Abundant Life

He is risen!

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0700

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the pivotal event that facilitates mankind's forgiveness of sin, a theme we explore in depth in this episode. As we anticipate the significance of Easter, we delve into the profound implications of the resurrection, which serves as the cornerstone of Christian faith and belief. The resurrection not only affirms Christ's divinity but also underscores the promise of eternal life for those who believe in Him. Through our discussion, we reflect on the transformative power of this event and its enduring relevance in our lives as believers. Join us as we articulate the profound truths surrounding the resurrection and its invitation to live in the fullness of grace and redemption.

Takeaways:

In this episode, we explore the profound significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which serves as the cornerstone for the Christian faith, enabling humanity's forgiveness of sin.
The resurrection reaffirms the core message of the Gospel, illustrating that without it, our faith and practices would be rendered meaningless and hollow.
Through the resurrection, Jesus not only defeated death but also established a new covenant, offering believers direct access to God, thus transforming the fundamental nature of our relationship with God.
As we approach Easter, it is imperative to reflect upon the deeper meaning of this season, recognizing that it is not merely about cultural traditions but rather about the transformative power of Christ's resurrection.

Links referenced in this episode:

Behold! All things are become new

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we dive deep into the remarkable story of Erin, who candidly shares her past struggles with addiction and the occult, ultimately leading to her powerful redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. Erin's narrative is not merely one of personal struggle but also an exploration of the spiritual battles that ensue when one delves into practices that flirt with the demonic. Her early life, characterized by significant emotional trauma and a lack of spiritual guidance, left her vulnerable to the allure of substances and spiritual practices that promised peace but delivered chaos. Erin recounts her encounter with a couple who introduced her to Christ, a moment that was pivotal in her journey toward healing and redemption.

Takeaways:

Erin's journey demonstrates the transformative power of faith in overcoming personal struggles with substance abuse and the occult.
The discussion emphasizes the importance of community and accountability in fostering spiritual growth and healing.
Through her testimony, Erin illustrates how God's grace leads to redemption and a new identity in Christ.
The episode highlights the dangers of dabbling in spiritual practices outside of Christianity and the importance of discernment in spiritual matters.
Erin's experience underscores that true fulfillment comes from a relationship with Jesus, not from worldly pursuits or substances.
The podcast encourages listeners to boldly share their faith and support others in their spiritual journeys.

Links referenced in this episode:

Lamplight Ministries

God is Good: A Testament to Faith from Peter Silvas' Life Story

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0700

In this episode, Peter Silvas articulates a narrative steeped in trials and divine providence, revealing the intricate tapestry of his life. As he confronts the harrowing realities of stage 4 cancer, Peter’s unwavering faith emerges as a guiding force, shaping his understanding of suffering and redemption. The conversation traverses his tumultuous upbringing, fraught with familial instability and the shadows of addiction, leading to a life entangled in crime and incarceration. Yet, through these tribulations, Peter reflects on the moments of divine intervention that have punctuated his journey, illuminating the path to healing and hope. His testimony is a powerful reminder of the boundless grace of God, encouraging listeners to seek faith amidst their own struggles. This episode ultimately serves as a call to recognize the goodness of God, even in the bleakest of circumstances, and to embrace the transformative power of faith.

Takeaways:

Peter Silvas has endured numerous trials throughout his life, including his current battle with stage 4 cancer, yet he maintains a profound faith in God's goodness.
Despite a tumultuous upbringing marked by addiction and incarceration, Peter acknowledges that God's presence has been a constant source of strength and guidance.
Peter emphasizes the importance of surrendering to God, sharing that he found peace and purpose through faith during his darkest moments.
The episode discusses the transformative power of faith, illustrating that even in the face of life-threatening illness, hope can prevail through faith in Christ.
Listeners are encouraged to recognize and embrace the belief that God has a purpose for their lives, regardless of the circumstances and challenges they face.

Links referenced in this episode:

Well Done Good and Faithful Servant

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Pastor Jason from Calvary Phoenix joins us in an enlightening discussion that underscores the profound impact Charlie Kirk has had on the world for good. The conversation transitions into a heartfelt reflection on the recent tragic events surrounding Charlie Kirk, an influential figure whose martyrdom serves as a catalyst for church revival and increased faith engagement among believers. We delve into the urgent message for the church to awaken, emphasizing the imminent return of Christ, and the necessity for believers to embody courage and commitment to the Father's business. Through personal anecdotes and biblical insights, we explore the significant role of faith in navigating contemporary challenges. The conversation serves as a clarion call for spiritual renewal and an invitation to engage actively in the ministry of reconciliation and truth. Join us as we reflect on the legacy of Charlie Kirk and the transformative power of faith in action.

Takeaways:

Pastor Jason articulates how Charlie Kirk's influence has galvanized individuals towards faith and community engagement, leading to a resurgence in church attendance and spiritual commitment.
The podcast underscores the urgency of awakening the church to prepare for the imminent return of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the need for spiritual vigilance and active faith.
Listeners are encouraged to emulate Charlie's bravery in standing firm for their beliefs and actively participating in the Father's business amidst societal challenges.
The discussion highlights the critical role of mentorship in fostering spiritual growth and equipping believers to share the gospel effectively with others in their communities.
Pastor Jason stresses the significance of bold leadership within the church, advocating for pastors to exemplify courage and conviction in their ministries to inspire congregants.
The episode serves as a call to action, imploring listeners to overcome fear and engage in evangelism, thereby contributing to the spread of the gospel in a world increasingly resistant to spiritual truths.

Links referenced in this episode:

Chosen & Loved: A Story of Adoption and Redemption

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0700

Nicole's profound story of adopting her nephew, Mateo, stands as a testament to the transformative power of familial love and divine providence. In this episode, we explore the spiritual and emotional dimensions of adoption, drawing parallels to the biblical concept of God’s adoption of his chosen as depicted in Galatians 4:5-6. Nicole's decision to embrace Mateo, born under challenging circumstances, underscores the significance of choice in the realm of love and responsibility, mirroring the grace through which Jesus accepts us as His own. Through her journey, we witness the complexities of familial bonds, the trials of navigating legal frameworks, and the unwavering faith that sustains her through adversity. Ultimately, this discussion serves as a poignant reminder of the beauty and necessity of love in all its forms, illuminating the divine call to nurture and protect those entrusted to our care.

Takeaways:

Nicole Mercado's adoption of her nephew Mateo exemplifies the profound love and commitment involved in adoption.
The podcast draws parallels between Nicole's choice to adopt and God's choice to adopt us as His children, as highlighted in Galatians 4:5-6.
The emotional journey surrounding Mateo's adoption illustrates the challenges and joys faced by adoptive families.
Nicole emphasizes the importance of providing a loving home to children in need, reflecting God's love and grace in our lives.
The discussion underscores the significance of familial love and the role of faith in navigating difficult circumstances surrounding adoption.
Listeners are encouraged to consider adoption as a means of providing stability and love to children who may not have that in their biological families.

Links referenced in this episode:

Strength in Adversity: How God Transformed Kristi's Life

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:00:00 -0700

Kristi Johnson's journey of faith is a profound testament to the strength that can be derived from Jesus, as described in the key verse of Philippians 4:13, which states, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Throughout her life, Kristi has encountered numerous adversities that tested her resolve and faith; however, with God's unwavering support, she has emerged resilient. In this episode, we delve into the transformative experiences that have shaped Kristi's spiritual journey, particularly focusing on how her faith has served as an anchor during tumultuous periods, including her struggles with addiction and personal loss. Her narrative not only highlights the challenges faced but also emphasizes the redemptive power of faith and the importance of surrendering to God's will. As we listen to Kristi's compelling story, we are reminded of the tremendous strength that faith can provide in our own lives.

Takeaways:

In this episode, Kristi shares her powerful testimony of overcoming addiction and how God has consistently provided her with strength throughout her life's challenges.
The key verse, Philippians 4:13, emphasizes the profound truth that we can accomplish all things through Christ, who empowers us, as exemplified by Kristi's journey.
Kristi recounts moments from her past where she felt lost and hopeless, yet through faith, she discovered her worth and purpose in God's plan.
The discussion highlights the importance of community and support in recovery, illustrating how sharing one's struggles can lead to healing and transformation.
Throughout her narrative, Kristi emphasizes that even in our darkest moments, God's grace abounds and His love remains steadfast, offering hope to those in despair.
The episode serves as a reminder that humility and surrendering to God are crucial steps in overcoming addictions, personal battles and achieving spiritual growth.

Links referenced in this episode:

God's Perfect Plan: The Redemption of a Former Criminal

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0700

In a deeply compelling episode, we witness the intersection of two lives once divided by the law, now united by faith and a shared purpose. The discussion centers around the transformative journey of Jay Jay, an ex-convict who found solace and redemption through Jesus Christ, and his reconnection with a former detective, who now plays a pivotal role in joining him with a new purpose. Their candid conversation highlights the stark realities of Jay Jay's past, but by God's powerful transformation has set him on a new trajectory. The detective’s perspective adds depth to the narrative, as he recounts his initial encounters with Jay Jay and the surprising twist of fate that brought them together again. This episode serves as a powerful reminder that no one is beyond redemption and that God’s grace can reach into the darkest corners of life, transforming hearts and lives in miraculous ways. It encourages listeners to reflect on their own journeys and consider how they, too, can be instruments of change in their communities, fostering understanding and compassion for those seeking a new path in life.

Takeaways:

This episode illustrates the profound transformation one can undergo through faith, showcasing the power of God's grace in the life of an ex-convict.
The reunion between the detective and the ex-convict serves as a testament to the belief that individuals can change when they accept Christ into their lives.
Listeners are encouraged to recognize the potential for redemption in everyone, regardless of their past, as God’s love can lead to significant life changes.
The discussion emphasizes the importance of community support in helping individuals reintegrate into society after incarceration, highlighting the role of faith-based initiatives.
This episode reminds us that genuine connection and understanding can bridge the gaps between different walks of life, fostering healing and reconciliation.
It illustrates the notion that God’s perfect plan involves using our past experiences, no matter how difficult, to impact others positively in their journeys of faith.

Behold! A New Creature In Christ

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0700

The transformative concept of being "a new creature in Christ" encapsulates the profound metamorphosis that occurs when one accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior. This episode delves into the remarkable journey of personal redemption, emphasizing the radical change that accompanies a genuine faith in Christ. Through the testimony of Jay Jay, we explore how a life once mired in adversity and turmoil can be rejuvenated and redirected towards purpose and hope. This discussion serves not only as a testament to individual transformation but as an encouragement to all believers that spiritual renewal is attainable. Ultimately, we invite our listeners to reflect on their own experiences and the continuous journey of becoming who God created them to be.

Takeaways:

The transformation into a new creature in Christ signifies the profound change that occurs in a believer's life, where old habits and sins are replaced by a renewed spirit and purpose.
In the journey of faith, we are reminded that God works in mysterious ways, often using our past struggles to shape our future and help others who may be in similar situations.
Baptism serves as a public declaration of faith, symbolizing the believer's commitment to follow Christ and marking the beginning of a new life filled with hope and direction.
The process of sanctification is ongoing, indicating that even after accepting Christ, believers continue to grow and mature in their faith, striving to embody Christ-like characteristics in their daily lives.
Through sharing personal testimonies, we can encourage others, showing them that redemption is possible regardless of their past, and highlighting the hope found in a relationship with Jesus.
God places significant individuals in our lives, such as mentors and friends, who can guide us through our spiritual journeys, demonstrating His provision and care during our times of need.

Links referenced in this episode:

Breaking Free: Life After Mormonism and Embracing Christ

Fri, 09 May 2025 04:00:00 -0700

This episode of the Abundant Life podcast delves into the profound journey of Cody Bentley, a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) who has transitioned to a born-again Christian. The discussion, guided by hosts Saso and Ben, emphasizes the contrast between the doctrines of Mormonism and traditional Christianity, particularly focusing on the notion of grace. Cody recounts his upbringing within the LDS faith, highlighting a performance-based relationship with God that left him feeling spiritually malnourished. He shares his struggles with addiction and the burdens of guilt that permeated his life as he sought fulfillment through works rather than faith. The podcast explores the pivotal moment when Cody discovered the freedom and assurance found in a relationship with Jesus Christ, which allowed him to break free from the cycles of shame and guilt that had characterized his previous religious experience. Through heartfelt dialogue, the hosts and Cody reflect on the transformative power of grace and the importance of a genuine connection with Jesus, contrasting it with the institutional emphasis found in the LDS Church.

The episode presents a candid exploration of Cody's spiritual metamorphosis, detailing how he transitioned from a life steeped in the doctrines of Mormonism to embracing the teachings of Christianity. Central to this transformation is the realization that salvation is not contingent upon human efforts but is a gift of grace received through faith in Jesus Christ. Cody articulates the stark differences in his understanding of God, moving from a performance-driven faith to one marked by unconditional love and acceptance. The discussion touches on the challenges faced by those leaving the LDS Church, where adherence to doctrines can lead to a fear of losing community and identity. Cody's journey serves as a beacon of hope for others who may find themselves questioning their faith and seeking a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God. The hosts encourage listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and consider the liberating message of the Gospel, which offers assurance and peace through faith alone.

Takeaways:

The journey from Mormonism to Christianity encompasses profound spiritual transformations and a discovery of grace that is no found in any other religion.
Key differences exist between the concepts of salvation in Mormonism and traditional Christianity, particularly regarding grace and works.
Post-Mormon life often entails navigating relationships with family and friends who remain within the LDS faith, presenting unique challenges.
Experiencing a genuine relationship with Jesus can lead to significant personal growth and healing, as evidenced by Cody's transformation.
The importance of scripture, particularly the Bible, is emphasized as a source of truth and assurance for believers transitioning from Mormonism.
Understanding the differences in the definitions of familiar terms in both faiths is crucial for meaningful dialogue and connection.

Links referenced in this episode:

A Child of God: Tony’s Testimony of Transformation

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0700

In this episode of the Abundant Life Podcast, we delve into the profound transformation of Tony Mendez, a testament to the boundless grace of God. As articulated through the key verse, 1 John 3:1, we explore the extraordinary privilege of being called children of God, highlighting the transformative love that this identity entails. Tony shares his journey from a life ensnared by addiction and despair to one illuminated by faith and purpose. His heartfelt reflections reveal the pivotal moments that led him to embrace God's love and the support of his family, which ultimately guided him towards redemption. Together, we witness the power of God's grace in action, affirming that no one is beyond the reach of His transformative love.

Episode 66 of the Abundant Life Podcast, entitled "A Child of God," presents a deeply moving exploration of spiritual renewal through the testimony of Tony Mendez. Co-hosts Ben Arellano and Saso Mendez engage Tony in a heartfelt discussion, framed by the key verse from 1 John 3:1, which celebrates the remarkable love that God extends to His followers, enabling them to be recognized as His children. This foundational message sets the stage for Tony’s powerful story of redemption and transformation.

Tony candidly shares the struggles of his past, including a troubled upbringing and the impact of addiction on his life. Reflecting on his childhood, he recounts feelings of loneliness and instability following his parents' separation. Despite the challenges he faced, the unwavering love and support from his family, particularly his grandmother and twin brother, served as a beacon of hope. It was through these familial connections and the eventual introduction to faith that Tony began to understand God’s profound love, which ultimately led him to a turning point in his life.

Tony’s testimony resonates with the central theme of the episode—that regardless of one’s past, redemption is possible through faith in Jesus. The episode concludes with a message of hope, encouraging listeners to embrace their identity in Christ, as beloved children of God, and to experience the transformative power of His love in their lives. This episode serves as an inspiring reminder that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.

Takeaways:

In this episode, Tony Mendez shares his powerful testimony of transformation, emphasizing how he found love and acceptance as a child of God.
The key verse from 1 John 3:1 highlights the profound truth that we are called the children of God, underscoring the significance of divine love in our lives.
Tony reflects on his past struggles with addiction, portraying a journey from hopelessness to redemption through faith and community support.
The hosts discuss the importance of family and community in fostering spiritual growth, illustrating how supportive relationships can lead to profound change.
Through his experiences, Tony emphasizes the necessity of recognizing one's worth in God's eyes, which can lead to healing and restoration.
The episode concludes with an affirmation of God's unwavering love and the transformative power it holds for everyone, regardless of their past.

Links referenced in this episode:

The Key to Breakthrough

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 02:00:00 -0700

What’s Holding You Back?

Are you feeling stuck? Struggling with sin, addiction, anxiety, or complacency? Many of us long for a breakthrough—but what if the key isn’t in trying harder, but in surrendering to Jesus?

In this episode, we dive into what true spiritual breakthrough looks like and how you can experience victory through Christ.

Key Verse:

Luke 9:23-24 – Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’

What is Spiritual Breakthrough?

Breakthrough isn’t just about getting past a difficult season—it’s about overcoming through Christ. It can mean:

Victory over trials, loneliness, or sickness
Freedom from fear, doubt, anger, and anxiety
Deliverance from addiction (drugs, alcohol, pornography)
Moving from complacency to Christlikeness

We all have struggles, but lasting deliverance comes only through God’s power.

The Ultimate Breakthrough: Surrendering to Jesus

Jesus calls us to lose our life—not in despair, but in surrender. True breakthrough starts with salvation. Without it, no other breakthrough truly matters.

Romans 10:13 – "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

1 Corinthians 1:18 – "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Jesus carried the cross, died, and rose again for you. When you trust in His work on the cross, you experience the ultimate breakthrough—eternal life.

Steps to Breakthrough for a Christian

If you’ve already placed your trust in Jesus, here’s how you can walk in breakthrough:

1. Confess & Repent

Proverbs 28:13 – “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

1 John 1:9 – "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Before breakthrough comes, we must come clean before God.

2. Pray with Faith

James 4:3 – "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

God hears the prayers of those who seek Him. Pray for spiritual breakthrough with faith, just as:

Hezekiah prayed for healing and was granted 15 more years of life.
Hannah prayed for a child and gave birth to the prophet Samuel.
The early church prayed for Peter, and God miraculously freed him from prison.

We must ask in faith. Don’t pray for rain and forget your umbrella.

3. Fast for Dependence on God

Fasting isn’t about manipulating God—it’s about recognizing our need for Him.

Daniel 10:12-13 – Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days. His prayer was heard immediately, but spiritual warfare delayed the answer.

Fasting strengthens our dependence on God and aligns our hearts with His will.

4. Worship While You Wait

Even in difficulty, worship is key to breakthrough.

Acts 16:25-26 – Paul and Silas were imprisoned, yet they prayed and worshipped. Suddenly, an earthquake broke their chains.

Worship shifts our focus from the problem to the Provider.

5. Trust God’s Timing

Waiting isn’t easy, but God is always working.

Hebrews 13:5 – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Romans 8:28-29 – “For those who love God, all things work together for good…”

When we pray, fast, and worship while waiting, we draw closer to God—whether or not we receive the breakthrough we expect.

Final Thoughts: What’s Your Next Step?

Taking up your cross means surrender, trust, and obedience.
If you want to save your life, you must lose it by giving it fully to Jesus.
The greatest breakthrough isn’t getting what we want—it’s becoming who God calls us to be.

What do you need God to do in your life? What breakthrough are you seeking? Surrender to Jesus, trust Him fully, and watch what He does.

No other name under heaven

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 04:00:00 -0700

The Testimony of Carlos Mercado

Is salvation found in religion? Or is it found in a person?

Carlos Mercado grew up in the Catholic Church, but faith always felt more like a ritual than a relationship. Religion was something he was familiar with, but he never truly bought into it. That all changed when he met his wife, Nicole.

As they started attending church together, Carlos was introduced to the truth of the gospel. He realized that salvation isn’t about following religious traditions—it’s about knowing Jesus. His journey led him to be baptized, and today, he is passionate about serving God, raising his children in the faith, and honoring Christ through his HVAC and plumbing business.

In This Episode:

✔️ Carlos' childhood experience with religion and why it never felt personal

✔️ The turning point when he encountered Jesus and gave his life to Him

✔️ How baptism marked a new chapter in his faith

✔️ His commitment to raising his children to know and love God

✔️ Using his business as a way to honor Christ

Carlos’ story is a powerful reminder that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved—only Jesus (Acts 4:12). If you’ve ever felt like you were going through the motions of faith but longed for something more, this testimony will encourage you.

How do I hear the voice of God?

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 04:00:00 -0700

In this episode we are joined by Rebekah Mendez from Lamplight MinistriesHearing God’s voice is a question many are asking, but how can you discern it in your life? In this episode, we have the privilege of welcoming Rebekah Mendez from Lamp Light Ministries to the Abundant Life Podcast. As a Biblical counselor for women, Rebekah will lead our discussion on hearing God’s voice, exploring four key steps: Confirm your relationship, Reorder your desires, Incline your ear, and Obey His voice. Anchored in John 10:27, this conversation emphasizes that the primary way to hear God is through His living Word. Discover how living in obedience and surrender to God prepares you to receive revelation by His chosen means. Don’t miss this powerful guide to deepening your relationship with the Good Shepherd!

Born to Die

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0700

This Christmas season, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. But why did He come? In this episode, we dive into the heart of Philippians 2:8, uncovering the profound purpose of His arrival: to rescue sinners and reconcile us to God. From the moment of His birth, Jesus embraced humility, stepping into our broken world as fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect, sinless life, yet willingly faced rejection, suffering, and death on a cross—not for His sin, but for ours.

We’ll reflect on the powerful truth that Jesus’ crucifixion was not the end of the story. On the third day, He rose victorious over sin and death, ascended into heaven, and reigns as King. And one of the greatest promises of Christmas is this: He is coming back soon to make all things new.

Join us as we explore the eternal hope and redemption that Christ’s birth brings, and remember the greatest gift ever given—Jesus, born to die so that we might live.

The power of a praying Nana

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0700

In this heartwarming episode, we explore the incredible legacy of faith passed down from a grandmother, Lourdes, to her granddaughter, Nicole. Rooted in the truth of 2 Timothy 1:5 ("I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."), we see how Lourdes' consistent prayers over the years have breathed new life into Nicole's journey with Jesus.

Listen in as we share the beautiful story of how a grandmother’s unshakable faith and devotion to prayer ignited a fresh passion for Christ in her granddaughter. Discover how the power of a praying Nana can transform generations, leaving a lasting impact on the hearts and souls of those she loves.

Are you hopeless?

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0700

In this powerful episode, we dive into the topic of hopelessness—what it truly means, how it manifests in our lives, and where we can find lasting hope.

Our key verse, Romans 15:13, reminds us that God is the source of true hope, joy, and peace. Without Him, all other sources of hope will fail. For unbelievers, hopelessness can feel inescapable, but even believers can find themselves wrestling with discontentment when they lose sight of God's promises.

We explore alarming statistics about the rise of hopelessness, particularly among American teenage girls, and the tragic reality of suicide. According to the CDC, 3 in 5 teenage girls report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Suicide remains a leading cause of death, especially among men. But these stats don’t have to define anyone's future.

Through Scripture and personal stories, including the tragic loss of a dear friend, we discuss how discontentment leads to fear, anger, and ultimately despair. But there is hope—a hope found in Christ that is not wishful thinking but a confident assurance anchored in His promises.

Join us as we reflect on verses like John 16:33, Hebrews 6:19, and Titus 2:13, which assure us of the living hope that comes through Jesus. No matter where you are or what you’re going through, there is a hope that can save your soul.

Listen now to be encouraged and reminded that true hope starts with Jesus.

📖 Key Scripture: Romans 15:13

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I am a sinful man

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0700

Episode 59 - I am a sinful man

Webster’s 1828 - UNCLEAN - Not clean; foul; dirty; filthy. In the Jewish law, ceremonially impure; not cleansed by ritual practices.

Key Verse - Luke 5:8 - When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ”

Peter had been with Jesus but then he realized who Jesus actually was. He called Him, “Master” but then in verse 8 he recognized his sinful condition as he saw who God was.

We often view God through our own lens and lower Him to our level instead of seeing Him as Peter saw Him when he performed this miracle

Isaiah 6:1-5 - In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

When we are in the presence of God, we see ourselves as unclean. We have no choice but to see the stark contrast between man and God, and we cannot fully understand the great divide as we can only see it through our human eyes.

God is Holy

Lesson 1 of the Exchange, God cannot look upon sin

Habakkuk 1:13 - You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong (iniquity, sin, wickedness)

Exodus 33:17-23 - And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

John 1:18 - No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son

Matthew 17:1-2 - And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.

We must all come to this realization in order to come to Christ. There are two religions in this world: Works based and faith based. Works based in grounded in us increasing and He decreasing whereas faith based is holding Him in His proper view of Him increased and us decreased.

The fall of man was predicated on the elevation of self (Lucifer) and it is the downfall of man that sends him to hell when he is not accepting of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

John 9:24-25 - Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

We were all blind before coming to Christ, and when we put Him in His rightful place, He opens our eyes to the truth.

Praise God for what He is doing in the lives of people!

I’ve had the privilege to play a small part in two young me coming to Christ recently.

Have you put God in His rightful place or are you like King Festus?

Acts 26:24-28 - And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

What about you Christian? Are you seeing God through your lens or are you seeing Him as Peter saw Him on that day? “For I am a sinful man, O Lord. ”

There are many instances in the Bible where people repented (changed their mind) and thus, changed their lives.

Will you decrease Christian and let Him Increase? Will you give of your life to Him? Will you serve the Almighty God who is able to change your life like no one else? What are you living for today? Self? The pursuit of this world? Work? Money? Prestige?

Maybe you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior. Maybe you are depending on your own good works (self). Will you open your blind eyes to the truth? Will you surrender yourself to His kingship in your life?

Peter was spiritually naked before God and saw his sinful state!

Will you surrender lordship over your life and surrender to Him today?

Romans 14:11 - For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

He will always have the preeminence, so you decide if you will surrender or will you be forced to bow the knee?

Is being selfish a bad thing?

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 08:00:42 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 58 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of selfishness and how it is very destructive.

Websters 1828

Selfish – Regarding one’s own interest chiefly or soley; influenced in actions by a view to private advantage.

Key Verse

Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Selfish ambition – Another word for selfishness which means motivation to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another’s.

Conceit – This simply means pride.

In other words don’t to anything out of selfishness and pride. Selfishness and pride work hand in hand.

The Fall of Man

Selfishness can be traced back to the fall of man. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden there was a selfishness and pride.

Genesis 3:6 – So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Satan appealed to Adam and Eve’s pride and their selfish desire to be wise like God.

Thelema Religion

The word Thelema means “choice” or “will”
Thelema is an occult religion that was taught by Aleister Crowley who was an occultist.
One of the main axioms of Thelema is “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
Aleister Crowley has had a major influence in today’s culture through music and entertainment
Ozzy Osbourne has a song named Mr Crowely, The Beatles album cover pictures Crowley, Michale Jackson album cover pictures Crowley and there are many more examples
Bottom line is that this teaching of do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law is a teaching straight from the pit of hell.

Selfism Religion

The idea is self-worship. You are your own god. Quote from The Gospel Coalition – Philosophies of selfism:

Your mind is the source and standard of truth, so no matter what, trust yourself.
Your emotions are authoritative, so never question (or let anyone else question) your feelings.
You are sovereign, so flex your omnipotence and bend the universe around your dreams and desires.
You are supreme, so always act according to your chief end, to glorify and enjoy yourself forever.
You are the standard of goodness—so don’t let anyone oppress you with the antiquated notion of being a sinner who needs grace.
You are the Creator, so use that limitless creative power to craft your identity and purpose. #authenticity.

Satanism

Church of Satan was established by Anton LaVey in 1966
Anton LaVey is the author of the Satanic Bible
The basic commonality in all the branches of Satanism is a promotion of self.
All forms of Satanism claim that life exists to consume and that selfishness is a virtue.

The Solution

We MUST stop listening and believing the lies of the devil.
We need to be alert and identify when these lies creep up into our minds.
We need to be others-focused and not self-focused. Put others first.

Mark 12:31
Galatians 6:2
Ephesians 4:32
1 Corinthians 10:24
Romans 12:10
Galatians 5:26
Matthew 6:33
Romans 7:5
John 13:34-35
1 Peter 2:11

Why did Jesus have to die?

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 08:00:42 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 57 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the profound love of God for us and why Jesus had to die.

Key Verse

Romans 5:7-8 – For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

It was our sin that put Jesus on the cross

Jeremiah 17:9
Romans 3:10-12
2 Corinthians 5:21

God’s Love for Us

God loved us even when we were in sin and when we were what the Bible calls ungodly.

1 John 4:8
1 John 4:10
John 15:13
Ephesians 2:4-5
Romans 5:7-8

God knows you personally

Jeremiah 1:5

God’s Unconditional Love

Nothing and no-one can separate us from God’s love.

Romans 8:35,78-39

https://youtu.be/myP9Mvs1sOk?si=c58TP_waGFOxNxQo

Shedding Weight in 2024

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:00:53 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 56 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about starting off 2024 on the right foot by shedding the weight of sin in order to run the race of life.

Key Word

Weight – The quantity of a body, ascertained by the balance; in a philosophical sense, that quality of bodies by which they tend towards the center of the earth in a line perpendicular to its surface. In short, weight is gravity, and the weight of a particular body is the amount of its gravity, or of the force with which it tends to the center. The weight of a body is in direct proportion to its quantity of matter. A ponderous mass; something heavy. – Websters 1828

Key Verse

Hebrews 12:1

Kill Sin

Mark 9:41-42
Mark 9:43-48

Lay Aside Hinderances

Romans 12:2
Psalm 139:23-24
Romans 6:1-2, 6-8

Run with Endurance

1 Corinthians 9:25-26
Hebrews 10:36
Ephesians 4:22-24

Keep Your Eyes On the Prize (Jesus)

Hebrews 12:2
1 John 2:6
1 Peter 2:21
Matthew 10:38
1 Timothy 4:7-8
1 Corinthians 9:24
Philippians 3:14
1 Corinthians 9:27

God with Us

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 07:00:57 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 55 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about one of the awesome names of Jesus, Immanuel, God with Us.

Key Verse

Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:23

God’s presence among His people in the old testament

The Shekinah Glory – In the old testament this was a term coined by the Jewish rabbis which is a Hebrew word that literally means “he caused to dwell,” meaning that it was a divine visitation of the presence or dwelling of the Lord God on this earth.

Exodus 40:34-35

Jesus purpose for coming

Matthew 1:21
Hebrews 4:15

The plan from eternity past was for Jesus to come save us from our sin. He not only saves us, Hebrews tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us, although He does not excuse our sin.

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit

Matthew 1:20

This is a miraculous conception!

Jesus came at just the right time

Galatians 4:4

According to BibleRef, The word translated as “redeem” is from the Greek root word exagorazo. This is the same word used to buy a slave out of bondage.

Jesus’ love for us is unconditional

Romans 8:38-39

There is nothing we can do to merit more or less love from God. He loves us and it is this love that caused God to send His Son down to us.

Jesus gives us rest

Matthew 11:28

Jesus is the only one that can give us peace and rest!

Jesus is with us in trials

Psalm 23:4
1 Peter 1:6-8

This life is filled with adversity, trials and testing, but in all that God is with us. We must remain faithful and steadfast through the storms knowing that God is with us.

We must be obedient to stay in relationship with Jesus

Matthew 16:24

We must be obedient as we walk with God. When we sin, we essentially drift away from God, but God never goes anywhere.

Jesus provides for us

Matthew 17:27

God is not only with us, He provides for our every need.

We are the ones that drift

Revelation 2:3-4

We must repent and confess our sin and come back to our first love.

God is with us everywhere we are

Psalm 139:4-10

As a Christian, there is nowhere we can go that God will abandon us.

Jesus was God in the flesh

1 Timothy 3:16

For now we have the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, but Jesus is coming back soon!

Thanksgiving

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:00:59 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 54

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about all the tings they are thankful for in 2023

Keyword

Thanksgiving – The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies.The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies. – Websters 1828

Key Verse – Psalm 100:4-5

Things we are thankful for…

God’s Sovereignty – Lamentations 3:37-39
My Wife – Proverbs 18:22 & Proverbs 31:10
God’s Provision – James 1:16-17
My Mom – Proverbs 31:11-12
Family & Friends – Proverbs 18:24
God’s Mercy Love and Faithfulness – Lamentations 3:22-23
Church – Acts 2:46-47
Salvation & Gospel – Acts 4:12 & Romans 1:16
Abundant Life Listeners – Ephesians 4:29

A Way of Escape

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 07:00:42 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 53

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the death of a good friend who struggled with addiction and is now with the Lord

Do you struggle with temptation or a besetting sin? If you are a child of God, you have a way of escape. You have the power by the Holy Spirit to say NO to sin. In this episode we talk about the way of escape.

Key Verse – 1 Corinthians 10:13 – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God is faithful!
We will not be tempted beyond our ability
We have a way of escape
We are granted the ability to endure temptation

As a believer there is ALWAYS an option NOT to sin.

Don’t be enticed by the love of the world! 1 John 2:15-16

Avoid temptation and RUN from sin!

Proverbs 4:14
Romans 13:14
Genesis 39:12

Don’t exchange your soul for the things of this world! Matthew 16:26

Don’t give the devil a foot hold. Ephesians 4:27

The Christian life is a spiritual battle. Fight the good fight! 1 Timothy 6:12

Resist the devil at all costs! James 4:7

Be alert, on guard, and pray!

Mark 14:38
1 Peter 5:8-9

As a Christian we must grow to become more like Christ. We must grow in our relationship with God. By doing so we are taking steps to make our way of escape easier in the day of temptation. 2 Peter 3:17-18

God is ALWAYS with you! Deuteronomy 31:8

Behold! I am a new creature in Christ

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 08:00:20 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 52

In this episode Saso and Ben bring Heather Gapen back on the show to discuss sanctification.

From the time we are born again, we begin to grow as a Christian with the ultimate goal of being like Jesus. This process lasts a lifetime and we as Christians should take an active role in this process.

Websters 1828

Sanctification – The act of making holy. (Holy means set apart)

Key Verse

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 Peter 1:5-7 – For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Hebrews 12:10 – For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Acts 26:18 – To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Philippians 3:12-14 – Not that I have already attained,or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Acts 2:42 – And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Philippians 2:12 – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

Dealing with Offenses & Forgiveness

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 08:00:45 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 51

In this episode Saso and Ben have the privilege of interviewing Heather Gapen and talk about forgiveness.

Heather has a tremendous testimony. God miraculously saved Heather out of a life of addictions and brokenness. In the process of Heather growing as a Christian, she was faced with one of the most difficult commands of scripture, forgiveness, forgiving one another, and more specifically forgiving her mom.

Websters 1828

Forgiveness – The act of forgiving; the pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty. The forgiveness of enemies is a christian duty.

Key Verse

Matthew 18:21-22 – Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Ephesians 4:31-32 – Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

2 Chronicles 7:14 – if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 86:5 – For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

The War on Humanity

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 08:00:51 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 50

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about Satan’s plan to destroy humanity.

This episode was inspired by the recent Nefarious movie release (Please use discretion before watching movie, may no be suitable for young children)

Websters 1828 – Vigilant – Watchful; circumspect; attentive to discover and avoid danger, or to provide for safety.

Key Verse

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour

1 John 2:15-16 – Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Ephesians 6:10-18 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1 John 4:4 – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Acts 5:3 – But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Luke 22:3-6 – Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

Proverbs 28:26 – He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Matthew 16:26 – For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

James 1:14-15 – But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Revelation 20:10 – And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Resources

Fishers of Men

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:00:05 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 49

In this episode Saso and Ben interview Jeff Grachus as they discuss being fishers of men by the sharing of the gospel.

Key Verse

Matthew 4:19 – And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Luke 5

Listen in as Jeff gives his powerful testimony of how he went from being completely immersed in the world to becoming a child of God. He also met his wife as a result of his conversion, completed bible college and is preparing for the next season of life. Learn how Jeff uses fishing as a tool for ministry as he exercises his gifts of evangelism and exhortation.

Jesus is Coming Back!

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 08:00:19 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 48 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss Jesus path from resurrection to second coming. RESURREC’TION A rising again; chiefly, the revival of the dead of the human race, or their return from the grave, particularly at the general judgment. By the resurrection of Christ we have assurance of the future resurrection of men. 1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” - Websters 1828 Key Verses Acts 1:11 Matthew 24:30 John 20:7 There are some who analyze this verse but Pastor Charles Elliott preached a sermon about the significance of the folding of the napkin. In this message, he spoke about how Jesus did not cast His grave clothes to the side in a crumpled fashion but folded them to signify He was not done and would return. He is coming again just as He said! Mark 16:6 Those who went to the tomb in the early morning were frightened by Jesus missing from the grave. Jesus spoke of this and it was also prophesied but yet they expected to find Him in the tomb even on the third day. Matthew 24:27 It would seem that we are living in end times. Or as the book of Matthew calls it, it seems we are living as in the days of Noah. Increase of evil in the world - daily main stream media news Call good bad and bad good - common speech, social media Falling away of people from the church/religion - numbers are down Increased Violence - mass killing, school shootings Sin is glorified and promoted - transgender movements Natural disasters and events - flooding, earthquakes Famine - Ukraine, Africa Pestilence - Covid Rapture and Second Coming Distinction 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 Rapture: Pre-trib Mid-trib Post-trib 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 Jesus meets the raptured church in the air (in the clouds) Jesus doesn’t appear to be described as descending to the Earth to rule and reign at this point in time Second Coming Second coming description by John in Revelation: Revelation 19:11–16 Second coming location Zechariah 14:4 Second coming signs Matthew 24:3 False Christs Wars and rumors of wars Nation will rise agains nation and kingdom against kingdom Famines Pestilences Earthquakes (natural disasters) Afflicted and hated and killed for the name of Jesus Betrayal, hatred, offenses The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come Matthew 24:32-35 Matthew 24:36-39 Are you prepared? Titus 2:11-13 John 11:25-26 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Closing Do you believe the gospel? Are you ready for His coming again? He is coming back as the King to gather His bride unto Himself. Life is short, and we know not when our day will come or when the trump will blow.

Encountering God in Israel

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 08:00:21 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 47 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss Saso's recent visit to Israel, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. He is risen, He is risen indeed! Deuteronomy 8:7 Luke 24:13-35

Can we really trust God?

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 09:00:31 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 46 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the Sovereignty of God. Websters 1828 Sovereign - Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe. Key Verse Psalm 147:5 - Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. God is Sovereign Proverbs 16:9 Proverbs 19:21 Proverbs 21:30 Ecclesiastes 7:13 Lamentations 3:37 Matthew 10:29 John 19:10 James 4:13-15 Revelation 3:7 Life Examples: Economy, President, Governor, injustices Row vs. Wade Divorce Tragic accident in 2009 Injury Job Loss Bible Examples Job Paul left in prison by Roman Governor Felix as favor to Jews Joseph Jesus crucifixion God does what pleases Himself Job 42:2 Psalm 115:3 Isaiah 14:27 Isaiah 43:13 Isaiah 46:10 Daniel 4:35 Ephesians 1:11 You can trust God because He has a plan for you God is not the author of sin and evil, but he does allow trials and adversity. Romans 8:28-29 Ephesians 2:10 Psalm 138:8 Jeremiah 29:11 Recap God is sovereign God is in control God is never caught off guard or surprised or experiences unexpected developments God is not the author of sin but allows trials for various reasons God does what pleases Himself We are not in control and others are not in control of me We may not like our circumstances but they are always ordained by God God loves and has a plan for you We can trust God Psalm 18:30 It’s not always easy to trust God in trials and adversity, but we can trust Him because He truly is sovereign. Proverbs 3:5-6

2022 Reflections & Blessings

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 09:00:10 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 45 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss how God blessed and worked in their lives in 2022. Prayer & Fasting Daniel 9:3 Marriage Conference James 1:2-4 Wedding Ephesians 5:32-33 Concert Psalm 147:5 Job Promotion Jeremiah 17:7-8 Salvation! Romans 10:8-10, Psalm 34:8 New Years Resolution Romans 12:2 Read the Word! Numbers 6:24-26

God is More Than Enough

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 09:00:55 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 44 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss how Christians can be content with God, because God is enough. Enough - That satisfies desire, or gives content; that may answer the purpose; that is adequate to the wants. - Websters 1828 Key Verse Philippians 4:19 This is such a powerful truth, God is more than enough, because if it is true, which it is, it means we that we should be trusting God to meet our every need. Yet, we have this nasty sin called unbelief that leads us down a dark path into further sin. We are living in a time where many so called believers are bible illiterate. The reality is that many Christians don’t know the truths and promises of God found in scripture and therefore they fall victim to unbelief. They simply don’t believe God is enough. Rather we are bombarded by ads that tell us we deserve more, we are plagued with instant gratifications that social media brings, we place our hopes in an elected official, we commit sin and feed our flesh because we simply don’t believe that God is more than enough. It’s interesting that the scripture deals with this idea of unbelief and in fact we did an episode on the topic of unbelief, episode 17 to be specific. Unbelief is like a cancer for unbelievers as the scriptures tell us that Satan blinds them from seeing the light of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:4 This speaks of unbelievers, but Satan does this same thing to believers to keep them as if they were still in bondage. It’s like the Andy Griffith show where Otis grabs the jail cell key hanging from the wall and lets himself out of jail. Christians have been forgiven and have been freed from the bondage of sin, yet we live like as if we were still in bondage. Christian, do you deal with unbelief? Do you believe that God is more than enough? Or are you discontent? Do you lust for more? Are you intrigued by the world? Throughout the Bible we see this theme of unbelief and it all started in the garden of eden. Adam and Eve chose to believe the lie of Satan that God wasn’t enough, they wanted more, they wanted to be like God. And in single act of sin, Adam brought down the human race into sin. Genesis 3:1-7 Lucifer was cast out of heaven with one third of the angels as he lusted to be greater than God. Just like Adam and Eve, we are ruined by our own hearts as we lust for more because both discontentment and covetousness are both rooted in unbelief. The apostle John warned us about this. He told us not to lust for the shiny things of this world, but instead trust and obey God. 1 John 2:15-17 The problem Our problem is that we get our eyes off of God and we then put our focus on ourselves. We look at ourselves, our circumstances, our failures, our sin, our short comings. We compare ourselves to others. We are by nature selfish and we love to think about ourself and how we can live our best life now. Joel Olsteen's book, Your Best Life Now is a lie, your best life is only for believers and will come when you are in glory with our savior Jesus. We complain and grumble and we believe the lie that God is not enough or that God is not in control, or that God doesn’t love me, or that God doesn’t bless me. It’s this unbelief that drives us to a place of discontentment. Once we reach that point we start looking for fleshly things that will satisfy us. We then simply seek to feed our flesh and please ourselves which is always through some sort of sin. Not everyone sins the same, not everyone is tempted by the same sin, but we all have fleshly desires and our bent and bondage toward sin can only be broken by Jesus. The problem with that is that the flesh can’t be satisfied with things of the world. God is the only one that can satisfy our souls. He is the one that gives peace to our souls. He is the one that gives us joy. He gives us comfort. He gives us the power to say no to sin. He is the one that truly gives us contentment and satisfaction.

Open Our Eyes Lord

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 09:00:51 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 43 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the how Christians must place their hope in God in times of discouragement and life's trials. OPENED - Unclosed; unbarred; unsealed; uncovered; revealed; disclosed; made plain; freed from obstruction. - Websters 1828 Key Verses 2 Kings 6:15-17 Elisha’s servant was troubled with the armies that had encompassed them about, but Elisha was not fearful as he was able to see the presence and protection of God. “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” Romans 4:19-21 The promise he was referring to is the promise given to Abraham that through Him all of the families of the earth would be blessed. God in a sense had opened his eyes to the promise He had given him where he could visualize and see the great nation that would come from him. The opening of our eyes is the faith we must have in God to see the great things He has promised us and the great hope we have in Him. Sometimes these emotions come with the trials of life. What are the giants in your life? What do you fear? What makes you feel hopeless? What makes you anxious? Sickness, disease, cancer, terminal illness Personal offense, someone said/did something to hurt you Personal loss, home lost in fire or natural disaster Loss of loved one Divorce or marital problems Elections & Economy Rumors of wars Midlife crisis You’ve committed that same sin again that has you ensnared or a sinful habit that you can’t kick Difficult boss at work, or difficult co-workers The scriptures not only speak truth and give you hope, but the scriptures are so relatable. The book of Psalms is always a comfort to me whether you are on the mountain of life or in the valley because there is something you can always relate with. Psalm 38 is a lament when you lay your troubles at the feet of Jesus realizing your sin has brought on the trouble and you are discouraged. Psalm 38:17. Psalm 42, is a lament when you are oppressed and persecuted and discouraged. Psalm 42:11 Psalm 73 is a Psalm of wisdom written by Asaph sharing his thoughts of discouragement as he observed the prosperity of the wicked. Psalm 73:2 Here are more examples in scripture that you can relate to when you are discouraged or feeling hopeless. Elijah was in the midst of a drought and God commanded him to go and ask a widow to feed him. The widow basically had nothing left, except a little bit of flour and she was basically preparing for her and her son to die of hunger. She must have been fearful and discouraged. In fact this is what she said: 1 Kings 17:12 Goliath the philistine was taunting the Israelites because he was a mighty warrior, a confident giant. Although we know how the story ends, the fact of the matter is that the soldiers were scared and discouraged. 1 Samuel 17:11 Elijah had just experience a great victory when God consumed his alter and then he slayed 450 prophets of Baal. But after the great victory he ran for his life after Jezebell threatened his life. 1 Kings 19:4 Can you imagine how fearful and discouraged the Israelites were as they were trapped between Red Sea and Egyptian army expecting to be executed? Exodus 14:10 How about Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt to avoid Herod's vicious execution of young boys in attempt to kill Jesus. Imagine the fear and discouragement? Can you imagine what Mary would have thought? Fear not Haggai 2:4-5 - Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work (building of the temple): for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. 2 Timothy 1:7 Isaiah 41:10 Isaiah 41:13 Trials of life 1 Corinthians Paul had gone through the ringer to the point where he faced de...

Trials in the Workplace

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 08:00:40 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 42 In this episode Saso and Ben interview Mike Baldwin, ex-police, as they discuss dealing with trials in the workplace. Key verses Colossians 3:23-24 - And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Resources Dr. Tillotson's sermon on Hinderances to Answered Prayer Baldwin Performance

How to get on fire for Jesus

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:00:41 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 41 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of being renewed and how to get on fire for Jesus! Key verses Titus 2: 11-14 RENEW'ED, participle passive Made new again; repaired; re-established; repeated; revived; renovated; regenerated. - Websters 1828 Grace - Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him. - Websters 1828 Romans 11:6 We know salvation is an act of grace from God, and it is from His deep well of favor, and love that He has for mankind that He would send His Son to die for us. It costs us nothing but to Him it came at a great price. Romans 5:2 The act of Jesus dying for us gave us direct access to this grace. We would have no hope or chance if He did not send His Son to die for us. What an amazing picture of His love and unmerited love He has for us! After salvation which appeared to all men, we get His grace to help us live this Christian life. Romans 5:20 No one would argue with you that sin is abundant in this world. It does not take long, and you do not have to go far to find sin. Although sin is abundant and abounds, God’s grace abounds much more. Although it may seem as though we have no hope against sin, this verse tell us differently as grace abounds more than the sin in this world. Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. God’s Grace of Salvation Being on fire for Jesus all starts at salvation. Salvation was only possible because we not only have a just God who cannot overlook sin, but we also have a loving God, who looked at His creation with love and compassion and made the ultimate sacrifice to make it possible for mankind to be brought back into a relationship with God. 2 Peter 3:9 I’m so thankful for the truths in this verse. I’m thankful for God’s patience. I got saved a little later in life and if God didn’t have patience and sent Jesus back before I got saved, who knows if I would have ever received Jesus as savior. The Deist believes that God created everything, but then was no longer interested after creation. In other words they would say God is the clock maker, and winds the clock, and lets it go. God is ever present in the affairs of men today! It’s God’s grace that sacrificed the first animal in Genesis to cover Adam and Eve, it’s God, who commanded Israel to sacrifice animals to cover their sin, and ultimately it was that those animals represented and pointed to Jesus who was the ultimate sacrifice. The Gospel of Jesus never gets old! The world needs to hear the gospel of Jesus so they can know the grace of God but, the believer must always reflect on this story, because this Gospel is truly the fuel we need to be on fire for Jesus. Christian, would you sit and reflect on the gospel and your salvation, think about where you’d be without it, think about your eternal destination without it and then think about how blessed you truly are, how you have a relationship with the King of kings. A Christian’s “why” The why is simply implying what motivates you to keep going every day, especially when things are not going right, everything appears to be failing and you basically want to quit. What they have found in the business world is that money is typically not people’s motivation for leading a business. Leading a business can be tough, and people could likely the same amount of money or more working for someone else and therefore money is not always the driving factor. The Christian walk is similar in the fact that It’s hard. We need motivation in those valleys of life when we have a sense of hopelessness or brokenness, or maybe it's just tiredness and fatigue, maybe it’s burnout, or a sense of complacency, or simply lack of motivation. Maybe there are days where you just don’t want to do this Christian thing anymore. There are going to be some difficult days ahead for every Christian. For a Christian, their “why" is the gospel!

Are you prepared for Spiritual Warfare?

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 08:00:21 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 40 In this episode Saso and Ben interview Lt. Col. Dave Grossman on the topic of the engaging in spiritual warfare. Are you prepared for Spiritual Warfare? Key verse Ephesians 6:10-11 Lt. Col. Dave Grossman Bio Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is a US Army Ranger, a paratrooper, and a former West Point Psychology Professor. He has a Black Belt in Hojutsu, the martial art of the firearm, and has been inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He has published four novels, two children’s’ books, and six non-fiction books to include his “perennial bestseller” On Killing (with over half a million copies sold), and a New York Times best-selling book co-authored with Glenn Beck. Since his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1998, he has been traveling full time as one of our nation’s leading trainers for military, law enforcement, mental health providers, and school safety organizations. Resources Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's website Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's books Follow Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's on Facebook Follow Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's on Instagram

The Importance of the Church

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 08:00:17 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 39 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of the importance of the church. The Christian life was not meant to lived out in isolation. Some people say that they can worship God on a mountain away from people. It’s true, you can worship God anywhere, Jonah prayed to God from the belly of a big fish. However, you can’t simply live like a monk because it’s not God’s design. The last two episodes were about adoption and unadoption, going from being unadopted to being adopted into the family of God which is what we call the church. Websters 1828 Church A house consecrated to the worship of God, among Christians; the Lords house. This seems to be the original meaning of the word. The Greek, to call out or call together, denotes an assembly or collection. But, Lord, a term applied by the early Christians to Jesus Christ; and the house in which they worshipped was named from the title. So church goods, bona ecclesiastica; the Lords day, dies dominica. The collective body of Christians, or of those who profess to believe in Christ, and acknowledge him to be the Savior of mankind. Why do we go to church? Why is it important? Key Verse Hebrews 10:24,25 What does this verse mean? We are to exhort (to incite by argument or advice) each other. We often see brothers and sisters fall away from the church when they desire not be accountable or they do not want to be encouraged to do the right thing. We are in the last days and it is important that we hold each other accountable to the do the right thing and that we have the godly influence to a lost world around us. What is the church? Jesus instituted the church. Matthew 16:18 - And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The Catholic church use this verse to say the church was built on Peter, but the Rock spoken of is Jesus Christ. A righteous church can only be built on God and not on man, programs or anything that is not of God. The name Peter or petros means small stone, or little stone or piece of a big rock. There is a sense in which Peter helped build the church, but the foundation of the church has always been and will always be Jesus. 2 Peter 2:5-8 Jesus not only instituted the church, but He is the cornerstone, or the head of the church and our high priest. Hebrews 4:14-16 Essentially the church is a big huge family made up of brothers and sisters in Christ. It is so good to be a member of the family of God. Romans 8:15 As members of the family of God, we have the privilege of serving God through ministry and in essence we are His hands and feet. God can use us, but we must be willing participants walking in the Spirit. God doesn’t need us but He choses to use us as His hands and feet. Colossians 3:15 We are called to be one body and not part of our own groups and cliques although it is natural at times to link with those who are of like personalities and likes, but all believers have in common being washed in the blood of the Lamb. We are of the same blood line where we can call each other brothers and sisters in Christ. Matthew 18:20 What a blessing to be with those who have experienced the washing away of our sins and the cleansing He gives. To summarize, church is a community of believers that gather together to encourage one another, observe Lord’s table, perform baptism, minister to one another, and most important to carry out the gospel to the ends of the earth. How do you become a member of the family of God? Jesus was clear about this, to become a member of the church, you must be born again. Jesus met with a leader of the pharisees named Nicodemus. John 3:3 How do you become born again? Romans 10:9-10 This verse is jam packed with the full gospel message. To confess that Jesus is Lord means that you are submitting to His Lordship, you are surrendering your will to His will,

Unadopted

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:00:14 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 38 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of being unadopted. Websters 1828 UNADOPTED - Not adopted; not received as one's own. WRATH - The just punishment of an offense or crime. Romans 8:1. Gods wrath in Scripture, is his holy and just indignation against sin. Romans 1:18. Key Verse John 3:36 On the last episode we spoke to Bob and he talked about his adoption. We also read verses that talked about the spirit of adoption, and how good it is to be part of the family of God. Hence, why we call each other brother. We talked about how good it is to be part of the family of God, but what about those who have not been “adopted”? What is their current condition? Sadly those who will be left behind on the day of the rapture or those who will split hell wide open because they wanted no part of the spirit of adoption. Condition of man without Christ John 3:18 John 3:36 The wrath of God is immediately upon us when we choose not to believe in Him, and there are many in this world who seem to have no care in this world and they are ignorant of their current condition. Oh, the despair of man who is ignorant of his condition and shakes his fist at a just God. John 12:48 Judgement is coming for all of us but one will be judged to hell eternal because they chose not to believe. Proverbs 11:21 Wickedness is always punished but God will deliver those who have chosen to place their faith and trust in Him. Matthew 25:46 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 As mentioned, in the last episode we spoke about being a child of God through the Spirit of adoption, but before being a child of God, we were children of Satan. John 8:44 Acts 13:9-10 1 John 3:8 This is clear, you are either a son of the Satan or a son of God. There is no middle ground, or on the fence state of life. Every human being, aside from Christ was born a child of Satan. Ephesians 2:1-3 This passage is clear that we were all sons of disobedience, following the prince of the power of the air which is a reference to Satan, living a life a sin and therefore destined to the wrath of God, hence the term children of wrath. It is a fearful thing to be outside of the family of God, or another way to put it, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God, and remember God’s anger is perfectly just and righteous. Without God, your destination is hell. In Luke 16 there is the story or parable, there is debate over this, but in any case there is a lesson. The rich man died and was in hades or Sheol, and Lazarus was at Abrahams side and Abraham spoke to the rich man telling him to remember his past life. I find it fascinating that in the life to come we may have memory of the lives we lived before our physical death and I think how regret is going to feel. Will you regret not making that choice to receive the precious gift of Jesus? No condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8:1 John 8:11 I believe this woman had repented and therefore Jesus told her to go and sin no more. She had found forgiveness because she had repented, and He did not condemn her because of this. John 12:47 He came to seek and to save the lost but because He is just He will have to judge but His desire is that all should come to repentance. Romans 8:34. How do we get this hope and how can one became a member of the family of God? The term “no condemnation” is used in a judicial setting. CONDEMNATION - The act of condemning; the judicial act of declaring one guilty, and dooming him to punishment. The reality is that we will all face the judgement of God. 2 Corinthians 5:10 According to the verse we will appear before Christ who is the judge. God has granted Jesus the authority to execute this judgement. John 5:27 We are the defendants in this case. Satan is the accuser or the prosecutor who, according to Revelation 12:10 accuses us day and night. The charge brought to us is that we are guilty of s...

The Spirit of Adoption

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 08:00:02 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 37 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of the Spirit of Adoption. Websters 1828 Adoption: The act of adopting, or the state of being adopted; the taking and treating of a stranger as one's own child. The receiving as one's own, what is new or not natural. God's taking the sinful children of men into his favor and protection. Key Verses: Romans 8:15-17 The bible speaks favorably about adoption throughout scripture and some examples are: Jochebed and Moses (Exodus 1 & 2) Esther was adopted by Mordecai, became queen and saved the Jews (Esther) Jesus adopted by Joseph Children of the devil Before salvation, everyone is a child of the devil. Matthew 13:38 John 8:44 Adoption is done by choice and out of love, and when we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior we are adopted into the family of God by means of Jesus, known as the Spirit of adoption. 1 John 3:1 Galatians 4:4-6 Ephesians 1:3-5 Your new identity Identity issues sometimes come with earthly adoption (disconnected, lost, no sense of identity, unsure about past), however, spiritual adoption is much different. John 1:12-13 2 Corinthians 5:17 John 15:15 Galatians 2:20 Resources Exchange Bible Study Want to learn how to give the Exchange Show Me the Father

What is truth?

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 08:00:51 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 36 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of truth. Websters 1828 Truth - Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. The truth of history constitutes its whole value. We rely on the truth of the scriptural prophecies. Key verse He is the origin of truth John 1:17 If you follow the news on TV or maybe on Social Media, you are likely constantly wondering whether or not you are consuming truth or lies. In fact it was just a couple years ago that we had a new term coined, fake news which was in effort to call out mainstream news media who are interested in reporting anything but the truth. Then you had so called fact checkers that were checking to see if what people were posting was true or not, but in the end it was admitted that it wasn’t necessarily truth they were seeking but opinion being construed as truth. Needless to say we are in a society where people are extremely confused and starving for truth. We live in a post modern world where some will say that there is no absolute truth, and ironically they’ve just made an absolute truth statement. Then you have the philosophy of relativism which defines truth as being relative and that everyone can have their own truth. For example you have some that will say that it is all right to believe what you want, as long as you do not try to impose your beliefs on others. But this view itself is a belief about what is right and wrong, and those who hold this view most certainly try to impose it on others. In a recent study by Barna, they asked different people groups to respond to various statements by whether or not they agree with the statement. Here are 2 different statements that were asked to “practicing christians”. Whatever is right for your life or works best for you is the only truth you can know. (40% agree) Every culture must determine what is acceptable morality for its people. (47% agree There were other people groups that were surveyed like boomers, gen-exers etc, but the fact that practicing Christians would think that truth is relative or that you can get your morality defined by culture is very concerning. Thankfully we have the truth of the Bible which came from source of truth, God who is truth. God doesn’t just speak truth, His character is the mere definition of truth. Without truth we wouldn’t be able to know God, morality would basically be non-existent and we’d be in a much bigger mess than we are currently. Because we have this truth, we can know God, we can know what sin is, we can know what righteousness is and how to live or lives accordingly. Redemptive purposes John 14:6 John 8:32 John 18:37-38 1 John 5:20 The truth about salvation is so critical because it literally determines life or death as your eternal destination. Sanctification purposes John 17:17 2 Timothy 2:15 Ephesians 6:14 Psalm 25:5 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Psalm 86:11 Philippians 4:8 Psalms 43:3 John 14:17 1 John 1:6 The Christian walk is not easy by any means, but without truth, we’d be absolutely lost. Interestingly when reading about the armor of God, the belt of truth is the first item of armor applied and it would seem that truth is the foundation for the Christian life. Without the belt of truth the rest of the armor would be irrelevant because we would then be what Paul described in Ephesians. Ephesians 4:14 The spiritual battle is not fought in the physical, but in the spiritual, in our minds. If you think about the filth we fill our minds with, the lies and deceptions of this world, its so wonder that we struggle with unbelief. Unbelief was what Adam and Eve experienced in the garden when they chose to believe the lie of Satan over the truth of God and therefore sent the human race into sin. The apostle Paul talks about judgement for those who chose to suppress the truth and believe the lie. Romans 1:18 Romans 1:26 What about you Christian?

Saving Faith

Tue, 10 May 2022 07:00:12 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 35 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss saving faith and why this is foundational to all Christians. Freedom That Lasts definition Saving faith is believing that Jesus Christ is my only Savior. Many believe that there are many ways to get to heaven but there is no saving faith in that. Webster’s 1828 FAITH - is a firm, cordial belief in the veracity of God, in all the declarations of his word; or a full and affectionate confidence in the certainty of those things which God has declared, and because he has declared them. There is a lot to unpack with that definition of faith but it is saving faith that allows us to say that there is one God and that we take Him at His Word. Jesus Christ is the only Savior! Key verse Acts 4:12 What is saving faith? Saving faith is what cleanses a sinner of sin and sets his/her eternal destination. We call this justification and sanctification. When you place your faith in Christ, you are justified and set apart, sealed as a child of God. To have faith in Jesus simply means you trust Him and Him alone that He is God in the flesh and that died and resurrected to atone for our sin. Obviously this trust must be authentic. Often times the Bible uses the word believe, in fact John uses "believe" in the Gospel of John and it turns out its there 100 times within 86 different verses. The new testament found 248 times within 220 verses (all KJV). The greek word pist-yoo’-o means to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in John 1:1 It is extremely important to identify that Jesus is God. Jesus is the second person of the trinity, co-equal with God the father. Some religions will tell you that they believe in Jesus, but the "Jesus" they identify with is either not God, or is not eternal. John 1:14 Another huge point is that Jesus became man, God in the flesh. Jesus is the keeper of the law, he never sinned once and is the reason that we can have salvation. Romans 10:9-10 Salvation requires that you place your faith or your trust in Jesus, the correct Jesus, and that you are trusting in his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sin. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 John testifies that those who have placed their faith in Jesus are sons and daughters of God. 1 John 5:1 This foundational saving faith is the key to becoming and living as a Christian, if you miss this, then you may have a false hope. Is Jesus the only way? There is no other way to get to heaven, only one way, and that is through Jesus. People look to a lot of things in this world as their savior but there is only one way. Matthew 7:13-14 Matthew 7:22-23 People look to a lot of things for their Savior, but they miss out on the one true Savior. The one who died for you and seeks to rescue you from your condemned condition. John 19:30 John 14:6 Acts 4:12 Once saved always saved! Jesus knew all of the sin we would commit but He still loved us with an everlasting love and there is nothing that will separate us from this great love. Romans 8:35, 38-39 Every Christian at some point doubts their salvation. Typically when you are in sin, or perhaps just not reading your bible, or maybe it’s just that Satan is whispering lies in your ear, it’s inevitable that you will experience doubt. John 10:28-29 Ephesians 4:30 There are some Christians that believe you can lose your salvation. However, it really wouldn’t make sense. When you get saved you are granted eternal life. It wouldn’t be eternal if it can be broken or haunted. The scripture is clear, we are sealed and sanctified even until the day of redemption. Once saved, it’s very likely that we will sin, but the beautiful thing is that God does not throw us away like some broken piece of trash. When we sin, we definitely cause a rift in our relationship with God, but the solution is simple, repent and confess. Sins brings about doubt of in our lives,

Put off the Old Man

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:00:49 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 34 In this episode Saso and Ben host special guest George Binoka who talks about his journey from hating God to Missionary. Key Verses Ephesians 4:22-24 Resources Abundant Life Kenya Baptist Ministries Stay in the Fight Daily Devotional Grace and Peace Radio Show Me The Father Movie Northwest Valley Baptist Church

The Joy of Trials

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 33 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of trials. How do you respond to trials? Trials - A test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation broadly : a source of vexation or annoyance. - Websters 1828 Key Verses James 1:2-4 Sometimes call these sanctification tests, but God allows these into our life for a reason and purpose. Have you ever had your water heater break and counted in all joy? How about a besetting sin in your life? Man, what a joy to be tempted! Trials are meant to test and stretch us or grow us as Christians. An athlete that wishes to become the best spends hours in the gym lifting weights, eating right, working out, in order to strengthen his/her body. It takes a lot of discipline, which is why many of us are a little soggy around the midsection! Essential Virtues, Mark of the Christ-Centered Life - The Christian, however, who faithfully seeks to develop these essential virtues (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love), will see every circumstance of life as a “fitness station” upon which the Trainer has arranged another repetition of the necessary surrender, dependence and obedience required to develop and manifest that virtue. - Jim Berg When we go through trials we are being given opportunity to grow in our walk with God. The reality is that if everything were perfect, we’d likely never take the opportunity to seek God. Why do we go through trials? 1 Peter 5:10 I think of Abraham who was tested and tried, and I cannot imagine how he was strengthen and changed by seeing God work through that trial. We often miss out on the perfect, stablish, and settle part as we fail the initial part of the test. I often cannot see beyond the trial and see only what is in front of me. I am short sighted in many of these cases. Romans 5:3-4 In retrospect you can apply this to life. Just like this verse as well as our key verse in James, this testing is done so that we can build our endurance which results in hope according to Romans and contentment according to James. In short, trials are allowed in our lives to grow our dependence and faith in God. 1 Peter 1:6-7 It’s pretty clear that trials are not only to test the genuine of our faith but to change us into the image of Christ. What are God’s promises with regard to trials? 1 Corinthians 10:13 Ecclesiastes tells us there is nothing new under the sun, and there is no temptation that our heavenly Father is not aware of. No new sin, no new circumstance, no nuance or no new red button person that has not been encountered. God promises not to give us a temptation that we will not be able to escape. Joseph was able to resist the pursuit of a married woman and Moses choose to suffer with the children of Israel rather than to indulge in the pleasures that Egypt had to offer. John 16:33 In our last podcast we discussed the peace that only comes from our God. Dr. Berg discussed that we will always have all tribulation in this world as this verse states, but there is tribulation with God and tribulation with God. God has overcome the world, and we have hope and joy in this victory. Help is there for the asking. Exodus 14:14 Allow God to fight for you! Matthew 11:28-30 Typically when we are in a trial, it’s not our first instinct to look to God’s promises. The bible is pretty clear, we as people are really good forgetters. Just think of the Israelites in the desert, seeing amazing miracles, then when trials came, they forgot God, and would complain, even to the point of becoming idolaters. We as people are no different. In fact if we are honest, many of us have such a weak prayer life, and we only pray when bad things happen. The reality is that we must learn and teach ourselves to always have our gaze to God, he is sovereign and he cares. Romans 8:28 This verse has a couple prerequisites,

Got hope?

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 09:00:53 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 32 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of hope. What do you place your hope in? Websters 1828 Hope “A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. hopediffers from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. hopetherefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety. Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God's gracious promises; a scriptural sense. A well founded scriptural hope is, in our religion, the source of ineffable happiness.” Key Verse Joel 3:16 We live in a world that gives us anything but hope. We have been guilty of putting our hope in our favorite sports team, our favorite stock, our back accounts, our residency in America and our religious freedoms. We have seen things bubbling in our world whether that be racial divide, countries at war, and even our country divided behind political lines. The news is not full of hope nor is it full of truth. One does not watch the news and walk away with an outlook of hope. As Christians, our hope is in the Lord, and He is still our strength no matter the headline or news breaking story John 16:33 We were told of the world not being a peaceful place and it has not been a peaceful place for a long time. We sometimes forget that they crucified our Lord, and the world is not a place we can take refuge in or find peace in. That is the bad news, but the good news is that our God has overcome this world, and there is ultimate peace found in Him. Chin up! Complacency is a really dangerous place to be, because its like being in a false state of satisfaction. But that’s exactly where we were just a few years after 911. We went through the horrific tragedy and then we just got emerged in life, business, daily routines and such. Then we had somewhat of an awakening in 2008 with the housing market crash and high inflation, but then we were back to our old ways. We were living pretty comfortable from 2010 till March of 2020 when the world was overtaken by Covid. As churches shut down, business sent employees home, students were sent home and we were sort of left in this state of the unknown. Grocery stores were low on stock, there was no toilet paper, having to social distance and wear uncomfortable masks, it was a sort of a stressful time of uncertainty. But something interesting happened that hadn’t happened in quite some time. We begin to look up. God was allowing this pandemic trial to happen and we were confronted face to face with our faith. Where was our faith? Was it in the CDC, was it in Dr. Fauci, was in the hope for a coming vaccine or was it in the one who spoke the world into existence? Fast forward a little to our current day, and we are currently in another point in history where we are entering the unknown. Russia has just invaded the people of Ukraine and news analysts are trying to determine what’s coming next. The people in Ukraine are under attack, and the rest of the world is watching and waiting for the next tyrant to attack. And again we are face to face with our faith. 1 Peter 1:6-7 God Cares for you Isaiah 41:10 There are going to be times in the present world where we will feel alone, where we will feel defeated, and we will feel without strength. Our strength is not found in anything but the Lord our God. He is the One who upholds us, and He is the One who says, “Fear not!” It does not take much watching of the news to feel fearful of what is going on, and to lose sight that our God is still on the throne Isaiah 41:13 We are told again here not to fear as the Lord our God is the One who holds our hand, and He is the One who will help and sustain us. We often get fearful by what we see and hear but ...

A Dash of Time

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:00:01 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 31 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of time, how short life is and how we should be spending our time. 1828 Websters A particular portion or part of duration, whether past, present or future. The time was; the time has been; the time is; the time will be. Lost time is never found again.” Key Verse Psalm 90:12 Time is the really the only thing that we have equal access to until we do not. Time is a gift from God and cannot be bought, borrowed or ever found again as the dictionary would define it. We cannot pause time and get an extra hour of sleep or to use it again once it has been used. Time is a precious commodity, and we often take it for granted the time we have been given. Why is time important? The time for salvation is now! 2 Corinthians 6:2 Salvation is not something to put off as the wrath of God abides on everyone who has not put their faith in Jesus Christ John 3:36 Only a fool waits until it is too late. We look at those that perished in the flood because they would not heed the warning that the waters were coming. Many today feel they are “good” but the time is now! Hebrews 9:27 It does not matter who you are, how much money you have, how much you spend on health, or if you have a special diet, we will all face the judgment of almighty God. There is nothing wrong with living healthy but there is no “Cocoon” we can enter that will bring back the days of yesteryear. Life is short There are two absolutes when it comes to life, first life is short and secondly we don’t know when our life will end. Death can be a sobering topic and a topic to be avoided, but the truth of the matter is that we will all die one day. Nobody gets a pass and nobody can avoid it. The question is, how will we spend our short time on earth? In Psalm 90 we read this Psalm of Moses. The children of Israel were about to cross the Jordan into the promise land. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness they were about to reach their destination. It’s as if this Psalm was written as a prayer of thankfulness, humility and blessing. However we see several verses that makes it quite apparent that the children of Israel had an awareness of how short human life is. Psalm 90:10 It’s very similar to what James said on the issue of living a presumptuous life. He basically said, your life is like a vapor. James 4:14 Time is such an interesting concept because people for centuries have been searching for a way to prolong their time on this Earth. There is nothing wrong with eating well and taking care of your body, but the fact of the matter is that our lives are in the hands of our Creator and He is the one that determines how many days we have on this earth. Life is so short and precious and it reiterates once again why we must number our days. 70 when you are 15 seems like a long time but it really seems short the older, we get. This episode is titled “A Dash of Time” but our life is the dash between the year we are born and the year we end. It is a dash from the time you are born to the time God decides to take you home or calls you to judgment. The main problem is taking life for granted The primary issue is that we get comfortable and complacent and therefore we take life for granted and foolishly we make the assumption that we will live to a ripe old age. We assume that we will be around for many years to come like the verse in Psalms which talks about 70 or 80 years, but the reality is that we just don’t know. The problem with being comfortable and complacent is that we forget about God. Remember what the children of Israel did when Moses went up to Mount Sinai Exodus 32:1 They completely forgot God and they became impatient with Moses and they gave themselves over to idolatry. Remember David on the roof top, he was comfortable and complacent when He should have been on the battlefield with his army and in his complacency he fell into sin committing adultery and mur...

Help, I’ve fallen!

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 09:00:34 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 30 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of failure. FA'ILURE, noun fa'ilyur. A failing; deficience; cessation of supply, or total defect; as the failure of springs or streams; failure of rain; failure of crops. Omission; non-performance; as the failure of a promise; a man's failure in the execution of a trust. Key verse Luke 16:9 January 17 is the typical day where New Year’s resolutions are broken. That is a total of 17 days after they have started. It does not take long for the ambition of yesterday to become the failure of today. We all come to a point in our lives where we do not add up to the standards of others and to the standards, we set for ourselves. Have you ever failed at something in your life? Well, you are in good company. If we are honest it’s not fun to fail and if we are honest sometimes it hurts. It’s like they say death and taxes are inevitable, but failure is also inevitable. The bible also tells us to expect trouble. Job 14:1 It’s not a matter if failure will happen, it’s a matter of when. How do you look at failure? Do you see failure as a negative thing? Does failure define who you are? Do you see failure as an opportunity to grow and learn? Success is a pile of failure that you are standing on. -Dave Ramsey I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. - Michael Jordan For Christians, failure is a negative response to our trials and testing. Sometimes we call these sanctification tests. We get presented with a set of circumstances and then we must chose how to respond. At times we pass the test and other times we do not pass the test. As you mature as a Christian, we hope that there are more wins than losses. The Christian life is about your sanctification and how over time you are changed into the image of Christ. It’s about the journey and what you learn, and how you mature as a Christian and it’s often times of testing and trial that we have opportunity to grow as Christians. Interestingly, the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. If you were to take a straight shot from Egypt to the promised land, they likely could have made it there in under 5 years. But God was trying to teach them to depend on Him, to trust Him to obey Him. Some learned and grew in that fashion and others did not. Examples of failure from scripture Numbers 20:10-12 Moses sister Miriam had died, the people talked of stoning him, the people were thirsty, and Moses the meek man, lost it and struck the rock. He was told to speak to it but out of frustration, he struck it twice. He failed in reaching the promised land, and he was told he would not see it with the people he had led for all those years. Moses, needless to say had a bad week. How about David? II Samuel 11:14-17 David saw Uriah’s wife and had to have her for herself. He tried to cover his sin which is impossible to do, and in his attempt to do so, he had Uriah killed in battle. David was entrusted as the king to protect and look out for the people, but here he was pursuing his own lusts and doing the opposite of protecting his people. David failed in being a righteous king, failed in self-control and failed in pleasing God. Ever failed in these areas? Ever tried to hide your sin? How did that go? Matthew 26:69-75 Have you done something to deny Christ in your life? Have you ever been ashamed of Him? How about in your witness of Him? We all fail at some point in our Christian lives and many times it is several times throughout the day. God can only use people that have failed because that is all there is. A preacher once said, “Failure is not a person, but it is an event.” The mark is perfection but there is no such thing as perfection. Romans 3:23

Got self-control?

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:00:03 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 29 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of self-control. RESTRA'INT, noun “The act or operation of holding back or hindering from motion, in any manner; hinderance of the will, or of any action, physical, moral or mental.”- Websters 1828 Freedom That Lasts definition of self-control: “Adding self-control means instantly obeying God’s Word in the power of God’s spirit.” II Peter 1:6 We say this verse every Friday night in Freedom That Lasts and it is important in dealing with any type of sin that we show temperance or to say another way, self-control. Self-control is so difficult. But why? It’s simple, we like to indulge ourselves and pleasure ourselves because we are selfish. The problem with this is that the things we want to do often times are things that we ought not to do because they are sinful in nature. It’s like the diet thing, we all love to eat tacos, burgers and pizza, because they taste good but unfortunately those things are unhealthy when consumed without restrain and can lead to not only obesity but can cause serious health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure and so on. How do we discipline ourselves to be obedient to God? The first step to self-control is to be a born again believer. When you are born again the scriptures tell us that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Ephesians 1:13 Since the Holy Spirit dwells within you, the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians is the result of the Holy Spirit’s presence in a believers life. Therefore if you don’t have the Holy Spirit, it is impossible for you to exercise self-control because you are a slave to sin. Obedience requires that a believer to deny himself which isn’t always easy, but in reality to deny oneself is to be obedient to God. Luke 9:23-24 Practicing instant obedience Matthew 7:24-25 It takes self-control to not only hear the words of Jesus Christ but to do them and live them out in your own life. We all know how to lose weight and get in shape, but to live it out and do it is another issue altogether. Be in our spiritual lives what will we build our house on? Will we be foolish or wise in our obedience to the Word. Romans 6:19 Prior to salvation, we always obeyed and yielded to our flesh showing no self- control. Now that we have been redeemed, we should yield our bodies to purity and holiness. Psalms 119:33-34 David was asking God to give him understanding, so that he might exhibit self-control in obeying God’s Word. Delayed obedience is disobedience, and we can often reason within ourselves and rationalize sin if we choose not to obey immediately. Examples of no self-control Adam and Eve We see Eve as she thought the fruit was nice looking and good for food. She also was tempted by the serpent to be like God knowing good and evil. This one act of disobedience and lack of self-control has lead to the fall of mankind. Because of this we are born sinners and condemned because of of the sin nature we inherit going all the way back to Adam and Eve. Samson Married a philistine woman which was prohibited by his parents, he broke his nazarite vow ate honey from a dead carcass, and divulged the secret to his strength to Delilah to his detriment. It’s as if Samson acted on impulse, and did whatever pleased himself with no regard for God. David and Bathsheba David was king, already had 6 wives, which was prohibited according to Deuteronomy 17:17, and by lack of self-control, he allowed his lust to take over and committed adultery with Bathsheba which eventually lead to the murder Uriah. His lack of self-control had repercussions for generations to come. King Solomon According to 1 Kings 11, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Ecclesiastes 2:10 At the root of all these examples we see a disregard for self-control, and a regard for selfishness and pleasing ones self. In contrast we see direct disobedience to God which has u...

God with us

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 09:00:12 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 28 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss a name given to Jesus, Immanuel. Key Verse Matthew 1:23 - Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” This was the angel speaking to Mary, giving her insight to God’s plan to save His people from their sin. I can’t imagine what was going through Mary’s mind. Was she thinking, why me? Who am I to have this happen? How can this be? I bet there were a million questions racing through her mind, yet she likely didn’t even see the big picture. If we look back to the old testament, we see a prophecy that was given during the rain of Ahaz, king of Judah, an evil King. This prophecy was given as a sign to Ahaz, but it was actually a prophecy of the coming Messiah that we see fulfilled in Matthew chapter 1 which would be about 700 years later. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel - is a masculine Hebrew name meaning “God with us” or “God is with us.” What about the name Jesus vs. Immanuel? The name Jesus, given to Joseph in Matthew 1:21 and Mary in Luke 1:31, means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” In the Hebrew and Aramaic, the name is Yeshua. This name is a combination of Ya, an abbreviation for Yahweh, the name of Israel’s God; and the verb yasha, meaning “rescue,” “deliver,” or “save.” Matthew 1:20-21 Luke 1:30-31 Evidence for God “with us” in the flesh We see evidence of this truth in the book of 1 Timothy that Jesus was God in the flesh. This is a very gospel rich verse as well. 1 Timothy 1:16 John also gives testimony of Jesus, God in the flesh, dwelling among us. John 1:14 Colossians 2:9 He dwelt among us and experienced life as a human being Philippians 2:6-11 Jesus lowered Himself to become man yet He did not lay aside His deity. He was 100% man and 100% God. It is truly amazing and also comforting that the God of the universe was tempted just like we are, experienced loss, and pain and sadness just like us and He did not sin as a result. We fail on a daily basis, and it’s just more plain to see that we need Jesus and can’t live a righteous life without him. Just like it talks about in John 15, we can do nothing unless we abide in the vine, which was our last podcast episode. Hebrews 4:15 Why did Jesus come to be with us? It’s quite simple. We are sinners on our way to eternity apart from God. Out of great love for a people who unlovely, Jesus stepped in to save us from eternal damnation. In Matthew we see the angel speaking to Joseph stating the purpose for Jesus. Matthew 1:21 In the book of Luke Jesus testifies of Himself and His mission. Luke 19:10 This is what makes the name it claim it movement false. Jesus didn’t come to make your dreams come true. He came to rescue you from yourself. He came to give you new life, eternal life which is worth more than new cars, big houses, jewelry, and money. Why did Jesus come in the flesh? Couldn’t Jesus just speak forgiveness and forgive all humanity? Perhaps, but God is a God of order, and integrity and truth. He can’t go against His nature. We read in Hebrews that the only way sins can be forgiven is by the shedding of blood or a blood sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22 Not just any sacrifice, the sacrifice must be without spot or blemish just as the lamb sacrifices in the old testament. Hebrews 9:14 Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that fulfilled all the old testament sacrifices and covered any future sacrifice that would be necessary, literally the perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 9:24-28 Why did God send Jesus, His only Son? Psalm 50:10 In other words, God owns everything. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are poor in comparison because God owns all. But what could God give that would actually cost Him something? His Son is the only thing of value or worth, everything on this Earth including the Earth could be spoken into existence by God, but sending His Son was ultimately a sacrifice and He did it because He loves us.

Are you abiding in the Vine?

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 08:00:43 -0700

Abundant Life Episode 27 In this episode Saso and Ben discuss what it means to abide in the Vine. ABI'DE - to be, or exist, to continue; W. bod, to be; to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for anytime indefinitely. 1. To rest, or dwell. Genesis 29:19. 2. To tarry or stay for a short time. Genesis 24:55. 3. To continue permanently or in the same state; to be firm and immovable. Psalms 119:90. 4. To remain, to continue. Acts 27:31. Ecclesiastes 8:15. Websters 1828 Key verse John 15:1-6 Philippians 4:13 This is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible as it pertains to having the strength to do what God has commanded us to do. We are helpless without His divine help; we are fools to think we can anything without the help of the Father What is abiding in Christ? John 15:5 As Christians we tend to say things like abide in Christ, or walk in the Spirit, but do we really understand what that means. When someone asks you, are you abidding in Christ, how do you respond? Are we talking about the act of abiding or the position of abiding. When a person is saved the Bible describes the person as being “in Christ”. Romans 8:1 2 Corinthians 5:17 If you were asked, are you in Christ or not, what would you say? How do you become "in Christ"? In Christ Galatians 3:26-27 According to this verse you are in Christ through faith. So now let’s move backward to find out what through faith means. What is Faith? Ephesians 2:8-9 According to Ephesians, you are saved by grace through faith and goes on to say that it is the gift of God and not of your own works. If we were saved by our good works, then we’d go around bragging about it according to this verse. And if we are honest, that would be true because we all have a this little thing called pride that loves to show it’s face when we think we’ve achieved something. Also, since this is a gift, then there wouldn’t be any works involved because I’ve never heard of working for a gift. Saso your love language is gifts. When was the last time you worked for a birthday gift? This is likely them most profound verse that separates true Christians from all world religions. But why? Romans 6:23 Now we know what the free gift or salvation is, it’s eternal life in Christ Jesus, but we still need to understand what through faith is talking about because that is the link to get the gift of eternal life. Romans 9:1 Since the concept of belief is intangible, someone can simply say “I believe” and it won’t mean a hill of beans. According to James 2:19 even the demons believe and shudder but we know very well that the demons are not saved. The concept of believe is not just to have understanding and knowledge which causes to believe, but the key ingredient is dependence. For example, if you ask a person, do you believe that you can get on a plane and fly to Florida. Most people will say that they believe. But the dependence comes when they actually get on the plain and fly to Florida. Thats the kind of belief being spoken of. But why are you placing your dependence on Jesus? Romans 9:1 that we read earlier, that you are believing in the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus suffered and died and was raised on the third day all so that God could forgive your sins and give you this free gift of eternal life so long as you place your faith in Jesus. It’s so simple yet many will miss this. Please don’t miss this! I was saved, not because I’m good but because God is good and God looked down at helpless me and sent His son to die for me. What a glorious truth brother! Ben What does this have to do with abiding in Christ? Everything! From what we just went through it’s your position in Christ or your position not in Christ. The difference from being saved and not being saved. What is the evidence for being saved?

Thank you Lord!

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 10:00:00 -0700

In this special Thanksgiving Episode Saso and Ben give thanks to God for His many blessings. THANK'FULNESS,noun Expression of gratitude; acknowledgment of a favor.1. Gratitude; a lively sense of good received.The celebration of these holy mysteries being ended, retire with all thankfulness of heart for having been admitted to that heavenly feast. Websters 1828 Key Verse Ephesians 5:20 1 Thessalonians 5:18 We are thankful to God for: God’s grace John 1:16 God’s provision Genesis 22:14 & Psalm 107 God’s love Romans 8:38 Our wives Proverbs 18:22 Jaden Surgery / Recovery 1 Peter 1 Friends and fellowship Acts 2:42 Pastors and Church James 3:1 Missionaries Luke 10:2 Psalm 28:7 Psalm 100:1-5 Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless you. Remember to give thanks to our great God! Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Boss and Employee Relationship

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 10:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben discuss the boss and employee relationship according to Ephesians 6:5-9. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Children Obey Your Parents

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -0700

In this Episode Saso and Ben talk about children and how God requires obedience and honor toward parents. Key Verse Ephesians 6:1-3 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Websters 1828 Obey - To comply with the commands, orders or instructions of a superior, or with the requirements of law, moral, political or municipal; to do that which is commanded or required, or to forbear doing that which is prohibited. Honor - The esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

The Role of a Father

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0700

In this Episode Saso and Ben talk about men and their important role as a father. Ephesians 6:4 - And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Husbands Love Your Wives

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0700

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Honor and Respect

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:00:00 -0700

In this Episode Saso and Ben with special guest Rebekah Mendez talk about honor and respect and a woman's role as a wife. Role of a wife and example of Sara 1 Peter 3:5-6 Ephesians 5:21 Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives do you come under your husband? Do you treat him as fool? Do you respect him? Ephesians 5:33 Do you reverence (respect, honor) your husband or do you put him down and belittle him? Currently we live in a culture where agendas are being pushed and it’s so wonder that we have corrupted God’s plan for marriage. It’s really just rebellion against God. 1 Samuel 15:23 Did you catch that? Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Do you rebel? What submission is not Submission is not to men in general Submission is not a depiction of lesser value Galatians 3:28 Submission is not an excuse to sin Submission is not an outward-only “check the box” activity Submission is not a defeatist attitude 1 Peter 3:1 Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

The Power of Love

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0700

In this Episode Saso and Ben discuss the topic of biblical love and more specifically agape love. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Forgive one another as God in Christ forgave you

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the issue of forgiving one another because we've been forgiven so much. Forgiveness does not mean “bro, now you owe me a solid”. Forgiveness means the debt is canceled and now you no longer have a hook, the debtor does not owe anything. It’s like paying the bill for your food at the restaurant. Once it’s paid you don’t owe anything else, there fore nothing else should be expected by the restaurant. The Lord’s prayer speaking of forgiveness and an example of how we should pray for others who sin against us Matthew 6:12-15 Colossians 3:13 How often should we forgive? Matthew 18:21-22 Examples of Forgiveness in Scripture Joseph - Genesis 50:19 Stephen - Acts 7:59-60 Simon Peter - Luke 24:34 Jesus Christ - Luke 23:34 The new covenant with the house of Israel and house of Judah Hebrews 8:11-12 John 8:3-11 Forgiveness is a command Ephesians 4:30-32 Since forgiveness is a command, we must willfully make the decision to obey God and forgive others. Forgivness is conditional Matthew 6:14 Also, the prerequisite to biblically forgiving others is to be forgiven. If you’ve not placed your faith in Christ, if you’ve not been born again as spoken of in John 3, then you are incapable of forgiving others as commanded in scripture. What about forgive and forget? This is a common question among Christians. We can’t selectively choose what we want to forget. In fact there are many things stored in our brains that we’d like to delete but it's just not possible. Unfortunately there are things we do forget but we don’t willfully forget them because it’s impossible for us to forget things on demand. The bible never tells us to forget, however, the Bible tells us to be prudent. Proverbs 22:3 Forgiveness and trust are two different things. Forgiveness means that you’ve released the person from any type of repayment or retribution. However, that means that the dynamics of the relationship may and will likely change until trust is regained which can take time and honestly, trust may never be regained. We are not instructed to forget but we are instructed to love and pray for enemies. Matthew 5:44 Romans 12:18 Consequences of unforgiveness The bad thing about unforgiveness is that it leads to other sins like anger, jealousy, bitterness, and hate. Just think what the United States of America would be like if we just forgave each other. What would our world be like if forgiveness was a priority? The parable of the unmerciful servant Matthew 18:22-23 What prevented the servant from forgiving his fellow servant? Pride and greed! And what was the consequence? Matthew 18:35 Why is there a need for forgiveness? Romans 5:8 Who are we to not forgive? After all I’ve been forgiven so much. Romans 6:23 Romans 5:12 Romans 6:23 Psalm 51:5 Forgiveness available for all of us 2 Corinthians 5:21 Prodigal Son Luke 15:18-24 Who do you need to forgive? Has anyone plucked out your beard? Put a crown of thorns on your head? God help us to forgive as we have been forgiven of all of our unrighteousness if we have placed our faith in Him. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Abundant Friends

Wed, 26 May 2021 14:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the to topic if friendship. Do you have solid, biblical friendships? If not, you are missing out! Paul & Barnabas - Acts 15:36-40 What are friends for? Comfort - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Forgiveness - 1 Peter 4:8-10 Unity - Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 Sharpening - Hebrews 10:24, Proverbs 27:17 How are we to be good friends? 1 John 4:7 How do we know we are to love our brothers and sisters in the faith? John 4:21 Jesus is our example John 15:13 John 13:1 Jesus command to love one another John 15:12-14 Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Help Thou My Unbelief

Tue, 04 May 2021 14:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of unbelief. Mark 9:17 - 24 - Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, r“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” We want to believe but there comes a time when we need to ask God to help our unbelief. The times where we are discouraged, or we have asked for many years with no change that we can see. “Help thou mine unbelief.” Essentially the sin of unbelief is the equivalent of us saying, God you are not enough and I don’t trust you. We would never shake our fist at God and say that, but if we are honest, our actions portray it. It’s our beliefs that fuels our desire for sin and our beliefs are formed in our minds. And as we’ve talked about in past episodes, the mind is battleground for spiritual warfare. It’s in our minds that we form beliefs. It’s in our minds where we decide what we believe and how we will behave and act according to those beliefs. What is your belief in today? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Have you put your belief in Him? May our prayer be, “Help thou mine unbelief.” Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

God’s Hope and Help for Change

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:00:00 -0700

Is it possible to change? Is it possible to have victory over sin? Yes! 100% Biblical change can happen for any believer no matter what the sin. Thats encouraging! But there is a catch. The prerequisite for change is salvation. You must be born again. You must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, otherwise victory over sin is impossible. Apart from salvation, we have no power to stop sinning. Why is that? Here are a couple supporting verses. 1 Corinthians 1:18 1 Corinthians 2:14 The bottom line is this. The word of God is what changes us, however, if you are not a Christian, you can’t understand the things of God, therefore you can’t change. In Episode 14 we spoke about God’s grace. God’s grace is the means that changes us. But we can’t experience this grace unless we are born again. It’s God’s grace that saves us and it’s also God’s grace that changes us. Titus 2:11-12 What is the pattern of biblical change? According to Ephesians 4 he pattern for change is put off - renew - put on. Let’s take a look. Ephesians 4:17-24 - Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Passion Week Reflections

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben reflect on various events of the passion week. Happy Resurrection Sunday. He is risen - He is risen indeed! Messianic Prophecy Genesis 3:15 Crucifixion ProphecyDaniel 9:27 Crucifixion Prophecy Isaiah 53:5 Mary anoints Jesus John 12:1-8 Jesus washes disciples feet - John 13:1-17 High Priestly Prayer - John 17:9,20 Peter’s denial foretold - Luke 22:31-34 Gethsemane Prayer - Luke 22:43-44 Peter Denies Jesus - Luke 22:56-61 Judas Hangs Himself - Acts 1:18 & Matthew 27:3-5 Jesus Coronation - Matthew 27:27-31 Jesus forgives soldiers - Luke 23:34 Jesus Crucified between two thieves - Luke 23:39-43 Jesus Provision for Mother John - 19:26-27 Empty Tomb - Luke 24:1-12 Road To Emaus - Luke 24:13-24 Thomas Believes - John 20:24-29 Peter Restored - John 21:15-19 Ascension - Acts 1:8-11 Second Coming Warning - Matthew 24:36-38 Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

God’s amazing abounding grace

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben cover the topic of God's amazing abounding grace. How do I gain victory in a world full of sin? Because of God’s grace should I continue in my sin? Why do I still struggle with my sin nature and my besetting sins? How can I be victorious? Take the grace has given you as discussed in Romans 5:20-21 Testimony of God’s grace in the midst of a wicked world Are you praying for God’s grace? God does not always say yes to what we ask for or even a bad thing we may ask to be taken away. Grace is always a sign of God’s good will towards us and it is sufficient in all things and for all things. We would not go to Him if we felt capable of being successful within ourselves. True victory is only found in Christ Jesus and only through His grace are we truly strong. Will you allow His grace to abound in you? Will you come boldly before Him and ask for His grace and will you take it when He gives it to you? Are you sinning and presuming upon God’s grace? God forbid! Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Lord, teach us to pray

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 19:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk the topic of prayer. Why should we pray? Where should we pray? What and how should we pray? We need to praise Him When should we pray? Asking in His name Name it claim it theology Ask in Faith Ask From A Pure Heart What will be changed because you decided to pray? What will God do through your prayers? There is no magic formula for praying. In fact some prayers are simply a few words like “Lord help me”, and some prayers are very carefully thought out like Jesus High Priestly Prayer in John 17. Prayer is simply talking to God. The question is, are you engaging? Is this something you are doing on a regular basis? Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Setting spiritual goals for 2021

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about setting spiritual goals in 2021. This episode will be divided in two parts. In the first half, we will address the following question. Is it biblical to set spiritual goals and if so, how should I go about it? In the second half, Saso will share 10 of his personal spiritual goals. Remember, goals are not a direct command in scripture, but scripture does encourage planning. At the end of the day, growing in Christ should begin at salvation and not cease until the Lord returns or till you go to glory. We should strive to be holy and to give God all the glory. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

The Greatest Gift Ever

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the greatest gift ever, our Saviors birth. Scripture references: Daniel 9:24-25 Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah 53 Luke 2:1-38 Merry Christmas and a Happy New year from our family to yours. Saso & Ben Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Never Alone

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of loneliness. Loneliness is a serious matter. Just to be clear, being alone and loneliness are two different things. One could be alone yet fell content, and another could be in a crowd of people and feel lonely. Or loneliness could be the effect of being alone. Confused yet? There are many people around the world that will experience loneliness caused by some circumstance. Whether male or female, believer or unbeliever, nobody is immune to this state of mind. Loneliness is an emotion and a very powerful one at that. It can cause people to isolate, get depressed, experience anxiety, frustration, sadness, be angry, be bitter, be discontent, all negative consequences of loneliness. And this state of loneliness seems to be amplified around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas because those holidays typically revolve around family activities and gatherings where people are usually together. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

An Attitude of Gratitude

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of gratitude. Do you see God as good in your life? Do you realize how good your God is? Are you truly thankful to God for all that He has done for you? Do you count your blessings? Is God truly good? Do you believe that? Do you tell Him? May we have an attitude of gratitude and may we not relinquish it to one day where we seem to be more thankful for the turkey than we are for anything else. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Are you being changed into His image?

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of sanctification. Below are some notes and thoughts directly derived from this episode. Enjoy! The first part of the process is changing from your way to God’s way. Salvation is the changing of the mind and the process to start to walk a new road, and serve a new master Romans 6:4 I received Christ, but now what? What changes? Romans 6:11 Colossians 3:3 The power that saved is the same power that changes us through the help of the Holy Spirit. We will receive emancipation from the slavery we endured when we were lost. John 8:36 2 Peter 1:4 We no longer are saddled with the old nature, but we have escaped that corruption. The word sanctify at it’s basic level, means to set apart. If you are a blood bought child of God, and you have been born again, then you have been sanctified. You’ve been positional set apart in Christ. Hebrews 10:10 Sanctification is also the act of making holy or another way to phrase it, it is he pursuit of Godliness. We are commanded to continue in this process of holiness. Philippians 2:12-13 Notice how it’s God that does the work through us. And it’s only possible if you have been regenerated or born again. If you’ve not received Christ as your Lord and Savior we suggest going back and listening to Episode 6, because if you’ve not been born again, this episode will likely not be a help to you. Does sanctification mean we are just to be moral nice people? Not entirely. In fact the Pharisees were very moral people. This is what Jesus said about the pharisees: Mark 7:6-7 Since God is our standard, let's begin by talking about God and His holiness. God is holy and He does not need to be sanctified, He already is. God is pure, set apart and separate from us. Isaiah 45:22 The idea is that God is separate and distinct from His creation. In fact, we are called to be holy because He is Holy. Leviticus 19:1-2 If we are going to talk about the process of becoming holy, we must know what it is to be holy. Simply put, God is holy and the process of sanctification is to become holy. To focus this idea in a little more, the process of sanctification is to become Christ like. It is not just a rules checklist, or being moral, because there are a lot of people that are morally good. It’s about being like Christ. Be sure to checkout the Changed into His Image book by Dr. Jim Berg. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

The Gospel of Idolatry

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In the last episode we covered the topic of the Gospel of Jesus Christ or the Good News of Jesus Christ. This episode is called the Gospel of Idolatry. Why in the world did we title this episode the Gospel of Idolatry? There are things we place importance on that that is not the good news, it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ but the "gospel" of an idol we have set up in our life. The problems the experiences of our life will never bring us joy nor will they allow for the rejoicing of my heart. My heart rejoices in Him and the gospel of Jesus Christ. John 16:33 Jesus has overcome this world, He is our hope He is our joy, the gospel, good news! Proclaim Jesus Christ and not your own agenda or soap box in which you stand. Do you preach the gospel of Jesus Christ or do you preach something in place of it? Do you make your own personal issues or agendas more important than God’s Word? Are you focused on the truth or do you refuse to be corrected? May we align our thoughts with God and may we about His business. Luke 2:49 John 4:14 The point is not simply give someone water but to offer them the water (Gospel) which is the water that fully satisfies the thirst. Mark 8:36 Our encouragement to you is to repent, forsake your sin, confess and be restored to fellowship with Jesus. 1 John 1:9 Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Below are some notes and thoughts directly derived from this episode. Enjoy! The fact of the matter is that Jesus left the throne of heaven to be born of a virgin, 100% God and 100% man, he ministered on this Earth never once sinning. He was then innocently murdered by way of crucifixion, he died, and was buried. On the third day he rose from the dead conquering sin and death. Why did he do this? Because God loves us so much and he wants to have a personal relationship with you. But the fact of the matter is that many will reject these truths, hence rejecting God and therefore leading to eternal death. How about you? What will you do with the gospel? Will you almost be persuaded? Will you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior? Will you believe in the death, burial and resurrection of the spotless lamb? Will you put your faith in Jesus Christ today? Would you like to receive Jesus as your savior today? Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Do you repent like Judas or like Peter?

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of repentance. Below are some notes and thoughts directly derived from this episode. Enjoy! Repentance is a very important topic because the Bible mentions the word repent over 100 times (depending on Bible version). What does it mean? What is true repentance? How do we know if we have genuine repentance? Should we pray for repentance? Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Should Christians Really be Humble?

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 15:00:00 -0700

In this episode, Saso and Ben will be talking about what humility is all about and how it applies to the Christian life. If you take a look around, in the news in social media you’d be hard pressed to find someone who is humble and is behaving with humility. The message out there is for you to "be heard", and "be known" because you need to "be a somebody". Then you have those that would frown on humility because to be humble means to be weak or perhaps not confident. So what is humility and should Christians be humble people? Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Are you biblically surrendered?

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about biblical surrender for unbelievers and believers. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

Are you a tree planted by the water?

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode Saso and Ben discuss Psalm 1 and how living the abundant life is like a tree planted by water. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)

The Abundant Life

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 10:00:00 -0700

In this episode Ben and Saso discuss John 10:1-10 and how the Abundant Life podcast was derived from these verses. Support the show (https://abundantlife.fm)