Podcasts about Verse

Jim Franks discusses Matthew 16:18—“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

We have another too cute framing device as we dig into an ep that puts forward some interesting stuff along with some real weaksauce. We talk about: The Sounds Of Our Players, LiS: True Colors, Mini Mini Golf Golf, Pathologic 3 Is TOO EASY, Bull Problems, Belle Starr Story, Skate Story, Pathologic 2, Silence of the Lambs, Peter And The Wolf, Bulimia, Not Twin Impersonation, Lady Who Likes To Fuck, Hummer Troubles, Dinnertime, You Heard About Rich People, More Lady Cops, Our Alien: Earth Ideas, Dinner Conversations,

Pentecost is a feast rooted in trust.Celebrated fifty days after Firstfruits, Pentecost was Israel's annual pause to remember that every good thing, from gathered grain to God's guiding Word, comes from His generous hand.In this episode, Angie continues the Gather series with Acts 2:1 and explores how the Feast of Pentecost teaches us to notice God's provision, receive His instruction, and rest in the truth that He is both the One who supplies and the One who guides. What you'll hear in this week's episodeHow Pentecost celebrated the completion of the harvest and reminded Israel of God's dependable provisionWhy the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai became intertwined with this feast as a moment of spiritual formation and covenantThe meaning behind the two loaves and how they symbolized fullness, gratitude, and the wide welcome of God's careA personal story from Angie's college years revealing God's right-on-time provision and how it has shaped her trust ever sinceA common lie we face—God isn't taking care of you—and the truth of Psalm 121 ResourcesJewish Feasts & Festivals (Free Guide) — A simple overview of each biblical feast: what it meant then, how it points to Jesus, and why these rhythms still anchor our worship today.Download the guide: https://steadyon.myflodesk.com/feastsGather (SOU Study) — A 14-week journey inside Steady On University exploring worship, community, and the sacred patterns that steady our lives.Learn more: https://livesteadyon.com/steady-on-university/Step By Step Starter Kit (Free) — A two-part masterclass + downloadable workbook teaching the Step By Step method Angie uses in every study episode. Includes the Winter Study Guide for the Gather series.Get your Starter Kit: https://steadyon.myflodesk.com/starter-kit-winter-26 Verse of the WeekWhen the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.Acts 2:1 (ESV) Connect with Angie & Steady On: http://www.livesteadyon.com Theme Music: Glimmer by Andy Ellison

What if worship doesn't require more time, better routines, or a different schedule?So many of us long to worship God faithfully, but everyday life feels full, busy, and ordinary. Laundry piles up. Work demands attention. Schedules move quickly. And worship can start to feel like something reserved for special moments instead of lived throughout the week.In this episode, Angie explores how worship can be woven into the mundane moments of everyday life. Rooted in Colossians 3:17, this conversation invites us to notice how ordinary activities can gently prompt our awareness of God's provision, care, renewal, presence, and calling right where we already are. What you'll hear in this week's episodeWhy worship doesn't have to be added to our lives, but can be noticed within themHow everyday activities can become prompts for worship rather than distractions from itFive simple categories that help us recognize God's work in ordinary moments:How Colossians 3:17 expands our understanding of worship beyond sacred spacesPersonal reflections on finding worship in routines like cleaning, resting, traveling, and daily work ResourcesStep By Step Starter Kit (Free)A two-part masterclass + downloadable workbook teaching the Step By Step Bible study method Angie uses throughout the Understand Your Bible podcast.Get your Starter Kit: https://steadyon.myflodesk.com/starter-kit-winter-26Gather (SOU Study)A 14-week journey inside Steady On University exploring worship, community, and the sacred patterns God uses to form His people.Learn more: https://livesteadyon.com/steady-on-university/Verse of the Week“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”Colossians 3:17 (NIV) Connect with Angie & Steady On: http://www.livesteadyon.comTheme Music: Glimmer by Andy Ellison

Verse by Verse Bible Study on www.thecloudchurch.org through the book of 2 Timothy, covering chapter 1 and verses twelve to eighteen.

If you're paying attention, a child will often tip you off very early as to what to expect from them later on in life. I've got movies of our daughter, and she was about five or six, maybe, singing for us using a spoon - a big wooden spoon - as a microphone and standing on something in the living room as a stage. Well, over the years, she's done singing, and a lot of speaking. It was really no great shock; we saw the first hints of that when she was little. When our son was five, he was tying our house together with string very imaginatively. I'd walk in, I'd open the back door, and it would open the drawer of my dresser in the bedroom. He had everything tied together. At the age of 13 he was the technician of the house, who loved to figure out how things work, how to take them apart, how to put them together, I hope - how to solve problems. You know what? He grew up to be a great planner and a very creative ministry technician. There's a pattern...a connective line from the past into the future in the life of every child; my child and God's child. In fact, that's true of you too. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Leading of a Lifetime." Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 37. I'm going to begin reading in verse 4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this." Verse 23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in His way." Don't you get the feeling as you hear about how God is leading in these passages that His leading in our lives is a consistent, long-term pattern - not just some sudden departure. God usually leads in a straight line. He doesn't just go "boing" off on some tangent. It's a straight line from what He's been doing in your past, into the present, and consistently into your future. Now, maybe you're at one of those crossroads right now. It's decision time; you've got a major choice to make. Well, one guideline in determining what God wants for the future is to see where He's been leading you and how He's been leading you in the past. For example, here it talks about Him giving you the desires of your heart. Could you trust your desires in this decision? Well, if you've kept the first part of the verse you can. "Delight yourself in the Lord." Have you been, over the last months and years, having daily time with Him, where you're just enjoying Him? Then it says, "Commit your way to the Lord." I wonder if you've said to Him over and over again about this area of your life, "Lord, anything goes. Whatever You say is okay." I'm committing to obey you, sight unseen. I don't know what it is but I will follow You. You're not giving Him a contract to sign; you're giving Him a blank piece of paper that you've already signed. Well, with those understandings when you're trying to decide, look at those desires you've felt for a long time, especially the ones you've felt when you've been close to Him. Not just things you've felt for a few days. And if they line up with God's Word and with good counsel, and with the facts, those desires are probably God-planted. Now, keep a spiritual diary of what He says to you through the Bible. I've been doing that for years. I'm so glad I've got that. Don't make a major decision based on one verse, but look at the things God has been saying to you over and over. Look for the pattern. God's will for tomorrow will pull together all He's been doing in your life up until now: the experiences, the fulfilling achievements, the talents, the desires, the themes that He's unfolded to you in His Word. So before you look ahead, look back at God's pattern in your life. His will is the natural next step of following Him daily up until now. He's leading you in a straight line. So, don't just grab the impulse of a moment. Look for the leading of a lifetime.

Erik Jones discusses Ephesians 4:28—“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”

New year, new recommendations! First, Ben and Daniel Chin suppress their rage and bloodlust long enough to discuss the sequel to '28 Years Later,' focusing on the franchise's unpredictable appeal, what makes the new movie so special, and (in a clearly indicated closing spoiler section) what they'd be excited to see in the final film of the trilogy. After that, other Ringer-Verse hosts, friends, and listeners salute unsung releases to cap off another monthly roundup of fandom favorites from TV, anime, movies, video games, books, comics, and beyond that were released recently but not yet covered in-depth on a full-length episode.Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Daniel Chin, Steve Ahlman, Arjuna Ramgopowell, Devon Renaldo, and Matt JamesSenior Producer: Steve Ahlman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Verse by Verse Bible Study on www.thecloudchurch.org through the book of 2 Timothy, covering chapter 1 and verses twelve to eighteen.

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Forty Eight

Verse by Verse Bible Study on www.thecloudchurch.org through the book of 2 Timothy, covering chapter 1 and verses eight to eleven.

Dig-A-Bit is a weekly mini Bible study with Cindy Colley. It supplements the Digging Deep Bible study for women. For more information about the Digging Deep Bible Study for Women, visit TheColleyHouse.org. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Ephesians 3:20-21 LINKS: God of More Song God of More Song Lyrics PDF Transcript for this Podcast Digging Deep in God’s Word Bible Study for Women Bless Your Heart Blog West Huntsville church of Christ at Providence RESOURCES: The Colley House Music: “Podcast” by JD Sound at audiojungle.net

Kendrick Diaz discusses 1 Peter 4:12-13—“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

Ever wondered which small acts of kindness can shower you with Allah's immense blessings? Today, we tell you about one of the shortest ways to Paradise mentioned in many verses of the Quran. Islam places great emphasis on this virtue, promising peace and prosperity in return.

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Forty Seven

01. Genesi - Expanse 02. Hardcopy, Mike Ferullo - Here One Again 03. Goom Gum - Future Folk 04. Boris Brejcha, Frieder & Jakob - 100 05. Moguai - Ready Steady Go 06. Lost Capital, Coca Cabana, Steampvnk - The Ship 07. Yves V, Chester Young, Tommy Veanud - One Of A Kind 08. Jay Robinson, Scrufizzer - PRT 09. Adam Sellouk - Dance Machine 10. Hugel, Randoree - Work That Body 11. Chapter & Verse - 4 Minutes 12. Gabss - Bad Bitches 13. Laidback Luke - Now That We Found Love 14. Hatiras - Bad Mon Sound 15. Esse - Work It 16. Jack Orley - Don't Let Me Go 17. Fcukers - L.U.C.K.Y 18. Fedde Le Grand, Joyse - Keep it Moving 19. Wh0 - The Funk 20. Jake Silva - Groove 21. Control Room, Dashi - What's Your Motive 22. Cosmic Gate, Cmd_Ctrl - Need A Little Love 23. Retrovision, Landis, Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag 24. Valy Mo, Sebastian Park - Rule The World 25. Adriatique, Yubik, Vincent Vossen - Never Alone 26. Dj Varda - Fallin Love 27. Claptone, Hannah Boleyn - Black & Gold 28. Jack Wins, Joe Stone, Jake Tarry - Light Up My Life 29. Nimino - Rest Easy 30. Sungyoo - Move To The Rhythm 31. Kream, Jem Cooke - Blue Symphony 32. Essel, Navos - Steel Drums 33. Benny Benassi, Tobias Gerard - Discoteka 34. Anyma, Ejae - Out Of My Body 35. Jaden Bojsen - Move Your Feet 36. Schillist, Medun - Back To Love 37. Sikdope, The Melody Men - Mic Drop 38. Marten Horger - No Matter

Lyrics: ---------------------------------- [Verse 1] Straße rot Nacht kalt Schritt hart Atem Rauch Augen brenn Herz aus Eis Klinge blinkt Eid zerreißt [Chorus] Gang! Kommt! Gang! Kommt! Blut riecht Waffe spricht Seele bricht Nacht fällt Wut fließt Straße schreit Tod grüßt Tod! Tod! Tod! [Verse 2] Wand markiert Name tief Zähne fest Faust bereit Kette klirrt Motor heult Bruder fällt Rache rollt [Chorus] Gang! Kommt! Gang! Kommt! Blut riecht Waffe spricht Seele bricht Nacht fällt Wut fließt Straße schreit Tod grüßt Tod! Tod! Tod! [Verse 3] Freund fällt Leben weg Mutter weint Haus leer Sirene nah Herz stoppt Ein Fehler Alles fort [Chorus] Gang! Ruft! Gang! Ruft! Grab steht Schicksal rot Ende spät Weg schwarz Seele brennt Kein Zurück Tod kennt Tod! Tod! Tod! [Bridge] Dunkel da Hoffnung tot Gebet stumm Sünde groß [Breakdown] Renn Schieß Fall Stirb [Final] Straße lügt Gang frisst Grab wartet Schluss ist

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Forty Six

Verse by verse teaching 

Tom Clark discusses Luke 10:20—“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

When Believers Don't See Eye to EyeDisagreement among Christians can feel unsettling, especially when it stirs old wounds or makes us question our place in community.In this episode, Angie shares a personal story from her early ministry years and turns to Acts 15 to explore how God met the early church in a moment of deep tension.Whether you're walking through a disagreement right now or carrying tender memories from the past, this conversation will meet you gently and remind you that God is present even in the places we'd rather avoid. What You'll Hear in This EpisodeAngie's personal story of navigating disagreement in her first pastorate and how the Holy Spirit steadied herWhy Acts 15 (“The Circumcision Decision”) is one of Scripture's most honest, hope-filled pictures of conflict in Christian communityThe three invitations God offers when believers disagree:discernment, formation, and reflectionWhy conflict doesn't have to be a threat to unity but can actually become a place of spiritual maturityA fresh look at Romans 12:18 and what it really means to “live at peace… as far as it depends on you”Gentle encouragement for anyone who feels misunderstood, weary, or wary of church community ResourcesWhen Church Hurts: 5 Common Struggles and How Scripture Helps Us HealThis free companion resource will help you process spiritual wounds with truth and tenderness.Download here: https://steadyon.myflodesk.com/churchhurtStep By Step Starter KitThis free resource gives you simple, gentle tools to hear God's voice more clearly in His Word — especially helpful in seasons of emotional or relational strain.Get your Starter Kit: https://steadyon.myflodesk.com/starter-kit-winter-26 Verse of the WeekIf it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (NIV) Connect with Angie and Steady On: http://www.livesteadyon.comTheme Music: Glimmer by Andy Ellison

Step into an atmosphere of elegance, intrigue, and just a hint of the macabre.This week on The Scary Spirits Podcast, we honor what would have been Sharon Tate's 83rd birthday on January 24th with a spellbinding look at the 1966 supernatural thriller Eye of the Devil (also known as 13). In true celebratory fashion, your ever‑spirited hosts Karen and Greg guide you through the film's shadowy corridors—complete with aristocratic secrets, eerie rituals, and Tate's mesmerizing performance—while sipping a specially crafted, devilishly tempting cocktail: the “Devilish Delight.” Join us for an episode brimming with cinematic nostalgia, atmospheric storytelling, and the sort of refined yet playful charm one might enjoy over a late evening drink in a candlelit manor. Tune in, raise a glass, and indulge in a deliciously haunting celebration of Sharon Tate's timeless legacy. Devilish Delight Cocktail • 30 ml vodka• 30 ml amaretto• 30 ml cranberry juice• 10 ml orange juice• 190 ml ice Instructions: Pack ice into glass. Add all ingredients in shaker. Dry shake without ice. Pour over glass over ice. Revitalizing Source: adultbar.com.au A Brief Synopsis: A French winegrower returns to Bordeaux with his wife and family to face ritual sacrifice for another bad year. Some of the topics discussed and highlights of this episode include: Karen gives us a history of Marie Antoinette. We learn about the board game “Scrabble”. Do you know what a parapet is? Greg makes a references to Dokken and Marillion songs. Dr Karen tells us about the belladonna plant and its uses. Our rating of the film: This movie was OK. It took us 3 cocktails to get through it. Take our online survey! We want to know more about you! Please take our survey. All questions are optional and you can remain completely anonymous if you prefer. Tell us what you like or would like to hear more of! All music on the Scary Spirits Podcast is provided by the band “Verse 13”. Please check them out. You can listen to all their music on their Bandcamp page. Get social with us! Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram Subscribe on YouTube to watch Greg attempt to make all the featured cocktails Follow @ScarySpiritsPod Questions, comments or suggestions? Shoot us an email at info@scaryspirits.com As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small percentage of qualifying purchases through our links.

In Chapter 4, Verse 38, Shri Krishna reveals the power of true knowledge, teaching that only knowledge of the Spirit can purify us and dissolve ignorance about who we are and what life is. By prioritizing self-development, we shift from "doing" for joy to "Being" Joy, allowing understanding to arise naturally.➡️ To maximize your experience of this season, we encourage you to request your FREE copy of the Essential Love eBook. Incorporating accessible translations and practical application, the eBook accompanies each episode with additional ways to learn, synthesize, and reflect on key insights.

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Forty Five

In this episode of the Teach Different podcast, Steve, Jarvis, Bully, and Tr33 engage in a deep discussion about the quote from Romans 12:21, “Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” They explore personal experiences, the nature of good and evil, and the importance of intentions behind actions. The conversation touches on community activism, the role of leadership, and the challenges of modeling positive behavior for the next generation. The participants share their insights on spirituality, personal growth, and the impact of choices in overcoming negativity.  Episode Chapters: 00:00 - Discussion on Romans 12:21 02:25 - Teach Different Developments and Updates 04:52 - Personal Stories and Spiritual Reflections 07:33 - The Impact of Evil and Good in Society 10:02 - Cultural Perspectives on Good and Evil 12:57 - Choosing Your Hard and Life Lessons 15:54 - Role Models and Community Influence 18:47 - Counterclaims and Perspectives on Evil 29:32 - Standing Your Ground with Integrity 31:43 - Choosing Battles Wisely 33:28 - The Complexity of Self-Defense 37:34 - Intentions Behind Actions 39:59 - The Role of Good in Evil Actions 47:47 - The Dilemma of Protecting the Oppressor Image Source: Jim Burklo, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons  

I was just in Davis over the last few days and had the opportunity to be with the devotees there in the ashram. We were spending some good time chanting japa from early in the morning till later in the morning. I had several discussions, especially with Devavrata Prabhu, who especially likes japa. It's always nice to be around somebody who specializes in such things; he thinks about it, he chants a lot, and he is very dedicated to it—as are all the residents of the ashram there in Davis. He told me something when we were discussing it that I found quite useful in my chanting of japa. Should I share it with you? He's not here, right? Okay, that makes it more opportune. It's simple, but very helpful. He said the way he thinks about chanting japa—and something he had heard from somebody he knows who's attached to chanting japa—is: "Just chant and let the sound vibration touch your ears in a very sweet way." Say the name and let the name touch your ears in a very sweet way. If you think about that, it's simple enough. You don't become too absorbed in the mechanics of meditation, but you just think of chanting sweetly, which means thinking of Krishna as the sweetest of the sweet. When I first got an iPhone, I tried out the feature in which you say something and then it prints the text back. Now, of course, it seems commonplace, back then it was a novelty. I said, "Haribol!" was the first thing I told my phone, and it translated it as "Honey bowl." I thought, "That's pretty good. This is a very deep phone." It means that chanting is very sweet; it's like a honey bowl. So, if you think of "Haribol" as "Honey bowl," and you chant sweetly—let the sound touch your ears sweetly—you don't have to do much else because: nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ (Śikṣāṣṭaka, Verse 2) There's a way in which Krishna is already sweet. You don't have to conjure sweetness; He just is sweet. Just like a honey bowl, you don't have to make it any sweeter. You don't need stevia or sugar; you just take it. Lord Caitanya said Krishna's names have His natural potencies, which are madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuram—sweet, sweet, sweet. So, just let that be the mode and keep letting it hit your ear. Just let it hit your ear and don't worry about any mechanics other than that. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://thefourquestionsbook.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconn

Now with 100% more consternation! Or less. Not sure where we landed on consternation. Steph Lau has gotten some good experiences over the years. Some published, some TBD. But at least we have thus far been graced with ABOMINABLE SNOW DANCER, and will be graced with MEDUSA'S PET ROCK later this year! And more to come! Steph, you'll have to come back on so we can talk more about pancakes and pastries.    _________   This episode's book reviews:  THE CAVE DOWNWIND OF THE CAFE by Mikey Please DESERT QUEEN by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Svabhu Kohli   The artwork for You May Contribute a Verse features our quokka mascot, Versey, and was generously created by the great Maddie Frost! Find her on IG @hellomaddiefrost or on her website Maddie-Frost.com    Our theme music is So Happy by Scott Holmes. You can find more of his music at scottholmesmusic.com     Love the podcast and wanna support more episodes like this? Find Community Shoutouts, Merch and our Patreon here!!    Find us on Bluesky @joshmonkwords, @brennajeanneret, and @jonseym0ur and as always, let us know what you think via a rating, review, or comment!

Today's class is a study of Ephesians 5:21-33. A group of verses that are controversial, often attacked and many times misunderstood. Ephesians 5:21-22 "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, [submit] yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord."  In the original Greek text the second [submit] word is not there. There is not a verb in this sentence and so in traditional Greek practice, you take the verb from the previous sentence and insert it into the next sentence.  Please note that this is really important - because what this is saying is, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, to your husbands as you do to the Lord." Meaning husband and wife alike are to submit to each other, to look out for one another, in service and submission to the Living God. There is no denying that throughout history many men have treated many women shamefully. But that is not biblical. It is never approved.  Instead, the Scriptures tell us that God intends for married people to be a unity and to willingly submit to one another because of their reverence for Christ. Men and women are to treat their husbands in a way that is consistent with their faith. Ephesians 5:23 goes on to say, "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." Please note the word is "head" not the boss, not the dominant individual. It says he is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.  How does Jesus show He is the head of the church.  He seeks what is best for her, He loves her, He sacrifices Himself for her, He gives Himself completely to her. And here it says the husband is to love His wife in that very same way. Loving, caring, supporting, defending, protecting, doing whatever it takes for the woman he loves. Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her…" That is what submission is all about.  It says, because I love the Lord, I will love my wife in the way He loves me. Both husbands and wives are to practice submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:32 goes on to say, "This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church."  God designed marriage to be a picture of the kind of love that Jesus has for his body, the church. Marriage is a reflection of Jesus' love. Verse 33 concludes: "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."  God made us male and female and He knows we each have unique needs. Husbands thrive when their wives respect them. Wives thrive when they know how deeply their husbands love them. These verses are a prescription for a happy, joy-filled, life-long marriage. Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class For more check out the series, "What's the Answer"  https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Forty Four

How challenging for us is the ungodliness that surrounds us. It has some degree of attraction for us in our fleshly weaknesses.  Our Psalm 49 today begins, “Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together!”    How few can “hear” God's message to them today!Verse 5 jumps out at us and challenges us to remember and keep repeating what we read here! “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when … iniquity … surrounds me …”  We are surrounded by iniquity more than ever. Such are the ways of life that almost no one has any thought of their being an all-seeing God who has his eyes onthe earth and the people he created.The next verse asks about “those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” What is described as their future? The Psalmist is inspired to write “no man can … give to God the price of his life … that he should live on forever …” [v.7,8]In v,12 we pick up a heart-challenging declaration, “Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.”  But this is a description of a certain path – called elsewhere as the wide way!  Earlier this month we read the words of Jesus that “the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” [Matt. 7 v.13]However – back in Psalm 49 the Psalmist declares (and invites his readers to sing)“God will ransom my soul from the power of the grave for he will receive me.”[v.15]  All who have this hope in their hearts, those who are true committed believers in God and his word should ask themselves, as we read (and quoted) in v. 5, “Why should I fear in times of trouble?” We should recall what we read yesterday at the start of Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way ….”

Jeremy Lallier discusses Joshua 5:13-14—“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?' So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?'”

Every Sunday Night we will be diving deeper into specific chapters and verses throughout the bible. We created this service to provide a space to equip our church family with a deeper knowledge and understanding of scripture.We invite you to join us on Sunday Nights at Captivate Point Loma!-----Join us for service online or in person every Sunday at 8am, 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm, & 5pm (PST).Connect to Captivate! - https://shorturl.at/nKxQuDownload the Captivate App to Stay Connected! - https://shorturl.at/5PfXPIf you want to share how God is moving in your life through this ministry, please let us know at info@captivatesd.com!Decided To Follow Jesus? Sign up to receive a copy of our “I Have Decided” booklets - https://shorturl.at/93CHSGet plugged in!Next Steps - captivatesd.com/next-stepsVisit - captivatesd.com/visitCommunities - captivatesd.com/communitiesIf you would like to support Captivate financially you can give online through our website by clicking here captivatesd.com/giving Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://captivatesd.churchcenter.com/people/forms/597023For more information about Captivate Church, visit captivatesd.com or follow us on our social media platforms below.Instagram - Instagram.com/captivatechurchsdFacebook - facebook.com/captivatesd

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Forty Seven

Insights and comments could be sent to Jonathan@thepararshapodcast.comThey will be addressed during our daily classes to enhance the discussion.For Parasha & Navi Special Classes, please visit:Apple podcast link:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-parasha-podcast/id1525436805Spotify link:https://open.spotify.com/episode/6w6PD5kC5vi9qqJ8VDU0JV?si=939c0262383e4c1cFor Navi classes, please visit:Apple podcast link:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-navi-podcast/id1549133051Spotify link:https://open.spotify.com/episode/2WxjXKNXllLVr9p1enQIc8?si=71de5d3ff961455dFor Tehillim classes, please visit:Apple podcast link:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tehillim-podcast/id1588773372Spotify link:https://open.spotify.com/show/79ooU0LqW7FF8Zh5YfJAkp?si=a33c064f60374646For Ketuvim classes, Please visit:Apple Podcast link:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ketuvim-podcast/id1734069288Spotify link:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5pMd7hhOBAb1Oy2RhWMX0H?si=8da277c698b94890 #Parasha #Navi #Torah #Bible #Wisdom #psalms #songs #Tehillim     

God will use all kinds of ways to get our attention, and today as we study Exodus 8, we'll see that God get's Pharaoh's attention through an total abundance of things they do not want, in order to show everyone, Jew and Egyptian, that there is no God but the Lord. There's a lot here, and it would be a privilege to have you listen in. Join us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. What did the podcast suggest were the reasons why God brought these miracles upon Egypt? What was their role for the Egyptians? What was their role for the Jews? 2. How does Ezekiel 20:5-8 shed light on the spiritual condition of the Jews at this time? 3. Likewise, how does Deuteronomy 4:37 help us understand why God still chooses to deliver these people? How does this help us understand God's mercy and His love for His people even when they sin and rebel against Him? 4. In these passages, how did the so-called "gods" of the Egyptians respond? Why didn't they respond more dramatically? 5. The podcast mentioned that the Egyptians didn't worship frogs and snakes and all that stuff because they loved those things, but because they thought those animals represented the gods who provided wealth and prosperity. These days, we don't look to frogs and snakes for prosperity. Instead, where do people look for these things, instead of the Lord? 6. The podcast mentioned that the goddess Heqet was the goddess of fertility and was represented by frogs. What did the piles of dead frogs show the Egyptians about the Lord's power over life and fertility? 7. Verse 16 Aaron struck the ground and gnats came up. This took on an Egyptian god named "Geb". Were the Egyptian magicians able to create a similar miracle? In verse 19, what did they say about this miracle that God performed through Aaron? 8. The podcast mentioned that the plague of the flies took on the god of creation and rebirth and rising sun named Khepri, who was represented by the face of a bug. What did God's control of the flies show the people about their belief that Khepri controlled the daily cycle of life? 9. In all of this, what was the condition of Pharaoh's heart in verse 32? How do people response similar today, despite seeing God's handiwork all around them? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Joel continues his journey through the Book of Romans, chapter 6, verse 14.

Joel continues his journey through the Book of Romans, chapter 6, verse 11.

Verse by verse exposition of Daniel ch. 4

John 13:36-14:4,36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”Let not your hearts be troubled. The text was chosen months ago. And your pastors believe it was chosen before the foundation of the world for this church, on this Sunday, January 25, 2026.“Let not your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:1)Has your heart been troubled this week?Pastor Jonathan talked last week about Jesus giving his disciples both a new commission — that we love one another — and a new location. For the first time, these men were going to follow Jesus in a world without Jesus. A world without Jesus. We know that kind of world, don't we? Most weeks, we live out there in a world without Jesus, and we see and feel his absence in all kinds of ways… Some of you were deeply troubled long before last Sunday — you've been staring down serious financial trouble. Or stubborn marriage trouble. Or sudden health trouble. Or heartbreaking trouble with your kids. All this might feel small compared to what weighs on you most right now. I know because we pray for you as pastors. You have laid in bed at night and wondered, Jesus, where are you? Why would you leave me here, to deal with this?Every week, we live out there in a world without Jesus. And then once a week, we come together here, and it feels like he's really here… He is of course here, we all know that. We say it at the end of every service, Matthew 28:18-20,“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . . . And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”He was with us last Sunday, and he's with us this Sunday, and if he doesn't return, he'll be with us next Sunday, whatever comes. He'll never leave us or forsake us… And yet we can't see him. But when we come together like this, it's almost like we can — the singing, the preaching, the praying, the one-anothering — this gathering pulls his throne back down out of the clouds for an hour or two, just long enough for us to run back in and spend 6 days facing all the things that trouble us. And then, last week, the trouble broken in and interrupted even that. Or did it? It's true that the service we had planned didn't immediately continue as planned, that a scene unfolded that none of us wanted to witness much less experience, but as I watched it all happen, standing right over there, Jesus was so real in the chaos. Jesus was really real. He was real in you.One mom injured herself rushing another family out of the Sanctuary. More moms quickly getting our kids to the safest part of the building. Men like Pastor Mike and the other Pastor Mike and Ben and Tommy and Eli and Warren and others quickly standing to shield others and calmly but firmly surround the protestors. Our people engaging the aggression with calmness, kindness, and truth. Attempting to talk and reason with them. Praying for them, and even with one or two of them. Pastor Jonathan, with mics shoved in his face, responding with Jesus and Jesus and more of Jesus. We're here to worship Jesus! And then since Sunday, you haven't stopped. Every day, sometimes hour by hour, we've watched dozens of you rise to meet some need.I've talked to a number of you now who have gone to visit immigrants in our church community who are hurting and afraid, bringing food and Scripture to strengthen them.You keep stepping up, each in your own way, to comfort one another, to feed one another, to protect one another, to pray for one another.We heard in the sermon last Sunday:“They will know you are my disciples by the way you love one another.”And, brothers and sisters, the whole world knows we worship Jesus because of how you loved one another last Sunday.But last Sunday was troubling — the state of our city is deeply troubling. And the sermons of the last couple months are helping me process the trouble. Just a few verses before we get to verse 1, we heard, John 13:21,“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.'”What does that mean? It means it's not always wrong to be troubled. There is an unholy troubled — an unholy anxiety, an unwillingness to trust God. May God guard us from that. But Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him, he knew why he was going to die, he knew he was going to rise from the dead, he knew he was saving the world from their sins — and he was still troubled. It's not always wrong to be troubled.And so, when Jesus says to his disciples here, with his own heart troubled by Judas, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” I don't think this is mainly fatherly correction — “Boys, stop being so worried and upset about all of this.” He's certainly not afraid to confront and correct them (in fact, he corrects Peter right here in these verses), but that's not the tone here. No, this isn't mainly fatherly correction; this is fatherly encouragement for battle. They needed courage to face the trouble ahead, and a good father knows how to give courage in moments like these. These men have good reasons to be troubled, and he's reminding them they have even better reasons to trust him and take heart. And he gives us reasons right here in these verses.My three main points are questions:How could he leave?Where did he go?How do we get to him?1. How Could He Leave?Before I get to how Jesus strengthens his friends, we need to try and feel their trouble with them. We all know the things we're troubled about — I know what's troubling me — but what was troubling them? I'm thankful that we put the end of John 13 with the beginning of 14. John 13:36, our first verse, helps define the trouble for us:“Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?'”It's a little hard for us to put ourselves in their shoes, isn't it? They were desperate for a savior, for a king to come and conquer Rome. And they really believed this was their king. He's here. And now this is the moment. We're going up to Jerusalem again, but now we have the promised Messiah, the king, the champion. We're going up there and we're going to win. This time's going to be different. We don't have to live in a world without our king anymore.And then as they gird up their loins and prepare for battle, the Messiah says, “Actually, I'm going to leave you now.” What! It felt like their savior was leaving right when they needed saving. . . . The wine at the wedding, and the bread and fish in the dessert, and even raising Lazarus from the dead, that's all amazing, but we need you now, Jesus. Like, none of that means anything if you don't come through for us now. You're supposed to be the one who delivers us. . . . And now you're deserting us? You're leaving us to try and live here, without you?Now, we know where he's going, and so we want to say, “Hey Peter, relax, it's going to be alright. He's going to die and rise. You're going to win — like really, really win.” But we do the same thing they're doing, don't we? We might not get in Jesus's face like Peter did, but we ask the same questions — we do if we're human anyway. Some of you were asking verse 36 questions this week. Jesus, you're just going to leave us here — with this? Jesus, why did you have to leave? If you loved us, why would you let us go through all this without you? You were already here! You could have just stayed and made all of this right by now. How could you leave?How could he leave? He had to leave. The question we should ask is: Where did he need to go? And that's really what these next verses are about.2. Where Did He Go?“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”Where was Jesus going when he left his disciples behind? He says he was going to his Father's house, and he was going to prepare a place for them, for us.He's talking about heaven, the place where God dwells. That's where he was going. But why did he call heaven “the Father's house”? . . . The Bible doesn't talk this way about heaven a lot. I think Jesus calls heaven a house at this particular moment, right before intense suffering and opposition, because he wanted them to know that heaven isn't just a shelter for forgiven believers — no more sin, no more fear, no more tears. That would be an improvement on these cities. That would be an improvement on any city. It's certainly better than eternal destruction in hell. No, Jesus wanted these men to know, in the face of great danger, that heaven is more than a shelter; it's a home — it's a place where you belong, where you're loved, where you feel safe. It's a place for family. The heaven Jesus bought for you is a home — and don't you want a new home? Don't you want to be a part of that kind of family? You might think you have a great home, in a great part of town, hemmed in by great neighbors, but even there you're hit with waves of heartache and temptation and uncertainty. Because of sin and all the horrible consequences of sin, we all want to go home. We're all out of place here. And some of us feel that more than others. You feel very, very far from home here. Jesus is going to say in just a few verses, “I will not leave you as orphans . . . ” (John 14:18). I'm going to provide a home for you. A place to belong. A place to be loved. A place where you are fully and finally safe.And in that house, he says, there are many rooms. Why did he say that? Because he wants us to know that there's plenty of room.“For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).Heaven isn't going to be like the inns in Bethlehem when Christ first came. No, there's always room in this house. Do you want to live in this house? There is room for you — and there's room for everyone you know (and everyone they know). If every soul in these cities turned to Jesus, he'd have a place for every single one of them. And that's our mission as a church. This is a big, big house, and our prayer is that God would fill up the rooms — that he would bring many, many in our city home, even through the horrors of what's happening right now. The people in our city are hurting and divided and afraid and they need a King. I've prayed, with all the extra attention on our church, Lord, fill up the rooms! Make Jesus impossible to ignore. And make him impossible to resist. There's always room in this house. He won't turn you away.And if you'll believe in Jesus, not only is there room for you, but there's a room for you. Listen to him carefully, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” When you get to this house, he's not going to be scrambling around to make room (Hey, Epaphraditus, can you bunk with Aquila until we find a spot for Pastor Max?). No, there will be a place prepared for you. And when you get there, you're going to know it's yours. Our kids got a number of things for Christmas this year, but the biggest hit was a case of colored pencils my wife bought for our son. I didn't know my wife had gotten this gift for him, and so when he opened it and I saw his eyes, I cried. I cried! Why did I cry about some colored pencils?Because as soon as I saw it, and saw him holding it, I knew it was the perfect gift for him. You could have shown me that pencil case anywhere in the world, and I would have said that's something my wife would buy for our boy, because she's a good mom who knows and loves her son. No child in the world is going to love this more than he does. That's what your room's going to be like. Your place in heaven. It's going to be obviously yours, prepared for you.Some of you have never had a home like that. A lot of people feel that way in Minneapolis and St. Paul right now. You sit in your home, in this city, and it feels like anything but home here. You're anxious. You're angry. You're troubled. And into that persistent sense of homesickness, Jesus says, “If you're with me, Oh I have a home for you. I'm going to prepare a place for you.”And the best part of the home he makes for you is going to be him. “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”So he left to prepare a place for you, and he's coming back to make sure you get there safely. Did you hear that? He's not going to prepare a place for you and then waiting to see if you can get there on your own. No, when it's time, he's going to come back, pick you up, and escort you there himself. Not one of you will be lost or left behind.And when you get home, he'll be at the center of everything you love about that place. You'll be happier than you've ever been — Do you believe that about heaven? You'll be happier than ever before, and it's not going to be about the colored pencils he put next to the bed — it's not going to be about all the things you'd want to do if you could do anything you want in heaven (and I think we'll do all those things in heaven). No, you'll be happier than you've ever been, and it'll be because he's there. I promise you. You won't have to convince yourself he's the best. No, it'll be so good to be with him that it'll be a little hard to believe that he's really just there, every day, for thousands and thousands of years.More than anyone besides the Bible, Randy Alcorn has helped me long for that home. He says in his book on heaven,“Nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for Heaven. We think that what we want is sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us. . . . Not only will we see his face and live, but we will likely wonder if we ever lived before we saw his face!” (Heaven, 166, 172)So he's going to the Father's house, which has many rooms, there's a room prepared for you, with him at the center, and he's coming back to make sure we get there. But how do we get there?3. How Do We Get to Him?Verse 3:“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”You don't think you know. That's exactly what Thomas says in the next verse,“Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Pastor Jonathan will preach those verses in a couple weeks, but we get a taste even here in these verses. When Jesus says, “I go to prepare a place for you,” what did he mean by prepare? Did he mean he had to leave because he needed to do some work on the house to get it ready for us? Is he framing out doors and laying sheet rock on a couple floors? No, this isn't that kind of preparation. The house is finished. All the rooms are ready. No one has been forgotten, and no detail has been missed. The problem isn't the readiness of the house; the problem at this point in the Gospel of John is that there's no way to get in. When he says he's going to prepare a place for them, he's going to install the front door. And this glorious door is made of two horrifying beams of wood. He's going to die for his friends. That's really why he had to leave. When he says he's preparing a place, he's opening the home. And so yes, where's he going? He's going to the Father's house. But he gets there through the grave. “I am the good shepherd,” he told them. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . .” (John 10:11). He's going to die for their sins, so that they get to go home. He's going to lay down his life for the sheep, for his friends. As he's leaving them, we realize he's not abandoning them; he's rescuing them. All they can see is the immediate threat — we can relate to that — all they can see is the immediate threat ,but he was focused on a far greater threat. They're focused on little Rome, and he's about to go to war against hell — and he's going to win.Colossians 2:13–15:“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” How could he leave? Where was he going? That's where he's going. “And,” he says verse 4, “you know the way to where I am going” (John 14:3–4). Again, you don't think you know the way — we've felt that way this week, haven't we? We don't think we know the way forward, but we do know the way, because we know him.Even You, PeterAs we turn to the Table, then, that leaves us with three verses I've said almost nothing about. This is chapter 13:36–38. I'll be brief here, in closing, but I'm so jealous for you to see this. “Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?' Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.' 37 Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' 38 Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.'”Next verse, next words out of his mouth, in the very next breath as far as we know:“Let not your hearts be troubled.”Think about that. “I will lay down my life for you!” “No you won't, Peter. You're going to fail me, you're going to disown and betray me three times today . . . . and I'm still going to lay down my life for you, so you don't have to be troubled.” He doesn't say that to Judas (he's already left by now), but he says it to Peter. I'm going to prepare a place for you, Peter. Yes, even you. And so I say to you this morning, it doesn't matter how you have betrayed him and how many times you have betrayed him — how many times you have run from him and sinned against him. Maybe you betrayed him three times in the last 24 hours. It doesn't matter where you're coming from this Sunday. And it doesn't matter where you were sitting, standing, or shouting last Sunday. If you will turn and believe, he has prepared a home for you. You can be forgiven. His death can cover you. His wounds can heal you. His house can shelter you. Yes, even you.So, Cities Church, let not your hearts be troubled.

Audio Transcript All right. Beautiful singing. I love that song. I love the lyrics and that they sing. And I hope that’s why you’re here this morning, that your soul is satisfied in just Jesus and him alone. And if it’s not, we hope that by the end of the service, you are. So one of the things that we talk about pretty often here is like the most important instrument that we have as a congregation for our music is the singing of you. And so as we sing, I do want to keep encouraging you to sing. Sing out. This is the most important thing, our singing time is us singing as a congregation. So beautiful singing once again. So I’ve not met you. My name is Aaron. I’m the preaching pastor here. And we’re glad that you’re with us on this very cold Sunday morning. So if you have a Bible with you, if you open up to the Gospel of Luke, continue in our study of Luke. Today, our text to study is going to be Luke 6:1, 11. If you don’t have a Bible with you, the pew Bibles are scattered throughout and they’re on page 502. And then if you’re visiting with us. So we do a style of preaching here called expository preaching. And so I’m going to read a passage, I’m going to pray, ask for the Lord’s blessing, and then we’re going to actually walk right back through the text. And so as you open your Bible, please do keep them open. So the most important thing I might say today is just me reading the Word and continue to communicate the Word to you. That’s the most important thing. So we want to hear God speak this morning. So Luke 6:1 through 11 on page 502, if you’re using one of the pew Bibles, So please to hear the words of our God. So Luke wrote, on a Sabbath, while he was going through the grain fields, disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath? Jesus answered them, have you not read what David did when he was hungry? He and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of presents. Was it not lawful for any but the priest to eat? And he also and also gave it to those with him. And he said to them, the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. On another Sabbath in the synagogue was teaching. And a man who was there, whose right hand was withered, the scribes and Pharisees watched him to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath so they might find a reason to accuse him. He knew their thoughts. Said to the man with a withered hand, come stand here. He rose and stood there. Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or. Or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it? After looking around at them, he said to him, stretch out your hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. So that’s God’s word for us this morning. Let’s pray. God, it’s good to be here. For every Sunday that we can gather together as your people here at Red Village. It is a sweet gift from you and Lord, we pray that you would bless the preaching of your word for the glory of Christ and for our good God. Please help me to communicate the word correctly, to rightly divide the word of truth. Please be with the congregation. Please give them ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. And Lord, in this time, please just use it to bring glory to Christ. In his name we pray. Amen. So I think every so often it’s really important for us to think through the why or the purpose behind all that we do. Because what can happen over time, the why, the purpose of what we do can kind of get lost in ways that we just start doing things for the sake of doing things, where things that we’re doing perhaps end up taking a life on their own in ways that end up not being healthy, that can lead to us maybe become apathetic or arrogant. So as a church, it’s important to us to understand the why, the purpose, which I’m going to talk about more at the end of this time. But I say this to you up front just to kind of help set us up for our text of study today, which is a text where the people in the text clearly lost track of the why, the purpose, one of the more important aspects of their faith as they lost track of the why, the purpose of the Sabbath in ways that rather than the Sabbath existing for them and their arrogance, they started to like almost try to exist for the Sabbath, as in their arrogance, they tried to use the Sabbath as a means of their own self righteous gain before God, which was not the purpose of the Sabbath, why God created the Sabbath. So I’ll talk about this more in just a bit as well, but before we do, just to take a little bit of time, just to kind of help think through just some of the context before we dive into the passage. First, let me just the context of the passage I just went through. So I mentioned our text last week. The public ministry of Jesus is now in full swing, which is the ministry that kicked off in the region of Galilee where this public ministry of the Lord Jesus included like healing the sick, the lame, the blind, casting out demons. But the primary ministry that Jesus had was actually his preaching and teaching ministry, which often would take place in various synagogues, including one in our text today. And as the public ministry of Jesus was now on full swing, his popularity was spreading like wicked wildfire throughout the region as more and more began to wonder if indeed he Jesus was the long awaited, long anticipated Christ who was to come. And this led to more and more coming around Jesus, forming bigger and bigger crowds around him. However, even though his popularity was spreading questions, concerns about his ministry were also starting to like increase, particularly among the Pharisees and the scribes who were the religious leaders of the day. And these concerns that the Pharisees and scribes had to Jesus were on multiple fronts. Maybe share a few with you. One, the Pharisees scribes really did not like who Jesus was ministering to, which in the Gospel accounts included those with like some very deep negative social stigma tied to them. A few weeks back, if you were here, a text included Jesus healing a leper, which was like a painful, gross skin disease. He also heard a paralytic where the Pharisees seemed to imply that this paralytic suffered that because of some of his own sin. Last week may remember Jesus came to a tax collector named Levi. And as Jesus came to Levi was then to like shame him, but to actually call Levi to follow him, which Levi did, leaving everything to follow Jesus. And then after that, may you remember how Levi threw a great party for other tax collectors and other social outcasts with Jesus being the guest of honor at this party. If you remember, it was last week. So the tax collectors, they’re arguably like the most hated people in all of Israel because they were viewed as traitors. So for the Pharisees, like they hated these people, they hated who Jesus was ministering to with like all these deep social stigma tied to them because in their minds those type of people were to be like, avoided and shamed. Certainly not cared for, loved on, certainly not shown any type of mercy. Second, the Pharisees had concerns about Jesus because they rightly understood that as Jesus ministered, Jesus did so in ways that he was claiming divine authority that he is God in the flesh, which Jesus can do. Because we see all throughout the New Testament, including Luke, that yes, indeed, Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, that Jesus is the great God man, fully God, fully man, which we actually see again in our text today. We see this both in his divine actions of healing a man, also in his divine words in our text today, as he refers himself as the Son of man, who is the Lord over the Sabbath. However, for the Pharisees, even though throughout the Old Testament that they claim to love, even though the Old Testament pointed to a God man who had come to save his people, even though from his birth Jesus fulfilled these promises and prophecies of the Old Testament that he was the God man who was to come, the Pharisees fully rejected Jesus. They fully rejected him being the fulfillment. They rejected that indeed he was the Christ Messiah. And because they rejected who Jesus is and what he came to do, they just hated him. Third, the Pharisees also had concerns about Jesus, didn’t improve his ministry. They hated him in ways because of how Jesus would confront their own sin, sinful hearts. So over and over again, including our text today, the Pharisees would try to trap Jesus, only for Jesus to turn things back on them. However, as Jesus confronted their hearts, rather than humbling themselves before him, rather than confessing their sin in their pride, they became more and more violent towards Jesus in the rejection of him. They hated how Jesus confronted them in their sin, because they hated that not only did they reject him, they would work hard to try to convince others to reject him and as well. Okay, so that’s a little bit of our context, our passage. So Jesus ministry is growing, crowds around him is growing. But the hatred from the religious leaders also was growing as they’re seeking, like, every opportunity they could to like discredit the Lord Jesus and his ministry. So that’s kind of his text. Second, let me also just give you some context or some handles on the Sabbath, which is going to be at the center of our passage today. So the word Sabbath basically means, like to cease or to rest. And this ceasing, this rest, the Sabbath is something we first see on the seventh day of creation in the book of Genesis. Okay? So if you read through the creation account, so the preceding six days, so God is at work where he not only creates the heavens, the earth, but then he fills the heavens and the earth, including filling with mankind who is the pinnacle of his creative work. As He, God created mankind in his very image. And this took place on the sixth day, but then on the seventh day of creation as God finished His creative work. We read in Scripture that God ceased from the work. He rested with creation, in particular with mankind, who has mentioned created in his image. And this rest that God had with mankind was not because he was like dog tired from a long six days of creative work. Rather, God rested with mankind, rested with the creation to enjoy mankind to enjoy his creative work as God was pleased with which he created, making the seventh day of creation, this day of rest, a picture of fellowship, a picture of harmony and peace that God enjoyed with that which he created. However, if you’ve read through Genesis, you know that by the time we get to Genesis 3, we see this, the Sabbath fellowship, the Sabbath rest with mankind creation, we see that it was lost because mankind rebelled against God, rebelled against God’s design that he gave them, which was to obey him joyfully because they sinned. And this sin separated mankind from God and brought a curse to the earth, causing the Sabbath rest to be lost. Okay, now, if you’re with us over a year ago, you may remember we went to the book of Hebrews. And you may remember in much of that study of Hebrews, the Old Testament is like a quest trying to figure out how do we get rest back. Now for this time here, I won’t mention all the different pictures of rest found in the Old Testament outside of one, which is important for our text to study today, which is the fourth commandment, which is a commandment to remember the Sabbath day. This is from Exodus 20, where the Ten Commandments are found. So it’s in the fourth commandment it says, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you should not do any work. You or your sons or your daughters, your male servant, your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is with you within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. So the Sabbath is a commandment we are to keep, but within that. This commandment, like all other commandments, was designed actually to be a blessing from God to his people. A blessing that was meant to help them remember the holiness of God and the worship that we designed to give to him a blessing, to give them rest to their bodies, our physical bodies. We can’t just like, go, go, go, go, go. Like, we need rest, physical rest, emotional rest. Mental rest from our labors. So Sabbath helped provide for that. And Sabbath is also a blessing to help mankind just to remember back to creation and the Sabbath rest that we’ve been created for, which is a Sabbath rest by which we live in fellowship and harmony with God. And because the Sabbath was a blessing by God to his people, man was not created for the Sabbath. That’s not why the Sabbath existed. Rather, the Sabbath was created for mankind. Say it again. It’s a blessing to mankind from a good God. That’s the why of the Sabbath, a gift from God to mankind. As we’ll see in our passage, the Pharisees today completely missed the why of the Sabbath, which caused them to completely miss this blessing that was given to them from God. And because they missed the why, they tried to use the Sabbath as like a fuel for their own pride and their own arrogance, where they tried to make the Sabbath become something that was not intended to be, something like, for their own self righteous gain. So that is the intro. But if you want to look back with me in our text, starting in verse one, so read these words. It says on the Sabbath, while he, meaning Jesus, while he was going through the grain fields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain. And then rubbing them in their hands, with rubbing the hands was how they would remove like the outer chaff before eating. Now for us, perhaps nothing seems wrong here. Jesus, disciples, they’re hungry and there is no like prohibition from like eating on the Sabbath. So nothing concerned here. This is not like biblically wrong. In fact, even in the book of Leviticus, there’s provisions given to pluck heads of grain with one’s hand on the Sabbath. Now I will mention that there are prohibitions in the Old Testament of using like a sickle to cut the heads of grain on the Sabbath, because the plucking is more of a provision to help like get them through the day, where the sickle have been more of like a tool that have been used to provide for like food for like multiple days of work. So what they’re doing here though, just plucking with the heads of grains with their hands. So biblically there’s nothing wrong here. However, for the Pharisees this was a great concern, and it was a great concern to them because they viewed this act being done by disciples as an act of work defined by what was called the misna, which is a list of like 39 additional rules and regulations to what scripture laid out. Where these additional rules and regulations were given in part to help put together like A tighter, more specific regulations on what work was on the Sabbath. Thus, according to these rules, regulations, the disciples of Jesus were breaking the Sabbath by plucking and then rubbing with their hands. For the Saraces, this action broke the Sabbath and this call to rest from one’s labor. Now, let me pause a couple things here I think should challenge us. So first, there’s a ministry that helps with, like, teaching preaching called the Simeon Trust, which is named after an old preacher named Charles Simeon. So we don’t have time to. For me to tell you about his ministry, but I would recommend looking up and reading more about him, Charles Simeon. He has a great ministry. So now in this ministry, Simeon Trust, there’s a training called first principles. And I know some of you have gone through that. And for me, the most helpful lesson in first principles revolves around what they call the line of Scripture. So, like preachers, teachers of the Word, even us as Bible readers, we’re to stay on the line to communicate what the text communicates. Because this temptation will always be to go above or below the line. So to go below the line, according to the training, it’s like to ignore the commands of scripture, to ignore clear teachings in scripture, maybe because they’re uncomfortable to us, or maybe we don’t approve of them, or the other temptation is actually to go above the line of Scripture. According to the training, we start to add to the commands the teachings of Scripture, as if what Scripture says is not enough, so we need to, like, add to it. And this is what the Pharisees were doing here. So Scripture taught one could pluck grains from a field by hand, not with a sipical, but of concern that perhaps people abuse the provision of plucking by hand. Perhaps the rubbing of the hands is too much. We better add more safety rails here. So let’s add to the commandment. Let’s go above the line of Scripture and limit any and all acquiring of grain, any and all rubbing of hands, right? Better be safe to go above the line than to fail by going below the line. Now, there’s kind of a common buzzword in church life, the word legalism. And this can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, where for some, they use, like, the term legalism to almost like, justify, like, going below the line to kind of do whatever they want to do because, you know, they don’t want to be illegalistic. But I think the right way to use this term legalism is simply adding to what Scripture says in ways that we, like, go above the line, where the Additions become as important, if not more important, to what Scripture says itself. So in the end, going above the line, that’s illegalism. In the end, it’s actually similar to going below the line and ignoring Scripture because neither side actually honors God in his Word. Neither side above or below, trusts the truth of what Scripture says. Neither side actually holds to the sufficiency of God’s Word. Second, just on this note, I think we need to understand how easy it is to go above or below this line. First time here, let me just think specifically about going above the line, which is true of our text today. So here’s a command from God, remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. So perhaps there’s, like, thoughts of, like, good intentions. Hey, let’s do all that we can do to put guardrails in place to ensure that this happens. However, these guardrails become more and more over time. Over time, the why behind the guardrails completely lost. The guardrails become the focus, the standard, not the original command. And for us, we could do this as a host of different things. Maybe in our culture think of, like, movies or music or alcohol or how we dress, or maybe even how we, like, interact with those who are not Christians. So we know there’s commands out there, biblical principles connected to these things. I just mentioned in our culture that maybe we have to think through, which are commands, principles that we certainly want to follow. We might understand there’s dangers for not following them in ways that we maybe go below the line. But what can easily happen, all these guardrails become more and more where we become, like, more and more tight with more and more things. And all we begin to think about now is this new standard that, like, we set, where the original command, the original principle, is now lost, leaving us, like, really tightly wound up, where we now begin to, like, pridefully judge everyone who is not tightly as wound as we are. Or what else can happen is over time, we just become, like, apathetic to everything, apathetic to, like, any and all rules, because we completely lost track of the why. So we just throw our hands up in the air and we completely abandon, like, Scripture and what it commands in our text. The Pharisees, they’re really tightly wound, tightly wound with, like, deep, prideful judgment of others. In the end, they’re completely missing what scripture taught in their attempt to follow Scripture. You know, there’s a blog I read a few years back, it said you become, like, so biblical where you’re going above and beyond or above and beyond the line. And attempt to like, follow Scripture, I’m going to be so biblical that in the end you actually become like, unbiblical. Once again, that’s the Pharisees. At all costs, they’re going to follow the Sabbath. But in the end, they’re becoming more and more unbiblical in this attempt. Third, let me also just mention, just to be fair and to be clear, going below the line can also lead you to really awful places. It’s not just above the line. Legalism has problems, but that’s what our text is today. This is a cautionary tale. To go above the line in ways, you become like, legalistic. Okay, say more here, bro. Let’s move on. Verse 2, we see the Pharisees came to Jesus, his disciples, to confront them for not meeting their legalistic standard and what they were doing with the grains in the field. And this here, it kind of gets a sense in Luke that kind of like everywhere Jesus went, there’s almost like these like, assigned Pharisees, like, following them around, where it almost felt like their entire existence to try to call out Jesus and what they felt he was doing wrong to try to trap him. Man, I was thinking about this week. This had to be so annoying. Like, everywhere Jesus went, you know. Here are his critics for following him. The text. As Pharisees went to confront Jesus, disciples, we see that he said to them with a tone of judgment and arrogance and pride, why are you doing this? This is not lawful for you to do on the Sabbath, at least not according to their standards. This here, this is another attempt by the Pharisees to catch Jesus and what they deemed like catch him red handed. Another attempt to discredit him disciples, his ministries. However, in this conversation, yet again, Jesus turns things back on them in ways. Actually, we’re discrediting them. Verse 3, we see Jesus respond not in direct ways to their question, to the arrogance, to the pride, but maybe in a little bit more indirect way where Jesus, like, responds by using a story of scripture to prove his point. So the text, Pharisees, you know, the story about David, scripture, you know, maybe, maybe you didn’t read this one. I think you have, but maybe, maybe you remember this one, you know, the one where he was like on the run from evil King Saul. And when he was on the run, remember how he became hungry along with others who were with him. And, and this is a story from 1st Samuel 21:1 that no doubt the Pharisees would have known. Remember how while they were hungry in the run, how David entered into the house of God and how he took and ate of the bread of the presence, which high priest Elimelech allowed for them to do so. Can I ask you, Pharisees, was that not unlawful for David to do that? After all, the bread of presence was not allowed for the priest to eat. In that story, David took give it to those who are with him. So, Pharisees, let me ask you, was that wrong for David to do? Was it wrong for the priest to let that happen? I mean, do you think the priest should have told David his hungry men, sorry, it’s not for you. You must just keep going on in your hunger. What Jesus is doing here in the story is, first, so in the strictest letter of the law, sure, it would have been unlawful for David for Elimelech to distribute bread in this fashion. However, second, Jesus point out that the letter of the law should not be removed or divorced from the spirit of the law. The why of the law, where in the end the law is there to be a blessing from God, a blessing to not only help us love and honor God, but but also to help us to love and honor others. That’s the why. So in the story of David, the spirit of law was there to show David his friends, like, they needed mercy in that moment, right? They’re hungry, they needed mercy, and that’s what Elimelech gave them. He let them eat the food that they needed to save their life to keep going. For the Pharisees, mercy was just not a part of who they were. And backing up. No mercy to the leper, no mercy to the paralytic, no mercy to Levi in our text last week. No mercy to the other tax collectors and social outcasts who Levi threw the party for in our text today. No mercy towards Jesus, his disciples who are hungry, even though what they were doing biblically actually was not wrong in the first place, for the Pharisees, it was wrong in their own eyes. First morning for us, maybe a little litmus test. When we see someone in need, which can come on a lot of different fronts, do we desire to show them mercy or do we just want to, like, hammer them with like, the strictest letter of the law that we can get to a standard. They’re not that we feel they’re not living up to now, as I say that I’m not advocating for, like, enabling, which is not an act of mercy, but it’s actually an act of putting burdens on when we try to enable people. But we should seek to show real mercy to those who are in need, we are able to help those who we can in ways that actually in the end doesn’t hurt them. Keep going to the text, verse 5. So the Pharisees are not already angry and frustrated towards the Lord Jesus as He confronted them for their lack of mercy. What he says next would have only made them that much more angry and that much more frustrated. Where in the text he declared them the Son of Man was a title that he already referred to himself in Luke, a title ground in the Old Testament. The Old Testament pointed to a God man is to come. The Son of Man in the text is the Lord of the Sabbath. Now why this is so frustrating for the Pharisees to hear, Jesus makes the segregation a couple things here. First, they would have hated Jesus continued to declare himself as being the great God man, even though that’s what we see all throughout Scripture as he declared himself to be the Son of Man, the Lord of the Sabbath. Second, as Jesus declared himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath, not only is he declaring himself to be greater than the Sabbath day, but he also declared that the rest that the Sabbath was to picture and point to from the seventh day of creation. Jesus is now declaring that rest between God and man is fulfilled in him. That he is the means by which we find rest with God. He’s the answer of the question of the Old Testament. How do we get rest back? It’s not in ourselves. It’s not in trying to keep the law. It’s not in trying to keep some type of like standard of self righteousness by our own effort. It’s not by keeping the Sabbath. Rather in this declaration by the Lord Jesus, he’s saying to follow the Sabbath would lead you to find Him. Because ultimately he is the Sabbath. He’s the why. The Sabbath, it is through him, in him alone. That’s how we find rest with God. Which is why Jesus calls out for all to hear, including all here today. Come to me, all who labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Once again for the Pharisees, Jesus making this declaration this way he could fuel to the flames of hate that was burning deeply in the heart. This is what legalism always does when confronted with Jesus. Legalism hates Jesus because Jesus exposes that we can’t do it. Rather we must by faith come to him, the one who did it for us Hebrew 1, verse 6. We see now in the text we’re on to a different Sabbath where the Pharisees are still after Jesus, still trying to catch him red handed, still trying to discredit him, his ministry. We see on another Sabbath, Jesus entered into a synagogue. And as he entered in, he did what is mentioned earlier became his custom to do. And he went in to teach, to preach, to preach God’s word as one with authority. In that particular Sabbath, we see there’s a man in the synagogue whose right hand was withered and true to form because Jesus was there. The Pharisees scribes are also on the scene. And on the particular Sabbath, they’re also there at the synagogue, as I mentioned, trying to continue to trap the Lord Jesus. And as they’re inside the synagogue, they began to watch this man with withered hand to watch Jesus, to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath. You know, for me, in my mind, I can kind of just see the Pharisees and scribes in the back of the synagogue, like kind of looking around, whispering among themselves if there’s any potential candidates for Jesus to heal on the Sabbath. And as they whispered around, you know, kind of wondered in my mind if, you know, they maybe zeroed in on this man with a withered hand. They began to like, question like, I wonder if that’s the one that Jesus is going to heal today. Verse 8. As Pharisees, maybe we’re zeroing in on whether this man with a withered hand would be the one that Jesus would healed. We see that Jesus started to like zero in on them, the Pharisees, he began to zero in their hearts as our text tells us, like he knew their thoughts. And as Jesus knew their thoughts, he yet again turns things back on the Pharisees. Jesus calls out to the man with the withered hand. You over there. Yeah, he’s you, the one with the withered hand. Come stand up here with me. And his call, Jesus went forth. The man did what Jesus called him to do in the text. He rose from where he was seated and he stood, instructing him to stand right swimming right next to the Lord, like right in front of everyone where no doubt everyone can see him. For me, it gets sent in the text that Jesus didn’t want anyone, particularly the Pharisees, to miss that which he was about to do. Verse 9 of the text. So the man standing up front next to him, Jesus turns the congregation to the Pharisees and can you answer me a question on this Sabbath? Want to ask you this Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it? I keep saying the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus, but this question, but Jesus is now actually trapping them. We’re in this trap. Everyone, including the Pharisees would admit doing good is more important than doing harm. Saving a life is more important than destroying it. And this is really kind of the question that is in line with the story of David and the hungry men who ate the bread of presents. It was more important to do good to them on the Sabbath. Jesus gave his question with the obvious answer, important to do good to save. Jesus now further stressed the importance of mercy and love towards others as the entire law is boiled down into two commandments, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. So at the scene on the Sabbath, as Jesus continues to fulfill the law by showing love and mercy, he does so to this man. Verse 10. As everyone in the room is looking at him, as everyone probably is quiet, and as Jesus gave his question in verse nine, Jesus turns to the man sitting next to him and says to him, man, stretch out your hand once again. As the call of Jesus went forth, the man did what Jesus asked. By faith he stretches out his hand. And as he does so, it was restored, healed. Restored. He healed by the power and the authority of the great God man, Jesus Christ. It was restored, healed by the mercy and the love of the great God man, Jesus Christ. And now for us you would think this would have been to the praise and wonder for all who are present to see this incredible act of love and mercy and power and authority of Jesus Christ. However, as Jesus did this great act for this man who was in need of the hearts of the Pharisees, we see still they’re not softened towards Christ. They still didn’t see like the errors of their way. They still didn’t understand the law, the Sabbath, the why. So our text ends today, verse 11, we see that they became feel or filled with fury and they started to discuss among themselves what they might do to Jesus. You know, as thick headed and as proud as the Pharisees were there even them were being understand that their strategy of trying to catch Jesus red handed like was not working. So even here they’re starting to understand they needed a new strategy if they’re ever to get rid of Jesus Christ, which we know over time became a strategy so filled with hate and fury that their strategy would lead them to kill Jesus Christ, which they finally would end him, his ministry, his influence over his people. But we also know that, that even that completely backfired on them because it’s actually through the death and the resurrection from the dead on the third day. That’s the reason why Jesus came. That is how his ministry would be fulfilled, how his mission to save his people from their sins would be fulfilled. How through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s how he would be restored back to fellowship with God so that we might have rest. Now, as I close this time, I do want to close by asking maybe a few like, why questions and some answers to this, and then we’ll close. So first question, maybe you’re kind of thinking this is so why do we not keep the Sabbath? So the church, we obviously don’t meet on Saturdays. And this is actually one of the commandments, right? One of the ten commandments. Remember the Sabbath day, the commandment that was actually given by God for our good. So why do we not meet on the Sabbath? The reason why relates to Jesus being the Lord of the Sabbath, where, yes, Jesus came to fulfill the entire law, but he uniquely fills the Sabbath as Jesus is our rest. So in the New Testament, like all the ten Commandments are spoken about in ways that they’re still binding on us today. Still expectation that God has for mankind in order to follow him that are for our good. That is, with the exception of the Sabbath. So New Testament, there’s no command for us to follow the Sabbath because as mentioned, Jesus uniquely fulfilled the Sabbath as he is the Lord of the Sabbath. So everyone, this is why we don’t meet on Saturdays, but we meet on Sundays. And in fact, we see this all throughout New Testament, all throughout church history. God’s people, Christians gather on Sunday. Sundays, not Saturdays, with Sundays being referred to like the Lord’s Day, as Sunday helps us remember the day that Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. So now Sundays, like the Sabbath, the Old Testament is the day that Christians are to set aside to worship, right? This is why we don’t forsake the assembly of believers. We gather together every Sunday to worship. This is why Sunday, the Lord’s day, right? This is supposed to be a benefit to us to rest from our labors. So when Sunday we not only remember back to creation, but remember Jesus, the new creation that he comes to give. If you wonder why, that’s why. Second, so why is the line of scripture so important for us to stick to? So something I talked about a little earlier, you know, this Line of Scripture do not go above, not go below. And the main reason why we want to stick to the line of Scripture, to not add to it, not take it away. Because going on either side of the line, not only is it take away from the truth of scripture, but when you go on either side, what happens is we stop seeing Jesus, our need for Him. And this is certainly true of our text today in the Pharisees, they just could not see Jesus for who he is. They certainly did not see their need for Him. The rest that he alone can offer says for us to read and apply Scripture, particularly when it comes to the commands of Scripture as we read them. Do we read them in ways that we see Jesus, where our hearts are full of praise and worship towards him, where our hearts become full of love for God and love for others in more meaningful ways which lead to another why? Question. So why is it important for us to stay focused on the weightier matters of the law? Because this is something that Jesus actually later on confronts the Pharisees on and their attempt to try to keep the law through tithing, where they’re so like hyper focused on every little aspect of tithing like they were in our text with the Sabbath, that tithing becomes like, almost like way too much, where they completely lost the weightier manners of the law. Like loving God, loving others, showing mercy, showing kindness to others, when their attempt to become so biblical with tithing, to become unbiblical with weightier matters of the law. So for us, yes, clearly we want to follow the Scriptures, whatever Scripture commands us to do, but we want to do so in ways with the weightier matters of law. Love, mercy, kindness towards others is at the center. This is the last why. So why is all this so important? The answer is simple. So why is this all important? The answer is Jesus, his wooden cross, empty tomb, things that mean everything to us, right? That’s the why for us. What Jesus did, all these things he did for us, if they continue to mean everything to us, we must keep him at the center of the why of all that we do, that we do. So maybe we want to ask, so why are we here this cold morning? Why? Because of Jesus, that’s why. The worship of him, that’s why. So why do we do all the different ministries that we do, even though at times these ministry can leave us weary? Why? Right? It’s because Jesus, because He means everything to us. Why do we seek to share the Gospel with the world around us? Why? It’s because of Jesus. This, his love for us compels us to now want to love others like who he is, what he has done for us. That’s at the why of our entire existence as a church. That’s why. This morning, if you know you’ve been living above the line, maybe you can kind of like resonate with the Pharisees. Like you’re so wound up tight that you’re missing, like, the weightier matters of the law, maybe even more so you’ve been missing Jesus the rest and the joy that he alone can offer. Let me invite you to humble yourself and just confess your sin and come back to Jesus, knowing that all who by faith come to him will be forgiven. And friends, if you came here looking like the Pharisees from the text, don’t leave here still looking like one. Rather come to Jesus and leave here looking more and more like Him. Church, may God give us the grace to stay on the line of Scripture so we might find and continue to find our rest in him, the great Lord of the Sabbath. Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for Jesus. Lord, please help us to set our eyes on him. And Lord, you’ve given us many good commandments. And so, Lord, please help us to follow them, knowing that they’re good. Help us not lose track of the why behind them and how in the end, not only for our good, but they all lead us to Christ. Pray so in Jesus name, amen. The post Lord of the Sabbath – Luke 6: 1-11 appeared first on Red Village Church.

Verse by Verse Bible Study on www.thecloudchurch.org through the book of 2 Timothy, covering chapter 1 and verses one to seven.