Podcasts about your word

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

In the world, and yet not to be of the world!

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2025 2:06

"They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." John 17:16 What a difficult matter it is to be in the world, and yet not to be of the world! Our Lord Himself carried out this principle. He passed through the world, as one who was not of it. Oh, that we could but imitate His holy example. It should be our whole endeavor to do all the good we can in it and for it; and yet to never imbibe its spirit, its principles, and its maxims. How can a believer walk through this world safely and securely? Only as he is upheld by a strength that is Omnipotent! I am passing through a world lying in the wicked one. I belong to another kingdom, which is not of this world. Dear friend, see then, your high calling! He has called you to come out of the world and to be separate; in principle, in practice, in heart. "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:19 "I have given them Your Word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world." John 17:14

dear omnipotent your word our lord himself

25-157 Spiritual Leadership in the Home

god lord spiritual teach in jesus spiritual leadership get to work your word

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 4:21

Your family is watching. Every word you speak, every decision you make, every moment you lean into God—or don't—shapes the spiritual atmosphere of your home. You may not feel ready or equipped, but if God has called you to lead your family, He will speak to you as you do it.Our springboard for today's discussion is:"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." — Joshua 24:15Spiritual leadership isn't about being perfect. It's about being present—and surrendered. Joshua didn't say, “As for me and my house, we'll figure it out as we go.” He made a declaration. A decision. A stand.As parents, we are the gatekeepers of our homes. We decide what is allowed in spiritually and what is kept out. And that leadership isn't just lived in big moments—it's lived in the ordinary:* Choosing prayer over panic.* Choosing Scripture over popular opinion.* Choosing to model faith when your kids are watching—and when they're not.Your children need to see you seeking God. They need to hear you bless the family before dinner, repent when you fall short, and speak life over them when they're discouraged.They also need you to fight spiritually. That means standing on God's Word when fear tries to enter, praying over your spouse and children daily, and keeping your home set apart for God's glory.Spiritual leadership is not just your role—it's your assignment. And no matter your past, God has equipped you with everything you need to lead well. You just need to answer the call.Question of the Day:What is one specific way you can step more fully into spiritual leadership in your home this week?Mini Call to Action:Declare out loud today—“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Then act on it in one visible, intentional way before the day ends.Let's Pray:Father, give me the courage to lead spiritually with humility and strength. Let my home be a place where Your presence is known and Your Word is honored. Teach me to walk with You, so my family can follow. In Jesus' name, amen.Let's Get To Work!Your home doesn't need a perfect leader—it needs a surrendered one.Support MyR2B Ministries:MyR2B Ministries is our full-time ministry. Your paid subscription helps sustain this work and expand our ministry outreach.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 1364 - Jarvis Kingston For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that bel

THE POWER OF GOD'S WHISPER

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

25-157 Spiritual Leadership in the Home

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 4:21

god lord spiritual teach in jesus spiritual leadership get to work your word

Episode 1362 - Jarvis Kingston Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. HEBREWS 11:1 Breaking News

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

Episode 1363 - Jarvis Kingston So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” ROMANS 10:17 Lord, Your Word is Living

Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North Sermons - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

Thou Shalt Not Resist

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025

Introduction: How Do You React... (Matthew 5:38–42) ...When you are INSULTED? “Eye for an Eye” or REFUSE RETALIATION? (Matt 5:39b) 1 Peter 2:23 – When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ...when people are HEARTLESS? “Eye for an Eye” or GRATUITOUS GRACE? (Matt 5:40) Romans 12:21 – Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ...when forced to OBEY? “Eye for an Eye” or DOUBLE Your DUTY? (Matt 5:41) 1 Peter 2:16 – Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. ...when someone wants your STUFF? “Eye for an Eye” or RELEASE Your RESOURCES? (Matt 5:42) 1 John 3:17 – But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Philippians 2:5–7a – Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant... Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:38-42What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Tell of a time you were offended and retaliated. Why did you do what you did? What would you do differently if you had another chance?Why do you think “eye for an eye” (revenge) is our natural default response?Why do you think how you react is a good gauge of where your heart is?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT And before we dig into God's Word together, let's just pause.I'm going to ask you just take a moment and please pray for me to be faithful,to clearly communicate God's Word.And I will pray for you to have your heart open to receive what it isthat the Lord wants to teach us today. Let's pray.Father in heaven, your Word challenges us and convicts us and we thank you for that.We didn't come in here today looking for a stamp of affirmation on how we already are.We've come in here to encounter you and allow your spirit and your Word to conform us into the image of your Son.That's why we're here.So Father, I pray to that end you would open our hearts.Your spirit would speak to every heart, the wisdom that you have recorded in your Word.That we walk out of here different people than how we were when we walked in.Thank you Father for the promise of your Word.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said, "Amen."I have a nonverbal Son, as many of you know.But years ago, I was with a group of pastors and one pastor was commenting on the fact that I had a nonverbal Son.And he said, very compassionately, he said,"It must be very difficult for you to not have a conversation with your Son."And I said, "It is."But the way I look at it, we'll have all of eternity to catch up.And a different pastor said, if he's elect,and I said, "I feel like you're predestined to take a weapon."And I was a prophet that day.Okay, I made that last part up.But I still think about that.I still think about retaliation.Getting even.Why are we like that?Why are we like that people, that there's something in all of us that makes us demand respect?Hey, you can't talk to me that way.You know I am?You can't treat me like that.There's something in us that we demand our rights.We say things like, "I don't get mad. I get even."And you're not going to get away with this.You're going to pay for what you did.Our hearts are naturally, sinfully retaliatory.I was listening to a sermon about a month or so ago from one of my favorite preachers, Ron Don.It was a sermon on meekness.And he reminded me of something that I loved when I was a kid.He was a little comic book.Do you remember the Charles Atlas ads in the old comic books?Do you remember those?It was a little one page, it was a little comic strip in the book.Well, in this little comic strip, there was this little weakling, like a little skinny guy,on the beach and this bully was like kicking sand in his face.And all the girls were like, "Tee hee hee hee."And the kid takes Charles Atlas course.The skinny kid.And in 90 days, he was kicking sand in the other guy's face.And there's something innocent.We're like, "Yes! Yeah!"We love that stuff, don't we?Don't we love that revenge stuff?Oh, come on.Don't you leave me up here.Don't we love that revenge stuff?The getting even stuff?Yes, you do.Yes, you do.There are many of the plot lines of movies.Like, and your soap operas and your westerns and your superhero movies.I was thinking about this this week. It's everywhere.That's what Popeye is.Popeye is nothing but a cartoon about a guy that gets even.We love that stuff.We love the guy that is not going to take it.Payback.Because the guy that gets the sand kicked in his faceand belittled and humiliated and he just takes it.Well, that guy is a coward, right?Weak.It's like, dude, punch that bully in the trot.Don't take it.Right?There's biblical precedence for this, isn't there?An eye for an eye.Right?An eye for an eye.Oh, I like that.Because that's in the Bible.You know what that is?Eye for an eye.That is biblical permission to get even.No, no, no, no, no. I'm sorry.That's a biblical command to get even, isn't it?Well, the scribes and the Pharisees thought so.And many people sitting here even and watching thisand listening to this podcast later, still believethat an eye for an eye is our biblical mandates to get revenge.Well, let's see, shall we?Look at verse 30.Why don't we say verse 38? Yes.Jesus continuing the Sermon on the Mount.He said, "You have heard that it was said,an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."Yeah, that's a real Old Testament quote.Yes.100%.And it's also one of the most misinterpretedand misused verses in the entire Bible.Because the scribes and the Phariseesand we take this verse way out of context.Is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?Is that our charge to get even?No, it's not.All right, then what does it mean?I'm so glad you asked.Let's get biblical, shall we?Mark and I shows up three times in the Old Testament.Three times.It's in Exodus 21, it's in Leviticus 24,and it's in Deuteronomy 19.Don't look now, but you look later,and you're going to see in every one of those passages,every single one of them,the context of that verse areit's God's instructions for Israel's courts and judges.Eye for an eye, that was for Israel's courts,not for personal vendetta.And eye for an eye was a guideline for Israel's judges,not for Batman, okay?So what's the purpose?Eye for an eye.What does eye for an eye mean?Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.What does that mean?It just simply means this.The punishment should fit the crime.In court, justice demands being fair.So judges in court, God's instruction for Israel,when you punish someone,the measure of punishment should fit the measure of the crime.That's what eye for an eye means.And God is saying an eye for an eyemust be determined by the courts.The courts determine that. Why?Why did God leave that up to the courts?Why? I'll tell you why.Because when we're wronged,we, by nature, want to retaliateway beyond the level of the offense.Here's what I mean.Our mindset is this.You dinged my 93 Toyota.You owe me a new car.Fair is fair.We take it way too far.We say things like,"Hey, we were messing around.We were playing basketballand you accidentally elbowed me in the mouthand broke my tooth.You owe me a set of grills."Justin, do the kids still wear grills?Do they still wear a thing?The cool ones.You are right.You could not be righter.But that's the point.We take it too far.You owe me way more thanyou should have to pay.So God's like, "No, no, no, no.Leave that to the courts."So here it is. Here it is.If a crime has been committed against me,if I've been wronged in any way,I'm not going to take the law into my own hands.I'm going to take the courts to be fairin the way God commanded the courts to be fair,which is an eye for an eye.A tooth for a tooth.Be fair.So in Jesus' day, the ascribes and the Pharisees,and again us, we take this way out of contextand we take it out of the courtsand we take it as our command,our personal responsibility to get even.But look at verse 39.You probably saw this coming.Jesus says, "But I say to you,do not resist the one who is evil."Do not resist. What does that mean?It literally means this.When someone wrongs you,when someone offends you,when someone is against you,Jesus says, "Do not set yourself against him."Now let's be clear.Jesus is not saying,He is not saying,"Do not protect yourself.Do not protect your own."He's not saying that.If you break into my home,my dog will shoot youand my wife will bite you.Wait.No, no, that's right.He's not saying, "Don't protect yourself."He's not saying, "Don't protect your church."Jesus isn't preaching passivity here.Like, "Okay, go ahead.Go ahead. You can sin,and you can abuse me all you want.I don't care because Jesus said not to resist."That's not what He's saying.He's also not saying,"Don't confront sin."He's not saying that.Because the Bible is clear that sin must be confronted.It must be addressed and dealt with in the church.Here's what Jesus is sayingby this statement.And it's going to be crystal clearbecause Jesus actually illustrateswhat He's teaching here.But here's what Jesus is saying.He's saying,"Don't start a feud.Don't try to get even.Don't try to get even.If you think that your rights were violated,you don't need to fight about it."That's what Jesus is saying.We are not to be a peoplewhose knee-jerk reactionis to be retaliatory.That's what Jesus is saying.In the Sermon on the Mount,we've seen it over and over.Jesus is saying, "My people are different."My people are different in how they act.They're merciful. They're hungry for righteousness.They're salt and light. They're influencers.They reconcile with broken relationships.They cut off lust and they take marriage seriously.And they keep their word.My people act differently.Because when Jesus Christ enters us,when you receive Christ,when you turn from your sin and believethat He died for your sinand He rose from the dead to give you eternal life,when you believe that the Bible saysGod's Holy Spirit lives within you.And when God's Spirit lives within you,you are called to something greater.And you demonstrate that you belong to Christby how you act.God wants your heart.And your heart is revealed by how you act.But perhaps more so,your heart is revealed by how you react.You can show me what a man is made ofby how he acts.And I can show you what a man is made ofby how he reacts.So let me ask you,how do you react?How do you react when you have been personally offended?How do you react when you've been insulted?How do you react when you've been disrespected?Do you react in kind?As your mind said immediately,"No, no, no, no, no, no, no.You're not getting away with this.I'm getting even."As your mind said,"An eye for an eye."Wrongly interpreting it like the Pharisees.Or do you not resist?As our Lord said,do you refuse to emotionally reactand retaliate in the flesh?And I'm sure there's somebody here,self-deluded, that's like,"Oh, my pastor's got to hang it along with everybody."I never respond negatively when I'm offended.I just bake them muffins.Okay.But I think there's something here for the rest of us.Because Jesus elaborateson how His followers should reactto difficult peopleand difficult situationsby giving four scenarios.So that's what we're going to ask ourselves today,a little self-examination.We're going to ask ourselves, "How do you react?"How do you react?Number one, how do you reactwhen you are insulted?When you are insulted, how do you react?Eye for an eye?Or do you refuse retaliation?Look at verse 39.Jesus says, "But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek,turn to him the other also."Stop there.To the Jews,this was the absolute most insulting thingto be slapped.In fact, I read this past week that a slave in those days,a slave would rather be whipped than slappedbecause a slap was utterly humiliating.And you know the worst was the backhand slap.That's why Jesus said, "Right cheek?"Sorry about that.That's why Jesus said, "Right cheek?"Because when you get a backhand with a right hand,it's going to hit you in the right cheek.That was the worst insult in their mind.We get it.Nothing's really changed there. We get it.If somebody walks up to you and just...That's just total disdain.It's like you're nothing to me.You're not even worth arguing withbecause you're nothing.It's just a complete, complete insult.And all the moment I'm insulted,I want to retaliate.Eye for an eye, right?Oh, okay, now I get to slap you.And I bet I can slap harder.Wait, wait, wait, wait. What does Jesus say?He says, "Turn to Him the other also."You're like, "Aha, okay. That's very gracious."He gets two slaps in on me and then it's go time.No.If you're believing that,then you completely missed the point that Jesus was making.Because here's the thing.It's not even about the slap.It's about being insulted.That's the point.How do you respond when you're insulted?Because look,unless you're Chris Rocket and Smacked by Will Smith,you're probably not going to get a slap.You probably are not.But you're going to be insulted in other ways, aren't you?Verbally.How about social media?All these keyboard warriors out there?Because they know they won't get slapped in the teeth.They're real strong and brave throwing out their insults at youfrom behind their keyboard.Maybe that nasty text or email that you get,you're going to be insulted.It's all the same application here from our Lord.At the same point, Jesus says, "Turn to Him the other."He's saying, "You're insulted?Have you been grossly insulted?"Jesus says, "Let Him do it again."You.You refuse to retaliate.Like, "I shouldn't be insulted.Don't you know who I am?I should be respected."Yeah.I agree.You should be respected.But you won't be.Someone is going to insult you.So you can react the world's way."I" for an "I"?Like, "Oh, you're going to insult me?I'm going to go full-dawn wrinkles on you."You have brought a knife to a gunfight, my friend.That's "I" for an "I."Or you could respond the kingdom way,which is refusing to retaliate.And right now, somebody's sitting there going,"Oh, okay.So you're saying, when people insult me,I should just take it?"Now you're thinking like Jesus.Because 1 Peter 2, 23, he says,when He was reviled,He did not revile in return.When He suffered, He did not threaten,but continued in trusting Himself to Him,who judges justly.How do you react when you're insulted?Number two, how do you react when people are heartless?How do you react when people are heartlessand "I" for an "I"?Or gratuitous grace?Look at verse 40.Jesus said, "And if anyone would sue youand take your tunic,let them have your cloak as well."Okay, Jesus isn't saying,"Everybody consume me for everything."Now, He's obviously,He's talking about being suedwhere there is some justification in the lawsuit.That you went to court and legally,you were sued and lost your tunic.Like, what's a tunic?Well, in those days,the tunic was the long undergarment.It was like a long, basically, the shirt.It was your shirt.And look, they didn't have a closet full of themwith a bag of them for the good will sitting in the garage.Most of them would have had one or three at the most.And this was more than just your shirt.It was also your blanket.That's the thing that kept you warm at night.So I think this is quite a shocking thingfor our Lord to say that someonewould sue you for the shirt off your back.And look, in court,if someone sues you for the shirtthat's on your back that you're wearing,that's a little more than I for an I, isn't it?That's pretty heartless.The reality is, people do sue heartlessly.It's like suing a Christian school.Like, why would you do that?Unless there was a real egregious crime going on.But a lot of times, it's just spite.And I believe that's what Jesus is saying here.Perhaps Jesus was being hyperbolic,like saying even if somebody sues youfor the shirt that you're wearing.Well, you could react the world's way, couldn't you?Like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.I'm not giving you the shirt that I'm wearing.That's unreasonable and it's unfair.And I will fight you all the way up to the Supreme Courtover my shirt.Or you could react the kingdom way,which is, did you lose your shirt in a lawsuit?Well, show them you're really sorry for whatever the offense was.And give them your coat too.You know, it's an interesting way that Jesus worded thisbecause in Jewish Old Testament law,you were not allowed to sue a man for his coat.That was illegal.Do you think Jesus is making a point?Hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.Okay, so you're saying it was illegal to sue a man for his coat.So if somebody sues you for your shirtand you give them your coat,that would be awfully gratuitous.Now you're thinking like Jesus.Romans 12-21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil."But overcome evil with good.Don't retaliate.Show them that you're willing to give even more than they asked for.So how do you react?How do you react?Number three, when forced to obey.Eye for an eye or double your duty?Look at verse 41.Jesus, next illustration.He says, "And if anyone forces you to go one mile,go with them two miles."Now the Romans had a law.And that was actually a variation of an old Persian postal law.But here is the Roman law.An official could on the spot recruit a citizenfor official duty to perform a task.You know the most famous example of this?This commissioning Simon of Cyrene to carry our Lord's cross.That was law.Specifically here, what Jesus is referring to was legally,legally a Roman soldier could recruit a citizento carry his pack, his gear, one mile, and no further.You think about it from a Jewish standpoint,that's, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm.You mean my enemy, a Roman soldier,is going to make me carry his stuff for a mile?So Jew, that would have been very degrading and disgusting.I think here our Lord is speaking to man's natural resentmenttowards the demands of the government.Does anybody remember COVID?Well, you can react the world's way.Right?You can react the world's way.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.The entire way.Give me your stuff.Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo.Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.Never mind, I'll carry it myself.That's the world's way.Or you can react the kingdom's way.What's according to our Lord is what?Go two miles.Did you carry his stuff for a mile and you're like,"You know what? I'm just getting limber.I'm just getting warmed up.I'll go another mile."It's like giving the cloak, right?Same principle.Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.So you're saying,"I should give more than the law demands.I should give double of what's required of me."Now you're thinking like Jesus.Because 1 Peter 2.16 says,"Citizens, live as people who are free.Not using your freedom as a cover up for evil.But living as servants of God."Don't just do what's demanded.Go beyond.Force them to ask,"Why in the world is she acting like that?"And then you have the opportunity to talk about grace.Number four.How do you react when someone wants your stuff?How do you react when someone wants your stuff?Eye for an eye?Or do you release your resources?Look at verse 42.Jesus says, "Give to the one who begs from youand do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.It just got real, didn't it?My money?My possessions?Bless you.We get so...We get so possessiveover things.Jesus is saying if somebody begs,if somebody wants to borrow,He's not talking about beggars along the side of the road.This implies a real need,a need that's known and a need that's verified.That's what Jesus is talking about.And again, we have the two options before us.We can react the world's way.Someone comes to you with a real need.Eye for an eye means...All right, look, look, look.I'm going to give this to you, but you owe me, okay?And you're... Listen, you're going to pay me backevery cent that I'm giving you.Do you understand me?I want it in writing.That's the world's way.And when we have that attitude,it just demonstrates that we care more about things than people, right?Well, why are you entitled to my stuff?Go get your own stuff.Where you can react the kingdom way.Jesus, what's the kingdom way?He says give the one who begs and do not refuse.The one who would borrow.What's the kingdom way?Self-sacrificing generosity.He's like, "Oh, you need something that I have?You know what? Here, take it.You know what? I'll buy another one,or I'll learn to live without it.No begs, whatever. Go ahead.Looks like you need this more than I do.If God thinks I need it,He'll make sure I get another one, all right?That's the kingdom way.Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.So I should just give away everything that I have?Now you're thinking like Jesus.First John 3 verse 17 says,"But if anyone has the world's goods,Jesus' brother, Anid, yet closes his heart against him.How does the love of God abide in him?"It's just stuff.It's just stuff.It's eventual garbage, right?Release your resources. Bless people with it.Look, in Jesus' four scenarios here,in every case, your heart is revealed.Not in how you act,but in how you react.And you're like, "Man, man, how can I live like that?"Right now, I guarantee you,every single person here is looking at us going,"I agree that this is right!"But I don't know if I can actually do it.I mean, to do this,I would have to not insist on my rights.I would have to deny myselfand I would have to act like a slave.Now you're thinking like Jesus.Because, oh, by the way,not insisting on your rights and denying yourselfand acting like a slave.Philippians 2.Have this mind among yourselves,which is yours in Christ Jesus,who though he was in the form of God,did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.He didn't insist on his rights.But emptied himself.Denied himself by taking the form of a servant.He became a slave.When you leave here today,someone's going to offend you.Someone's going to insult you.And somebody's going to stomp all over your rights.What you need to do right nowis decide how you're going to react.Let's pray.Our Father in Heaven,we thank You for Your Word,because this is contrary to how we think.There's something in our heartsthat demands retaliation.That would say getting even is the way to go.We teach our kids that.When Your Son very clearly taught usthat we're to be a peoplethat act opposite the way the world acts.Father, I pray right now thatdecisions are being madeas we sit in the fellowship of the congregation,as we sit under Your Word,as we're sitting in a setting of worship.I pray right now, Father,that we are making decisionswhen we walk out this door.We are not going to be people who retaliate.But instead,we're going to follow the examplethat Your Son gave us,and we're going to trust in the power of Your Spirit,whom You put within us.To Your glory and honor, Father,grab our hearts and minds.We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

CDC no longer recommends COVID shot for pregnant women & kids; Defense Secretary Hegseth: ““King Jesus, we come humbly before You.”;Somalian Muslim man trusts Christ and is kicked out of home

The WorldView in 5 Minutes

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025

It's Wednesday, May 28th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Somalian Muslim man trusts Christ and is kicked out of home A young Muslim man in Somalia was kicked out of his home recently after converting to Christianity. The 20-year-old struggled with substance abuse and had not been home to see his Muslim parents for months. That's when an underground pastor shared the Gospel with him. The young man came to Christ and gained freedom from drug use. After going home, however, his parents drove him away because of his new faith. The young convert told Morning Star News, “Now that I have loved [Jesus], I do not have a family standing with me. I do no not know what to do. I need prayers.” Please pray for this brother in Christ in Somalia, Africa. The country is ranked second on the Open Doors' World Watch List of most difficult places to be a Christian. In Matthew 19:29, Jesus said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” French Muslim youth vandalizing Catholic churches and assaulting Catholics The European Conservative reports there have been a string of attacks on churches in France recently which have received little attention from the mainstream media. In one case, Islamic youths insulted a Catholic priest and threatened to set the church building on fire earlier this month. Days earlier, another group disrupted a parish meeting in the same area. Muslim attacks on Catholics have included vandalism, physical assault, and kidnapping. Supremes split decision result: OK religious charter school unfunded In the United States, the Supreme Court delivered a split decision last Thursday in a case involving religious education. Previously, Oklahoma's charter school board had approved funding for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. It would have been the country's first publicly-funded religious charter school. However, Oklahoma's Supreme Court blocked the school. And the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 4-4 in the case, leaving the lower court ruling in place. For some reason, conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case. Defense Secretary Hegseth: "“King Jesus, we come humbly before You." U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a prayer meeting at the Pentagon last Wednesday. Listen to his opening prayer. HEGSETH: “If you would bow your head in prayer. “King Jesus, we come humbly before You, seeking Your face, seeking Your grace, in humble obedience to your law and to Your Word. We come as sinners, saved only by that grace, seeking Your providence in our lives and in our nation. “Lord God, we ask for the wisdom to see what is right, and in each and every day, in each and every circumstance, the courage to do what is right in obedience to Your will. “It is in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we pray. And all God's people said, Amen. Thank you.” The voluntary 30-minute prayer meeting was called “Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer & Worship Service.” Hegseth said it may become a monthly event. Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” Planned Parenthood to close 8 abortion mills in Iowa and Minnesota Last Friday, Planned Parenthood North Central States announced it will close eight locations across Iowa and Minnesota over the next year. Planned Parenthood blamed the closures on states passing anti-abortion laws as well as a freeze on federal funding for abortion. The closures will also involve laying off 66 staff members. CDC no longer recommends COVID-19 shot for pregnant women & kids The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend COVID-19 shots for pregnant women and healthy children. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the announcement yesterday. KENNEDY: “Hi everybody. I'm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, your HHS Secretary. And I'm here with NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty MaKary. “I couldn't be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC-recommended immunization schedule. Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another COVID shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children! BHATTACHARYA: “That ends today. It's common sense and it's good science.” MAKARY: “There's no evidence healthy kids need it today. And most countries have stopped recommending it for children.” KENNEDY: “We're now one step closer to realizing President Trump's promise to make America healthy again.” Lawmakers want to launch “Natural Family Month” Republican lawmakers in Ohio are considering a bill to celebrate families. The measure would designate the weeks from Mother's Day to Father's Day as “Natural Family Month.” The timeframe goes from the second Sunday in May to the third Sunday in June. This contrasts with Homosexual/Transgender Pride Month when many celebrate sexually perverted lifestyles in June. 1,500-year-old Christian graves in Israel discovered And finally, archaeologists recently uncovered 1,500-year-old Christian graves in Israel's Negev Desert. The graves reflect Christian burial practices. Inside, archaeologists found rare ebony figurines depicting individuals with African features. Researchers wrote, “It is possible that the deceased were of ‘Ethiopian' origin, and that they, or their ancestors, converted to Christianity and moved to the Negev.” The figurines were made out of ebony wood sourced from India or Sri Lanka and likely carved in Africa before being brought to the Negev. Researchers believe it is the first time they have discovered such artifacts in the region of Israel and Jordan. Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, May 28th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

You shall not take the Word of God in vain!

god bible scripture word of god his word almighty his son his spirit vain god himself your word my word

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 2:57

"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My Word!" Isaiah 66:2 In a world that mocks the Bible, treats it as worthless, or as a mere relic of the past--the command to honor God's Word is more urgent than ever. Just as the third commandment forbids taking God's name in vain, so we must beware of taking His Word in vain--handling it carelessly, without reverence, or treating it with cold familiarity. God Himself declares whom He esteems: the one who is humble, contrite in spirit, and trembles at His Word. This trembling is a holy reverence, a heart that is deeply affected by the authority and purity of God's truth. It is the posture of one who believes every word is breathed out by the Almighty, and dares not treat it lightly or flippantly. David, though a king, bowed his heart before Scripture. "My heart trembles at Your Word," he said. It was not terror, but solemn respect. Not dread, but delight mixed with deep reverence. He knew that every syllable came flawless from the mouth of the living God. To take God's Word in vain is to read it without faith, to hear it without obedience, to quote it without submission. It is to reduce divine truth to an intellectual theory, a religious tradition, or a self-help slogan. God is not silent about such dishonor. He esteems not the proud, nor the clever--but the broken-hearted saint who reverences and clings to His Word as life itself. God's Word is His love letter to His redeemed people . . . stained with the blood of His Son, sealed with His Spirit, and full of precious promises. If we would honor God, we must tremble at what He has spoken. Let His Word correct us, rebuke us, h

Episode 1356 - Jarvis Kingston And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. -John 8:32 NHL NBA NFL MLB Okc Thunder Trump

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 4:08

May 26, 2025Today's Reading: Acts 16:9-15Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26; Luke 15:11-32“One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” (Acts 16:16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever been locked out? Maybe you left the keys in your car, pressed the button on the door, and then shut it, immediately having panic spread from your head to your heart. Perhaps you came home earlier than expected, and no one was home to let you in. Perhaps you arrived at work and realized you had left your keys back at home. What do you do?You look for a way to break in! Maybe someone left a window down or the back door unlocked. Or, you keep pulling the same locked door handle, foolishly thinking that it will open up this time. It doesn't work. What you need is the thing you do not have: the key.Lydia's heart was closed. The Lord had the key. “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” What did she hear? She heard about Jesus and His death and resurrection. She heard about the Gift of Baptism. She heard about how her sins were forgiven and how Jesus had broken down the gates of Hell to rescue those like her who were held captive. We are at the end of the Easter Season and the Festival Half of the Church Year. Way back in Advent, at the start of the year, we prayed: “O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can open: Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death” (O Antiphon for December 20th). Jesus heard your prayer.He has opened your ears, heart, and mind to hear and pay attention to His Word. When you were baptized, Jesus broke open your sin-locked heart and caused you to have faith in His promise. When He comes again, He will open up your grave on the Day of Resurrection.Locks can't keep Jesus out. He appeared to the Disciples in the Upper Room on Easter Evening, even though the doors were locked. He is in, with, and under the bread and the wine, with His very Body and Blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, open now my heart to hear, And through Your Word to me draw near; Let me Your Word e'er pure retain; Let me Your child and heir remain. (LSB 908:1)- Rev. Daniel Burhop, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reese, MI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Word of God engraved within the soul

god jesus christ spirit bible soul truth holy spirit psalm scripture colossians theology scriptures word of god bibles charles spurgeon your word engraved

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 3:03

Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Your Bibles printed on paper are a blessing, but to have the Scriptures written on the heart is far better. We need not so much the doctrine which has been driven into the brain by reason, but the truth wrought into the soul by experience, through the teaching of the blessed Spirit. Charles Spurgeon, with his unmatched clarity and spiritual insight, reminded believers that truth must not merely reside in the intellect, but must be etched upon the heart. While printed Bibles are a precious treasure, there is a deeper blessing in having the Word of God engraved within the soul. It is not enough to possess a well-marked Bible; what matters most is a Bible marked in the heart. The doctrines of Scripture, no matter how sound, are worthless if they dwell only in the intellect. Theology can sharpen the mind, but only the Holy Spirit can soften the heart. What the Christian cannot do, the Spirit accomplishes--He takes divine truth and applies it personally, experimentally, and powerfully to the soul. This is not merely understanding, but transformation. It is not cold assent, but warm submission. When God's Word is written on the heart, it becomes the believer's compass, comfort, and conviction. Paul did not say, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in your minds richly," but rather, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3:16). That is, in the very core of your being--where affections are stirred, where the will is moved, and where life is directed. Truth must not merely be driven into the brain by logic, but planted in the soul by the Spirit. Only then does it become fruitful,

How Can a Young Man Stay Clean in a Dirty World? | Psalm 119:9 & the Leper's Faith

GNBC Network

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 8:17

Are you struggling to live pure when temptation is everywhere? In this new episode of The Path to Purity devotional journey, Pastor Roderick Webster digs deeper into the Bible's timeless question—“How can a young man cleanse his way?” (Psalm 119:9)—and shows how Jesus answered a desperate leper who cried out, “If You are willing, You can make me clean” (Mark 1:40-41). Key verse: “By taking heed according to Your Word.” —Psalm 119:9b

jesus christ bible psalm encouragement purity psalm 119 leper young man self examination your word closing prayer

HE IS MY HOPE

The Church Within You!

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 4:06

God is my hope for today and tomorrow. He is my all in all. God is the strength of my life; His promises are always sure. I know He never falls short of His Word. I want to go with Him when He returns. Please, LORD, help me to live each day and walk in Your way according to Your Word. God is my hope for life here on this day and every day. God is my all in all! Blessings, Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes Be Still & Know

god lord blessings his word your word

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Sound Mind Set

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 10:01

Romans 5:18-21 …Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (NLT) Depending on how we were brought up and what we have been taught about God, we must all come to the place of understanding that Scripture is the bottom line of what we should believe and the foundation of what we should build our lives upon. We have to become responsible for what we believe and what we will teach our children—based on our own beliefs, not anyone else's. The concept of grace is such an important pillar of that personal faith.Here's a tough question for you … do you think your own life is ruled more by law or by grace?Is your faith based on what you do for Jesus or what Jesus has done for you?Remember—any questions we ask here are only to help you honestly evaluate where you are, and by comparing to Scripture, ask if is there is any part of your belief that You need to hand over to God?Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, if there is anything I believe about You that is not right and not fair to You, I invite You to teach me Your ways through Your Word. As above, so below.”

god jesus christ lord romans scripture heavenly father your word

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 4:38

May 20, 2025Today's Reading: Revelation 21:1-7Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:1-22; Luke 12:13-34“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.'” (Revelation 21:3-4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Where is God? Everywhere, right? He's omnipresent, it's true. But here in Revelation, it says that the “dwelling place of God is with man.” How is that? On the one hand, we can acknowledge that it's a mystery. On the other hand, we can also recognize that throughout the Scriptures, we see God seeking to be with man. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, there was God, seeking them in the cool of the garden. When God visited Jacob, revealing to him the ladder to heaven, that place became “Bethel,” the “House of God.” When Moses was given the instructions for the Tabernacle, God said of the tent in it, the “Tent of Meeting,” “There I will meet with the people of Israel” (Exodus 29:43). So, this is not a new idea at the Resurrection of the dead at the end of time that we see in Revelation 21. But what are we to make of this? To begin, as we often need to, we have to realize that the issue is sin. It's because of sin that we can't see God face-to-face. As God says to Moses, we can't see God and live (Exodus 33:20). That's why this is hard for us to understand. However, God came and met with us in Jesus. He came into a body. He came to a place, Judea and Jerusalem. In that place, He carried our sin to the cross so that by the life in the resurrection of His body in that place, now we have life and the victory over sin won by this forgiveness. Now, God meets with us in His Word, in the Waters of Holy Baptism, in His Holy Supper. He does this to deliver that forgiveness to us, to make us holy so that we can dwell with Him forever in that place. What does this ultimately mean for us to understand how God is everywhere but in a place? Once again, we still have to say it's something of a mystery, but we can understand more of it in light of Jesus. Yes, God is everywhere, but He's made us to be in a place and He wants to be with us, which He does in Jesus in a very specific way. Through Jesus, then, we see that the fullness of God dwells in a man bodily (Colossians 2:9). It's Jesus that we'll see on that Last Day, and when we do, it will make a lot more sense. It will also be the greatest comfort as He promises to be with us and even wipe away our every tear. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Lord Jesus, thank you for meeting us in Your Word and Sacraments to cleanse our sin and prepare us to live with you forever on the Day of Your Return. Amen.- Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

25-139 Blueprints Before Vows: Building a Christ-Centered Marriage

god jesus christ lord prayer marriage forgiveness teach foundations emotion align vows in jesus christ centered blueprints get to work your word master builders 24jesus pray lord

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 4:22

Before any structure can rise, a foundation must be laid. And when it comes to marriage, the blueprint matters. Too many couples enter marriage with passion but without preparation. Emotion alone cannot sustain a covenant. The question every husband and wife must ask is this: What are we building this marriage on?Our springboard for today's discussion is:"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." — Matthew 7:24Jesus doesn't promise a life without storms. He promises that what is built on Him will stand through them. A Christ-centered marriage is not one that simply includes God in difficult times—it's one that starts with Him and is sustained by Him every single day.When you build your marriage on Christ:* His Word becomes the standard—not emotions or culture.* Prayer becomes your defense—not pride or avoidance.* Forgiveness becomes your practice—not just a theory.This kind of foundation requires intentional agreement between husband and wife to put Christ first in all things—decisions, finances, communication, intimacy, and leadership. It means choosing surrender over control, unity over division, and obedience over convenience.If your marriage feels shaky, don't be discouraged. Foundations can be repaired. Today is the day to begin again, to recommit to building on the only solid ground: Jesus Christ.Question of the Day:What is your marriage truly built on—and is Christ at the center?Mini Call to Action:Together or individually, pray today: “Lord, be the foundation of our home. Align us to Your Word and Your ways.”Let's Pray:Lord, we choose to build on You. Let every part of our marriage—seen and unseen—be anchored in Your truth. Teach us to follow Your blueprint and trust Your hands as the Master Builder. In Jesus' name, amen.Let's Get To Work!Because the strength of your marriage is not found in feelings—it's found in your foundation.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

25-135 Testing the Thoughts

god jesus christ scripture testing seek his word discernment in jesus sharpen get to work your word pray lord 1god

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 4:38

Just because a thought feels spiritual or sounds right doesn't mean it's from God. Discernment isn't automatic—it's intentional. The Word tells us to test every spirit, every thought, and every voice. Why? Because not everything you hear in your heart is holy.Our springboard for today's discussion is:"Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God..." — 1 John 4:1God invites us to be spiritually sharp, not gullible. Even the devil quoted Scripture when tempting Jesus in the wilderness. That means you can't trust a voice just because it uses religious language or gives you goosebumps.So how do you test a thought?✅ Does it align with Scripture? God never contradicts His Word.✅ Does it reflect the character of Christ? If it lacks love, truth, and humility, it's not Him.✅ Does it lead to freedom or fear? God's voice brings liberty and transformation, not chains.✅ Does it bear fruit over time? If a word from God is true, it will produce godly results.And here's a bonus tip: God's voice can handle your questions. Ask Him for confirmation. Search His Word. Seek wise counsel. If the message is from Him, He'll affirm it.Question of the Day:Are you actively testing what you hear—or just assuming it's God?Let's Pray:Lord, teach me to test the thoughts that come. Sharpen my discernment and anchor my heart in Your Word. I only want to follow Your voice. In Jesus' name, amen.Let's Get To Work!Faith doesn't mean blind trust—it means grounded obedience.Support MyR2B Ministries:MyR2B Ministries is our full-time ministry. Your paid subscription helps sustain this work and expand our ministry outreach. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 4:13

May 15, 2025Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Third PetitionDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 17:1-16; Luke 10:23-42Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.How is God's will done? God's will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus speaks to His lamb: My dear lamb, I give you the Lord's Prayer. Learn it well and pray it often. When you pray this prayer, you pray along with all My baptized lambs in the Church. We pray together and ask for the Father's will to be done.We ask that Him that My Gospel would always be taught purely and that the Spirit would draw people to faith. We ask Him that the lambs in my flock would follow My Word and not fall away. We ask that that Father would keep My flock on earth safe from Satan and the world and all temptations to sin. We pray that all My lambs would come safely to heaven.Your Father's good and gracious will is for you to have these blessings.Jesus' lamb responds: Dear Jesus, Amen! Thank You for teaching me this prayer and making me Your own in Baptism. Please forgive me for the times I forget to pray. I am distracted by many things. Please keep teaching me to pray.This world can be so hard. People do things that are not what the Father would want. The evil ways that Satan puts into the world are hurtful and hateful. But Jesus, You are my Good Shepherd. You have overcome the world. You will not leave me or forsake me. Strengthen my courage to pray Your prayer in faith. You taught me to ask the Father that His will would be done on earth even in these days. He will graciously do this in Your name. Thank you!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Dear Father, Your will be done, not the devil's will or our enemies or anything that would persecute and suppress Your Holy Word or hinder Your kingdom. Grant that we may bear with patience and overcome whatever is to be endured because of Your Word and kingdom, so that our poor flesh may not yield or fall away because of weakness or sluggishness. (Large Catechism III 67)- Rev. Jeffrey Horn, pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Escondido, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

god jesus christ father church lord spirit prayer truth satan savior rev baptism amen good shepherd his word strengthen ky escondido your word your father fourth week my word dear father dear jesus grace lutheran church gloria dei lutheran church

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 4:14

May 14, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-22Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 16:1-24; Luke 10:1-22“And (Jesus) said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus speaks to His lamb: Dear lamb, This world is filled with people—people whom I died for on the cross. I want them to hear My Word. Some will hear and believe in Me and be saved. The Holy Spirit will draw them to faith. Some will hear My Word and reject it and be lost.…But I want them to hear My Word.I want them to hear My Word like you hear My Word, little lamb. I want them to hear that I died to forgive them. I want them to hear and repent of their sins. I want them to hear the Word as it's being read and preached… as the Holy Spirit draws them to faith, washes them in Baptism, and feeds them My Body and Blood in My Supper.I want them to have all these things like you are having them.Dear lamb, pray earnestly that more workers would go into the harvest. Pray for workers in every land who speak every language to go out and serve. Be ready to do the work that I will give you in your vocation, whatever it may be.My heart is filled with compassion for people. In your prayers, share in this compassion. Remember that My compassion is for you, too.Jesus' lamb responds to Him: Dear Jesus, You have been merciful to me and saved me from my sins.Your Word is true and gives life. In this day, in this place, in my congregation, and around the world, please send workers into the fields. Let people hear Your Word — the Spirit will work through it to give Your Gifts of forgiveness and salvation.Please forgive me for the times I have not shared Your compassion for those not yet in Your Flock. Thank You for being merciful and gracious to me. Please keep me in Your grace.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You sent it; through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.- Rev. Jeffrey Horn, pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Escondido, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

god jesus christ lord spirit truth holy spirit blood pray satan savior rev baptism dear amen ky lord god escondido my body your word fourth week my word reading luke grace lutheran church your gifts gloria dei lutheran church

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

god jesus christ women father men holy spirit sons amen colossians 2 laodicea spiritual formation oh god your word reading scripture day eight

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 4:18

May 13, 2025Today's Reading: Revelation 7:9-17Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 10:1-20; Leviticus 11:1-15:33; Luke 9:37-62“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'” (Revelation 7:9-10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus speaks to His lamb: My dear lamb, sin is much dirtier than you can know. Only one thing can wash it away… only My blood washes away your sins. My Father sent me to cleanse you because He loves you.When you were baptized, the Holy Spirit gave you this washing, and He keeps you in the true faith all your life.In this life, you won't see the washing with your eyes. You'll still struggle with temptation and sin until you die. But you know you're washed because I've told you— in My Word, in Holy Baptism, and when you eat and drink at my Supper. In all these ways, I give you forgiveness.In Heaven, when I take you home, you will see my glory, and you'll also see the forgiveness I've showered upon you with your own eyes. You will wear a robe I made for you, washed clean by My blood shed for you on the cross.For now, though, you can trust that I have cleansed you from your sins and that I love you forever.Jesus' lamb responds to Him: Thank you, dear Shepherd. You know better than anyone how many sins I need to have washed away. When you wash them, they are gone forever. You set me free by Your grace. I don't deserve the love that You've given to me. But You've promised never to stop loving me, and I believe You.I'm sorry for the times I forget Your Word. Even after all You've done for me, I still chase after the sins You died to wash away. Please don't let me forget the price that my forgiveness cost You.Lead me in repentance every day of my life, and to walk with You in love.Thank you for giving me salvation!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Around the throne of David, the saints, from care released, raise loud their songs of triumph to celebrate the feast. They sing to Christ their leader, who conquered in the fight, who won for them forever their gleaming robes of white. (LSB 672:3)- Rev. Jeffrey Horn, pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Escondido, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

god jesus christ truth holy spirit satan revelation salvation savior rev lamb amen supper leviticus ky my father escondido your word in heaven lsb fourth week holy baptism my word reading revelation grace lutheran church gloria dei lutheran church

The One Who Claims All Truth

Kerusso Daily Devotional

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 3:30 Transcription Available

Humans have limited understanding of our world and the world beyond; not that we're unintelligent—far from it. The Bible makes it clear that God gave man a sound mind, and from the beginning, people were capable of accomplishing amazing things. The construction of the great pyramids, modern scientific advances, and our knowledge of the cosmos is a testament to how much humans can know and achieve. We're even capable of presenting truth in various ways through art, teaching, and moral agendas, but man's abilities are finite. There is One, though, that claims all truth: the person Jesus Christ. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” In other words, man has been capable over time of building structure and order in society. Around the time of Moses and the 10 Commandments and the laws that govern the Israelites, other cultures were doing somewhat similar things. The Code of Hammurabi, a set of Babylonian laws, helped create a functioning society, and in 1254, the Magna Carta, a set of English laws that was the forerunner of the Declaration of Independence, brought England out of the Dark ages. Yet the Bible is very clear that ultimate truth, the sum of all reality, is found only in Jesus Christ. It is in Him that we unlock the mystery of who we are as individuals. He knows each of us, and invites us into relationship with him. People all over the world follow their own set of rules. It's often said that truth is true if it's true for you, meaning of course that each of us has the right to follow his or her own reasoning. For example, to a person who frees himself from moral constraints, love can mean many things. In 2 John 1:6 we read, “And this is love, that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you've heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” Do you see the difference? We can tell ourselves anything; that love, for example, can have many definitions, but God tells us in His Word that true love is being obedient to our Creator. In the end, the world is full of philosophies and opinions of men. Some see truth differently, but only in the Bible do we find true truth. For Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth. Let's pray. Father God, the world can be a dangerous place. Help us to continue relying on you and as our ultimate source of truth so that we can make the best for us and our families. Your Word is our guide, Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

21 Days of Reading Scripture: Day Eight | Colossians 2:1-3

The Trellis Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 5:57

Today's Passage: Colossians 2: 1-3For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Today's Prayer: We thank you that Paul was willing to struggle and intercede for your people in Laodicea, that they would grow up in the faith and come into a true knowledge of You. Father, Paul speaks in this passage of the way we are meant to struggle and contend on behalf of those with whom you've placed us. So today, we sit in silence for a moment and ask your Holy Spirit to search our minds and imaginations for those you've entrusted into our care. As we move throughout today and the days we follow, we choose not to fall asleep to the people You've place around us. People who You will direct across our paths. Even now, allow names and faces to come to mind… Even now, would your Holy Spirit form prayers in us for those you've given into our care… Sons and daughters, parents, friends, colleagues, ministry partners… God, we ask that their hearts would be encouraged. That you could knit them together in love… We ask that they would have an assurance of understanding that results in a full and deep and rich knowledge of the mystery that is You, Father! Oh God, Your Word says that wisdom and knowledge are treasures – and our deep desire is to possess them as gifts made available to us through Christ. Holy Spirit, as your new covenant people, we ask that you apply these treasures to our lives today. They are our inheritance, and we chose to possess them in all humility and gratefulness. And it is in your name that we pray…Amen.NOTES & LINKS:Information about the Women's Summer StudyInformation about the Men's Summer StudyReach out to the Center for Spiritual Formation

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North Sermons - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025

Introduction: 2 Kings 18:4 – He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery (Matthew 5:27-30): Adultery Is a DEVASTATING SIN. (Matt 5:27–28) Matthew 15:19 – For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. Titus 1:15 – To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. Adultery has DIRE CONSEQUNECES. (Matt 5:29–30) 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 – Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Adultery requires DRASTIC MEASURES. (Matt 5:29–30) Romans 13:14 - But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 – And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:27-30What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain Matthew 5:28 in your own words.What did Jesus mean by gouging out your right eye and cutting off your right hand (Matt 5:29-30)? What are some practical ways to apply this teaching?Is Jesus saying a believer who commits adultery will go to hell? Who exactly is “thrown into hell”?What would you say to a professing believer who confesses that they can't break free from lusting? BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open up those Bibles to Matthew chapter 5.If you're visiting with us today, we are going through the Sermon on the Mount verseby verse.And Happy Mother's Day, the title of today's sermon is "Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery."I, I, um, we go where the text goes, okay?That's what we do.We go where the text goes.So let's do that.I'd like you to bow your heads please and just pray for me to be faithful to communicateGod's Word.And I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what is an extremely challengingpassage.Let's pray.Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word.We're not going to shy away from it.We just heard two testimonies of the way that Your Word has transformed lives.We're going to hear at least four more in the next service.That's why we, um, we just want to go after Your Word, God, because we believe that YourWord does Your work because that's what You said.And that is certainly what we've seen.So Father, I pray for all of us here today, all those who are going to be listening, watchingthis stream or downloading the podcast.Father I pray that You would bring revival in each and every heart in a way that greatlyglorifies Your name.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said, "Amen."Amen.Matthew chapter 5, are you there?In Numbers chapter 21, you have Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to the promisedland and Israel complained and grumbled against God, against Moses.And the Lord sent these fiery serpents who, and these serpents bit some of the Israelitesand many of them died.Well they repented.And God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole.And if the Israelites, when they were bitten by one of the snakes, if they looked at thisbronze serpent, they would live.Well then fast forward, Israel in the land established and they had kings.Some kings were very bad and some kings were just not as bad.Right?Can you relate to that at all?And Hezekiah was a king who was not as bad and he brought a lot of reforms to Israel.Here's one.We put this verse up from 2 Kings chapter 18.Hezekiah says, "He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the ashram.He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made for until those days the peopleof Israel had made offerings to it."It was called Nahushdin.See what happened?You see what happened?People took a blessing that God gave them for their benefit and they turned it into anidol.That's exactly how it is with physical intimacy.It is a gift that God gave those in the covenant of marriage, but we have turned it into anidol.So on your outline today, this is it."Thou shall not commit adultery."I want you to write some things down.Number one, write this down.Adultery is a devastating sin.Adultery is a devastating sin.Now just that statement alone, it's a hard sell because we are a sex-obsessed culture.You've taken this gift from God and we've perverted it and we worship it.Do I have to point that out at all?Look at all the homosexuality madness, all the transgender stuff.And you're like, "Yeah, you know what, Pastor Jeff, you're right.You're right.It's bad out there."And I would say, "Church, it's bad in here."I was reading some polls for what they're worth.But according to one poll, one half of self-identifying Christians believe that casual sex is okay.Consenting but not in a relationship.They believe that's okay.Half.Think that's alright.What?I read a poll about pornography use among non-Christian men.Non-Christian men, 65%.Like, yeah, that's pretty bad.Christian men, 64%.The same poll, lest you think, "Yeah, creepy men, right?Creepy men, same poll, 51% of women."And you know at this point, you could be like, "Well, look, Jeff, we're only human.Everyone does it.It's not hurting anyone."Well according to Jesus, it's a devastating sin.Look at verse 27, Matthew chapter 5.Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'"Stop there.Adultery.What is adultery?Well the technical term is defined as intercourse with another person's spouse.But it's become a catch-all term for relations with anyone who is not your spouse.And you're going to see in this passage, it's very clear that that's how Jesus was usingthe term in the most general sense possible.You go to Exodus chapter 20 and verse 14, you see that it's the seventh commandment.You go to Deuteronomy chapter 22 and verse 22, you'll see that under the law in Israel,adultery was punishable by death.And I don't have time to get into it this morning.We've done whole sermon series on this, by the way.But I just encourage you, if you're ready to just brush it off as, "Oh, church people,just making a big deal out of nothing," read Proverbs 5, 6, and 7 sometime.And you will see that adultery is a devastating sin.I heard one pastor this past week call it a sin for fools.And I think that's a very good description.adultery is devastating.I mean, it wrecks you, destroys your reputation, affects your relationship with your spouse,relationship with your kids.Oh, and the other person, what about them?It affects, now if they're married, it affects their relationship with their spouse.If they have kids, it affects their kids.And what has done to their reputation.But the devastation of adultery is way deeper than that.Look at verse 28.Jesus says, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent hasalready committed adultery with her in his heart."Do you notice verse 27, verse 28?Jesus said, "You have heard, but I say to you," what was Jesus doing?Pastor Taylor talked about this last week.Same thing with murder.Same thing.Jesus was contrasting their definition of sin with God's definition of sin.Because their definition of sin in Jesus' day was all about externals.So when they hear adultery, they're thinking only in terms of the physical act with anotherperson.But that, not alone, is adultery.And Jesus says, "No, you're not taking it far enough.And you're understanding.It's a hard issue.Like murder.You don't have to actually kill someone to be considered a murderer in the eyes of God."Jesus is saying the same thing about adultery.You don't have to physically be with another person to be an adulterer.Look at verse 28 again.He says, "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has alreadycommitted adultery with her in his heart."Now you have to understand this looking with lustful intent, it's not an accidental glance.This is literally in the process of continuing to look.It's looking in such a way that you are fueling your sexual imagination.When that happens, the deed's already done.Adultery has happened.Now listen, I don't want you to misunderstand because it's even worse than you think itis.Listen, Jesus did not say that looking at a woman with lustful intent causes you to commitadultery in your hearts.Jesus said looking at a woman with lustful intent means you already committed adulteryin your heart.Jesus is saying that you looked with lustful intent because it was already in your heartto commit adultery.I think this is where a lot of people get this mixed up.It's not, "Oh, I was going about my business and I just stumbled across this woman andI looked at her and that is what caused me to lust."That's not the extent of it.It's this, I have an adulterous heart that's looking for a woman with lustful intent.See the difference?The look did not cause the lust.It is the lust that caused the look.You see the difference?Look, look, I can't, there's no way I can overstate this.This is a real problem.And this is a real problem that people sitting here have right now and are not dealing withit.You're not an adulterer because of something you do, it's who you are.It's a heart thing.You see with adultery like murder, as Pastor Taylor talked about last week, before it'san act, even if it doesn't become an act.That is what is in your heart.This is the heart of the law.Jesus said in Matthew 15, 19, "For out of the hearts, out of the heart come evil thoughts,murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander."You see that?The sinful acts are symptoms of a sinful condition.Committing the act of adultery, those are the leaves on the tree that has the root ofan adulterous heart.And if you're sitting here still somehow magnanimously saying in your head, "I would never committhe act."I did not and I would never commit the act of adultery.But if that sin is in your mind, if that sin is constantly in your imagination, you havea real problem.That's why pornography is such a big business.Why?Because sinful hearts are literally searching for it.And you have to understand that if that's your issue, the sin started even before yougot online because it's in here.It's a devastating condition to live in.You're unable to live a holy and upright life because when your heart is full of adultery,it perverts everything.And consider Titus 1.15.Look at this verse.Paul says to the pure, "All things are pure."But to the defiled and unbelieving, meaning your heart is full of perversion and sin,to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.But both their minds and their consciences are defiled.Do you know what that means?That means that when you're in that latter condition, you cannot look at another womanpurely.You cannot see another woman as a sister, as a mom, as even just another human being.When this is where your heart is, every woman that you encounter, you're evaluating.And many become objects in your minds and hearts of fantasies.Lust just becomes all-consuming.And the people that live in this defiled state don't even see a problem.God's gift of marital intimacy has become an idol that you use to gratify your flesh.So see, Jesus is telling us out the gate, this is a devastating condition.And secondly, I shall not commit adultery.Not only is adultery a devastating sin, but adultery has dire consequences.Adultery has dire consequences.Look at verses 29 and 30.These two verses kind of saying the same thing, but this is some of the most startling stuffJesus ever said, in my opinion.He says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, for itis better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, for it is betterthat you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."And you're like, "Man, gouge out your eye?Like cut off your hand?"Like, "Man, that seems awfully extreme."If that's the part you're focusing on, then you have completely missed the point.Because neither of those things are extreme.They're not extreme at all compared to hell.Notice twice Jesus says, "Thrown into hell."Thrown into hell.What's the obvious implication, right?We get it.We get what He's saying.Jesus is saying here that people with adulterous hearts go to hell.If you're still not convinced, Paul backs this up, verse Corinthians 6, verses 9 through10.He says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?"Meaning go to heaven.Meaning go to hell.He says, "Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral nor adulterers nor men whopractice homosexuality nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlerswill inherit the kingdom of God."Your priority in this life, more than anything, should be preparing yourself for eternity.Are you doing that?Because the Bible says your decisions in this life matter.And someday you're going to stand before God.So if lust is a problem for you, if lust characterizes you, and look, I can't answerthat.I can't answer that for you.But you know if this sin consumes who you are.And if it characterizes you, there are consequences.As we talked about before, here and now, apparently, obviously, easily seen, there are consequencesfor adultery.But Jesus says there's also consequences when you take your last breath.Adultery has dire consequences.So let's talk about the other big thing in these verses.Number three, adultery requires drastic measures.Look at them again.He says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, for itis better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, for it is betterthat you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."Weren't you just blessed by the obedience of those who were baptized today?Didn't you say obedience is a wonderful thing?Awesome.Who's first?I mean, didn't Jesus just say if your hand causes you to sin, to cut it off?Who's first?We're not going to do it over the tub because we get more baptisms in the next service.And you're like, "Yeah, what about the other verse?"Well, don't worry.We can take care of the eye, too.We'll get Pastor Taylor up here.We'll do them both at the same time.You won't know.You won't even know what's going on when both of them are happening at the same time.And you're like, "Man, gouging out your eye and cutting off your hand.Man, that sounds drastic."Oh, it absolutely is.Maybe even more than you think.Because you see, Jesus was speaking to Jews.And the Jews viewed the right greater than the left.Just as a general thing.If you're left-handed, I don't need any hate emails.Okay?That's just the way it was, right?Sitting at the right hand.My right hand, man.The idea was right is better than left.So your right eye and your right hand and the Jewish mindset, those were the two most importantthings that you own.What Jesus is saying is this, there is nothing that is too important to eliminate from yourlife if it is causing you to sin.Adultery is destructive, it's enslaving, it's condemning.We got to deal with that.We have to deal with it.Do you believe that?Whatever.Listen.Whatever it is that feeds the lust in your heart, no matter how important that thingis, it has got to go.It's got to go.If you're feeding your lust through your phone or maybe a tablet, smash them up.And you're like, "Pastor Jeff, I have the newest iPhone.I spent a lot of money for that."It's not worth hell.Is it your laptop?Smash it up.Or you know, take your laptop to the kitchen and only use it around your family.You're like, "Oh, Pastor Jeff, my family is really nebby."Good.So glad to hear that.It's not worth hell.Maybe for some of you it's your social media accounts where you're having inappropriaterelationships, conversations with people online or looking at things through those that youshouldn't be looking at.Delete them.Delete those social media accounts.You're like, "But Pastor Jeff, that's how I stay connected.Join a small group."You're like, "Put Pastor Jeff, the social media, that's just my leisure time.Take up pickleball.It's not worth hell."You know what?Maybe we'll just take care of all this.Call and cancel your internet if it's a problem.If it's leading you to feed this lust, Jesus says, "It has to go."And you're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, I need the internet for my job.Get a new job.I will find you a job where you don't need the internet because it's not worth hell."Maybe for some of you as we are approaching summer, maybe it's a membership in a publicpool.Like, you know what?I go there, Pastor Jeff, and I look at the women there, and I get to tell you what didJesus say.You've got to get extreme here, people.But Pastor Jeff, my pool membership, that's just kind of our thing like we do in the summer.Swim at home.And I don't have a pool at my house.Do you have a bathtub?It's not worth hell.And I know people are like, "Okay, Pastor Jeff, I hear what you're saying, but I'm goingto be honest with you."It's going to be kind of embarrassing to have to explain to people why I smashed my phoneand canceled my internet.It's going to, I'm going to have to explain to people why I did that.That's kind of embarrassing.I'll tell you what's going to be more embarrassing than that is you not cutting off your sin,and someday you're going to stand before God.And God's going to say, "Do you remember the strangest Mother's Day sermon you've everheard?"Why didn't you listen?Why did you despise my word?Why did you think following me was not worth cutting off the stuff that keeps you from followingme with your whole heart?Why did you find me not worthy?Notice Jesus says it's better.It is better to lose your eye, lose your hand.It's better.What's better than going to hell?Literally anything.Anything you have to lose for the sake of your soul is going to be worth it.Romans 13, 14, same thing.Paul's saying the same thing.Maybe not in as graphic terms as Jesus, but it's the same thing.He says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratifyits desires.Make no provision.Take drastic measures to cut off anything that feeds the flesh."It's like that old story I heard, an old metaphor.Maybe you've heard about the guy.He had a white dog and a gray dog.And every time he put food out for them, the gray dog would whoop up the white dog, takeall the food.The white dog would get none.After a while, the white dog, not eating, got weaker and weaker and weaker and the graydog getting all the food, got stronger and stronger and stronger.The guy said, "I've got to do something about this."So he put both the dogs on a leash.And for a month, he only fed the white dog.This isn't a real story, by the way.Don't call it PETA.But he only fed the white dog.The gray dog barely surviving.But after that time of only feeding the white dog and not the gray dog when he let themoff the leash, now the white dog was strong because it was the one that got fed.The gray dog was weak because it was the one that got starved.And I think you see the obvious application.The dog you feed is going to be the dominant dog.And the dog you starved was going to be the weak dog.See in this analogy, the white dog represents walking by the Spirit.The gray dog represents walking in the flesh.I think some of you are so weak because you're not feeding the Spirit, so to speak.You're not into Word.You're not worshiping.You're not praying.You're not in fellowship.You're not listening to good biblical podcasts.You're starving that.When instead you need to be starving the flesh.Make no provision for the flesh.Starve the adulterous heart by making no provision for whichever dog you feed is going to bethe dog that is strong.And the dog that you don't feed is the dog that gets weak.And you're like, "Man, Pastor Jeff, this sounds impossible."Oh, it is.Absolutely.That's why we put Romans 13 back up there, please.It is impossible.Hence the first phrase in this verse, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ."Reformation is not going to work.If your goal here is to just try to clean up your act, you're not going to get very far.You need transformation.You need the life of Christ in us to be able to make these choices.Oh, and by the way, earlier we read, well, 1 Corinthians 6, we read verses 9 and 10.I'd like to go back and I'd like to look at the very next verse.Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?Do you not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor adulterers, nor adulterers, normen who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers,nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God?Look at verse 11.And such were some of you that you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, youwere justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God.I just want to ask you today, are you an R?Or are you a Wurr?Because today, today could be the most important day of your life because today you can becomea Wurr.Like it about your heads as the worship team makes their way back up.Just like it about your heads.Close your eyes.Look, this is a between you and God thing here, alright?There's some of you that have been trapped because you don't know Jesus Christ as yourLord and Savior.You don't have the power or resources to overcome this sin because you're living in the flesh,not by the power of His Holy Spirit because you don't know.Today can be the day that you receive Him.And you know what?We're baptizing in the next service.Pastor Taylor would be thrilled to be able to baptize you because you've repented fromyour sin and turned to Jesus Christ.But if you, heads bowed, eyes closed, if you're sitting here and you're like, you know whatpastors, I am a believer in Jesus Christ, but I'm honestly, I'm stuck in this sin.I just want to ask you, Christian, stuck in this sin.Why in the world would you indulge in a sin that Jesus died for?Today Christian, you need to repent.Today Christian, you need to do some cutting.Father in heaven, I just simply ask today that you open up the eyes of our hearts that wedon't look at this sin from a worldly perspective because the world celebrates it.Father, let us see this sin from your perspective.It's a horrible sin.Father, let us see the consequences that Jesus laid out for us.There is eternal separation from you for the heart that chooses to live in lust insteadof walking by the Spirit.Father, I pray that you would give us the wisdom, you would give us the strength, andyou would give us the faith to be able to cut some things today.It's ultimately going to bless us to be free from this bondage, but the end goal of allthings, Father, is for the glory of your name.Father, I pray that you would glorify your name through a work of your Holy Spirit, bringingpeople to you in repentance and bringing your people back from a willing bondage tosin.Please, Father, let our life, let our very life be an act of worship in the way we repent.We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 4:16

May 12, 2025Today's Reading: Acts 20:17-35Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 9:1-24; Luke 9:18-36“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus speaks to His lamb through the Apostle Paul: My dear lamb, I am your Good Shepherd. I will keep you safe. I do this through the under-shepherds I send to help you and all the other lambs in the church.Today, you hear the words of one of the shepherds I called and sent, the Apostle Paul. I sent him to Ephesus, where he taught the people for three years, giving them my grace through the Word and Sacraments. Listen carefully to the warning Paul gave my flock in Ephesus: Fierce wolves will come, attacking the flock, even from within the church. They will say twisted things that I did not teach them.You need to understand that Satan will always spread lies. So listen to My Word. Hear the good pastors who teach what I said, what Paul and the other Apostles said, what Moses and the Prophets said. Listen to what's in the Catechism, which is faithful to My Word.Stay close to me and to the people I send to you who speak what the Holy Spirit inspired in the Bible. Regularly come to receive the Gifts I give you in the Word and the Sacraments. This is how I protect you and keep you safe.Jesus' lamb responds to Him: Thank You, Good Shepherd, for staying with me. St. Paul said that you obtained me and all the rest of Your flock by shedding your blood on the cross. You wash me clean from my sins by that blood, and now I am safe in You.Dear Jesus, thank you for the people you send to care for me— my parents and family, my pastor and teachers, and all the other lambs in Your flock. Please forgive me for the times I forget Your Word or wander from You. Thank you for being patient and merciful to me. Train me in Your ways and give me work to do so that I can help keep your lambs safe from the next group of wolves that will come.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word; Curb those who by deceit or sword would wrest the kingdom from your Son and bring to naught all He has done. (LSB 655:2)- Rev. Jeffrey Horn, pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Escondido, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2025 4:24

May 11, 2025Today's Reading: John 10:22-30Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 8:1-13, 30-36; Luke 9:1-17“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” (John 10:27-29)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus speaks to His little lamb: I am your Good Shepherd. You can trust me. I speak to you in My Word, and you hear My voice— as you read the Bible, learn your Catechism, hear each sermon, sing the liturgy, and receive Absolution in Confession. I speak to you every time you remember My promise to you in Baptism and as you eat and drink Me in the Supper.Hear me in My Word; do not listen for me in other places. My words have power. They deliver the Gifts I speak to you.In My Word, I call you to repentance and forgive your sins. I give you the life I won for you through my death and resurrection— and that life lasts forever.Little Lamb, you are precious to Me. I have rescued you from sin and death and Hell, and I will not let you go. I am your Good Shepherd. My Father sent Me to save you, and He holds you safe in His Hand.Jesus' little lamb responds to Him: Good Shepherd, I need you always. I have no strength of my own. I would be lost if I had to find my own way. The enemies who hated you hate me, too, and they try to destroy me. But You defeated them and are always protecting me from them.Thank you for speaking to me as you promised and for opening my ears to hear. At times, I forget Your Word or get distracted by other voices. Forgive me for the times I wander.The way home to heaven is long and winds through this broken world. Thank You for staying with me as You promised. Teach me Your Word so that I might encourage other little lambs as we walk along together. Lord, have mercy on me always. Amen.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I am Jesus' little lamb, Ever glad at heart I am; For my Shepherd gently guides me, Knows my need and well provides me, loves me every day the same, even calls me by my name. (LSB 740:1)- Rev. Jeffrey Horn, pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Escondido, CA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

25-130 Fruit That Lasts

god fruit his word lasts in jesus get to work your word pray lord

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2025 4:43

God's voice isn't just meant to be heard—it's meant to produce something. One of the clearest signs that you've truly heard from God is this: transformation follows. His voice doesn't leave things the same. It cultivates fruit that lasts.Our springboard for today's discussion is:"Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit..." — John 15:5When God speaks, things grow. His Word creates. It shapes. It brings life. And when you really hear Him—when you follow that whisper—it leaves a trail of fruit behind: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and more.If what you're hearing leads to bitterness, pride, division, or destruction… that's not God. But when His voice is truly at work, it deepens your walk, heals relationships, births creativity, stirs generosity, and fuels obedience.Sometimes we chase emotions or signs, thinking that's the evidence of God's voice. But Jesus says the real evidence is fruit—lasting, visible transformation that aligns with His character.Think of it this way: God doesn't just inform; He transforms. He speaks, and your spirit awakens. He whispers, and your character is refined. He guides, and your steps begin to reflect His path.If what you heard from God bears no fruit, it may not be from Him. But if it leads to growth—no matter how slow, no matter how small—you're hearing right.Question of the Day:What kind of fruit is growing from what you've heard?Let's Pray:Lord, I don't just want to hear You—I want to grow through Your Word. Let Your voice produce fruit in me that lasts. In Jesus' name, amen.Let's Get To Work!God's voice won't just touch your ears—it will change your life.Support MyR2B Ministries:MyR2B Ministries is our full-time ministry. Your paid subscription helps sustain this work and expand our ministry outreach. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

god jesus christ truth satan savior amen ky galilee almighty god your word third week lsb gerasenes reading luke grace lutheran church

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 4:31

May 9, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 8:22-39Daily Lectionary: Exodus 39:32-40:16; Luke 8:22-39“And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked [Jesus] to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.” (Luke 8:36-37)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus arrives in the country of the Gerasenes, across from Galilee, and is immediately greeted by a man who is possessed by demons. This man has been so captive to this demonic oppression that he is naked, living in the tombs of the city, and has frequently burst through the chains used to bind him. This must have been a terrifying sight and a situation that was well-known in the city. Most towns these days have the oddball who may come across as slightly creepy, given his mannerisms and clothing, but magnify that by ten thousand, add in clear demonic elements, and you have a better sense of how the city must have viewed this man. It's safe to assume that most of the people in the city wanted nothing to do with him, and beyond being a nuisance, he was probably a source of a lot of fear. But despite this, after Jesus heals the demoniac and restores him, Jesus is only met with gratitude and wonder by the demoniac himself, who asks to follow Jesus. The people of the city, however, respond with fear. This seems a curious response, as it is logical that Jesus solved a problem for them, so they would all be grateful for it. But they have witnessed the power of Jesus, and though that power is wielded in mercy to heal, restore, and forgive, they also seem to intuit that it could be used for judgment. Indeed, a man who can judge and condemn multiple demons, driving them back to the abyss where they belong, could certainly render judgment against any of our sins. People often have this reaction to Jesus. Many of us hear his words of forgiveness, life, and salvation, and like the demoniac, see healing, restoration, and redemption from our sins that we so desperately want. Others hear and see the word and works of Jesus and receive it only as condemnation and terror, responding by asking him to go away. Just as the parable of the sower earlier in chapter eight illustrates, not everyone will receive the Word of God with joy and thanksgiving; some will not receive it at all and reject it immediately. How people respond to God's Word is not in our control; we should simply be ready to speak it and speak it as one delivered out of bondage by grace. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, Your Word is cast Like seed into the ground; Now let the dew of heav'n descend And righteous fruits abound. (LSB 577:1)- Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary ServicesAudio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Episode 1336 - Jarvis Kingston It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness Proverbs

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਭਗਤ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਕੀ ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ਹਮ ਸਰਿ ਦੀਨੁ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਨ ਤੁਮ ਸਰਿ ਅਬ ਪਤੀਆਰੁ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਜੈ ॥

AUDIO GURBANI

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 5:14

ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਭਗਤ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਕੀ ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ਹਮ ਸਰਿ ਦੀਨੁ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਨ ਤੁਮ ਸਰਿ ਅਬ ਪਤੀਆਰੁ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਜੈ ॥ ਬਚਨੀ ਤੋਰ ਮੋਰ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨੈ ਜਨ ਕਉ ਪੂਰਨੁ ਦੀਜੈ ॥੧॥ ਹਉ ਬਲਿ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਉ ਰਮਈਆ ਕਾਰਨੇ ॥ ਕਾਰਨ ਕਵਨ ਅਬੋਲ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਬਹੁਤ ਜਨਮ ਬਿਛੁਰੇ ਥੇ ਮਾਧਉ ਇਹੁ ਜਨਮੁ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਰੇ ਲੇਖੇ ॥ ਕਹਿ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਆਸ ਲਗਿ ਜੀਵਉ ਚਿਰ ਭਇਓ ਦਰਸਨੁ ਦੇਖੇ ॥੨॥੧॥ ਅਰਥ: (ਹੇ ਮਾਧੋ!) ਮੇਰੇ ਵਰਗਾ ਕੋਈ ਨਿਮਾਣਾ ਨਹੀਂ, ਤੇ, ਤੇਰੇ, ਵਰਗਾ ਹੋਰ ਕੋਈ ਦਇਆ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਨਹੀਂ, (ਮੇਰੀ ਕੰਗਾਲਤਾ ਦਾ) ਹੁਣ ਹੋਰ ਪਰਤਾਵਾ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਨਹੀਂ। (ਹੇ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਰਾਮ!) ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦਾਸ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਪੂਰਨ ਸਿਦਕ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ ਕਿ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨ ਤੇਰੀ ਸਿਫ਼ਤਿ-ਸਾਲਾਹ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੱਲਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਪਰਚ ਜਾਇਆ ਕਰੇ।੧। ਹੇ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਰਾਮ! ਮੈਂ ਤੈਥੋਂ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਕੇ ਹਾਂ; ਤੂੰ ਕਿਸ ਗੱਲੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਬੋਲਦਾ?।ਰਹਾਉ। ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਆਖਦਾ ਹੈ-ਹੇ ਮਾਧੋ! ਕਈ ਜਨਮਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੈਂ ਤੈਥੋਂ ਵਿਛੁੜਿਆ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ (ਮਿਹਰ ਕਰ, ਮੇਰਾ) ਇਹ ਜਨਮ ਤੇਰੀ ਯਾਦ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਤੇ; ਤੇਰਾ ਦੀਦਾਰ ਕੀਤਿਆਂ ਬੜਾ ਚਿਰ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ, (ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਦੀ) ਆਸ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਮੈਂ ਜੀਊਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ।੨।੧। ਭਾਵ: ਪ੍ਰਭੂ-ਦਰ ਤੇ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਅਰਦਾਸ। DHANAASAREE, DEVOTEE RAVI DAAS JEE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: There is none as forlorn as I am, and none as Compassionate as You; what need is there to test us now? May my mind surrender to Your Word; please, bless Your humble servant with this perfection. || 1 || I am a sacrifice, a sacrifice to the Lord. O Lord, why are You silent? || Pause || For so many incarnations, I have been separated from You, Lord; I dedicate this life to You. Says Ravi Daas: placing my hopes in You, I live; it is so long since I have gazed upon the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. || 2 || 1 ||

lord compassionate o lord your word pause for

25-127 Scripture Confirms His Voice

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 4:29

Have you ever had a thought, a feeling, or a sense deep inside and wondered, Is that really God… or just me? One of the safest and surest ways to know if it's God speaking is to test it against something unchanging—His Word.Our springboard for today's discussion is:"All Scripture is breathed out by God…" — 2 Timothy 3:16The voice of God will never contradict the written Word of God. That's a spiritual safeguard we should never ignore. If the message you're sensing doesn't align with Scripture—it's not from Him.God's Word is alive. It's not just ancient ink on old scrolls—it's His breath, still speaking today. Every time God speaks through the Spirit, He'll echo what He already breathed onto the pages of the Bible.God won't tell you to leave your spouse because you're “not happy.”He won't whisper to lie, cheat, or manipulate to get ahead.He won't nudge you to walk outside of grace, humility, or truth.What He says in Scripture still stands. His Spirit will never say anything that contradicts what He's already spoken.So, here's the challenge—know your Bible. Read it, meditate on it, memorize it. Because the more you fill your heart with Scripture, the more quickly you'll recognize when it's His voice confirming it.Question of the Day:Does what you're hearing line up with Scripture?Let's Pray:Lord, make me a student of Your Word. Help me to know Your voice because I know what You've already said. Teach me to test every whisper against Your truth. In Jesus' name, amen.Let's Get To Work!God's voice will never cancel His Word—He'll always confirm it.Support MyR2B Ministries:MyR2B Ministries is our full-time ministry. Your paid subscription helps sustain this work and expand our ministry outreach. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

god spirit bible voice scripture teach his word his spirit confirms in jesus get to work all scripture your word 16the pray lord day does

Episode 1335 - Jarvis Kingston Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. -Proverbs 4:23 Arsenal PSG NBA WNBA

god jesus christ women father lord spirit men amen strengthen day one remind colossians 1 bearing spiritual formation your word epaphras reading scripture

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

21 Days of Reading Scripture: Day One | Colossians 1:1-8

The Trellis Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 5:22

Today's Passage: Colossians 1:1-8Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:Grace to you and peace from God our Father.We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.Today's Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your beautiful Word,Your Gospel truth that brings hope and life.Your Word is alive and active,Bearing fruit and reaching to the end of the earth. We thank you for your church,The saints who continue to lay down their lives before you,Your sons and daughters who are chosen and dearly loved. As your people meditate on your Word—Keep our hearts ever on fire for more of your Spirit.Remind us of the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.Bring clarity and light to where you are at work.Strengthen us for the path you have laid before us. We love you, Lord.Amen.NOTES & LINKS:Information about the Women's Summer StudyInformation about the Men's Summer StudyReach out to the Center for Spiritual Formation

The Final Word | Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Resolute Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2025 3:38

Welcome to The Daily, where we go through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day. Tomorrow, we start the Gospel of Mark. Go to the website and grab the Scriptural Journal for this study so you can study along with us. Today, we're looking at Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. — Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 This is the moment everything has been building toward. After all the searching, testing, questioning, and reflecting—Solomon ends with one clear, uncompromising truth: Fear God. Keep His commandments. This is not just a good idea. It's not a nice suggestion. It's the whole duty of humanity. Solomon's not talking about fear that paralyzes—but a fear that rightly places God above all else. It's reverence. Awe. Weight. A deep awareness that God is holy, sovereign, and not to be ignored. And with that reverence comes obedience. Not out of guilt, but from a heart that understands who God is and what He deserves. Why? Because one day, we'll stand before Him. Every secret thing—every word, motive, thought, and action—will be laid bare. The life we lived, the choices we made, the paths we walked—they all matter. And that's why this final word hits so hard: Solomon isn't just summarizing a book—he's giving us a compass for life. In a world full of distractions and noise, this is clarity. In a life filled with vapor, this is substance. Fear God. Obey His Word. That's the whole book. #FearGod, #ObeyHisWord, #EternalPerspective ASK THIS: What does it mean to “fear God” in your daily life? Which of God's commandments are you struggling to obey right now? How would you live differently if you truly believed every secret thing will be judged? What distractions are pulling you away from a God-centered life? DO THIS: Write down one area where you need to realign your life with God's commands—and act on it today. PRAY THIS: Lord, help me to live with reverent fear of You. Teach me to love and obey Your Word with all my heart. Amen. PLAY THIS: Jesus Paid It All.

god bible gospel teach weight obedience amen ecclesiastes awe judgment day fear god final word your word

Episode 1330 - Jarvis Kingston I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night and have kept thy law. Psalms 119:55 Grand Theft Auto 6 GTA6

god jesus christ scripture facing heavenly father hypocrites wipe your word nlt as

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 15:01

Your Nightly Prayer

Why Is It Important?: Devoted to God's Word

Intentional Living

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 41:36

Join Matt, Ruth, and Tori as they talk about why it is important to live devoted to God's word and what that means. How do we do that practically in our day to day lives? How can we approach God and learn how to have a relationship with Him and build a passion for wanting to do that? Check out the "Bible Recap" website at www.thebiblerecap.com Before you read God's Word today, ask for His help by praying these 5 prayers: God, give me wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Let any knowledge I gain help me love You and others more, and not puff me up. Help me see something new about You that I've never seen before. Correct any lies I believe about You or anything I misunderstand. Direct my steps according to Your Word. Amen. To learn more about "Untying the Knots of the Heart", go to www.innerlifeministries.com Also check out our "Soul Conversations" Podcast with Matt Priebe & Nate Hamlin.

god heart amen correct devoted knots your word untying bible recap

Monday, April 28, 2025

Sound Mind Set

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 10:00

To get serious about wholeness and total health, we have to take a hard look at ourselves. Today is a tough Scripture passage from Jesus, but also a reminder that there is freedom on the other side of our battles. Listen closely … Jesus is not angry here, just being honest … “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5 NLT) As humans, a fact we have to deal with throughout life is the less whole we are in any given season, the more we tend to find fault in others. Whether wanting to justify our own behavior or just being negative about people, we can look around and see the “speck in other's eyes,” to use Jesus' words. But notice the important counsel here: “First, get rid of the log in your own eye …”Listen once again to this passage in The Message Bible … Buckle up, this version hits even more closer to home ….“Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.The goal of Jesus' teaching here is not to produce guilt, shame, or self-hatred, but rather getting honest about personal evaluation. Facing our own stuff.Is there an area of your life that is a ‘speck or log in my own eye'? Can you think of one area to surrender and repent of right now?Getting real about what we need to surrender to God before we can truly begin the journey toward wholeness.Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, I always love the mercy and grace verses in Your Word, but I know I have to embrace ones like this too. Today, I need to hand over the logs and the specks to You. I want to be whole, so I know some surgery on my heart and work on my attitude are what I need to allow You to do right now. As above, so below.”

25-115 The Key to Your Canaan

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 5:00

When Joshua stood at the edge of Canaan, ready to lead Israel into the land of promise, God didn't give him a battle plan or a strategy session. He gave him one command: Stay in the Word. The secret to claiming victory wasn't about military might—it was about spiritual depth.Our springboard for today's discussion is:"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night... For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." —Joshua 1:8 (ESV)God's instructions were clear. Joshua wasn't to rely on strength, numbers, or clever plans. He was to saturate his mind, heart, and speech with Scripture. Why? Because God's Word is the battle plan. It's truth that drives out fear, promises that anchor our faith, and direction that keeps us walking in obedience.Lucado puts it this way—your success in Canaan depends on your relationship with the Word. Not because the Bible is magic, but because it's living and active. It feeds the soul, fuels courage, and sharpens discernment.Too many of us want victory without the voice of God. We want blessings without the Bible. But if you're not living in the Word, you're not walking in the land of promise.Your Canaan—your purpose, your breakthrough, your spiritual inheritance—won't be accessed through good vibes or religious routines. It will be unlocked by a mind renewed by truth and a heart anchored in God's voice.Question of the Day:What role does God's Word play in your daily battle plan—and is it time to return to it as your first weapon, not your last resort?Let's Pray:Lord, draw us back to Your Word. Make it our guide, our strength, and our weapon in every battle. Let Your truth shape us into warriors who walk in victory. In Jesus' name, Amen.Let's Get To Work!Support MyR2B Ministries:MyR2B Ministries is our full-time ministry. Your paid subscription helps sustain this work and expand our ministry outreach. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

god israel bible law scripture amen in jesus because god get to work your word lucado pray lord

Trusting God's sovereignty, love, and wisdom in times of affliction

god jesus christ father lord wisdom teach amen sovereignty trusting god strengthen redeemer heavenly father calvary o god affliction sovereign lord your word your son

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 2:24

Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord of all creation,I come before You in humility, acknowledging that You are the God who ordains all things according to the counsel of Your will. Nothing befalls me apart from Your divine purpose, and even in my affliction, I trust that You are working all things for my good and for Your glory.Lord, You have said in Your Word that trials refine us like gold in the furnace. Though I do not always understand Your ways, I know that Your wisdom is perfect, and Your love is steadfast. Teach me to submit to Your wise providence, to see affliction not as punishment, but as a means of transforming me into the image of Your beloved Son.Strengthen me, O God, that I may not grow weary in suffering, but instead, fix my eyes on Jesus, who endured far greater affliction for my sake. Help me to take comfort in Your promises: that You will never leave me nor forsake me, that Your grace is sufficient for me, and that no trial can separate me from the love of Jesus.Father, in my weakness, uphold me by Your righteous right hand. When my heart is heavy, remind me that this light and momentary affliction is preparing for me an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Let my trials deepen my dependence on You, increase my love for You and Your Word, and conform me more into the image of Your Son.In the name of my Redeemer, Jesus, who bore my sins on Calvary's cursed tree. Amen."God does not chasten us because He is angry, but because He loves us. Whom the Lord loves, He chastens. By affliction, the Lord separates the sin that He hates, from the soul that He loves.""He knows the way that I take. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as

God's rod is a pencil to draw Christ's image upon us!