronouns? And then I think we're missing what God calls us to.   The primary issue is that we want to honor God and we want to love each other. And so, let's keep going back to that primary issue. How do I love my neighbor well? How do I honor God's truth well? How do I pursue unity within the body of Christ well, as we're navigating some of these secondary issues? So, you know, like if we're going back to the primary issue, it means that we have to talk about the secondary issues, but we talk about them in light of what's primary.   Laura Dugger: (41:04 – 41:17) I like that. And I just have three more of these kind of tricky questions. So, another one, does pornography addiction qualify as reasons for a biblical divorce?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (41:20 – 42:50) I would say, first of all, technically, if we look at the word for sexual immorality in the scripture, which is porneia, we would say, yeah, you know, pornography does qualify for that.   But for the person who's asking this, maybe the woman who's asking this, I would say, why do you want to get out of the marriage? And what Jesus said is Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of your heart. And I think a more important question is where's your heart and where's your husband's heart? Because I've seen people with pornography addictions who have really open hearts towards healing, and they're willing to get the help that they need. They're repentant. They're willing to do the work. They're willing to go through even a time of separation to show that they're serious about that work.   And then there are people who have very hard hearts of, “This is who I am. I might go through the motions, but I'm really not interested in change.” And so, I think the pornography addiction is less the issue than the posture of the person's heart and their willingness to work. And if your spouse is willing to work, then I think it's on us to have soft hearts too, and to be open to the work that God can do.   Laura Dugger: (42:51 – 43:34) That's good because saying you have to zoom out and see more of the story in that stance, because that's very different. Somebody who's working on it and hates the struggle and is wanting to break free versus being married to a narcissist who is abusing you and treating you in a certain way and addicted to pornography. So, you point out well that all of these questions have more to them.   Okay. So, two more, if a spouse has had an emotional affair in the past with a coworker, but they still work with this person, what is the wise thing to do and how should they handle it if their spouse is uncomfortable with them still working there?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (43:36 – 44:33) Yeah, boy, that's something that I would want to seek counseling on. You and your spouse really need to get with a counselor and talk that through. The generic advice in that situation would be to get a different job, to not have that relationship still a temptation or available.   But there are sometimes very extenuating circumstances where that's not a possibility, or at least for now, that's not a possibility. And so, I would really encourage you to meet with a third party to sort through the details of your particular situation. Because it could be that your spouse isn't willing to take that hard step of cutting off that relationship, or it could be that they're willing, but again, there's extenuating circumstances. And I would really want a wise person who is engaging with you to help you navigate that.   Laura Dugger: (44:34 – 44:44) But I love that, how you highlight that something to look for though, is that you would hope your spouse would be willing to make that right, especially if they were the offending.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (44:46 – 44:46) Okay.   Laura Dugger: (44:47 – 45:00) And then also, Juli, because scripture does talk about turning the other cheek, does that mean it's the same as saying God expects you to stay in an abusive marriage?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (45:02 – 47:41) Absolutely not. If you were in an abusive marriage, you are not doing your spouse any good. You are allowing your spouse to be in a place where they're destroying their own life and they're destroying the people that they love.   Now you say, okay, where biblically do we see this? We see that Jesus, he says in John, he says, “I laid down my life for my sheep. I lay it down willingly. No one has the authority to take it from me. I have the authority to lay it down and I have the authority to take it up again.” And we see Him living that out with religious leaders who were after Him all the time, who wanted to stone Him, who were accusing Him of things. It says over and over again that Jesus escaped from them. He just got out of there until it was time that the Father said, now is the time for you to give yourself for the world.   So, we take that principle and we say, Jesus was not abused. Jesus did not let Himself be abused. He gave Himself as a lamb to the slaughter as a sacrifice for the Father and for the world. But that's very different. Up until that time, we see Him have great boundaries. We see Him not get, it even says He didn't entrust Himself to man because He knew what was in their hearts. I mean, He had boundaries with people that could have hurt Him.   And I also love when we see this in the story of King David and Saul, when Saul is chasing David, Saul is abusive, right? He wants to kill David. And so, David escapes. And there's a situation where David has the power or the opportunity to kill Saul and he doesn't do it. And then Saul just is struck by his conscience, and he comes back to David. He goes, “You're a better man than I am. I'm so sorry. You know, come back with me and I'll treat you well.” And even though David doesn't take revenge, he doesn't go back with Saul. He's still, he's like, “You go your way. I'll go my way. I'm going to let the Lord judge between us.”   And I think that's a great model. If you're in any kind of abusive relationship, you don't take revenge, but you also don't stay in that situation. You go your way, let them go their way, and you let God judge between you. And I think we see that over and over again in scripture.   Laura Dugger: (47:42 – 48:19) I think that is so well said. And it reminds me of a somewhat recent conversation in 2025 with Stacey Womack who's saying with domestic violence, really the way God would see it is child abuse. And that kind of helps our paradigm because we are His child.   And she elaborates on that. So, I said that that was the last one, but I actually thought of one more as it relates to our children.   So, is it reasonable to assume that once a child has a smartphone, 100% of them will be exposed to pornography?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (48:21 – 49:15) Yeah, it is. And I would say not just once they have a smartphone, because I know with one of my kids, we delayed the smartphone decision, but he had a learning disability that required him to have an iPad for school. And somehow, even though we locked down all the apps, somehow he's able to access it through that. Or it can be a gaming system, or it can be a friend's phone. And so, having a smartphone or device like that certainly makes it more probable.   But you know, like our kids are surrounded by screens and technology, not just what's in our home, but in other people's homes and at school. And so, I think it's safe to assume, unfortunately, that yes, 100% of our kids are going to be exposed to pornography, probably by the time they're 13 or 14.   Laura Dugger: (49:16 – 49:31) And sadly, some much younger than that. But even if there's parental controls, or filters put on, it is just something on my heart that we have to be so vigilant against.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (49:32 – 50:12) Yeah, no, I felt like when, you know, I have three boys, and when they were all three kind of in those teen years, I felt like I was trying to plug holes in a boat, and there'd be new ones popping up all the time. Whether it's like apps, or you know, things that you think are completely safe. Somehow, pornography can get through.   And our kids are smart, like they know the workarounds to the parental things. And that's why we just need to have conversation after conversation, just discipling them, not just protecting them from pornography, but discipling them through what they're inevitably going to be exposed to.   Laura Dugger: (50:13 – 51:05) That's a great point that not just being reactive, but proactive. I think why I have such a heart for this is because practicing and doing therapy and having so many people come in those wounds, that if that addiction gets a stronghold, and that pornography use, it just can wreak havoc in people long term. And so, if we can do that hard work of discipling early on, it is such a blessing to our children, to the generation.   So, I'm just so grateful for your candid responses. And I think it's also a helpful reminder just to never take on a burden that was never meant for us to carry. So, are there any ways that God has taught you to not try and do His business?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (51:07 – 52:16) Yeah. Boy, that's such a great question. I've had to come to the conclusion that I can't convince anyone of right and wrong. You know, like, I can't convince anyone that pornography is wrong, or gay marriage is wrong, or you know, like, that's not my job. My job is to walk with the Lord with integrity and faithfulness and to testify as to who He is.   And so much of this work, whether we're talking about marriage or our friends or our children, so much of this work has to be the Lord's work. And you reach a stage with your kids when they hit those teen years, where you realize the things my kids most need, I can't give them. I can't give them a relationship with God. I can't give them the desire to follow and seek the Lord. Like, I can model that for them. I can encourage them. But that is between them and the Lord. And if I try to control that, I'm just getting in the way of the work that God wants to do in their lives.   Laura Dugger: (52:18 – 52:33) Goodness, I will need to write that down and reflect on that. That is so good, Juli. And there's still so much more that you could share with us.   So, where is your preferred place that we can go online and continue learning from you?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (52:34 – 52:48) Yeah, I would say two places. Number one, our website is authenticintimacy.com. And the second one is the podcast that I do called Java with Juli. It goes along with The Savvy Sauce, you know, like they kind of go together.   Laura Dugger: (52:49 – 53:11) Yes, absolutely. We will certainly link to all of that in the show notes for today's episode.   And you're familiar, I've asked you many times before, because we are called savvy, because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or discernment. So, as my final question for you today, Dr. Juli, what is your savvy sauce?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (53:13 – 53:58) Oh, I don't even remember how I answered this the last few times. I think I may have said this before, but I think reading the dead old guys is one of my savvy sauce, like reading people who didn't live in this generation who loved the Lord.   And learning from them is just, that's probably taught me more discernment than anything, because they just cut right through the cultural noise that I think sometimes can blind us. And they really help me see my heart for what it is and help me really want to pursue God at a deeper level.   Laura Dugger: (53:59 – 54:03) Wow. Any specific recommendations that have been personal favorites there?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (54:04 – 54:22) Yeah, I love A.W. Tozer. I love many of Andrew Murray's books, particularly Humility and Absolute Surrender. And C.S. Lewis is another great one, Mere Christianity. So, those are some that I would recommend you start with.   Laura Dugger: (54:23 – 54:44) That is wonderful. Thank you for sharing that.   And Juli, it's just always such a delight to get to share an hour of conversation with you. And you are just this beautiful mixture of bold and gentle and humble, all combined into one. So, thank you for being my returning guest today.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (54:44 – 54:49) Oh, thank you. And it's such a pleasure to be with you. Thanks for your great questions.   Laura Dugger: (54:51 – 58:33) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

In Revelation 8–9 we see trumpet blasts, plagues, demonic locusts, and global shaking—and yet Scripture ends that section with a chilling line: “The rest of mankind… still did not repent” (Revelation 9:20–21). If righteous judgment doesn't lead the world to repentance, what will?This sermon, “The Hope of the Nations,” walks through Revelation 8–9 (and connects into Revelation 10–11) to show:- God is acting in judgment throughout this present age (Revelation 8:6–13; 9:1–6, 13–19)  - God is *restraining* His judgment in mercy, symbolized by the repeated “third” (Revelation 8:7–12; 9:15, 18), giving space and time for repentance (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4)  - Humanity tragically refuses to repent, doubling down on idolatry and sin even under judgment (Revelation 9:20–21; Romans 1:18–25)  - God advances His purposes through the faithful *witness* of the church, so that judgment + witness leads to repentance (Revelation 10–11, especially 11:3–13; Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8)Drawing on the Exodus plagues as a background (Exodus 7–12), this message shows that God's judgments are not random outbursts of anger but targeted spiritual warfare against false gods and the demonic powers behind them (Exodus 12:12; Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 6:12). The “mutant locusts” of Revelation 9 are symbolic of spiritual forces that torment those who cling to idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood (Revelation 9:20), but are restrained from ultimately destroying humanity.We explore how:- Biblical justice begins with God, not human sociology (Psalm 89:14; Micah 6:8; Romans 3:10–26)  - The deepest problem in the world is the human heart without Christ (Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:20–23; Ephesians 2:1–5)  - Every sin must be answered for—either at the cross or in final judgment (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27–28; 2 Corinthians 5:21)  - The cross is the only true refuge from God's just judgment and the ultimate expression of His mercy (Romans 5:6–11; 1 Peter 3:18; John 3:16–18)  We also confront two common but unbiblical assumptions:1. “If things get bad enough, people will turn to God.”     Revelation 9 shows the opposite—judgment alone does not produce repentance. People often *worship the very powers that harm them* (Revelation 9:20; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12).2. “If I get forceful or angry enough, I can make people change.”     If God's perfect judgment does not convert by itself, our outrage won't either (James 1:19–20; 2 Timothy 2:24–26). The church's calling is not to coerce but to bear faithful witness.The turning point comes in Revelation 11: after the church bears costly, faithful witness in the power of the Spirit (Revelation 11:3–7), judgment falls and “the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven” (Revelation 11:13). The same phrase “the rest” used in Revelation 9:20 is now connected to repentance and worship. The difference? The *witness* of the church.In this message, we consider:- The seal of God on the foreheads of His people (Revelation 7:1–4; 9:4) and what true spiritual protection means (John 10:27–29; Romans 8:31–39)  - How idols promise life but pay out death “on a payment plan” (Romans 1:24–32; Galatians 6:7–8)  - Why God restrains judgment so that His mercy might triumph (James 2:13; Ezekiel 18:23, 32)  - How ordinary obedience, forgiveness, truth-telling, and endurance are actually acts of cosmic warfare (Romans 12:17–21; Revelation 12:11; Ephesians 6:10–18)Key Scriptures referenced throughout the sermon include:- Revelation 8–9; 10–11  - Exodus 7–12  - Romans 1–3; 6; 12–13  - 2 Peter 3:9

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // Strategies of the Enemy (Exodus) There are Five Strategies I Want to Look at: (I'm sure there are others too) 1. DiscouragementDiscouraged by CircumstancesExodus 6:9 (NLT)“So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.” Discouraged by the EnemyExodus 13:17-18 (NLT)“When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” Discouraged by One AnotherNumbers 32:7-9 (NIV)“Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them.” Antidote: Encourage and Build UpHebrews 3:13 (ESV)"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)"...Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together... but encouraging one another.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”       2. DistractionAntidote: Stay FocusedHebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” 3. Disruption/DivisionAntidote: Walk in Unity1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Philippians 2:2 (NIV)“Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” Colossians 3:13-14 (NV)“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” 4. DeceptionAntidote: Hold Fast to TruthJohn 8:32 (NIV)“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 17:17 (NIV)“Jesus said, ‘Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth'.” Psalm 51:6 (ESV)“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” 5. DestructionAntidote: Choose LifeProverbs 14:2 (NIV)“There is a way that seems right to man, but the end of it is destruction.” Acts 2:21 (NLT)“But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 2 Samuel 22:2 (ESV)“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer."

2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

We sit down with Nate Miller from Stow Fire(OH). We have a fantastic discussion on multiple subjects, but mostly his love for the job!A big thank you for our sponsors, Elkhart Brass, Key Hose, and Vanguard Safety Wear. Bio - Nathan Miller began his fire service journey in 2011, spending 12 years on the backstep before promoting to Lieutenant in 2022. He currently serves on an engine company with a mid-sized suburban department in Northeast Ohio, where he's grateful to work for an organization that believes in its mission, its members, and purposeful leadership.Driven by a relentless pursuit to master the craft, Nathan has traveled across the country attending classes and conferences, sharpening his understanding of engine company operations and the fundamentals of firemanship. In 2022, he was honored to join Brothers in Battle LLC, working alongside a dedicated group of instructors committed to spreading firemanship and buying back the mission of the American fire service.He teaches engine work through his department's in-house academy and provides ongoing instruction throughout Ohio with a group self-named “The Shopping Cart Gang.” As the leader of the Ohio Fire Nuggets affiliate, Nathan has helped deliver high-impact, no-excuses training to hundreds of firefighters—strengthening departments that serve millions of Ohioans. He is unapologetically Mission First.Outside of the firehouse, Nathan is married to his wife Shelby, whose support makes everything possible, and he is a proud father of two children who have redefined his “why.” He's a shameless Cleveland Browns fan who understands adversity and loyalty, and he finds peace in the natural resources of Northeast Ohio and Northern Ontario—spending time on the water fishing, boating, and enjoying God's creation with family and friends.Nathan's life and leadership are rooted in faith, anchored in the belief that Christ is King. He lives by the principle of Faith, Family, and Firemanship, drawing inspiration from 2 Thessalonians 3:10:“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

What kind of faith gets Heaven’s attention? In Luke 7, Jesus was amazed by a Roman centurion’s faith—not a religious leader, but a soldier who understood authority and believed Jesus could heal his servant with just a word... Notes The Roman soldier’s amazing faith got Heaven’s attention. Weak or strong, everyone has a form of faith. Read Luke 7:1–10 Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following Him, He said, "I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!" Everything about Jesus was amazing. Matthew 8:27They were amazed and said, "What kind of Man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!" Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Roman centurions were significant people. This centurion somehow knew Jesus could heal his beloved servant. Sometimes non-believers have more faith than believers. The two disciples on the Emmaus Road summed it up, “We had hoped He was the One.” The non-believers remembered what Jesus said would happen after He died. Matthew 27:63We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' Where does sickness come from? Sickness and death were not part of God’s original plan for us. Romans 5:12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Satan brought the afflictions in Job's life. God will, on occasion, allow sickness in our lives to keep us humble, to teach us lessons, and to prepare us for the future. #1 Natural healing is what God built into the human body. #2 There is supernatural healing too. There is a promise of healing in the book of Isaiah.(Isaiah 53:4–5) 1 Peter 2:24"He himself bore our sins" in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by His wounds you have been healed." Lay hold of this promise when you need His healing touch. Why are some of us still sick?One reason is simply a lack of asking.(James. 4:2) Mark 6:5–6And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. The people who knew Jesus best couldn’t see Him for who He really was. Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The safest place to put your faith is in God. Faith is belief plus action. Faith does things. Amazing faith is to be used, applied, and put through its paces. The Christian life is lived by and through faith. Faith can make the difference between something happening and not happening. God is the One who works.But He chooses to work through humans living by faith. Even death is not the end. Jesus said, “I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!I hold the keys of death and the grave.” The powerful centurion had rank, influence, and resources.The widow had nothing. The centurion reached out to Jesus.But Jesus reached out to the woman. Read Luke 7:11–17 Luke 7:13When the Lord saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" He said. Jesus was deeply moved by the widow’s plight. Jonah knew the nature of God was to forgive. Jesus feels sorrow and compassion for those who have lost loved ones. We will see our loved ones who died in faith again. Paul uses the word “harpazō”, translated as “caught up.”(1 Thessalonians 4:16–17) The centurion demonstrated amazing faith. For the people of Nazareth, their familiarity bred contempt. The church is a dangerous place. Every time you hear the gospel and do not respond, your heart gets harder. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What kind of faith gets Heaven’s attention? In Luke 7, Jesus was amazed by a Roman centurion’s faith—not a religious leader, but a soldier who understood authority and believed Jesus could heal his servant with just a word... Notes The Roman soldier’s amazing faith got Heaven’s attention. Weak or strong, everyone has a form of faith. Read Luke 7:1–10 Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following Him, He said, "I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!" Everything about Jesus was amazing. Matthew 8:27They were amazed and said, "What kind of Man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!" Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Roman centurions were significant people. This centurion somehow knew Jesus could heal his beloved servant. Sometimes non-believers have more faith than believers. The two disciples on the Emmaus Road summed it up, “We had hoped He was the One.” The non-believers remembered what Jesus said would happen after He died. Matthew 27:63We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' Where does sickness come from? Sickness and death were not part of God’s original plan for us. Romans 5:12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Satan brought the afflictions in Job's life. God will, on occasion, allow sickness in our lives to keep us humble, to teach us lessons, and to prepare us for the future. #1 Natural healing is what God built into the human body. #2 There is supernatural healing too. There is a promise of healing in the book of Isaiah.(Isaiah 53:4–5) 1 Peter 2:24"He himself bore our sins" in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by His wounds you have been healed." Lay hold of this promise when you need His healing touch. Why are some of us still sick?One reason is simply a lack of asking.(James. 4:2) Mark 6:5–6And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. The people who knew Jesus best couldn’t see Him for who He really was. Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The safest place to put your faith is in God. Faith is belief plus action. Faith does things. Amazing faith is to be used, applied, and put through its paces. The Christian life is lived by and through faith. Faith can make the difference between something happening and not happening. God is the One who works.But He chooses to work through humans living by faith. Even death is not the end. Jesus said, “I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!I hold the keys of death and the grave.” The powerful centurion had rank, influence, and resources.The widow had nothing. The centurion reached out to Jesus.But Jesus reached out to the woman. Read Luke 7:11–17 Luke 7:13When the Lord saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" He said. Jesus was deeply moved by the widow’s plight. Jonah knew the nature of God was to forgive. Jesus feels sorrow and compassion for those who have lost loved ones. We will see our loved ones who died in faith again. Paul uses the word “harpazō”, translated as “caught up.”(1 Thessalonians 4:16–17) The centurion demonstrated amazing faith. For the people of Nazareth, their familiarity bred contempt. The church is a dangerous place. Every time you hear the gospel and do not respond, your heart gets harder. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, Paul White talks about the significance of the Apostle Paul's usage of "brothers and sisters" to address the Thessalonian church .Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5.

Psalm 86 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

Topics: The Simplicity of God's Will, Not Everything That Happens is God's Will, The Paralysis of Analysis in Decision Making, God's Will Concerning the Process of Grief, Revelation 21:4, Why You Can't Drop Out of God's Will, Every Sin Requires Death but Jesus Paid Once for All Hebrews, 10:10-14, The Lie of Waiting on God While Ignoring Help, Reading Your Bible Does Not Unlock God's Will, Why Your Will is the Same as God's Will, You Cannot Frustrate the Omniscient One, Romans 5:1, Our New Heart, Ezekiel 36:26, Debunking the Perfect versus Permissive Will Dartboard, The Myth of Sufferings and the Cross to Bear, We Have Been Crucified and Reborn with Christ, Galatians 2:20, Decisions and Bad Choices Cannot Override the Creator, Finding Rest and Freedom in a Good Father's Arms, God's Will is that We Give Thanks in all Things, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Being Reborn into the Family of Grace, The Renewal of the Mind and Wisdom in Christ, Romans 12:2, Working through Us to Fulfill His Good Purposes, Philippians 2:13, The Glory of Oneness with the Father and Son, John 17:22-23, Why Anxiety is Not Coming from God, Righteousness is Not Lost Based on Unrighteous Choices, Proverbs 12:5, Spiritual Healing through the Finished Work of Christ, The Sufficiency of Grace in all Circumstances, Top Ten Lies About God's Will, Trusting the Spirit of Jesus within You, Why You Haven't Missed the Boat on God's Calling, Your Identity as a Child of God in Christ Support the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

February 22 |Exodus 2:23-3:22, Matthew 17:22-27, Psalm 22:25-26, Proverbs 10:10 // Join us for this final week of our February Fast! Download your Prayer Journal at the following link to experience the fullness of a life that is dedicated to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). newsongnashville.com/   

Pastor Lance's study through 1 Thessalonians highlights our part in Christian growth, sharing some of the evidence that should be seen in a changed person's life. He emphasizes the fact that the Bible is the inspired truth of God, and points out different aspects of true salvation.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

On this episode, Paul White talks about when others remember us before God. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

In 2023, Kenyan police intervened to end to what’s being called the “Shakahola Massacre”—in which hundreds died after following a cult leader’s directions to starve themselves to meet Jesus. The leader had allegedly promised he too would leave earth in this way after his followers did. After his arrest, he denied ever teaching this. The tragedy is a troubling example of how dangerous it is to blindly trust those claiming to be spiritual leaders. Cult members were so deceived that they resisted those who came to save them from starvation. One survivor described getting “addicted” to the leader’s teachings. Christ is the true leader of those who trust in Him. He loved us so much He was willing to die for us to have life (1 Thessalonians 5:10). He calls us to live for Him, “awake and sober” (v. 6) and to test any teaching of others against His teaching (vv. 20-22). We respond to Christ’s love not by harming ourselves or others but by “encourag[ing] . . . and build[ing] each other up” (v. 11). By living “in peace with each other” (v. 13) and striving “to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” (v. 15). Through daily reliance on and trust in Christ’s Spirit (v. 19), we can live a life of love as we eagerly await Christ’s coming (v. 23).

On this episode, Paul White talks about the first verse in 1 Thessalonians.  Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1. 

As headlines warn that artificial intelligence could upend jobs, industries, and even human identity, Jase, Al, and Zach take a sober look at why the AI age feels so apocalyptic. From stock market panic to viral deepfakes and doomsday predictions, the guys acknowledge that massive cultural shifts are coming. But instead of giving in to a tailspin of fear, they pivot to Revelation and the steady promise that no technological revolution can dethrone Jesus. In a world drowning in information but starving for meaning, communion, love, and knowing Christ are the only answers that outlast every empire, every innovation, and every so-called “end of the world.” In this episode: Revelation 1, verse 1; Revelation 1, verses 4–8; Revelation 3, verse 3; Revelation 22, verses 7, 17, 20; Daniel 7; Ephesians 3, verse 10; 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 16–17; 2 Thessalonians 1; John 14 “Unashamed” Episode 1270 is sponsored by: https://myphdweightloss.com — Find out how Al lost 80+ pounds. Schedule your one-on-one consultation today by visiting the website or calling 864-644-1900 and mention "AL" https://ruffgreens.com — Get a FREE Jumpstart Trial Bag for your dog today when you use promo code Unashamed! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Chapters: 00:00 SAS Apocalypse & AI Panic 05:10 The Market Reacts to Artificial Intelligence 12:30 AI Fear vs. Resurrection Hope 19:40 Organic Bible Studies Will Be More Common 26:45 Is Anything Online Even Real Anymore? 33:50 Revelation: “He Is Coming Soon” 44:15 Judgment, Love & the Coming of Jesus 52:00 AI Can't Replace Communion 59:00 A Dollar General Love Lesson — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices