Podcasts about upper room

What really happened during the final hours before the cross? From the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane, every step reveals the cost of our redemption. Join Jim Scudder on InGrace as he walks these sacred places in Jerusalem and points us to the heart of the Gospel. Join the adventure!

If you were able to join us for our Transforming Together Growth Campaign meeting this past weekend, you know the room was filled with faith, generosity, and a real sense of God moving among us. If you weren't able to make it, we want to make sure you're caught up on everything that was shared, because this involves all of us.We spent time looking back at our history, and it was a good reminder of how God has led us every step of the way. From a handful of teenagers meeting above a veterinarian clinic in 1971, to renting space at what's now Generation Dance Studio, to setting up and tearing down every Sunday at Dixon School, to finally landing at our current location and eventually adding the sanctuary we worship in today. Every single chapter began with people saying yes to God, trusting Him with what they had, and watching Him do more than anyone expected.And now we find ourselves in another one of those chapters.As many of you have experienced firsthand, our building is full. Dozens of visitors are walking through our doors every week, and they keep telling us the same thing: they feel loved, they feel welcomed, they feel like they've found a home. That's because of you. The way you greet people, introduce yourselves, and make room in your lives for others is a direct reflection of the heart of Jesus, and it's beautiful.So where are we headed? We have a vision to build a new 650-seat sanctuary that will extend from our existing space through the Destiny Room. Once funds are available, the current sanctuary will be repurposed for classrooms and a flexible gym/multipurpose space. The estimated cost for the new sanctuary is $2.5 million, furnished, including things like seating and a sound system.We also got to hear from Brad and Kaylin, who shared honestly about what it looked like for them to pray through their commitment as a couple. They talked about their different personalities, their different numbers, and the way God ultimately challenged them to commit to something bigger than either of them had initially considered. Their story was a real encouragement, and it reminded us that this process is Christ-forming work in itself.Tom Melazoni, who has spent 30 years helping churches walk through seasons like this, also shared some wisdom and challenged us with three simple ideas as we consider our giving: Do away with something for a season. Delay a purchase or a plan. Or do more, whether that's extra hours or a creative way to contribute. The point is that God works differently in every household, and the gift that counts is the one that comes from a cheerful heart.So where do things stand right now? We currently have $150,000 in cash on hand toward our first milestone of $400,000, which is what we need to pursue permits. And the Growth Campaign executive team, representing five households, has already committed $151,200 toward our second milestone of $1,000,000 in three-year commitments before we break ground.We're on our way. And every commitment, every gift, every prayer moves us forward together.On Palm Sunday, March 29, we'll be collecting commitment cards. So between now and then, we're asking every person and every household in our Upper Room family to take time to pray and ask God a simple question: "Lord, what do you want to do through me?" The amount you land on is between you and God. What we care about is the heart behind it. And if God leads you to give cheerfully, then give. That's all we're asking.You can give to the Growth Campaign here:https://onrealm.org/urfellowship/give/growthcampaignYou can submit your commitment card here:https://onrealm.org/urfellowship/AddPledge/goalcardWe love you, Upper Room. God has been faithful through every season of this church's life, and He's not stopping now. We get to be part of what He's doing, and we get to do it together.Transforming Together,Chris and the URF Leadership Team

The Gathering Talk: Instructions for the Deep Brush In this episode of Save the Cowboy, Kevin Weatherby takes us into the heart of the Upper Room discourse. Jesus is giving His disciples—and us—the ultimate gathering talk before the toughest morning of His life. If you feel like you're lost in the thick mesquite of life and can't see the outside, this message is for you. Persistence and Reliance Kevin breaks down the two "footsteps" of the Christian walk: Persistence: The grit to keep doing the right thing because God said so, regardless of the cost. Reliance: The humble realization that your own standards will never be enough—you must lean entirely on His finished work. Stop looking for a mansion and start looking for the Creator. There are no hiccups in Heaven, and there is no fear on the dangerous road when you keep your eyes on the Rider on the Rim. Join the Movement Ready to go deeper? Visit our primary hub at LXRanch.org, home of the Long X Ranch Cowboys & Beef Ministry. Check the website calendar for instructions on how to join our live conference calls. Connect with Kevin Watch the full video version of this message and subscribe for more Cowboy Church content on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@KevinWeatherby. "Save the Cowboy is a sick pin for sinners, not a show ring for saints."

In this Lenten message from John 15, Pastor Sean reflects on Jesus' image of the vine and branches and the often difficult process of pruning in the Christian life. As a gardener cares for a vine so it can bear more fruit, God sometimes removes things that once felt meaningful or life-giving. Through personal story and reflection, this message invites us to consider what it looks like to remain connected to Christ through seasons of change and letting go. Rather than striving to produce growth on our own, we're reminded that lasting fruit grows from staying rooted in Jesus and learning to love one another well.

John 15:1-17 - Abiding in Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Sam Holm, Lead Pastor |  Preached 3-08-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Abide, Stay Connected, Change, Joy, Fruit, Plug, Electricity, Vine, Branches, Lamp

In this episode, we dive into Week Two of our series on the Holy Spirit's presence in the Upper Room. We explore the profound shift from Jesus walking beside the disciples to the Spirit dwelling within them—and what that internal shift means for our lives today. We also hold space for a personal update as we discuss Jake's transition. Whether you're in a season of waiting or a moment of massive change, this conversation serves as a reminder that the "in-between" is often where the Spirit does His deepest work.

John 15:1-17 - Abiding in Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Sam Holm, Lead Pastor |  Preached 3-08-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Abide, Stay Connected, Change, Joy, Fruit, Plug, Electricity, Vine, Branches, Lamp

Jesus once told His disciples that those who believe in Him would do the works He did and even “greater works.” For many Christians, that statement raises immediate questions. How could anyone do greater works than the Son of God who raised the dead and walked on water?In this episode of Kitchen Table Theology, Jeff and Tiffany walk through John 14:12 and unpack what Jesus meant during the Upper Room discourse. The “greater works” aren't about surpassing Christ. They're about the mission of Christ multiplying through His people as the gospel spreads, hearts are transformed, and the church carries the message of salvation to the world.What We Discussed02:45 The Context of John 14Jesus speaks these words during the Upper Room discourse, only hours before His arrest. His disciples are troubled, confused, and struggling to understand what His departure means.04:10 What Jesus Did Not MeanJesus wasn't promising that every believer would perform miracles that surpass His own. No one exceeds the authority or power of the Son of God.05:30 The Key Phrase in the PassageThe phrase “because I go to the Father” explains the meaning of the greater works. Jesus' ascension leads to the sending of the Holy Spirit and the expansion of the gospel mission.08:30 The Greatest Miracle of AllThe most profound miracle is not walking on water but the transformation of a human heart. Through the gospel, sinners are brought from spiritual death to life.10:30 The Role of Prayer in the MissionJesus connects the greater works to prayer in His name. The risen Christ continues to advance His mission as His people pray according to His will.12:00 Small Acts With Eternal ImpactFaithful witness, loving a neighbor, or sharing the gospel may seem ordinary. Yet these moments often lead to lasting spiritual transformation.14:30 Faithfulness Over FlashinessJesus does not call believers to outdo His miracles. He calls them to participate faithfully in His mission as the gospel spreads across the world.16:00 The Global Expansion of the GospelFrom a small group of disciples in Judea to billions of believers worldwide, the promise of John 14:12 has unfolded across centuries.“Greater works are not about surpassing Christ. They are about the risen Christ multiplying His mission through the faithful witness of His people.” –  Jeff Cranston

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Thank you for joining us for worship this Sunday at Upper Room Church! We would love to hear from you. Comment below and let us know you are watching.   Message Notes: https://upperroom.cls.co/mQtZ Luke 24:13-35   Baptism Sign Up: https://upperroompcola.cls.co/dmjs   Growth Track: https://upr.cls.co/njyq   UR Groups: https://upr.cls.co/zdqc   Event Calendar: https://upr.cls.co/ftcj   Prayer, Assistance, Share Decision of Faith: https://upr.cls.co/nqvp   Join the Legacy Team: https://upr.cls.co/msth   Giving: Support this ministry here and around the world: https://upr.cls.co/jpzq   Streaming License through MultiTracks https://www.multitracks.com   Copyright protection under 17 U.S.C. § 110 - U.S. Code - Section 3

Welcome to Troy Church's podcast series. Our Connection Card link:https://troychurch.breezechms.com/form/7e350cSermon NotesA Willingness Savior (Luke 5:12-16)An Authoritative Savior (Luke 5:17-26)Luke 4:18-19A Pursuing Savior (Luke 5:27-32)Worship Songs"You Hold it All Together" - Maverick City Music and UPPERROOM"God, You're So Good" - Kristian Stanfill and Passion"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"You can keep up with all things Troy Church right here on our channel, and also at our other social media and outreach opportunities:facebook.com/troychurch.tvinstagram/troychurchalwww.troychurch.tv

Pastor Brian continues in The Upper Room Series with a message on how the Holy Spirit guides, convicts, and empowers us to become like Jesus.

Today, we explore the word Believe and Jesus' powerful teaching in John 14. As He prepares His disciples for His departure, Jesus calls them to trust Him with complete confidence and ongoing faith. We see the Triune God in action: the Father sending the Son to alleviate our greatest fear, the Son declaring that He […]

Today, we explore the word Believe and Jesus' powerful teaching in John 14. As He prepares His disciples for His departure, Jesus calls them to trust Him with complete confidence and ongoing faith. We see the Triune God in action: the Father sending the Son to alleviate our greatest fear, the Son declaring that He […]

Welcome to Day 2812 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2812 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 118:10-18 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2812 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2812 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: Surrounded but Secure – The Strong Right Arm of the Lord. In our previous episode, we took our first steps into the magnificent landscape of Psalm One Hundred Eighteen, focusing on verses one through nine. We heard the massive, joyful choir of Israel, the priests, and all who fear the Lord, declaring that His faithful love endures forever. We also listened to the deeply personal testimony of a leader who was trapped in a narrow, suffocating place, but who was miraculously rescued, and brought into the wide-open spaces of God's grace. That powerful realization led us to conclude that it is infinitely better to take refuge in the Lord, than to put our trust in earthly princes. Today, we are moving forward on our trail, trekking through the second movement of this grand, festive song. We will be exploring Psalm One Hundred Eighteen, verses ten through eighteen, in the New Living Translation. As we open our Bibles, we must keep the historical and theological setting firmly in our minds. This is the very climax of the Egyptian Hallel, the collection of psalms sung during the Passover. These are the very words that echoed in the mind of Jesus Christ, as He left the Upper Room, and walked into the dark, terrifying olive grove of Gethsemane. He knew that He was about to be surrounded by hostile forces, both human and spiritual. Yet, He sang this psalm of absolute, unshakable victory. In these verses, the psalmist paints a vivid, almost overwhelming picture of being entirely encircled by enemies. But instead of despair, we hear a drumbeat of triumph. We witness the cosmic authority of Yahweh, the mighty power of His right arm, and the profound paradox of facing severe discipline, yet being spared from death. Let us lean in, and listen to the battle cry of the redeemed. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses ten through twelve. Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. The imagery here is intense, claustrophobic, and highly kinetic. The psalmist says, three separate times, that he was "surrounded." He was completely encircled, with no natural means of escape. But notice who is surrounding him: "hostile nations." To truly understand the weight of this, we must put on our Ancient Israelite, Divine Council worldview lenses, as taught by Dr. Michael S. Heiser. In the ancient world, a conflict between nations was never merely a political dispute; it was a cosmic battle. According to Deuteronomy Chapter Thirty-Two, verses eight and nine, the nations of the world had been disinherited by Yahweh at the Tower of Babel, and placed under the authority of lesser, rebel spiritual beings. Israel, however, remained Yahweh's personal portion. Therefore, when the "hostile nations" surround the Israelite king, this is a coordinated attack by the dark, spiritual principalities of the unseen world. They are attempting to snuff out the light of God's kingdom on earth. The psalmist uses two vivid, terrifying metaphors to describe this onslaught. First, he says, "They swarmed around me like bees." If you have ever accidentally disturbed a beehive, you know the absolute, blinding panic of that moment. Bees attack from every possible angle; they are relentless, chaotic, and their stings produce compounding agony. Second, he says, "They blazed against me like a crackling fire." In the original Hebrew, this is specifically described as a fire of thornbushes. Dry thorns burn with incredible, explosive heat, and a blinding, intimidating flash. But what happens to a fire of thorns? It flashes hot, it makes a lot of terrifying noise, but it burns out almost instantly. It has no lasting fuel. This is exactly how the psalmist views the hostile, demonic forces of the world. They swarm, they sting, and they blaze with intimidating fury. But they have no staying power against the Creator. Three times, the psalmist responds to the threat with a rhythmic, defiant battle cry: "I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord." Literally, the Hebrew text says, "In the Name of Yahweh, I cut them off." He does not rely on his own military strategy, his own armor, or his own physical prowess. He wields the Name of the Most High God. When Jesus faced the cross, He was swarmed by the hostility of Rome, the religious leaders, and the rebel spirits of the unseen realm. Yet, through His willing sacrifice, He wielded the authority of the Lord, cutting off the power of sin and death forever. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses thirteen through fourteen. My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. The psalmist moves from the broad, chaotic swarm of the nations, to a deeply personal, targeted attack. "My enemies did their best to kill me." The literal translation is incredibly violent: "You pushed me violently, so that I was falling." He is speaking directly to the adversary, acknowledging the sheer, brute force of the assault. He was pushed to the very brink; he was teetering on the edge of the precipice. "But the Lord rescued me." Yahweh reached out His hand, caught His servant mid-fall, and pulled him back from the edge of the abyss. Verse fourteen is a direct, deliberate quotation of an older, highly famous song. "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory." These are the exact words sung by Moses and the Israelites on the shores of the Red Sea, in Exodus Chapter Fifteen, verse two, right after God drowned the Egyptian army. By quoting the Song of the Sea, the psalmist connects his present, personal deliverance to the great, historical deliverance of the Exodus. Because this is the Passover festival, the connection is absolutely brilliant. The God who split the sea, and crushed the Egyptian gods, is the exact same God who catches you when the enemy pushes you over the edge. He is our strength when we are weak; He is our song when we have lost our voice; and He is our ultimate, eternal salvation. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses fifteen through sixteen. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! The scene shifts from the lonely, personal battlefield, to the vibrant, joyful encampment of the righteous. Imagine walking through the tents of the Israelites. You do not hear the moans of the defeated, or the fearful whispers of the oppressed. You hear the deafening, celebratory roar of victory. And what is the lyric of their song? They are singing about the "strong right arm of the Lord." In biblical poetry, the "right arm" or "right hand" is a powerful anthropomorphism—a way of describing God's invisible attributes using human physical terms. The right arm represents kinetic energy, military might, and decisive, executing authority. It is the hand that holds the sword; it is the arm that shatters the enemy. Three times, the congregation sings about this mighty arm. It has "done glorious things." It is "raised in triumph." This is a picture of the Divine Warrior, standing victorious on the cosmic battlefield, His arm lifted high, signaling to the entire universe that the forces of chaos have been decisively crushed. When the early church looked back at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they realized they were witnessing the ultimate manifestation of the strong right arm of the Lord. God reached down into the grave, shattered the gates of death, and raised His Son in triumph, securing eternal victory for the camp of the godly. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses seventeen through eighteen. I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done. The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die. We conclude today's trek with a profoundly moving, and incredibly honest, declaration. The psalmist has survived the swarm. He has been caught from the fall. He has heard the victory song in the camp. And now, he makes a solemn vow regarding his future. "I will not die; instead, I will live." This is not just a biological...

Paul Selig is considered one of the foremost spiritual channels working today. His new book Divine Union: The Essential Path to Oneness focuses on themes of self-realization, and the transformation of human consciousness. It emphasizes the shift from fear-based living to a higher vibrational state known as the "Upper Room," where individuals align with divine truth, peace, and unity. Join me for this enlightening conversation with Paul from his home in Maui. About Paul Selig Paul Selig is considered one of the foremost spiritual channels working today. He is also a medium. His work has been featured on ABC News Nightline, Fox News, the Biography Channel series The UneXplained, Gaiam TV's Beyond Belief and the documentary film PGS: Your Personal Guidance System. He has appeared on numerous radio shows and podcasts including Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and Bob Olson's Afterlife TV. He has a very popular YouTube channel for you to check out and his new book that we are talking about today is called The Divine Union- The Essential Path to Oneness – which has been called The Guides most important teaching to date.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Day 2810 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2810 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 118:1-9 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2810 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2810 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Eternal Refuge – Stepping into the Wide-Open Spaces In our previous trek, we stood on the mountaintop of Psalm One Hundred Seventeen. We explored the shortest chapter in the entire Bible, and yet, we saw how it held the largest possible stage. It was a cosmic megaphone, calling all the disinherited nations, and all the diverse people groups of the earth, to return to their Creator. It reminded us that God's unfailing love is a prevailing flood, capable of washing over every cultural and geographical boundary. Today, we take our next momentous step. We are crossing the threshold into Psalm One Hundred Eighteen, and we will be focusing our attention on the first movement of this incredible song, covering verses one through nine, in the New Living Translation. This is a milestone moment in our journey. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen is the grand finale, the sweeping crescendo, of the Egyptian Hallel. This is the very last of the Passover psalms. When you picture Jesus and His disciples in the Upper Room, finishing the Last Supper, the Gospel of Matthew tells us that they sang a hymn before heading out to the Mount of Olives. This was that hymn. These were the very words that filled the mind of the Messiah, as He walked deliberately toward the darkness of Gethsemane, and the agony of the cross. As we read this psalm, we hear the sound of a massive, festive procession. We hear a worship leader crying out to the congregation, and we hear a deeply personal testimony of a leader who was surrounded by enemies, yet rescued by the overwhelming power of Yahweh. So, let us join the procession, and listen to the opening chorus. The first segment is: The Chorus of Unfailing Love. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses one through four. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let all Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Let all who fear the Lord repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." The psalm erupts with a joyful, booming command: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!" But this is not just a solo performance. The worship leader is actively conducting a massive, multi-part choir, stationed within the temple courts. He calls out to three specific, distinct groups, demanding that they lift their voices and repeat the core thesis of the entire biblical narrative: "His faithful love endures forever." If this grouping sounds familiar, it should! We saw this exact same three-part division back in Psalm One Hundred Fifteen. First, the leader calls out to all Israel. These are the covenant people, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are the ones who experienced the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and the provision of manna in the wilderness. They, of all people, have the historical evidence to shout that God's faithful love endures. Next, he turns to Aaron's descendants, the priests. These are the spiritual leaders, the men who mediated between the holy God and the flawed nation. They worked the sacrifices; they saw the blood on the altar. They understood, intimately, the cost of forgiveness. They are commanded to publicly declare that the sacrificial system is upheld not by mechanics, but by God's enduring love. Finally, the leader casts a wide net to all who fear the Lord. This encompasses the Gentile converts, the foreigners, and the strangers from those diverse nations we talked about in Psalm One Hundred Seventeen. God's love is not geographically restricted. If you fear Yahweh, if you revere the Creator of the universe, you are invited into the choir. You are given a voice in the congregation. And what is the lyric they are all singing? It is the Hebrew word Hesed. This is God's loyal, stubborn, covenant-keeping affection. It is a love that does not quit when we fail. It is a love that outlasts empires, survives the darkness of the grave, and, as the psalm says, "endures forever." When Jesus walked toward the cross, He was holding onto this exact promise. The physical pain would be temporary, but the Hesed of the Father would be eternal. The second segment is: The Cry from the Narrow Place. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verse five. In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. Suddenly, the perspective shifts. The sweeping, panoramic view of the massive choir fades into the background, and a single, solitary voice steps up to the microphone. The worship leader—perhaps the King, or perhaps a representation of the Messiah—shares a deeply personal testimony. "In my distress, I prayed to the Lord." The Hebrew word translated as "distress" is metsar. It literally means a narrow, tight, or constricted place. It paints a vivid, suffocating picture. Have you ever felt trapped? Have you ever felt like the walls of your life—your finances, your health, your relationships—were closing in on you, squeezing the very breath out of your lungs? That is the metsar. It is the spiritual claustrophobia of a crisis. The psalmist was pushed into a corner with no human escape route. But in that tight, suffocating space, he did the only thing left to do. He prayed. He cried out to Yahweh. And the response of God is breathtaking: "The Lord answered me and set me free." The literal Hebrew translation is incredibly poetic. It says, "The Lord answered me in a broad place," or "in a spacious place." God did not just pluck him out of the tight squeeze; God completely changed his environment. He moved him from the suffocating, narrow gorge of distress, and planted his feet in a wide, expansive, sunlit meadow of freedom. This is what Yahweh does. He takes our claustrophobic anxieties and replaces them with the wide-open spaces of His grace. He gives us room to breathe again. The third segment is: The Fearless Stance of the Redeemed. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses six through seven. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. Because the psalmist has experienced this miraculous transfer from the narrow place to the spacious place, his entire psychological posture has changed. He stands tall, squares his shoulders, and makes a bold, defiant declaration: "The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear." This is the ultimate antidote to anxiety. If the Maker of heaven and earth, the Commander of the Divine Council, is actively standing on your side, fear becomes logically obsolete. He asks a rhetorical question: "What can mere people do to me?" When we look at this through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview, we understand that "mere people" are often pawns. Behind hostile human armies and corrupt human politicians, there are often dark, rebellious spiritual forces at work. The psalmist knows that he is not just fighting flesh and blood. But even so, if the Most High God—the uncreated Creator—is his helper, then the rebel gods and their human puppets are entirely powerless to change his eternal destiny. "What can mere people do to me?" They might insult me. They might steal my property. They might even, as Jesus knew, destroy my physical body. But they cannot touch my soul, and they cannot alter the enduring, forever nature of God's Hesed toward me. He repeats the truth to let it sink in deep: "Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me." The word for "help" here means to actively assist in battle. God is not a passive observer; He is a fellow warrior in the trenches. Because of this divine alliance, the psalmist is certain of the outcome: "I will look in triumph at those who hate me." He doesn't say he will seek bitter, petty revenge. He says he will look in triumph. He will stand in the wide-open space of God's deliverance, and he will see the hostile, chaotic forces of his enemies completely neutralized. The Fourth Segment is: The Superiority of the Divine Refuge. Psalm One Hundred Eighteen: verses eight through nine. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the...

Welcome to Madang.Madang is the outdoor living room of the world. Here, we invite you to sit and tune into unreserved, remarkable conversations with renowned authors, leaders, public figures, and scholars on religion, culture, and everything in between.This is the 57th episode featuring The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, one of the Episcopal Church's leading thinkers around 21st-century ministry and mission. The author of several books - including The Church Cracked Open, Radical Welcome and her latest, Church Tomorrow?: What the ‘Nones' and ‘Dones' Teach Us About the Future of Faith - she recently wrapped nearly a decade as canon to the Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, with responsibility for guiding the entire denomination's work on evangelism, racial justice, new ministry development and environmental stewardship. An honorary canon in the Diocese of New York, she currently serves as Canon in Residence at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church.On this episode of Madang Podcast hosted by Faith and Reason, Spellers and I talk about her book, Church Tomorrow? We discuss decline of the mainline church, nones and dones, post-Christian culture, White Christonationalism, and much more.Listen to Madang Podcast on Spotify, Apple, Facebook Reels, or wherever podcasts are streamed.I am grateful to the many sponsors of this Madang Podcast episode.1)Are you longing for deeper rhythm, grounding community, and space to listen for God? The Academy for Spiritual Formation invites you to Academy #44, beginning October 2026 at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama. For two years, you'll journey alongside a diverse community of seekers—practicing prayer, silence, study, and embodied faith. Through trusted faculty, guided retreats, and spacious rhythms, The Academy offers a sacred place to rest, heal, and be renewed. Step into a sacred journey of renewal and transformation. Learn more and apply at Academy.UpperRoom.org/44.2)Madang Podcast is sponsored by Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI). Church Publishing is a leading global, multi-market publisher of a wide variety of books and resources, serving millions of readers. Please read Church Tomorrow?: What the ‘Nones' and ‘Dones' Teach Us About the Future of Faith by the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, where she presents hard truths about declining religious affiliation in America, paired with stories and wisdom from her interviews with dozens of young people who either grew up with no faith or gave up formal religion. Please visit www.churchpublishing.org for more great books.3.This episode is presented by Central Seminary – a historic, accredited, diverse, cross-cultural, and ecumenical seminary. Central Seminary equips students with the theological knowledge, spiritual insight, and practical skills needed to lead in an ever-changing world. Central offers numerous graduate degrees and certificates, including our Certificate in Peace and Justice Ministry, which is facilitated in live, online classrooms. The Certificate in Peace and Justice Ministry will prepare you to lead and serve through social change in areas ​such as racial injustice, economic injustice, the climate crisis, war and violence, and more. To learn more, visit Central Seminary, Kansas City.4.PANAAWTM Spring Gathering will be held on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 8pm ET on zoom. Any person who identifies as a woman or non-binary individual and as someone of Pacific Islander, Asian, or North American Asian is invited to join the community gathering and business meeting. The business meeting, which follows, is an important part of our annual rhythm, and this is the space where you participate actively as part of the community to shape the org. Please join! (Registration Link)

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 4th of March, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to John 21:12: “Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Then further down in verse 15, Jesus says to Peter: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”Every time the Lord Jesus wanted to speak very directly, personally and intimately with his disciples, what did He say? “Come and have a meal.” In fact, the last time that He had a meal with His disciples, in the Upper Room, He taught them some very important truths. He taught them that if we are going to be servants of the Lord, then we have to humble ourselves. It is an intimate time, isn't it, having a meal. There is no rushing, it is a heart-to-heart normally, because that is exactly what happened on the shore of the Sea of Galilee when Jesus asked Simon Peter, the most important question of all. “Do you love Me?” “Oh”, he says, “yes, I love You, Lord.” And then Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.” And of course, the disciples did just that.I love going into Central Africa and into the rural areas, where the people are very poor, but so loving and so generous. When you are invited into one of those huts, you sit in a circle and they bring in their meagre food. It is normally a big bowl of maize meal, and then they bring in a smaller bowl of the delicacy of meat made with beautiful gravy. We sit in a circle, and we take some of the maize meal and we make it into a round ball and then we very carefully dip it into the relish and we eat, but the main purpose is we talk to each other and we love each other. Two of my children's weddings were breakfast weddings. The one was in our farm shed and we sat around and spoke together for hours. Today, spend time with someone, invite them for breakfast and tell them about the Lord Jesus Christ. Have a wonderful day and enjoy your breakfast.Goodbye.

In this prophetic message, Pastor Olubi Johnson reveals a divine pattern seen in both Solomon's temple and the Upper Room: when a consecrated, unified company reaches spiritual “critical mass,” the glory of God fills the house. Glory does not rest on a crowd—it rests on a company. Before intercession comes identity: as He is, so are we in this world. We do not pray toward a throne; we pray from one. This message outlines the four conditions that form the threshold: Consecration Unity (“one sound”) Persistent Spirit-prayer Refined hearts walking in love Tongues builds prayer mass. Travail increases spiritual intensity. Love keeps the flow pure. When these converge, heaven responds. Pastor Olubi also reminds us that the prayers of generations past are stored before God. Our intercession today may be what tips the bowl. The glory is coming. The question is whether we are refined enough to carry it.

In this prophetic message, Pastor Olubi Johnson reveals a divine pattern seen in both Solomon's temple and the Upper Room: when a consecrated, unified company reaches spiritual “critical mass,” the glory of God fills the house. Glory does not rest on a crowd—it rests on a company. Before intercession comes identity: as He is, so are we in this world. We do not pray toward a throne; we pray from one. This message outlines the four conditions that form the threshold: Consecration Unity (“one sound”) Persistent Spirit-prayer Refined hearts walking in love Tongues builds prayer mass. Travail increases spiritual intensity. Love keeps the flow pure. When these converge, heaven responds. Pastor Olubi also reminds us that the prayers of generations past are stored before God. Our intercession today may be what tips the bowl. The glory is coming. The question is whether we are refined enough to carry it.

John 14:1-31

How do we actually grow into the likeness of Jesus? In this sermon from John 14, Pastor Alex reflects on the slow, sometimes frustrating process of spiritual transformation and Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit as our Helper. As we move through this season of renewal, we're invited to reconsider what change really looks like and how God's work and our participation fit together. Rather than striving harder or waiting passively, this message explores a life shaped by partnership with the Spirit and a steady openness to the kind of transformation only God can bring.

John 14:15-31 - Empowered Like Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Ben Purvis, Groups Minister |  Preached 3-01-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Holy Spirit, Orphan, Represented, Home, Love, Rise, Secure, Strength, Hearts

Pastor Brian speaks to us on how the Holy Spirit is God's personal presence dwelling in us, forming us and bringing life and peace.

What happens when we stop talking at God and start listening to Him? In this conversation, we pull back from the noise of the world to enter the "Upper Room"—a space of total surrender and Holy Spirit encounter. We explore what it means to host the Presence of God in our daily lives and how one moment in His company changes everything. No scripts, no agendas—just a hunger for more of Him.

John 14:15-31 - Empowered Like Jesus  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Ben Purvis, Groups Minister |  Preached 3-01-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Holy Spirit, Orphan, Represented, Home, Love, Rise, Secure, Strength, Hearts

Love That Is Real, Not Comfortable | Jesus Unplugged – Divine Savior DoralThis week at Divine Savior Church Doral we continue our Lent series Jesus Unplugged with a powerful message from John 13:21-38 — Love That Is Real, Not Comfortable. Pastor Ben Kuerth invites us to slow down in the Upper Room and encounter Jesus with clarity, honesty, and a love that meets us right where we are.In a world where relationships often fail under pressure, Jesus shows us a love that stays — through fear, failure, and even betrayal. This message isn't easy — but it is needed. It calls us to experience a Savior whose love doesn't run, and to reflect His heart in our family, community, and world.Support the showMoved to give? http://dschurch.link/givedoralFor more info about our church please visit our website: https://divinesaviorchurch.com/dscdor/

Remember, you will only hear what is spoken into the microphone. Any comments from the room will not be picked up.

n the powerful conclusion of The Connection (Part 7 – ADVANCE 2026), Pastor Ronnie Harrison calls the Church higher.From Mount Sinai to the Upper Room, Scripture reveals a clear pattern: every true advance begins with a climb. The call to advance is an upward call — and an inward call. It requires sacrifice, cleansing, worship, and a willingness to lose what cannot survive at altitude.You cannot wear His glory if you never make the climb.This message challenges believers to move from a deliverance mentality to a possession mentality — from slavery to worship — and to stop making excuses for staying where we are. Not everyone will climb. The higher you go, the thinner the crowd. But when He becomes your reason, excuses fall away.There is life after loss. There is glory after surrender. There is power in the wait.Will you make the climb?

Thank you for joining us for worship this Sunday at Upper Room Church! We would love to hear from you. Comment below and let us know you are watching.   Message Notes: https://upperroom.cls.co/BKch John 21   Baptism Sign Up: https://upperroompcola.cls.co/dmjs   Growth Track: https://upr.cls.co/njyq   UR Groups: https://upr.cls.co/zdqc   Event Calendar: https://upr.cls.co/ftcj   Prayer, Assistance, Share Decision of Faith: https://upr.cls.co/nqvp   Join the Legacy Team: https://upr.cls.co/msth   Giving: Support this ministry here and around the world: https://upr.cls.co/jpzq   Streaming License through MultiTracks https://www.multitracks.com   Copyright protection under 17 U.S.C. § 110 - U.S. Code - Section 3

Pastor Eric Holmstrom gives us our second word to remember in our series The Upper Room, LOVE. We unpack Jesus' command in John 13:30–35 to “love one another.” and learn that our assignment is (“Love one another”), how we accomplish it (“As I have loved you”), and why it matters (“By this everyone will know”). […]

Pastor Eric Holmstrom gives us our second word to remember in our series The Upper Room, LOVE. We unpack Jesus' command in John 13:30–35 to “love one another.” and learn that our assignment is (“Love one another”), how we accomplish it (“As I have loved you”), and why it matters (“By this everyone will know”). […]

As Jesus meets with His Disciples in the Upper Room, He picked up a towel and a served people who did not deserve it. As Jesus washes the disciples feet He teaches us that true greatness in God's kingdom is found in humble service.

Acts 2:1-4 Listen to other great sleep mediations on Amen.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Formed.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Day 2807 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2807 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 116:15-19 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2807 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2807 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Costly Departure – A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Today, we are bringing our deeply personal journey through Psalm One Hundred Sixteen to a glorious, triumphant conclusion. We will be trekking through the final stanza of this profound song, covering verses fifteen through nineteen, in the New Living Translation. Before we take our next step, we must look back over our shoulder at the trail we just traveled. In our previous trek, covering the first fourteen verses of this psalm, we stood beside a man who had stared into the terrifying abyss of the underworld. We heard his raw, trembling testimony. He told us how the ropes of death had wrapped around his neck, and how the terrors of the grave had overtaken him. In his absolute helplessness, he cried out a simple prayer: "Please, Lord, save me!" And Yahweh, the Most High God, bent down from the heavens to listen. He severed the cords of death, dried the psalmist's tears, and stabilized his stumbling feet. In overwhelming gratitude, the psalmist lifted the "Cup of Salvation," promising to praise the Lord in the land of the living. We also remembered that this is part of the Egyptian Hallel, the collection of psalms sung during the Passover. Jesus Himself sang these very words in the Upper Room, just hours before He faced the ultimate terror of the cross. Now, as we enter the final five verses, the psalmist transitions from the private terror of his near-death experience, to the public courts of the temple. He begins with a stunning revelation about how God views the death of His people, and ends with a communal feast of thanksgiving. It is a transition from the darkness of the grave, to the bright, joyful center of cosmic geography: Jerusalem. Let us walk into the temple courts, and listen to the conclusion of this magnificent testimony. The first segment is: The Weight of the Faithful: A Costly Departure. Psalm One Hundred Sixteen: verse fifteen. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. This single verse is one of the most famous, and frequently quoted, comforts in the entire Bible, especially during times of grief. But to truly understand its depth, we must peel back the layers of the original Hebrew language, and view it through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview. The word translated as "precious" is yaqar. In English, when we hear the word "precious," we often think of something sweet, sentimental, or cute. But that is not what yaqar means. In biblical Hebrew, yaqar means heavy, rare, costly, or of immense value. It is the word used to describe rare jewels, or the heavy, expensive stones used to lay the foundation of the temple. Therefore, the psalmist is not saying that God finds our death sweet or pleasant. Death is the enemy. Death, in the ancient mindset, was the ultimate expression of the chaotic realm of Sheol. Instead, the psalmist is making a profound statement about our value: "Heavy, costly, and of immense consequence in the sight of Yahweh, is the death of His faithful ones." God does not view the passing of His people casually. He does not treat us as expendable pawns on a cosmic chessboard. When the forces of chaos and disease try to drag a believer down into the grave, the Lord takes it personally. It costs Him something. He values His human imagers so highly, that their departure from this earth is an event of cosmic gravity. The term "faithful servants" is the Hebrew word chasidim, which is rooted in Hesed—God's unfailing, loyal, covenant love. The chasidim are the loyal ones, the ones bound to God by covenant. Because He is fiercely loyal to them, He does not surrender them to the grave without a fight. In the case of this psalmist, God looked at the high cost of his death, stepped into the fray, and said, "Not today." He severed the ropes of Sheol, because the life of His servant was simply too valuable to lose to the darkness. When Jesus sang this verse on the night of His betrayal, He was acknowledging the profound weight of what He was about to do. His death would be the ultimate, costly departure. Yet, because it was so precious in the sight of the Father, it would become the very mechanism that defeated death forever. The second segment is: The Joyful Captive: Freedom Through Submission. Psalm One Hundred Sixteen: verse sixteen. O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains. Having reflected on how much God values his life, the psalmist responds with an absolute surrender of his identity. He repeats his title twice for emphasis: "O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant." The word for "servant" here is ebed, which can also be translated as slave or bondservant. But this is not a forced, oppressive slavery; this is a willing, joyful submission to a benevolent King. The psalmist adds a beautiful, intimate detail: "born into your household." Literally, the text says, "the son of your maidservant." In the ancient Near East, a slave who was purchased from a foreign land had a very different status than a slave who was born within the master's own house. A servant born into the household was practically considered family. They grew up under the master's roof, ate the master's food, and enjoyed the master's protection. By calling himself the son of a maidservant, the psalmist is claiming a deep, lifelong, family connection to Yahweh. He is saying, "Lord, I belong to You. I have always belonged to You. I am a child of Your estate." And here is the beautiful paradox of the biblical worldview: true freedom is found only in becoming a servant of the Most High God. Notice the next phrase: "you have freed me from my chains." Just a few verses earlier, the psalmist was wrapped in the ropes of death. Those were the chains of chaos, destruction, and fear. By submitting himself entirely to Yahweh as a servant, those chains of oppression were shattered. In the Divine Council worldview, humans will always serve a master. We will either be enslaved by the dark, rebellious principalities of this world—forces that seek to bind us in addiction, fear, and ultimately the grave—or we will bind ourselves to the Creator, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. The psalmist declares that because God broke the chains of death, he is now happily, permanently bound to the Lord. He is a free man, precisely because he is God's servant. The third segment is: The Public Feast: Testifying in the Sacred Courts. Psalm One Hundred Sixteen: verses seventeen through nineteen. I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people— in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! Now, the psalmist takes his private, internal gratitude, and makes it undeniably public. He transitions from the prayer closet, to the temple courts. He promises: "I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving." This is a very specific reference to the Levitical law. In the Book of Leviticus, Chapter Seven, the Todah—or Thanksgiving Sacrifice—was a type of peace offering. When an Israelite was rescued from a life-threatening illness, a dangerous journey, or a deadly enemy, they were instructed to bring an animal sacrifice, along with unleavened bread, to the tabernacle. But this sacrifice was unique. It was not burned up entirely on the altar. The priest took a portion, but the vast majority of the meat and bread was given back to the worshiper. The worshiper was then required to host a massive, joyful feast, inviting their family, friends, and even the poor, to eat the meal with them on that very same day. Think about the profound psychology of this ritual. You could not eat an entire animal by yourself. You had to invite a crowd. And as you passed the meat and the bread, people would naturally ask, "What are we celebrating?" That was your moment to testify. That was the moment to say, "I was standing at the edge of the grave. The ropes of death had me. But I called on the name of the Lord, and He saved me!" This is exactly what the psalmist intends to do: "and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence...

John 13:1-35

Simon Says Wk7: Lessons from Peter's Journey In this week's sermon, we delve into the transformative journey of Simon Peter, exploring how his experiences with Jesus provide timeless lessons on discipleship, faith, and resilience. Our focus is on Luke 22, where pivotal moments in Peter's life unfold. The Setting: The Upper Room As Jesus gathers with his disciples for the last time before his crucifixion, he delivers profound lessons on servitude and faith. He demonstrates humility by washing their feet, symbolizing the cleansing of sin through his impending sacrifice. This act is a call for his followers to embrace childlike dependence on him. Jesus' Final Instructions In the intimate setting of the Upper Room, Jesus informs his disciples of the trials they will soon face, emphasizing their need to stay connected to him, the true vine. He warns them of Satan's desire to "sift them as wheat," a metaphor for testing their faith under pressure. Key Scripture: Luke 22:31-34 Luke 22:31-32: Jesus tells Peter, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:33-34: Despite Peter's protestations of unwavering loyalty, Jesus predicts Peter's denial before the rooster crows. Peter's Denial and Redemption Peter's journey from bold declarations of loyalty to his denial of Jesus is a poignant reminder of human frailty. Yet, his story does not end in failure. Jesus' intercession for Peter signifies hope and restoration. Jesus knows Peter will falter, but he assures that he will not fail, emphasizing the distinction between temporary setbacks and ultimate failure. The Look of Compassion After Peter's denials, Jesus' compassionate glance at him is not one of condemnation but of understanding and grace. This reflects Jesus' empathy, having himself been tempted by Satan. Hebrews 7:25 reminds us that Jesus lives to intercede for us, offering continual support even when we falter. Lessons for Today Peter's experience teaches us several key lessons: Faltering is Not Failing: We all face moments of weakness, but these do not define our faith journey. Jesus provides a path to forgiveness and restoration. The Power of Intercession: Just as Jesus prayed for Peter, he intercedes for us today, knowing our needs before we do. Be Alert and Sober-Minded: As Peter later advises in 1 Peter 5:8-10, we must remain vigilant against the enemy's schemes, standing firm in our faith. Application: Embracing Grace Our journey with God is marked by grace and redemption. When we falter, we must turn back, repent, and embrace the forgiveness offered through Jesus' sacrifice. This sermon encourages us to be alert, resist temptation, and rely on Jesus' strength to overcome challenges. As we reflect on Peter's story, let us be inspired by his eventual triumph and the enduring promise of restoration through Christ. Let us walk in the freedom of grace, empowered by our faith and the assurance of Jesus' intercession.

In John 14, Jesus speaks tenderly to His disciples as He prepares to leave, offering words that have echoed through generations: “I go to prepare a place for you.” In this message, Pastor Alex reflects on the hope woven into that promise and what it means for us to live with ongoing access to God's presence. As we sit with Jesus' words about being the way, the truth, and the life, we're invited to wrestle with both the boldness and the beauty of that claim. This teaching encourages us to move beyond a transactional view of faith and into a daily, lived relationship with a God who is near.

And, we're off! Thanks, everybody, for giving our renewed Lectionary.pro format a try. Please continue to offer your comments and suggestions. Just like the original Lectionary Lab, we want to be helpful to working preachers. (“Jesus and Nicodemus”, from the Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Discussion page)RCL Readings: • Genesis 12:1–4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1–5, 13–17; John 3:1–17Text Summaries• Genesis 12: 1-4aGod calls Abram to leave home, security, and everything familiar, and to trust a promise he cannot yet see fulfilled. The promise is bigger than Abram's private future: through him, God intends blessing for all families of the earth. Abram's obedience is strikingly simple — “So Abram went” — and that trustful response becomes the model of covenant faith. In Lent, this text frames discipleship as movement: leaving old certainties, walking by promise, and trusting God's future over present control.• Psalm 121This psalm is a confession of trust for travelers, pilgrims, and anyone feeling exposed. Help does not come from the hills themselves, but from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. The psalm repeats God's “keeping” care: God watches over going out and coming in, by day and by night, now and forever. Rather than denying danger, it places vulnerability inside God's faithful attention. In a Lenten key, it teaches believers to pray honestly about risk while resting in the God who does not slumber.• Romans 4:1–5, 13–17Paul presents Abraham as the prototype of faith: righteousness comes through trusting God's promise, not through human achievement or law-keeping. If inheritance depended on performance, promise would collapse; instead, it rests on grace so that it can include all who share Abraham's faith. God is described as the One “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist,” grounding Christian hope in God's creative power. During Lent, this text shifts the center from religious scorekeeping to grace-shaped trust and hope.• John 3:1–17Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, sincere yet confused, and Jesus tells him that entry into God's kingdom requires birth “from above” — a Spirit-given new beginning, not mere religious competence. Jesus draws on Israel's wilderness story (the lifted serpent) to show that healing and life come through looking in faith to what God provides. The passage climaxes in God's love for the world: the Son is given not to condemn but to save. For Lent, this gospel invites people out of spiritual nighttime into rebirth, faith, and the light of God's saving mercy.Major Themes1. Faith before sight, or perhaps through sight (looking) when our focus is on God2. Promise grounded in grace3. New birth, new life in Christ4. God's keeping care in uncertain journeys5. Salvation as gift, not achievementPreaching ArcThe Call → The Keeper → The Promise → The New Birth1. The Call (Genesis 12): God calls us forward before we have full clarity.2. The Keeper (Psalm 121): We are sustained on the road by God's watchful care.3. The Promise (Romans 4): Righteousness and the future are received by faith, not earned by performance.4. The New Birth (John 3): God doesn't just improve us; God makes us new in Christ.From uncertain beginnings to Spirit-born life, faith walks forward on promise, kept by grace.A Sermon Outline“Called Before We're Ready”Core Claim: God calls us forward by grace, keeps us on the road, and gives new life through Christ.1. Opening: the discomfort of being called into the unknown2. Genesis 12: Abram's yes before clarity3. Psalm 121: God keeps us while we travel4. Romans 4: promise by grace, received by faith5. John 3: new birth is God's work, not self-improvementApplication: one step of trust this weekClosing: we go because God is faithfulOne-sentence takeaway: In Christ, we are called, kept, and made new — so we can take the next faithful step even without full certainty.An Illustration: Does anybody remember the Dunkin' Donuts commercial that featured a bleary-eyed baker rising early every morning, saying, “Time to make the donuts?” Believe it or not, that's a basic illustration of faith in something intangible. A baker starts work at 2:00 a.m. There is no smell of fresh bread yet, no customers, no visible result — just measured ingredients, kneading, waiting, and trust in the process. Hours later, what was unseen becomes nourishment (of a sort) for many.Preaching Bridge: “Faith is often bakery work: done in the dark, trusted before dawn.” (Image from the Upper Room, Discipleship Study Guide)Narrative Lectionary Text: John 13:1-17Text SummaryAt the supper before his passion, Jesus rises, takes a towel, and washes the disciples' feet. Peter resists, then overcorrects, and Jesus teaches that receiving him means accepting this upside-down pattern of love. Jesus, their Lord and Teacher, performs a servant's task and commands them to do likewise. Greatness in his kingdom is expressed through humble, embodied service.Themes Present1. Servant leadership — authority in Jesus is expressed through self-giving care.2. Love made concrete — love is not sentiment; it takes the form of action.3. Receiving before doing — discipleship starts with letting Christ minister to us.4. Humility over status — the gospel dismantles rank-driven identity.5. Imitation of Christ — “as I have done for you” is the shape of Christian community.Preaching ArcIdentity → Humility → Command → Community1. Identity: Jesus knows who he is and where he is going.2. Humility: Secure in that identity, he kneels to wash feet.3. Command: “As I have done for you, you also should do.”4. Community: The church becomes recognizable by practical, mutual, humble love.Because Christ stoops to serve us, we are formed into a people who serve one another.A Sermon Outline“The Towel and the Basin”Core ClaimJesus redefines greatness through humble service, and discipleship means receiving his love and then embodying it toward others.Big MovementStatus → Surrender → Service → WitnessOutline (7–8 min)1. Opening: Our instinct for rank• We naturally measure importance by visibility and control.• Jesus gives a different picture at the table.2. John 13: The shock of the scene• Jesus knows who he is and where he is going.• Precisely from that security, he kneels and washes feet.• True authority is not threatened by service.3. Peter's resistance: Why this feels hard• Peter resists being served.• Discipleship begins with receiving grace, not performing for God.• We cannot give what we refuse to receive.4. “As I have done for you”• Jesus moves from act to command.• Foot washing as pattern: embodied, practical, inconvenient love.5. What this means for a small (or any) congregation• Hidden service is central ministry, not secondary work.• Church health is measured by how we treat one another in ordinary moments.• The towel may look like meals, rides, prayer, repair, listening, forgiveness.Application for the week• Receive: where do I need to let Christ serve and cleanse me?• Serve: one concrete act of humble care.• Repair: one relationship step that lowers pride and raises love.Closing• Jesus is most recognizable when kneeling with a towel.• The church is most faithful when it does the same.One-Sentence TakeawayIn Christ's kingdom, greatness looks like a towel and basin: we receive his love, then kneel to serve.An Illustration: “The CEO with a Mop”A story gets told in leadership circles about a company after a major event: everyone leaves, trash is everywhere, and the cleaning crew is short-handed. One employee comes in early and sees the CEO quietly pushing a mop and picking up cups. No announcement. No photo. No speech. Just service.That moment reshaped the office culture more than any memo did. People said, “If he can do that, none of us are above serving.”John 13 is deeper than leadership technique, but the point lands: Jesus, knowing exactly who he is, takes the towel. Real authority is not threatened by humility.Preaching bridge: In Christ's kingdom, the towel is not beneath us. The towel is how love becomes visible. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lectionarypro.substack.com

John 14:1-14 - Facing Turbulence  |  Series: Not Alone - Easter 2026  | Upper Room Discourse |  Sam Holm, Lead Pastor |  Preached 2-22-26 10:45am  Tag: Easter, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Fasting, Prayer, Last Supper, Jesus, Disciples, Teaching, Upper Room, Plane, Fly, Trouble, Airplane, Help, Pilot, Trust, Grace, Ask, Pray

It's one of the most sobering warnings in the New Testament: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."In this episode, we sit down in the intimate, dimly lit space of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13–17) to explore Jesus' final, radical instructions to His disciples.     While the world often views "being liked" as the ultimate social currency, Jesus prepares His followers for the exact opposite. We're breaking down why the world's friction isn't a sign of failure, but a sign of belonging.

How do we know it will be all right in the end? Jesus addresses that honest, heartfelt question in His final words from the Upper Room. In this message from John 16, Pastor Philip Miller shows us how Jesus overcomes in three spheres: redemptive history, divine reconciliation, and personal transformation. Even if we feel like an underdog, in Christ, we overcome. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://moodyoffer.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001.  Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Moody Church Hour," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.  Dr. Philip Miller is the 17th Senior Pastor of The Moody Church. He is the featured speaker on "Living Hope" and "Moody Church Hour," with programs broadcasting on 700 outlets in the U.S. He and his wife Krista live in Chicago with their four children. Pastor Philip is passionate about proclaiming God's Word, cultivating healthy ministry, and investing in future leaders.  SUPPORT:  Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/  Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/    SUBSCRIBE:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia  Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

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Welcome to Day 2800 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2800 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 114:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2800 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand eight hundred of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Wisdom-Trek: The Earth Trembles – When the Presence Moves In. Today is a milestone day! We have reached day two thousand eight hundred. That is a lot of trekking, and I am so grateful you are walking this path with me. We are celebrating this milestone by stepping into one of the most compact, high-energy psalms in the entire Bible. We are exploring Psalm One Hundred Fourteen, covering the entire hymn, verses one through eight, in the New Living Translation. In our previous trek through Psalm One Hundred Thirteen, we began the "Egyptian Hallel"—the series of psalms sung at the Passover. We saw the "Stooping God" who sits high above the nations but bends down low to lift the poor from the dust and the barren woman from her grief. That psalm set the theological stage: God is great because He is humble. Psalm One Hundred Fourteen moves from theology to Theophany. A "Theophany" is a visible manifestation of God. This psalm describes what happened when that "Stooping God" actually touched down on planet Earth to lead His people out of Egypt. It is a psalm of movement. In just eight verses, we see a nation moving out, a sea fleeing, a river turning back, mountains skipping like scared sheep, and the solid rock turning into a fountain. It describes the sheer, terrifying, joyful disruption that occurs when the Holy One invades the realm of chaos. In Jewish tradition, this psalm is sung right before the Passover meal. It recounts the moment Israel became God's peculiar treasure. So, let us imagine ourselves in the Upper Room, or perhaps standing on the shores of the Red Sea, as we witness the earth tremble at the presence of the Lord. The First Segment is: The Great Migration: Establishing the Sanctuary. Psalm One Hundred Fourteen: verses one through two. When Israel went out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of strange language,  Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The psalm begins with a historical flashback to the defining moment of the Old Testament: The Exodus. "When Israel went out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of strange language..." The mention of a "strange language" (or foreign tongue) emphasizes the alienation of Israel. They were strangers in a strange land. In the Ancient Israelite worldview, Egypt was not just a political oppressor; it was a spiritual "Iron Furnace." It was the domain of foreign gods—Ra, Osiris, Horus. Israel was living in a culture where the very words spoken were dedicated to idols. To leave Egypt was to leave the jurisdiction of these foreign elohim. But look at what happens the moment they step out: "Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion." This is a profound statement of Cosmic...

Welcome to Day 2798 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2798 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 113:1-9 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2798 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred ninety-eight of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title of today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Hallel Begins – The High God Who Stoops Low Today, we cross a significant threshold in our journey through the Psalter. We are stepping into Psalm One Hundred Thirteen, covering the entire hymn, verses one through nine, in the New Living Translation. To understand the shift we are making today, we need to look back at the trail we have just hiked. For the last two days, we have been trekking through Psalm One Hundred Eleven and Psalm One Hundred Twelve. Those two psalms were a matched pair—twin "acrostic" poems that functioned like a classroom. They taught us the "A to Z" of God's character and the "A to Z" of the godly person's character. They were wisdom psalms, designed to be studied, pondered, and memorized in the quiet of the study hall. But today, the bell rings, and the class is dismissed. We are moving from the study hall to the Festival. Psalm One Hundred Thirteen marks the beginning of a special collection known as the "Egyptian Hallel" (Psalms One Hundred Thirteen through One Hundred Eighteen). These six psalms were, and still are, the liturgical soundtrack of the Passover Seder. They celebrate God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. In Jewish tradition, Psalms One Hundred Thirteen and One Hundred Fourteen are sung before the Passover meal, and Psalms One Hundred Fifteen through One Hundred Eighteen are sung after the meal. This means that on the night Jesus was betrayed, just before He went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He likely sang these very words with His disciples. So, as we read this psalm, we are not just reading poetry; we are stepping into the Upper Room. We are hearing the song that fortified the Messiah for the cross. The theme of this psalm is a magnificent paradox. It presents Yahweh as the God who is Infinitely High—seated above the nations and the heavens—yet who insists on stooping Infinitely Low to lift the poor from the dust and the barren woman from her grief. It is the theology of the Great Descent. So, let us lift our voices with the choir of history and begin the Hallel. The first segment is: The Call to the Servants: A Praise Without Borders. Psalm One Hundred Thirteen: verses one through three. Praise the Lord! Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord!  Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.  Everywhere—from east to west— praise the name of the Lord. The psalm opens with the signature shout of the Hallel: "Hallelujah!" ("Praise the Lord!"). But notice...