Podcasts about Verse

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Dave Myers discusses Exodus 31:13—“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.'”

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      Proverbs 3: 31  Don't envy violent people     or copy their ways. 32  Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord,     but he offers his friendship to the godly. 33  The Lord curses the house of the wicked,     but he blesses the home of the upright. 34  The Lord mocks the mockers     but is gracious to the humble.[c]     Proverbs 3:31–34 serves as the "sharp turn" at the end of a chapter famous for its beautiful imagery of wisdom as a "tree of life." While the earlier verses focus on the internal benefits of wisdom—peace, long life, and favor—these final verses pivot to how we should view others, specifically those who seem to get ahead through ruthlessness.   The Biblical Context Chapter 3 is a fatherly discourse intended to guide a young person through the complexities of social and spiritual life. At this point in the text, the author is contrasting two very different lifestyles: the covenant-keeper (the righteous) and the covenant-breaker (the wicked/scoffer). Verse 31: The Trap of Envy "Do not envy a violent man and do not choose any of his ways." The Background: In the ancient world (much like today), it was easy to look at the "strongman"—the person who used force, intimidation, or exploitation—and admire their results. They often gained wealth and power quickly. The Wisdom: Wisdom warns that "success" built on violence or oppression is a mirage. To "choose his ways" is to adopt a mindset that people are tools to be used rather than neighbors to be loved. Verse 32: The Divine Reaction "For the devious man is an abomination to the Lord, but He is intimate with the upright." The Contrast: The word "devious" refers to someone who is crooked or slippery in their dealings. The Reward: The "upright" receive something far more valuable than the spoils of violence: intimacy with God. The Hebrew word used here for "intimacy" (sôd) refers to a confidential, friendly conversation or a secret counsel. While the wicked get "stuff," the righteous get "God's ear." Verse 33: The Home and the Heart "The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous." The Scope: This verse suggests that the consequences of our character leak into our environment. A "house" in the biblical sense isn't just the architecture; it's the lineage, the family, and the legacy. The Reality: The wicked may have a mansion, but it carries a "curse" (instability and spiritual decay), while even a humble "dwelling" of the righteous is a place of divine favor. Verse 34: The Law of Reciprocity "Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor." The Principle: This is one of the most famous verses in the Old Testament, later quoted by both James (4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5). The Mechanics: God mirrors the attitude of the heart. If you are a "scorner" (someone who thinks they are above the rules and looks down on others), you will eventually find yourself looking up at a God who opposes you. Conversely, "favor" (grace) is a gift that flows to the lowest point—the humble.   Summary Table Verse The Human Action The Divine Response 31 Envy/Violence (Warning) Avoid these paths 32 Deviousness vs. Uprightness Abomination vs. Intimacy 33 Wickedness vs. Righteousness Curse vs. Blessing 34 Scorn vs. Humility Scorn vs. Favor/Grace   Modern Application The "background" of these verses is essentially a reality check. They remind us that character is more than just personal morality; it is a social and spiritual trajectory. We are encouraged not to be "gaslit" by the visible success of the ruthless, but to value the quiet, steady blessing of walking in integrity. Would you like me to look into the original Hebrew meanings of any specific words in these verses to give you a deeper look?

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

Balanced Belief | Acts 20:27

Verse by verse.

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     

Hey Friend! In this candid and inspiring conversation, I sit down with actor, filmmaker, and author Nathan Clarkson to discuss brokenness, humility, and the surprising freedom that comes from admitting our faults. Nathan shares the heart behind his new book, The Worst: How Freedom Is Found in Admitting Our Faults, and opens up about his personal journey of confronting pride, perfectionism, and hidden struggles. Together, we explore why we resist acknowledging our weaknesses, how shame keeps us stuck, and why God’s grace meets us most powerfully in our honesty. This episode is a refreshing reminder that freedom doesn’t come from pretending we have it all together—it comes from surrender, humility, and embracing the unconditional love of Christ. Don’t forget - I am still giving away a copy of A Verse a Day for the Anxious Soul by Becky Keife! All you need to do is - Leave a podcast review Rate the show (five stars if it blessed you!) One or two sentences is all it takes A winner will be announced on an upcoming episode. And remember, I'd love to connect more on Instagram, where you'll find me at @donnaajones. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode! Xo, Donna Listen in to learn more : [0:00:13] Owning Our Brokenness Opens the Door to Freedom[0:04:40] The World Is Broken—and It’s Not Just “Their” Fault[0:10:36] Brokenness Isn’t a Wall; It’s a Bridge to Unconditional Love[0:15:03] God as Doctor: No Condemnation, Only Restoration[0:19:13] True Strength Is Admitting You Need Help Donna’s Resources: Order a copy of my latest book - Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life: A Biblical Guide to Communicating Thoughts, Feelings, and Opinions with Grace, Truth, and Zero Regret. It is available anywhere books are sold– here is the link on Amazon. If you need a helpful resource for someone exploring faith and Christianity or simply want to strengthen your own knowledge, you’ll want a copy of my book, Seek: A Woman’s Guide to Meeting God. It’s a must for seekers, new believers, and those who want to deepen their confidence in their faith. Connect with Nathan Website: nathanclarkson.mePodcast: The Overthinkers Podcast Book I’m The Worst: How Freedom Is Found in Admitting Our Faults Connect with Donna Instagram: @donnaajones Website: www.donnajones.org Donna’s speaking schedule: https://donnajones.org/events/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Caleb Froedge discusses Proverbs 3:9-10—“Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

Step softly into the fog‑shrouded marshes of classic Hammer Horror as Scary Spirits raises a ghostly toast to two unforgettable icons. In this chilling new episode, we commemorate the birthdays of Oliver Reed and Yvonne Romain with a reverent yet spirited review of the 1962 Hammer masterpiece Captain Clegg, also known in the United States as Night Creatures. With measured wit and scholarly delight, hosts Karen and Greg explore the film's brooding atmosphere, secret identities, and macabre menace—unearthing why this nautical nightmare remains a jewel in the Hammer crown. As the lantern light flickers and the tide rolls in, they sip a specially crafted “Scarecrow” cocktail, perfectly themed to the film's eerie legend and sinister charm. If you cherish classic horror films, Hammer Studios, 1960s Gothic cinema, or the dark elegance of Britain's golden age of fright, this episode beckons you closer. Join us, if you dare, for an evening of shadows, spirits, and timeless terror—where the past refuses to stay buried. Scarecrow Cocktail • 4 parts coffee-rum (or in emergency, ordinary white rum)• 3 parts Kahlúa• 2 parts lime juice• 8 parts pineapple juice• 4 parts orange juice Instructions: Shake ingredients with ice and strain into highball glass, add some ice. If possible, serve with actual straw. Source: superherococktails.com A Brief Synopsis: When a captain arrives on an English coastal town to investigate reports of smuggling, he ends up with much more to deal with, including marsh phantoms and a suspicious vicar. Some of the topics discussed and highlights of this episode include: Karen gives us some history of alcohol smuggling in 1776. Karen also references the 1968 Clint Eastwood film “Hang ‘Em High”. Greg reads a passage from the book “Hammer Glamour: Classic Images From the Archive of Hammer Films” by Marcus Hearn. Our rating of the film: This movie was pretty good, but it is not a horror film so we had to give it 4 cocktails. 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.

Daily Dose of Hope February 18, 2026   Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3   Prayer:  Holy God, We are weary.  We are tired.  We need you.  You are great and mighty.  You are merciful and loving.  How we need that right now!  Lord, speak to us today.  We need to hear your voice.  We pray that your voice will be louder and clearer than all the other voices that crowd our thoughts.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, please speak to us...  God, we give you all the glory.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  Happy Ash Wednesday.  If you live in the greater Brandon, Florida, area, I invite you to attend the New Hope Church Ash Wednesday service at 6:30pm in Logan Hall.  There will be meaningful worship, a brief message, and the imposition of ashes.   For our devotional, we are currently journeying through Paul's letters.  We have just started our fifth pastoral letter, 2 Corinthians.  Today, we are taking a look at chapter 3.  In the beginning of the chapter, Paul is explaining why he doesn't need letters of recommendation. Apparently, this was a common practice to provide letters that verified the authenticity of an apostle or leader. Paul mentions providing them in some of his other epistles but does not feel the need to have them for the church at Corinth. After all, he founded the Corinthian church so they should be well aware of his gifts and skills as an apostle. This whole discussion gives us a bigger picture of what Paul is dealing with-people are challenging his credentials and leadership. This must have been very distressing for Paul, who put so much love and self-sacrifice into his churches.   Paul then moves on to a discussion about boldness and spiritual blindness. He can be bold because there is no veil separating him from God. Remember, Moses had to pull a veil over his face when he went to speak with God to protect himself and the Israelites from God's powerful glory. It also reminds me of another veil-the curtain that separated the priest from the holiest of holies in the temple, where God's presence dwelt. Under the Old Covenant, there were many veils which served to protect people from God's power and glory. While it was for their protection, it was also a physical and spiritual separation.   Paul makes the point that even then, while the veil was technically gone, the Jews still behaved as if it was there; they experienced a spiritual blindness of sorts. But in Christ, there is freedom. There doesn't have to be separation from God or blind adherence to the Old Covenant. Christ introduced a new way of doing life, where the veil is gone, and we can now contemplate God's glory. In fact, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can day by day be transformed into his likeness.   Verse 18 really resonates with me today. "...we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory..." This is sanctification. The more we grow in our walk with Jesus, the more we experience his grace and look more and more like him.   A question: do you look more like Jesus today than you did five years ago? Why or why not? What do you want to look like five years from now?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

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

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      That viral video features a young girl named Jessica, and it is widely known as "Jessica's Daily Affirmations." In the video, which was originally recorded in 2001 but became a massive internet sensation years later, Jessica stands on her bathroom counter in front of the mirror. She energetically pumps her arms and shouts positive phrases to herself, including: "I can do anything good!" "My whole house is great!" "I like my pajamas!" "I like my hair!" "I am great!"     Proverbs 19:8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;     people who cherish understanding will prosper.     The Core Meaning At its simplest level, this verse is about enlightened self-interest. It suggests that seeking knowledge isn't just a dry, academic exercise or a moral obligation—it is the highest form of self-care. 1. "Loving Your Own Soul" In the ancient Hebrew context, the "soul" (nephesh) refers to the whole person—your life, your being, and your vitality. The verse implies that if you neglect your mind and character, you are essentially being unkind to yourself. By acquiring wisdom, you are equipping yourself to navigate life's traps, which is the ultimate act of self-love. 2. "Keeping" Understanding There is a distinction here between getting wisdom and keeping it. Getting: The initial act of learning or seeking advice. Keeping: The discipline of applying that knowledge consistently. The promise is that those who hold onto their discernment don't just "have" information; they "find good"—meaning they experience practical success, peace, and favor.   The Context of Proverbs 19 To understand this verse fully, it helps to look at the surrounding themes in Chapter 19: Integrity vs. Wealth: The chapter opens by saying it's better to be poor and honest than a rich fool. Verse 8 reinforces this by showing that true "wealth" is found in the mind and spirit. The Consequences of Folly: Much of the chapter warns against laziness, false witnessing, and hotheadedness. Verse 8 stands as the "positive alternative"—the way to avoid the disasters mentioned in the rest of the chapter. Relationship with God: In the Book of Proverbs, wisdom is never purely secular. It begins with "the fear of the Lord." Therefore, "getting wisdom" implies aligning your life with divine order.     To get the "3D" version of this verse, look at these two specific Hebrew words: Qoneh-leb (Getting Heart): The literal Hebrew says "The one who acquires heart." This implies that wisdom isn't just something you're born with; it's something you purchase or acquire through effort, discipline, and sometimes painful experience. Shomer (Keeping/Guarding): The second half of the verse uses shomer, which means to watch over, guard, or preserve. It's the same word used for a watchman on a city wall. It suggests that once you learn a truth, you have to defend it against your own impulses or the world's distractions.

A common question that people have is "Is God judging me?" Today we're going to look at Leviticus 26 which unpacks the judgments of God and helps us understand why God might judge someone and what that judgment is supposed to accomplish. So join us in another study of the Key Chapters of the Bible!  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    This passage contains familiar commands with unique emphases. How does verse 1 help us see clearly that the command to have no idols before God simply means to not bow down to worship anyone or anything but the Lord? 2.    Verse 2 links keeping the Sabbath with "revering" God's sanctuary. What do you think this means? Why does the Lord link these two ideas together?  3.    What is the command given in verse 3? What are the promises listed in verses 4-12? How might these promises inspire God's people to obey Him? How are they contingent upon the people's obedience to verse 3? 4.    What is the shift in tone that comes with verse 14? Why do you think the Lord has provided this shift? 5.    What do you think verse 15 means when it warns that the people's soul might abhor His ordinances? What would that look like in the life of an individual Jew? What does it look like in our world today, for a person to abhor God's commands?  6.    In verses 16 to 20, what does the Lord warn that His judgment will look like in their heart, home and society?  7.    What does verse 34 show us about God's concern for creation? Why do you think God has this concern?  8.    We might be tempted to think that the end of chapter 26 is just fire and brimstone, but what is the path of forgiveness in verses 40-42? What will the Lord do if they repent? 9.    What promise does the Lord give in verses 44 & 45 when the people dwell in the land of their enemies? What does this show us about God keeping His covenant with His people? 10.    How does this whole passage show God's love for His people? How about His grace and mercy and forgiveness?  11.    This passage shows us many blessings that come from obedience. What are some that are stated in Leviticus 26? How does it show us God's desire that we walk down a path that will receive His blessings? 12.    As you consider your life, is the path you're on a path that receives God's blessings or judgments? 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.   

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

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Ever say something that immediately provoked a beating? Just one slip of the lip and you got jacked? Not me, but my buddy did, sitting in the stands of a high school football game… smarted off to the wrong person… clip, down goes Frasier…    Prov. 18: 6 A fool's lips walk into a fight,     and his mouth invites a beating.   16 A man's gift makes room for him     and brings him before the great.   It is fascinating to put these two verses side-by-side because they represent two opposite ways a person's "mouth" or "actions" can open doors. While Verse 6 shows how words can get you into trouble, Verse 16 shows how generosity can get you into "the room." Comparison: Proverbs 18:6 vs. Proverbs 18:16 Feature Verse 6: The Fool's Lips Verse 16: A Man's Gift The Action Speaking recklessly and provocatively. Giving a gift (generosity or social grace). The Motion "Walking into" a fight. "Making room" for the person. The Result Conflict and "a beating." Access to "great men" (influence). The Direction Downward spiral into trouble. Upward movement into opportunity. The Contrast: Verse 6 describes someone who forces their way into a situation with loud, aggressive words, only to find pain. Verse 16 describes someone who clears a path through excellence or generosity. One uses their mouth to create a wall; the other uses their resources to open a door. (Note: In Hebrew, "gift" can mean a literal bribe or a sincere gesture of honor. In a wisdom context, it generally refers to the "gift" of one's talents or a spirit of generosity that makes people want to welcome you.)   Discipleship Lesson: "The Door-Opener" Scripture: Proverbs 18:6, 16 Theme: Controlling our influence through restraint and generosity. 1. Check Your Entrance A disciple of Christ is called to be an ambassador. Verse 6 warns us that if we enter conversations with a "fighting" spirit—ready to argue, correct, or insult—we aren't just representing ourselves poorly; we are inviting unnecessary suffering. Question: Are you "walking into fights" on social media or in your family that could be avoided with a bit of silence? 2. Let Your Character Clear the Way Verse 16 tells us that a "gift" makes room. In a spiritual sense, your "gift" is the grace and talent God has given you. You don't need to shout to be heard or kick doors down to get ahead. When you lead with generosity and excellence, God provides the "room" for your influence. Question: Are you trying to "talk" your way into leadership, or are you serving your way there? 3. The Gospel Connection Jesus is the ultimate example of these two verses. When He was insulted, He did not "invite a beating" by trading insults (1 Peter 2:23); He remained silent. Yet, His "gift"—the sacrifice of His life—opened the ultimate door for us to enter the presence of the "Great King."   Prayer Focus: Lord, keep my lips from inviting conflict today. Help me to lead with a spirit of generosity and excellence, trusting that You will open the doors You want me to walk through.   Would you like me to find a few more verses in Proverbs that specifically discuss how "the gift of the tongue" can be used for healing instead of fighting?

Erik Jones discusses Proverbs 24:27—“Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.”

We might not realize just how amazing and profound the Jewish Feasts were, but today we'll see that not only were they times of great celebration, remembrance and consecration; but even more importantly, they specifically and directly pointed the entire nation of Israel to her Messiah. Join us in another key study of another key chapter of God's Word!  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: Leviticus 23 1.    According to the podcast, how was the Jewish calendar set? How might that produce fluidity for when the Jewish feasts would be held? 2.    What was the Sabbath feast that's mentioned in verse 3? What did this feast consist of?  3.    In terms of the Jewish calendar year, what was the first feast that was mentioned in Leviticus 23? When you compare this explanation to Exodus 12, which passage provides more description? 4.     According to the podcast, what could the Passover Feast be compared to in the USA? What did Passover commemorate? How did the Passover point to Jesus? 5.    Verse 6 mentions the Feast of Unleavened Bread. What event did this point to? What did "yeast" come to point to? In verse 8, what did they offer daily for seven days? How might this cause the people to contemplate and renew their commitment to the Lord? 6.    What did the Feast of Unleavened Bread point to with Jesus? How might this renew our consecration to the Lord? 7.    What did the Feast of First Fruits celebrate? In verse 14, what were the people to refrain from doing until this feast was celebrated? In light of 1st Corinthians 15:20, how did this feast point to Jesus' resurrection? 8.    What feast is explained in verse 16? When was this to occur? What did it celebrate? In the New Testament, what event happened on Pentecost? 9.    Verse 24 speaks about the Feast of Trumpets, what is this called in modern days? What event is being celebrated? How was this event inaugurated every year? According to 1 Corinthians 15:52, what will the Lord do when He blasts the trumpet? 10.    Verses 26-32 speaks of the Day of Atonement. What were the people to do on this day while the High Priest performed the sacrifices? Why were the people to refrain from working? In verse 29, what would happen to the person who did not humble their souls? Why? 11.    Verses 33 to 36 speak about the Feast of Tabernacles (also called Sukkot or the Feast of Booths). What would the people do on this feast? What does this show us about the Lord's desire for His people to enjoy these feasts? How did this point to Jesus, who tabernacled among His people?   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.   

In this episode of Walk Talks, Micah and Malachi Herbster open Psalm 119:105–108 to explore what it truly means to walk in the light of God's Word.“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Before the light can be appreciated, the darkness must be acknowledged. They reflect on the reality of living in a fallen, sin-cursed world where the world, the flesh, and the devil constantly speak lies. Without the Word of God, there is no true direction. But God, in His mercy, has given believers everything needed for life and godliness through His truth.The conversation emphasizes the believer's desperate dependence on Scripture—not merely as information, but as divine authority. Owning a Bible or knowing its contents is not enough. The Word must be engaged daily, submitted to fully, hidden in the heart, and obeyed. Walking implies consistency—step by step, decision by decision—marked by intentional, biblically conscious living.Psalm 119:106 introduces the theme of covenant commitment. The psalmist vows to keep God's righteous judgments, prompting reflection on why God so faithfully keeps His covenants while His people so often struggle to keep theirs. Micah and Malachi discuss the importance of renewing holy resolutions and cultivating spiritual resolve in a wavering world.Verse 107 reminds listeners that faithfulness does not exempt believers from affliction. The psalmist remains under trial, yet he does not turn to self-pity, frustration, or anger. Instead, he turns to the Word—the source of revival, restoration, and strength. Suffering is framed as a refining fire that prepares believers for deeper service to the King.Finally, Psalm 119:108 reveals a heart that responds rightly—with prayer, praise, confession, and a sincere desire to grow in obedience. A life shaped by the Word is marked by humility, worship, and perseverance.This episode serves as a call back to the lamp, back to the path, and back to the Word within—urging believers not only to know the Word, but to walk in it, live by it, and obey it.

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 Eight and Verse Four

 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         

Verse by verse teaching of John 13:1-17, titled “Being a Servant of Christ” by Pastor Kevin Edwards of Calvary Chapel Clayton, NC on February 15, 2026. https://www.calvaryclayton.com

In this study we will take a look at the women within the Bible. We will look at each one of them and see how their story influences our lives today.In this first study we will start with Eve.Eve was the first woman. Independent and curious, she disobeyed Yahweh's commands. She ate the forbidden fruit, (more on this later) setting forth major change in the Garden of Eden - and human history.Although man and woman have different roles to play within marriage, as far as our standing with Yahweh is concerned, we are equal. We are both created in the image of Yahweh. We were both called to subdue the earth. I will begin in Chapter 3 verse 3.So far in this Chapter 3 we seen the serpent (nachash – shining one) talking with Eve. What we have seen here is that Satan's method of operation. Twisting Yahweh's Words, just as he tried to do in Matthew 4! In our last study we started to see what actually happened in the Garden of Eden between Satan and the women Eve.Based on the Hebrew words and their definitions, we can conclude that there may have been some kind of sexual relationship going on between Eve and Satan.Before you doubters want to tar and feather me let's not forget what is wrote in the Book of Job chapters 1 and 2.Buts' let's not forget the real reason of the sin! Whether or not Satan and Eve had some type of sexual encounter, we have to look at the real reason for Eve's downfall.Once again what was her downfall?Not obeying the Words of Yahweh! Remember what Yahweh said in 2:16-17?Gen 2:16  And Adonai Yahweh commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: Gen 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. But what did Eve say;Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.So we see that we have 2 problems within this verse 3.First of all ‘neither shall ye touch it.' This sentence is added. Compare Gen. 2:17, 18. There is another word in this verse we need to consider, and it is the word "touch". Yahweh's command to Eve was; "neither shall ye touch it. "The Hebrew word for "touch" is # H5060 in the Strong's dictionary is (Naga, a prime root, prop. to touch, i.e., lay the hand upon (for the purpose; euphemism, to lie with a woman), to reach), So we see that the warning to Adam and Eve specifically, was to stay away from Satan called both the "serpent", and the "tree of good and evil". The fruit of that tree was not to be taken; and we know that the "fruit" as the results of a sexual relationship between any man and woman is a child. Yahweh's command was that Eve "not touch (lay with Satan)." So, we see that the order by Yahweh is that Eve not have sexual union with Satan.  Secondly, lest ye die. This is misquoted from Gen.2:16, 17, by not repeating the emphatic Figure Polyptoton, thus changing the emphasize  preserved in the word "surely". I discuss how Freemasonry worships Lucifer as their godWhat do I think Adam's sin was? Keep in mind that Adam knew the command of Yahweh. In fact Adam knew the command before Yahweh formed Eve! Read Ezk. 3:17-21, 33:7-20Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!Have any questions? Feel free to email me; keitner2024@outlook.com 

(Verse 12) vedān uddharate jaganti vahate bhū-golam udbibhrate daityaḿ dārayate baliḿ chalayate kṣatra-kṣayaḿ kurvate paulastyaḿ jayate halaḿ kalayate kāruṇyam ātanvate mlecchān mūrchayate daśakṛti-kṛte kṛṣṇāya tubhyaḿ namaḥ O Lord Krsna, I offer my obeisances unto You, who appear in the forms of these ten incarnations. In the form of Matsya You rescue the Vedas, and as Karma You bear the Mandara Mountain on Your back. As Varaha You lift the earth with Your tusk, and in the form of Narasimha You tear open the chest of the daitya Hiranyakasipu. In the form of Vamana You trick the daitya king Bali by asking him for only three steps of land, and then You take away the whole universe from him by expanding Your steps. As Parasurama You slay all of the wicked ksatriyas, and as Ramacandra You conquer the raksasa king Ravana. In the form of Balarama You carry a plow with which You subdue the wicked and draw toward You the River Yamuna. As Lord Buddha You show compassion toward all the living beings suffering in this world and at the end of the Kali-yuga You appear as Kalki to bewilder the mlecchas (degraded low-class men). 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 https://vaisesikadasayatra.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe. (Translation,Verse 1) 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 https://vaisesikadasayatra.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Leviticus 18 is a well-known passage for its long list of condemnation of various sexual sins. And while it may be overwhelming, it's still helpful for us to know what God thinks about the sins of our world. And, even more importantly, we need to understand the judgment that awaits those who flagrantly violate His commands. So, join us in this heavy chapter that guides us in what purity looks like in an impure world.  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: Leviticus 18 1.    The podcast mentioned that ancient rabbis supposedly said that the Book of Leviticus was one of the first books that should be taught to children. How might the difficult material of Leviticus 18 protect children?  2.    The podcast explained that the Book of Leviticus contains specific laws for the Israelites, but that Leviticus 18 was for all nations, for all times. What in Leviticus 18 shows this to be the case? What does Leviticus 18 show us will happen to a nation that violates these laws?  3.    Verse 4 end by reminding the people that the Lord is their God. Why was this simple fact so important for them to remember when it comes to these laws? "Who" or "what" might be in competition with the Lord on these matters?  4.    When people refuse to obey God's laws, they often cite themselves and what they want to do; or what they think is right. Who are these people ultimately saying is their "god"?  5.    What does verse 6 (and following) mean by the phrase "uncover their nakedness"? Who is spoken of in this prohibition in verses 7 to 11? How does the repetition of this command clarity what is pure in God's eyes? 6.    In verse 25, what will the land do with those who break these laws? How have we seen this happen throughout history? 7.    Sometimes people read Leviticus 18 looking for gaps that where they can do something impure because it's not listed in this passage. Is this passage meant to be exhaustive? What was Jesus' point in Matthew 5:27&28? How does this help us understand the principle of holiness in life?  8.    If you were to read Leviticus 18 in the public sphere (such as at work/school, etc.), how do you think people would respond? Where can you pray for the Lord to open hearts that people might repent and follow His ways? 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.   

John 14:15-31,15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.Twenty-two years ago I stumbled into the habit of private worship every morning. I would get up early, make some coffee, and spend time reading God's word and praying. It's been the most transformative habit of my life — I've never stopped doing it. But about six years ago, I added a new part to it. The first thing I do now, right before I read the Bible, is I seek the mercy of God and give him thanks. I confess my need to God for his mercy and then I thank God for a specific way he has shown me mercy. And it can be all kinds of things … Sometimes it's Father, thank you for coffee. This is a good cup of coffee! Sometimes it's Father, thank you that I slept okay last night. … Thank you for that meeting yesterday … for that conversation … for that thing I learned in that book … and on and on.If we spend time thinking about it, we have so much to thank God for. But the one thing I have probably mentioned the most, over the last five years, and especially over the last three weeks, is actually a person — it's Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit!I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life.He proceeds from the Father and the Son, And with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. And in our passage today, in John 14, Jesus introduces us to the Holy Spirit. For the sermon I just want to tell you three things that Jesus tells us about him. 1. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son. We're at verse 15, but recall the context here. It is still Thursday night — the longest Thursday ever — and Jesus is in the middle of his Farewell Discourse. Back at the end of Chapter 13, for the first time, Jesus told his disciples that he's leaving. He is preparing them for a new location within redemptive history — his disciples are about to live in a world where he is physically absent. And this is troubling to them — they are in a troubled-heart situation, and Jesus wants to encourage them. We saw that in Chapter 14. Jesus tells them not to let their hearts be troubled; because his going away is for their good; and he's going to come back for them. Jesus is their way to God; he's God's way to them — and he still has greater works that he's gonna do through them.And that's where we ended last week, in verses 12–14. Jesus introduced two stunning realities about life for believers after his death, resurrection, and ascension. Two Stunning RealitiesThe first of those stunning realities is that those who believe in him — us — will do greater works than he did in his earthly ministry. And we clarified last week that this work is not work that we do ourselves. It's not work in our own strength or isolated from Jesus, but it's work that Jesus is doing through us. The second stunning reality is that Jesus says whatever we ask in his name, he will do it. These are two big claims, and they raise some important questions. Questions like: How exactly will we do greater works?How do we know if we are praying in Jesus's name?Well, the answer to these questions is the Holy Spirit. I couldn't help but talk about the Spirit a little bit last week — Jesus is going to talk a lot about him over the next two chapters — but the first thing we need to know is that the Spirit is sent by Jesus and the Father. The Father and the Son are both ‘in on' the Spirit's coming. Listen to the ways Jesus tells us this …In verse 16, Jesus says the Father will give the Spirit, but it is because the Son asks the Father. In verse 23, speaking of the Spirit's presence in a believer, Jesus says that we, he and the Father, will make our home with him. In verse 26, Jesus says the Father will send the Spirit — but Jesus says it is “in my name.” Later, in 15:16, Jesus says that he will send the Spirit from the Father. So, who sends the Spirit? Where's he from? ‘The Father or the Son?' The answer is Yes.The Holy Spirit has always been active within the Trinity, and at work in creation, but after Jesus's ascension, the Father and Son act together in sending the Spirit on a new mission.Now, why is it important for us to know this? Why does it matter that the Father and Son are together in this?The most obvious reason is that Jesus emphasizes it. Jesus wants us to know this, and I think it's because we need to understand that the Spirit is not some ‘Plan B' in redemptive history. We should not think Jesus introducing the Holy Spirit in this section is some kind of backup option. It's not like things went sideways with the mission of Jesus and now the Spirit is a reinforcement. Not at all. Instead, the sending of the Spirit is according to God's eternal playbook from before the foundation of the world. This is the next step in the Triune God's resolve to bring salvation and magnify his glory. The Spirit is from the Father and the Son.Here's the second thing Jesus tells us about the Spirit.2. The Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus in our lives. The keyword we need to see here is that word “Helper” in verse 16:“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” The Greek work for “Helper” is the word Paraclete — and it's a title for the Spirit that we only find in John — four times in this Gospel (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). And it's a glorious word, but it doesn't have a direct translation into English. A couple of translations, the English Standard Version (the one I use) translates it as “Helper.” But the King James translates it “Comforter.” Another translation says “Counselor.” Several translations say “Advocate” (NRSV; NEB; NIV). And really, the meaning is a combination of all those words, but the one idea that's clear in all those translations is the idea of presence. The Paraclete comes alongside.Jesus says in verse 16: the Paraclete, the Spirit, will be “with you forever.”He “dwells in you and will be in you” — verse 17.In the same way Jesus was with his disciples, the Spirit will be with his disciples — as the Spirit of Jesus. And Jesus is going to show us this in a powerful way, but first I want to zoom out for a minute and take the whole New Testament into account.New Testament SurveyThe New Testament talks a lot about the Holy Spirit, and two key ways he's referred to…One way is that he's called the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; Galatians 3:14). This speaks to the fact that the Spirit is according to God's plan. He's the fulfillment of a promise we see in the Old Testament. The other way to talk about the Spirit is to call him the Spirit of Jesus. In Acts 16:7, Luke says “the Spirit of Jesus” guided their missionary travel. In Romans 8:9, Paul says the “Spirit of Christ” shows that we belong to Christ — the Spirit of Christ is Christ in you. Galatians 4:6 — “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.” Philippians 1:19 — Paul says he is helped by “the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”So, biblically, theologically, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is so closely identified with Jesus himself that it is right to call him the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus himself tells us this first. The Wonderful AnotherLook back at that word “Helper” in verse 16 and notice the word right before it: another. The Father and Son are sending another Helper. So the Spirit is a new helper, but he's of the same kind as a Helper who came before him. So who is that first Helper? It's Jesus. Jesus was one Paraclete, and now the Spirit is another Paraclete.This means the Spirit is not a replacement for Jesus, but he is the continuation of Jesus's work in a new way. But the Son and Spirit are not just united in their mission, they are united in their essence as God. Both are fulfilling the mission of the triune God to be with his people — the Son is God with us; the Spirit is God in us.This is why Jesus can say to his disciples, verse 18: “I will not leave you as orphans” — Jesus says I'm not really leaving you! He's actually magnifying his presence among them. Get this:The Paraclete is first Jesus himself with his people in person, confined to flesh and blood and dirt; and then the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit in his people — he is the promise of the Father, the Spirit of Jesus, who indwells everyone who trusts in Jesus … he speaks, consoles, guides, teaches — just like Jesus did. Ministering RealnessOne way to say it that connects with language we use is to say that the Holy Spirit ministers the realness of Jesus in our lives.That's the way we should understand Paul's experience toward the end of his life. We know that's where Paul was when he wrote his final letter to Timothy. Paul says in Chapter 4 (of 2 Timothy) that the “time of his departure” has come: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (4:7). And then Paul recounts for Timothy the relational brokenness that laid behind him, and he's honest about how lonely he felt when he awaited trial in Rome; he says “no one came to stand by me” (4:16). But then in verse 17 he says: “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.”And he's talking about Jesus there. Jesus stood by Paul and strengthened him. And I've long imagined what that was like. Did Jesus step through the wall of Paul's room and wrap his arm around his shoulder? Sometimes I wish Jesus would do that for me — Just be physically in the room and help me like you did Paul! But is that what he did for Paul?I don't think so. What happened for Paul is that the Holy Spirit — the Spirit of Jesus — was so present and so powerful for him that Paul can say it was like Jesus himself standing by him. The Spirit of Jesus manifested the realness of Jesus for Paul — and I want you to know: we should settle for nothing less in the Christian life. That's the aim of our discipleship. The mission of Cities Church is to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life. And when we say that, we're talking about the ministry of the Holy Spirit! Because Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit is his presence in our lives.Third thing Jesus tells us …3. The Holy Spirit empowers our love for Jesus in his world. For this third and final point, we need to come to grips with a repeated theme in this passage. Four different times Jesus tells us there is a connection between loving him and keeping his commandments. It's easy to track, first in verse 15, right away:Verse 15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”Verse 21: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.”Verse 23: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.”Verse 24: “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.”And then verse 31 — what Jesus says about our love for him also applies to his love for the Father. Jesus says, verse 31:“I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”This theme is the clearest thing Jesus says. It's straightforward; no way around it. If you love Jesus, you do what he says. Well what does he say? What are his commandments?What Are His Commandments?The answer here, in short, is the whole Bible. It would be a mistake to truncate what Jesus says as being only the red-letter parts of the Gospels. It's much more than that. Instead, the commandments of Jesus, his word, is the whole revelation of who Jesus is, which blooms into the apostolic testimony, also called the New Testament, which is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.What Jesus says is the whole Bible. Which means: to really love Jesus means your life is shaped and guided by Scripture. The single word for this is obedience. Trust and obey, for there's no other wayTo be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obeyWe used to sing that song when I was kid growing up in church. It's not rocket-science. We all understand that any kind of real love involves more than only sentiment. It can't be just a feeling. And proof that we know this was yesterday — Valentine's Day.Valentines is an old American holiday. It took off in the late 1800s because a woman named Esther Howland had this idea to mass-produce romantic greeting cards. It became a custom that men would send the ladies they were courting a card. Now 150 years later, fellas, if you did it right: you got a card, and chocolates, and flowers, and a dinner reservation — or some combination of that. But we all know that what you cannot do on Valentine's Day is only say “I love you.” Some activity is expected. Love requires demonstration.Love is not less than affection — affections matter — but there's more. There's activity — and the activity that verifies our love for Jesus is obedience to him in this world. Getting Obedience RightAnd listen: the order of that sentence is really important. We are called to obedience to Jesus in this world. It's not obedience to the world for Jesus. Because get this: the world has its own commandments. There's all kinds of commandments the world says people must keep if they're really about love — like I think we're supposed to acknowledge that we're on ‘stolen land' right now and we're supposed to specify our pronouns, and make certain kinds of statements, and check certain boxes. The world has its own commandments — Recently, someone who hates Jesus told me they wanted to talk to me about our optics for Jesus. … And I said, “No thank you.”Jesus does not need us to try to make him look good by doing what the world tells us to do. Jesus calls us to do what he says in a world that will hate us … a world that will revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely (see Matthew 5:11). We're not called to manage that. We're called to obey Jesus, come what may in this world.And obedience like that is hard, with the pressures around us. How do we do it? How do we obey Jesus here?The answer is: The empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.The Spirit Empowers UsThe love we have for Jesus — and our obedience that demonstrates that love — does not come from our own strength, but it comes through the gift of the Spirit in our lives. I think that's part of what Paul is saying in Romans 5:5. You've heard these verses before: … we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.And the question is what does Paul mean when he says “God's love” — is this the love of God for us OR our love for God. Well, I think it's first God's love for us, but it also includes our love for God, which must always come next. Our love for God is essential to our character — that's why we ultimately will not be put to shame — Because our love for God is actually a gift from God himself. Our love for God is from his Spirit who seals us and keeps us. Theologically, we understand the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and Son. This is mysterious, and we wrestle with what Scripture says here; we'll see what Jesus says in Chapter 17. But the Holy Spirit, who is the personal love that flows between the Father and Son, is poured into our hearts as the love that unites us to Jesus.Our love for Jesus, demonstrated by our obedience, is empowered by the Spirit. Peace Even HereThe good news we should hear is that our love for Jesus, which he commands, is love his Spirit creates. When Jesus tells us to obey him, he is not pointing us to an impossible ladder — but he's ensuring the divine supply we need for all things that pertain to life and godliness. Jesus doesn't tell us ‘make me bricks without straw' — but he says: We are making our home in you … I'm with you forever … even in this world … even in troubled-heart situations. This is the only way we can have peace. Jesus says, verse 27:“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”That is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to us …Sent by the Father and the Son.Serving the realness of Jesus in our lives.Empowering our love for Jesus in this world. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit. Aren't you? Thank you, Jesus, for the Holy Spirit. I want more of him! That's what brings us to the Table. The TableJohn shows us, in this Gospel, and in his letters, that love is demonstrated. Our love for Jesus is demonstrated in obedience, but that always follows God's love for us first. John says that we love because God first loved us, and we see that love definitively at the cross. Paul says that in Romans 5 … “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (NASB).That's the best news in the world. If you're here this morning and you're not a Christian, you become a Christian by believing that. Jesus Christ died to save you, a sinner. Believe him. For those of us who do believe, at this Table we rejoice in Jesus and his gospel. If you trust in Jesus, we invite you to eat and drink with us, and give him thanks.

Audio Transcript All right, well, beautiful singing. So I’ve not met you. My name is Aaron and I’m the preaching pastor here and glad you’re with us today. There’s a lot of sickness again in our church. Feels like this winter, maybe you felt it, it’s been feeling better. Nope, we’re sick. Feeling better? Nope, we’re sick. And so this is one of those we’re sick weeks for a lot in our church. And so I’m glad that you’re with us. And also I just want to say I had a lot of fun at the karaoke night. So thank you for those who helped put that together and got a lot of good singers in the church. And so that was just a fun night. So if you have a Bible with you, could open up to the Gospel of Luke. Today’s texture study is going to come from Luke 6, verses 27 through 42. So a little longer passage, Luke 6:27 through 42. And if you don’t have a Bible with you, it’s on page 503 in the blue Bibles that are kind of scattered throughout the fuse. So let me read the text and then I’ll pray and then we’ll work through the so Luke 6, please hear the words of our God. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from the one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners and get back the same amount. But love your enemies and do good, and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you’ll be sons of the most high. Praise kind to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, you will not be judged. Condemn not, you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give it to be given to you good measure. Pressed down, shaken together, running over, we put into your lap for the measure you use it will be measured back to you. He also told in the parable, can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into the pit? Disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye? Did you not notice the log that’s in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, brother, let me take out that speck that is in your eye when you yourself do not see the log that’s in your own eye? You hypocrite. First take out the log in your own eye. Then you’ll see clearly. Take the speck that is in your brother’s eye. That’s God’s word for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? God, thank you for bringing us together. Lord, I pray for the glory of Christ and our good and joy in Christ you would bless this time. Please help me to be a good communicator. Please help me to not stumble over my words. Please protect me from speaking that which is false. Help me to only speak that which is true. Lord, please be with the congregation. Please give them ears to hear. The Spirit is saying, pray this all in Jesus name. Amen. This morning I’d like to start a story with you. It’s actually kind of a shameful story about myself. So I mentioned the past. So I became a Christian in college after a friend invited me to a Bible study. We’re at the study I felt the love of Christian people and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that, by the grace of God, that landed on my heart, in ways I could repent and believe in him before the time I actually did go to church where I did hear the gospel, but I heard it in ways where I remember clearly thinking to myself, I really don’t believe any of these things to be true. Because if I thought these things were true, they should have some major bearing in my life and how I lived. For that being said, even though I knew I didn’t believe, I would still go to church. In fact, fairly consistently, I would go to church. And the reason why I would go to church was kind of twofold, two very related reasons. So first, I went as like, a source of pride for myself is I would go to church when my roommates in college were still sleeping in. So it made me feel a little bit better about myself that I would do the right thing, made me better than them. Second, I would go to church as a meeting just to try to satisfy my guilty conscience. So before becoming a Christian, I really hit every stereotype of being a college kid from small town Wisconsin. I mean, I loved everything related to like party life and drunkenness. However, you know, I love these things in many ways. These were my identity, this lifestyle that I had, it did eat at my conscience where I’d feel guilt and shame for all the things I was doing. So I’d go to church, but honestly, on many Sundays, like still inebriated from the night before, and I’d go just to try to satisfy my conscience. The guilt, the shame I was carrying, although that often just resulted in more guilt, more shame. So I knew that my lifestyle was not adding up as I pretended to the rest of the church I was something I was not. Okay. So with those things in mind, now back to my shameful story. I thought those things weren’t shameful, but one year, trying to get maybe a little bit extra credit to fill my pride, use my conscience, I began to volunteer at a Christian school to be an assistant basketball coach for their seventh grade boys team. Now I do love basketball and I love coaching. So that is part of the reason why I helped out. But more than that, I loved getting praise from the head coach, the players, the families. For being a college kid who’s helping out at a Christian school. It added to my pride, pride that I tried to help ease some of my conscience. Once again, the more praise I got, the more guilty I felt became more clear. It’s like living this double life as I tried to hide my party life and all the other dumb things I did from the team, from the families. Well, my shameful story during one of the games on the bench, I was exposed. My hypocrisy was exposed. So one of the kids on the team did something he was not supposed to do, only for me to yell out from the bench in my frustration. Yell out for everyone to hear the precious name of Jesus Christ. Seeing it as a curse to what just happened on the court, which is something I had no problem using as a curse in every other place. I wasn’t trying to pretend to be something I wasn’t around church people, but I yelled that out of the game. It felt like really everyone in the gym was looking at me. And I do know that the head coach and the kids on the bench all turned and looked at me for screaming that out. I was exposed. Exposed to everyone, including myself, of how much of a hypocrite I was. I wasn’t this nice, godly college student who is pretty Good at going to church. Rather, what came out of my lips, that’s what reflected what was actually in my heart. That was the real me that I was trying to hide from everyone else. Exposed in very humbling ways. I tell you this story this morning with hopes you actually send us up for our passage where I do think hypocrisy is at the core of this passage. Hypocrisy that is painful as it is to be exposed, friends, it does need to be exposed in our hearts. Now, before we get back to our text real quick, where we left off last week in our study of Luke was part of a sermon. We started out with a sermon that Jesus gave while standing on a plane. As mentioned last week is often referred to just as the Sermon on the plain, which is similar but a little different from the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus recorded in Matthew 5. So similar information, but a little bit different. Mentioned this last week because Jesus gave a similar sermon at least two different times. The sermon that Jesus gave is often, I think, arguably the greatest sermon of all time. For this last week, you may remember that as Jesus gave this great sermon started with a series of blessings for those who follow Jesus as his disciples, and then they’re followed by a series of woes for those who reject Jesus. When our text last week, the blessing and woes were actually grounded in the eternal life that is to come, which actually we see is important in our text today as well. As Jesus often thought through this life as it relates to the next life, the eternal life that is about to come. We also mentioned we learned last week the primary audience by which Jesus gave his sermon on the plain was to his disciples, to those who had faith in him. And this is actually important to our text today, we receive instruction from Jesus on what disciples are to look like so that his disciples will not be hypocrites. And for us this morning as it works, this passage, I do want us just to be really humble before this text. Humble in ways we’re actually asking the Lord to search our hearts to expose like any hypocrisy that may be there. Now, none of us necessarily enjoys having hypocrisy exposed. I mean, it’s actually still embarrassing to me how I was exposed at that basketball game. However, as embarrassing and perhaps even painful as it is to be exposed as a hypocrite, it’s the best thing for us for multiple reasons. So living like a hypocritical, almost double life, that’s exhausting, it’s stressful, it’s anxiety building. We have like no freedom to be ourselves if we just pretend to be something that we’re not. But also having our hypocrisy exposed made plain for everyone to see, including ourselves. It should drive us to confess our sins in ways that they’re running to Jesus rather than continuing to try to hide our sins. So through confessing our sins to the Lord, we can find forgiveness and healing and even freedom that he offers. That’s far better than holding on to hypocrisy, even if there’s, like, consequences that possibly might come for having our hypocrisy exposed. So say it again this morning. Let’s just be humble here, humble before God’s word, and let the Lord search our hearts. So back to the text. So let me read reread verses 27 through 31 if you want to follow along there. I’m going to read this together as a whole just to try to feel the momentum once again that Jesus said in the sermon and the weight which Jesus is calling his disciples to when it comes to loving others. And after reading through it, then I’m going to try to walk back through and just try to maybe answer some questions that maybe you have with that passage. So Jesus to the congregation of plain But I say to you who hear, which by the way includes all of us here today as we hear God’s word, love your enemies, which the love of our enemies result in doing good to those who even hate you, where we even seek to bless those who curse you, where we love in ways, we’re even praying for those who abuse you. Furthermore, as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to love our enemies in such a way in verse 29 that if one strikes you on the cheek, we are to offer the other as well. And if one takes away your cloak, we actually do not withhold our tunic either. Verse 30 as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to love others and it results in even like if someone comes and begs for you like to give it to them. We love in ways that we wish others would do to us, or we to love others in ways that we wish to be done to us. This here is often referred to as the Golden Rule. How we’re to live our lives with love, where we seek to love others around us in ways we want them to love us if we were in their shoes. Walk us back through the text. So first, I do think it’s really important to understand this teaching on loving our enemies. It’s really important for us to See this in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So Scripture is clear that before faith in Christ, we actually all stand as enemies of God, where we all have sinned against Him. However, the message of the Gospel, the good news, that while we are yet sinners, that enemies of God, Christ loved us in such a way that he died for us to take on the punishment of our sin as he made like sinful wretches his treasure. So back to this teaching. If God loves us, his enemies in this way, would it not be hypocritical for us to now in turn not love our enemies? So I think it’s really important we understand this love in the context, in relation to how God loves us. Second, this love that Jesus is calling the disciples to is not actually a love that we can do within ourselves. This is the type of love that only God can do with his strength through us, where his love is like compelling us to be able to love in this way for us. I think that’s kind of the point of this passage here, right? God putting his great and powerful love on display through us. We can’t do this on our own. It’s God’s love controlling us, compelling us to be able to love our enemies. Third, this love that Jesus is calling his disciples to, this obviously is a radical love. This one is so far different from what we see in the world around us. And I also think that’s part of the point of this type of love. Because as we love others by doing good works to others, loving in radical ways, that the hope that others will see like the glory of God, see it in ways that maybe they will turn and trust in him like we have, this is part of the point as well. We are to love our enemies for the glory of God. This is actually part of our worship of him and hopefully for the salvation of others. Fourth, loving others in this way, loving our enemies in this way, loving. Not only is it a real part of how we worship God, but actually helps indicate on whether or not we actually are true worshipers of God, if indeed we do know his love. Or like me in the story I just shared before I was a Christian, for just maybe someone going through the motions for self serving reasons. Remember the first character trait of the fruit of the Spirit? Love, making love the greatest of all. So without love, even love for enemies, how can we say we have the spirit of God living inside of us, the one who is empowering and compelling us to live out his love. Not that we’re gonna be perfect in loving like this, but this type of love should be present, which we’ll talk about more when we get to verse 35. Fifth, with all this being said, I do think it’s important to understand the principle that Jesus is preaching to us here from this passage, which we are to love others in ways that we want others to love us. Right? Once again, verse 31 because this is a principle to love others, the main principle that Jesus is stressing through these examples that he gives in verse 27 through 30. We do actually have a little bit of discernment here. So one of the commentaries I read this week, I rightfully wrote that this call to love in the sermon by Jesus. So Jesus is not advocating for suspension of like like normal civil justice procedures. Likewise, Jesus is not teaching this sermon some type of like hyper passivity in the face of evil. Rather, Jesus is teaching us the lengths by which we are willing to go to love other people, the rights we’re even willing to give up in order to love other people. Another commentary I read this week posed a question. Is Jesus abrogating to leave all personal self defense and rights to private property? The commentary no. Rather he’s demanding a loving attitude that’s not vengeful but is generous and giving. A loving attitude that is so real, so tangible. As mentioned, we’re even willing to lay down our rights in order to love others who do not love Jesus with hopes that through this radical love, not only will it bring glory to God, but God will use our love to bring our enemies to Himself. Okay, so keep that in mind as we think through this. So keep going. Verse 32 so after Jesus set the bar on the depths by which his people are to love even their enemies, we see him then in the text address maybe some pushback that his listeners were having in their own heart with this call to love. Maybe even pushback that some of us might even have on our own hearts. Jesus continued the text. If you love those who just love you, which is a pretty easy thing to do, we don’t need God’s strength to do that. And the text really what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good just to those who do good to you, also pretty easy to do something we can do on our own once again, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Verse 34 and what if you lend to others who you expect to receive a payment back? What credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. So giving to others, knowing you’ll get back, that’s also pretty easy. That’s not hard. But in the sermon, what is hard, verse 35. But to love your enemies and do good and lend, expecting nothing back in return, friends, that’s hard. That’s not something we can easily do in our own strength and power. Once again, we need the Lord’s help, his strength, to be able to do that. In the text, by the help and the strength of the Lord. Indeed, we do these things. Jesus said, your reward will be great, a reward that will indeed bring benefit to you, which is you learned last week. Verses 20 through 23. This reward found in eternal life, a reward that will actually last for all eternity, where God will greatly reward his people for all their acts of faith, for all of their acts of love. And not only will we be rewarded for our acts of love and our acts of faith in the text, these acts of love actually prove to be the fruit of being this true disciple of Jesus Christ. So in the day that is to come, everyone will see, everyone will recognize, you’re a son of the Most High, who in the text is the very one who is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Thus, for his people, in verse 36, they are to be merciful, even as your Father is merciful, meaning if you receive such love, such mercy from God, it’d be hypocritical if we did not show love and mercy towards others. Keep going in the sermon on the plane. If loving our enemies is not an easy thing to do, or we need God’s strength to be able to do that, what is easy for us to do where we don’t need God’s strength is judging others, which is kind of the opposite end of loving. Verse 37. You want to take your eyes there, Jesus, people, judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned. Instead, forgive and you will be forgiven. Give it’ll be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. Be put into your life for with you measure, for the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Okay, let me hit pause here and try to explain it. Try to explain a few things from that portion of the passage. So first, there seems to be a shift in who Jesus is referring to in verses 37 to 42 in terms of application. So application, verses 27 through 36 is clear to those who are not Christian. Right we are to love our enemies, show love and mercy and kindness towards others, even if they are putting hardship on us because of our faith in Christ. But now, Starting in verse 37, seems like Jesus now shifted the application and he’s speaking towards how we are to love each other in community, which New Testament expectations are primarily done like in a local church setting. So as this people live in community with another, they’re not to judge one another, they’re not to condemn one another, they’re not to hold forgiveness from one another, which, say it again, is not not always an easy thing for us to do. Even in church life. Even though we all follow Jesus Christ, even these things in church life, in community, Christian community, we need God’s strength and be able to do this command faithfully. By the way, just a little bit, we were taking the Lord’s Supper together. And one of the great purposes of why we take this meal together as a church instead of just like privately as individuals, is this meal has helped to remind us of our common faith in Jesus Christ. To help protect us against judging and condemning one another, to help us to live with forgiveness towards one another. Remember that Jesus was judged and condemned for us on the cross to forgive us of our sins. Second, I do also think it’s important to distinguish between judging and discerning as you think through this passage here. So as Christians we should have discernment when it comes to those around us like even others in the Christian community. So Jesus is not advocating to drop any type of discernment of right or wrong here, of like wise or foolish discern that between is like healthy or toxic. Rather, Jesus is telling his people to flee from these types of attitudes where we like want the worst for others, where we hold like bitterness towards others. Different commentaries I read this week where we’re like almost like eager to like fault find where we have like this like sensorious spirit where we want to like bind others up in our community rather than help them find like freedom and joy in Christ. By the way, this is one of the many reasons why it kind of continually cautious us when it comes to like how much like social media and podcasts that we can consume. You know, there’s so much of those things are just littered with nothing but like judgment, condemnation, fault finding. If we start consuming them, some type of attitudes can start to bubble out of us. Third, I do think it’s important for us to see the reciprocal reality that takes place in community, even Christian community. So look back at verses 36 through 38 and see the reciprocal principle here. So if you are a person who’s clearly not going around Judging others, guess what? Others are not going to go around judging you. If you are a person who is clearly not going around condemning others, guess what? Others are not going to go around to quickly condemn you. If you are a person who is quick to forgive, that’s your reputation. Guess what? Others will be quick to forgive you as well. If you’re one who has a reputation, who is quick to give when times of need comes up, guess what others are gonna be quick to give to you in your time of need. In fact, not only be quick to give in your time of need, in the text, they’ll be like generous towards you. This is what Jesus was speaking towards in that phrase. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over will be put into your lap. So you’re kind of confused with that. So maybe think of a picture of someone holding a sack and like someone’s pouring grain into it and the person is like so generous with the grain, they’re pouring the grain down, they’re like pressing down, they’re shaking the sack, they’re squeezing as much grain as they can. But even in their attempts to do that, the generosity is so much, the grain is still like pouring over, filling your lap. When we consistently do good to others, where we know that others are for them, not against them, friends, that’s a picture what others will be for us as well. Reciprocate back to you for the measure you use, it will be measured back to you by the way we know this. This reality is not only true in the positive, but also in the negative. If in our hypocrisy we’re like judgmental, condemning, unwilling to forgive, unwilling to show any type of generous spirit towards others in the community, in the end, that hypocrisy will be turned against us as others in the community will reciprocate those types of attitudes and actions towards us. By the way, kind of on this note, if you’re kind of wondering on how well you’re treating others, a very real indicator could be how others are treating you, both positive and negative. Finally, we’re going to end our text today. Verses 39 through 42. Jesus continues to challenge his disciples, like to basically flee hypocrisy. We read that Jesus gave a parable to help illustrate what like judging, condemning, unforgiving, a non generous person can look like, as well as how we can like fall into the traps of being that type of person. Verse 39. He also told him the parable with a question at the start of the parable. Can a blind man lead A blind man with the obvious answer to Jesus question of no. Because in the text, if a blind is leading the blind, they both will fall into the pit. In this parable, Jesus is using this illustration to talk about teachers and disciples that they’re leading. We’re in verse 40, a disciple is not above his teacher. The teacher is the one who leads and trains so that everyone who is fully trained by his teacher in the end will be like his teacher. Which can also be on the negative or on the positive, but quite closely to the text on the negative. If the teacher is like a blind man going over the pit, disciple will follow and also go over the pit. And this illustration here, this parable here, this is Jesus hopes trying to protect his disciples false teachers was in the context he’s particularly speaking towards, like the Pharisees, who are like teachers of the law, who were judgmental, condemning, unforgiving, having a lack of generosity, who Jesus often called out for being hypocrites. So Jesus is warning his people to avoid such teachers, to not sit with men of falsehood, or to consult with hypocrites, because false, negative, judgmental, condemning, unforgiving, non generous teachers will raise up those who are just like them. Which by the way, for those like me who teach particularly God’s word, this is a real warning for us to hear that we are not hypocritical blind compassion guides. As mentioned, this is also a warning for all God’s people to hear to ensure they’re not sitting under those who are teaching, who are hypocrites, who hypocritically did not show love and mercy for others in verses 27, but instead they show the things listed in verses 37 through 88, where they’re always on the attack, always fault fighting, always belittling, always tearing others down rather than trying to build them up. Well, is always doing the things. Listen, verses 41 through 42, if you always want to look back there as false, judgmental, condemning, unforgiving, non generous teachers both exhibit and train their disciples to do the same. We see that they go around, they try to spot the speck in a brother’s eye, more than willing to tell everyone even their smallest faults. But in this parable, this judgmental, condemning, fault finding person, while they can spot the speck in the brother’s eye, yet somehow cannot not notice the huge log sticking out of their own eye. And not only that, if that’s not bad enough in verse 42, the judgmental, condemning fault finder has like the gall then to go over to his brother with a speck in his eye to tell him, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye. I mean, what nerve to say that to someone when there’s like this obvious plank in your own eye. It’s like almost hard to find words on the gall the nerve to do something like this. However, in the sermon on the plane for Lord Jesus, he was able to find a word. The end of verse 42. If you take your eyes there, you hypocrite, how dare you do that? How can you be so prideful, so full of yourself? First take the log out of your own eye and then from there, sure, with love, tenderness, compassion, humility, then sure, you will clearly be able to take or see and take out the speck in your brother’s eye. For us, as we’re in our text today, before we close, there’s one thing I do want to leave us with, which is actually not necessarily some ideas on how we can like better love our enemies or better love or show mercy towards others, or even how to like avoid like false teachers, like blind guides, or how we can keep our community free from like judging and condemning fault finding within each other or even give you thoughts on like having planks in your eyes. You know, to me, this sermon from Jesus really needs no help for us on that end. I’m sure we know what these things look like. So what I wanted to do in this time is I just want to invite all of us just to simply put away any and all hypocrisy that we know we are currently living with friends. Living with hypocrisy obviously does not unlock honor the Lord. It is not how we worship Him. It does not reflect the love and the mercy that we have been given through Jesus Christ. A hypocritical life is not one that result in a great reward given to us by God in eternal life. Rather, a hypocritical life is really a wasted life. One in the end will only bring us harm. We’re going to feel like anxiety and worry of others, like finding out who the real you is. You can just leave us exhausted, always trying to cover things up. A hypocritical life will lead to more and more others from the community actually pushing away from you, reciprocating towards you in negative ways. Hypocritical life also brings just harm to other people, particularly those who are closest to you, who maybe can see through the hypocrisy. So to say it again this morning, I just want to invite you to trust God, confess your sins, make no provision for the flesh. Repent of your hypocrisy and come to the Lord for forgiveness, for healing, knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ is loving towards those who come to faith in Him. If you come to faith in Jesus, he comes, or he’ll meet you full of his mercy, a mercy that is greater than all of our sin. So what should you do today for the glory of God, for your own good, for the good of others? Would you repent of your hypocrisy and come for healing? If I go back to the story I started with. So after my hypocrisy was exposed, it really did put me into a tailspin. And I tried to run from everything, which not only led me to some real depression and isolation from others, but actually it actually led me to transfer schools. I was just eager to just get away from what was exposed. But now, looking back, as painful, as embarrassing as it was to have the hypocrisy exposed, I could now see how the Lord’s hand of love and mercy was on me, like through it all, because as the exposure of my hypocrisy put me on the run. So I ended up in college, a different college, where I met a friend who invited me to a Bible study. We’re at that study I felt the love of Christian people where I heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that by the grace of God, it landed in my heart so I could repent and believe in Him. So one last time, as painful, as embarrassing as it may have hypocrisy exposed, let that pain, let that embarrassment lead you to Jesus, the One who is perfect in every way, who has no hypocrisy in himself, where he actually perfectly fulfilled this passage that he preached on the plain, wherein his love and mercy gave his life over to his enemies who cursed him, who struck him on the cheek, who tore off his clothes before they nailed him to the cross, where on the cross, Jesus even prayed for those who nailed them there, praying, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Yet it was on the cross where we see the greatest act of love and mercy and generosity. Because Jesus laid down his life for his people and died for them, even hypocrites. Jesus died even for hypocrites to take on the just judgment of God to provide forgiveness, that we need forgiveness of sin, whether they’re big plank sins or little speck sins, so that through his death resurrection we would know his love. We know in ways, and not only that allows us to love him back, but we know it. And now we can love others as well, even our enemies. Church May the greatest act of love found in Jesus, may that affect us in ways that would push out hypocrisy where his love would fill us so we could love him and we can love others. Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for loving hypocrites like us. Thank you for Jesus, who is no hypocrite, but who is true and right and faithful without sin in all that he did. And Lord, I do pray that you would help us today to push away our hypocrisy wherever it may be found, that we take it and we nail it to the cross. And Lord, I pray that the hypocrisy that we carry would just be so nailed to the cross that you just give us freedom, that you fill us with your love and your joy. Pray this on Jesus name. Amen. The post Love Your Enemies – Luke 6: 27-42 appeared first on Red Village Church.

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

The Gospel | Romans 6:15-23

Introduction: Matters of Marriage: A Word for Each of You. (1 Corinthians 7:8-16) Singles: Enjoy the GIFT of SINGLENESS or GET MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:8-9) Single & Want to Get Married? 3 Don'ts: Don't SETTLE. Don't Look for the RIGHT PERSON. Don't Seek MARRIAGE – Seek LOVE. Married Christians: STAY MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:10-11) Married to a NonChristian (Who Wants to Stay Married): STAY MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:12-14) Married to a NonChristian (Who Wants to Leave): LET THEM GO. (1 Cor 7:15-16) Romans 7:2 – For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Matthew 19:8 – He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce...” Matthew 19:9 - “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! AUDIO TRANSCRIPT 00:36-00:39Open up those Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 7.00:41-00:42Chapter 7.00:44-00:47We're in the third section of 1 Corinthians.00:48-00:51Chapters 1 through 4 is about unity.00:52-00:54Like church, get it together.00:56-00:58Chapters 5 and 6 are about purity.01:01-01:08And then when we get to chapter 7 verse 1, you see that Paul is addressing some questions that they had.01:10-01:17And the first subject of this Q&A session is marriage.01:20-01:22So that's where we are.01:22-01:24We go where the text takes us.01:24-01:33I'm going to ask that you would please just quiet your heart before the Lord for a moment and pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's Word.01:33-01:44This is a passage that is going to get a reaction, and it's not about really my opinion or your opinion, it's what did God actually say?01:45-01:46That's what we're going after, right?01:48-01:52So pray for me to be faithful to clearly communicate what God said.01:52-01:57I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what it is that God said.01:57-01:59All right, let's just take a moment and pray.02:02-02:16Our Father in heaven, I know that many times in my life I've had strong opinions about things that have had to change because of what your Word says.02:22-02:26Because at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what any of us think, Father, It only matters what you think.02:27-02:42So I just pray that you would give us wisdom, that you would eliminate any distractions in our hearts and minds so we can just lock into what your Word has to say here.02:44-02:45It's for the glory of your name.02:46-03:00We pray in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said, "Amen." If you've been with us at all through our series in 1 Corinthians, we've seen that everything was a mess, right?03:00-03:06So now Paul's talking about marriage and no surprise, marriage was a mess.03:07-03:09We talked about this last week.03:09-03:16There were people strong on the single side and there were people strong on the marriage side.03:16-03:17Which one is good?03:17-03:21And the answer is both of them are good.03:23-03:28Marriage was a mess in Corinth, and if we're going to be honest, we're not doing so hot here today either.03:31-03:38As I was preparing this, I get an email that has just short news articles in it and updates and things like that.03:39-03:42And I just read this on Friday, I wanted to share part of this article with you.03:43-03:50This is the newest craze, I haven't heard of this one, maybe you have, but the newest craze is divorce rings.03:51-03:52Have you heard of divorce rings?03:53-03:54Raise your hand if you've heard of divorce rings.03:55-03:57Okay, a couple of you have, all right.03:58-04:04This is new as far as this article told us, but I just want to read part of it.04:04-04:18It says, "The diamond ring Alex Weinstein," that's a female, "wears every day is a reminder that once upon a time she said, "I do," these days she happily says she does not.04:20-04:45Weinstein got divorced last March and tossed her engagement ring in a drawer for a few months. Then the Tampa, Florida-based content creator decided to make herself a divorce ring. She reset a radiant three-carat stone from her ex- husband into gold, turning it east to west in a bezel." I should have looked up what that meant.04:45-04:46Anybody know what a bezel is?04:47-04:48Okay, nobody?04:49-04:50All right, I shouldn't have said anything, huh?04:51-04:53I was safe until I just said that.04:53-04:55All right, noted.04:55-04:56That helps me for the second service.04:58-05:07The shame and stigma, the article goes on, "The shame and stigma of divorce has been replaced for some women with empowerment and celebration.05:10-05:17While diamond rings have long been a cultural signifier of marriage, some women are also choosing to mark the end of their matrimonies with a little bling.05:21-05:26Weinstein says, "I'm not proud of getting divorced, but I am proud of putting myself first.05:28-05:34Why shouldn't I celebrate this chapter of my life?" Why am I sharing this article with you?05:36-05:49Because I think if anything sort of personifies how far we have drifted as a culture from God's ideal, I think this kind of nails it.05:50-05:53We are celebrating divorce.05:55-05:56We are celebrating it!06:00-06:04You know, we look at Corinth and we're like, "Man, those people were messed up." Us people are messed up.06:08-06:20Back to Corinth, though, some would say...some in Corinth had said, "Excuse me." Some said, "You know, being single is actually being more devoted to God." And they actually had married people get a divorce.06:21-06:36Like, "Hey, you'll be more devoted to God if you get the divorce." And then there were some that said, "Look, if you want to be devoted to God, you can't have intimate relations with a woman.06:36-06:48So if you want to stay married, just don't have any intimacy." Those were some of the thoughts they had in Corinth, and both of those are wrong.06:50-06:54In the previous passage, again, Paul said, "Staying single is good.06:54-06:56Marriage is good.06:56-06:59And intimacy in marriage should be a regular thing.07:03-07:05But what if I'm not in a biblical marriage?07:09-07:12What I mean is, what if I'm not married to a Christian?07:13-07:29I mean, you could go through the last couple of messages and say, "Oh, that's well and good for two people who love Jesus Christ, have the Word of God as their authority, and Oh yeah, like easy for them.07:31-07:33But what about me, Paul?07:34-07:38My spouse isn't a believer, so what am I supposed to do?07:40-07:41Should I just get a divorce?07:44-07:44What should I do?07:46-09:17Well, in this section we're looking at today, Paul clarifies matters of marriage addressing everyone in the church. Literally everyone in the church and everyone in this church. So this is kind of a good news/bad news thing. We're not having one sermon today. You're like, "All right, we are having four sermons today. All right, four sermons." Because each of these are very specifically addressed to a different group. So first up, matters of marriage, a word for each of you. You can take notes on the other ones if you like, but pay attention into the category you fall. Number one, singles. Singles, a word for you, here it is. Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married. Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married. All right, so if you're here and you're single, if you're streaming and you're single, if for you. All right? If you're single, enjoy that if it's a gift or get married. Look at verse 8. Paul says, "To the unmarried and the widows, I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am." Unmarried for any reason, right? Paul, once again, this is a We're going to go through this quickly.09:18-09:19We talked all about this last week.09:19-09:21Paul said being single is good.09:23-09:23Right?09:23-09:24Being single is good.09:24-09:26Why is he circling back to that?09:26-09:34Because there were Jews in Corinth that said, "You couldn't be holy unless you were married." That was a common Jewish mindset in that day.09:35-09:36You couldn't be holy unless you were married.09:36-09:41Paul's like, "That's not true." All right?09:41-09:43It's a gift for some people.09:45-09:47And Paul listed himself as one of those people.09:48-09:50Paul here very clearly says that he was single.09:51-09:52Like what happened to Paul?09:52-09:52Did he get a divorce?09:53-09:54Did his wife leave him?09:54-09:55Is he a widower?09:56-09:57We have no idea.09:59-10:03We don't know the details, but we know from this verse that he was single.10:06-10:07Okay, so single people, listen.10:10-10:27not denying that there are pressures to being single that married couples do not have. Things like loneliness, things like trying to manage a household yourself.10:28-10:34There are pressures that single people experience that married people don't.10:35-10:39But Paul is reminding the single people again, it is not wrong.10:40-10:44You don't have to feel like you're a second-rate Christian because you're not married.10:44-10:46It is not wrong.10:46-10:51And we're going to see later in this chapter, there are actually some advantages to being single.10:52-10:54All right, but look at verse 9.10:56-11:05He says, "But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.11:06-11:16For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." So Paul's like, "Okay, you're single, but you have those urges.11:19-11:20You can't control yourself.11:20-11:23You like want to be with a person so badly.11:24-11:27Like you found that being single really isn't for you.11:27-11:28What should I do?11:28-11:29Paul's like, get married.11:30-11:31Get married.11:32-11:35He says it's better to marry than to burn.11:36-11:37Again, we talked about this last week.11:37-11:40If you have the gift of singleness, you aren't burning.11:42-11:47But if you have those desires, God gave the right context to use them.11:48-11:49That's why he says get married.11:50-11:50Get married.11:50-11:54You have the passion, you have the desire, get married.11:57-12:07I've got to say a couple of things about that, unless somebody runs out of here today, runs right across the street to Pantera Bread, and is like, "Look, Pastor Jeff said to get married.12:07-12:10Are you single?" No, okay, "Are you single?" "No, I'm going to find somebody.12:10-12:11Pastor Jeff said to get married.12:12-12:12It's right in the Bible.12:13-12:15I've got to find somebody today." Let's pump the brakes for a second.12:17-12:17All right?12:17-12:21If you're single and you want to get married, I'm going to give you three don'ts here, all right?12:23-12:27He says to get married, yes, but I want to caution you on a couple of things here.12:27-12:28Three don'ts.12:29-12:30Letter A, don't settle.12:32-12:33Don't settle.12:36-12:38I know being single can be hard.12:39-12:40Do you know what's harder than being single?12:42-12:44Being married to the wrong person.12:46-12:54Rushing into a marriage, not really knowing somebody, not understanding they don't really love you, they don't really love the Lord as they should.12:58-13:02It is absolutely heartbreaking how many times I've seen that.13:02-13:14Somebody wanting marriage so badly that the first single person that comes along that looks eligible and there's some kind of interest, we're rushing right into it, and oh, the regret that comes from that.13:15-13:16I've made a huge mistake.13:17-13:18What do I do now?13:20-13:30settle. Letter B, don't look for the right person. Don't look for the right person.13:34-14:46Like, wait a minute, you just said it was bad to be married to the wrong person, now you're telling me not to look for the right person? Yeah, don't look for the right person. You need to focus on trying to be the right person, all right? Try to to be the right person. In the early days of this church when we were really teeny tiny we had a single guy that came to me. He came up to me, he goes, "Pastor Jeff, I think I'm going to go to another church." I'm like, "Oh, why? What's the matter?" He goes, "I love this church so much, but I really want to meet somebody and I just really want to get married." Not a lot of single people in that tiny church. And I said, "That's a terrible way to pick a church. You know, who's got the best single scene? I said, "That's a terrible way to pick a church." I said, "You need to find a church where God is feeding you and where God is using you. You find a church where that's happening, you trust God to do the rest." He's like, "You're right." He goes, "You're right." And it wasn't long after that he did find a single lady, even in her teeny tiny church, and they're married. They since moved away and they have like, I I don't know, 20 or 25 kids, I don't know.14:47-15:03But the point was he was willing to trust God and seeking God first and seeking to be the person worth marrying, not just trying to find the right person for him.15:04-15:06So try to be the right person for somebody else.15:08-15:12Letter C, I read this great advice from a pastor this past week.15:12-15:19He said, "Don't seek marriage, seek love." Don't seek marriage, seek love.15:20-15:24Because ultimately, you're going to marry the person that you fall in love with.15:26-15:27All right?15:27-15:33So when Paul here says, "Look, if you have the desire," he goes, "Don't burn with passion." He goes, "Go get married.15:33-15:41Go get married." But again, let's temper that with, let's not rush into anything.15:43-15:44It's going to bring regret.15:45-15:52God has called you, God has called all of us to be content and thankful in every chapter of life we find ourselves.15:54-15:56So singles, this sermon's for you.15:56-15:58Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married.15:59-15:59All right?16:02-16:04All right, next sermon.16:04-16:06This is for married Christians.16:07-16:09Are you and your spouse both Christians?16:10-16:38a word for you. Stay married. Very simple. Very simple. Look at verse 10. Paul says, "To the married I give this charge, not I, but the Lord. The wife should not separate from her husband." Not separate, obviously, he's talking about divorce. So he's talking here specifically to Christian couples.16:40-16:46We know this because he talks about mixed couples in verse 12.16:46-16:49And by the way, let's get this out of the way.16:50-16:56When we talk about mixed couples, or we talk about intermarrying, that has nothing to do with race.16:58-17:00There's only one race, there's the human race.17:01-17:10So as long as you're marrying another human of the opposite sex, oh, the things I didn't think I'd have to say.17:14-17:15Race doesn't matter.17:15-17:16Okay?17:16-17:21So when we talk about mixed marriages, biblically there is no such thing except for mixed faith.17:22-17:26That's what the Bible forbids, mixed faith marriages.17:26-17:28He talks about them in a second, all right?17:28-17:29I felt like I had to say that.17:35-17:50So Christian couples, Paul says, "I get a word for you," he goes, "not I, but the Lord." Meaning Paul's like, "Look, what I'm about to tell you came straight from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself." This is the Lord's charge, all right?17:52-17:57The Lord's charge is, Christian couples, no divorce.17:59-18:00Divorce isn't an option.18:00-18:02Divorce isn't a word that's said in your home.18:04-18:10Jesus talked about this so many times, Matthew 5, Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 16.18:11-18:15Jesus taught over and over that marriage is meant to be lifelong.18:16-18:16All right?18:18-18:45So we're going to try you out for a year or two, if it's not going to work, we have our exit strategy. That's not how marriage is designed according to our Lord. Marriage is meant to be lifelong. And remember, there were some Corinthians that thought, "Yeah, but if you really want to be devoted to God, you've got to get a divorce." And Paul here is just saying, "You know, God's not on board with that." I mean, just imagine for a second.18:48-19:08for a second if that sentiment was legitimate. Let's just pretend for a second that you could be more devoted to God, you could be more devoted to Jesus if you got a divorce. Do you see what would happen? Everyone that's looking for an out would just use that excuse.19:11-19:13They'd be like, "You know what, sweetheart?19:14-19:27I think we should get a divorce because I just want to love Jesus more." Right?19:27-19:28It'd start a new phrase.19:28-19:36It would be, "It's not you, it's Him." Right?19:36-19:37But that was the mindset they had.19:37-19:38And Paul's like, "No, no, no, no.19:40-19:42The words of our Lord are quite clear.19:43-19:52Don't get a divorce." But then you have the person that's like, "Oh, Paul, I wish you would have wrote this letter two weeks ago, because I did buy it.19:52-19:53You know what?19:53-20:00Yeah, we are both believers, but I bought into the idea that getting a divorce would benefit my walk.20:00-20:05So what do you do if you are both Christians and you did get a divorce?20:05-20:09What do you do about that?" Well, look at verse 11.20:09-20:18He says, "But if she does get a divorce, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.20:21-20:28And the husband should not divorce his wife." Okay, so if you're like, "You know what?20:28-20:33I did get the divorce, and now looking back, we are both believers.20:33-20:37I shouldn't have done that." Paul goes, "Okay, well now you have two choices.20:37-20:58You're either unmarried the rest of your life, or go back to your husband and get back on track." Like, "I'm not sure that's possible." Well, if you're both Christians, forgiveness and healing and reconciliation should not be foreign concepts to you.21:01-21:04So if you and your spouse are both Christians, stay married.21:06-21:07All right?21:07-21:11And as we saw last week, verse 3, married Christian couples, pay your debt.21:13-21:13All right?21:14-21:16I know that's the sermon that always gets applied.21:16-21:20I know the nursery is going to be restocked in about nine months.21:21-21:21I know.21:24-21:25So married Christians.21:26-21:26All right.21:27-21:33This is where things get even more difficult.21:35-21:39This is addressed to those of you who are married to a non-Christian.21:39-21:44And I know there are some people in this church that are married to a non-Christian.21:46-21:49But this non-Christian wants to stay married.21:49-22:02Okay, you're like, "Yeah, my husband's not a believer, or my wife's not a believer, and Like, she's okay with me being a believer, and she's okay with me going to church, and she wants to stay married, so what do I do?22:02-22:03What do I do here?22:06-22:11God says, "Stay married." Stay married.22:14-22:21You know, back in, look at the, back in chapter 6 verse 15, we talked about this a couple of weeks ago.22:21-22:32Paul says, talking about those who were being sexually immoral with the cult prostitutes, he says, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?22:33-22:37Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?22:38-23:01Never." You see, there would have been some that heard this principle like, "Okay, so me physically being with a prostitute is like defiling for me, so what about me physically being with a non-Christian spouse?23:02-23:13Well, me being intimate, I mean, isn't it the same principle that I am defiling my body because I'm in this mixed marriage?23:14-23:16We have different faiths?23:18-23:20That's the question on the table.23:23-23:32Regarding mixed marriages, meaning one's a believer and one's not, you're like, "What do you do?" Well, first of all, it's forbidden, single people.23:34-23:42Second Corinthians 6.14, if you're single, listen, if you're single, you are not to get married to a non-Christian.23:45-23:46Corinthians 6.14.23:48-23:50You are not to get married to a non-Christian if you're single.23:52-23:54If you can prevent this, you should prevent this.23:55-24:03That people think, "Well, I'm going to get married to the person and I'll save them, and I'm going to be such a good influence on them," and it usually works the other way.24:07-24:12So if you're single, you are not to marry a non-Christian.24:13-24:23So all right, now with that out of the way, the question is, "Well, what if we were married as non-Christians and I got saved and he didn't get saved?" Or vice versa, man.24:23-24:26You're like, "Well, I got saved and my wife didn't get saved.24:26-24:29What do we do?" Well, look at verse 12.24:29-24:54He says, "To the rest I say, 'I, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her." By the way, when he says here, "I, not the Lord," you know what some people do with that, right?24:55-25:11They're like, "Oh, well, this is just Paul's opinion." So we can sort of disregard this section because Paul here, I mean, he's saying that this is just his opinion, and that's not what he's saying at all.25:13-25:29Back in verse 10, he was saying, "I'm quoting Jesus here." Now in verse 12, he's saying, "This is also from the Lord, but this isn't a direct quote from Jesus, do you see?" He's not saying this is uninspired.25:30-26:06He's just saying, "Before I was directly quoting from the ministry of Jesus, and now this is new revelation from God. That's all he's saying. So what if I'm married to a non-Christian and he wants to stay married? Paul says, "You don't get a divorce, you stay married. That's what you do." Like, really? Verse 13, "If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him." Oh yeah, that question, being with this non-Christian make me unholy?26:06-26:10Like isn't it the same principle as being with the prostitutes?26:11-26:13No, not at all.26:14-26:15Because look at verse 14.26:17-26:26For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband.26:29-26:47You see, when one of you is saved and your spouse is not, it's not that the Christian is made unholy in the eyes of God, it's the unsaved person is made holy.26:52-26:53I want to be clear here.26:54-27:01That does not mean that the unbelieving spouse is saved because they're spouses.27:01-27:03That is not what that means.27:03-27:06The Bible is crystal clear on salvation.27:06-27:09Salvation is an individual transaction.27:10-27:14You can't get saved because of somebody else.27:14-27:18Biblically, you have to make the choice to turn from your sin.27:19-27:20You have to make the choice to repent.27:21-27:27You have to make the choice that you are going to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.27:28-27:35It doesn't matter how good of a Christian your grandmama was, or your mama, or your spouse.27:35-27:36It doesn't matter.27:37-27:38You're not saved.27:38-27:40It's not like group raid here, all right?27:42-27:46You're saved by you making the choice.27:47-27:49You're like, all right, so what's he talking about here?27:50-27:57Well, it's a big fancy theological term that's known as matrimonial sanctification.27:58-28:01Impress your friends, drop that in conversation this week.28:02-28:03Do you have a water cooler at your workplace?28:03-28:04Drop that.28:05-28:08Yes, we were talking about matrimonial sanctification at church.28:10-28:12And they're like, "Oh, what is that?" And you'll tell them.28:13-28:18Well, in God's eyes, if one spouse is saved, there's blessing for everyone in the house.28:20-28:22I mean, think about it this way.28:25-28:26Think about it this way.28:26-28:36Imagine this married couple, you have this married couple, and the wife's parents die, and they leave her an inheritance.28:39-28:40They leave her a speedboat.28:42-28:44Now husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?28:48-28:48No?28:49-28:50All right, let me try something else.28:52-28:55Her parents left her a Harley Davidson.28:56-28:58Husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?29:00-29:02Yeah, some of you.29:02-29:03All right, let me try this again.29:06-29:08Her parents left her a monster truck.29:08-29:11Husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?29:12-29:15Okay, this is really going to help for the second service.29:15-29:17Do you see the point?29:17-29:18You got the inheritance.29:19-29:26You know, you're driving grave digger down the road, but you had nothing to do with that, right?29:27-29:31You were blessed just because your wife received an inheritance.29:31-29:33It's the same principle at play here.29:34-29:35You're blessed by association.29:37-29:43In the same way, in marriage, two become one, and when God blesses one, the other gets blessed.29:43-29:48I mean, it's not salvation, but it's better than two pagans being married to each other.29:49-29:49Right?29:49-30:05Think of the blessing that comes to the non-Christian spouse when the Christian spouse is exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit, when the Christian spouse is showing humility and love and service and selflessness.30:05-30:09And how could you not be blessed being in a house like that?30:13-30:14That's what he's talking about.30:16-30:23Oh, and regarding the salvation piece, look, nobody can deny the influence the believing spouse has.30:23-30:32I've heard the story so many times of people getting saved because of the witness that their Christian spouse has had.30:34-30:39So if you're in this situation, if your spouse is unsaved, God wants to reach them through you.30:41-30:43So let him see Christ in you.30:45-30:48And you're like, "Well, that's well and good, but what if we have kids, right?30:48-30:53I mean, I'm saved, he's not.30:53-30:59Does that make our kids like half pagan?" No, no, it really doesn't.30:59-31:01Look at the rest of verse 14.31:02-31:16Paul says, "Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy." See, even if you have kids with a non-Christian, your kids are also made holy through that.31:16-31:16Same principle.31:17-31:23Your kids are also blessed through that because God sees your marriage as holy, so He's going to see your kids as holy.31:24-31:30So if you're married to a non-Christian who wants to stay married, God's going to bless the family.31:31-31:34Stay married if they want to stay.31:36-31:38All right, one more.31:39-31:42One more group we didn't cover, and that's the last one here.31:43-31:48Let's say someone is married to a non-Christian, and that non-Christian is like, "I want out.31:49-31:55Like look, I didn't sign up for all this Jesus stuff, all this Bible study stuff.31:55-31:57I didn't sign up for all this church stuff.31:58-31:58I'm not interested.31:59-32:00I'm not a religious person.32:01-32:05I want out." So what do you do when you're married to a non-Christian who wants to leave?32:05-32:07The answer is, let them go.32:09-32:10Let them go.32:14-32:15Look at verse 15.32:15-32:33He says, "But if the unbelieving partner separates," that's divorce, look what he says, "let it be so." If the non-Christian spouse initiates a divorce, Paul says they can go.32:37-32:38And I know the reaction.32:38-32:39You're like, "Wait, wait.32:39-32:40Well, that means I'm stuck.32:41-32:49You know, I wanted to save this marriage, and they divorced me, and now I can never get remarried again because they left me.32:49-32:53So I'm stuck, right?" Paul doesn't say that.32:56-32:57Paul doesn't say that.32:57-33:04Paul was clear on situations where you had to be remaining unmarried.33:04-33:05We saw that in verse 11.33:06-33:11He was clear in those situations, and he could have said that here, but he didn't.33:13-33:14You can remarry.33:14-33:22If you are married to a non-Christian that abandons you, initiates a divorce, and leaves you, you can remarry.33:23-33:24Look at the rest of verse 15.33:25-33:30He says, "In such cases, the brother or sister is not enslaved." God has called you to peace.33:31-33:32Not enslaved.33:33-33:34Like, not enslaved to what?33:35-33:37He's talking about free from being bound to the marriage.33:38-33:39That's what he's talking about.33:41-33:53See Romans 7, 2 says, "For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives." That's what he's talking about here in 1 Corinthians 7.33:53-33:55That's the bound to the marriage.33:55-33:57He goes, "You're not enslaved.33:57-33:58You're not bound anymore.34:01-34:19You're no longer bound to the marriage." Now look, I know some sermons are easier to preach than others, and divorce is a very touchy subjects.34:26-34:27It's always painful.34:28-34:29It always brings regret and hurt.34:30-34:30I know that.34:33-34:40So I want to take a moment and I want to be clear on my best understanding on the subject biblically.34:42-34:43All right?34:44-34:46I don't want there to be any ambiguity.34:47-34:48I want to be clear.34:48-35:00I believe that there is only one cause for divorce biblically, and that is hardness of heart.35:04-35:05Like, why do I think that?35:05-35:08Well, Jesus was asked about divorce in Matthew 19, eight.35:09-35:09This is what he said.35:10-35:24He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to divorce." Jesus said divorce was allowed through Moses, through the law, because of hardness of heart.35:25-35:27Again divorce is allowed, not commanded.35:30-35:30Right?35:31-35:32Allowed not commanded.35:34-35:38But the question is, how do you know when someone is hard hearted?35:40-35:43Towards their spouse or towards their marriage, right?35:45-35:46Kind of a hard thing to gauge, isn't it?35:47-35:52Well Jesus said, "I can divorce you if you're hard-hearted." Well you seem hard-hearted to me, I'm getting divorced.35:52-35:53How do you know?35:54-36:07Well biblically there are two ways that hard-heartedness manifests, and both begin with the letter A. It's affair and abandonment.36:11-36:12Jesus spoke on a fair.36:13-36:30Matthew 19, 9, Jesus says, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality and marries another commits adultery." Now again, divorce is allowed, but not commanded.36:30-36:39Understand this, when this happens in a marriage, that doesn't mean you are required to get a divorce.36:39-36:43I can tell you so many stories of marriages where this did happen.36:43-36:51And there was much repentance and seeking the Lord, and marriages are on track better than they were on their honeymoon.36:55-37:05But when someone is committed to having relations with people outside the marriage, Jesus says that's evidence of hard-heartedness.37:06-37:08Moses allowed for divorce for that.37:08-37:17Here, Paul is addressing the other manifestation of hard-heartedness, and that's abandonment.37:18-37:22That if your non-Christian spouse divorces you, abandons you, you are free.37:24-37:27That's how you know your spouse is hard-hearted.37:29-37:35When they are willing to engage in relations with someone else, they're hard-hearted towards you.37:35-37:41Or when they're like, "I'm fine to just walk away from this marriage.37:41-37:43I'm fine to walk away from our vows.37:43-37:50I'm fine to walk away from that." Those are evidences of hard-heartedness.37:54-37:57And Jesus says abandonment is like adultery.37:57-37:59I'm sorry, Paul says abandonment here is like adultery.38:00-38:01You are called to peace.38:05-38:10You are not called to fighting a non-Christian to stay in a marriage that they are committed to getting out of.38:12-38:13One more verse.38:15-38:20Paul says, "For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?38:21-38:31Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?" You know, people are really divided on what this verse means.38:35-38:41Some people think this verse means, "Well, you don't know if you're going to save your spouse, so let them go.38:41-38:43I mean, you have no guarantees, just let them go.38:44-38:56There's no promises are going to come to Christ, if they say let them go." That's what some people think, but other people think this means, "No, no, no, you might be the one that God uses to save them, so you should try to save your marriage at any cost.38:59-39:00I lean towards the latter.39:04-39:05There's no guarantees either way.39:05-39:06You don't know.39:08-39:10You don't know what God's doing.39:13-39:18So you better be sure that you did all you could to save the marriage.39:20-39:23I personally believe that this verse pumps the brakes.39:26-39:38This verse, as one person I read this past week said, this verse tempers any tendency that just easily give up on the marriage.39:41-39:45Because some people are just so quick to run to divorce as like option one.39:47-39:56Again, if things are hard now, how do you know that God isn't using you to reach your spouse?39:58-40:00Our worship team would make their way back up front.40:07-40:16Paul continues, and I think he's doubling down on some of these things because some of it's hard to accept and some of it's hard to hear.40:17-40:20But again, Paul reminds us that singleness is God's gift for some.40:23-40:25Marriage is God's gift for the rest.40:28-40:30One of these four sermons applies to you.40:32-40:37So whichever it is, go after it with the reverence and with the sacredness that God has called you to.40:38-40:39Let's pray.40:41-40:52Father in heaven, we're asking today, Father, that your Holy Spirit be at work in our hearts.40:54-41:03When we talk about singleness and divorce and all these things, it's such an emotional subject because there are people here that have been deeply wounded by these things.41:06-41:12And we by no means, Father, wanna kick someone when they're down or rub salt on the wound.41:12-41:15We just, we wanna take an honest look at what your word has to say.41:17-41:19Father, we thank you for your grace.41:19-41:21We thank you that you are the God of miracles.41:21-41:35We thank you, God, that no matter how badly things might have gotten in marriage, whether it was able to be saved or not, God, there's always hope with you.41:35-41:37There's always healing with you.41:39-41:40That's why we come to you.41:40-41:51Father, I pray for all of us that we would take a hard look at the place you have us right now, because there's something in here for each one of us.41:55-41:59And that we would go after it, trusting you to always do what you promised.42:00-42:02We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 7:8-16What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain 1 Cor 7:14. How is the nonChristian spouse made holy because of a Christian spouse? What does that mean?If you are married to a nonChristian who wants out of the marriage (1 Cor 7:15), how do you know when to grant their divorce (when to stop trying to save the marriage, asking for counseling, etc)?Why should you allow a nonChristian to divorce and leave a Christian (v15)? Is the believing spouse free to remarry? Why or why not? BreakoutPray for one another.

Verse by verse. 

Pastor Scott continues the series on 1-Verse Theology and in this part he talks about Sanctification.

Al-Bayan Class by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi | Surah An Noor – Part 11 – Verse 30-31

Title: "What Will We Do in Heaven?" - Revelation 22:3-5 Series: Heaven on Earth - Living in Light of Eternity (Week 2) Date: February 15, 2026 Most people's mental image of heaven is passive at best and boring at worst—clouds, harps, endless floating. If that's what we believe eternity looks like, it's no wonder we don't long for it. But Revelation 22:3-5 paints a radically different picture. Heaven isn't passive. It's purposeful, active, and gloriously meaningful. This week's message picks up where we left off, building on last week's foundation that God is making all things new, and answering the follow-up question every honest Christian has asked: What will we actually do there? The passage reads: "No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." Three things Scripture reveals we will do in eternity: First, we will worship Him. The word translated "worship" in verse 3 is the Greek latreuo—it means to serve, to minister, to render sacred service. It isn't primarily about singing songs. It's giving yourself fully to someone worthy of your complete devotion. When you hear "worship forever," don't picture endless Sunday morning services. Worship in eternity will be far richer and fuller than that. Think of a concert violinist so absorbed in the music that everything else fades away—no self-consciousness, no distraction, just pure absorption in something beautiful. Athletes call it "being in the zone," artists call it "flow." That moment when what you're doing feels effortless and utterly right is a tiny glimpse of what worship in eternity will be like. Not forced, not tedious, but pure joy—doing what you were created to do, giving yourself fully to the One who is infinitely worthy. C.S. Lewis called worship the "serious business of heaven"—not grim or somber, but serious in the sense of being the most important, most satisfying thing we could ever do. What will that worship include? Verse 4 says we will see His face—not from a distance, not through a veil, but face to face, fully and clearly. In Exodus 33:20, God told Moses no one can see His face and live. But in the new creation, we will, because sin will be gone, the curse will be lifted, and we will be made perfect to stand in His presence. We will also bear His name—"his name will be on their foreheads." This isn't literal but speaks to identity and belonging: we will belong to God completely, marked as His forever. And we will serve without weariness. In this world, even our best worship gets tired. We get distracted. We lose focus. In eternity, worship will be pure joy—no distraction, no fatigue, no wandering minds, just perfect, focused devotion. The application: worship now is practice. Every act of praise, every moment of service, every time you give yourself to something eternal, you're rehearsing for heaven. Second, we will reign with Him. Verse 5 says "they will reign forever and ever." This isn't about lording power over others. It connects directly to the mandate God gave humanity in Genesis 1:28—to steward creation, to bring order from chaos, to cultivate and care for what God has made. That was the original calling. Sin corrupted it. Humans have ruled selfishly and destructively. But in the new creation, we will rule the way God intended—with wisdom, justice, love, and care. This means heaven isn't retirement. It isn't endless vacation. You will have real responsibilities. You'll govern, create, steward, and build. And the faithful servant principle from Jesus' Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) applies directly: those who were faithful with what they were given heard "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much." Faithfulness here prepares you for responsibility there. The way you steward your time, talents, relationships, and resources now—that's training for eternity. We will also rule with Christ Himself. Revelation 5:10 says believers will "reign on the earth." 2 Timothy 2:12 says, "If we endure, we will also reign with him." You're not just a servant in God's kingdom—you're a co-heir with Christ. We don't know all the details of what that reign will look like, but we know it will be meaningful, purposeful, and glorious. And nothing done in faithfulness is wasted. As 1 Corinthians 15:58 promises: "Your labor in the Lord is not in vain." Every act of service, every sacrifice, every moment of faithfulness counts. Third, we will work and create. Work was not part of the curse—it was part of the original design. God gave Adam and Eve meaningful work before sin entered the world. Genesis 2:15 says God put Adam in the garden "to work it and keep it." Work is good. God works. We're made in His image, and we're designed to work. What the curse did was make work frustrating, exhausting, and futile (Genesis 3:17-19). But in the new creation, the curse is gone, and work will be what it was always meant to be: creative, fulfilling, purposeful, and joyful. The story of Bezalel in Exodus 31 shows us the beauty of Spirit-filled creative work. When God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle—a physical dwelling for His presence—He chose Bezalel and filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him "ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft" (Exodus 31:3-5). God filled a craftsman with His Spirit to create beautiful things. Creative work honors God and glorifies Him. And in the new creation, you'll do work like that—creating, building, designing, cultivating—but without frustration, exhaustion, or futility. Isaiah 65:21-22 gives us a glimpse: "They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit...my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Building, planting, creating, enjoying. In eternity you'll use your gifts, your talents, your skills—whatever you love to do that honors God and serves others—but better, without limits, for God's glory forever. Work in eternity won't drain you; it will fulfill you. You'll be doing what you were made to do, in a body that doesn't tire, in a world where everything works the way it should. The message concluded with three practical applications for today: Worship now—every act of praise is rehearsal for eternity, so practice worship and let it become natural. Be faithful now—God is watching how you steward what He's given you, and small faithfulness prepares you for great responsibility. Work with excellence now—Colossians 3:23-24 calls us to "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward." Heaven is not passive. It is purposeful, meaningful, and glorious. It is everything you were created to be and do—only perfected. Live in light of that today. Key Scriptures: Revelation 22:3-5, Exodus 33:20, Genesis 1:28, Matthew 25:21, Revelation 5:10, 2 Timothy 2:12, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Genesis 2:15, Genesis 3:17-19, Exodus 31:3-5, Isaiah 65:21-22, Colossians 3:23-24

Bruder Alexander Studien belegen: 80 % der Neujahrsvorsätze werden innerhalb der ersten zwei Wochen des neuen Jahres gebrochen. "Scheinbar gibt es Dinge in unserem Leben, die uns nicht guttun", sagt Bruder Alexander in seinem Impuls zum Evangelium am sechsten Sonntag im Jahreskreis. Doch schwierig ist es, diese Dinge sein zu lassen. [Evangelium: Matthäus, Kapitel 5, Verse 17 bis 37] In jener Zeit sprach Jesus zu seinen Jüngern: Denkt nicht, ich sei gekommen, um das Gesetz und die Propheten aufzuheben! Ich bin nicht gekommen, um aufzuheben, sondern um zu erfüllen. Amen, ich sage euch: Bis Himmel und Erde vergehen, wird kein Jota und kein Häkchen des Gesetzes vergehen, bevor nicht alles geschehen ist. Wer auch nur eines von den kleinsten Geboten aufhebt und die Menschen entsprechend lehrt, der wird im Himmelreich der Kleinste sein. Wer sie aber hält und halten lehrt, der wird groß sein im Himmelreich. Darum sage ich euch: Wenn eure Gerechtigkeit nicht weit größer ist als die der Schriftgelehrten und der Pharisäer, werdet ihr nicht in das Himmelreich kommen. Ihr habt gehört, dass zu den Alten gesagt worden ist: Du sollst nicht töten; wer aber jemanden tötet, soll dem Gericht verfallen sein. Ich aber sage euch: Jeder, der seinem Bruder auch nur zürnt, soll dem Gericht verfallen sein; und wer zu seinem Bruder sagt: Du Dummkopf!, soll dem Spruch des Hohen Rates verfallen sein; wer aber zu ihm sagt: Du Narr!, soll dem Feuer der Hölle verfallen sein. Wenn du deine Opfergabe zum Altar bringst und dir dabei einfällt, dass dein Bruder etwas gegen dich hat, so lass deine Gabe dort vor dem Altar liegen; geh und versöhne dich zuerst mit deinem Bruder, dann komm und opfere deine Gabe! Schließ ohne Zögern Frieden mit deinem Gegner, solange du mit ihm noch auf dem Weg zum Gericht bist! Sonst wird dich dein Gegner vor den Richter bringen und der Richter wird dich dem Gerichtsdiener übergeben und du wirst ins Gefängnis geworfen. Amen, ich sage dir: Du kommst von dort nicht heraus, bis du den letzten Pfennig bezahlt hast. Ihr habt gehört, dass gesagt worden ist: Du sollst nicht die Ehe brechen. Ich aber sage euch: Jeder, der eine Frau ansieht, um sie zu begehren, hat in seinem Herzen schon Ehebruch mit ihr begangen. Wenn dich dein rechtes Auge zum Bösen verführt, dann reiß es aus und wirf es weg! Denn es ist besser für dich, dass eines deiner Glieder verloren geht, als dass dein ganzer Leib in die Hölle geworfen wird. Und wenn dich deine rechte Hand zum Bösen verführt, dann hau sie ab und wirf sie weg! Denn es ist besser für dich, dass eines deiner Glieder verloren geht, als dass dein ganzer Leib in die Hölle kommt. Ferner ist gesagt worden: Wer seine Frau aus der Ehe entlässt, muss ihr eine Scheidungsurkunde geben. Ich aber sage euch: Wer seine Frau entlässt, obwohl kein Fall von Unzucht vorliegt, liefert sie dem Ehebruch aus; und wer eine Frau heiratet, die aus der Ehe entlassen worden ist, begeht Ehebruch. Ihr habt gehört, dass zu den Alten gesagt worden ist: Du sollst keinen Meineid schwören, und: Du sollst halten, was du dem Herrn geschworen hast. Ich aber sage euch: Schwört überhaupt nicht, weder beim Himmel, denn er ist Gottes Thron, noch bei der Erde, denn sie ist der Schemel seiner Füße, noch bei Jerusalem, denn es ist die Stadt des großen Königs! Auch bei deinem Haupt sollst du nicht schwören; denn du kannst kein einziges Haar weiß oder schwarz machen. Eure Rede sei: Ja ja, nein nein; was darüber hinausgeht, stammt vom Bösen. Abdruck des Evangelientextes mit freundlicher Genehmigung der Ständigen Kommission für die Herausgabe der gemeinsamen liturgischen Bücher im deutschen Sprachgebiet; Evangelien für die Sonntage: Lektionar I-III 2018 ff. © 2026 staeko.net Mehr Podcasts auf www.kapuziner.de/podcast

After some time away, I'm returning with a simpler format: short, calm episodes centered around the Tao Te Ching one verse at a time.In this first episode, we begin with Verse One, a reminder that the deepest parts of life can't always be captured in words, labels, or names.This is a space for quiet reflection, a cup of coffee, and a few honest thoughts.No rush. No pressure. Just a little room to breathe.Verse featured: Tao Te Ching, Verse OneTheme: The unnamed, the mystery, and letting life be what it isVerses are read from Stephen Mitchell's translation of the Tao Te Ching.Thanks for listening. I'll be back soon with the next verse.

Anyone who has read much of Leviticus knows that it has a lot to say about "blood". Although it's kind of an unusual topic in our day and age, it was central to the Old Testament system of worship. Today, as we study Leviticus 17, we find out why. We also find that it's in the context of God's prohibitions about homemade, made-up worship. So join us in another study in another Key Chapter of the Bible! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    What did verses 3 & 4 prohibit? In light of what we learned from Leviticus 10, what principles were driving this instruction? How might a person who did not live near to the tabernacle think they could cut corners and engage in personal, private worship? 2.    Verse 5 calls the people to engage in "peace offerings" at the tabernacle under the oversight of the priest. What did we learn about peace offerings in our study of Leviticus 3, specifically in terms of communion and fellowship with one another? Why was this critical for the spiritual life of the Children of Israel?  3.    The podcast also suggested that the prohibitions against private sacrifices would put an end to "religion for hire". In what ways would this command end that practice?  4.    The podcast also suggested that this command would help people break from thinking that religion was all about personal blessing. How would not engaging in private sacrifices do this?  5.    Even after these commands were given, how did people violate these prohibitions of "religion for hire" or "religion for personal blessings"? How do we see people in our world still falling into these temptations today? 6.    In verse 7, what does the phrase "no longer" indicate about the need for this prohibition against the worship of goat-demons? 7.    In verse 11, why weren't the people allowed to eat the blood of an animal? What did that blood represent?  8.    Already, our study in Leviticus has shown us how integral blood is to the sacrificial system. In what ways have we seen its use in the sacrifices? 9.    In verse 13, an animal's blood that was spilled on the ground was to be covered in dirt. How does this help us see the sacredness of even an animal's blood? Does the world reflect this sacred view of blood in how blood is characterized in movies and TV? 10.    How does Hebrews 9:18-22 help us understand how these principles relate to the blood of Jesus? 11.    The podcast makes an interesting link between the priest's sacrifices of the Old Testament and their role in the death of Jesus. What was that link? Do you think this was deliberate or just a coincidence? 12.    In light of everything we've said about blood in Leviticus 17, what have you learned and how has it helped you understand Christ's shed blood for your sins? 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.     

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

Dave Myers discusses Exodus 3:4-5—“So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!' And he said, ‘Here I am.' Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.'”

Narrative verse, or poems that tell a story, has existed for millennia, yet the mode of writing has been neglected by literary publishers, editors, and critics in our own time. This anthology reestablishes the vital relationship of narrative verse to a contemporary readership of poetry. It presents a wide range of specimens from twenty-eight poets who were born since World War II and who published their narrative poems over the past fifty years. Featured poets include Rita Dove, Christian Wiman, Alberto Rios, A. E. Stallings, Bob Dylan, Daniel Mark Epstein, David Mason, Mary Jo Salter, and Dana Gioia, and other exemplary practitioners of the form. In these poems, character, plot, and dialogue turn up as readily as in prose fiction. As John Dryden wrote of Chaucer's works, “Here is God's plenty.” Anecdote, fable, myth, biography, thriller, Western, ghost story―these are among the many different genres of tale collected by poet-critic Sunil Iyengar, who introduces each poet and the anthology itself. Sunil Iyengar is the author of a poetry chapbook, A Call from the Shallows (Finishing Line Press). His poems and/or book reviews have appeared in such periodicals as The New Criterion, Literary Matters, New Verse Review, PN Review, Essays in Criticism, The American Scholar, The Hopkins Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Washington Post. He lives outside Washington, D.C., where he works as an arts research director. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

 Dating as a Christian can be exhausting— especially when you've done everything “right,” but are still waiting on prayers that seem to have gone unheard. Christian Bevere joins Ellen to talk honestly about dating as a Christian with prayer, peace, and discernment. They explore how to wait actively without idolizing marriage, how prayer shapes you in singleness, and how to seek God's will in relationships without fear or striving.Whether you're feeling hopeful, weary, or somewhere in between, this episode will remind you that your life isn't on hold, and God is still at work.Check out Christian's new book, Future Husband, Present Prayers, and her journal, Dear Future Husband Prayer Journal!Scripture referenced:Hebrews 11:1Matthew 25:14-301 Samuel 1:19Ecclesiastes 4:12James 1:17Hebrews 11:6About Christian Bevere:Instagram | Website Christian's favorite Bible study tools:Hosanna Revival Bible (ESV) | Bible highlighters | Verse of the DayGot a question or something on your heart? We'd love to hear it! Drop us a note — your feedback helps us create episodes that truly encourage and inspire.Connect with God with the Every Woman's Bible

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Would you rather game: Would you rather put your hand in a blender with lemon juice or kneel on a drill bit in salt water?  Would you rather have a billion dollars and be the fattest ugliest person in the world, or be poor the rest of your life but be absolutely ravishingly beautiful?      Proverbs 15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord Than great treasure, and turmoil with the treasure. 17  Better is a portion of vegetables where there is love, Than a fattened ox served with hatred.   Proverbs 15:16–17 offers a profound "this is better than that" comparison, focusing on the relationship between material wealth, spiritual peace, and emotional health. Here are the verses for reference: 16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.   The Philosophy of "Better Than" These verses belong to a category of wisdom literature known as comparative proverbs. They don't argue that being poor is inherently superior to being rich; rather, they argue that the quality of your inner life and relationships is the true multiplier of your happiness. Verse 16: The Spiritual Math "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.” I had the profound privilege of working for some of the richest people in the world when I was just 18. They had it all, everything, there was no want in their life… and they were miserable!  The Component of Peace: The "fear of the Lord" in Proverbs refers to a deep reverence and alignment with divine wisdom. This creates a psychological and spiritual foundation of security. The Hidden Cost of Wealth: The "trouble" mentioned often refers to the anxiety, ethical compromises, or sleepless nights that can accompany amassing wealth without a moral compass. The more stuff you have the more stuff you have to take care of, watch over, worry about,  The Takeaway: $Small Assets + High Peace > Large Assets + High Stress$. It's an argument for contentment over accumulation. Verse 17: The Social Climate "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it." The Dinner of Herbs: In the ancient world, a meal of herbs (vegetables) was the "budget" option—the food of the commoner or the poor. The Fattened Ox: This represents the height of luxury—a "choice cut" reserved for royalty or major celebrations. The Emotional Environment: This verse points out that our physical environment is secondary to our emotional environment. A feast tastes like ash if you are eating it with someone you despise, or who despises you. Conversely, the simplest meal is elevated by genuine connection.   Why This Matters Today In a modern context, these verses act as a warning against "the grind" at the expense of everything else. They remind us of two things: Wealth cannot buy a quiet conscience. If the pursuit of "treasure" creates "trouble" (broken integrity, legal issues, or chronic anxiety), the treasure is actually a net loss. Relationships are the ultimate seasoning. We often spend our lives trying to provide the "fattened ox" for our families, but these verses suggest that our families would much rather have "herbs" and a present, loving version of us.