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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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You Need a Do-Over (John 3)

Some passages of Scripture are so familiar that we can miss how shocking they really are. For many Christians, phrases like “born again” or verses like John 3:16 feel normal because we’ve heard them countless times. But when Jesus first spoke these words, they were revolutionary. They challenged deeply held assumptions about religion, identity, and how someone could truly know God.

In John 3, we meet a man named Nicodemus. He was not a skeptic or an outsider to religion. In fact, he was the opposite. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling Jewish council known as the Sanhedrin. He was educated, respected, and deeply committed to the Law of Moses. If anyone looked qualified for God’s kingdom from a human perspective, it would have been Nicodemus.

Yet when Nicodemus came to Jesus, he discovered that even the most religious person needs something radical: a spiritual rebirth.

Seeking Truth in the Dark

John tells us that Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night.

John 3:1–2 (NLT)

“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. ‘Rabbi,’ he said, ‘we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.’”

Many people assume Nicodemus came at night because he was afraid of what the other Pharisees might think. That may be part of the story. Later in John 7, Nicodemus shows hesitation when defending Jesus before the other leaders, suggesting he may have struggled with fear of their opinions.

But another possibility is simpler: Jesus was constantly surrounded by crowds. Night may have been the only time Nicodemus could have a real conversation with Him.

Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: Nicodemus was searching for truth. Unlike many religious leaders who accused Jesus of performing miracles by the power of the devil, Nicodemus acknowledged that Jesus’ signs pointed to God’s work.

Still, Nicodemus was about to learn that recognizing Jesus as a teacher wasn’t enough.

Religion Isn’t Enough — We Need New Life

Without even waiting for Nicodemus to ask a question, Jesus went straight to the heart of the issue.

John 3:3 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

This must have been shocking. Nicodemus believed that being born Jewish and faithfully following the Law put him in a good position with God. If anyone was ready for God’s kingdom, surely it was someone like him.

But Jesus says something radically different: you don’t need improvement—you need rebirth.

The phrase “born again” can also mean “born from above.” The idea is a complete spiritual restart. Our problem isn’t that we just need to clean up our behavior. Our problem runs deeper—we are spiritually broken and need new life that only God can give.

Confused, Nicodemus asked how this could possibly happen.

John 3:4 (NLT)

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Nicodemus took Jesus’ words literally, but Jesus was describing spiritual transformation. A person must be “born of water and the Spirit,” pointing to the cleansing and renewal promised in the Old Testament.

Ezekiel 36:25–27 (NLT)

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean… And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.”

Jesus wasn’t introducing a brand-new idea. He was revealing the fulfillment of God’s promise to cleanse His people and give them new hearts through His Spirit.

God’s Love Made the Rescue Possible

Later in the conversation, Jesus explained how this new life would become possible.

John 3:13–15 (NLT)

“No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”

Jesus referenced a story from Numbers 21. When the Israelites were bitten by poisonous snakes, God told Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole. Anyone who looked at it in faith would live.

The solution sounded simple—even strange—but it required trust in God’s word.

In the same way, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. Salvation wouldn’t come through human effort or religious performance. It would come through faith in the One God sent.

This brings us to the most famous verse in the Bible.

John 3:16–17 (NLT)

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

God’s motivation was love. Jesus didn’t come primarily to condemn the world, but to rescue it. Through His death and resurrection, He makes it possible for anyone to experience the spiritual rebirth Nicodemus needed—and that we all need.

The Same Invitation Today

Nicodemus came searching for answers, and Jesus gave him something deeper than information. He gave him an invitation.

The truth is that every one of us is more like Nicodemus than we might realize. We may try to clean up our behavior, rely on religion, or assume we’re good enough. But Jesus says the real solution is far greater: a brand-new life from God.

Through faith in Jesus, we can experience the do-over our souls truly need.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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The Good Shepherd: Rediscovering Psalm 23

If you grew up in church, you’ve probably heard Psalm 23 so many times that it almost feels automatic. You may even have it memorized. But God’s Word is alive and active. These aren’t sentimental words for funerals—they are life-giving truth for everyday valleys.

Psalm 23 invites us to see something stunning: the Almighty God of the universe is not distant or impersonal. He is our Shepherd.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Psalm 23 opens with a deeply personal declaration: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

Notice “Lord” is in all capital letters. This is Yahweh—the covenant name of God. David isn’t talking about a vague higher power. He’s talking about the personal, promise-keeping God of Israel.

David knew what a shepherd was because he had been one. When the prophet Samuel came to anoint Israel’s future king, David wasn’t even invited to the ceremony. He was out in the fields tending sheep. He had risked his life to protect them.

1 Samuel 17:34–35 (NLT)

“But David persisted. ‘I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,’ he said. ‘When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth… I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.’”

David understood the fierce love of a shepherd. So when he called God his Shepherd, he meant protector, provider, and guide.

Centuries later, Jesus used the same imagery:

John 10:11 (NLT)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

John 10:14–15 (NLT)

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me… So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”

David risked his life for sheep. Jesus gave His life for us. That’s the difference between a good shepherd and the Good Shepherd.

Entering His Rest

“I have all that I need.” Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

We may not have all that we want, but in Christ we have everything we need. From an eternal perspective, what do we truly need? Forgiveness of sins. Righteousness before a holy God. Access to His kingdom. Jesus provides all of it.

“He lets me rest in green meadows.” Psalm 23:2 (NLT)

The image is nourishment and peace. Sheep only lie down when they feel safe. The Shepherd provides security so they can rest.

Hebrews 4:9–11 (NLT)

“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God… For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors… So let us do our best to enter that rest.”

We rest in the finished work of Jesus. The Christian life is not passive—we work hard, we endure trials—but we no longer strive to earn God’s approval. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The pressure to prove ourselves is replaced by peace.

“He leads me beside peaceful streams.” Psalm 23:2 (NLT)

Water is life in the desert. Jesus satisfies the deepest thirst of our souls.

Through the Darkest Valley

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

Notice David says “when,” not “if.” Suffering is part of the journey.

Jesus was honest about that.

John 16:33 (NLT)

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

If David was walking through the valley, it’s because the Shepherd led him there. A good shepherd doesn’t lose track of his sheep. Sometimes the route to green pastures goes through dark ravines. The Shepherd knows what lies on the other side.

Romans 8:18 (NLT)

“What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”

If you’re in a valley, it’s not an accident. God is not unaware. He is leading, even there.

Protective, Not Restrictive

“Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

The rod was used to defend against predators. The staff was used to guide wandering sheep. Both represent care.

God’s boundaries are not restrictive; they are protective. David understood this well:

Psalm 19:7–8 (NLT)

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul… The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.”

God’s Word revives, warns, and rewards. His commands are sweeter than honey and more valuable than gold. The Shepherd’s discipline and direction are evidence of His love.

A Feast in the Valley

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.” Psalm 23:5 (NLT)

The enemies haven’t disappeared. The valley hasn’t vanished. Yet there is a banquet.

God doesn’t always remove the threat; sometimes He sustains us right in front of it. One day we will join the ultimate feast, when sin and death are gone forever. But even now, He provides abundantly.

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23:6 (NLT)

Like a shepherd chasing after wandering sheep, God pursues us with goodness and mercy. And the psalm ends with hope that stretches beyond this life:

“And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 (NLT)

Jesus said He is preparing a place for us in His Father’s house. Our Shepherd not only walks with us now—He secures our forever.

Psalm 23 is not sentimental poetry. It is a declaration of reality. The Lord is our Shepherd. In green pastures and dark valleys alike, He is enough.

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Physical Needs are the Start

Being a Biblical provider is not limited to putting a roof over your family’s head and food on the table, but it certainly includes that.

1 Timothy 5:8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

1. Just did a whole series on work and the fact that work is good. God created us to work. Not going to go back and dig into those specifics. You can go back and review those episodes.
2. You should be the hardest working member of your household. I didn’t necessarily say you should be the primary breadwinner. I think you should be a breadwinner, but If you and your wife both work and she makes more than you, you shouldn’t carry around shame. I think the church in America has laid a lot of unnecessary guilt on both men and women in this regard. Read Proverbs 31. That was a wife who definitely contributed financially to the household and she’s praised for it. I know it was primarily an agricultural economy then, there wasn’t a lot of surplus, but I don’t think we should just throw that away in our current services and data centered economy.
3. I know some couples who are very good stewards with the resources God has given them. They don’t spend lavishly. They’re generous, and they need two incomes to make ends meet. And there are other couples who could get by on one income, but choose not to because of their lifestyle.

Affirm, Encourage, Correct

As husbands and fathers we’re called to provide encouragement, affirmation, and correction to our wives and children.

1. Difference between Affirmation and Encouragement

Affirmation

Matthew 3:16-17 After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him,[i] and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!

Matthew 17:5-6 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

Encouragement

1 Thessalonians 5:11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Correction

Proverbs 15:5 Only a fool despises a parent’s[a] discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.

Proverbs 17:10 A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

1. Sure, John, why don’t you try correcting my wife and see how that goes. Does she trust you? Does she know you want the best for her? Some of that may be on her and I pray that other Godly women speak into her life. I pray that her pastor or other spiritual leaders can speak into her life.
2. You need to be willing to receive correction from her. She’s your helpmate. She sees the blindspots most others won’t see.

Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk

We are called to create an environment where Gospel conversations are normal and the Gospel is modeled in our lifestyle. We are called to create an environment in our home where it is safe for our children to ask questions and be honest about doubts.

2 Timothy 2:2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

1. Are you connecting the hot buttons of today to the Gospel? Are you using tools like PG to have Bible based conversations on issues like pre-marital sex, drug use, suicide, homosexuality, transgenderism

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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The Gospel is a New Compass

As followers of Jesus, the Gospel doesn’t just change our eternity. It changes everything for us, including our work.

Colossians 3:23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Those who take this Biblical directive seriously will seek the respect of their colleagues for the quality and integrity of their work. This means having a track record of saying what we mean and doing what we say, following through on commitments every time, whether formal or informal, and being transparent and fair minded.

1. Many business ethics courses and books subtly argue that paying attention to the bottom line will force ethical and honest decisions in the long run. If you’re dishonest, it will hurt your reputation, which will lead to lower profits. Won’t there at least be some situations where the short term gains of an ethically questionable act will outweigh the risk?

Proverbs 11:1 The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.

Proverbs 11:11 Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

1. We are to be honest, compassionate, and generous, not because these things are rewarding,(which they usually are), but because they are right in and of themselves - to do so honors the will of God and his design for human life. Sometimes that will put us at a disadvantage, as Bible scholar Bruce Waltke points out, the Bible says the definition of righteous people is that they disadvantage themselves to advantage others, while the wicked are willing to disadvantage the community to advantage themselves.

Work hard for the sake of working hard, not chasing. Not chasing wealth, power, validation, or significance

The Gospel Gives Us a Different View of Humanity

Knowing that all men are created in the image of God changes the way we view those in authority over us and those who work for us.

Ephesians 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. 9 Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

If slave owners are told they must not manage their workers in pride and through fear, how much more should this be true of employers. If slaves are told it’s possible to find satisfaction and meaning in their work, how much more should this be true of workers today?

1. Employees - serve with deep respect and fear, serve them sincerely as you would Christ

A different view of humanity

Are relationships a means to the end of accruing power, wealth, and comfort? Or is wealth creation a means to serve the end goal of loving others? One goes against the grain of the universe made by a triune God, and therefore it can not honor him or lead to human flourishing. The other is the paradigm of Christian work.

People vs. contacts - what can these contacts do for me? It’s even easy to measure congregants in terms of what they can do for the church in terms of service or finances.

Treating people with dignity in the midst of a layoff. Sometimes parts do need to be sacrificed for the good of the whole.

A Different Guidance and Audience

The Gospel gives us a new audience and new guidance. The Holy Spirit directs our choices and empowers us to work in a way that honors God.

A different source of guidance - wisdom is more than just obeying God’s ethical norms, it is knowing the right thing to do in the 80 percent of life’s decisions in which the moral rules don’t provide the clear answer.

When God’s gracious love becomes not an abstract doctrine but a living reality, it means our heart is less controlled by anxiety and pride, two powerful forces that constantly lead us to unwisely over or under react to situations. Second, we must know ourselves. Many bad decisions stem from an inability to know what we are and are not capable of accomplishing. The Gospel keeps us from over or underestimating our own abilities because it shows us both our sin and God’s love for us in Christ.

Matthew 6:25-27 That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

31 So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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HOW A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW IMPACTS OUR WORK

Work takes up a massive portion of our lives. For most of us, it shapes our schedules, our identities, and often our sense of worth. That’s why Scripture has so much to say about it. The Bible doesn’t treat work as a necessary evil or a purely secular task. Instead, it invites us to see work through the lens of worship, purpose, and redemption. When our worldview is shaped by the gospel, it transforms not only why we work, but how we work.

One of the first ways work exposes our hearts is by revealing our idols. An idol isn’t just a statue or a false god—it’s anything we elevate above God or rely on to meet needs only He can fulfill. Work becomes an idol when it takes priority over obedience to God or becomes our source of identity, security, or meaning.

Exodus 20:4–5 (NLT) says, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind… You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” While work is a good gift, good things often become the sneakiest idols. We justify them because they seem productive, responsible, or even virtuous. But when work dominates our thoughts, defines our value, or replaces trust in God’s provision, it has crossed a line.

Jesus speaks directly to this tension in Matthew 6:31–34 (NLT). “So don’t worry about these things… These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.” The issue isn’t thinking about work or provision—it’s what dominates our hearts. Scripture never calls us to escape the physical world. Ecclesiastes reminds us that enjoyment and satisfaction in work are gifts from God. But those gifts are meant to point us back to Him, not replace Him.

The gospel reshapes how we see work by reshaping our worldview. Every worldview answers three core questions: How are things supposed to be? What went wrong? And how can it be fixed? The biblical worldview uniquely answers all three relationally. We were created for relationship with God. Sin broke that relationship. And grace restores it through Jesus.

That framework changes everything about work. As Tim Keller explains, Christianity doesn’t locate the problem of the world in a specific group, system, or occupation—it locates it in sin itself. That means no job is inherently evil, and no field is beyond hope. God created the world good. Sin affected all of it. And God intends to redeem all of it.

Romans 8:19–22 (NLT) describes creation itself groaning for redemption. Our work exists inside that story. We labor in a broken world, but not a hopeless one. Even now, God is at work restoring what sin has damaged, and He invites us to participate.

That’s why believers shouldn’t compartmentalize work as separate from their faith. Work isn’t just something we do Monday through Friday while faith is reserved for Sunday. Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NLT) says, “Whatever you do, do well.” Excellence honors God—not because it earns His favor, but because it reflects His character.

God often provides for people through the work of others. Farmers grow food. Builders create shelter. Teachers shape minds. This is true whether the worker is a believer or not. That reality should deepen our respect for all work, not just “ministry” roles.

1 Peter 4:10–11 (NLT) reminds us that every gift is meant to serve others and bring glory to God. Whether we speak, build, design, manage, or serve, our work becomes worship when it’s done in dependence on God’s strength and for His glory.

A biblical worldview doesn’t minimize work or idolize it. Instead, it integrates work into God’s bigger story—creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. When we work as unto the Lord, we find freedom from idols, dignity in our labor, and hope that even ordinary work matters in God’s eternal plan.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Working as Unto the Lord – Part 4: Thorns, Thistles, and a Better Name

Work is a universal human experience. Whether you love your job, tolerate it, or feel stuck in it, work shapes our schedules, identities, and sense of purpose. In this series, Working as Unto the Lord, we’ve been exploring what the Bible teaches about work—not just as a paycheck or obligation, but as something deeply connected to God’s design for humanity. In this fourth lesson, we face an honest truth: work is good, but it is also deeply frustrating. And that tension is not accidental.

From the beginning, work was part of God’s good creation. Adam was given responsibility in the garden before sin ever entered the world. Work itself is not the curse. But because of the fall, work no longer functions the way it was originally intended. What was meant to be joyful and productive is now marked by struggle, disappointment, and exhaustion.

Genesis 3:17–19 (NLT) describes this reality clearly. God tells Adam that the ground itself is cursed because of sin. Humanity will now scrape a living from the earth “by the sweat of your brow,” battling thorns and thistles along the way. Gardening becomes a picture of all human labor. No matter the field—business, education, medicine, manufacturing, or ministry—our work will include resistance, setbacks, and frustration. Even when it produces fruit, it rarely delivers the deep fulfillment we hope for.

This explains why work often feels discouraging. If every project succeeded, every relationship at work was healthy, and every effort paid off, we would love going to work every day. But that is not our reality. Because sin has distorted creation, work exists in a world sustained by God yet disordered by sin. This does not mean work is meaningless—but it does mean it is incomplete.

Ecclesiastes helps us live wisely in this tension. Ecclesiastes 2:24 (NLT) says, “There is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.” Work is still a gift, even when it’s frustrating. It teaches dependence on God and stirs our longing for the new heaven and new earth, where work will finally be free from futility.

Ecclesiastes 3:13 reinforces this truth: “People should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.” Satisfaction doesn’t come from perfect productivity but from receiving work as a gift rather than a god. God uses our work not only to provide but also to shape us—producing patience, faithfulness, self-control, and humility.

However, work becomes deeply discouraging when we expect it to give us ultimate meaning. Ecclesiastes 2:18–22 exposes the emptiness of working only for temporary and material gain. Everything we build will eventually be handed off to someone else, and we have no control over how it will be stewarded. When work is viewed only “under the sun,” it is fleeting—like vapor. It cannot secure our future hope or lasting joy.

Work also becomes dangerous when it turns inward. Genesis 11:1–4 tells the story of the Tower of Babel, where people worked together not to serve God or others, but to “make a name for ourselves.” In biblical language, making a name means constructing an identity. This temptation is especially strong when we tie our worth to our careers. Instead of serving our neighbor, work becomes a way to prove we matter.

But Scripture offers a better name. 1 John 3:1 (NLT) declares, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” Our identity is not earned through productivity or success. It is received by grace. We are sons and daughters of God, even on our worst days.

Esther 4:14 reminds us that God places us where we are for a purpose greater than ourselves. The question is not whether our work will make us famous, but whether we will use it to serve God’s interests rather than our own.

Work will always involve thorns and thistles in this life. But when done unto the Lord, it becomes a place of worship, service, and hope—pointing us toward the day when work will finally be everything it was meant to be.

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Living with an Attitude of Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NLT) – “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Gratitude is more than a feel-good idea—it’s a spiritual discipline that shapes our bodies, minds, and souls. Scripture teaches that cultivating a thankful heart honors God, but modern research now confirms what the Bible has been telling us for thousands of years: gratitude is good for you. It brings peace, lowers stress, and reorients your focus away from what’s broken toward what’s true and unshakeable.

And yet the Bible doesn’t command us to give thanks for all circumstances—but to give thanks in them. That distinction is everything. We don’t thank God for cancer, betrayal, loss, or heartbreak. Those things grieve God too. But we can thank Him in those moments because there are eternal truths that cannot be taken from us, no matter what life looks like.

This study explores why gratitude matters, how it forms us, and what unchanging realities we can cling to when life feels anything but good. Whether you’re on the mountain or in the valley, God invites you into a life anchored by His goodness, His love, and His unshakable promises.

1. Gratitude Is Good for You

Proverbs 14:30 teaches, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body.” Long before scientific journals existed, Scripture connected internal peace with physical well-being. Gratitude activates your parasympathetic nervous system, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, and calms anxiety. A grateful heart is a peaceful heart—and peace is the opposite of jealousy, envy, and comparison. Gratitude fuels contentment; envy corrodes the soul.

Colossians 3:15 links peace and thankfulness: “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts… And always be thankful.” Gratitude is not a soft discipline—it’s a spiritual weapon against the corrosive forces of comparison, entitlement, and discontent.

2. Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Paul’s command is famously difficult: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Not for everything—but in everything. You don’t have to pretend evil is good or suffering is pleasant. You simply anchor your thankfulness in what remains true even when life falls apart.

We avoid the comparison trap not by saying, “At least I’m not as bad off as someone else,” but by remembering that God is sovereign, present, and working all things together for good. Gratitude is rooted in God’s character, not in our circumstances.

3. Thank God for the Eternal Truths Nothing Can Touch

To be thankful in all circumstances, you must cling to what can never be taken from you. Scripture gives us several unchanging realities:

• You are made in God’s image.

Genesis 1:26–27 declares your inherent worth. You reflect your Creator. Your life matters.

• You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:13–14 shows that God crafted you with intention. Your existence is purposeful and precious.

• God’s thoughts about you are countless and precious.

Psalm 139:17–18 says His thoughts toward you outnumber grains of sand. God is mindful of you—not occasionally, but constantly.

• God is good, and His love endures forever.

Psalm 136 repeats this truth 25 times. No matter what changes, His goodness and love do not.

• You have been reconciled to God through Christ.

Colossians 1:21–22 says you once stood alienated from God, but now stand holy, blameless, and free from accusation. Through Jesus, your record is wiped clean.

• Your suffering is temporary, but glory is eternal.

Romans 8:18 promises that present pain doesn’t compare to future glory. Jesus will return to make all things right.

These truths hold even when life feels like it’s falling apart. Gratitude doesn’t deny pain—it declares that pain doesn’t get the final word.

Conclusion

If you’re in a difficult season and struggling to be thankful, focus on what’s eternally true. Your circumstances may change, but God’s character, His love, and His promises never do. Gratitude grows when we anchor our hearts to what cannot be shaken.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Work with a Grateful Heart

Working “unto the Lord” begins with gratitude, not grumbling. Scripture commands us to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances—including our 9-to-5.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) calls us to persistent joy, continual prayer, and an attitude of gratitude. Instead of seeing work only as stress or obligation, faith teaches us to view it as a gift: the ability to earn, provide, and contribute.

Paul echoes this in Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT), urging us to bring every work anxiety to God with thanksgiving. Gratitude reshapes stress into trust.

Solomon affirms the goodness of labor:

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (NLT) and 5:18 (NLT) remind us that finding satisfaction in our work is a gift from God.

Healthy bodies, steady income, meaningful productivity—these are blessings worth thanking God for every single day.

Work Can Become an Idol

Work is good, but work can also take God’s place when our ambition exceeds our devotion.

Jesus warns us to keep our loves properly ordered: Matthew 6:33 (NLT) calls us to seek God’s kingdom first, not as an afterthought once the job is done.

Good seasons can drift into unhealthy patterns. Long hours can slowly redefine identity, priorities, and relationships. Many men don’t notice the shift until someone close to them finally says something. Keeping work in its place begins with honest reflection:

Do I chase work more than I chase God?

Does my family get what’s left of me—or the best of me?

Work with Integrity

Working unto the Lord requires integrity, not shortcuts or hidden compromises. God takes honesty seriously:

Proverbs 11:1 (NLT) — “The Lord detests dishonest scales…”

Proverbs 20:23 (NLT) — “The Lord detests differing weights…”

God doesn’t just dislike dishonest business practices—He detests them.

Integrity means dealing fairly with customers, employers, team members, and vendors. It means no hidden fees, no loopholes, no cutting corners because “everyone else does it.”

Jesus rebuked religious leaders for manipulating oaths in Matthew 23:16-17 (NLT), exposing the heart behind deceptive commitments. Today, integrity touches things like expense reports, remote-work honesty, hours logged, pricing transparency, and truthful representation of services.

If our work is truly unto the Lord, then our ethics must reflect His character.

Close

Working unto the Lord is a daily posture: gratitude, perspective, and integrity. When we get these right, our work becomes more than a paycheck—it becomes worship.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

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Intro

Colossians 3:23-24 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

•  In the immediate context of this verse, Paul is instructing slaves on how they should work for their masters. It is applicable for any working relationship. What does that look like? How do we work as though we were working for the Lord? 
• I’m going to borrow heavily from scripture, but also from Tim Keller’s book, “Every Good Endeavor” 

The Right Mindset Towards Work

It’s important that we start with the truth that we were created to work and be productive. Work isn’t a result of the fall.  If work was not beneath the Almighty God of the universe, it shouldn’t be beneath us. 

Genesis 2:1-3,15 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested[a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.  The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 

• Keller: The Bible begins talking about work as soon as it begins talking about anything that’s how important and basic it is. God also brought the animals to Adam to be named. From the beginning, God invited man into partnership with him to steward his creation. 
• Keller: God worked for the sheer joy of it.Work could not have a more exalted inauguration. God not only works, he delights in it. He saw all that he made and it was good.  I think of all of us can relate to that when we finish a project and look at it. We take delight in it. Something as simple as changing out the tail light and fixing a battery cable. 
• Work is not a result of the fall, frustrating work is a result of the fall. We were created to work. It’s part of us being made in the image of God. 
• Think about this: the Bible doesn’t say we should work one day and rest 6. It doesn’t even split it 50/50. The pattern was six days of work to one day of rest. How does this stack up to our modern dream of retirement?  

Hard Work is Good

The Bible points out the sin of laziness in multiple places. There is something about hard  work that resonates with a man because we were designed to be productive. 

Proverbs 10:4-5 Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. 5 A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.

Proverbs 10:26 Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

Proverbs 28:19 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.

• Part of working unto the Lord is doing the best we can.  It’s not taking shortcuts.  It’s giving the same effort when no one is watching as when the boss is looking over our shoulder. 

1 Timothy 5:8 But if someone does not provide for his own,[a] especially his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  (NET)

Keller - The  commandments  of God in the Bible are a means of liberation, because through them God calls us to be what he built us to be. 

The Balance of Work and Rest

Although work is good, there is a balance of work and rest.  There is a rhythm of leisure and toil. When balanced  properly, each one enhances the enjoyment of the other. 

Genesis 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

• Did God rest because he was tired? Did he need to recover from fatigue? No. Now, because of sin, we do need restoration and times of recovery. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally because work in a fallen world isn’t always fulfilling. It isn’t always productive.
• Being created in God’s image we can assume that rest is good and life giving for us in and of itself.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Hey, men.  Today we’re going to talk about receiving criticism from our wives.  If you’re like me, your wife is often the last person that you want to give you criticism. I have pretty thick skin, but I can get all bent out of shape at the slightest criticism from my wife.  I think that’s because there is no one in the world that I want to respect me more than my wife. In Emerson Eggerichs’ book “Love and Respect - the Love She Desires; the Respect He Desperately Needs.”, he points out that what a man desires most from his wife is to feel respected.  It’s hard to feel respected when you’re being criticized.  It’s a knee jerk reaction to feel disrespected when someone points out a shortcoming or a flaw. I know some of you may be in a marriage where your wife’s criticism is anything but constructive.  I pray that God continues to strengthen you to keep fighting for your relationship if that is the case. But for most of us, our wife isn’t criticizing us because she wants to belittle us or tear us down. She genuinely wants the best for us.  

There is a difference between helpful criticism and constant nagging.

Responding well to healthy criticism from our wives can help us grow as a husband and father.  It demonstrates we’re teachable. This is not the same thing as being emasculated by constant criticism. We should seek to give our wives the benefit of the doubt, but it may also be helpful to call in a trusted spiritual leader for discernment. 

Proverbs 25:24  It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic  than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

• Give your wife the benefit of the doubt.  Treat her criticism as something she is offering because she wants the best for you.  She hopes to motivate you. She wants to see you be the kind of husband and father God has called you to be.. 
• Ask her to be specific. Specific in ways that she sees need for improvement or change - 
• Vague - I don’t feel like a priority any more. 
• Specific - You’re coming home later and when you’re home, we rarely talk.  When you have time off, it is spent on your hobbies. Using “I feel because statements” can be very helpful here. 
• If you do feel like your wife constantly criticizes, call in some help.  Get a spiritual leader or trusted brother and sister in Christ to listen in and give you insight. Don’t turn it into a gripe session. Give your spouse advance notice that you’re going to do this.
• Honey, it seems like in the majority of our conversations, you’re criticizing me.  I know I’m not perfect, but it’s out of hand. I’m asking for some help because I’m committed to our marriage. I’m committed to you, but it’s wearing me out and I need some help. 
• Keep serving her.  Keep loving her like Christ loves the church. 
• Ultimately, you practice love or respect because beyond your spouse you see Jesus Christ and you envision a moment when you will be standing before Him at the final judgment, realizing that your marriage was really a tool and a test to deepen and demonstrate your love and your reverence for your Lord.”

― Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs

Help her help you. 

Give your wife direction on how she can relay constructive criticism in a way that you’re more likely to receive it. 

• The right truth at the right time. Not in front of the kids, not out in public, not when emotions are high. 

Proverbs 25:11 Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.

• Do you need affirmation along with the criticism? The three to one rule.  
• Is your primary love language words of affirmation?  If it is, a critical word might be ten times heavier for you than for someone who has a different primary love language.  
• Get clarity on action steps moving forward. 
• Those action steps should be measurable, specific, and realistic 
• Get an accountability partner, aside from your wife, to help you stick to the action steps. You don’t want your wife having to be the one to call you on the carpet if you’re not following through. 

The wise seek instruction. 

God blessed us with our wives as our helpmate. He uses marriage to make us more holy and receiving feedback from our wife is part of that process. 

Proverbs 10:8  The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

Proverbs 11:2  Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 12:1 To learn, you must love discipline;  it is stupid to hate correction.

Proverbs 13:13 People who despise advice are asking for trouble;  those who respect a command will succeed.

Proverbs 13:18 If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace;  if you accept correction, you will be honored.

• Thank God for a wife that wants you to lead. Thank God for a wife that desires to see you be more like Jesus. That is a blessing, not a burden. This shift in how you view your wife’s feedback will make a huge difference in how you receive it. 
• She sees the real you. She sees the you when you’re tired, when you’re stressed, when you’re hungry (or hangry). She sees the you that deals with disappointment. If you wonder why others don’t have the same feedback, they don’t see what she sees. 
• Driving in traffic example, critical nature when my kids played spots - most people never saw that, but my wife sure did.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Why Is God Not Answering My Prayer?

The Bible reminds us that unanswered prayers don’t always mean unheard prayers. There are several reasons why we might feel like heaven is silent — and understanding them can deepen our faith and bring clarity to our prayer life.

1. Sin Can Hinder Our Prayers

Unconfessed sin and unhealthy attitudes can create distance between us and God. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” When we knowingly hold onto sin — pride, bitterness, lust, dishonesty — it affects our intimacy with God. Peter even tells husbands that mistreating their wives can hinder their prayers. 1 Peter 3:7.

If your prayers seem unanswered, start by asking God to reveal any habits or attitudes that might be blocking the connection. Then confess and invite accountability so you can walk in freedom again.

2. Doubt and Unbelief Affect Our Prayers

Faith is central to prayer. Jesus told His disciples that faith could move mountains. Mark 11:22-25. James warns that those who doubt are like waves tossed by the wind and “should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:5-7.

That doesn’t mean you can never wrestle with questions — it means bringing those doubts to God, not away from Him. Like the father in Mark 9:24, we can pray, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

3. God’s “No” or “Not Yet” Is Still an Answer

Sometimes the issue isn’t sin or lack of faith — it’s timing. God’s plans are wiser, broader, and better than ours. Isaiah reminds us that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our own. Isaiah 55:8-9. What seems like a delay or a denial might actually be divine protection or preparation.

Think about Joseph, who was sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned before rising to power in Egypt. From his perspective, it must have felt like God was silent — but in hindsight, we see how every “no” or “not yet” led to a bigger purpose.

4. Keep Praying — God Is Working Behind the Scenes

Even when it feels like nothing is happening, God is listening. James 5:16-18 reminds us that “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Elijah’s prayers brought drought and rain, but it didn’t happen instantly. Prayer isn’t about manipulating outcomes — it’s about trusting God’s character.

So when your prayers feel like they’re “hitting the ceiling,” remember: God’s silence is not His absence. He may be testing your heart, building your faith, or aligning your desires with His. Keep trusting, keep praying, and keep believing that His plan is good — even when the answer is different than you expected.

Ephesians 5:3

We should be pure because God calls us to be. 

This is the mindset we need to pursue. It isn’t out of fear of consequences, hope for a better future, or anything else. It needs to be out of love and respect for God and his standards. But we will get into that more tomorrow.

The question for today is, what is purity? 

It is ensuring there is not even a hint of sexual immorality in our lives.

That is a pretty high standard, and it can feel daunting to achieve that especially if you have been living in this sin for a while. I know I felt like that was an impossible task when I started this journey. But then I learned something that changed everything:

This battle is not about what you do, it’s about who you are becoming.

Sexual purity isn’t just about avoiding porn or staying away from the wrong websites. That’s surface-level thinking. This journey isn’t about what you do—it’s about finally being the man God calls you to be. And God is calling you to become a man of honor, discipline, and integrity. Sexual purity is the byproduct of a life that belongs fully to Jesus.

The truth is, we live in a world that constantly puts sex in our faces—on our phones, in music, in ads, in movies. So living this new life will not be easy.

You are going to have to make some sacrifices that will hurt.

I know when I began this journey, two things were true:

1. I was ready to do whatever it took
2. I was sick of being lied to, by the enemy, by the world, and by myself

So I’m not going to do that to you. Here is the honest truth: somedays, this is gonna suck. It’s going to hurt like hell and there will be moments where you will think life was better before.

But remember how you feel right now, ready to be free. Purity is not a one time decision, it isn’t a one size fits all step by step guide, and it definitely isn’t a pay your way service. So what is it then?

Purity is a daily pursuit of God.

It is waking up everyday and deciding, just for today, to live for God and with God in every area of your life.

Half measures and white knuckling it will not work, but you already know that.

You can’t live in freedom if you're pretending you don’t need it.

Begin the Process of Becoming a New Man

Following Jesus means more than a one-time decision. It’s a daily process of surrender. Think of your heart like a house. Have you locked Jesus out of any rooms? Maybe there's a room marked “Lust” or “Shame” or “Private Struggles.” Jesus doesn't want visitation rights—He wants ownership.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in...”

— Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

When Jesus knocks, He’s not just being polite. He’s coming to set you free. But freedom will require sacrifice, intensity, and honor. You won’t drift into purity—you’ll have to fight for it.

The 3 Rules to Start With:

No secrets.

1. You can't heal what you hide.
2. Be 100% honest all the time, no matter what

No compromise. What you allow in small amounts will master you over time.

1. In your allowed media, eye discipline, etc.
2. In your consistency

No excuses.

1. This is a battle of consistency, you won’t win it in a day, but you have to win today.
2. It’s time to be mature
3. You are in control, any other idea is a lie

The Key Disciplines to Embrace:

• Daily time in God’s Word – Truth renews your mind.
• Authentic brotherhood – You weren’t meant to fight alone.
• Radical honesty – Say it out loud. Darkness dies in the light.
• Prayer and worship – Not just in crisis, but as a lifestyle.
• Fasting and boundaries – Train your body to follow your

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Outro

Intro

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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While we must name this tragedy for what it is—an evil act—we must also allow God’s Word to shape how we process and respond. Scripture provides wisdom, perspective, and hope in moments when evil seems overwhelming.

Calling Evil What It Is

One of the first steps in responding to tragedy is honesty. Isaiah warns, “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter” (Isaiah 5:20 NLT). The murder of a husband, father, and leader is not simply unfortunate or politically charged—it is evil. And just as evil is real, so are the responses that flow from it. When people celebrate such acts, that too is evil. As Christians, we must resist the temptation to minimize or excuse what God calls wrong.

Martyrdom and Persecution

Some may argue Charlie Kirk was targeted for his political positions, but many of his stances flowed from biblical principles. Jesus prepared His followers for this reality: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. … Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (John 15:18, 20 NLT).

The apostles in Acts understood this truth firsthand. After being beaten for preaching Christ, “the apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41 NLT). Their perspective was not rooted in despair but in joy that their suffering connected them to their Savior.

Today, many of us in the U.S. rarely face this kind of hostility. Yet globally, persecution is a daily reality. According to Open Doors, an average of 13 Christians are killed each day simply for following Jesus. This tragedy should remind us to pray for persecuted believers worldwide and to prepare our hearts to stand firm in our own faith.

Wrestling with Fear

Moments like this can stir fear. If such violence can happen here, what could happen to us or our families? Jesus addressed this very question: “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 NLT).

The psalmist also found confidence in God’s protection: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? … Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident” (Psalm 27:1, 3 NLT). Fear is natural, but faith calls us to trust God’s eternal security and His ever-present help.

Wrestling with Anger

It is right to feel anger when evil takes a life. Scripture affirms this: “Be angry, and yet do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26 NLT). Anger must not drive us to hate people, stereotype groups, or retaliate with violence. Instead, we are called to hate evil itself: “You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked” (Psalm 97:10 NLT).

Our role is to expose darkness with light, not add more darkness to the world. God Himself promises to bring judgment: “I will take revenge; I will pay them back” (Romans 12:19 NLT). We can rest in the assurance that He will make every wrong right.

Wrestling with Hopelessness

Perhaps the greatest danger after tragedy is despair. When evil appears to win, it is easy to lose heart. Yet the gospel declares that the war has already been won. “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NLT).

The cross looked like defeat on Friday, but the resurrection on Sunday proved that Jesus is victorious. This hope anchors us in the face of suffering. Paul reminds us, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

Living with Perspective

The brevity of life should also sharpen our perspective. James writes, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14 NLT). Missionary Jim Elliott captured this truth: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

For believers, death is not the end. Jesus promised eternal life, and that reality gives us courage to face even the darkest events with hope.

Takeaway

Charlie Kirk’s death reminds us of sobering truths: evil is real, persecution is costly, fear and anger must be handled carefully, and despair is never the final word. But Scripture also reminds us that Christ has overcome the world. Our task is to cling to Him, call evil what it is, encourage one another, and keep proclaiming the hope of the gospel until He returns.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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God’s Gift of Physical Intimacy

God designed physical intimacy in marriage as a gift, not just for procreation but also for joy, unity, and delight. Yet many couples struggle because life’s responsibilities, physical health, or lack of intentionality can keep intimacy from flourishing. In this final episode of the series, we’ll talk about practical, biblical ways to nurture physical intimacy in marriage that both honors God and blesses your spouse.

Take Care of Your Body

The Bible celebrates the beauty and strength of the human body. Taking care of your health is not about vanity but stewardship. When we’re healthy and active, intimacy is often more fulfilling. Song of Solomon describes physical beauty in vivid terms. “His arms are like rounded bars of gold, set with beryl. His body is like bright ivory, glowing with lapis lazuli. His legs are like marble pillars, set in sockets of finest gold” (Song of Solomon 5:14-15). Good health blesses both you and your marriage. Simple practices like regular exercise, healthy eating, and even strengthening key muscle groups can enhance intimacy and honor God with your body.

Know Your Wife’s Body

A thriving marriage includes learning how to lovingly serve one another in intimacy. Peter reminds husbands to live with their wives “in an understanding way” (1 Peter 3:7). That means listening, learning, and growing in your knowledge of what pleases your spouse. Explore together, communicate openly, and don’t take yourself too seriously. God designed the body with incredible sensitivity and potential for pleasure. Learning what your wife enjoys—whether through foreplay, touch, or intentional conversation—is part of honoring her as a partner in God’s grace.

Create an Environment Free from Anxiety and Distraction

Many wives carry heavy mental loads—responsibilities at work, with kids, and around the home—that can make intimacy difficult. One of the most loving things you can do is help relieve those burdens. Do the dishes, handle bedtime, or take on a few tasks so she can relax. Protect your space by locking doors, keeping kids out of the marital bed, and eliminating distractions. Plan extended times away or create intentional space where intimacy is unrushed. Song of Solomon captures this beautifully: “Come, my love, let us go out to the fields and spend the night among the wildflowers. Let us get up early and go to the vineyards… There I will give you my love” (Song of Solomon 7:11-13).

Be Intentional

Physical intimacy doesn’t flourish by accident. Life is busy, so make time on purpose. Put it on the calendar if you need to. Plan date nights, short getaways, or quiet evenings at home. The health of your marriage depends not on spontaneous passion alone but on intentional choices to connect deeply, body and soul.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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God’s Gift of Physical Intimacy, Part 2: Get Your Mind Right

In our second week on God’s gift of physical intimacy, we’re focusing on something that happens outside the bedroom: getting our minds and hearts right about sex. Last time, we explored how serving and cherishing our wives in everyday life—like speaking her love language or helping around the house—sets the stage for intimacy. This week, we’re going deeper into the mental and spiritual foundation that fuels healthy physical intimacy in marriage.

1. Intimacy Is About Giving, Not Just Having

Most of us were raised in a culture that trains us to think about sex selfishly. Movies, TV, and even locker-room talk usually frame intimacy as something to “get.” But the Bible paints a radically different picture.

Philippians 2:4 (NLT) says: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

Romans 12:10 (NLT) adds: “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

These verses remind us that intimacy is not about taking, but about giving. When a husband enters intimacy with the mindset of honoring his wife—meeting her needs, showing her she is desired, and giving her something he shares with no one else—it changes the entire experience. A marriage retreat speaker once put it this way: “Stop thinking about having sex, and start thinking about giving sex.” That shift in perspective can transform not only the bedroom but also the entire marriage.

2. Reset Unrealistic Expectations

Another place many couples struggle is with false expectations. If your picture of physical intimacy has been shaped by media or pornography, you’ve been misled. Real intimacy in marriage does not look like a movie scene.

Here’s the reality:

• It doesn’t always happen quickly.
• It doesn’t always look perfect.
• It isn’t about endless passion or flawless performance.

Instead, God designed sex to be about genuine connection, patience, and love. A healthy marriage won’t mirror what’s seen online—it will reflect real life, with all its ups and downs. When we surrender our expectations to God and embrace reality, we free ourselves from disappointment and discover deeper satisfaction in His design.

Romans 12:2 (NLT) says: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

God’s will for intimacy is good, pleasing, and perfect—but only when we renew our minds to see it His way.

3. Helping Your Wife Get Her Mind Right

Physical intimacy is not just physical—it’s emotional, relational, and spiritual. A wife who feels secure, cherished, and loved is far more likely to desire intimacy than one who feels neglected or criticized.

The Song of Solomon shows us this principle in action. In chapter 1, the bride delights in her husband’s words of affection: “How handsome you are, my lover! How pleasant!” (Song of Solomon 1:16 NLT). In chapter 2, she feels safe under his care: “He escorts me to the banquet hall; it’s obvious how much he loves me” (Song of Solomon 2:4 NLT).

This is a reminder: intimacy begins with cherishing. Husbands, don’t reserve compliments for when you want sex. Instead, cultivate a daily lifestyle of encouragement. Compliment her beauty, but also her character, her strength, and the unique ways she blesses your life. Show her she is treasured every day, not just when you’re hoping for intimacy later.

And wives, receive the compliment. Let your husband’s words remind you of your worth. When both spouses choose to cherish each other, intimacy becomes an overflow of mutual love rather than a forced obligation.

4. Building a Mindset for True Intimacy

Ultimately, “getting your mind right” about intimacy means viewing it through God’s lens:

• It’s a covenant gift, not a selfish act.
• It’s about connection, not performance.
• It grows stronger when we honor each other daily, not just in the bedroom.

When husbands lead with love and wives respond with trust, intimacy flourishes. It becomes what God intended: a reflection of two becoming one (Genesis 2:24).

Final Challenge

Ask yourself:

• Am I approaching intimacy with a giving mindset?
• Have I let culture shape my expectations more than Scripture?
• Am I actively cherishing and affirming my spouse in ways that build security and desire?

God’s design for intimacy is not only about passion—it’s about partnership. When you renew your mind, cherish your spouse, and honor God’s design, you’ll discover that physical intimacy in marriage can be one of the most joyful, life-giving gifts He has given.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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God’s Good Design for Intimacy

From the very beginning, God created sexual intimacy as a beautiful and life-giving part of marriage. It’s not dirty. It’s not something God just “puts up with.” It’s a gift meant to be celebrated between a husband and wife. Genesis 2:24-25 reminds us that in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were naked and felt no shame. Physical intimacy was God’s idea—and He designed it to bring joy, unity, and blessing.

Proverbs 5:18-19 paints a beautiful picture of marital love: “Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you… may you always be captivated by her love.” And in 1 Corinthians 7:5, Paul encourages married couples to stay connected physically, only stepping back from intimacy temporarily and mutually for the purpose of prayer. Then, he says, come back together so the enemy doesn’t use that gap to tempt you.

Beware of the Enemy’s Tactics

Jesus warns us in John 10:10 that the thief’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. One of the enemy’s favorite ways to attack a marriage is by eroding physical intimacy. For decades, experts have said that money and sex are two of the leading causes of divorce. Even if a couple stays married, when intimacy suffers, joy and connection often fade.

That’s why Philippians 4:6 is so important: pray about everything—including your physical relationship. Ask God to protect your marriage from division in this area. Pray for open and loving communication. Pray for healing if there’s been broken trust, sexual sin, or wounds from the past. And if either spouse is carrying shame or guilt, ask God to lift that burden and restore joy.

Filling Your Spouse’s Love Tank

Ephesians 5:25 calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church—sacrificially and selflessly. One of the best ways to build desire for intimacy is by speaking your spouse’s love language:

• Quality Time
• Words of Affirmation
• Physical Touch
• Acts of Service
• Gifts

The key is loving your spouse in ways that are meaningful to them, not just in ways that are natural to you. That means learning what fills their “love tank” and making it a priority. If her love language is physical touch, make sure there’s affectionate touch that isn’t just a lead-in to sex. If it’s quality time, let her define what that means—unhurried, undistracted time together. When your wife feels loved, seen, and valued, intimacy naturally grows.

The Role of Compromise in Intimacy

In most marriages, one spouse will have a higher sex drive than the other. That’s normal. 1 Corinthians 7:4 reminds us that in marriage, each spouse gives authority over their body to the other, meaning intimacy is a shared gift, not a personal possession. The healthiest approach is open communication and a willingness to meet in the middle.

Sometimes that involves being mindful of practical realities. Leviticus 18:19 notes that there are times when intimacy isn’t possible, and understanding your wife’s cycle can help you anticipate when she may be more inclined toward intimacy. By paying attention to each other’s needs and rhythms, you can strengthen your connection rather than drift apart.

God’s Vision for Your Marriage

God’s heart is for your marriage to be marked by joy, unity, and mutual delight. Sexual intimacy is not just about physical pleasure—it’s a deeply spiritual and emotional bond that reflects God’s love for His people. Protect it through prayer. Nurture it through intentional love and service. Guard it against the enemy’s schemes. And remember: intimacy is not just a part of marriage—it’s a gift from God to be treasured and enjoyed.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Raising Sons Who Flee Sexual Immorality

In today’s episode, we’re tackling one of the biggest—and most under-discussed—battles facing the next generation of young men: sexual purity. The statistics are staggering. Over 75% of young Christian men between the ages of 18–24 are actively searching for pornography. And the average age of first exposure? Just 13 years old.

This isn’t just a cultural issue. It’s a spiritual battle. The enemy knows that sexual sin can derail a man’s future, destroy families, and distort God’s good design. And he’s coming for our sons early. If we want to raise sons who flee sexual immorality, we can’t wait until they’re in high school. We must start the conversation now—with wisdom, grace, and truth.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this episode:

1. Why This Matters So Much

Sexual immorality is a trap with devastating consequences. Proverbs 2:16-19 and 5:1-6 paint a clear and sobering picture of what happens when a young man follows the path of seduction and lust. The Bible doesn’t shy away from these warnings, and neither should we. In fact, three of the first six chapters of Proverbs directly address this issue. Solomon knew the stakes—and so should we.

2. Understanding the Enemy’s Strategy

Satan has been using the same tactic since the Garden of Eden: “God can’t be trusted. He’s holding out on you.” That lie still works today, especially in the realm of sexuality. Culture reinforces the message that freedom comes from doing whatever feels good, but Scripture shows us that true freedom is found in honoring God’s boundaries. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to stay alert, because the enemy is actively looking for someone to devour.

3. Start the Conversation Early

Today’s kids are exposed to sexual content earlier than ever before. Some studies show that 15% of kids have seen porn by the age of 10. That means waiting until the teen years to talk about sex is too late. Proverbs 4:1-4 reminds us of the value of a father’s early instruction. Our sons need guidance before the culture has a chance to shape their understanding of manhood and sexuality.

4. Answer Their Questions With Truth

If your son is brave enough to ask questions, that’s a gift. Don’t shut him down or dodge the conversation. Meet him with honesty and grace. Equip him to trust God’s design, not the world’s confusion. If we don’t answer their questions, someone else will—and that someone may not have their best interests in mind.

Final Challenge

Dads, this is your moment. The world is loud, but your voice can be louder—if you’re willing to have the hard conversations, grounded in Scripture and led by love. Don’t wait until he’s already entangled. Start now. Speak up. And help your son walk in the freedom that comes from honoring God’s design.

Key Scriptures:

• Proverbs 2:16-19
• Proverbs 5:1-6
• Proverbs 4:1-4
• Proverbs 6 (overview)
• Genesis 3:4-5
• 1 Peter 5:8

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Raising Sons: Forgiveness, Peace, and True Value

Raising godly sons isn’t just about teaching discipline and work ethic—it’s also about shaping their hearts. In this conversation, we explore three essential values every dad should intentionally pass on to his sons: forgiveness, peacemaking, and knowing their true source of value. These character traits don’t just happen—they’re modeled, discussed, and prayed over.

1. Teaching Forgiveness: Give It and Receive It

One of the most powerful lessons we can give our sons is the ability to both ask for forgiveness and offer it to others. Paul encourages believers to "make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you" (Colossians 3:13 NLT). That means we need to expect that others will let us down—and decide ahead of time to respond with grace.

• Forgiveness starts with us. Model it by saying, “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you”—not “It’s okay.” Sin is never “okay,” but it is forgivable.
• Own your mistakes. There's nothing weak about asking for forgiveness. It shows maturity, strength, and humility. Some of the most memorable moments with your kids might be the ones where you admit you blew it.
• Forgive freely. Whether or not someone apologizes, we forgive because Jesus forgave us first (Ephesians 4:32). Unforgiveness leads to bitterness and restlessness (Matthew 6:14-15), and that’s not the kind of legacy we want to pass down.

2. Raising Peacemakers in a Divided World

Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9 NLT). In today’s world of constant division and outrage, men of peace are desperately needed—in homes, churches, and workplaces.

• Being a peacemaker doesn’t mean compromising truth. It means doing everything possible to maintain healthy, godly relationships.
• Train your sons to be good listeners. Teach them to practice reflective listening and avoid always preparing their rebuttal.
• Reconciliation starts with us. Especially in marriage, encourage your sons to be the ones who lead with humility and take the first step toward peace.
• At our church, one of our core values is: We work hard at healthy relationships. We assume the best about one another. That’s a value worth passing on.

3. Helping Sons Know Their True Value

The world tries to convince our sons that their worth is tied to what they earn, own, or accomplish. But Jesus points us to a different standard:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth... Store your treasures in heaven… Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT)

“You cannot serve both God and be enslaved to money.” (Matthew 6:24 NLT)

• Hard work is good, and we should absolutely teach our sons to value it. But career, money, and possessions can easily become idols.
• Help them resist materialism. Talk about wise stewardship, avoiding debt, and aligning financial habits with biblical values.
• Value comes from Christ. Build their identity in who they are in Jesus—not in what they own or how much they make.

These aren’t just nice ideas—they’re kingdom values. And if we want our sons to live them out, we need to plant them early and water them often.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Fathers and Sons: Imparting Wisdom, Work Ethic, and Resilience

Welcome back to the podcast, men! We’ve just wrapped up our series on Fathers and Daughters, and today we’re kicking off a brand-new conversation: Fathers and Sons.

While many of the same parenting principles apply to both sons and daughters, Scripture teaches that God created men and women with unique roles and responsibilities. That means our parenting approach toward sons should reflect those God-given distinctions.

Whether your sons are still at home or fully grown, this conversation is for you. If you’re a grandfather, these principles still apply as you influence your grandsons or encourage your adult sons in their own fatherhood journey.

Impart Wisdom Intentionally

One of the most important roles a father plays is helping his son pursue wisdom and pursue God. It’s not enough to simply model wisdom; we need to have direct, intentional conversations about it.

Proverbs 3:1-6 (NLT)

"My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart... Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding."

Solomon—the wisest man who ever lived—understood the importance of passing wisdom to the next generation. As dads, that’s our responsibility too.

Whether you’re naturally talkative or more reserved, God calls every father to teach. This doesn’t mean you need to be a Bible scholar or a polished speaker. Just be intentional.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NLT)

"Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up."

Practical ways to do this include reading the Bible together, listening to Bible-based podcasts, or using tools like the resources at pursueGOD.org.

Proverbs 3:13-15 (NLT)

"Joyful is the person who finds wisdom... Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her."

A wise son will experience more joy and fewer regrets—whether it’s about money, relationships, or making wise life choices.

Teach Them to Work

Fathers must teach their sons the value of hard work. Work is not a punishment—it’s part of God’s design for men.

Genesis 2:15 (NLT)

"The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it."

Before sin entered the world, God gave Adam meaningful work. This shows that work is not a result of the fall—it’s a fundamental part of being a man.

Unfortunately, in today’s culture, too many men are disengaged from the workforce. In August 2024, 6.8 million American men between ages 25 and 54 were neither working nor looking for work.

As fathers, it’s our job to push back against this trend. Sons need to learn that work isn’t just about earning a paycheck—it’s about fulfilling their God-given purpose.

Colossians 3:17 (NLT)

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."

Whether it’s mowing lawns, washing cars, or helping with household chores, let’s teach our sons that work is good, meaningful, and God-honoring.

Help Them Embrace Mistakes as Part of Growth

One of the biggest challenges for young men today is fear of failure. Many sons grow up paralyzed by indecision because they’re afraid of making mistakes.

That’s why fathers must teach their sons that mistakes are part of life—and part of growth.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

This verse doesn’t just apply to things outside our control. It also applies to the consequences of our own bad decisions. God can redeem even our biggest blunders.

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."

Making plans is important, but we should hold those plans loosely and trust God with the outcome.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NLT)

"This is a trustworthy saying... 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'—and I am the worst of them all."

Paul’s testimony reminds us that no mistake is too big for God’s grace.

Proverbs 10:8 (NLT)

"The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces."

Are you modeling grace when your son fails? Are you affirming your love for him even when he makes mistakes? Don’t let perfectionism or criticism steal your son’s courage.

Remember: If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Final Challenge

Fathering sons takes intentionality and biblical focus. Whether your son is 5 or 35, ask God to help you speak wisdom, model work ethic, and extend grace when mistakes happen.

This week, find one specific way to engage with your son (or grandson) on one of these topics.

You’re building into the next generation of godly men.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Hey men, we’re in the last episode of our Fathers and Daughters series.  I hope this has been helpful.  I know it’s been convicting for me, but encouraging, too. I actually have some action steps coming out of today’s episode with my own daughter, and I’d encourage you to think about action steps for yourself coming out of it as well.  

•  Let’s just do a quick recap if you missed the first two episodes in this series.  If you did, I encourage you to go back and listen when you have some time.  In the first episode we talked about the importance of loving our wives well so that our daughters can see what to look for in a man.  We talked about being intentional about speaking their love language and staying in our lane.  The truth is that there are some conversations better left to have between your daughter and your wife or another trusted Christian woman if you’re in a single parent situation. 
• Last episode we talked about speaking   truth against the lies of the enemy in the areas of beauty,  differences between the genders, and purity.  Today, is going to be a little bit more of a mixed bag.  I knew it was the last episode for this series and just wanted to hit a couple of highlights.  This may not be as structured as our typical episode, but I’m hopeful and prayerful that it is still valuable.  

Quality Time

Spending quality time with our daughters is critical, even if it isn’t their primary love language.  They get to define what that quality time looks like for them.

Philippians 2:3-8 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.6 Though he was God,[a]                 he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b];  he took the humble position of a slave[c]  and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,[d] 8   he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

• Our daughters should get a say on what constitutes quality time. 
• Rhonda - loved to hike, camp, backpack, fish - didn’t like to shop.  Some of the reasons I was so attracted to her. We share a lot of similar interests. 
• Healthy to expose them to new things, get them to try new things. Sometimes you discover something you love to do together.  But that’s not always the case. Sometimes you have to take one for the team and do something you don’t necessarily enjoy. Do it with the right attitude.   Love is a choice. I don’t think Jesus was giddy about going to the cross, but we know for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. 

Tenderness and Touch 

Appropriate levels of tenderness and physical touch by a father have a significant impact on the likelihood that girls will be sexually active. 

• Watch your tone. Be gentle.   I’m not  against raising tough girls.  Girls who are mentally tough is a great thing.  
• Study after study link absent fathers with an increase in sexual activity for young women.                  

Don’t Sacrifice for Success

There will always be stuff pulling for our attention.  Don’t let the urgent things get in the way of the important things. Sacrificing our relationships with our daughters to get ahead at work is never worth it. Judges 11:29-31 

Judges 11:29-31 At that time the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, “If you give me victory over the Ammonites, 31 I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

• Our sacrifices look different. Do we miss the band recital because of a deadline? Do we miss meeting the young man who is going to take our daughter on her first date because we’re working late at the office?  Men, if you’re in ministry, are your priorities in order? 

Capable not Independent

Give your daughters instruction and encourage them to seek wisdom.  Help them become capable, not independent.

Proverbs 4:5-7 Get wisdom; develop good judgment.

    Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.

6 Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.

    Love her, and she will guard you.

7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!

    And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Fathers and Daughters: Fighting the Lies of the Enemy

In today’s culture, our daughters face countless lies about identity, beauty, purpose, and purity. As fathers, we play a vital role in shielding them from these attacks and pointing them toward God’s truth. This episode is a call to action for dads who want to raise daughters grounded in biblical wisdom. We’ll look at four common cultural lies and explore what the Bible says instead.

Lie #1: Gender Doesn’t Matter

Truth: Men and women are both created in the image of God—and their differences are part of His beautiful design.

Our culture is increasingly blurring the distinctions between male and female, but Genesis 1 shows us something better. God created humanity “male and female,” and He called it “very good.” (Genesis 1:27,31)

Genesis 1:27 (NLT) – “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Genesis 1:31 (NLT) – “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!”

As fathers, we should affirm and celebrate the unique design of our daughters. Teach them that their femininity is not a limitation but a God-given strength. When we embrace the beauty of gender differences, we reflect God’s plan for flourishing families and communities.

Lie #2: Outward Beauty Is What Matters Most

Truth: Real beauty grows from within and never fades.

Today’s young women are bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards. Social media filters, influencer culture, and cosmetic trends send the message that their worth is tied to appearance. But the Bible tells us something very different.

Proverbs 31:30-31 (NLT) – “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT) – “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

Dads, it’s great to tell your daughter she’s beautiful—but don’t stop there. Compliment her kindness, her compassion, her integrity. Encourage her spiritual growth and help her see that true beauty increases as she draws closer to Christ.

Lie #3: A Woman’s Role Is Either Limited or Guilt-Ridden

Truth: God calls women to a wide range of roles—including motherhood and work—and each one is valuable.

The culture may downplay stay-at-home moms, while some churches may inadvertently shame women who work outside the home. Both extremes are unbiblical. Proverbs 31 gives us a picture of a strong, capable woman who manages a household and engages in meaningful work.

Proverbs 31:10-31 describes a “wife of noble character” who runs a business, cares for her family, and blesses her community.

Our daughters need to know that both homemaking and career aspirations can honor God when pursued with the right heart. It’s not about one-size-fits-all roles—it’s about walking in God’s purpose with courage and faith.

Lie #4: Sexual Freedom Equals Real Freedom

Truth: God’s boundaries for sexuality lead to freedom, not bondage.

Culture promotes the idea that casual sex and provocative behavior are empowering. But Scripture says otherwise. Song of Songs warns us not to awaken love before the proper time.

Song of Songs 8:4 (NLT) – “Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right.”

God’s design for sex is good and powerful, but it must be handled with care. When we step outside His boundaries, we invite emotional pain, broken trust, and lasting regret. Fathers should affirm God’s sexual ethic with gentleness and clarity—pointing their daughters to a better, more fulfilling path.

You don’t have to get into the details of the “sex talk” if that’s not your role, but you can certainly reinforce God’s purpose for purity. Remind your daughter that she is valuable, worthy of respect, and not defined by cultural norms.

Proverbs 30:20 (NLT) – “An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, ‘What’s wrong with that?’”

Let’s teach our daughters that purity is not about shame—it’s about walking in freedom and grace.

Final Word to Fathers: Be Her Protector and Truth-Teller

We’re called to more than just physical protection. We are the spiritual gatekeepers for our daughters—guarding their hearts and minds from the lies of the enemy. That means paying attention to what influences them, having regular conversations about faith and identity, and being the voice that consistently speaks truth and love.

She needs to know her worth from you before the world tries to define it for her.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Raising Daughters: A Father’s Role in Shaping Her Identity and Faith

Being a father to a daughter is both a gift and a calling. In a culture that often blurs gender roles and redefines family dynamics, dads have the opportunity—and responsibility—to model biblical love, identity, and leadership.

1. Love Her Mom Well

One of the most important ways a father can influence his daughter is through the way he loves her mother. Whether you're married to her mom or co-parenting after divorce, your behavior sets a powerful tone in her life.

The Bible calls men to love their wives sacrificially, the way Christ loves the Church:

Ephesians 5:25-29 (NLT)

“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her… Husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself.”

This kind of love is not based on feelings—it’s based on commitment, humility, and servant leadership. When your daughter sees you lay down your preferences to honor and serve her mom, she internalizes what to expect from a future husband. She learns to value healthy love and recognize unhealthy behavior.

Even if you’re a single dad, you can still live out this principle. Show respect for your daughter’s mother. Avoid speaking negatively about her, especially in front of your daughter. Be honest when appropriate, but always take the high road. God can redeem even the most broken family dynamics when you commit to modeling grace and truth.

1 Peter 3:7 (NLT) adds another layer:

“In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding… She is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life.”

Treating your wife—or your daughter’s mom—with honor is one of the greatest gifts you can give your daughter.

2. Speak Her Love Language

Every child is wired to receive love differently, and girls especially need consistent, heartfelt affirmation from their fathers. Author Gary Chapman outlines five “love languages” that help decode how people give and receive love: words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, gifts, and physical touch.

Your daughter likely leans into one or two of these. Your job is to learn what speaks most clearly to her heart and make it a regular part of your relationship.

• Words of Affirmation – Tell her what you love about who she is, not just what she does. Be mindful of criticism—it cuts deeper in daughters who thrive on verbal encouragement.
• Quality Time – Let her choose the activity. The goal is not what you do together, but that you're fully present.
• Acts of Service – Sometimes love looks like helping with a science project or fixing something she values.
• Gifts – Thoughtful, not flashy. It’s about meaning, not money.
• Physical Touch – Hugs, high-fives, or sitting close on the couch. Appropriate affection from you can affirm her value and reduce the likelihood that she’ll seek it in the wrong places.

Proverbs 16:16 (NLT) says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver.” Wisdom in parenting means understanding your daughter’s emotional needs and responding intentionally.

3. Stay in Your Lane

As a father, you have a critical role—but not a complete one. You’re not called to be everything to your daughter. There are certain conversations better handled by your wife or a trusted, godly woman.

Titus 2:4-5 (NLT) says,

“These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure...”

Topics like puberty, sexual purity, and physical development are often more comfortably and effectively addressed by a woman. This doesn’t mean you avoid important subjects altogether—it means you walk with humility and invite others to speak into her life where needed. If you’re a single dad, lean into the church community. Find a trusted woman your daughter can talk to and feel safe with.

Additionally, you must remember that your daughter’s ultimate identity comes from God, not you. You were never meant to meet all her emotional or spiritual needs

Genesis 1:27 (NLT) reminds us:

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Fathers are called to guide, protect, and bless—but only God can fill her soul. Your job is to point her to Him.

Final Thoughts: A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

In a world obsessed with external beauty, dads have the opportunity to affirm the kind of beauty God values most.

1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT) says,

“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty... You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

You can shape how your daughter views herself by the way you treat her and talk to her. Speak life. Model grace. Point her to the God who made her, loves her, and has a plan for her life.

Being a dad to a daughter may feel overwhelming, but God will equip you if you seek Him daily. Start by loving your wife (or co-parent) well, knowing your daughter’s heart, and staying faithful in your lane. God will use your imperfect efforts to do something eternal in her life.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Jesus prayed that believers would have unity like he and the Father have unity. He also said that the world will know we are his disciples by our love for one another.  There are secondary issues that have been debated by believers for centuries, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it

• Over the last several years, I’ve taken some deep dives into secondary issues in the Christian faith.  I’d call them secondary issues. Some of you might think they’re primary, which is always part of the problem when having these kinds of conversations. I look at issues in four different categories - issues to die for, divide for, debate, or discuss.  The reality is that you and I probably don’t categorize everything the same way.  Some of the issues I think are worth dividing for you may not and vice versa. When I say divide, I don’t mean choosing one local church over another because of doctrinal distinctives or worship style, or things like that.  I’m talking about breaking fellowship with someone who claims to be a Christian but holds a belief that isn’t compatible with traditional Christianity. 

John 17:21-23  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.    

John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples

•  Don’t make everything a to divide for issue - 
• I don’t think the right attitude is, “well it doesn’t really matter. It will all sort out in the end.  It does matter. Someone is right and someone is wrong. 
• Truth matters. There is a right answer. 
• 1 Corinthians 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
• Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—wisdom, instruction and insight as well. 

Are you listening? 

When you’re discussing a secondary issue with a fellow believer, are you really seeking to listen to them, or just preparing your rebuttal?  Do you find yourself interrupting them?

Acts 15:4-12 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them. 5 But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.”

6 So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. 7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. 8 God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers[b] with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Proverbs 18:13 Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

Proverbs 18:2 Fools have no interest in understanding;  they only want to air their own opinions.

Proverbs 18:15 Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. 

What if you’re wrong? 

Have you ever taken an honest look at the dangers of being wrong? 

• What if you’re wrong?  What are the dangers if you are holding onto the incorrect position on a topic? 
•  Complementarian - missing out on great teachers, not empowering women to fulfill callings and exercise giftings
• Egalitarian - health of the church is compromised because roles are blurred, men are not challenged to step up and lead
• Calvinism - not seeking excellence in ministry because God’s going to save whoever he’s going to save regardless of me, evangelism may take a back seat for the same reasons
• Arminianism - becoming too seeker sensitive, taking too much responsibility and credit for God’s work, always chasing the next big idea
• Eschatology - not living with a sense of urgency that Jesus could come at any moment, Revelation 16:15 Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”
• Annihilationism - lack of urgency because punishment is eternal

One Trick Pony 

Do you find yourself only wanting to talk about a single issue?  Do you tend to bring it up in conversations even if the topic is about something different? 

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing 

Keep the main thing the main thing.  Don’t get so caught up in secondary issues that you miss out on opportunities to share the gospel. 

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Leadership Lessons from the Failures of King David

King David is often remembered for his triumph over Goliath and his deep love for God, but his story also serves as a powerful warning about the dangers of compromised leadership.

A Promising Start Marred by Tragedy

David's leadership journey began with promise and courage. He boldly faced Goliath and resisted the urge to seize the throne from Saul prematurely, trusting instead in God's timing. However, over time, his integrity began to erode. Despite moments where he could have made righteous choices, David continued down a destructive path that culminated in murder and betrayal.

When Success Breeds Entitlement

David’s downfall began not with an act, but with an attitude.

2 Samuel 11:1

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. … But David remained in Jerusalem.”

This detail is crucial. Spring was the traditional time for kings to lead their armies into battle. David broke with this norm, staying behind while his men fought. This wasn’t a time of peace—there was active conflict. His choice signaled a sense of entitlement and detachment from duty. Leaders today face different "battles," but the principle remains: when individuals neglect their responsibilities, temptation often finds them idle.

A Snowball of Bad Decisions

2 Samuel 11:2-4

“From the roof he saw a woman bathing. … David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.”

David not only succumbed to lust, but he also involved others in his sin. Servants were tasked with fetching Bathsheba—likely aware of what was happening but powerless to question the king. This wasn’t just adultery; it was betrayal. Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, was one of David’s loyal soldiers. David’s actions shattered bonds of brotherhood and integrity.

Failing to Read the Room

After the Bathsheba scandal, David continued to demonstrate a troubling lack of discernment—particularly within his own family. His failure to recognize and respond to warning signs led to further tragedy.

2 Samuel 13:6-7

“Amnon asked, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and cook…’ So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon’s house.”

David did not question Amnon’s odd request, and as a result, Tamar was left vulnerable. After Amnon assaulted her, David grew angry but took no action.

2 Samuel 13:21-22

“When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry. … But he did not punish his son Amnon.”

Ancient texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Greek versions suggest David’s inaction stemmed from favoritism—Amnon was his firstborn. But leadership isn’t about protecting favorites. It’s about justice, accountability, and courage.

The Cost of Avoiding Hard Conversations

David’s refusal to confront sin had tragic ripple effects. Two years after Tamar’s assault, Absalom orchestrated a calculated revenge.

2 Samuel 13:23-29

Absalom invited the king’s sons to a feast and pressed David to send Amnon. Despite initial hesitation, David relented. At the feast, Absalom had Amnon killed.

David's leadership faltered again. He failed to sense the undercurrent of tension and did not investigate further. Avoiding difficult conversations—especially ones involving family or close allies—may seem easier in the short term but can be disastrous long-term.

A Modern Warning for Today’s Leaders

The life of David reminds leaders—whether in ministry, business, or the home—that failures rarely happen all at once. They begin with compromise, escalate through passivity, and culminate in destruction when left unaddressed.

Modern leaders must stay engaged in the battles they’re called to fight. That might mean maintaining boundaries, seeking accountability, or confronting hard truths—even when it's uncomfortable.

2 Samuel 11:1

“But David remained in Jerusalem.”

That single choice set into motion a chain of events that changed David’s life and legacy. It's a haunting reminder: leaders must never forget why they’re called, and whom they serve.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Leadership Lessons from King Saul: How Emotion, Disobedience, and Insecurity Lead to Failure

In the second episode of the Failure to Lead podcast series, the focus turns to one of Scripture’s most infamous leaders—King Saul. After all, his reign ended with God stripping the kingdom away from him and giving it to David. However, his leadership journey offers key insights into how even those who start well can stumble if their hearts are not continually aligned with God.

A Good Start with a Changed Heart

Contrary to popular belief, Saul did not begin his reign as a failure. Scripture tells us in 1 Samuel 10:9, “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart.” God chose Saul, and early on, Saul demonstrated humility, restraint, and a willingness to follow divine instruction.

When some people questioned Saul’s kingship, Saul chose silence over pride. 1 Samuel 10:27 notes, “They didn’t bring him any gifts. But Saul kept quiet about it.” And after his first major victory over the Ammonites, Saul refused to seek vengeance on those who had doubted him (1 Samuel 11:12–13). These were the marks of a humble and Spirit-touched leader.

But leadership is not defined by a single moment—it’s tested over time.

Emotional Decision-Making: A Trap for Every Leader

One of Saul’s downfalls was his tendency to make rash decisions based on emotion. Good leaders understand the weight of their emotions and choose wisdom over impulse.

In 1 Samuel 14:24–30, Saul made an emotionally charged vow that no one in his army could eat until he had avenged his enemies. This decision, though driven by zeal, weakened his troops and nearly cost his son Jonathan’s life. Jonathan, unaware of the oath, ate honey to regain strength. He later criticized his father's decision, saying, “My father has made trouble for the country.”

Emotion-driven leadership, while often passionate, can blind decision-makers to long-term consequences. Leaders must pause, pray, and process before acting—especially in high-pressure situations.

Model Obedience: Leaders Are Always Under Authority

Another key failure in Saul’s leadership was his disobedience. A leader under God’s authority must model obedience—not only for personal integrity but also for the health of those under their leadership.

In 1 Samuel 13, Saul took matters into his own hands by offering a sacrifice reserved for the prophet Samuel. This impatience cost him dearly. Samuel rebuked him: “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you… the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:13–14).

Later, in 1 Samuel 15, Saul disobeyed God again by sparing King Agag and the best livestock, despite clear instructions to destroy everything. When confronted, Saul justified his actions, claiming he was saving the animals to sacrifice to God. Samuel responded with piercing truth: “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22).

Partial obedience is still disobedience. True leadership requires full submission to God’s commands, regardless of the perceived benefit of an alternative route.

Jealousy and Insecurity: The Silent Killers of Leadership

Perhaps the most relatable of Saul’s failures was his struggle with jealousy and insecurity. These internal issues often lead to outward dysfunction in leadership.

After David’s rise to fame—especially after defeating Goliath—Saul grew resentful. The people sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7), and Saul’s jealousy began to consume him. From that point forward, he viewed David not as an asset to the kingdom but as a threat to his throne.

Healthy leaders celebrate the success of others. They identify and nurture talent, even if those under them surpass their own abilities. Insecurity, on the other hand, leads to control, manipulation, and division.

Final Thoughts: Leadership Requires a Tender Heart and a Firm Foundation

Saul’s story is a warning to every leader—especially those in spiritual leadership. His life shows that a strong start doesn’t guarantee a faithful finish. Leaders must remain humble, emotionally wise, obedient, and secure in their calling.

A recurring theme in Saul’s decline is this: The condition of the leader’s heart determines the course of their leadership. Saul’s heart changed, but it did not stay aligned with God. Over time, pride, fear, and disobedience eroded the foundation of his reign.

Let Saul’s life be a mirror, not just a story. Ask:

• Is leadership being driven by emotion or by wisdom?
• Is obedience to God full and immediate, or partial and convenient?
• Are the giftings of others seen as threats or as opportunities for growth?

Ultimately, great leaders don’t just lead—they follow. They stay under authority, remain emotionally grounded, and model consistent obedience to God.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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• Coaching - if we learn from our mistakes, we’re going to be pretty good by the end of the season. If not, we’re going to lose a lot of games. 
• You might be asking yourself, “why so much talk about leading on this podcast?” It’s simple, men are called to lead in the home and in the church. 

Ephesians 5:22-30 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.

• We need to step up and lead. 

Genesis 3:9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 

• God called to the man.  He was holding Adam accountable. Adam didn’t lead. 

Genesis 3:16 And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.

• Part of this tension that is often felt when we try to lead in our home is a direct result of Adam’s failure to lead. This is the story we’re going to look at today.  
• Being a servant leader

Proverbs 15:22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.

Proverbs 15:31 If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.

• Doesn’t mean that we lead tyrannically.  We seek input, particularly from our spouse.  We listen to constructive criticism.  

Passivity is Poisonous 

Adam was passive.  He failed to step up and lead.  There was a crisis going on around him, and he stood there as a spectator instead of stepping up as a leader. 

Genesis 3:1-7 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Hiding from Responsibility 

Instead of facing the consequences of a bad decision, Adam tried to hide. We’re all going to mess up sometimes. We’re going to make bad decisions as a leader. When that happens, we need to own up to it. 

Genesis 3:8-10 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man[a] and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

• What does hiding from God look like in our lives? Avoiding going to church, avoiding small groups, not wanting to spend time in God’s Word 
• Not initiating reconciliation - just hoping it will blow over or sweep it under the rug

Psalm 139 7-12 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.11 I could ask the darkness to hide me  and the light around me to become night—12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. 

Blame Shifting 

Adam tried the blame game instead of owning up to his mistake.  He even insinuated that God was partially at fault. 

Genesis 3:12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

• Sound familiar? 
• We blame others.  We blame our circumstances. We sometimes even blame God - It’s your fault.  You made me this way.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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In the Old Testament, the blessings of fathers to their sons just seem to jump off the page. Isaac to Jacob and Esau, Jacob’s blessings over his sons. 

Controlling our Tongue 

Our words have the power to bring life or death. We should work to use our words to encourage and build up those around us.

Ephesians 4:29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

James 1:19-20, 26 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

James 3:3-6 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:9:10 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Offense vs. Defense 

Controlling our tongue to not respond harshly or critically is the first step. We can then learn to use our words to bring blessing and life. This takes intentionality and for most of us, practice. It is important to speak words of affirmation to those we love.  

Mark 1:9-11 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

• Our children need our encouragement.  If God the Father publicly affirmed God the Son, how much more so do our children need it?  Jesus knew exactly who he was.  He had no questions about his significance or value or identity.  Can our kids say that?  
• What if your child’s primarily love language is words of affirmation?  They need it even more.  Probably need it even more than you do. 
• Speak affirmation on the things they can control. I’m proud of you. You are a blessing to me. You’re wise.  You’re humble. 

Significance of Ceremony 

Creating opportunities for more formal statements of blessing and encouragement can have a deep impact. There is power in ceremony. Look for significant events in the lives of your children and use those as opportunities to bring life with your words.

• Starting school, Starting Jr. High, starting HS, purity talk, First job, Driver’s license, graduation, first date, marriage, first child, purchase of a home or moving to a new location 
• Work at it, write it down

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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How to Lead When Your Kids Are Rebelling: A Biblical Perspective

Parenting is one of the greatest blessings and challenges in life. It becomes even more difficult when our children stray from the faith, resist authority, or make choices that go against our values. Today, we’re in the final week of our Leading When It’s Hard series, and we’re tackling a topic that many parents face: leading when your kids are rebelling.

This conversation is complex because every family dynamic is different. Considerations include:

• Are your kids still living at home, or are they adults living on their own?
• How old are they?
• Are they biological children, or is this a blended family situation?
• Were you a believer before having children, or did you come to faith later, bringing significant changes to your household?

While each situation is unique, the Bible provides timeless wisdom for navigating this difficult journey. Let’s explore three key principles: praying, training and modeling, and loving unconditionally without affirming sin.

1. Pray

First and foremost, cover your child in prayer. Ask God to soften their heart and grant you wisdom in how to best lead them.

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Worrying about our children seems like a natural part of parenting. From infancy through adulthood, our concerns grow as the consequences of their choices become more significant. However, Scripture does not give us an exception for worrying about our kids. It commands us not to worry about anything but to bring everything before God in prayer.

Additionally, while it’s natural to want to protect our children from pain, we should be careful not to pray away all consequences of their actions.

Consider the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)—it was only when the son hit rock bottom that he came to his senses. If the father had prayed for his son to avoid hardship, the young man might never have returned home in repentance.

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.”

2. Train and Model

Leading our children spiritually is not just about giving instructions—it’s about modeling the faith we want them to follow.

Proverbs 22:6 – “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

This is a proverb, not a guarantee. While raising children in God’s truth increases the likelihood that they will remain faithful, they still have free will. However, a solid foundation makes a lasting impact.

A key question to ask: Is their behavior in spite of my parenting or because of my parenting? If we need to seek forgiveness for past mistakes, we should humble ourselves and do so.

Some parents emphasize righteousness and holiness but struggle to model tenderness and mercy. Others err on the side of being too lenient, attempting to be a friend rather than a parent. We must find balance.

Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”

If we’ve made parenting mistakes, it’s never too late to change. A sincere apology and a commitment to leading in love and wisdom can transform our relationship with our children.

3. Love Unconditionally, Without Affirming Sinful Behavior

Loving our children does not mean condoning their choices. We can express love while standing firm in truth.

Romans 5:8-10 – “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.”

God’s love for us is unconditional, but it does not excuse sin. In the same way, we must extend love to our children while making it clear that sin has consequences.

Some practical steps:

• Establish clear boundaries for children still living at home.
• If they are adults living independently, continue to be a loving presence while maintaining biblical convictions.
• Pick your battles wisely—especially if you are a new believer making household changes. Instead of demanding immediate compliance, allow your children to see the transformation in your life through the fruit of the Spirit.

For example, instead of banning all secular music overnight, start by eliminating explicit content. If your child is no longer living under your roof, you can still engage them in meaningful conversations about faith without forcing them into compliance.\

Final Thoughts

Leading when your children are rebelling is heartbreaking and challenging, but it is not impossible. Through prayer, godly modeling, and unconditional love, we can lead our children toward faith, even if they stray.

God is faithful. Keep trusting Him, keep leading well, and keep praying. The seeds you plant today may bear fruit in ways you cannot yet see.

Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Stay in your lane and pray, pray, pray 

Our role is to share the gospel and make disciples.  The Holy Spirit’s role is to bring conviction and change hearts.  Pray to the Holy Spirit, asking him to bring conviction to your spouse and to give you the strength to stay the course.

• One of the hardest things for us as men to remember is to stay in our lane.  What I mean by that is it isn’t our job to convict our wife or soften their heart.  Only God can do that.  That is the role the Holy Spirit. 

John 16:7-8 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate[a] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

• One of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin. 

Acts 13:3 Acts 13:3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

• Context of this verse - sending Paul and Barnabas commission to go out on their missionary journey. The church knew the importance of praying for Paul and Barnabas and in praying for the Holy Spirit to move and soften hearts. 
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften your wife’s heart and bring conviction.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring others into her life who will also point her to Jesus. 
• Pray for strength.  Pray for endurance. Fight for your marriage. 

1 Corinthians 7:12-14 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer[c] has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 

1 Corinthians 7: 16  Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

• If you were a Christian when you married and you married a non-believer, I want to say this as compassionately as I can, but let this be a good reminder to you that God’s boundaries are for your good.  
• Fight for your marriage.  

Actions Speak Louder than Words 

Actions speak louder than words. Live with your wife in an understanding way and let your love and good deeds point her to Jesus.

1 Peter 3:1-2, 7  In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives. 

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

• I know the verse is directed at wives who have an unbelieving husband but the pure and reverent lives part is certainly applicable to a husband who has a non-believing wife. 
• You are a vessel that God wants to use to pour out his love and grace on your wife.
• We started this episode out by talking about the importance of prayer.  Here we’re told to treat our wives as we should so that our prayers will not be hindered.  We’ve all heard the phrase “1 step forward, 2 steps back”. That’s what’s happening if you’re praying for God to soften your wife’s heart and bring conviction, but then you’re not treating her the way you should treat her. 
• If you want to lead her, serve her. Jesus said if we want to be first, we should be last. We’ve talked a lot on this podcast about Godly leadership and Godly leadership is servant leadership. 

Pick Your Battles

If you make everything a black and white issue, your spouse is going to feel like you’re a dictator.  This requires us to be led by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God so that we can balance when to stand firm and when to compromise.

Luke 14:25-27 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

• Clearly, we can’t compromise on everything.  We can’t let the fear of our wife being mad or leaving us have more authority in our lives than God’s truth. 

1 Corinthians 5:12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

• Evaluating the difference between leading your wife and leading your children. 
• Social media, media for example
• Requiring my kids to go to church, 

If your wife professes to be a believer, but is rebelling, bring in other believers. Matthew 18 protocol.  Bring in your church leaders. 

Matthew 18:15-17 “If another believer[d] sins against you,[e] go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

Close

Romans 12:17-18 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

1 Corinthians 7:15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife[e] is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you[f] to live in peace.)

The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Ephesians 5:22-30 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. 25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.

• 1 Corinthians 11:3 But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
• I think the command is clear.  I think that men who are really pursuing God and trying to live by his standards want to do it, or at least recognize they’re called to do it.  But how do we do it? How do we do it when our wife has been a Christian longer or has more Bible knowledge than we do? How do we do it if our wife is walking away from God? How do we lead in the home when our children are rebelling from God?  That’s what we’re going to try and answer in this series.  Today, we’re looking at how to lead when our wife has been a believer longer than us, or has more Biblical knowledge than us.  And I want to start with this…

Be Thankful 

If your wife has been a Christian longer than you, or has more biblical knowledge than you, thank God for her.

• I’m not saying that it can’t or doesn’t create a set of problems.  It can.  But what a great problem to have. If this is the episode in this series that you’re battling, I guarantee you the guys who are battling with the next episode, how to lead when your wife is walking away from God, would trade places with you in a heartbeat.  
• Let me read a couple of verses…

Proverbs 31:10-11 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.

Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;  but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

• Thank God for your wife and her love for him.  Thank your wife. Ask your wife to forgive you for not spiritually leading up to this point if you haven’t been. 

Initiate, Initiate, Initiate

Leading means initiating.  Initiating time in prayer and initiating time in the Word. 

Leading isn’t the same as teaching. Teaching is an element of leading, but leadership is much broader.  You can lead in service, reconciliation, and direction for your family.  Ephesians 5:22-30, 1 Peter 3:7, Ephesians 4:32 

• Initiate Time in Prayer 
• Initiate Time in the Word
• Doesn’t mean you have to give your wife a sermon.  You can read together.  You can ask her what God has been saying to her in her time in the Word.  You can share what God has been saying to you in your time in the Word. 
• Initiate Connection

1 Peter 3:7 

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

• Some translations - the weaker vessel.  Physically weaker is part of that, but I think it’s more.  Treat her with care. Help her to feel cherished. 
• When initiating connection, evaluate if your family is going in the right direction. Are you keeping the main things the main things? 
• Initiate Reconciliation 
• Ephesians 4:32  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 

Lead for Growth

Don’t confuse Biblical knowledge or literacy with maturity. Help your family grow in maturity, not just knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning[a] food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 

• Hopefully, if your wife has ore biblical knowledge than you, she is also maturing in her faith.  She’s going full circle. If so, praise God.  She’ll probably be excited that you’re stepping up to lead now.  If not, help her grow in maturity. 

Luke 6:46 Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 

• How do we approach our wives when we need to correct? We need to remember we’re a plank eyed sinner - check our motives, check our own sin issues, gentleness

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Run Like Your Life Depends On It

 The Bible commands us to flee sexual immorality. This language is weighty.  We should recognize just how dangerous it will be if we don’t quickly put distance between us and temptation.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

• We’re not called to stand and fight.  I find that so interesting.  We’re told to flee.  Run! This isn’t something we should be casual about.  We need to put as much distance between us and the temptation as possible.  
• Example of Joseph - 

Genesis 39:11-12 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

• Instead of fleeing, we so often dilly dally around.  We play with the temptation.  We ask,”How close to this thing can I get without getting burned?”  Would we do that in a life or death situation?  If a blazing fire was coming down the mountain on us, would we see how close we could get without getting burned, or would we put as much distance between us and the fire as possible? 
• Part of the issue is we don’t recognize the seriousness of sin. It truly is life or death.  The bible says the wages of sin is death. Now, as believers, our position before God is secure, but it can kill our intimacy. 
• Lot’s wife - didn’t run, stopped and wanted to linger - Is that our attitude with sexual purity?  

Author talks about four categories where we need to flee

• Sexual distractions - beach, lingerie store, - The other woman - use common sense, say far away, avoid flirtatious talk, play the dweeb - story of McKenzie 
• Electronic Devices - accountability software - covenant eyes, net nanny, 
• Commercial sex industry - 
• Sex outside of marriage - dating, cohabitation
• Don’t date a non-believer
• Don’t put yourself in compromising situations
• Clearly communicate boundaries - even if the other person professes to be a Christian 

Moving Forward

There is a difference between knowing what purity is and how to experience it and actually experiencing it. 

• You might be asking, “what do I do now?”.  We just finished the book, can you name the 5 principles we’ve covered the last three episodes? 
• Connect with God
• Involve Others
• Control your thoughts
• Control your eyes
• Flee
• If you remembered all five - congrats! If you’re like me, you probably already had difficulty remembering them all.  That’s normal.  We all need help from time to time remembering things we’ve learned and things we’ve read or heard.  Go back and re-read, 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

• Certainly not intending to elevate this book to the level of scripture, but thinking about it, reading it again, talking about it is the best way to help you remember it. 

Enjoy purity - rejoice in it, celebrate it.  

Psalm 19:9-11 The fear of the Lord is pure,  enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm,

    and all of them are righteous.10 They are more precious than gold,  than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,  than honey from the honeycomb.11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

• Is that how we view God’s boundaries? Do we believe there is great reward in keeping them? Are they precious to us? 

For the married man pursue greater intimacy with your wife.  Not just in hopes that it leads to more or better sex, but for the sake of intimacy itself.  You’ve been commanded to love your wife and give yourself up for her as Christ did the church.  

For the single man - God is enough.  

• Nothing can satisfy like he can. 

Matthew 22:29-30 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not [s]understand the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life;  you will fill me with joy in your presence,   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

NASB - You will make known to me the way of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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James 1:22-25 says: "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." 

Control Your Thoughts 

The first key to controlling our thoughts is replacing our thoughts.  You have to fill the void with something else, or the initial thoughts will just creep back in. The longer we think on sinful things, the more enticing they become and the more we begin to justify them. 

• You might respond to “control your thoughts” with “that’s easier said than done” or “how can I do that?”. I can’t help the thoughts that come into my mind. I would agree with you that to some extent you can’t help the thoughts that pop into your mind, but you can control what you do with them when you recognize they’re there. 

Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Philippians 4:8-9 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

• Killing sin when it is small
• Process - become aware of the thought, evaluate the thought, replace inappropriate thoughts 

Control Your Eyes  

God made men visual creatures .  That isn’t an invitation to look lustfully at women or images of women.  Controlling what we’re looking at is critical to victory in the area of sexual purity. 

Job 31:1I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. 

• Job is protesting his innocence here.  He’s saying, “I was successful at this.  I kept the covenant.” I hope that is encouraging to us.  

Matthew 6:22-23 Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

• Story of David and Bathsheba   

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

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Storms are going to come in our lives in our battle for purity. Are we preparing? Are we looking for warning signs? Are we fleeing? 

Connect with God 

It is critical to connect with God on a regular basis. Spiritual disciplines such as prayer and Bible study aren’t ends in themselves, but instead they equip us for living and for experiencing a close relationship with God.

Connect regularly with God

• Practices such as reading the Bible and prayer are not ends in themselves. Instead, they equip us for living and for experiencing a close relationship with God.
•  2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.  
• John Ortberg - There is an immense difference between training to do something and trying to do something. Respecting the distinction between training and merely trying is the key to transformation in every area of life.  
• God uses these disciplines to change us from the inside out. 
• Psalm 119:9-16 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands.11 I have hidden your word in my heart,  that I might not sin against you. 12 I praise you, O Lord;  teach me your decrees. 13 I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. 14 I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches.15 I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.16 I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.

Obstacles to reading 

• Guilt 
• Difficult to understand
• Choosing to read - love is a choice example from marriage basics 
• Nature of the Bible itself - spiritual warfare 

Prayer 

• God is a personal God. We are his children.  He is our father. Might be difficult for those of you who had a strained relationship with your father or whose father abandoned them or was present physically, but not emotionally. 
• God is a perfect father.  His judgment is always right.  He disciplines those he loves.  His discipline is just and appropriate. 
• God is God and we’re not.  Great reminder of our dependence on him.  He’s the creator. We’re the creation. 

Walking in the Spirit

• Flesh can not defeat flesh
• My efforts alone won’t produce Godliness. 
• Galatians 3:2-3 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
• Galatians 5:17 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 
• How do we walk in the Spirit? Bottom of page 111

Involve Others

Accountability only works when we invite someone in. We have to give them permission to ask the hard questions.  Mutual Encouragement 

Galatians 6:1-2 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Perceptive trust - trust is earned - baby steps 

Praying for someone we’re helping, coveting he prayers of someone helping us

• Accountability only works when we invite someone in. We have to give them permission to ask the hard questions.  Mutual Encouragement 
• Galatians 6:1-2 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
• Perceptive trust - trust is earned - baby steps 
• Praying for someone we’re helping, coveting he prayers of someone helping us

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Q. Are Family Curses (and Blessings) Real?

• Super scary verse in the OT (Second Commandment):
• Exodus 20:4-5 (NLT) 4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 
• Generational curses? 
• Need to cast out demons? “Bondage Breaker” book
• No! This is more about learned behavior
• Third and fourth generations
• You may have met these people!
• Influence extends to grandkids and great grandchildren
• Principle: parenting matters!
• You will pass on more than you think
• Family idols (even today)
• Alcoholism
• Pride, selfishness
• Materialism (wealth)
• But don’t miss the next verse
• Exodus 20:6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
• God wants to bless your family!
• A thousand generations vs. 3 or 4
• But look at the recipient of this
• Those who love me and obey my commands
• The greatest generational blessing: salvation
• Households where grandparents, parents, kids are all followers
• Nothing better than this
• Very few families have it
• We’re going to see this in action in 3 families in Acts 16 today…

Acts 16: (NLT) 1 Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek.

• This is Paul’s second missionary journey 
• First time we meet Timothy. This guy becomes Paul’s protege. 
• Jewish mom
• Greek dad
• 2 Timothy 1:5 (NLT) 5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
• Notice: no mention of father
• Dad was likely not a Gentile follower of God
• If he was, he would have had Timothy circumcised
• One more hint about Timothy’s upbringing…
• 2 Timothy 3:15 (NLT) 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
• Taught by mother and grandmother!
• The point: if you want to pass on your faith, teach your kids the Bible early and often

Next passage:

Acts 16:13-14 (NLT) 13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.

• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) The fact that she is named could mean that she was a person of some status, 'since it was normal in such a Greco-Roman setting not to mention women by personal name in public unless they were either notable or notorious.'

Acts 16:15 (NLT) 15 She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.

• Maybe a widow? Divorced? Either way, seems to be a single mom
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) A woman such as Lydia might have been head of a household in Greco-Roman culture because her husband had died or she was divorced, and less probably because she was a single woman of means.
• Also very wealthy
• Money doesn’t have to be a generational curse
• She’s already using it to be a blessing
• Main point: Look at her impact
• she got saved, the household followed

One more example: a blue collar worker dad, jailer where Paul and Silas were imprisoned:

Acts 16:25-28 (NLT) 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

Acts 16:29-30 (NLT) 29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Acts 16:31-33 (NLT) 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household…. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.

• Wow. This time a dad gets saved and the family follows

What’s going on here? What can we learn from these three stories

• A young man with a Christian mom and grandma (and unbelieving dad)
• A wealthy single mom
• A blue collar dad

They’re included as a sampling of what was happening in the early church

• People were getting saved
• It was so powerful that it impacted their households
• That’s how it should still work today
• Moms and Dads embrace the message of Jesus
• And they intentionally pass it on to their kids

Back to the verse at the top:

Exodus 20:6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

• Family blessings are real! 
• Parents: your love for God, your obedience to his commands
• Can be passed on to generations

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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We’re jumping back into our Stormproof series after taking a quick one week break for the election podcast that we aired on the last episode.  I hope you’ve been praying for our newly elected leaders, regardless of how you voted. 

The M Word 

While there are no passages of scripture that explicitly condemn or condone masturbation, there are several Biblical principles that we can apply. These principals would cause us to view masturbation as almost always, if not always, sinful. 

1 Corinthians 7:3-4 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 

Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

• There are four perspectives about masturbation you might hear in Christian circles
• It is a gift from God. 
• It’s probably alright if I can do it without lustful fantasies or as long as it isn’t compulsive, done in groups, or produces guilt
• It is usually wrong because it goes against nature and violates purity.
• It is always wrong
• I land somewhere between 3 and 4. I think theoretically there may be a time and place where it isn’t sinful, but practically I think it pretty much always is.                
• Biblical principles that speak against it
• Lust vs. a pure thought life
• Intimacy vs. sexual release
• Satisfying a habit vs. self control
• Selfish vs. selfless sex 
• Creating problems for physical intimacy in marriage 

Building our Foundation on the Rock 

Theology matters.  An accurate view of God leads to sound thinking and practices. An inaccurate view of God leads to faulty thinking and dangerous practices. Do you spend time getting to know God? 

Psalm 42:1-1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?

• God is good.
• God is holy. 
• God is love.
• God is forgiving.
• God is faithful.   

Guilt vs. Shame 

Guilt and conviction are good and can be used to bring us in line with God’s boundaries. Shame is not from God for those that are in Christ Jesus and tends to diminish our relationship with him. Romans 8:1 

Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 

• Guilt - I did something wrong
• Condemnation - There is something wrong with me
• Conviction  typically has an action step.  We’re confronted with something we’ve done wrong and the Spirit shows us how to respond. Condemnation typically has no action step.  It’s just an accusation against us that we can’t address. 
• Condemnation diminishes our relationship with God. When our relationship diminishes, we begin to forget who he really is and the attributes we looked at earlier.

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I’ve had multiple people in my congregation sending me videos from different influencers and pundits.  Several of them are criticizing the church for not being more vocal about who to vote for in the upcoming presidential election.  Is the church’s role to tell you who to vote for or teach you how to think biblically so that you can vote in a way that honors God?  I would answer that it is the latter. 

• They cite that many pastors are encouraging people to sit this election out because there isn’t a godly candidate. Is that the right approach?  

Is there a godly candidate?

If you feel that you are trying to vote for the lesser of two evils and you’re not sure if you should vote at all, consider framing it by voting for who would do the most good.  Is voting for the lesser of two evils a valid strategy?

Jeremiah 29:1-9 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,[a] 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

• I’m going to sit out because there isn’t a Godly candidate.  The Israelites were in a pagan country and were told to pray for the peace of the city, plant crops.  They were told to be engaged in the community.  God didn’t tell them to disengage because they had ungodly leadership. 
• If you were waiting to vote for a godly candidate how long would you have to wait?  When is the last time you could say with confidence we have had a godly candidate? We have church leaders that we think are godly, only to find out they have major character flaws.  How much more does that happen in politics?  
• Are we voting on their personal character or their policies? I don’t think it’s either/or.  I think it is both/and. If you’re going to try and tell me that a candidate has great personal character, but they’re running on a platform that is full of ungodly policies, I’m going to push back on that.  
• Instead of thinking through the lense of “lesser of two evils” how about “who will do the most good”?  Who is going to protect the unborn? Who is going to protect religious liberty? Who is going to protect the definition of marriage? Who is going to prevent my 16 year old daughter from having to share a locker room with a biological male? 

God is Sovereign 

First and foremost, we should vote in a manner that honors God and honors the convictions the Holy Spirit has put on our heart. Not voting for a candidate we think is the right choice because we don’t believe they can win is a sign we might be trying to control things that are out of our control. 

Daniel 2:20-22 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.21 He changes times and seasons;  he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; 22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

• Vote your conscience 
• People who say voting for someone outside of the two major parties is a wasted vote - I don’t understand that thinking.  God is able to put into office who he wants to put into office.  

Romans 13:1-2 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 

• Think of the context when this was written.  Paul writes this in a time when officials weren’t elected.  The powerful ruled by power.  Corruption was just as rampant then as it is now, if not more so.  In spite of that, Paul reminds us that those in authority are there because God has allowed them to be there. 

Moving forward post-election 

Believers should move forward with peace and encouragement regardless of who wins the elections.  God is sovereign.  Nothing is happening that he isn’t allowing to happen and our primary citizenship is in heaven. We’re called to pray for our leaders, whether our candidate wins or not. 

Philippians 3:20  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

• We’re engaged in our culture and community, but we don’t have to be anxious.  We can be confident no matter who wins the election.  We should stay engaged even if the candidate we personally vote for doesn’t win. 

1 Timothy 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

• If your candidate didn’t win the last election, how often have you prayed for the president and national leaders? 
• Pray for wisdom, pray that God would soften their heart and that they would honor him in their decisions. 

Close

Proverbs 11:10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,  and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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What is the Target? 

It’s important that we know what we’re aiming for when we want to experience sexual purity.  As with any goal, being specific about the target gives us the best opportunity to achieve it. 

• I want the guilt to go away.
• If the only thing we desire is for the guilt to go away, then we are focused on how we feel about our thoughts or actions rather than the rightness of them. 
• 2 Corinthians 7:10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.  
• I want God to remove the temptation.
• God never promised to remove temptation.  He promised a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). 
• How do we grow in our faith and submission to God without temptation? 
• If this is our goal it can lead to us blaming God for not keeping promises that he never made. 
• I want to say “no” to the temptation.
• I want to honor God.  
• This is the target that is most inline with God’s call on us as Christians.
• It is the target that gives us the best chance at victory. 
• Romans 12:1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
• 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.

Facing the Storms

God is never the source of sexual temptation. Temptation  falls under two broad categories - objective and subjective.

James 1:13-16 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong,[c] and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. 

• Objective and subjective - external and internal 
• External temptations never come from God. They come from the devil and the world. 

Storm Warning

We will encounter different levels of storms as we pursue purity.  We would be foolish to ignore the warnings that stronger storms are on the way. 

• Rain Showers
• Severe Storms
• Eye of the Storm
• Hurricane Warning 

Close

What is our target? 

• I want the guilt to go away.
• If the only thing we desire is for the guilt to go away, then we are focused on how we feel about our thoughts or actions rather than the rightness of them. 
• 2 Corinthians 7:10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.  
• I want God to remove the temptation.
• God never promised to remove temptation.  He promised a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). 
• If this is our goal it can lead to us blaming God for not keeping promises that he never made. 
• I want to say “no” to the temptation.
• I want to honor God.  
• This is the target that is most inline with God’s call on us as Christians.
• It is the target that gives us the best chance at victory.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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In the Midst of the Storm

Becoming a Christian does not exempt us from the propensity to sin. It does give us the ability to overcome temptation and sin, but it does not eliminate the capacity to sin. 

• Chapter 1 is titled, “In the Midst of the Storm”.  The storm is bigger than just a battle for sexual purity, it is a battle of the flesh and the Spirit. This battle spills over into all areas of our life.   It affects virtually all of our decisions - My flesh wants to take that bonus money I received and spend it on a new side by side.  The Spirit wants me to give some of it to God’s kingdom and some of it to a family in need.  My flesh wants to hold a grudge because I’ve been wounded.  The Spirit tells me to forgive. 

Galatians 5:16-17 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

Romans 7:14-25 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[d] I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[e] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. 

You are a target

The enemy is looking for opportunities to attack you in the area of spiritual purity.  We live in a culture that provides all too many opportunities to entice us to let our minds and our eyes wander.  

Proverbs 9:13-18 The woman named Folly is brash.

    She is ignorant and doesn’t know it.

14 She sits in her doorway

    on the heights overlooking the city.

15 She calls out to men going by

    who are minding their own business.

16 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple.

    To those who lack good judgment, she says,

17 “Stolen water is refreshing;

    food eaten in secret tastes the best!”

18 But little do they know that the dead are there.

    Her guests are in the depths of the grave.[a] 

• We don’t have to look for trouble in this area of our lives.  It looks for us. Media, Social Media, the way people dress

Your struggle is not unique

You are not the only one battling for sexual purity and the temptations that come along are not unique to you.  Don’t justify giving into temptation because you think your battle is harder than anyone else’s.  God always provides a way out.   

1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

• Sexless marriage
• Single guy
• Abused as a child 

Hebrews 4:15  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Fleeing isn’t the only principal 

Fleeing is the last step in our pursuit of purity. It isn’t the only weapon we have in the battle. 

• Connect regularly with God
• Involve Others
• Control Your Thoughts
• Control Your Eyes
• Flee

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Notes

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Conversations about sexual purity can’t be had too often. As Solomon was passing on wisdom to his sons, four of the first seven chapters in Proverbs contain warnings about sexual immorality.  He obviously thought it was a big deal. 

Proverbs 2,5,6,7

• According to Common Sense Media, a child advocacy group 75% of teens have viewed porn online by age 17, the average first exposure is 12 years old 
• I reviewed several other studies and the average ages of first exposure were from 11 to 13.3 years of age and some studies indicated nearly 100% of boys had viewed porn online by the age of 17.   

4 Critical Questions

There are four critical questions that need to be asked as we journey towards sexual purity:   Do I want to experience purity? Is it possible to experience purity? What do I think God thinks of me? If it is possible, how do I experience purity? 

• Do we want to experience purity?

No book, no counseling, no program can make us want to - we have to start there. 

Should you put this book down if the “want to” is not there? Absolutely not! Our “want to” must flow from the heart, but perhaps reading what follows will help change your heart as you see the value of honoring God and experiencing purity. 

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Excerpt from page 3 

My “want to” story. 

• Is it possible to experience purity?

Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. 

Job is making a final protest of innocence here.  He is saying that he had victory in this area.  We know Job wasn’t perfect, since no one except Christ is perfect, but overall, Job had victory in this area of his life.  You might argue that Job didn’t live in a culture that was as sexualized as ours.  There is probably some truth to that statement, but Job had wealth in a time when prostitution wasn’t illegal. 

Ephesians 1:19-20  I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him. 20 It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This same power put Christ at God’s right side in heaven.

• What do we think God thinks of us?

God keeps me as his child only if I meet certain performance standards. If I continually sin or lose my faith, I will lose my salvation. 

If I continually sin, then I never really believed in the first place.  God isn’t interested in me because I’m not a true believer. 

God is an angry God focusing on my failures.

God does not see my sin, as it is all covered by the blood of Christ. 

God sees me as his adopted son, recognizes my sin, but encourages me to walk right. This view focuses on my position in Christ, but also recognizes that God does not ignore my sin. 

• If it is possible, how do we experience purity? 

Original Design

God’s original design for sex brings blessing physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Adam and Eve experienced a level of intimacy unlike most ever know because they brought no guilt, shame, worries of inadequacy, or wounds into the relationship. 

Genesis 1:27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. 

Genesis 2:23-25 At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone,  and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

• No shame, no wounds, no feeling unloved, no feelings of inadequacy, no comparison to previous partners
• God can bring redemption from our past sins and wounds.  Pursuing purity is worth it.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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Hello, everyone, welcome back to the podcast.  I think today’s podcast may have a little different feel.  It is one that I hope will serve as a warning.  I’ve been told by one of my fellow pastors at our church that my preaching style is more like that of a shepherd  while others on our staff are more like that of a prophet.  I think my role today is going to be a little more like a prophet who is sending out a warning and the warning I want you to hear is that pride comes before a fall.  We’re going to get into that scripture and others like it, but we’re going to start with an academic paper.  Don’t worry, I’m not veering from God’s Word. God’s Word is going to be the primary source for our discussion today, but I remember reading this article as I was doing sermon prep years ago, and it stuck with me how much truth is in this.  We see it modeled in scripture and echoed in leaders all around us.  

The Bathsheba Syndrome by Dean Ludwig and Clinton Longenecker.. Professors at U of Toledo.  I want to read an abstract from the paper, summarize it, and then dig into scripture.  

Success not Competition

The hypothesis of the Bathsheba syndrome is that many moral and ethical failures by those in positions of power are the result of success, not competitive pressure. It was after King David had achieved success and relative peace in his kingdom that he abandoned procedural norms which led to his sin with Bathsheba.  Prior to this, David had multiple opportunities to take matters into his own hands in regards to his kingship, but instead, chose to submit to God’s boundaries and trust in his timing. 

1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”4 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah. 

1 Samuel 24:1-22 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. 17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. 18 You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Boundaries are Good

God’s boundaries are in place for our good.  He isn’t holding out on us.  His plans are for our best and can be trusted.  When we start to come up with excuses for stepping outside God’s boundaries, we’re setting ourselves up for failure.  2 Samuel 11:1-27

2 Samuel 11:1-27 

• It should scare us when we start to think the rules don’t apply to us or we look for ways to get around them. 
• Even if our original intentions are innocent, not abiding to boundaries and protocols can lead to danger and to failure. 

God Doesn’t Owe Us

Our flesh will whisper to us that we deserve God’s blessing because of our obedience and service and that we’ve earned the right to step outside of his boundaries. 

Luke 17:7-10“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

 Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. 

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 

Close

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Reports of ethical violations by upper level managers continue to multiply despite increasing attention being given to ethics by firms and business schools. Much of the analysis of these violations focuses on either these managers'lack of operational principles or their willingness to abandon principles in the face ofcompetitive pressures. Much of the attention by firms and business schools focuses either on the articulation of operational...]]>Hello, everyone, welcome back to the podcast. Today we're talking about Bathsheba Syndrome, using King David's story as the basis for the discussion.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

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Hello, everyone, welcome back to the podcast.  I think today’s podcast may have a little different feel.  It is one that I hope will serve as a warning.  I’ve been told by one of my fellow pastors at our church that my preaching style is more like that of a shepherd  while others on our staff are more like that of a prophet.  I think my role today is going to be a little more like a prophet who is sending out a warning and the warning I want you to hear is that pride comes before a fall.  We’re going to get into that scripture and others like it, but we’re going to start with an academic paper.  Don’t worry, I’m not veering from God’s Word. God’s Word is going to be the primary source for our discussion today, but I remember reading this article as I was doing sermon prep years ago, and it stuck with me how much truth is in this.  We see it modeled in scripture and echoed in leaders all around us.  

The Bathsheba Syndrome by Dean Ludwig and Clinton Longenecker.. Professors at U of Toledo.  I want to read an abstract from the paper, summarize it, and then dig into scripture.  

Success not Competition

The hypothesis of the Bathsheba syndrome is that many moral and ethical failures by those in positions of power are the result of success, not competitive pressure. It was after King David had achieved success and relative peace in his kingdom that he abandoned procedural norms which led to his sin with Bathsheba.  Prior to this, David had multiple opportunities to take matters into his own hands in regards to his kingship, but instead, chose to submit to God’s boundaries and trust in his timing. 

1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”4 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah. 

1 Samuel 24:1-22 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. 17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. 18 You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Boundaries are Good

God’s boundaries are in place for our good.  He isn’t holding out on us.  His plans are for our best and can be trusted.  When we start to come up with excuses for stepping outside God’s boundaries, we’re setting ourselves up for failure.  2 Samuel 11:1-27

2 Samuel 11:1-27 

• It should scare us when we start to think the rules don’t apply to us or we look for ways to get around them. 
• Even if our original intentions are innocent, not abiding to boundaries and protocols can lead to danger and to failure. 

God Doesn’t Owe Us

Our flesh will whisper to us that we deserve God’s blessing because of our obedience and service and that we’ve earned the right to step outside of his boundaries. 

Luke 17:7-10“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

 Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. 

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 

Close

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Reports of ethical violations by upper level managers continue to multiply despite increasing attention being given to ethics by firms and business schools. Much of the analysis of these violations focuses on either these managers'lack of operational principles or their willingness to abandon principles in the face ofcompetitive pressures. Much of the attention by firms and business schools focuses either on the articulation of operational principles (a deontological approach) or on the training of managers to sort their way through subtle ethical dilemmas in the face of competitive pressure (a utilitarian approach). While valuable, these approaches alone are incomplete.

This paper suggests that many ethical violations by upper managers are the by-product ofsuccess — not of competitive pressures. Our research suggests that many managers are poorly prepared to deal with success. First, success often allows managers to becomecomplacent and to lose focus, diverting attention to things other than the management of their business. Second, success, whether personal or organizational, often leads to privileged access to information, people or objects. Third, with success usually comes increasingly unrestrained control of organizational resources. And fourth, success can inflate a manager's belief in his or her personal ability to manipulate outcomes. Even individuals with a highly developed moral sense can be challenged (tempted?) by the “opportunities” resulting from the convergence of these dynamics. We label the inability to cope with and respond to the by-products of success “the Bathsheba Syndrome,” based on the account of the good King David (a story familiar in a variety of traditions). Recognition of this phenomenon implies that we change or broaden our approach to the teaching of business ethics. It also implies that organizations must re-evaluate and change structures, procedures, and practices which enhance the likelihood of managers falling victim to the Bathsheba Syndrome.

I think David felt like he deserved it.  He had earned it.  

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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G.K. Chesterton - “The only two things that can satisfy the soul are a person and a story; and even the story must be about a person.” 

Weber - People connecting.  And you were made for it. Yes you, man. Right there, resident in your chest, there is - 

A king to provide

A warrior to protect

A mentor to teach and don’t ever forget it, a Friend to connect. 

But, for some internalized reason, we men find it difficult to accept that final pillar.  Most of us are happy to step into the responsibilities of a king or warrior.  We might struggle with the mentor pillar, but deep down that makes sense, too.  Men are supposed to know how things work, and that, too, represents strength, power, and authority. But this friend thing? We seem to hold back, reluctant to take the plunge. 

• Even as I re-read this book, it was the friend pillar that I was the most reluctant to embrace.  It’s the one that caused me to inwardly groan just a little bit.  I felt more weight than the others. 
• Why is that? We’re going to explore that today. But I think an underlying reason for me is simply selfishness.  

We were created for connection

We were created for relationship and connection; relationship with our creator and relationship with others.  God is a God of relationship, and we are created in his image. For many men, this is the pillar that seems the hardest to shore up. 

Genesis 1:26  Then God said, “Let us make human beings[a] in our image, to be like us.

• We were created in the image of God.  Part of the image of God is that he is a God of connection.  It is literally wired into us. The triune nature of God speaks to relationship between the persons of the Godhead - Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  God is relationship.  It is essential to his essence. It would be wrong to say God needs relationship, God doesn’t need anything, but there has never been a time when God existed outside of relationship.  

Genesis 2:18 - It is not good for man to be alone.

• Immediate context is marriage, but I think there is an overarching principle here. We were created for connection.  
• Think of all of the one another verses in the Bible.  The commands of Jesus are to be lived out in the context of relationship.  

Friendship with the King 

Our relationship with those around us will always be lacking if we haven’t developed our friendship with God. Does it blow your mind that God invites you to be his friend? 

John 15:15  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

• A friend knows what their friend likes.  Do you know what pleases Jesus?  
• Are you listening to him? What kind of friendship would you have without communication?  Communication is a two way street - there is listening and talking.  Are you praying?  In your prayer time, are you listening?  Are you listening as you read his Word?  

Matthew 28:18-20  Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[b] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

• Jesus gives us this command to be on mission and then he says, I will be with you always.  I’m right there.  
• Some of my closest friendships in high school were with teammates.  

Friendship Comes at a Cost

The friend pillar is difficult because it requires unselfishness and transparency.  It’s in the context of real relationships and all the messes of life that our true character is revealed.  That’s frightening for most of us, and many young men, in particular, have never learned how to be a friend.  

1 Samuel 18:1-4 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

1 Samuel 20 - story of David and Jonathan   

• A one sided relationship is parasitic.  We can’t just be a taker. 
• Sacrifice and unselfishness is key in any friendship.
• Transparency can be scary.  Keeping people at a distance is a protective measure. Social media is so easy to edit/manage to make sure we’re projecting the image we want to project.  It is a cheap substitute for real relationship.  

Close

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT: A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

• Develop and pursue our friendship with Jesus and develop friendships with at least 2 to 3 other men.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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The word mentor is used in all sorts of settings in today’s culture; the business world, personal training and athletics, men’s groups and churches.  It may mean slightly different things depending upon the setting.  The origins of the word mentor come out of ancient Greece. 

• Our heart has always been to help men go full circle in their pursuit of God. That means they start a relationship with God by trusting in Jesus for salvation - trusting that his finished work on the cross is the only thing that can make them right with a holy God.  Once we’ve done that, we seek to live lives that honor God. We find out what pleases God, primarily through his Word, and then through the power of the Holy Spirit we endeavor to do those things that please him and eliminate those things in our lives that displease him. Lastly, we help someone else pursue God.  It is ultimately by helping someone else that we will mature in our faith. 
• The purpose of this podcast, and all of the resources at pursue God, is not only to help you grow in your faith, but to equip you to have spiritual conversations with someone else so that you can help them pursue God as well.  

Mentors have helped shape you

Think about the men who had an impact on you growing up.  What did they have in common?  How were they different?  God uses all sorts of men to pour into us and help us grow. 

• My Dad, Coach Doyle, Steve Timmons, Don Emerson, Jonathan Koehler, Chad Hewitt, Bryan Dwyer 

Mentoring should start in the home

One of our primary roles as a parent is to mentor.  We’re supposed to teach our kids how life works. We should be modeling what it looks like to pursue God full circle, but we also need to be talking about it with our kids.  

Proverbs 1:8-9 My child,[a] listen when your father corrects you.  Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.

Proverbs 4:1-4 My children,[a] listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,2 for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions.3 For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. 4 My father taught me,“Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.

• Look at the intentionality here.  
• A good mentor doesn’t make it all about themselves.  They’re not insecure or seeking to build themselves up.  
• Think of all of the things you’ve taught your children. Some of it by specifically teaching them, but much of it, just by your example.  Your children have learned a lot about life, just by watching and observing.  My wife told me recently that she and my daughter Hannah were on a walk by our house and Hannah kept spitting.  Finally, Rhonda asked her if she was getting stuffy and why she was spitting so much.  Hannah said, “I’m just being like dad.” Evidently, I spit a lot when I go on hikes.  

Ecclesiastes 7:12 Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life. 

• Are you passing along wisdom? 

=God wants to use mentors to build his kingdom and his church

God’s plan for building his kingdom and his church is to work through his people.  There are people in your circle of influence that need you to pour into them.  Mentoring sometimes requires us to speak hard truth. 

Titus 2:6-7  In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

• We see again the importance of verbal coaching and coaching by example.  Encourage the young men to live wisely AND be an example to them.  He doesn’t say by being an example to them. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching - your lifestyle should reinforce what you’re speaking to these young men.  

2 Timothy 2:2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

• Look at how many generations are represented in this verse - 5 levels

1 Timothy 1:2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

• The whole letter to Timothy is a form of mentoring. 
• Discipleship is relationship.  Paul considered Timothy his “Son” in the faith.  

Close

Mentoring isn’t just for an hour on Tuesdays.  It’s moment by moment.  It’s a lifetime of pouring into others.  

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Hello, men.  Welcome back to the podcast.  Today we’re in our second episode of a 4 part series called 4 pillars of a man’s heart.  This is based on the book with the same title that was written by Stu Weber.  Last episode we looked at the King Pillar and we saw that Jesus has called us to lead, but that he has also given us very clear instructions on how we should lead and that is by being the biggest servants in our homes and our churches.   Today, we’re looking at the warrior pillar. Notice it isn’t called the fighter pillar.  There is a big difference between being a fighter and a warrior. A fighter is often short-tempered, quarrelsome, insecure, and selfish.  A warrior is self sacrificing, looking out for the greater good rather than his own good, and acts with self control.  In short, a warrior is meek. The word picture behind the word meek in the Bible is that of a bridled war horse.  It isn’t timid.  It isn’t weak.  It is powerful, strong, even ferocious, but it’s under control. 

Identifying the Enemy 

A warrior has to know who the enemy is.  Our enemy is cunning and is always looking for an opportune time to strike. If we’re not careful and intentional we can inflict casualties on our own side. 

Let's start with a couple of passages of scripture…

Ephesians 6:12  "For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

• It is so easy to forget who the real enemy is.  

1 Peter 5:8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

• Who is our great enemy? - The devil.  Our great enemy isn’t the other side of the political aisle. It isn’t the school board

Tactics of Battle 

We do not wage war like the world does. A warrior needs to remember what the primary objective is and not allow distractions to pull him away from the objective. We would be foolish to enter this battle alone.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 "We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 [a]We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ."

• Look at all of the action words in this passage - wage war, use mighty weapons, knock down strongholds, destroy false arguments, destroy obstacles, capture rebellious thoughts, teach them to obey Christ.  That’s a lot of work.  We can’t be lazy if we’re going to be warriors.  We need to be intentional.  We need to be on mission. 
• What are these mighty weapons?  Power of the Spirit, Power of God’s Word, truth, Power of prayer 
• Prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective 

What is our ultimate objective?  It is to go full circle in our pursuit of God.  That means trusting Jesus for salvation, seeking to live a life that honors and pleases him, and discipling someone and helping someone else go full circle in their pursuit of God.  That doesn’t end with your immediate family, but it sure better start in your household.  If you're not teaching your kids about God and his love for them, their brokenness and need for a Savior, and the truth of the gospel - you're not completing the primary objective. 

Proverbs 1:8-9 "My child,[a] listen when your father corrects you.  Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. 9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace  and be a chain of honor around your neck."

Proverbs 1:7 "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

• Think of all the things you’ve taught your kids to do.  I’ve taught my boys how to throw a ball. They know to keep downwind when they’re hunting if it’s possible.  They know how to cast a lure and clean a fish.  They know how to change a tire, shave, tie a good tie knot.  They know how to frame a football when they catch it and how to keep their hips underneath them when they’re blocking someone.  Some of those are very good things to know, but none of them compares to knowing Jesus.  
• So many parents have lost sight of the primary objective.  They think it is getting their kids a good education, teaching them a good work ethic, making sure they have a comfortable lifestyle or that they make the varsity team in their chosen sport or first chair in the band, or student body president.  None of those things are bad in and of themselves.  They can all be good things, but they aren’t the main thing.  The main thing is for us to raise children who love Jesus, who understand how much Jesus loves them, and who want to share that message with a broken world around them.  Are the things you’re fighting for helping your kids to accomplish that primary objective or are they distracting them?  

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Suiting Up for Battle 

A warrior needs to know how to handle his weapons

Ephesians 6:10-17 "A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[d] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[e] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[f] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

• Put on every piece of God’s armor. We're not putting on OUR armor.  Our armor wouldn’t be very effective.  It wouldn’t be powerful.  This is God’s armor.  It is from him and there’s also a sense in which it is his armor.  In the OT it is the Lord who wears the armor and now he shares that armor with us. 
• Are you suiting up? Do you wear the belt of truth?  

Close

There is something in the way God wired us that causes us to resonate with warriors.  Think of your favorite Bible stories - David and Goliath, Gideon, Caleb taking the hill country in his 80s.  Real warriors stand in the gap. 

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Kings are the Biggest Servants

Being a king means we should be the biggest servants in our churches and in our homes. We take our marching orders from the King of Kings. 

Matthew 20:25-28  But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

• The best kings are servant leaders.  As men we should be the biggest servants in our households and in the church. 
• When we are serving our wives and giving ourselves up for them as Christ did the Church, like we’re called to do in Ephesians 5, we’ll find we create an environment where it is much easier for our wives to respond to our leadership.  We are called to lead.  That’s part of the King pillar.  
• When the King pillar is in balance, there is peace.  Borders are secure.  Our home is a refuge.  We’re scanning the horizon of the land looking for threats. 
• When this pillar leans too far to the left, there is drift, lack of leadership, lack of clarity, lack of provision.  When this pillar leans too far to the right we become tyrannical.  Those under our care are afraid to communicate fears and concerns.  They feel unvalued. 

A King Sets Vision and A Course 

Kings are called to lead.  We don’t make decisions unilaterally and we don’t make them in a vacuum, but we do need to step up and be decisive. We need to set the course for our families. 

Genesis 3:6 … Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

• When this pillar leans too far to the left, there is drift, lack of leadership, lack of clarity, lack of provision.  When this pillar leans too far to the right we become tyrannical.  Those under our care are afraid to communicate fears and concerns.  They feel unvalued. 
• Never do we see a clearer example of that than in Genesis chapter 3.  If you grew up in the church, you probably know that Genesis 3 is the fall.  It’s when mankind decided to follow their own thoughts, desires, and opinions over what God had declared to be true.  The serpent twisted God’s Words and when Eve said they weren’t to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they would die, The serpent told her, “You surely won’t die. God knows when you eat of it, you will be like God.”  And the woman saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she ate.  That is heart-breaking in and of itself, but as a man, here is the part that hurts even worse. 

A King Protects and Provides

When the King pillar is balanced there is safety and peace.  Our home should be a place of refuge for our families.  We seek to make sure all of their needs are met, not just the material needs. 

• In order for a King’s realm to be safe, it also means he’s aware of potential threats.  He’s on the lookout.  He takes initiative to scan the horizon. Are you aware of the potential threats to your family?   Do you know the friends your children spend most of their time with? Do you know the things that cause your wife the most stress and anxiety and have you thought of ways to encourage her, to help her, and remind her of God’s faithfulness?  Are you aware of threats directly aimed at you - like that female co-worker who frequently tells you that you look nice today.  Are you putting up strategic defenses before that threat gets too close?  
• Meeting Needs
• Physical needs - food, clothing, shelter
• Emotional needs - Are you filling their tank? Are you speaking their love language? Talk about 5 love languages. 
• Relational needs
• Sexual Needs
• Spiritual Needs 

Close

A good king knows what it’s like to be under authority.  We take our marching orders from Jesus Christ and the Bible is our manual. 

• Mutual submission is not an oxymoron
• We submit to Christ’s authority 

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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If you grew up in the church, you more than likely know that one of the ten commandments is to honor your father and mother.  Even if you didn’t grow up in the church, you probably know that.  Until the last few decades, it’s been widely accepted that in most cases, children should obey their parents.  One of the questions we want to look at today is does that mean children are always required to obey their parents?  What if their parents are asking them to do something that is against God’s Word?  What if their parents ask them to do something that could cause them harm or harm to someone else?  Another thing we want to wrestle with is does this honoring our father and mother look the same in all stages of life, or does it change in different seasons?  So we’re going to break it down to obeying your parents when you still live with them, honoring them once you’re out on your own, and how do we honor them in their last stages of life.  

Obedience in the Home

Learning to submit to our parents’ authority is one of the first steps in learning how to submit to God’s authority.  We can respect their position as parents even when their actions are not worthy of honoring.  

Exodus 20:12 12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you

• Being obedient to God’s covenant is what would bring them long and peaceful lives in the land God had given them. The parents were charged with passing God’s commandments on to the children.
• We first learn to submit to authority from our parents. Our culture hates the word submission, but as believers, we submit to God’s authority in our lives. 
• Bond Servant analogy
• You can honor the position even if you don’t honor their actions. We must obey God rather than men. 
• Paul’s response to Sanhedrin 
• Acts 23:4-5 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” 5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”

Ephesians 6:1-2 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,[a] for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

• Obey - hypakouō, v. to obey, be obedient; to answer (the door)– obey, obeyed, accepted, answer, obedient
• Honor - timaō, v. to honor, show respect, give recognition– honor, give proper recognition, honored, price set, show proper respect
• Multiple reasons to honor our parents
• We belong to the Lord - learning to submit to authority is a chief responsibility of parents for their children.  It helps us to learn to submit to God’s authority.  
• There is blessing.  Israelites were told it would lead to a long life in the land God was giving them.  

Can Disobey when obedience would result in harm or is against God’s command.

1 Samuel 20:28-34 "Jonathan answered, 'David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.' Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, 'You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!'”

32 “'Why should he be put to death? What has he done?' Jonathan asked his father. But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David. Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David."

Luke 14:25-27 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Leave and Cleave 

Men are called to leave and cleave when we marry.  There is a shift and the most important earthly relationship we have is now with our wife.  That relationship needs to take precedence over the relationship with our mom and dad.  

Genesis 2:24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Matthew 19:4-6 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

• Scheduling, holidays
• Parenting
• Take ownership of communicating to your parents, your spouse takes ownership of communication with their parents 

Final Stages 

1 Timothy 5:1-2 "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."

1 Timothy 5:3-4, 8 "Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

• There may come a point where we can’t physically meet their needs. We shouldn’t experience guilt and condemnation when we get assistance. 
• We shouldn’t just automatically pick the solution that is most convenient for us.  What is going to truly honor them?  
• We need to treat our spouse’s parents situation with the same care and thoughtfulness that we do our own situation.  
• Even when we can’t care for them physically, we shouldn’t neglect the emotional and relational care they need.  

Close

• Don’t talk negatively about your parents, write words of encouragement to them
• Most parents are doing the best they know how to do, empathy 

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

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Background on “woke”

• First defined in print by William Melvin Kelly in a 1962 NY Times article. 
• Added to Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2017 - actively attentive to important facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social justice. 
• Woke has morphed into pushing radical ideologies, not only tolerance but acceptance and approval of sinful lifestyles and choices, using affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion policies over a candidate’s performance or abilities to fill a role in a company, educational institution, or political office. Woke ideologies routinely ignore facts - biological facts - there are two genders, facts about God’s blueprint for marriage, 
• The term is divisive, polarizing - even among Christians.  

Psalm 37:30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

Please don’t just tie how you think about this into your political affiliation.  

We’re going to have a bit of a history lesson today.  

What is it? 

Although Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in June of 2021, it was celebrated long before that.  The holiday commemorates the freeing of slaves in Galveston, TX two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

History of the holiday

• Emancipation Proclamation - Executive Order January 1, 1863, all enslaved people in the states currently engaged in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” So it only addressed those who were enslaved in the confederate states.  The E.P. freed approximately 500,000 of the estimated 3.9 million slaves in the U.S. 
• 13th Amendment
•  - Passed by the Senate on 4/8/1864
• Passed by House of Reps. 1/31/1865
• General Gordon Granger 
• General Order 3 freeing slaves in Galveston and 

Celebrate Freedom

It is the only federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S.  There is no “Emancipation Proclamation Day”, “13th Amendment Day” or “End of Civil War Day”.  Many of Israel’s festivals and celebrations had connections to the Lord freeing them from slavery in Egypt. 

Exodus 13:3-7 So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the Lord has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. (Remember, eat no food containing yeast.) 4 On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib,[a] you have been set free. 5 You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that he would give you this land—a land flowing with milk and honey.) 6 For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the Lord. 7 Eat bread without yeast during those seven days. In fact, there must be no yeast bread or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time.

• Commanded to celebrate and commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Don’t Make it Political 

Celebrating a noble and good thing is appropriate, whether or not the political party you ascribe to is the one to institute it. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

• Do you automatically disregard something someone says because of which side of the political aisle they’re on?  We should evaluate what they’re saying and hold on to what is good. We know what is good by comparing it to God’s Word. 

1 Corinthians 7:20-23 "Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. 21 Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 23 God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world."

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our “Is it a sin” series.  We’ve been looking at behaviors like smoking, drinking, and gambling that have been identified as sinful in many churches for many decades and we’re asking if the Bible says they’re sinful. Today, we’re talking about watching R rated movies.  You may be wondering why we’re even having this conversation.  You might argue that we have freedom in Christ so of course we can watch R rated movies.  As long as we don’t act out what we see in them, what’s the harm in watching?  Or you might be on the other side and say, “of course it’s a sin to watch an R rated movie.

Garbage In - Garbage Out 

The Bible describes our eyes as a lamp that gives light to the body.  When our eyes are healthy our body is filled with light.  The world, and the powers behind it, are actively working to conform your thinking to align with theirs.  We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  Matthew 6:22, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 5:1-16 

Ephesians 5:1-16 "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,

    rise up from the dead,

    and Christ will give you light.”

Living by the Spirit’s Power

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17"

• Everything you do - that includes our entertainment choices, a good question to ask is would you keep watching the movie if Jesus came and sat down beside you? 
• Why - because we are his dearly loved children.  He is a perfect father.  He wants the best for us and knows what is best for us. 
• Obscene stories, foolish talk, course jokes - Are the movies I’m watching full of these, even if they’re not R rated, if this describes the movies I’m watching, that’s sinful.  
• Take no part - 
• Shameful to even talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret 

Power of Media to influence us

Romans 12:2 Romans 12:2  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The world is working to conform us to its image. I’ll bet most of us don’t realize how much the way we think is actually impacted by media and entertainment.  There is an agenda. 

Matthew 6:22 Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.

Commands in OT to the nation of Israel to tell the next generation about God’s deeds.

• Passover meal symbolism 

Lust 

Any movie containing nudity, sex scenes, or even large amounts of sexual innuendo is sinful for us to watch.  Jesus told us that if we’ve looked upon a woman lustfully, we’ve already committed adultery in our heart. 

Matthew 5:27-29“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’[j] 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye[k]—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

• Soft porn is almost always the gateway to full on adult movies.  

Vengeance is the Lord’s

Supporting shows that promote unbiblical themes can cause us to begin to think unbiblically.  Many shows today have a theme of revenge or vengeance.  God’s Word calls us to forgive. It is God’s responsibility to make right the wrongs. We’re called to be peacemakers

Foul language

Much like our eyes are the lamp of our body, our ears filter what’s going into our minds.  If we listen to large amounts of foul and coarse language, it won’t be long before we’re speaking the same way.  

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Money Talks 

If believers would draw a stronger line in the sand about the type of movies and shows they’d watch, you’d eventually see a shift in the kinds of movies and shows produced.  The entertainment industry is driven by profit and your money speaks volumes.  

• It’s not just “what” we watch, but “how much” we watch that we should consider.  
• Are we too busy entertaining ourselves to be on mission? 

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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It’s Not Black and White

There is no explicit command in the Bible that says gambling is a sin. That doesn’t, however, mean that it isn’t sinful. Sin is not always a matter of doing something we shouldn't, it's also not doing something we should. 

James 4:17 says "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

• Sins of omission vs. sins of commission 
• Context of chapter 4 - jealous of what others have, not content with what we have, making business plans without considering God’s plan, friendship with the world makes us enemies of God 
• Core Value - We give up things we love for things we love more. 

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

The Bible has much to say about trying to get rich quickly. Those who build wealth slowly and steadily are more likely to manage it well than those who come into money quickly.

Proverbs 13:11 says "Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it."

Proverbs 21:5 says "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty." 

• Nearly one-third of lottery winners eventually go bankrupt within three to five years, which is more likely than the average American, according to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.Jul 19, 2023
• 90% of retail options traders lose money, 5.4 billion dollars lost in 12 month period ending March 2022. 
• Network marketing - covetousness, lack of contentment, “dream building” 

Gambling is Addictive 

We’re commanded in scripture not to be controlled by anything. Gambling can be highly addictive.  

1 Corinthians 6:12 says "You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'—but not everything is good for you. And even though 'I am allowed to do anything,' I must not become a slave to anything."

• Problem gamblers often lie about or hide their gambling, which can make it difficult for loved ones to recognize. The best prevalence research shows that somewhere between 1% and 2% of the U.S. adult population, or 2 to 4 million adults, will experience a gambling disorder in their lifetime.Feb 8, 2023
• Even when you’re losing while you’re gambling, your body is still producing adrenalin and endorphins," he says.
• Casinos thrive on other addictive behaviors - alcoholism, lust.  Almost every place you see a lot of gambling activity, you’ll see prostitution, strip clubs, etc.  

Cause a Brother to Stumble 

It’s not just yourself you have to be concerned about.  If you’re playing cards or betting over a round of golf, you also have to be aware of the person you’re gambling against.  Is it a sin for them? 

Romans 14:13-14 says "Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean."

• Even if it isn’t an issue for you, is it an issue for them? 
• The goal isn’t to see how close we can get to the line before sinning.  It is how we can glorify God and be a light in the world.  

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

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Welcome back to our “Is it a Sin” series where we’re taking a look at different habits that if you grew up in the church, you may have always looked upon as sinful. 

It’s Sinful When…

You’re addicted

• 1 Corinthians 6:12 "You say, 'I am allowed to do anything'—but not everything is good for you. And even though 'I am allowed to do anything,' I must not become a slave to anything."
• Physical addiction, but also do you need it to get through the day or through a stressful situation?  Is it your go-to when you’re stressed out? 

You’re under age

• 1 Peter 2:13 "For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right."
• We’re called to submit to those in authority unless they ask us to do something that goes against God’s authority. You may not like the laws, You might even be able to argue that the laws aren’t logical, but that’s not the point. 

You’re Pregnant 

•  If you smoke while you are pregnant you are at increased risk of a wide range of problems, including miscarriage and premature labor.
• Babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy are at higher risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), having weaker lungs and having an unhealthy low birth weight.
• Second hand smoke around children 

Your wife doesn’t want you to smoke

• Ephesians 5:25  "For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word."

The Body is a Temple

• If you’re going to argue that smoking a single cigarette, pipe, or cigar is sinful because it’s harmful to your body and your body is a temple, that’s fine.  But you need to be consistent. Do you drink diet soda?  Artificial sweeteners have been identified as leading to higher risk of cancer.  Do you eat processed foods?  Are you overweight? 

Marijuana 

1 Peter 5:8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

1 Peter 1:13 "So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world."

• Peter knew the agony of failure.  He knew what it was like to have the mindset that “There’s no way I can fail.  I’m strong enough. I know I’ll be able to handle it.”  Only to have it all come crashing down. I know what it’s like to fail.  You’ve got to prepare your minds and exercise self control. 

1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love."

Marijuana use directly affects brain function — specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time.

What are the short-term effects of marijuana on the brain?

Recent marijuana use (defined as within 24 hours) in youth and adults has an immediate impact on thinking, attention, memory, coordination, movement, and time perception.

What are the long-term effects of marijuana on the brain?

Marijuana affects brain development. Developing brains, such as those in babies, children, and teenagers, are especially susceptible to the harmful effects of marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although scientists are still learning about the effects of marijuana on developing brains, studies suggest that marijuana use by mothers during pregnancy could be linked to problems with attention, memory, problem-solving skills, and behavior in their children.

Using marijuana before age 18 may affect how the brain builds connections for functions like attention, memory, and learning. Marijuana’s effects on attention, memory, and learning may last a long time or even be permanent, but more research is needed to fully understand these effects. Youth who use marijuana may not do as well in school and may have trouble remembering things.

Mental Health

Marijuana use, especially frequently (daily or nearly daily) and in high doses, can cause disorientation and sometimes unpleasant thoughts or feelings of anxiety and paranoia.1

People who use marijuana are more likely to develop temporary psychosis (not knowing what is real, hallucinations, and paranoia) and long-lasting mental disorders, including schizophrenia (a type of mental illness where people might see or hear things that are not really there). The association between marijuana and schizophrenia is stronger in people who start using marijuana at an earlier age and use marijuana more frequently.

Marijuana use has also been linked to depression; social anxiety; and thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts, and suicide.

CBD products that are THC free 

Jesus refusing the wine mixed with myrrh during his crucifixion. 

• If you’re feeling conviction about it, even if you are only smoking occasionally, you need to submit to the Spirit. 

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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Today we’re starting a new series called, “Is it a sin?”  We’re looking at behaviors and habits that most people in the church have historically looked upon as sinful.  As always, we want to know what the Bible says about it, not just what tradition says.  Are they sinful? Are they always sinful, sometimes sinful?  If they’re sometimes sinful, what makes them that way sometimes but not at other times?  Today’s topic - drinking alcohol.  

Talking Points:

• There is no place in scripture that makes a blanket statement forbidding someone from drinking alcohol.  Solomon encouraged his readers to drink their wine with a happy heart (Ecclesiastes 9:7).  Paul encouraged Timothy to drink a little wine for the sake of his stomach.
• Drunkenness is clearly a sin.  The bible is not ambiguous about it. In addition to its prohibition in Scripture, we see the consequences of drunkenness can be brutal.
• Even if you stop short of getting drunk, if you have to have a drink to make it through the day, or if alcohol is your “go to” when dealing with stress or frustration, that is sinful.
• There are a lot of situations where drinking alcohol might be sinful, and at the very least, it would be unwise.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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In this conversation, Bryan and John discuss how Christians should view abortion. They address the changing cultural perspective on abortion and the need for Christians to have a firm biblical stance. The conversation encourages men to take responsibility and champion the lives of unborn children, while also extending God's grace and forgiveness to those who have made past mistakes. They also examine the biblical model for marriage and children, highlighting the importance of being open to having children within the context of marriage.

Talking Points:

• Humans are created in the image of God.  As such, they have immeasurable worth and value, and this is true of every human.
• Life begins at conception.  A child in its mother’s womb is not a clump of cells.  It is a human, created in God’s image.  God has a purpose and plan for his/her life.
• Is family planning sinful for a believer?  If it isn’t, what is acceptable?

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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We’ve seen testimonies:

• Mark 1:11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
• Mark 1:24 (NLT) “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
• Mark 8:29 (NLT) Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

We’ve seen teachings: 

• Mark 2:17 (NLT) “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
• Mark 7:15 (NLT) “It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”
• Mark 10:15 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

We’ve seen his miracles: 

• Physical miracles
• cleansing the leper
• giving sight to the blind
• Healing the lame
• Resuscitating Lazarus
• Nature miracles:
• Feeding the multitudes… twice! 
• Walking on water  
• Calming the storm
• Even a spiritual miracle:
• casting out evil spirits 

TRANS: But there’s one miracle that stands out above them all. It’s the final and most important piece of evidence to point us to the true identity of Jesus. Today we’re looking at the incredible resurrection of Jesus.

The resurrection is the climax of Mark’s gospel. Without the resurrection, there is no good news. Jesus’s death would simply be the most tragic case of injustice in history, with not an ounce of goodness to it. It was the resurrection that changed the minds of his disciples. It was an encounter with the risen Christ that changed them from cowardly, sniveling men who deserted him and were always arguing about who would be the greatest… to brave, faith-filled men who unashamedly proclaimed Mark 1:1 – that Jesus is the Son of God. 

NOTE: As we dig into Mark 16, we’re going to go through verse 8.  If you’re reading in your Bible, you’ll likely have a footnote that says the “earliest manuscripts stop at verse 8.”  I want to talk about that for just a moment. I want to share with you why this strengthens my confidence in the accuracy, historicity, and authority of God’s Word.  I’m going to give you some reasons why we’re choosing to stop at verse 8 today and why many Bibles still include verse 9-20. 

• Earliest manuscripts we have don’t contain 9-20
• Overwhelming majority of early manuscripts do contain it. 
• Early church fathers quoted from verses after verse 8
• Elements of verses 9-20 are found in other gospels and nothing in it contradicts scripture. 
• (honesty/transparency) - we can trust the Bible

Mark 16:1-4 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

They purchased burial spices. They had no expectation of an empty tomb. They expected to find a dead body. This anointing was not an attempt to preserve the body. Jews didn’t practice embalming. It was an act of love and devotion. They bought the spices at the first opportunity and made their way to the tomb at the first safe opportunity (as soon as it was daylight).  They didn’t put off showing their devotion to Jesus.  The touching of a dead body would have made them ceremonially unclean, another sacrifice they were willing to make for Jesus.  What are we willing to sacrifice for him? 

It’s powerful testimony that all of the gospels record women being the first to hear/see the good news of the resurrection.  If you were making the story up, you’d never have women be the first to confess the resurrection.  Their testimony wasn’t admissible in court. (honesty/transparency)

• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) "This is the general rule: any evidence that a woman is not eligible to bring, [usurers, dice-players, pigeon-flyers, traffickers Sabbath year produce, and slaves] are not eligible to bring" (m. Ros HaSh. 1:8). Further: "Sooner let the words of the Law be burned than delivered to women" (b. Sot. 19a); "Happy is he whose children are male, but alas for him whose children are female" (b. Qid. 82b). Especially indicative is the morning prayer of Jewish men, who blessed God for not making them heathens, slaves, or women!
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Some two centuries after the Gospels were written, the pagan Celsus could still needle Origen on "the gossip of women about the empty tomb" (Origen, Contra Celsum 2, 55).
• 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NLT) Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

Who will roll the stone away? We know from Matthew’s gospel that there was an earthquake and the angel is the one who rolled the stone away and then sat on it. We also know from Matthew’s gospel that the Roman guards who had been assigned to guard the tomb shook with fear and passed out at the sight of the angel. 

Mark 16:5-7 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,[b] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

He is risen. Resurrection vs. resuscitation.  Jesus is the first to be resurrected.  There were resuscitations in the Bible prior to Jesus - Elijah raised the son of the widow from Zarephath back from the dead, Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son, Jairus’ daughter, Lazareth - but all these would die again.  Jesus didn’t resuscitate, he resurrected.  He came back to life never to die again.  Jesus was the first to do this.  This had never before been seen in history.  

Look The angel challenged the women to see for themselves that the body was not there - “Look, this is where they laid his body.”  God is always willing to prove himself to anyone who’s willing to seek. But he won’t force you to go looking. You’re listening today; are you willing to really look into Jesus? 

Including Peter. The women are specifically told to communicate the news to Peter.  Had he withdrawn because of his shame at denying Jesus three times?  Had the other disciples ostracized him because he had failed in the moment after being so adamant that he would die with Jesus? He was supposed to be the rock, but had crumbled like a cookie. The last interaction Peter had with Jesus was looking into his eyes after he had denied him three times.  How miserable these past days have been.  He probably no longer considered himself a disciple because of his denial.  He was too ashamed to be counted among his followers.  This is why the personal invitation is so important. Jesus extends that same personal invitation to you today. 

You will see him in Galilee. The women are commanded to go and tell the Good News that Jesus is risen. The women went to the tomb looking for closure; they got anything but closure! Now they would be on mission again with Jesus, meeting him in Galilee - the place where he first called his disciples. The place that represented...]]>We’ve been on a long journey through the gospel of Mark.  We started this in January of 2023.  Throughout Mark’s gospel, he has been building a case that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.  He opened his gospel with this declaration and has spent the last 16 chapters stacking up the evidence. Today we're looking at this question: What would it take to convince you that Jesus is the Son of God?

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

--

We’ve seen testimonies:

• Mark 1:11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
• Mark 1:24 (NLT) “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
• Mark 8:29 (NLT) Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

We’ve seen teachings: 

• Mark 2:17 (NLT) “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
• Mark 7:15 (NLT) “It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”
• Mark 10:15 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

We’ve seen his miracles: 

• Physical miracles
• cleansing the leper
• giving sight to the blind
• Healing the lame
• Resuscitating Lazarus
• Nature miracles:
• Feeding the multitudes… twice! 
• Walking on water  
• Calming the storm
• Even a spiritual miracle:
• casting out evil spirits 

TRANS: But there’s one miracle that stands out above them all. It’s the final and most important piece of evidence to point us to the true identity of Jesus. Today we’re looking at the incredible resurrection of Jesus.

The resurrection is the climax of Mark’s gospel. Without the resurrection, there is no good news. Jesus’s death would simply be the most tragic case of injustice in history, with not an ounce of goodness to it. It was the resurrection that changed the minds of his disciples. It was an encounter with the risen Christ that changed them from cowardly, sniveling men who deserted him and were always arguing about who would be the greatest… to brave, faith-filled men who unashamedly proclaimed Mark 1:1 – that Jesus is the Son of God. 

NOTE: As we dig into Mark 16, we’re going to go through verse 8.  If you’re reading in your Bible, you’ll likely have a footnote that says the “earliest manuscripts stop at verse 8.”  I want to talk about that for just a moment. I want to share with you why this strengthens my confidence in the accuracy, historicity, and authority of God’s Word.  I’m going to give you some reasons why we’re choosing to stop at verse 8 today and why many Bibles still include verse 9-20. 

• Earliest manuscripts we have don’t contain 9-20
• Overwhelming majority of early manuscripts do contain it. 
• Early church fathers quoted from verses after verse 8
• Elements of verses 9-20 are found in other gospels and nothing in it contradicts scripture. 
• (honesty/transparency) - we can trust the Bible

Mark 16:1-4 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

They purchased burial spices. They had no expectation of an empty tomb. They expected to find a dead body. This anointing was not an attempt to preserve the body. Jews didn’t practice embalming. It was an act of love and devotion. They bought the spices at the first opportunity and made their way to the tomb at the first safe opportunity (as soon as it was daylight).  They didn’t put off showing their devotion to Jesus.  The touching of a dead body would have made them ceremonially unclean, another sacrifice they were willing to make for Jesus.  What are we willing to sacrifice for him? 

It’s powerful testimony that all of the gospels record women being the first to hear/see the good news of the resurrection.  If you were making the story up, you’d never have women be the first to confess the resurrection.  Their testimony wasn’t admissible in court. (honesty/transparency)

• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) "This is the general rule: any evidence that a woman is not eligible to bring, [usurers, dice-players, pigeon-flyers, traffickers Sabbath year produce, and slaves] are not eligible to bring" (m. Ros HaSh. 1:8). Further: "Sooner let the words of the Law be burned than delivered to women" (b. Sot. 19a); "Happy is he whose children are male, but alas for him whose children are female" (b. Qid. 82b). Especially indicative is the morning prayer of Jewish men, who blessed God for not making them heathens, slaves, or women!
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Some two centuries after the Gospels were written, the pagan Celsus could still needle Origen on "the gossip of women about the empty tomb" (Origen, Contra Celsum 2, 55).
• 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NLT) Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

Who will roll the stone away? We know from Matthew’s gospel that there was an earthquake and the angel is the one who rolled the stone away and then sat on it. We also know from Matthew’s gospel that the Roman guards who had been assigned to guard the tomb shook with fear and passed out at the sight of the angel. 

Mark 16:5-7 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,[b] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

He is risen. Resurrection vs. resuscitation.  Jesus is the first to be resurrected.  There were resuscitations in the Bible prior to Jesus - Elijah raised the son of the widow from Zarephath back from the dead, Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son, Jairus’ daughter, Lazareth - but all these would die again.  Jesus didn’t resuscitate, he resurrected.  He came back to life never to die again.  Jesus was the first to do this.  This had never before been seen in history.  

Look The angel challenged the women to see for themselves that the body was not there - “Look, this is where they laid his body.”  God is always willing to prove himself to anyone who’s willing to seek. But he won’t force you to go looking. You’re listening today; are you willing to really look into Jesus? 

Including Peter. The women are specifically told to communicate the news to Peter.  Had he withdrawn because of his shame at denying Jesus three times?  Had the other disciples ostracized him because he had failed in the moment after being so adamant that he would die with Jesus? He was supposed to be the rock, but had crumbled like a cookie. The last interaction Peter had with Jesus was looking into his eyes after he had denied him three times.  How miserable these past days have been.  He probably no longer considered himself a disciple because of his denial.  He was too ashamed to be counted among his followers.  This is why the personal invitation is so important. Jesus extends that same personal invitation to you today. 

You will see him in Galilee. The women are commanded to go and tell the Good News that Jesus is risen. The women went to the tomb looking for closure; they got anything but closure! Now they would be on mission again with Jesus, meeting him in Galilee - the place where he first called his disciples. The place that represented the whole world, not just the Jews!

Mark 16:8 the women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.

What a way to end Mark’s gospel! Five admissions of the women’s weakness:

• Fled
• Trembling
• Bewildered
• Speechless
• Frightened 

Not surprising. After all, we’ve learned throughout this gospel two simple truths over and over: people are broken; Jesus can fix us.

So the women fled, broken but convinced. How could they not be? They just heard that Jesus performed his ultimate miracle: he was raised from the dead. Their lives would never be the same.

Back to the question for today: 

Q: What would it take to convince you that Jesus is the Son of God? 

Mark’s gospel lays out all the proof we need. The testimonies. The teachings. The miracles. And now this: the resurrection.

What we think about Jesus and how we respond to that is the most important thing about us.  It is what determines where we spend eternity.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

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In today's episode, John and Pastor Rene discuss various aspects of immigration and how to show compassion to those in need. They touch on topics such as controlled immigration, meeting needs at the source, false promises and misinformation, and showing compassion regardless of legal status. The conversation explores the decision between enabling and helping, the importance of meeting both physical and spiritual needs, being generous with resources, addressing poverty at the source, the impact of international outreach, and taking action to make a difference.

Takeaways

• Meeting needs at the source is crucial for long-term sustainability.
• False promises and misinformation contribute to the immigration crisis.
• It is possible to be frustrated with government policies while still showing compassion to those in need.
• Compassion should be shown to individuals regardless of their legal status. It is important to be wise in how we care for people in need, enabling them to become self-supportive.
• Meeting physical needs is important, but the biggest need people have is Jesus.

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The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

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In this episode, Pastor John interviews Pastor Rene about the immigration crisis and the topic of amnesty. They discuss the current situation at the border, the process of filing for asylum, and the temporary amnesty available to immigrants. They also address the propaganda and false promises being spread through social media, particularly targeting immigrants from Venezuela. The conversation explores the biblical perspective on amnesty and the government's role in addressing immigration issues. They emphasize the importance of showing compassion and love to all individuals, regardless of their legal status.

Takeaways

• Understanding the process of filing for asylum and the temporary amnesty available to immigrants
• Recognizing the propaganda and false promises being spread through social media
• Considering the biblical perspective on amnesty and the government's role in addressing immigration issues
• Showing compassion and love to all individuals, regardless of their legal status

--

The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

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In this episode, Bryan and John introduce a series on immigration and how to think about it biblically. They discuss the importance of approaching the topic with a biblical perspective rather than being influenced solely by political leanings. Pastor Rene shares his personal immigration story, highlighting the challenges and sacrifices involved. The conversation explores the biblical principles of protection and compassion, drawing from passages in Proverbs, Nehemiah, and Numbers. The conversation explores the challenges and complexities of immigration, particularly focusing on the perspective of illegal immigrants. It highlights the difficulties faced by individuals who want to immigrate legally but lack the necessary assets and resources. The speaker shares personal experiences of being smuggled into the country as a child and emphasizes the desire of most illegal immigrants to abide by the law and obtain legal status. The conversation concludes by previewing upcoming topics related to immigration and the Christian perspective.

Takeaways

• Legal immigration can be challenging due to the requirement of having assets and resources in the home country.
• Many individuals are unaware of the legal options available to them for immigration.
• Most illegal immigrants want to abide by the law and obtain legal status.
• Upcoming topics will cover amnesty for illegal immigrants and caring for the marginalized.

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

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Q. Have you ever experienced mission drift?

• Examples in marriage, in the workforce
• Marriage vows: Chris, do you take Brandi to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor her and keep her, and forsaking all others remain loyal to her as long as you both shall live? If so, say “I do”.
• Kodak: Founded in the late 19th century, Kodak was a pioneer in the photography industry with the mission of making photography accessible to the masses ("You press the button, we do the rest.") However, as digital photography began to emerge in the late 20th century, Kodak struggled to adapt and continued to prioritize its traditional film business. In 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy, a stark reminder of the consequences of mission drift and the failure to adapt to changing market dynamics.
• What it looks like in Christianity: (Go make disciples…)
• Matthew 28:19 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• So many churches just miss this. So many Christians never get it.

Before we get to our text today in ch 14, we need to set the stage by going all the way back to chapter 1, when Jesus first called his disciples. Pay attention to where this all happens, because it’s going to come up again in ch 14:

Mark 1:16-18 (NLT) One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Talk about mission of Jesus, they left their nets, spent 3 years with Jesus

• Amazing faith! What sacrifice!
• Their expectation - this is going to be good. We’ll be famous! Rich!?

Now let’s get to our text today from Mark 14. 

Last week we covered the Last Supper, and Jesus’ identification of the one who would betray him. Luke adds context in his account: Luke 22:24 (NLT) Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.

• Can you imagine? Hilarious! 
• In the Luke account Jesus goes on to define greatness: (NLT) Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.

So let’s stitch this together the timeline: 

• Jesus said “one of you will desert me”
• They all wondered, “Am I the one?” (last week’s episode)
• Somehow that turned into an argument about who would be the greatest among them!?
• And the very next “scene” in Mark’s gospel says this

Mark 14:27-28 (NLT) On the way, Jesus told them, “All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,

‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”

A couple of things here: 

First, notice that Jesus says “All of you will desert me.” - Right after “all” of them drank the cup!? Right after they argued about who would be the greatest. 

• He knew they would fail to stay on mission (it was prophesied!)
• Yet he believed in them, he knew their journey wasn’t over
• He would meet them where it all started, where he first called them.

This was Galilee - Mission Central

• It’s where Jesus first called his disciples
• Remember the verse we started with today?
• It’s where Jesus will meet them after his resurrection to restore them 
• not in Jerusalem - because this message was for the whole world, not just Jews
• Fulfilled prophecy (Isaiah 9:1-3) about “enlarging Israel” - and eventually including Gentiles (see the unfolding of this in Acts).

So let’s sum up: Jesus says they will ALL desert him. But he’s not phased by that fact - it was prophesied! He’ll stay on mission, and he knows eventually they will, too. 

• So Jesus doesn’t panic when our faith falters. (Say it again.)
• But here’s the thing: Peter didn’t think his faith would fail! Back to the text:

Mark 14:29,31 (NLT) Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”

… And all the others vowed the same.

Peter throws everyone else under the bus! Yet he is confident in his faith. Peter’s not the only one with confidence. They all vowed to stay faithful. (Note: Judas wasn’t there at this point? See John 12.)

Mark 14:30-31 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” 

Peter learned what most believers have experienced: It’s one thing to be bold when you’re surrounded by believers. It’s another thing to stay on mission when the world is against you. 

• Story of spiritual retreat or worship night or Sunday morning, then Monday comes

That’s what we see as we FF in the chapter to see how the story ended: 

Mark 14:66-68 (NLT) Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.”

But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.

Bryan’s idea about starting the sermon with Mark 1 in Galilee to provide context for the tumultuous situation in our passage, pointing out verse 28 where Jesus says he will meet them in Galilee again after the Resurrection. Love how it can tie in with Galilee as a symbolic place of their origin and their mission to reach the Gentiles.

Mark 14:69-70 (NLT) When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” But Peter denied it again.

A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.”

There it is again. What a reminder for Peter - that’s where he first met Jesus. That’s where he left his net to “fish for people” and join Jesus on his mission, just 3 short years earlier. And now, probably not 3 hours after he vowed to never betray Jesus, he denies him for the third time:

Mark 14:71-72 (NLT) Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.

Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.

Nugget: Peter doesn’t even say his name! Just “this guy”. Shameful!

(Pillar New Testament Commentary) The third accusation is the boldest, and so is Peter's denial. The Gk. is coarse and explicit, "He began to curse and swear, 'I do not know this man you speak of'" (v. 71).

Back to the question:

Q. Have you ever experienced mission drift?

Close:

More context from Luke’s version of this account (Mark leaves this part out): 

Luke 22:31-32 (NLT) “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus’ reunion with the disciples in Galilee was just as assured as their denial after Gethsemane. Staying on mission is less about the quality of our faith and more about the power of God’s grace.

--

The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

--

Our conversation today is really going to have three movements:

1. Is a Christian justified in taking someone’s life in self defense or in the defense of others?  How we answer that question is going to have a big impact on how we view the gun control debate.  If we do believe there are times when that is justified, that leads to the question of is there a limit as to what extent a Christian is able to defend themselves or others?  In other words, are we saying it’s OK to use a baseball bat to defend your family as a Christian, but it is not ok to use a gun.  If it is OK to use a gun, should we put a limit on the types of guns you can use?  
2. Would stricter gun laws reduce gun deaths?  Regardless of the answer to the preceding question, if stricter gun laws are enacted, are Christians obligated to obey them if they feel a moral obligation to protect those around them?  
3. Lastly, as believers, what is our ultimate source of protection?  Where do we place our trust - in our arsenal or in Almighty God?  

So that’s where we’re headed.  Let’s get into this first point of conversation.  

Defense and Protection

Is a Christian justified in taking someone’s life in self defense or in the defense of someone else? If this is justified, is there a limit to what extent a Christian is able to defend themselves or others? 

Exodus 22:2 - “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. 

• Breaking and entering a home in the night could expose the intruder to the loss of his life (justifiable homicide), in which case the householder would not be held responsible - Expositor’s Bible Commentary 
• The next verse goes on to say, “If it happens in the daytime, he would be guilty of murder.” A man’s possessions are not worth another man’s life.  However, at night, without witnesses, there is no way to know the intentions of the man breaking in.  Is he just trying to steal good or does he have other intentions?  
• In the Ten Commandments, commandment number 6 is “Thou shall not murder.” It isn’t though shall not kill. 
• Expositor’s bible commentary: The sixth commandment forbids murder. The ethical theology that lies behind this prohibition is that all humans have been created in the image of God (Ge 1:26-27; 9:6). While Hebrew possesses seven words for killing, the word used here (rasah; ) appears only forty-seven times in the OT. This is the one word that could signify "murder" where premeditation and intentionality are present. Thus this prohibition does not apply to beasts (Ge 9:3), to defending one's home from night-time burglars (Ex 22:2), to accidental killings (Dt 19:5), to the execution of murderers by the state (Ge 9:6), or to involvement with one's nation in certain types of war. It does apply, however, to self-murder (i.e., suicide), to all accessories to murder (2Sa 12:9), and to those who have authority but fail to use it to punish known murderers (1Ki 21:19).

Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

• This may be the argument used by Christian pacifists who would say it is never OK to kill someone because the new covenant replaced the law. 
• Most people are right handed.  A slap on the right cheek is a backhanded slap.  It is primarily an insult.  It is not indicative of someone who is trying to kill you or cause you serious bodily harm. 
• Jesus also commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This creates a moral obligation for us to protect our neighbors, in addition to ourselves.  
• As a believer, there may be a time when God calls me to simply lay down my life.  I think of Christians in the middle east who have been lined up by religious terrorists and beheaded. They didn’t fight.  They knew God was in control.  But what about our neighbors that don’t know Jesus? It’s one thing for me to lay down my life knowing I’m going to meet my Savior and spend eternity with him.  It’s quite another to stand by and watch someone who doesn’t know Jesus head into eternal separation from God. 

Leviticus 19:16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord” 

• This is another commandment to protect those around us.  I believe there is a pattern we see in scripture where we are called to protect the most vulnerable.  
• There doesn’t seem to be limitations placed on how we are to protect.  There’s nothing expressly communicated in scripture that says we can only use our bare hands or that 
• Even most “pro-gun” citizens acknowledge there is some limit to the types of weapons a private citizen should have.  You don’t find many folks arguing for hand grenades and RPGs in the home.  
• Our ability to protect ourselves and others needs to be on par with the level of the threat against our safety.

Is it possible to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us and still carry a firearm for personal protection?  Could we justifiably kill someone we’re supposed to love?  

• Sodom and Gomorrah 
• Korah - earth swallowed and fire devoured 

Government Control 

Would stricter gun laws reduce gun deaths, and if stricter gun laws are enacted, are Christians obligated to obey them?  

• U.S. owns more guns than any other nation - ranked 22nd in gun deaths per capita, remove suicides and it ranks even lower
• I’m old enough to remember pulling into my high school parking lot and seeing more trucks than not that had rifles in the gun rack of the back windshield.  We never had any shootings in high school  
• Cities in the U.S. with the strictest gun control legislation regularly lead the nation in gun related deaths. 
• Certainly it seems that data from other countries like Australia suggests that the total number of gun deaths would decrease if gun buy-back programs were mandated and the total number of guns was reduced.  But, are we protecting the most vulnerable if law abiding citizens agree to sell their guns, but the criminals don’t? 

We have a greater sin issue than we do a gun issue

Mark 7:21-22 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

What if stricter gun laws are enacted?  What is the Christian response? 

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

• Expositor’s Bible Commentary: The teaching in this section is addressed to "everyone," i.e., every believer. What Paul requires is to "submit" to those who ruled from Rome. Submission means placing oneself under someone else. Paul seems to avoid using the stronger word "obey" (cf. also v.5), probably because believers may find it impossible to comply with every demand of the government. A circumstance may arise in which they must choose between obeying God and obeying people (Ac 5:29). But even then they must be submissive in that, if their Christian convictions do not permit their compliance, they will accept the consequences of such refusal.

1 Peter 2:13-14  For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

Acts 5:29  But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.

• Context of religious leaders telling them not to speak in the name of...]]>We’re tackling another controversial topic in the men’s podcast today.  A topic that has become highly politicized, and is sure to turn up the intensity of a conversation at the next family get together or company outing.  We’re talking about gun control.  How should Christiians view the gun control debate?  As with any other issue, what does God’s Word say about it?  Does it say anything about it?  I think we’re going to see today that it does offer wisdom on this topic.  

  --

  The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

  Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

  Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

  Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

  Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

  Donate Now

  --

   

  Our conversation today is really going to have three movements:

  1. Is a Christian justified in taking someone’s life in self defense or in the defense of others?  How we answer that question is going to have a big impact on how we view the gun control debate.  If we do believe there are times when that is justified, that leads to the question of is there a limit as to what extent a Christian is able to defend themselves or others?  In other words, are we saying it’s OK to use a baseball bat to defend your family as a Christian, but it is not ok to use a gun.  If it is OK to use a gun, should we put a limit on the types of guns you can use?  
  2. Would stricter gun laws reduce gun deaths?  Regardless of the answer to the preceding question, if stricter gun laws are enacted, are Christians obligated to obey them if they feel a moral obligation to protect those around them?  
  3. Lastly, as believers, what is our ultimate source of protection?  Where do we place our trust - in our arsenal or in Almighty God?  
  
  

  So that’s where we’re headed.  Let’s get into this first point of conversation.  

  Defense and Protection

  Is a Christian justified in taking someone’s life in self defense or in the defense of someone else? If this is justified, is there a limit to what extent a Christian is able to defend themselves or others? 

  Exodus 22:2 - “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. 

  
  
  • Breaking and entering a home in the night could expose the intruder to the loss of his life (justifiable homicide), in which case the householder would not be held responsible - Expositor’s Bible Commentary 
  • The next verse goes on to say, “If it happens in the daytime, he would be guilty of murder.” A man’s possessions are not worth another man’s life.  However, at night, without witnesses, there is no way to know the intentions of the man breaking in.  Is he just trying to steal good or does he have other intentions?  
  • In the Ten Commandments, commandment number 6 is “Thou shall not murder.” It isn’t though shall not kill. 
  • Expositor’s bible commentary: The sixth commandment forbids murder. The ethical theology that lies behind this prohibition is that all humans have been created in the image of God (Ge 1:26-27; 9:6). While Hebrew possesses seven words for killing, the word used here (rasah; ) appears only forty-seven times in the OT. This is the one word that could signify "murder" where premeditation and intentionality are present. Thus this prohibition does not apply to beasts (Ge 9:3), to defending one's home from night-time burglars (Ex 22:2), to accidental killings (Dt 19:5), to the execution of murderers by the state (Ge 9:6), or to involvement with one's nation in certain types of war. It does apply, however, to self-murder (i.e., suicide), to all accessories to murder (2Sa 12:9), and to those who have authority but fail to use it to punish known murderers (1Ki 21:19).
  
  
  

  Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

  • This may be the argument used by Christian pacifists who would say it is never OK to kill someone because the new covenant replaced the law. 
  • Most people are right handed.  A slap on the right cheek is a backhanded slap.  It is primarily an insult.  It is not indicative of someone who is trying to kill you or cause you serious bodily harm. 
  • Jesus also commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This creates a moral obligation for us to protect our neighbors, in addition to ourselves.  
  • As a believer, there may be a time when God calls me to simply lay down my life.  I think of Christians in the middle east who have been lined up by religious terrorists and beheaded. They didn’t fight.  They knew God was in control.  But what about our neighbors that don’t know Jesus? It’s one thing for me to lay down my life knowing I’m going to meet my Savior and spend eternity with him.  It’s quite another to stand by and watch someone who doesn’t know Jesus head into eternal separation from God. 
  
  
  

  Leviticus 19:16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord” 

  • This is another commandment to protect those around us.  I believe there is a pattern we see in scripture where we are called to protect the most vulnerable.  
  • There doesn’t seem to be limitations placed on how we are to protect.  There’s nothing expressly communicated in scripture that says we can only use our bare hands or that 
  • Even most “pro-gun” citizens acknowledge there is some limit to the types of weapons a private citizen should have.  You don’t find many folks arguing for hand grenades and RPGs in the home.  
  • Our ability to protect ourselves and others needs to be on par with the level of the threat against our safety.
  
  
  
  

  Is it possible to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us and still carry a firearm for personal protection?  Could we justifiably kill someone we’re supposed to love?  

  • Sodom and Gomorrah 
  • Korah - earth swallowed and fire devoured 
  
  

   

  
  

  Government Control 

  Would stricter gun laws reduce gun deaths, and if stricter gun laws are enacted, are Christians obligated to obey them?  

  
  
  
  • U.S. owns more guns than any other nation - ranked 22nd in gun deaths per capita, remove suicides and it ranks even lower
  • I’m old enough to remember pulling into my high school parking lot and seeing more trucks than not that had rifles in the gun rack of the back windshield.  We never had any shootings in high school  
  • Cities in the U.S. with the strictest gun control legislation regularly lead the nation in gun related deaths. 
  • Certainly it seems that data from other countries like Australia suggests that the total number of gun deaths would decrease if gun buy-back programs were mandated and the total number of guns was reduced.  But, are we protecting the most vulnerable if law abiding citizens agree to sell their guns, but the criminals don’t? 
  
  
  

  We have a greater sin issue than we do a gun issue

  
  

  Mark 7:21-22 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

  
  

  What if stricter gun laws are enacted?  What is the Christian response? 

  
  

  Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

  • Expositor’s Bible Commentary: The teaching in this section is addressed to "everyone," i.e., every believer. What Paul requires is to "submit" to those who ruled from Rome. Submission means placing oneself under someone else. Paul seems to avoid using the stronger word "obey" (cf. also v.5), probably because believers may find it impossible to comply with every demand of the government. A circumstance may arise in which they must choose between obeying God and obeying people (Ac 5:29). But even then they must be submissive in that, if their Christian convictions do not permit their compliance, they will accept the consequences of such refusal.
  
  
  

  1 Peter 2:13-14  For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

  
  

  Acts 5:29  But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.

  • Context of religious leaders telling them not to speak in the name of Jesus. This would be direct disobedience to the command Jesus gave them in the Great commission.  
  
  
  

  In our democratic republic, what is the highest authority?  Is it the constitution?  If a law is unconstitutional are we still required to obey?  What if the constitution was amended?  Do we view scripture through the lens of the constitution instead of the other way around?  

  
  
  

  Ultimate Protection 

  As believers, what is our ultimate source of protection and where do we place our trust? Is it in our arsenal or Almighty God?  

  
  

  Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

  
  
  • Horses and chariots were the weapons of war at the time.  
  • Preparation is Biblical, but our hope and trust are misplaced if they are in anything other than God.
  • Are we spending as much or more time praying as we are on the range? 
  
  
  

  Close

  Wherever you end up landing on this debate, I hope the primary force motivating you is what you believe God’s Word says- not how you “feel about it” or just what you grew up with.  We don’t need to allow a difference of opinion on this issue to cause us to break fellowship with other believers. 

  ]]>14c643dc-6128-41ce-b710-c12cfca61333Thu, 22 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -060046:54falsefullWhat Is the Story of the New Testament? - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastThe New Testament tells us the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and the spread of Christianity. This overview of its message will help you understand the New Testament.

  --

  The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

  Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

  Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

  Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

  Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

  Donate Now

  --

  The New Testament tells us the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It then describes the spread of Christianity. It ends looking forward to Jesus’ return and his future reign. In order to help you understand the New Testament, we've put together this overview of its message, and how the message relates to the books of the New Testament.

  Jesus came to earth to fulfill God’s promises.

  As we learned in the last episode, in the Old Testament, God had made a promise to a man named Abraham: the promise that God would save the entire world from sin and its bitter effects. Sin alienates people from God and calls for his just condemnation. Sin brings death and trouble into the world. Yet when the Old Testament ended, God had not finished this part of the promise. He hadn’t yet rescued and redeemed the world. That’s what Jesus’ coming was all about. He came as the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, as well as many other promises in the Old Testament. 

  The very first verse in the New Testament is rooted in the fact that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise.

  • Matthew 1:1 (NLT) This is the record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham. 
  
  

  The coming of Jesus fulfills the story of the Old Testament. That’s why, as Christians, it is so important to read the Old Testament, because it tells us everything God was doing until the coming of Jesus. It also provides a context to understand the death of Jesus and his resurrection. 

  Jesus died and rose again to save people from their sins.

  Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross for our sins. He did a lot of other important things, but Jesus’ most important action was to die in our place, on the cross, for our sins, so that we could be rescued. 

  This is the emphasis of the Gospels, the four books that appear first in the New Testament. The Gospels are accounts of Jesus’ life. The first, Matthew, was written to tell Jewish people how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Matthew presents Jesus as an authoritative teacher, including five large blocks of Jesus’ messages. The second, Mark, provides a vivid, dramatic overview of Jesus’ life. He emphasizes what Jesus did more than what he said, pointing to his identity as the suffering Son of God who offers himself as a sacrifice for sins. Luke traveled with the apostle Paul. His gospel stresses that Jesus is the Savior for all people, including the lowly and marginalized. Jesus brings the promise of rescue to all ethnic groups.  Like Matthew, John was an eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry. His is the most theological of the four Gospels. He points to Jesus as the eternal Son of God, the self-revelation of God the Father in human flesh. While each of the gospels reveals aspects of who Jesus is, they all reach a climax by giving extended attention to his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. 

  This focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection is maintained throughout the New Testament. It contains many letters written by apostles like James, John, Peter and Paul to individuals and churches, in part to explain how Jesus is our Savior, and reinforcing his death and resurrection.

  Paul wrote many of these books with this same message. For example, the book of Romans gives us perhaps the most basic explanation of Jesus’ role in God’s plan of salvation, including an understanding of sin, justification, and new life. For example:

  • Romans 5:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
  
  

  This verse explains how Jesus’ death on a cross connects to our lives.  When we believe (put our faith in) him, we receive forgiveness for our sins. The connection with God that humanity lost in the Garden of Eden was restored through Jesus Christ. We’re forgiven of  our sins and we receive eternal life. That’s a really important theme, not just in the New Testament, but through the whole Bible. 

  For example, Paul also wrote Galatians, in response to threats by false teachers, stressing that we are made right with God by faith in Jesus alone, not by obedience to religious laws or by religious rituals. His letter to the Ephesians covers many topics, but centers on God’s eternal purpose and grace. He explains how Christ has reconciled all creation with God, and how Christ has united people from all ethnic groups with himself and into his church. In 1 Corinthians, Paul strongly reprimands the church for problems in their conduct, and includes a strong section about the resurrection of Jesus and what it means to believers.

  No one knows who wrote the book of Hebrews, but it helps to make the connection very clear between the Old Testament and the saving work of Jesus. Jesus is the substance of all Old Testament laws and rituals, so he is the one who fully reveals and mediates God’s grace.

  Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples. 

  Before Jesus returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father (where he is right now) he gave us an important command. After he saved us and rescued us, he then commissioned us and sent us out. These words apply to us as much as the first hearers. 

  • Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
  
  

  The rest of the New Testament explains how Christians did this, how they went out into the world and told their friends - and strangers even - about the good news of Jesus Christ and his salvation for them. 

  Much of this is recorded in the Book of Acts. It was written by the same Luke who wrote one of the Gospels. Acts captures the story of how Jesus worked in his church through the Holy Spirit, leading his people to fulfill his commission. It describes how the church grew numerically and expanded across the Roman world. The first half focuses on Peter’s role, while the second half follows the work of Paul. Acts helps us understand how you and I can go out into the world and tell people about Jesus.

  Earlier, we saw how the letters of the apostles reinforce the saving work of Jesus on the cross and his wonderful resurrection. They also help those who become his disciples to live as followers of Jesus in ways that honor God.

  Paul wrote many New Testament letters, which are called the “Pauline Epistles.” He wrote several to churches. 2 Corinthians is his second letter to the Christians in Corinth. He recounts the troubles he has faced in his ministry and expresses his joy in their response to his first letter. He then defends his authority as an apostle of Jesus and confirms the disciples in their faith. Paul wrote Philippians to thank the church for a gift they had sent him. He urges them to stand firm in the face of persecution, to rejoice in every situation, and to live as citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Paul wrote to the Colossians to refute false teachings about Jesus. Jesus, he says, is the very fullness of God, the Creator, and the head of the church. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in him. Paul also wants them to know who they are in Christ, and how they should accordingly live.

  Paul wrote four individual letters, including two to his long-time coworker Timothy. 1 Timothy gives him instructions about how to lead the church with sound teaching and godly example. In 2 Timothy, Paul again offers guidance in ministry, knowing that his life will soon be over. He focuses on Timothy’s own life and character, and encourages him to be steadfast and to prepare others for ministry. Paul wrote Titus to another coworker. He had left Titus on Crete to help the new believers there, so he sent him advice for how to organize the churches and help the believers pursue godliness. He wrote Philemon to a friend, about one of his slaves who had run away. This slave met Paul in Rome and came to faith in Jesus. Paul interceded for him with...]]>The New Testament tells us the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and the spread of Christianity. This overview of its message will help you understand the New Testament.

  --

  The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

  Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

  Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

  Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

  Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

  Donate Now

  --

  The New Testament tells us the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It then describes the spread of Christianity. It ends looking forward to Jesus’ return and his future reign. In order to help you understand the New Testament, we've put together this overview of its message, and how the message relates to the books of the New Testament.

  Jesus came to earth to fulfill God’s promises.

  As we learned in the last episode, in the Old Testament, God had made a promise to a man named Abraham: the promise that God would save the entire world from sin and its bitter effects. Sin alienates people from God and calls for his just condemnation. Sin brings death and trouble into the world. Yet when the Old Testament ended, God had not finished this part of the promise. He hadn’t yet rescued and redeemed the world. That’s what Jesus’ coming was all about. He came as the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, as well as many other promises in the Old Testament. 

  The very first verse in the New Testament is rooted in the fact that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise.

  • Matthew 1:1 (NLT) This is the record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham. 
  
  

  The coming of Jesus fulfills the story of the Old Testament. That’s why, as Christians, it is so important to read the Old Testament, because it tells us everything God was doing until the coming of Jesus. It also provides a context to understand the death of Jesus and his resurrection. 

  Jesus died and rose again to save people from their sins.

  Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross for our sins. He did a lot of other important things, but Jesus’ most important action was to die in our place, on the cross, for our sins, so that we could be rescued. 

  This is the emphasis of the Gospels, the four books that appear first in the New Testament. The Gospels are accounts of Jesus’ life. The first, Matthew, was written to tell Jewish people how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Matthew presents Jesus as an authoritative teacher, including five large blocks of Jesus’ messages. The second, Mark, provides a vivid, dramatic overview of Jesus’ life. He emphasizes what Jesus did more than what he said, pointing to his identity as the suffering Son of God who offers himself as a sacrifice for sins. Luke traveled with the apostle Paul. His gospel stresses that Jesus is the Savior for all people, including the lowly and marginalized. Jesus brings the promise of rescue to all ethnic groups.  Like Matthew, John was an eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry. His is the most theological of the four Gospels. He points to Jesus as the eternal Son of God, the self-revelation of God the Father in human flesh. While each of the gospels reveals aspects of who Jesus is, they all reach a climax by giving extended attention to his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. 

  This focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection is maintained throughout the New Testament. It contains many letters written by apostles like James, John, Peter and Paul to individuals and churches, in part to explain how Jesus is our Savior, and reinforcing his death and resurrection.

  Paul wrote many of these books with this same message. For example, the book of Romans gives us perhaps the most basic explanation of Jesus’ role in God’s plan of salvation, including an understanding of sin, justification, and new life. For example:

  • Romans 5:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
  
  

  This verse explains how Jesus’ death on a cross connects to our lives.  When we believe (put our faith in) him, we receive forgiveness for our sins. The connection with God that humanity lost in the Garden of Eden was restored through Jesus Christ. We’re forgiven of  our sins and we receive eternal life. That’s a really important theme, not just in the New Testament, but through the whole Bible. 

  For example, Paul also wrote Galatians, in response to threats by false teachers, stressing that we are made right with God by faith in Jesus alone, not by obedience to religious laws or by religious rituals. His letter to the Ephesians covers many topics, but centers on God’s eternal purpose and grace. He explains how Christ has reconciled all creation with God, and how Christ has united people from all ethnic groups with himself and into his church. In 1 Corinthians, Paul strongly reprimands the church for problems in their conduct, and includes a strong section about the resurrection of Jesus and what it means to believers.

  No one knows who wrote the book of Hebrews, but it helps to make the connection very clear between the Old Testament and the saving work of Jesus. Jesus is the substance of all Old Testament laws and rituals, so he is the one who fully reveals and mediates God’s grace.

  Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples. 

  Before Jesus returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father (where he is right now) he gave us an important command. After he saved us and rescued us, he then commissioned us and sent us out. These words apply to us as much as the first hearers. 

  • Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
  
  

  The rest of the New Testament explains how Christians did this, how they went out into the world and told their friends - and strangers even - about the good news of Jesus Christ and his salvation for them. 

  Much of this is recorded in the Book of Acts. It was written by the same Luke who wrote one of the Gospels. Acts captures the story of how Jesus worked in his church through the Holy Spirit, leading his people to fulfill his commission. It describes how the church grew numerically and expanded across the Roman world. The first half focuses on Peter’s role, while the second half follows the work of Paul. Acts helps us understand how you and I can go out into the world and tell people about Jesus.

  Earlier, we saw how the letters of the apostles reinforce the saving work of Jesus on the cross and his wonderful resurrection. They also help those who become his disciples to live as followers of Jesus in ways that honor God.

  Paul wrote many New Testament letters, which are called the “Pauline Epistles.” He wrote several to churches. 2 Corinthians is his second letter to the Christians in Corinth. He recounts the troubles he has faced in his ministry and expresses his joy in their response to his first letter. He then defends his authority as an apostle of Jesus and confirms the disciples in their faith. Paul wrote Philippians to thank the church for a gift they had sent him. He urges them to stand firm in the face of persecution, to rejoice in every situation, and to live as citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Paul wrote to the Colossians to refute false teachings about Jesus. Jesus, he says, is the very fullness of God, the Creator, and the head of the church. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in him. Paul also wants them to know who they are in Christ, and how they should accordingly live.

  Paul wrote four individual letters, including two to his long-time coworker Timothy. 1 Timothy gives him instructions about how to lead the church with sound teaching and godly example. In 2 Timothy, Paul again offers guidance in ministry, knowing that his life will soon be over. He focuses on Timothy’s own life and character, and encourages him to be steadfast and to prepare others for ministry. Paul wrote Titus to another coworker. He had left Titus on Crete to help the new believers there, so he sent him advice for how to organize the churches and help the believers pursue godliness. He wrote Philemon to a friend, about one of his slaves who had run away. This slave met Paul in Rome and came to faith in Jesus. Paul interceded for him with his master.

  The central theme of following Jesus as a disciple is also central in the “General Epistles” - those written by other apostles apart from Paul. 

  The letter of James, written by the brother of Jesus, tells Christians that genuine faith will result in a life of good works, including faithfulness in trials, listening to God’s word, and avoiding favoritism and prejudice. 

  The apostle Peter wrote two New Testament letters. In 1 Peter, he seeks to encourage believers who are persecuted or suffering, instructing them to look to Jesus for hope, and to remain faithful and to live a God-honoring life. In 2 Peter, he warns about trouble that will arise within the church, such as false teachers.

  The apostle John wrote three letters. 1 John is the longest. It addresses a false teaching that claimed God would never become flesh, because flesh is bad. John offers us assurance of salvation based on Jesus’ work. It also warns how Christians who stray from the truth can also easily stray from their obedience to God. 2 John and 3 John are very short letters dealing with specific people and issues that John was familiar with. 

  The last General Epistle is Jude, the brother of Jesus. He writes to encourage believers to stand up for the faith, and to warn them about false teachers who sought to undermine their obedience.

  In these New Testament books, we see that through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, as God’s people, we can be changed. We can be mature disciples of Jesus. And we learn that together with God’s people, we can change the world. We can make disciples for Jesus. The New Testament shows us that God’s church is not perfect. Christians are not perfect by any means. But under the lordship of Jesus Christ, fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can transform the world and bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ. 

  Now let’s look at the final part of the story of the New Testament…

  The end of history is already written, and God wins. 

  After explaining what happened with Christians in the first century, and giving us a lot of ideas about how to live lives of faith, of honoring God and helping others, the Bible looks to the future. It tells us how Jesus will return one day. And when he returns, God will deal with sin and death forever, to eternally restore his relationship with his people. This theme appears frequently in the New Testament. For example, in 1 Thessalonians, Paul expands on the future coming of Jesus. In 2 Thessalonians, he exhorts believers to stand firm in their faith until Jesus comes back.

  But God’s future for his creation is most vividly expressed in the Book of Revelation. This book is mainly a record of the apostle John’s visions of events that are to happen in the future, surrounding the return of Jesus. Using “apocalyptic” language, full of symbols and images, it warns of the final showdown between God and Satan, which is ultimately won by Jesus when he comes. His appearance will usher in an eternity of blessedness. Revelation explains that God and Jesus are on the throne, and it describes what God’s future plans for his people look like.

  • Revelation 21:3-4 (NLT) “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
  
  

  God’s future for us is depicted as paradise. For those who believe in Jesus, it says that we will be connected to God - and to God’s people - for all eternity. We will live lives of deep meaning and purpose as we worship God. This future God is calling us toward is the hope-filled end of the New Testament. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, it’s not just some fairy-tale future. It is your assurance.  

  The Takeaway

  I hope you will read the New Testament. As you read it, I hope that you will get to know Jesus Christ, and get to know God’s great plan for you, for the whole universe, and for his church.

  ]]>6aa879fc-68c6-4fa3-b44a-b43591f4a65cTue, 13 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -060052:28falsebonusWhat Is the Story of the Old Testament? - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastThe Old Testament tells us the story of the creation of the earth, the history of God's people, and God's plan to rescue the world.

  --

  The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

  Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

  Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

  Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

  Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

  Donate Now

  --

  God Created the Universe Out of Nothing

  God is eternal, but everything else is created. So at some point, God decided to create. We read about this in the very first verse of the Bible.

  • Genesis 1:1 (NLT) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
  
  

  At one moment, there was nothing. Then immediately, something existed. God began to shape and form creation, as we find in the rest of Genesis 1. The universe wasn’t an accident. God put it here, and he created it for a purpose. Creation teaches us about the glory of God and the majesty of God. It also tells us that we’re not here by accident. That’s the next point in the story of the Old Testament.

  God’s Plan for Relationship with Humanity Was Ruined by Sin

  God made us to be connected to him and connected to each other. This is a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human. The Bible also says that humans are created in the image of God - something that is unique to humanity.

  • Genesis 1:27-28 (NLT) So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
  
  

  God put us on this earth to take care of his creation and reflect his image. 

  But sadly, sin ruined everything. It didn’t take very long before the first humans - Adam and Eve - sinned. They went their own way. They didn’t listen to God. The result was a terrible problem for humanity, and in fact, for all of creation. In fact, the connection we experience with God, and even with other people, was wrecked because of sin. 

  But thankfully, God wasn’t done with the human race! God had a plan to rescue the world, a plan he had decided upon before the creation of the world. That plan began to reveal itself in the Old Testament through a man named Abraham.

  All of this is introduced in the Book of Genesis, which opens the Old Testament. Genesis describes the beginning of everything. It describes not only the creation of the world and of human beings; but also the fall of humanity into sin and the effects of sin in human experience. Genesis leads up to and includes the story of Abraham, his family and his descendants.

  The Book of Job also comes from this timeframe. It is not about Israel or Abraham, but reflects on the power and compassion of God. 

  God Gave Abraham Three Important Promises

  In Genesis 12, we find one of the most important passages in the entire Bible. This passage, in fact, sets up everything that comes after it in the rest of the Bible. In these verses, God begins to explain how he is going to rescue the world from sin. Around 2000 BC, he tells Abraham (then known as Abram), about his great rescue plan.

  • Genesis 12:1-2 (NLT) “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation…. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 
  
  

  God was going to save the world through a descendant of Abraham. As the Old Testament unfolds, we see how God fulfills his promises. He does give Abraham a lot of descendants, and from this lineage, God does create a great nation, called Israel.  God does give Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, their own homeland. Finally, God fulfilled the promise that from Abraham’s lineage, all of humanity would be blessed.  

  The last chapters of Genesis show how Abraham’s descendants arrived in Egypt.

  The Book of Exodus tells how that one family became a populous nation, and how they were enslaved by the Egyptians. It describes how, many years later, God raised up Moses (around 1500 BC) to free them from slavery and to take them to the homeland God had promised them. In fact, God identified himself to Moses as the “God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob”. Exodus also describes how God entered into a special covenant with Israel and gave them his law to govern the nature of that relationship.

  The Book of Numbers describes how God led the people toward the promised homeland. 

  Leviticus tells us about the system of sacrifices that God instituted to cover the people’s sins.

  Deuteronomy records the words Moses told the Israelites just before they entered into the land, recapping the terms of their covenant with God and the blessings they would experience if they were faithful to him.

  The Book of Joshua tells how the people entered and conquered the land God had given them.

  Unfortunately, not everything was great from that time on in the Old Testament. God’s people made a lot of bad choices.

  Israel Began a Long Pattern of Sinful Choices

  Sadly, Israel did not follow God’s law and honor him. Instead, Israel went into spiritual decline. They were stuck in a cycle of sin that was repeated generation after generation. So you read different summaries about the spiritual life of God’s people in the Old Testament. 

  • Judges 2:12 (NLT) They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. 
  
  

  It was pretty clear that Israel, even as Abraham’s lineage, wasn’t going to be able to save the world. Sin is too big of a problem in the human heart. What we really need is to be rescued, not just from the evil in the world, but from the evil within ourselves. 

  The Book of Judges gives plenty of examples of how, instead of obeying God, everyone in Israel did what was right in their own eyes. This was in spite of courageous leaders called “judges” who repeatedly rescued Israel from invaders.

  The Books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel describe the transition of Israel to a monarchy, and the reign of King David (around 1000 BC). Like the people, David sinned against God, but he also sought to obey and worship God. 

  David and others wrote the Book of Psalms, which reflects his trust and worship toward God.

  1 Kings begins with the reign of David’s son, King Solomon. Along with 2 Kings, it tells the long story of Israel’s decline from God, punctuated by an occasional righteous king who led Israel to repent and return to God from their typical idolatry.

  Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs, which expresses the wisdom God gave him, and the Book of Ecclesiastes, which is a reflection on the meaninglessness of an approach to life that leaves God out. His book Song of Songs is a celebration of marital love.

  During this period of Israel’s spiritual decline. God sent prophets to warn them of his judgment for their unfaithfulness. The prophets also promised that after judgment, God would restore them to a better future. The major prophets writing in this period were Isaiah and Jeremiah. Jeremiah also wrote the Book of Lamentations to grieve the devastation that fell on the nation because of their idolatry.

  Several smaller books by prophets also came from this period. All of them call Israel to turn back to their covenant relationship with God. After King Solomon, the ten northern tribes of Israel split from the two southern tribes to create a second kingdom. The prophets Joel, Amos and Hosea wrote mainly for the northern kingdom (called Israel), while Micah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk wrote for the southern kingdom (called Judah).

  Three prophetic books show God dealing with other nations surrounding Israel. Obadiah announced God’s judgment on the nation of Edom. Jonah tells the story of his mission to Assyria. Later, Nahum spoke God’s warning to Assyria as well. 

  The long pattern of Israel’s sinful choices underscores their (and our) needs for a Savior. Thankfully, that was part of God’s plan from the very beginning. As we continue to read the Old Testament, we learn more about God’s plan to rescue us from our sins.

  God Promised to Send His Eternal King and Savior

  Unfortunately, Israel continued to sin and walk away from God. As a result, God allowed other...]]>The Old Testament tells us the story of the creation of the earth, the history of God's people, and God's plan to rescue the world.

  --

  The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

  Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

  Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

  Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

  Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

  Donate Now

  --

  God Created the Universe Out of Nothing

  God is eternal, but everything else is created. So at some point, God decided to create. We read about this in the very first verse of the Bible.

  • Genesis 1:1 (NLT) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
  
  

  At one moment, there was nothing. Then immediately, something existed. God began to shape and form creation, as we find in the rest of Genesis 1. The universe wasn’t an accident. God put it here, and he created it for a purpose. Creation teaches us about the glory of God and the majesty of God. It also tells us that we’re not here by accident. That’s the next point in the story of the Old Testament.

  God’s Plan for Relationship with Humanity Was Ruined by Sin

  God made us to be connected to him and connected to each other. This is a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human. The Bible also says that humans are created in the image of God - something that is unique to humanity.

  • Genesis 1:27-28 (NLT) So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
  
  

  God put us on this earth to take care of his creation and reflect his image. 

  But sadly, sin ruined everything. It didn’t take very long before the first humans - Adam and Eve - sinned. They went their own way. They didn’t listen to God. The result was a terrible problem for humanity, and in fact, for all of creation. In fact, the connection we experience with God, and even with other people, was wrecked because of sin. 

  But thankfully, God wasn’t done with the human race! God had a plan to rescue the world, a plan he had decided upon before the creation of the world. That plan began to reveal itself in the Old Testament through a man named Abraham.

  All of this is introduced in the Book of Genesis, which opens the Old Testament. Genesis describes the beginning of everything. It describes not only the creation of the world and of human beings; but also the fall of humanity into sin and the effects of sin in human experience. Genesis leads up to and includes the story of Abraham, his family and his descendants.

  The Book of Job also comes from this timeframe. It is not about Israel or Abraham, but reflects on the power and compassion of God. 

  God Gave Abraham Three Important Promises

  In Genesis 12, we find one of the most important passages in the entire Bible. This passage, in fact, sets up everything that comes after it in the rest of the Bible. In these verses, God begins to explain how he is going to rescue the world from sin. Around 2000 BC, he tells Abraham (then known as Abram), about his great rescue plan.

  • Genesis 12:1-2 (NLT) “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation…. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 
  
  

  God was going to save the world through a descendant of Abraham. As the Old Testament unfolds, we see how God fulfills his promises. He does give Abraham a lot of descendants, and from this lineage, God does create a great nation, called Israel.  God does give Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, their own homeland. Finally, God fulfilled the promise that from Abraham’s lineage, all of humanity would be blessed.  

  The last chapters of Genesis show how Abraham’s descendants arrived in Egypt.

  The Book of Exodus tells how that one family became a populous nation, and how they were enslaved by the Egyptians. It describes how, many years later, God raised up Moses (around 1500 BC) to free them from slavery and to take them to the homeland God had promised them. In fact, God identified himself to Moses as the “God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob”. Exodus also describes how God entered into a special covenant with Israel and gave them his law to govern the nature of that relationship.

  The Book of Numbers describes how God led the people toward the promised homeland. 

  Leviticus tells us about the system of sacrifices that God instituted to cover the people’s sins.

  Deuteronomy records the words Moses told the Israelites just before they entered into the land, recapping the terms of their covenant with God and the blessings they would experience if they were faithful to him.

  The Book of Joshua tells how the people entered and conquered the land God had given them.

  Unfortunately, not everything was great from that time on in the Old Testament. God’s people made a lot of bad choices.

  Israel Began a Long Pattern of Sinful Choices

  Sadly, Israel did not follow God’s law and honor him. Instead, Israel went into spiritual decline. They were stuck in a cycle of sin that was repeated generation after generation. So you read different summaries about the spiritual life of God’s people in the Old Testament. 

  • Judges 2:12 (NLT) They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. 
  
  

  It was pretty clear that Israel, even as Abraham’s lineage, wasn’t going to be able to save the world. Sin is too big of a problem in the human heart. What we really need is to be rescued, not just from the evil in the world, but from the evil within ourselves. 

  The Book of Judges gives plenty of examples of how, instead of obeying God, everyone in Israel did what was right in their own eyes. This was in spite of courageous leaders called “judges” who repeatedly rescued Israel from invaders.

  The Books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel describe the transition of Israel to a monarchy, and the reign of King David (around 1000 BC). Like the people, David sinned against God, but he also sought to obey and worship God. 

  David and others wrote the Book of Psalms, which reflects his trust and worship toward God.

  1 Kings begins with the reign of David’s son, King Solomon. Along with 2 Kings, it tells the long story of Israel’s decline from God, punctuated by an occasional righteous king who led Israel to repent and return to God from their typical idolatry.

  Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs, which expresses the wisdom God gave him, and the Book of Ecclesiastes, which is a reflection on the meaninglessness of an approach to life that leaves God out. His book Song of Songs is a celebration of marital love.

  During this period of Israel’s spiritual decline. God sent prophets to warn them of his judgment for their unfaithfulness. The prophets also promised that after judgment, God would restore them to a better future. The major prophets writing in this period were Isaiah and Jeremiah. Jeremiah also wrote the Book of Lamentations to grieve the devastation that fell on the nation because of their idolatry.

  Several smaller books by prophets also came from this period. All of them call Israel to turn back to their covenant relationship with God. After King Solomon, the ten northern tribes of Israel split from the two southern tribes to create a second kingdom. The prophets Joel, Amos and Hosea wrote mainly for the northern kingdom (called Israel), while Micah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk wrote for the southern kingdom (called Judah).

  Three prophetic books show God dealing with other nations surrounding Israel. Obadiah announced God’s judgment on the nation of Edom. Jonah tells the story of his mission to Assyria. Later, Nahum spoke God’s warning to Assyria as well. 

  The long pattern of Israel’s sinful choices underscores their (and our) needs for a Savior. Thankfully, that was part of God’s plan from the very beginning. As we continue to read the Old Testament, we learn more about God’s plan to rescue us from our sins.

  God Promised to Send His Eternal King and Savior

  Unfortunately, Israel continued to sin and walk away from God. As a result, God allowed other nations to come in and take over the land, and to take the Israelites, the Jewish people, out of their homeland. The northern kingdom fell to the Assyrian empire in 722 BC. The southern king fell to the Babylonian empire in 587 BC. Some years later, the people of Judah returned to their home. And when they did, God reminded them that they didn’t need to be worried that God had forgotten them or abandoned them. 

  1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles (like 1-2 Kings) recount the failure of Israel to follow God, but from the perspective of the people returning from exile.

  The Book of Ezra describes how God brought his people back to their homeland from their time of captivity. 

  The Book of Nehemiah talks about how Israel fared back in the land, and how they rebuilt the walls of its capital city, Jerusalem.

  Prophets who wrote during the exile and the post-exile periods include Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

  All along the way, God told his people that he would send his Messiah (his King, his Chosen One), to rescue Israel. This Savior would be a descendant of Abraham, and would fulfill God’s promise to Abraham to bless the entire world. This is because he came to rescue not just Israel, but all humanity. Anybody who would believe in him would be saved. That was God’s promise to Israel.

  That promise of a coming Savior pervades the whole Old Testament, but it particularly takes shape in certain books.

  2 Samuel reveals that King David is a prototype of the future King, who will be a descendant of David. The books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings include other rulers in David’s lineage who embody aspects that point toward the Messiah. The Book of Ruth tells the story of God’s faithfulness to King David’s great-grandparents, The Book of Isaiah says a great deal about the identity and mission of Israel’s future Savior and King. Other glimpses of the Messiah are found in Micah and Zechariah.

  The Takeaway

  The Old Testament can be confusing if you don’t grasp the overall story. But don’t hesitate to read it. Though it reveals the sad reality that people are really messed up, it also points to God’s plan to send his Savior and King. Even though that didn’t happen during Old Testament times, the Old Testament ends looking forward to the assurance that the great, powerful, glorious God we serve would stop at nothing to save us. He would send his Savior, his Messiah, to make things right.

  ]]>c7b63b8d-4e0a-499a-b202-4e152dd85f45Tue, 06 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -060043:00falsebonusWhat's the Best Way to Study the Bible? - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastIn this conversation, Bryan and Ross discuss how to read the Bible effectively. They emphasize the importance of having a plan and choosing a starting point that is accessible for new believers. They introduce the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) and the CHARA method (Context, History, Author, Research, Apply) as helpful tools for Bible study. They also discuss the use of Bible commentaries and caution against pitfalls such as innovation, relying solely on information, and anachronism. Overall, they encourage listeners to approach Bible reading with a disciplined and open heart, seeking to understand and apply God's Word in their lives.

  Takeaways:

  • Having a plan and structure for Bible reading is important for consistency and understanding.
  • The SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) and the CARA method (Context, History, Author, Research, Apply) are helpful tools for Bible study.
  • Bible commentaries can provide valuable insights and context for understanding Scripture.
  • Avoid pitfalls such as innovation, relying solely on information, and anachronism when studying the Bible.
  • Approach Bible reading with a disciplined and open heart, seeking to understand and apply God's Word in your life. Be aware of anachronisms in historical texts and consider their reliability.
  • Understand the genre of biblical passages and interpret them accordingly.
  • Avoid isolating verses and proof-texting to prevent misinterpretation.
  • Recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in illuminating the meaning of Scripture.
  
  

  Chapters:

  00:00 Introduction: How to Read the Bible

  03:00 The Importance of Having a Plan

  08:11 Choosing a Starting Point

  14:21 Using the SOAP Method

  19:08 Understanding Context and History

  25:17 Using Bible Commentaries

  30:18 The CARA Method of Interpretation

  39:55 Pitfall #1: Innovation

  41:56 Pitfall #2: Information Alone

  43:24 Pitfall #3: Anachronism

  46:00 Anachronisms in Historical Texts

  46:55 Ignoring the Genre

  50:01 Isolating Verses

  53:57 The Role of the Holy Spirit

  --

  The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

  Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

  Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

  Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

  Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

  Donate Now

  --

  Full Outline:

  • Joshua 1:8 (NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
  
  

  When you read the Bible, the starting point is to approach it thoughtfully and prayerfully - regardless of what methods or tools you use. Meditate on it. Saturate yourself with it, as Joshua says: “day and night.” Then put what you read into practice to “obey everything written in it.” With that attitude in place, let’s look at four pieces of advice to get started reading your Bible.

  Have a Plan.

  A lot of Christians struggle with reading the Bible because they don’t have a plan. They open it up and randomly pick a passage to read. Then they do that again another day. So whatever they read is always out of context. They’re not really sure what they’re reading. Of course, God can work through that, but most readers will find that approach frustrating over time. 

  A better plan is to pick a book of the Bible to read. If you haven’t read the Bible ever, or in a long time, a good place to start is the book of John, in the New Testament. This is one of the gospels. It tells us about the life of Jesus. You will see his teaching and his miracles, and you will understand his mission. That makes John a great place to start. If you’ve read John recently, you could go to one of the epistles, which are written for Christians. Or in the Old Testament, you could begin with Genesis. 

  You don’t have to read the Bible from beginning to end. That’s not the most important approach. In fact, it can be a struggle for many people to read the Bible from cover to cover. So try picking one book, reading it, then picking another book, to eventually work your way through the Bible.

  Part of your plan will be to decide how much you intend to read in a day, or in a week. One chapter a day, ten chapters a week, whatever you decide. Whatever you choose to do, hold onto your plan loosely. As you experience reading the Bible, you might need to adjust your plan to read more or to read less every day. It’s not a failure to scale back a plan that is too much for you. The point is just to keep reading at whatever level you can. But if you don’t have a plan, you probably won’t ever get around to really reading the Bible.

  Many great Bible reading plans can be found on the YouVersion app (Bible.com), which you can read along with others. But when you use a reading plan, don’t just read to check off a box or complete the assignment. Don’t rush through so that you get nothing out of it. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed if you fall behind. Having a plan should be an encouragement and guide. The goal is to grow in your relationship with God, not to complete some specific plan.

  Go Slowly

  You’re not trying to speed through the Bible, like a novel, to find out how things work out in the end. It’s not like reading a newspaper or magazine just to catch up on the facts. Instead, the point in reading is to listen to God and follow what he has to say, and to interact with the Holy Spirit as he speaks to you in your reading. So go slowly. Take your time. If you don’t finish the chapter in the time allotted, that’s okay. Just pick up next time where you left off. Because you want to be thoughtful and prayerful. Remember Joshua 1:8. It said to meditate on God’s words. But it’s hard to meditate if you're in too much of a hurry, trying to count how many pages you read. It’s better to reflect on what you’re reading.

  This relates to another aspect of making a plan. Pick a time and place that will help you listen, meditate, and not get distracted or be in a hurry. What time in your day is most likely to allow you to slow down? What space can you go to that will allow you to think and pray?

  If you don’t understand something you read, stop, go back, and read it again. Spend time thinking about what you’re reading, and asking God for help. It’s okay to use Bible study tools to help you figure out what you’re reading, and to answer some of those questions. But reading about the Bible is never a substitute for reading the Bible itself. Go to other sources when you need to, but most of your time should be spent in the text of the Bible itself, because that’s where God speaks.

  Be Interactive

  Many Christians struggle with reading the Bible because they’re not sure how to apply it to their lives. It doesn’t jump off the page to them. This is why, when you read the Bible, ask questions about what you’re reading. You probably won’t understand everything you’re reading. You will have questions: “Why did God say that? Why did God allow this to happen to his people? What was God’s point in these verses?” Write those questions down. You’ll probably find many of the answers emerge as you read more of the Bible.

  One way to be interactive with the Bible is to take notes while you read. If you have insights or comments, write them down. If you don’t write those insights down, you will likely forget them. That will be frustrating! You might have prayer requests that come to mind as you read the Bible. That’s great! Again, write them down.

  Then, when you get to the end of the chapter or complete your reading for the day, ask yourself this: “How do I apply this to my life?” We don’t want you to have just a lot of trivia in your head. Just learning some Bible facts is not enough. What brings transformation is to apply God’s word to your life. Along those lines, ask: “Is there a command here I need to obey? Is there a promise here that I need to grab hold of? Is there something I need to grapple with that will change my thinking or my behavior?” The point is: apply the Bible to your life. As you do that, you’re going to see the Bible come alive. 

  Many Christians have come up with methods that help you ask questions, write down insights, and apply what you read. Some use a form that they fill out every day. Others use a format that guides them through the process. One simple example is the pattern S-O-A-P. This is very popular because it provides a plan for how to read the section you have decided to read for that day.

  • Scripture. This is simple. Just read the passage you’ve chosen. 
  • Observation. Ask questions about what the passage is saying. What do you actually observe in the text? List...]]>In this conversation, Bryan and Ross discuss how to read the Bible effectively. They emphasize the importance of having a plan and choosing a starting point that is accessible for new believers. They introduce the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) and the CHARA method (Context, History, Author, Research, Apply) as helpful tools for Bible study. They also discuss the use of Bible commentaries and caution against pitfalls such as innovation, relying solely on information, and anachronism. Overall, they encourage listeners to approach Bible reading with a disciplined and open heart, seeking to understand and apply God's Word in their lives.

    Takeaways:

    • Having a plan and structure for Bible reading is important for consistency and understanding.
    • The SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) and the CARA method (Context, History, Author, Research, Apply) are helpful tools for Bible study.
    • Bible commentaries can provide valuable insights and context for understanding Scripture.
    • Avoid pitfalls such as innovation, relying solely on information, and anachronism when studying the Bible.
    • Approach Bible reading with a disciplined and open heart, seeking to understand and apply God's Word in your life. Be aware of anachronisms in historical texts and consider their reliability.
    • Understand the genre of biblical passages and interpret them accordingly.
    • Avoid isolating verses and proof-texting to prevent misinterpretation.
    • Recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in illuminating the meaning of Scripture.
    
    

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction: How to Read the Bible

    03:00 The Importance of Having a Plan

    08:11 Choosing a Starting Point

    14:21 Using the SOAP Method

    19:08 Understanding Context and History

    25:17 Using Bible Commentaries

    30:18 The CARA Method of Interpretation

    39:55 Pitfall #1: Innovation

    41:56 Pitfall #2: Information Alone

    43:24 Pitfall #3: Anachronism

    46:00 Anachronisms in Historical Texts

    46:55 Ignoring the Genre

    50:01 Isolating Verses

    53:57 The Role of the Holy Spirit

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    Full Outline:

    • Joshua 1:8 (NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
    
    

    When you read the Bible, the starting point is to approach it thoughtfully and prayerfully - regardless of what methods or tools you use. Meditate on it. Saturate yourself with it, as Joshua says: “day and night.” Then put what you read into practice to “obey everything written in it.” With that attitude in place, let’s look at four pieces of advice to get started reading your Bible.

    Have a Plan.

    A lot of Christians struggle with reading the Bible because they don’t have a plan. They open it up and randomly pick a passage to read. Then they do that again another day. So whatever they read is always out of context. They’re not really sure what they’re reading. Of course, God can work through that, but most readers will find that approach frustrating over time. 

    A better plan is to pick a book of the Bible to read. If you haven’t read the Bible ever, or in a long time, a good place to start is the book of John, in the New Testament. This is one of the gospels. It tells us about the life of Jesus. You will see his teaching and his miracles, and you will understand his mission. That makes John a great place to start. If you’ve read John recently, you could go to one of the epistles, which are written for Christians. Or in the Old Testament, you could begin with Genesis. 

    You don’t have to read the Bible from beginning to end. That’s not the most important approach. In fact, it can be a struggle for many people to read the Bible from cover to cover. So try picking one book, reading it, then picking another book, to eventually work your way through the Bible.

    Part of your plan will be to decide how much you intend to read in a day, or in a week. One chapter a day, ten chapters a week, whatever you decide. Whatever you choose to do, hold onto your plan loosely. As you experience reading the Bible, you might need to adjust your plan to read more or to read less every day. It’s not a failure to scale back a plan that is too much for you. The point is just to keep reading at whatever level you can. But if you don’t have a plan, you probably won’t ever get around to really reading the Bible.

    Many great Bible reading plans can be found on the YouVersion app (Bible.com), which you can read along with others. But when you use a reading plan, don’t just read to check off a box or complete the assignment. Don’t rush through so that you get nothing out of it. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed if you fall behind. Having a plan should be an encouragement and guide. The goal is to grow in your relationship with God, not to complete some specific plan.

    Go Slowly

    You’re not trying to speed through the Bible, like a novel, to find out how things work out in the end. It’s not like reading a newspaper or magazine just to catch up on the facts. Instead, the point in reading is to listen to God and follow what he has to say, and to interact with the Holy Spirit as he speaks to you in your reading. So go slowly. Take your time. If you don’t finish the chapter in the time allotted, that’s okay. Just pick up next time where you left off. Because you want to be thoughtful and prayerful. Remember Joshua 1:8. It said to meditate on God’s words. But it’s hard to meditate if you're in too much of a hurry, trying to count how many pages you read. It’s better to reflect on what you’re reading.

    This relates to another aspect of making a plan. Pick a time and place that will help you listen, meditate, and not get distracted or be in a hurry. What time in your day is most likely to allow you to slow down? What space can you go to that will allow you to think and pray?

    If you don’t understand something you read, stop, go back, and read it again. Spend time thinking about what you’re reading, and asking God for help. It’s okay to use Bible study tools to help you figure out what you’re reading, and to answer some of those questions. But reading about the Bible is never a substitute for reading the Bible itself. Go to other sources when you need to, but most of your time should be spent in the text of the Bible itself, because that’s where God speaks.

    Be Interactive

    Many Christians struggle with reading the Bible because they’re not sure how to apply it to their lives. It doesn’t jump off the page to them. This is why, when you read the Bible, ask questions about what you’re reading. You probably won’t understand everything you’re reading. You will have questions: “Why did God say that? Why did God allow this to happen to his people? What was God’s point in these verses?” Write those questions down. You’ll probably find many of the answers emerge as you read more of the Bible.

    One way to be interactive with the Bible is to take notes while you read. If you have insights or comments, write them down. If you don’t write those insights down, you will likely forget them. That will be frustrating! You might have prayer requests that come to mind as you read the Bible. That’s great! Again, write them down.

    Then, when you get to the end of the chapter or complete your reading for the day, ask yourself this: “How do I apply this to my life?” We don’t want you to have just a lot of trivia in your head. Just learning some Bible facts is not enough. What brings transformation is to apply God’s word to your life. Along those lines, ask: “Is there a command here I need to obey? Is there a promise here that I need to grab hold of? Is there something I need to grapple with that will change my thinking or my behavior?” The point is: apply the Bible to your life. As you do that, you’re going to see the Bible come alive. 

    Many Christians have come up with methods that help you ask questions, write down insights, and apply what you read. Some use a form that they fill out every day. Others use a format that guides them through the process. One simple example is the pattern S-O-A-P. This is very popular because it provides a plan for how to read the section you have decided to read for that day.

    • Scripture. This is simple. Just read the passage you’ve chosen. 
    • Observation. Ask questions about what the passage is saying. What do you actually observe in the text? List your observations. This step helps you draw out the meaning of the passage, and avoid fanciful conclusions.
    • Application. Make it personal and put it into practice. How does this apply to my life today?
    • Prayer. Talk to God about what you’ve been reading and observing.
    
    

    Dig A Little Deeper

    As you develop some experience in Bible reading, you might want to learn how to go a bit deeper into understanding what the Bible is saying. Start with the steps above. But at some point, try your hand at a more serious process of interpretation. Here is a pattern of study suggested by the Chara Project:

    • Context: How does what I’m reading fit with the rest of the Bible, starting with the larger chapter, the whole book, the totality of what this particular author has written, and finally, with the entire Bible?
    • History: What was the message to the original audience? How would they have heard it? What is the particular setting (both local conditions and larger historical events) that would help you determine that? 
    • Author: Who wrote the book? What do you know about him? What is the author’s overall purpose in this book, and how does this verse or passage fit in that?
    • Research: What trustworthy study notes or commentaries can I turn to in order to dig into the original meaning? Do they bring a bias into their work that you should recognize? Only consult others after you have done the first three steps to the best of your ability. 
    • Apply: As I now understand what the Bible means, how can I put its principles into practice? This is where every Bible reading session should end, whether you are simply reading or are studying in greater depth.
    
    

    Five Pitfalls to Avoid

    As you seek to interpret what the Bible is saying, here are some ways Bible study can go wrong. A few pitfalls to avoid…

    • Innovation. The goal of sound Bible study is not to come up with ideas no one has ever thought of before. This is how cults get started. You want to discover the eternal truths of the Bible, then ask how they uniquely apply to your life.
    • Information Alone. The reason we read the Bible is not just to know more facts. You can study the Bible, and master the most obscure ideas in it, but never put anything into practice in your life. 
    • Anachronism. This happens when we read modern ideas into the ancient text. For example, you can read modern legal concepts into biblical laws, or find contemporary political ideals long before anyone ever thought of them.
    • Romans 16:16 (NLT) Greet each other with a sacred kiss.
    • It would be a mistake to read the modern meaning of kissing back into the first century, where the sacred kiss reflects the warmth and welcome of the faith community.
    • Ignoring Genre. Many people misinterpret the Bible because they don’t recognize how a given genre is meant to be read. For example, Proverbs give general principles of life, but are not universally true in every situation. Jesus used parables to explore his kingdom, but the details of parables should not determine our doctrine.
    • Isolating Verses. It’s easy to cherry-pick isolated verses, and make conclusions about what you read, while disregarding the surrounding passages or the overall message of the book. 
    • Philippians 4:13 (NLT) I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 
    • Paul is talking about contentment in a variety of life situations, when he has plenty and when he doesn’t have much. Isolated, this verse might be misused to justify any personal desire or goal.
    
    

    The Takeaway

    Your Bible reading doesn’t have to be dry. It can be life-changing. So go get started! The most important step you can take is not listening to us talk about this topic. What matters is to read God’s word for yourself. Do it with a friend, with your spouse, with your children, with a mentor or a small group. But make a plan and put it into practice. Adjust the plan as you get more experienced. Add more elements as you get more comfortable. But always be sure to apply what you are discovering to your life! Then see what God will do in and through you.

    ]]>0076645e-3c4c-46d2-9a61-80ac4187bfa3Tue, 30 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -060053:28falsebonusHow to Come Back from the Burden of Shame - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastToday we’ll talk about how to overcome your shameful past to experience the freedom we can have in Christ. We’ll look at David’s example in the story of Bathsheba and Uriah. 2 Samuel 11:1-4

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    Intro: We’re talking about resilience:

    • Resilience is harnessing difficult emotions to build your faith.
    • Today’s difficult emotion: Shame (guilt, condemnation)
    
    

    Defining Shame

    • I know what you’re thinking: shame is always bad, never good  
    • But not so fast! Think of shamelessness: “The world delights in bold sinners who flout God's Word and expect no punishment whatsoever. Our culture celebrates the skillful cold-blooded assassin, bold thief, self-righteous vigilante, foul-mouthed recording artist, creative rebel, blasphemous stand-up comedian, naked actress, fornicating "glamour couple," self-worshiping athlete, occultic mystic, and the like. Perhaps the clearest example in our day has been the movement of homosexuality from something almost universally seen as shameful to something that ought to be delighted in. The gay rights movement is seeking not merely tolerance of what God calls sinful, but society-wide celebration.” - Ligonier “Our Shameless World”
    • Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT ”It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.“ ‭‭‬‬
    • Romans 1:24 (NLT) So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.
    • Romans 1:27 (NLT) And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
    • Romans 1:32 (NLT) They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
    • So we see the progression: sinning with a sense of shame → sinning without a sense of shame → encouraging others to do it
    • Does this not describe today’s culture!?
    • Shame (Oxford): a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.
    • Can you see how this can be bad… or good?
    • Bad: Shamelessness, one end of the spectrum
    • This is where the enemy wants you; what sin?
    • Google doesn’t even know the word! (dictating sermons)
    • Also bad: Shamefulness is on the other end, stuck in it
    • This is just as helpful for the enemy
    • Self-loathing, depression, anxiety, etc.
    • Can’t handle the guilt, so eventually you stop pursuing
    • This is NOT resilient
    • For many, eventually leads to shamelessness
    • Or you try to deal with the burden on our own:
    • So you try to “work off” your shame by being a better person. You try to take by force what you can only obtain by grace. 
    • Or you medicate your shame
    • Wow! How could shame ever be GOOD? Answer: When shame leads us to Christ (the answer is not on the shame spectrum; it’s a whole new level, dimension)
    • Romans 7:24-25 (NLT) Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
    • Romans 8:1 (NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
    • Difference between conviction and condemnation
    • We’ll get to this at the end, but first an example
    
    

    How David handled shame

    
    

    2 Samuel 11:1 (NLT) In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

    • Tell the rest of the story:
    • He sends for her, finds out she is Uriah’s wife, sleeps with her
    • She gets pregnant
    • How shameful: he was supposed to be at war with his men!
    • Now he gets one of their wives pregnant
    • But it gets worse:
    • He sends for Uriah, tries to get him to sleep with her
    • He’s trying to cover up his sin; never works
    • Uriah is too honorable, won’t enjoy his wife while his homies are fighting it out on the battlefield (ouch)
    • So David gets even deeper into shame: sends Uriah to his death on the frontlines
    • STOP: Is there any hope for this guy?
    • Goes from bad to worse
    • Some of you might be thinking that; Paul was there: “what a miserable person I am”
    
    
    

    But God sent a gift in the form of a truth-teller. This is so powerful, it’s worth reading the whole text:

    
    

    2 Samuel 12:1-7 (NLT) So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”

    David was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

    Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!

    • STOP: How would YOU handle this?
    • This might be you right now, feeling conviction for your sin
    • Condemnation is different, would give you no chance
    • But God wants to give second chances
    • The key is how you respond to a truth-teller
    
    
    

    2 Samuel 12:13-14 (NLT) Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD by doing this, your child will die.”

    • Can’t always escape consequences of sin
    • Can escape lifelong feelings of shamefulness. David’s example:
    • He fasts and prays all week
    • The baby dies, and he lets it go
    • 2 Samuel 12:20 (NLT) Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the LORD. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.
    • God blesses him with another son, Solomon
    • Name means “God is his peace”
    • This is the lesson David learned in the Tabernacle
    
    
    
    • Shameless
    • Psalms 51:1-4 (NLT) 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
    • Psalms 51:9-10 (NLT) Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    • 
      
    • Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.
    • Jesus was shamed at the cross, though he did nothing wrong
    • Romans 10:11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
    • Romans 8:1 (NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
    • Difference between conviction and condemnation
    • Condemnation: Satan leverages your shame to push you away from God
    • Conviction: Holy Spirit harnesses your shame to point you to the cross
    
    ]]>Today we’ll talk about how to overcome your shameful past to experience the freedom we can have in Christ. We’ll look at David’s example in the story of Bathsheba and Uriah. 2 Samuel 11:1-4

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    Intro: We’re talking about resilience:

    • Resilience is harnessing difficult emotions to build your faith.
    • Today’s difficult emotion: Shame (guilt, condemnation)
    
    

    Defining Shame

    • I know what you’re thinking: shame is always bad, never good  
    • But not so fast! Think of shamelessness: “The world delights in bold sinners who flout God's Word and expect no punishment whatsoever. Our culture celebrates the skillful cold-blooded assassin, bold thief, self-righteous vigilante, foul-mouthed recording artist, creative rebel, blasphemous stand-up comedian, naked actress, fornicating "glamour couple," self-worshiping athlete, occultic mystic, and the like. Perhaps the clearest example in our day has been the movement of homosexuality from something almost universally seen as shameful to something that ought to be delighted in. The gay rights movement is seeking not merely tolerance of what God calls sinful, but society-wide celebration.” - Ligonier “Our Shameless World”
    • Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT ”It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.“ ‭‭‬‬
    • Romans 1:24 (NLT) So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.
    • Romans 1:27 (NLT) And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
    • Romans 1:32 (NLT) They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
    • So we see the progression: sinning with a sense of shame → sinning without a sense of shame → encouraging others to do it
    • Does this not describe today’s culture!?
    • Shame (Oxford): a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.
    • Can you see how this can be bad… or good?
    • Bad: Shamelessness, one end of the spectrum
    • This is where the enemy wants you; what sin?
    • Google doesn’t even know the word! (dictating sermons)
    • Also bad: Shamefulness is on the other end, stuck in it
    • This is just as helpful for the enemy
    • Self-loathing, depression, anxiety, etc.
    • Can’t handle the guilt, so eventually you stop pursuing
    • This is NOT resilient
    • For many, eventually leads to shamelessness
    • Or you try to deal with the burden on our own:
    • So you try to “work off” your shame by being a better person. You try to take by force what you can only obtain by grace. 
    • Or you medicate your shame
    • Wow! How could shame ever be GOOD? Answer: When shame leads us to Christ (the answer is not on the shame spectrum; it’s a whole new level, dimension)
    • Romans 7:24-25 (NLT) Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
    • Romans 8:1 (NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
    • Difference between conviction and condemnation
    • We’ll get to this at the end, but first an example
    
    

    How David handled shame

    
    

    2 Samuel 11:1 (NLT) In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

    • Tell the rest of the story:
    • He sends for her, finds out she is Uriah’s wife, sleeps with her
    • She gets pregnant
    • How shameful: he was supposed to be at war with his men!
    • Now he gets one of their wives pregnant
    • But it gets worse:
    • He sends for Uriah, tries to get him to sleep with her
    • He’s trying to cover up his sin; never works
    • Uriah is too honorable, won’t enjoy his wife while his homies are fighting it out on the battlefield (ouch)
    • So David gets even deeper into shame: sends Uriah to his death on the frontlines
    • STOP: Is there any hope for this guy?
    • Goes from bad to worse
    • Some of you might be thinking that; Paul was there: “what a miserable person I am”
    
    
    

    But God sent a gift in the form of a truth-teller. This is so powerful, it’s worth reading the whole text:

    
    

    2 Samuel 12:1-7 (NLT) So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”

    David was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

    Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!

    • STOP: How would YOU handle this?
    • This might be you right now, feeling conviction for your sin
    • Condemnation is different, would give you no chance
    • But God wants to give second chances
    • The key is how you respond to a truth-teller
    
    
    

    2 Samuel 12:13-14 (NLT) Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD by doing this, your child will die.”

    • Can’t always escape consequences of sin
    • Can escape lifelong feelings of shamefulness. David’s example:
    • He fasts and prays all week
    • The baby dies, and he lets it go
    • 2 Samuel 12:20 (NLT) Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the LORD. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.
    • God blesses him with another son, Solomon
    • Name means “God is his peace”
    • This is the lesson David learned in the Tabernacle
    
    
    
    • Shameless
    • Psalms 51:1-4 (NLT) 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
    • Psalms 51:9-10 (NLT) Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    • 
      
    • Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.
    • Jesus was shamed at the cross, though he did nothing wrong
    • Romans 10:11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
    • Romans 8:1 (NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
    • Difference between conviction and condemnation
    • Condemnation: Satan leverages your shame to push you away from God
    • Conviction: Holy Spirit harnesses your shame to point you to the cross
    
    ]]>d108bed0-67dd-4fc8-9e0b-7bbd9a4ab2adFri, 26 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -060035:05falsebonusWhat Is the Structure of the Bible? - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastThe Bible is composed of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. It's not organized by date, but rather by genre - like a library.

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    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

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    How is the Bible laid out? What’s in the table of contents? This one book has a lot of smaller books in it, so it can seem confusing - until you understand the structure of the Bible.

    The Bible Is Divided into the Old Testament and New Testament.

    The Old Testament is called “old” not because it is obsolete, but because it came first, over the span of around 1,000 years. Another way to refer to it is the Hebrew Bible. It’s what the Jews had. This is the Bible that Jesus and his first followers used. There’s much we can learn from the Old Testament. We hope you will make that part of the Bible a part of your regular reading. 

    We also have the New Testament. The New Testament was written over the span of about a generation. It started being written shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a collection of books written to churches and to individual Christians. Over time these writings began to be collected together by the churches, to create what we call the New Testament. By the 300’s, the New Testament was affirmed by the Christian church as a whole. A large majority of the Bible’s books were recognized far before that. These two parts of the Bible come together to tell us God’s story for today.

    Think about the relationship between the Old Testament and New Testament. 

    • The New Testament builds on and elaborates the themes of the Old Testament.
    
    

    The New Testament builds on Old Testament themes like creation, sin, salvation, the Day of the Lord. It gives further insight on these matters, but doesn’t negate the Old Testament meaning.

    • The New Testament authors are familiar with and well-versed in Old Testament text.
    
    

    For example, Matthew’s gospel makes many references to Old Testament practices and quotes many Old Testament prophecies. Paul, in Romans 4, assumes that his readers understand the story of Abraham and his relationship with God. He uses this story to underscore that a right relationship with God is based on faith, not on performance.

    • The Old Testament does not stand alone, because the themes it introduces are fulfilled in the person of Jesus.
    
    

    The New Testament connects the dots between the Old Testament and the person of Jesus. For example, Hebrews explains how Jesus fulfills the Old Covenant and its sacrificial system.

    • Matthew 5:17-19 (NLT) “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
    
    

    What about other writings that don’t fit into the Old Testament and New Testament, like the Apocrypha? Or the so-called “lost gospels”? The question of which books belong in the Bible is the question of “canonicity”. The word “canon” means a rule or standard. Which books meet the standard to be included as Scripture? Several criteria were developed in the early church.

    • Apostleship. Books written by the apostles were quickly recognized as authoritative. But Luke and Mark were not apostles. Those authors who were not apostles were eventually recognized as authoritative because they were part of the apostolic circle. Luke was a traveling companion of Paul. Mark was a protege of Peter.
    • Universality. The writings in question reflect the unified view of the whole body of Christians, not just some fringe groups.
    • Orthodoxy. The doctrines and values expressed are consistent with the rest of Scripture.
    • Antiquity. The book originates in biblical times, and was not composed long afterward.
    • Divine effect. The message of the book has life-changing power in people’s experience.
    
    

    The so-called “lost gospels” fail to meet the tests of canonical authority, mainly the test of apostolic authorship. But they also fail the tests of antiquity, universality and orthodoxy. 

    The test of “divine effect” can be subjective. Latter-day Saints would argue that the Book of Mormon has life-changing power in people’s experience. But it fails all of the other tests of canonicity.

    We bring this up to underscore that Scripture is composed of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

    The Bible Is Organized by Genre

    “Genre” refers to the type of literature that is contained in each book of the Bible. The idea of genre is not limited to the Bible, but relates to literature in every language. English language genres include fiction, biography, essay, poetry, drama, and many more sub-genres. The point is that you don’t read an essay the same way you read a poem - or a personal letter, or an anime story.

    As you open the table of contents of your Bible, you can see how it is organized by genre. For example, consider the Old Testament first: 

    • Law: Genesis – Deuteronomy. These five books reflect the genre we call the Law. These aren’t only books of law. But they contained the way God wanted his people to live: the commands he gave them, how they were to worship, how they were to live their lives, how they were to interact with the surrounding nations. (Any given book of the Bible may reflect more than one genre, but usually one particular genre is prominent.)
    • History: Joshua – Esther. Twelve books that tell us the history of Israel. How they entered into the Promised Land, set up their kingdom, how that kingdom became divided, how the people were taken off into exile, and eventually brought back to their homeland. This isn’t just dry history, but history interpreted through the eyes of God. Shows God’s activity in human affairs, so it is history applicable to us today.
    • Poetry: Job – Song of Solomon (Song of Songs). Five books that are poems, by and large. Hebrew poetry is different from our English language poetry. Characterized, not by rhyming, but by parallelism. As poetry, they need to be read differently than history or law. Use smaller amounts of words to convey deep meaning and powerful ideas. 
    • Major Prophets: Isaiah – Daniel. Five books. Major prophets these books tend to be longer. These prophets were alive during the times described in the books of history. They were telling the people what God was doing in their day, and what God was going to do in the future. 
    • Minor Prophets: Hosea – Malachi. Twelve books. Called “minor” not because they are unimportant, but because they are smaller. With the same purpose and intent of the major prophets. Tell God’s people how to understand the events of the day, and what God was going to do in the future.
    
    

    Moving to the New Testament, we have some different genres.

    • Gospels: Matthew – John. Four books. Four different accounts about the life of Jesus. Followers of Jesus, or people close to the apostles, who did a lot of research, talked to eyewitnesses, to describe Jesus’ words and actions.
    • History of the Church: Acts. Sort of a book of history, but very focused. Deals with the spread of the Christian church, starting with just a few Christians in Jerusalem, but tracking the spread of Christianity throughout the entire Roman Empire. 
    • Epistles: Romans – Jude. Eight books. An “epistle” is a letter. These are letters written to Christians or to churches, usually from the apostles. They talk about the struggles Christians face. There are commands for today. A lot of material for us to think about and apply to our lives, in these books.
    • Apocalypse: Revelation. Revelation has its own genre (apocalyptic literature). It’s a mix of prophecy and eschatology, full of symbols. Talking about the return of Jesus, the end of the world, and how God wants us to live until that time comes. A powerful picture of God’s vision for the end of the world and for the beginning of the rest of eternity. 
    
    

    Those are the genres of the Bible. It’s important to understand something about these genres. You don’t have to be an expert. But it does help to have a basic sense of what genres are about.

    A Book’s Genre Guides the Way You Read It.

    It’s helpful to know a book’s genre as you read it, in order to make sense of what you read. We will apply any book of the Bible differently based on its genre. 

    For example, you should understand...]]>The Bible is composed of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. It's not organized by date, but rather by genre - like a library.

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    How is the Bible laid out? What’s in the table of contents? This one book has a lot of smaller books in it, so it can seem confusing - until you understand the structure of the Bible.

    The Bible Is Divided into the Old Testament and New Testament.

    The Old Testament is called “old” not because it is obsolete, but because it came first, over the span of around 1,000 years. Another way to refer to it is the Hebrew Bible. It’s what the Jews had. This is the Bible that Jesus and his first followers used. There’s much we can learn from the Old Testament. We hope you will make that part of the Bible a part of your regular reading. 

    We also have the New Testament. The New Testament was written over the span of about a generation. It started being written shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a collection of books written to churches and to individual Christians. Over time these writings began to be collected together by the churches, to create what we call the New Testament. By the 300’s, the New Testament was affirmed by the Christian church as a whole. A large majority of the Bible’s books were recognized far before that. These two parts of the Bible come together to tell us God’s story for today.

    Think about the relationship between the Old Testament and New Testament. 

    • The New Testament builds on and elaborates the themes of the Old Testament.
    
    

    The New Testament builds on Old Testament themes like creation, sin, salvation, the Day of the Lord. It gives further insight on these matters, but doesn’t negate the Old Testament meaning.

    • The New Testament authors are familiar with and well-versed in Old Testament text.
    
    

    For example, Matthew’s gospel makes many references to Old Testament practices and quotes many Old Testament prophecies. Paul, in Romans 4, assumes that his readers understand the story of Abraham and his relationship with God. He uses this story to underscore that a right relationship with God is based on faith, not on performance.

    • The Old Testament does not stand alone, because the themes it introduces are fulfilled in the person of Jesus.
    
    

    The New Testament connects the dots between the Old Testament and the person of Jesus. For example, Hebrews explains how Jesus fulfills the Old Covenant and its sacrificial system.

    • Matthew 5:17-19 (NLT) “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
    
    

    What about other writings that don’t fit into the Old Testament and New Testament, like the Apocrypha? Or the so-called “lost gospels”? The question of which books belong in the Bible is the question of “canonicity”. The word “canon” means a rule or standard. Which books meet the standard to be included as Scripture? Several criteria were developed in the early church.

    • Apostleship. Books written by the apostles were quickly recognized as authoritative. But Luke and Mark were not apostles. Those authors who were not apostles were eventually recognized as authoritative because they were part of the apostolic circle. Luke was a traveling companion of Paul. Mark was a protege of Peter.
    • Universality. The writings in question reflect the unified view of the whole body of Christians, not just some fringe groups.
    • Orthodoxy. The doctrines and values expressed are consistent with the rest of Scripture.
    • Antiquity. The book originates in biblical times, and was not composed long afterward.
    • Divine effect. The message of the book has life-changing power in people’s experience.
    
    

    The so-called “lost gospels” fail to meet the tests of canonical authority, mainly the test of apostolic authorship. But they also fail the tests of antiquity, universality and orthodoxy. 

    The test of “divine effect” can be subjective. Latter-day Saints would argue that the Book of Mormon has life-changing power in people’s experience. But it fails all of the other tests of canonicity.

    We bring this up to underscore that Scripture is composed of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

    The Bible Is Organized by Genre

    “Genre” refers to the type of literature that is contained in each book of the Bible. The idea of genre is not limited to the Bible, but relates to literature in every language. English language genres include fiction, biography, essay, poetry, drama, and many more sub-genres. The point is that you don’t read an essay the same way you read a poem - or a personal letter, or an anime story.

    As you open the table of contents of your Bible, you can see how it is organized by genre. For example, consider the Old Testament first: 

    • Law: Genesis – Deuteronomy. These five books reflect the genre we call the Law. These aren’t only books of law. But they contained the way God wanted his people to live: the commands he gave them, how they were to worship, how they were to live their lives, how they were to interact with the surrounding nations. (Any given book of the Bible may reflect more than one genre, but usually one particular genre is prominent.)
    • History: Joshua – Esther. Twelve books that tell us the history of Israel. How they entered into the Promised Land, set up their kingdom, how that kingdom became divided, how the people were taken off into exile, and eventually brought back to their homeland. This isn’t just dry history, but history interpreted through the eyes of God. Shows God’s activity in human affairs, so it is history applicable to us today.
    • Poetry: Job – Song of Solomon (Song of Songs). Five books that are poems, by and large. Hebrew poetry is different from our English language poetry. Characterized, not by rhyming, but by parallelism. As poetry, they need to be read differently than history or law. Use smaller amounts of words to convey deep meaning and powerful ideas. 
    • Major Prophets: Isaiah – Daniel. Five books. Major prophets these books tend to be longer. These prophets were alive during the times described in the books of history. They were telling the people what God was doing in their day, and what God was going to do in the future. 
    • Minor Prophets: Hosea – Malachi. Twelve books. Called “minor” not because they are unimportant, but because they are smaller. With the same purpose and intent of the major prophets. Tell God’s people how to understand the events of the day, and what God was going to do in the future.
    
    

    Moving to the New Testament, we have some different genres.

    • Gospels: Matthew – John. Four books. Four different accounts about the life of Jesus. Followers of Jesus, or people close to the apostles, who did a lot of research, talked to eyewitnesses, to describe Jesus’ words and actions.
    • History of the Church: Acts. Sort of a book of history, but very focused. Deals with the spread of the Christian church, starting with just a few Christians in Jerusalem, but tracking the spread of Christianity throughout the entire Roman Empire. 
    • Epistles: Romans – Jude. Eight books. An “epistle” is a letter. These are letters written to Christians or to churches, usually from the apostles. They talk about the struggles Christians face. There are commands for today. A lot of material for us to think about and apply to our lives, in these books.
    • Apocalypse: Revelation. Revelation has its own genre (apocalyptic literature). It’s a mix of prophecy and eschatology, full of symbols. Talking about the return of Jesus, the end of the world, and how God wants us to live until that time comes. A powerful picture of God’s vision for the end of the world and for the beginning of the rest of eternity. 
    
    

    Those are the genres of the Bible. It’s important to understand something about these genres. You don’t have to be an expert. But it does help to have a basic sense of what genres are about.

    A Book’s Genre Guides the Way You Read It.

    It’s helpful to know a book’s genre as you read it, in order to make sense of what you read. We will apply any book of the Bible differently based on its genre. 

    For example, you should understand something about the poetry of Psalms before you can apply it to your life. Think through: what are the images and metaphors? What are they trying to teach me?

    • Psalm 1:3 – [Speaking of the righteous]: They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
    
    

    As poetry, Psalm 1 talks about what a life pursuing God is like. Yet it doesn’t talk about specific aspects of that life, but uses a rich, familiar image to paint that picture.

    When you read the book of Proverbs, genre helps you understand that Proverbs are simple sayings or aphorisms that are generally true, but they aren’t universal or guaranteed promises from God.

    • Proverbs 12:21 – No harm comes to the godly. But the wicked have their fill of trouble.
    
    

    Godly people don’t live a trouble-free life. We all know Christians who have lost loved ones, been laid off, and more. But generally, it is true that people who don’t follow God create trouble for themselves by their life choices. So this contrast between the godly and wicked plays out more often than not.

    Yet when you read the epistles, you’ll discover that these are written to Christians much like us. Many of the commands written in those books apply directly to us and need very little alteration. 

    • Romans 12:10-11 – Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
    
    

    These instructions are true for all Christ-followers, whether living in the 1st or 21st century, whether living in Rome or the United States.

    The Takeaway

    So it’s helpful to read the books of the Bible by understanding their genre. There is plenty more to learn about this. But we want to give you an overview of the structure and genres of the Bible, so that as you read God’s word, you can have a better sense of what you’re reading, as you apply it to your life.

    You don’t have to be an expert in genre or literature. As you read your Bible with this topic in mind, you will quickly discern how the genres you encounter are different, and you will develop a greater level of understanding. The point is: get reading!

    ]]>9f4af9ef-17aa-4bdf-a4a0-5e1392f90a99Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -060052:54falsebonusWhere Did We Get the Bible? - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastThe Bible has been around for thousands of years, carefully translated and maintained for the benefit of people today. But where did we get it, and how do we know it's trustworthy?

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    The Bible doesn’t have to be intimidating. We encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and put it into practice. That’s why we’re doing this series. The first question that arises is: where did the Bible come from?

    The Bible Is Inspired by the Holy Spirit

    The Bible is not just a book some religious or philosophical-type humans put together. It comes from God himself.

    • 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
    
    

    “Inspired by God” means “God-breathed.” So when you read the Bible, you are reading the Word of God. God is there with you when you read. You will encounter God in the Bible. For example, 2 Timothy tells us some of the ways God speaks to us in the Bible: he teaches us what is true; he opens our eyes to what is wrong in our lives; he corrects us when we are wrong; and he teaches us to not simply know the truth, but to do what is right. 

    Jesus himself attested that the Bible is inspired by God. 

    • Mark 12:36 (NLT) “For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said…”
    
    

    Jesus then quoted Psalm 110. He believed that when David wrote that Psalm, he spoke under the Spirit’s inspiration. Note what Jesus told Satan:

    • Matthew 4:4 (NLT) “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 
    
    

    His actions explain what he meant, because that very statement was a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3, and he quoted the Bible two more times to resist Satan’s temptations.

    These passages lead us to hold a view called “verbal plenary inspiration”, which means that divine inspiration extends to the very words themselves, and to all parts of the Bible and all subject matters on which the Bible speaks. Thus the Bible (when interpreted according to the intended sense of the author) speaks truly and reliably in all that it affirms. It never leads us astray.

    Not only did the Holy Spirit inspire the Bible, the Holy Spirit also illuminates the Bible. He enlightens our hearts and minds as we read it. 

    The Bible Was Written by Numerous Human Authors

    While it is the Word of God, it is also the words of human authors. The two are not mutually exclusive. God spoke through human authors, through their unique personalities, experiences, language, culture and time.

    The Bible is a product of divine authorship AND human authorship. Inspiration does not equal some kind of dictation. Authors were not like copyists or transcribers, writing down the words of someone dictating a letter. The Bible authors spoke in their own language and style, using their own words and thoughts, in response to specific situations they were dealing with. Inspiration means that the Holy Spirit superintended the process so that the very words written were exactly what the Spirit intended. They are both the words of the human author AND the words of God himself.

    • 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)  Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
    
    

    This is why we can trust the Bible. It is not just the thoughts of humans, but God speaking to us, through the human authors.

    • 1 Corinthians 2:13 (NLT) When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
    
    

    Consider that the Bible was written by over 40 authors, over a period of 2000 years. They lived in different cultures, in different time periods, and spoke different languages. Yet in spite of this diversity, the Bible tells one unified story: about God, humanity, God’s people, our sin, redemption. How did they write with so much unity over so long a time? Because the Bible comes from God himself. That’s why we can trust it. It’s not just thoughts of humans, but God speaking to us.

    The Bible Is Translated into Our Language

    The Bible comes to us through translation. It was not originally written in English, but in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The Bible has been translated into many languages throughout the world, and continues to be. Many translations are available today that are clear, readable, understandable, and true to the original. 

    We don’t believe that translations are inspired by God. Only the originals are without error, as spoken by God himself through the human author. But even though the original manuscripts are no longer available, God has preserved the biblical text to a remarkable level. We can trust the Bibles we read today. 

    Since we don’t have the original writings of any Bible author, are our Bibles today reliable? It’s important to understand that the transmission of the Bible to us is trustworthy. Scribes who copied the Bible were scrupulous to follow careful disciplines. We have thousands of copies of the New Testament to compare. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940’s showed that over hundreds of years, coping of the Bible was remarkably reliable.

    So this large collection of existing manuscripts shows us what the original must have been. When translators draw on the witness of these existing manuscripts, it creates confidence that the Bible translations we have, have not been tampered with.

    English language translations follow two approaches: formal equivalence (word for word) and dynamic equivalence (thought for thought). Word for word translations often fail to capture the meaning of idioms. If you translate an idiom word for word it completely loses its meaning. For example, Matthew 9:15 (NLT) says, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom?” The phrase “wedding guests” is literally: “sons of the wedding hall”. If this was translated word for word, the meaning of the original text would be obscured. Yet thought for thought translations can introduce more of the translator’s interpretation into the text. Interpretation is always a factor in the process of translation from one language to another, no matter which approach is preferred, because no two languages have exact correspondence of vocabulary or grammar. But the translator’s goal is to minimize the interpretations added in the process.  

    The Takeaway

    God has gone to a great effort to get the Bible in your hands. Copyists and translators worked hard to attain accuracy. People have even given up their lives to give us our Bibles today. The Bible you have came at a heavy price. God thought that price was worth it, because the words of the Bible are so powerful. So where did the Bible come from? Came from God. When you read the Bible, you are encountering God himself.

    ]]>The Bible has been around for thousands of years, carefully translated and maintained for the benefit of people today. But where did we get it, and how do we know it's trustworthy?

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    The Bible doesn’t have to be intimidating. We encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and put it into practice. That’s why we’re doing this series. The first question that arises is: where did the Bible come from?

    The Bible Is Inspired by the Holy Spirit

    The Bible is not just a book some religious or philosophical-type humans put together. It comes from God himself.

    • 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
    
    

    “Inspired by God” means “God-breathed.” So when you read the Bible, you are reading the Word of God. God is there with you when you read. You will encounter God in the Bible. For example, 2 Timothy tells us some of the ways God speaks to us in the Bible: he teaches us what is true; he opens our eyes to what is wrong in our lives; he corrects us when we are wrong; and he teaches us to not simply know the truth, but to do what is right. 

    Jesus himself attested that the Bible is inspired by God. 

    • Mark 12:36 (NLT) “For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said…”
    
    

    Jesus then quoted Psalm 110. He believed that when David wrote that Psalm, he spoke under the Spirit’s inspiration. Note what Jesus told Satan:

    • Matthew 4:4 (NLT) “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 
    
    

    His actions explain what he meant, because that very statement was a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3, and he quoted the Bible two more times to resist Satan’s temptations.

    These passages lead us to hold a view called “verbal plenary inspiration”, which means that divine inspiration extends to the very words themselves, and to all parts of the Bible and all subject matters on which the Bible speaks. Thus the Bible (when interpreted according to the intended sense of the author) speaks truly and reliably in all that it affirms. It never leads us astray.

    Not only did the Holy Spirit inspire the Bible, the Holy Spirit also illuminates the Bible. He enlightens our hearts and minds as we read it. 

    The Bible Was Written by Numerous Human Authors

    While it is the Word of God, it is also the words of human authors. The two are not mutually exclusive. God spoke through human authors, through their unique personalities, experiences, language, culture and time.

    The Bible is a product of divine authorship AND human authorship. Inspiration does not equal some kind of dictation. Authors were not like copyists or transcribers, writing down the words of someone dictating a letter. The Bible authors spoke in their own language and style, using their own words and thoughts, in response to specific situations they were dealing with. Inspiration means that the Holy Spirit superintended the process so that the very words written were exactly what the Spirit intended. They are both the words of the human author AND the words of God himself.

    • 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)  Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
    
    

    This is why we can trust the Bible. It is not just the thoughts of humans, but God speaking to us, through the human authors.

    • 1 Corinthians 2:13 (NLT) When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
    
    

    Consider that the Bible was written by over 40 authors, over a period of 2000 years. They lived in different cultures, in different time periods, and spoke different languages. Yet in spite of this diversity, the Bible tells one unified story: about God, humanity, God’s people, our sin, redemption. How did they write with so much unity over so long a time? Because the Bible comes from God himself. That’s why we can trust it. It’s not just thoughts of humans, but God speaking to us.

    The Bible Is Translated into Our Language

    The Bible comes to us through translation. It was not originally written in English, but in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The Bible has been translated into many languages throughout the world, and continues to be. Many translations are available today that are clear, readable, understandable, and true to the original. 

    We don’t believe that translations are inspired by God. Only the originals are without error, as spoken by God himself through the human author. But even though the original manuscripts are no longer available, God has preserved the biblical text to a remarkable level. We can trust the Bibles we read today. 

    Since we don’t have the original writings of any Bible author, are our Bibles today reliable? It’s important to understand that the transmission of the Bible to us is trustworthy. Scribes who copied the Bible were scrupulous to follow careful disciplines. We have thousands of copies of the New Testament to compare. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940’s showed that over hundreds of years, coping of the Bible was remarkably reliable.

    So this large collection of existing manuscripts shows us what the original must have been. When translators draw on the witness of these existing manuscripts, it creates confidence that the Bible translations we have, have not been tampered with.

    English language translations follow two approaches: formal equivalence (word for word) and dynamic equivalence (thought for thought). Word for word translations often fail to capture the meaning of idioms. If you translate an idiom word for word it completely loses its meaning. For example, Matthew 9:15 (NLT) says, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom?” The phrase “wedding guests” is literally: “sons of the wedding hall”. If this was translated word for word, the meaning of the original text would be obscured. Yet thought for thought translations can introduce more of the translator’s interpretation into the text. Interpretation is always a factor in the process of translation from one language to another, no matter which approach is preferred, because no two languages have exact correspondence of vocabulary or grammar. But the translator’s goal is to minimize the interpretations added in the process.  

    The Takeaway

    God has gone to a great effort to get the Bible in your hands. Copyists and translators worked hard to attain accuracy. People have even given up their lives to give us our Bibles today. The Bible you have came at a heavy price. God thought that price was worth it, because the words of the Bible are so powerful. So where did the Bible come from? Came from God. When you read the Bible, you are encountering God himself.

    ]]>8f2dc281-cf36-4059-82c0-745941a94720Tue, 16 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -060051:32falsebonusHow to Think about the Israel-Hamas Conflict as a Christian - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastThis conversation explores the Israel-Hamas conflict and how Christians can think about and respond to it. The discussion covers the theological framework, the specific conflict between Israel and Hamas, the history of the conflict, and the objectives of Hamas. The revised charter of Hamas in 2017 is examined, highlighting their anti-Israel stance. The conversation emphasizes the spiritual battle behind the conflict and the importance of prayer. The conclusion encourages listeners to pray for peace and understanding, and to approach the topic with biblical wisdom and love.

    Takeaways:

    • Understand the theological framework for thinking about the Israel-Hamas conflict as a Christian.
    • Recognize the specific conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
    • Be aware of the historical context of the conflict and the objectives of Hamas.
    • Engage in prayer for peace, understanding, and the salvation of all involved.
    
    

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction and Background

    02:49 Choosing Sides in the Conflict

    04:10 Israel as the Good Guy

    09:09 Hamas' Objectives

    13:36 Revised Charter of Hamas in 2017

    16:30 Historical Context of the Conflict

    23:29 Partition Plans and Oslo Accords

    27:19 Continued Conflict and Attacks

    30:56 Spiritual Battle and Prayer

    38:07 Response as Christians

    43:03 Conclusion and Call to Prayer

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    ]]>This conversation explores the Israel-Hamas conflict and how Christians can think about and respond to it. The discussion covers the theological framework, the specific conflict between Israel and Hamas, the history of the conflict, and the objectives of Hamas. The revised charter of Hamas in 2017 is examined, highlighting their anti-Israel stance. The conversation emphasizes the spiritual battle behind the conflict and the importance of prayer. The conclusion encourages listeners to pray for peace and understanding, and to approach the topic with biblical wisdom and love.

    Takeaways:

    • Understand the theological framework for thinking about the Israel-Hamas conflict as a Christian.
    • Recognize the specific conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
    • Be aware of the historical context of the conflict and the objectives of Hamas.
    • Engage in prayer for peace, understanding, and the salvation of all involved.
    
    

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction and Background

    02:49 Choosing Sides in the Conflict

    04:10 Israel as the Good Guy

    09:09 Hamas' Objectives

    13:36 Revised Charter of Hamas in 2017

    16:30 Historical Context of the Conflict

    23:29 Partition Plans and Oslo Accords

    27:19 Continued Conflict and Attacks

    30:56 Spiritual Battle and Prayer

    38:07 Response as Christians

    43:03 Conclusion and Call to Prayer

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    ]]>24abd979-36c6-4955-8a7c-a24ba20d683dTue, 09 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -060044:29falsebonusThe Israel-Hamas Conflict: Dispensational or Covenant? - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastIn this episode, Bryan and John discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict from a theological perspective. They explore the concepts of dispensationalism and covenant theology and how they shape the understanding of the conflict. They dive into the promises made to Israel in Genesis 12 and the conditions attached to those promises. They emphasize the importance of praying for both Israel and the Palestinians, and the need for all people, including Jews, to accept Jesus as their Savior. The episode sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the conflict's history and current situation in the next episode.

    Takeaways:

    • Understanding the Israel-Hamas conflict requires a theological perspective.
    • Dispensationalism emphasizes a unique plan for Israel and sees the promises made to Israel in the Bible as literal and still applicable.
    • Covenant theology views God's relationship with humanity through covenants and emphasizes the continuity between the Old and New Testaments.
    • Believing in Jesus is essential for salvation, and Christians should pray for the salvation of all people involved in the conflict.
    • Praying for peace and the spread of the gospel in the region is crucial for Christians.
    
    

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction and Purpose

    01:01 Understanding the Israel-Hamas Conflict Theologically

    04:24 Dispensationalism: A Unique Plan for Israel

    06:23 Genesis 12: The Promised Land and Dispensationalism

    19:53 Covenant Theology: God's Relationship with Humanity

    27:37 The Importance of Believing in Jesus for Salvation

    29:44 Praying for Israel and the Palestinians

    41:23 Conclusion and Preview of Next Episode

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    The dispensational view is a theological framework that divides history into distinct periods, or "dispensations," during which God interacts with humanity in different ways. In the context of Israel, dispensationalism often emphasizes a unique plan for the nation of Israel separate from the Church. It suggests that God has distinct purposes for Israel and the Church and that these purposes unfold in different dispensations.

    According to dispensationalism, God made specific promises to Israel in the Old Testament, such as land promises, which are yet to be fulfilled. Proponents believe in a future period (often associated with a literal interpretation of certain biblical prophecies) where God will fulfill these promises to Israel. This perspective contrasts with covenant theology, which sees a more unified and spiritual continuity between Israel and the Church.

    Dispensationalists often highlight key biblical passages to support their views. Some foundational elements include:

    
    

    1. **Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3):** Dispensationalists emphasize God's promises to Abraham, particularly the land promise, suggesting a future fulfillment for Israel.

    
    

    2. **Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16):** The covenant with David is seen as a promise of an eternal kingdom, often interpreted as a future millennial reign of Christ on Earth.

    
    

    3. **New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34):** While associated with the Church in most theological perspectives, dispensationalists may distinguish between the New Covenant's application to Israel and the Church, emphasizing a distinct future role for Israel.

    
    

    4. **Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25):** Jesus' teachings on the end times, including signs and events, are frequently referenced to support dispensational views about a future tribulation period and Christ's return.

    
    

    5. **Revelation (especially chapters 4-22):** Dispensationalists often interpret the events described in the book of Revelation, including the tribulation and millennial kingdom, as literal future events.

    
    

    These scriptures, among others, are central to the dispensationalist understanding of God's plan for Israel and the Church, with a focus on a future restoration and fulfillment of God's promises to the nation of Israel. It's important to note that interpretations can vary, and not all Christians agree on the specifics of dispensationalism.

    
    

    Key Figures in Dispensationalism

    The dispensational view has its roots in the teachings of John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), an Irish Anglican clergyman who later became a prominent figure among the Plymouth Brethren, a Christian movement emphasizing the authority of the Bible and the imminent return of Christ. Darby developed and popularized dispensationalism during the 19th century.

    
    

    Key features of Darby's dispensationalism include the division of history into distinct dispensations, each characterized by specific divine principles and responsibilities. Darby's ideas gained momentum in the United States through the influence of the Scofield Reference Bible, first published in 1909 by Cyrus I. Scofield. The Scofield Bible included notes and commentary aligning with dispensationalist theology, making these ideas accessible to a broader audience.

    
    

    Another influential figure in the development of dispensationalism was Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871–1952), who founded Dallas Theological Seminary in 1924. The seminary became a major hub for dispensational teaching and contributed to the spread of this theological framework.

    
    

    J. Dwight Pentecost (1915–2014) and Charles C. Ryrie (1925–2016) were notable dispensationalist scholars who also taught at Dallas Theological Seminary and furthered the development of dispensational theology through their writings and teachings.

    
    

    Dispensationalism gained significant popularity in certain evangelical circles in the 20th century, particularly in the United States, where it became associated with certain strains of fundamentalism. However, it's essential to note that dispensationalism has evolved, and there are variations within this theological framework.

    
    

    While Darby and Scofield were pivotal in shaping dispensationalism, its ideas have continued to develop and be refined by various scholars over the years. Today, there are different forms of dispensationalism, ranging from classical dispensationalism to progressive dispensationalism, each with its nuanced perspectives on the end times and the role of Israel in God's plan.

    
    

    Covenant Theology

    Covenant theology is a theological framework that views God's relationship with humanity through covenants, emphasizing continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Unlike dispensationalism, covenant theology sees a unified plan of redemption for both Israel and the Church. Here are key points and associated scripture references:

    
    

    1. **Covenant of Works:** Covenant theologians often point to the idea of a covenant made with Adam in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15-17). This covenant represents God's expectations for obedience and the consequences of disobedience.

    
    

    2. **Covenant of Grace:** This central covenant, according to covenant theology, is established after the fall, promising salvation through faith in Christ. Key passages include Genesis 3:15 (the promise of a seed), Jeremiah 31:31-34 (the promise of a new covenant), and Galatians 3:16 (linking the covenant to Christ).

    
    

    3. **Abrahamic Covenant:** While dispensationalists focus on the land promise, covenant theologians emphasize the spiritual aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant. Galatians 3:7-9 and Romans 4:13 highlight the idea that Abraham is the father of all who have faith.

    
    

    4. **Davidic Covenant:** Covenant theologians view the Davidic Covenant as finding its fulfillment in Christ, the ultimate King of David's lineage. This is referenced in passages like Acts 2:29-36 and Revelation 22:16.

    
    

    5. **New Covenant:** Unlike the dispensationalist view, covenant theologians see the New Covenant as applying to both Jews and Gentiles within the unified body of Christ, the Church. Key passages include Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:6-13.

    
    

    In covenant theology, the emphasis is on the overarching theme of God's redemptive plan woven throughout history, with Christ as the focal point. The covenants are seen as different administrations of the one covenant of grace, leading to the salvation of God's people.

    
    

    Key contributors to covenant theology

    Covenant theology has been shaped by the insights and contributions of various theologians throughout history. Here are some key contributors:

    
    

    1. **John Calvin (1509–1564):** Theologians often credit Calvin with laying the groundwork for covenant theology. While he did not develop a comprehensive covenant theology system, his theological ideas, especially those related to the covenant of grace, influenced later covenant theologians.

    
    

    2. **Herman Witsius (1636–1708):** A Dutch Reformed theologian, Witsius made significant contributions to the development of covenant theology. His work "The Economy of the...]]>In this episode, Bryan and John discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict from a theological perspective. They explore the concepts of dispensationalism and covenant theology and how they shape the understanding of the conflict. They dive into the promises made to Israel in Genesis 12 and the conditions attached to those promises. They emphasize the importance of praying for both Israel and the Palestinians, and the need for all people, including Jews, to accept Jesus as their Savior. The episode sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the conflict's history and current situation in the next episode.

    Takeaways:

    • Understanding the Israel-Hamas conflict requires a theological perspective.
    • Dispensationalism emphasizes a unique plan for Israel and sees the promises made to Israel in the Bible as literal and still applicable.
    • Covenant theology views God's relationship with humanity through covenants and emphasizes the continuity between the Old and New Testaments.
    • Believing in Jesus is essential for salvation, and Christians should pray for the salvation of all people involved in the conflict.
    • Praying for peace and the spread of the gospel in the region is crucial for Christians.
    
    

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction and Purpose

    01:01 Understanding the Israel-Hamas Conflict Theologically

    04:24 Dispensationalism: A Unique Plan for Israel

    06:23 Genesis 12: The Promised Land and Dispensationalism

    19:53 Covenant Theology: God's Relationship with Humanity

    27:37 The Importance of Believing in Jesus for Salvation

    29:44 Praying for Israel and the Palestinians

    41:23 Conclusion and Preview of Next Episode

    --

    The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

    Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    The dispensational view is a theological framework that divides history into distinct periods, or "dispensations," during which God interacts with humanity in different ways. In the context of Israel, dispensationalism often emphasizes a unique plan for the nation of Israel separate from the Church. It suggests that God has distinct purposes for Israel and the Church and that these purposes unfold in different dispensations.

    According to dispensationalism, God made specific promises to Israel in the Old Testament, such as land promises, which are yet to be fulfilled. Proponents believe in a future period (often associated with a literal interpretation of certain biblical prophecies) where God will fulfill these promises to Israel. This perspective contrasts with covenant theology, which sees a more unified and spiritual continuity between Israel and the Church.

    Dispensationalists often highlight key biblical passages to support their views. Some foundational elements include:

    
    

    1. **Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3):** Dispensationalists emphasize God's promises to Abraham, particularly the land promise, suggesting a future fulfillment for Israel.

    
    

    2. **Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16):** The covenant with David is seen as a promise of an eternal kingdom, often interpreted as a future millennial reign of Christ on Earth.

    
    

    3. **New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34):** While associated with the Church in most theological perspectives, dispensationalists may distinguish between the New Covenant's application to Israel and the Church, emphasizing a distinct future role for Israel.

    
    

    4. **Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25):** Jesus' teachings on the end times, including signs and events, are frequently referenced to support dispensational views about a future tribulation period and Christ's return.

    
    

    5. **Revelation (especially chapters 4-22):** Dispensationalists often interpret the events described in the book of Revelation, including the tribulation and millennial kingdom, as literal future events.

    
    

    These scriptures, among others, are central to the dispensationalist understanding of God's plan for Israel and the Church, with a focus on a future restoration and fulfillment of God's promises to the nation of Israel. It's important to note that interpretations can vary, and not all Christians agree on the specifics of dispensationalism.

    
    

    Key Figures in Dispensationalism

    The dispensational view has its roots in the teachings of John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), an Irish Anglican clergyman who later became a prominent figure among the Plymouth Brethren, a Christian movement emphasizing the authority of the Bible and the imminent return of Christ. Darby developed and popularized dispensationalism during the 19th century.

    
    

    Key features of Darby's dispensationalism include the division of history into distinct dispensations, each characterized by specific divine principles and responsibilities. Darby's ideas gained momentum in the United States through the influence of the Scofield Reference Bible, first published in 1909 by Cyrus I. Scofield. The Scofield Bible included notes and commentary aligning with dispensationalist theology, making these ideas accessible to a broader audience.

    
    

    Another influential figure in the development of dispensationalism was Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871–1952), who founded Dallas Theological Seminary in 1924. The seminary became a major hub for dispensational teaching and contributed to the spread of this theological framework.

    
    

    J. Dwight Pentecost (1915–2014) and Charles C. Ryrie (1925–2016) were notable dispensationalist scholars who also taught at Dallas Theological Seminary and furthered the development of dispensational theology through their writings and teachings.

    
    

    Dispensationalism gained significant popularity in certain evangelical circles in the 20th century, particularly in the United States, where it became associated with certain strains of fundamentalism. However, it's essential to note that dispensationalism has evolved, and there are variations within this theological framework.

    
    

    While Darby and Scofield were pivotal in shaping dispensationalism, its ideas have continued to develop and be refined by various scholars over the years. Today, there are different forms of dispensationalism, ranging from classical dispensationalism to progressive dispensationalism, each with its nuanced perspectives on the end times and the role of Israel in God's plan.

    
    

    Covenant Theology

    Covenant theology is a theological framework that views God's relationship with humanity through covenants, emphasizing continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Unlike dispensationalism, covenant theology sees a unified plan of redemption for both Israel and the Church. Here are key points and associated scripture references:

    
    

    1. **Covenant of Works:** Covenant theologians often point to the idea of a covenant made with Adam in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15-17). This covenant represents God's expectations for obedience and the consequences of disobedience.

    
    

    2. **Covenant of Grace:** This central covenant, according to covenant theology, is established after the fall, promising salvation through faith in Christ. Key passages include Genesis 3:15 (the promise of a seed), Jeremiah 31:31-34 (the promise of a new covenant), and Galatians 3:16 (linking the covenant to Christ).

    
    

    3. **Abrahamic Covenant:** While dispensationalists focus on the land promise, covenant theologians emphasize the spiritual aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant. Galatians 3:7-9 and Romans 4:13 highlight the idea that Abraham is the father of all who have faith.

    
    

    4. **Davidic Covenant:** Covenant theologians view the Davidic Covenant as finding its fulfillment in Christ, the ultimate King of David's lineage. This is referenced in passages like Acts 2:29-36 and Revelation 22:16.

    
    

    5. **New Covenant:** Unlike the dispensationalist view, covenant theologians see the New Covenant as applying to both Jews and Gentiles within the unified body of Christ, the Church. Key passages include Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:6-13.

    
    

    In covenant theology, the emphasis is on the overarching theme of God's redemptive plan woven throughout history, with Christ as the focal point. The covenants are seen as different administrations of the one covenant of grace, leading to the salvation of God's people.

    
    

    Key contributors to covenant theology

    Covenant theology has been shaped by the insights and contributions of various theologians throughout history. Here are some key contributors:

    
    

    1. **John Calvin (1509–1564):** Theologians often credit Calvin with laying the groundwork for covenant theology. While he did not develop a comprehensive covenant theology system, his theological ideas, especially those related to the covenant of grace, influenced later covenant theologians.

    
    

    2. **Herman Witsius (1636–1708):** A Dutch Reformed theologian, Witsius made significant contributions to the development of covenant theology. His work "The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man" is a notable systematic treatment of covenant theology.

    
    

    3. **Johannes Cocceius (1603–1669):** Cocceius, a Dutch theologian, played a crucial role in advancing covenant theology. He emphasized a historical-redemptive understanding of the Bible, viewing Scripture as presenting a series of covenants that progressively unfold God's plan of redemption.

    
    

    4. **Francis Turretin (1623–1687):** A Swiss-Italian Reformed theologian, Turretin contributed to the articulation of covenant theology in his systematic theology work "Institutes of Elenctic Theology." He explored various aspects of covenantal relationships between God and humanity.

    
    

    5. **Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758):** Edwards, an American theologian and preacher, integrated covenant theology into his writings and sermons. His emphasis on God's covenantal faithfulness and the centrality of Christ in the covenant aligns with covenant theology principles.

    
    

    6. **Geerhardus Vos (1862–1949):** A Dutch Reformed theologian who later became a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, Vos contributed significantly to biblical theology and covenant theology. His writings, including "Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments," explored the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through covenants.

    
    

    7. **Meredith G. Kline (1922–2007):** An influential Reformed theologian and Old Testament scholar, Kline made notable contributions to covenant theology. His work, particularly on the structure and significance of biblical covenants, has had a lasting impact on covenant theology discussions.

    
    

    These theologians, among others, have played crucial roles in shaping and advancing covenant theology, providing insights into the biblical understanding of God's covenants and their significance in the overall redemptive plan.

    
    

    What’s the difference?

    Theological views that often stand in contrast to dispensationalism include various forms of covenant theology. Covenant theology provides an alternative framework for understanding the relationship between God and humanity, emphasizing a unified plan of redemption throughout history. While there are variations within covenant theology, it generally differs from dispensationalism in the following ways:

    
    

    1. **Unified Covenant of Grace:** Covenant theology typically emphasizes a single, overarching covenant of grace that unfolds throughout both the Old and New Testaments. This perspective sees the various biblical covenants as different administrations of the same covenant rather than as separate dispensations.

    
    

    2. **Continuity between Israel and the Church:** Covenant theology often emphasizes the spiritual continuity between Israel and the Church. It sees the Church as the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel rather than positing a future fulfillment for national Israel distinct from the Church.

    
    

    3. **Less Emphasis on Future Events:** While both dispensationalism and covenant theology are concerned with eschatology (the study of end times), covenant theology may place less emphasis on a specific future period such as a seven-year tribulation or a literal millennial kingdom.

    
    

    4. **Different Interpretation of Prophecy:** Covenant theology tends to interpret Old Testament prophecies, especially those concerning Israel, more spiritually or allegorically. It may see the fulfillment of these prophecies in the Church rather than in a future, distinct period for national Israel.

    
    

    5. **Christ as the Center:** Covenant theology often places a strong emphasis on Christ as the central figure in God's plan of redemption. The covenants are seen as finding their fulfillment in Christ, the mediator of the covenant of grace.

    
    

    It's important to note that within covenant theology, there are various perspectives and nuances. Additionally, some theological traditions, such as New Covenant Theology, offer alternative perspectives that share common ground with aspects of both dispensationalism and covenant theology. The diversity of views reflects the richness and complexity of theological discussions within Christianity.

    
    

    Is this the same thing as reformed theology?

    No, while there are connections between them, Reformed theology and covenant theology are not identical, and one does not necessarily imply the other. Let's clarify their relationship:

    
    

    1. **Reformed Theology:**

       - **Overview:** Reformed theology is a broader theological tradition rooted in the principles of the Protestant Reformation, particularly associated with the teachings of John Calvin. It encompasses a comprehensive system of Christian doctrine that extends beyond specific views on covenants.

       - **Doctrinal Emphases:** Reformed theology emphasizes doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, the depravity of humanity, salvation by grace through faith, and the glory of God in all things.

    
    

    2. **Covenant Theology:**

       - **Overview:** Covenant theology, on the other hand, is a specific theological framework for understanding the biblical narrative. It emphasizes the idea of covenants as central to God's relationship with humanity.

       - **Doctrinal Emphases:** Covenant theology sees a unified plan of redemption through covenants, often highlighting a covenant of works with Adam, a covenant of grace throughout history, and specific biblical covenants as administrations of this overarching covenant.

    
    

    While many Reformed theologians adhere to covenant theology, not all Reformed Christians necessarily embrace it. Reformed theology is a broader umbrella that encompasses a diversity of perspectives on various theological issues, including different views on covenants. Some Reformed theologians may align more closely with a dispensational understanding of covenants or other theological frameworks.

    
    

    In summary, covenant theology is a specific approach to understanding God's relationship with humanity, and it has connections to Reformed theology, but the two terms are not synonymous. Reformed theology encompasses a broader set of doctrinal emphases beyond the specific framework of covenant theology.

    ]]>43a5aa0a-3646-4ba1-9cad-d91064b91698Tue, 02 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -060037:15falsebonusThe Final Episode of 2023 (with a Sneak Peak of 2024)We're done for 2023! In this episode Bryan reviews the year's episodes and gives you a sneak peak of 2024. Also, if you want to support pursueGOD with a year-end gift, click the donate link below! Thanks for listening, and join us next year for more great content!

    --

    The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

    Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    ]]>We're done for 2023! In this episode Bryan reviews the year's episodes and gives you a sneak peak of 2024. Also, if you want to support pursueGOD with a year-end gift, click the donate link below! Thanks for listening, and join us next year for more great content!

    --

    The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

    Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    ]]>353c95c3-dd17-478d-8a46-18f40b0cff50Thu, 14 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -060010:59falsebonusReading Scripture for BreakthroughWe’re going to discuss 5 strategies to allow the Bible to transform us like Paul talks about in Romans 12:2. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. We’re going to discuss hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word for breakthrough.

    --

    The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

    Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

    Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

    Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

    Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

    Donate Now

    --

    We’re heading into our last breakthrough discipline today and it’s probably the discipline you expected us to lead off with - reading the Bible. Hopefully, in this series, you’ve discovered that it isn’t the discipline in and of itself that gives us the full and abundant life Jesus promises; it’s what the discipline does.  In John 15:5, Jesus said “I am the vine, you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.”  What all of these disciplines do is help us stay connected to the vine. Prayer and fasting, solitude, slowing, and silence, and spending time in God’s Word - all help us stay connected to Jesus.  

    We’re going to discuss 5 strategies to allow the Bible to transform us like Paul talks about in Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  

    Hearing

    Hearing the Word is reading through someone else. What can you learn about a passage from a godly pastor or mentor?

    • Right now you’re hearing from us, but a lot of what you’ll be hearing is the Word of God.  You’re hearing God’s Word through us.  That’s a very biblical concept.  Going to church, having a mentor, listening to a podcast or online sermon are all simple ways to let God’s Word get into your life.  The question you should be asking when you’re doing this first thing is what can you learn about a passage from a godly pastor or godly mentor in your life.
    
    

    Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

    • Faith comes from hearing.  Think about this in the context of the early church.  We don’t realize how blessed we are to have bibles as individuals or to have the bible on our phone.  To think that each of us can have access to a personal copy of the inspired Word of God would have been mind blowing to Christians in the early church.  In the early church, only the very wealthy had books.  Very few people had scripture in their personal possession.  It was mainly hearing in the synagogue, hearing when they would come together in house churches.  They would listen as someone else read from the scroll.  Someone would read from the Old Testament, someone would read one of Paul’s letters to the churches and the majority of the people received God’s Word by hearing. 
    • The same is true even for sharing the gospel.  The scarlet thread of the gospel winds itself through the bible from the very first book to the very last book.  But the gospel is a great example of something most of us heard before we read it
    
    
    

    Reading

    Reading the Word (devotionally) is reading for application. What does the passage mean for you today?

    
    

    2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

    • One of my favorite passages in the Bible.  I think men like things that are useful and helpful.  To know that the Bible is literally God-breathed makes it unlike any other book in history. It means that when we read the Bible, it’s like sitting at God’s feet and listening to his words, listening to him tell you how much he loves you, how he created the world, how he wants you to live, how he’s coming back again to make all things new! We have such a privilege to have access to the very words of the almighty God of the universe! It’s no wonder Christians in places like North Korea and China weep when they get their hands on a copy of the bible.  It’s no wonder people risk their lives to get bibles into countries that are closed. It’s no wonder Christians who are in those persecuted countries would rather lose their life than lose God’s written word - because it is God breathed.  And yet, in many of our homes, it sits on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.  
    •  When you read the Word devotionally you’re asking yourself, what does this passage mean for me today? How does it apply to the situation I am facing?  How does it impact the way I love my spouse or parent my children?  Does it address how I should spend my time today, or how I should spend my money today?  
    • There are different ways to read devotionally.  Maybe you’re reading a daily devotional book that incorporates thoughts from the author with scripture.  Maybe you’re reading a chapter a day in your bible, or you’re trying to read through the entire bible in a year.  Some people make it a goal to read through the bible chronologically.  There’s no absolute way to do it.  These are all good ways to read the bible devotionally. And when we read it, we’re asking, how does this impact me right here and right now. 
    • When I read devotionally, I like to ask myself four questions about the passage I am reading. 
    •  1. The first question I like to ask is does this passage tell me anything about God’s character?  Do I learn something about the nature of God as I’m reading this? 
    • 2. Second, I ask, “Do I learn something about my character as I read this passage?”  I’ll never forget the first time I really paid attention to Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is above all else deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?  I’ve never looked at my feelings or their trustworthiness the same way because that verse tells me something about my heart- that without Jesus, it is desperately wicked.  I can’t trust my feelings.  
    • 3. Is there a command I need to obey in this passage?  
    • 4. Is there a promise I can claim in this passage?  There are so many wonderful promises we can hold onto in the bible. And there are a lot of promises that people will tell you are made to us in the bible, that aren’t.  They only way you’ll know which is which is if you spend time reading the Word. 
    • 
      
    
    
    

    Studying

    Studying the Word is reading for interpretation. What did the passage mean in its original context? 

    
    

    Acts 17:11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

    • If reading devotionally is for application, studying the Word is for interpretation.  This may be new for some of you.  When you’re studying the Word, you’re not just looking at how it applies to you, but you’re asking what did it mean in its original context.  What was being said to the original audience?  How does this passage fit into the greater context of the bible or into the gospel story?  Is this a fulfillment of a prophecy from earlier in scripture.  You can study God’s word individually or you can do it in a small group or as a family.  
    • I would encourage you to invest in some good, solid bible commentaries for this kind of reading.  There are great, Godly professors and experts on this who have spent more time studying God’s word.  I won’t say they’re smarter than you, but they’re definitely smarter than me.  They’re often experts in the original languages that were used by the authors and they’re more familiar with the culture in which the original audience lived.  This is so helpful when we’re asking, “How would the original audience have received this?” 
    • New Bible Commentary
    • Expositor’s Bible Commentary
    • Enduring Word Commentary
    • Pillar New Testament Commentary
    • Olive Tree Bible App
    • There are also great, free tools online where you can read the passage side by side in the original Greek or Hebrew language and the English translation.  I mentioned John 15:5 earlier “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.  Apart from me you can do nothing.”  I remember looking at the Greek lexicon for that several years ago and seeing that the original word that’s translated “remain” can also mean “to tarry with.”  All of a sudden that verse had an even deeper meaning to me.  Did I want to tarry with Jesus?  Did I want time to slow down when I was hanging out with Jesus?  You remember when you were first dating your spouse]]>We’re going to discuss 5 strategies to allow the Bible to transform us like Paul talks about in Romans 12:2. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. We’re going to discuss hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word for breakthrough.

      --

      The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

      Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

      Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

      Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

      Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

      Donate Now

      --

      We’re heading into our last breakthrough discipline today and it’s probably the discipline you expected us to lead off with - reading the Bible. Hopefully, in this series, you’ve discovered that it isn’t the discipline in and of itself that gives us the full and abundant life Jesus promises; it’s what the discipline does.  In John 15:5, Jesus said “I am the vine, you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.”  What all of these disciplines do is help us stay connected to the vine. Prayer and fasting, solitude, slowing, and silence, and spending time in God’s Word - all help us stay connected to Jesus.  

      We’re going to discuss 5 strategies to allow the Bible to transform us like Paul talks about in Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  

      Hearing

      Hearing the Word is reading through someone else. What can you learn about a passage from a godly pastor or mentor?

      • Right now you’re hearing from us, but a lot of what you’ll be hearing is the Word of God.  You’re hearing God’s Word through us.  That’s a very biblical concept.  Going to church, having a mentor, listening to a podcast or online sermon are all simple ways to let God’s Word get into your life.  The question you should be asking when you’re doing this first thing is what can you learn about a passage from a godly pastor or godly mentor in your life.
      
      

      Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

      • Faith comes from hearing.  Think about this in the context of the early church.  We don’t realize how blessed we are to have bibles as individuals or to have the bible on our phone.  To think that each of us can have access to a personal copy of the inspired Word of God would have been mind blowing to Christians in the early church.  In the early church, only the very wealthy had books.  Very few people had scripture in their personal possession.  It was mainly hearing in the synagogue, hearing when they would come together in house churches.  They would listen as someone else read from the scroll.  Someone would read from the Old Testament, someone would read one of Paul’s letters to the churches and the majority of the people received God’s Word by hearing. 
      • The same is true even for sharing the gospel.  The scarlet thread of the gospel winds itself through the bible from the very first book to the very last book.  But the gospel is a great example of something most of us heard before we read it
      
      
      

      Reading

      Reading the Word (devotionally) is reading for application. What does the passage mean for you today?

      
      

      2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

      • One of my favorite passages in the Bible.  I think men like things that are useful and helpful.  To know that the Bible is literally God-breathed makes it unlike any other book in history. It means that when we read the Bible, it’s like sitting at God’s feet and listening to his words, listening to him tell you how much he loves you, how he created the world, how he wants you to live, how he’s coming back again to make all things new! We have such a privilege to have access to the very words of the almighty God of the universe! It’s no wonder Christians in places like North Korea and China weep when they get their hands on a copy of the bible.  It’s no wonder people risk their lives to get bibles into countries that are closed. It’s no wonder Christians who are in those persecuted countries would rather lose their life than lose God’s written word - because it is God breathed.  And yet, in many of our homes, it sits on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.  
      •  When you read the Word devotionally you’re asking yourself, what does this passage mean for me today? How does it apply to the situation I am facing?  How does it impact the way I love my spouse or parent my children?  Does it address how I should spend my time today, or how I should spend my money today?  
      • There are different ways to read devotionally.  Maybe you’re reading a daily devotional book that incorporates thoughts from the author with scripture.  Maybe you’re reading a chapter a day in your bible, or you’re trying to read through the entire bible in a year.  Some people make it a goal to read through the bible chronologically.  There’s no absolute way to do it.  These are all good ways to read the bible devotionally. And when we read it, we’re asking, how does this impact me right here and right now. 
      • When I read devotionally, I like to ask myself four questions about the passage I am reading. 
      •  1. The first question I like to ask is does this passage tell me anything about God’s character?  Do I learn something about the nature of God as I’m reading this? 
      • 2. Second, I ask, “Do I learn something about my character as I read this passage?”  I’ll never forget the first time I really paid attention to Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is above all else deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?  I’ve never looked at my feelings or their trustworthiness the same way because that verse tells me something about my heart- that without Jesus, it is desperately wicked.  I can’t trust my feelings.  
      • 3. Is there a command I need to obey in this passage?  
      • 4. Is there a promise I can claim in this passage?  There are so many wonderful promises we can hold onto in the bible. And there are a lot of promises that people will tell you are made to us in the bible, that aren’t.  They only way you’ll know which is which is if you spend time reading the Word. 
      • 
        
      
      
      

      Studying

      Studying the Word is reading for interpretation. What did the passage mean in its original context? 

      
      

      Acts 17:11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

      • If reading devotionally is for application, studying the Word is for interpretation.  This may be new for some of you.  When you’re studying the Word, you’re not just looking at how it applies to you, but you’re asking what did it mean in its original context.  What was being said to the original audience?  How does this passage fit into the greater context of the bible or into the gospel story?  Is this a fulfillment of a prophecy from earlier in scripture.  You can study God’s word individually or you can do it in a small group or as a family.  
      • I would encourage you to invest in some good, solid bible commentaries for this kind of reading.  There are great, Godly professors and experts on this who have spent more time studying God’s word.  I won’t say they’re smarter than you, but they’re definitely smarter than me.  They’re often experts in the original languages that were used by the authors and they’re more familiar with the culture in which the original audience lived.  This is so helpful when we’re asking, “How would the original audience have received this?” 
      • New Bible Commentary
      • Expositor’s Bible Commentary
      • Enduring Word Commentary
      • Pillar New Testament Commentary
      • Olive Tree Bible App
      • There are also great, free tools online where you can read the passage side by side in the original Greek or Hebrew language and the English translation.  I mentioned John 15:5 earlier “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.  Apart from me you can do nothing.”  I remember looking at the Greek lexicon for that several years ago and seeing that the original word that’s translated “remain” can also mean “to tarry with.”  All of a sudden that verse had an even deeper meaning to me.  Did I want to tarry with Jesus?  Did I want time to slow down when I was hanging out with Jesus?  You remember when you were first dating your spouse and it always seemed like it took an hour to say goodnight?  And I’m not talking about the goodnight kiss.  I just mean how you wanted just five more minutes in their presence before you left.  I started asking Jesus to give me that same kind of desire for my time with him, that time would slow down when I was having my quiet time with him.  That deeper understanding of the verse wouldn’t have happened without slowing down and studying that passage.
      
      
      

      Acts 17:11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

      • Think of how radical Paul’s message would have been to them.  He was saying some crazy stuff to them.  He was saying, “Hey! I’ve got great news! Jesus came to save us.  Jesus is the Messiah! We’re not saved by following the Old Testament Law.  We’re saved because Jesus perfectly followed the law and we’re saved when we place our faith in him.” They didn’t just take Paul’s word for it.  They dug into the scriptures.  Which in this case would have been the Old Testament.  Maybe they looked in Genesis, Isaiah, or other Old Testament prophets and they started putting 2 and 2 together.  They started to confirm the message Paul was preaching to them.  They believed it because they studied the scriptures.  
      • Some of you may want to push back and say, but why is it important that I dig in?  I’ve already put my faith in Jesus.  I believe He is who He says he is.  Well, Jesus answers this for us in John 8:32.. 
      
      
      

      John 8:32 And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free

      • The truth matters, and that means you need to study God’s Word.  I encourage you, be a student of God’s word.  It will provide blessing and freedom. 
      
      
      

      Memorizing 

      Memorizing the Word is reading for readiness. Will you be able to recall the passage in a moment of crisis? 

      
      
      • One of the things you’ll find as you read devotionally and study is that, from time to time, a verse or passage is going to jump right off of the page at you.  That’s a good thing.  And sometimes, when that happens, you should say, “I’m going to memorize this one.”  You’re going to see things in scripture that speak to an area where you need breakthrough.  You’re going to find things that bring you encouragement. You want to memorize those verses so that you can recall that passage in a moment of crisis.  You can use it when you need it.  
      • Men, when you’re on your phone at night and that image comes across the screen that you know you shouldn’t click on - 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee sexual immorality” Flee it! Don’t fight it.  Don’t see how close to the line you can get without going over, run away!.  Put the phone down, go in the other room, use your phone to look up a passage of scripture, whatever it takes.  But let that verse be your trigger to get out of the situation.  
      • If you’re in a season of life where you seem to be struggling with a lot of worry or anxiety.  Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything.  But in every situation with prayer and Thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  
      • If you’re going through a trial or a loss in your life, and you just don’t see why God would allow this to happen, Romans 8:28 “ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose” Being able to recall that verse, in the moment, has helped me many times through the years.  
      • When you’re stuck behind that guy in the fast lane who obviously doesn’t understand the concept of keep right except to pass - Luke 23:34 “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  
      
      
      

      Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  

      • When I hide his Word in my heart, I have it with me at all times. 
      • Full Disclosure - I have peaks and valleys when it comes to memorizing God’s Word.  I’ll have a season where I’m putting a new verse or two to memory every week, and then I get lax and forget half the ones I memorized and have to start over.  
      
      
      

      Matthew 3:3-4 During that time, the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”  But Jesus told him, “No! The scriptures say people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 

      • So immediately following his baptism, we read in scripture that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where he would fast for 40 days.  The devil tempts Jesus to break his fast. Look at what Jesus does when he’s tempted.  He uses scripture! If Jesus, God in the flesh, used scripture when faced with temptation, how much more should we have it available when we face the schemes of the enemy?  In fact, if you read though the full story in Matthew chapter 4, you’ll see the devil would tempt Jesus three different times and in each case, Jesus uses scripture to refute him.  I also want to point out that the third time Satan tempted Jesus he tried to use distorted scripture to tempt Jesus.  That’s why the disciplines of studying and reading devotionally that we looked at earlier are so important because the devil will even try to use twisted scripture to tempt and trick you.  Satan hates God’s Word.  He’ll try to distort it.
      
      
      

      Meditating

      Meditating on the Word is reading for transformation. Will you allow the Author of the passage to do his work within you?

      
      

      Psalm 1:1-3 Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  

      • I love the imagery of that. He doesn’t say “Oh the drudgery of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.  He says, “Oh the Joy!”  Do you want a life that is joyful? Then delight in the law of the Lord! As you delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it, you’re like a tree planted along the riverbank.  You will bear fruit.  You’ll be a refuge and provide shade for others. You’ll have strong roots that grow deep.
      • Our wives, children, and communities need men with strong roots. 
      
      
      

      Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is alive and powerful.  It is sharper than the sharpest two edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 

      • That’s why it’s hard to read sometimes, isn’t it?  We’ve got those thoughts and desires that we stuff down and we can kind of ignore them in the busyness of the day, but when we slow down and get in God’s Word, it exposes them.  There they are, staring us in the face. When you meditate on God’s Word, He begins to do his work in you.  It’s like a surgeon’s knife.  There are many places in scripture where God’s Word is likened to a sword.  That’s a good thing.  Let him operate on you.  Let him do the work that only He can do.
      
      

      The goal isn’t to get through the scriptures; the goal is to get the scriptures through us

      • When we let God’s Word work through us, it will change the way we think.  When we change the way we think, it doesn’t stop there.  It will naturally lead to breakthroughs in the way we act and speak as well.
      
      ]]>afdf87f5-0af3-420e-812f-4f1b5b0f161eThu, 30 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -060037:25falsefullPacing for BreakthroughToday we’re in week 4 of our breakthrough disciplines series where we’re looking to the ancient secret of spiritual disciplines to experience breakthrough in our everyday lives. We’ve covered some of the expected spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting. Today’s  topic may be the one that seems most counterintuitive. Let’s talk about “pacing”.

      --

      The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

      Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

      Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

      Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

      Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

      Donate Now

      --

      Welcome back to the podcast.  We’re in week 4 of our breakthrough disciplines series where we’re looking to the ancient secret of spiritual disciplines to experience breakthrough in our everyday lives.  We’ve covered some of the expected spiritual disciplines - prayer and fasting. 

      For men, I think today’s topic may be the one that seems most counterintuitive. I think this is the one that’s going to cause more of us to say, “That’s just not possible.  You don’t know what my life is like and my situation.”  We’re talking about the spiritual discipline of pacing ourselves for breakthrough.  I can already feel the tension, and as a husband, father of 4, a shepherd of a church with over 400 attendance each Sunday, content creator, outdoorsman, neighbor, friend - and on and on -  I feel the tension as much as anyone.  I want to say up front this is the discipline I am probably the worst at of the ones we’re going to cover in this series, so I’m not speaking to you as someone who has it all figured out.  I will say, though, when my life has better pacing and a more sustainable rhythm, I am better in all the areas I mentioned above.  

      • Essence of Survival Poster - When the sun comes up, you’d better be running. God doesn’t just want us to survive.  He wants us to thrive.  Jesus said he came that we might have a full and abundant life. 
      
      

      Matthew 6:31- 32 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

      
      
      • This translation says “strive” after.  Some translations say “run after” or “seek after”.  Either way it wears you out.  
      
      
      

      Slowing

      A hurried life keeps us from being present enough to love God and people. “Slowing” is intentionally putting ourselves into situations that teach us to wait.

      • Who would intentionally put themselves in a situation that teaches us to wait?  Most of us are calculating which drive through lane in McDonalds is going to get us our food 2 minutes faster, and when we make the wrong choice, it’s like our dog died.  
      • Have you ever noticed when people are driving the speed limit, it seems like they’re taking forever?  They’re driving as fast as they’re supposed to drive.  We’re so used to hurrying that when we have to go the speed limit, it’s torture.
      
      
      

      Matthew 17:4-5 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

      • Context of passage - Jesus has just been transfigured.  Peter, James, and John are on the mountain with him.  Peter seems to think the most pressing need is to get busy doing something. 
      
      
      

      Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 

      • God can speak to us in any environment, but we’re much less likely to hear when we’re hurried. 
      • Practical ways to implement this in your life: not driving in the fast lane, taking the long way to work, not getting in the shortest line at the store, not buying things on credit 
      • Learning how to say “no” and learning to prioritize are critical if we’re going to learn how to slow down.  Do you have buffers in your schedule?  If something takes 10 or 20 minutes longer than you were expecting does it throw your whole day off?  
      
      
      
      

      Solitude

      A crowded life gives the world permission to shape us into its mold. “Solitude” is withdrawing from the constant barrage of stimulation (highs and lows) to let God transform us.

      Mark 6:30-31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

      • The disciples had just returned from their first missionary journey without Jesus.  He had sent them out to heal and teach the gospel.  They’ve come back and they’re debriefing with Jesus on how everything went.  There were so many people seeking an audience with Jesus that they didn’t even have time to eat.  Jesus knows their need for rest and to get away from the noise of the crowds.  
      
      

      Mark 6:45-46 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

      • Spoiler alert - when they get to the place where they were hoping to be alone, the crowds had already beaten them there. Jesus teaches them and the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 takes place.  Jesus sends the disciples across the lake and then seeks solitude.
      • If Jesus saw the need for solitude, how much more do we need it?  
      • I mentioned this in our last podcast on fasting, but when I’m faced with a big decision and I’m really trying to hear from God, I will often go out for a night or two in the mountains and camp solo.  I usually do it around New Year’s Eve each year as I ask God for a verse for the upcoming year. 
      
      
      

      Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

      • Combining solitude with prayer and time in the word helps us to discern God’s will.  
      • You don’t have to go to the wilderness for solitude.  You can do it right in your home.  Any place that is going to get you away from distractions, away from the voices of others for a period of time
      
      
      

      Silence

      A selfish life tempts us to use our words to control things. “Silence” is choosing not to speak so you can hear from God and learn to submit.

      Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 [b]Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

      • This is a lot easier for some of us than others. Some of us are verbal processors.  Some of us, especially if we’re dealing with insecurities, feel the need to be a part of every conversation.  
      • Story about my best friend’s dad challenging me on that as a young teenager.  
      • I think we do want to be careful not to use this as a crutch to not engage.  We’re not talking about apathy here.  We’re talking about choosing our words wisely.  
      • A time to be quiet and a time to speak in Ecclesiastes 3 so we’re not talking about taking a vow of silence like you might envision in a monastery.  
      
      

      Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:“Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.

      • That seems so opposite of what culture would say.  How many in our culture equate strength with quietness?  I think of our political debates, and I’m not picking a side here, but how better off would we be if we just voted on the track record of the candidates instead of all the garbage that they spew out of their mouths that 90% of them have no intention of following through on.
      • James 3 has so much to say about controlling the tongue and the damage that our words can cause.  We’re supposed to be slow to speak and slow to anger.   
      
      
      

      Sabbath

      Although our Sabbath may look different than what was practiced in the Old Testament, the principle of Sabbath was intended to bless us.  Having a rhythm of time set aside for God and for rest carries many benefits.

      Genesis 2:2-3 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested[a] from all his...]]>Today we’re in week 4 of our breakthrough disciplines series where we’re looking to the ancient secret of spiritual disciplines to experience breakthrough in our everyday lives. We’ve covered some of the expected spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting. Today’s  topic may be the one that seems most counterintuitive. Let’s talk about “pacing”.

      --

      The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

      Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

      Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

      Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

      Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

      Donate Now

      --

      Welcome back to the podcast.  We’re in week 4 of our breakthrough disciplines series where we’re looking to the ancient secret of spiritual disciplines to experience breakthrough in our everyday lives.  We’ve covered some of the expected spiritual disciplines - prayer and fasting. 

      For men, I think today’s topic may be the one that seems most counterintuitive. I think this is the one that’s going to cause more of us to say, “That’s just not possible.  You don’t know what my life is like and my situation.”  We’re talking about the spiritual discipline of pacing ourselves for breakthrough.  I can already feel the tension, and as a husband, father of 4, a shepherd of a church with over 400 attendance each Sunday, content creator, outdoorsman, neighbor, friend - and on and on -  I feel the tension as much as anyone.  I want to say up front this is the discipline I am probably the worst at of the ones we’re going to cover in this series, so I’m not speaking to you as someone who has it all figured out.  I will say, though, when my life has better pacing and a more sustainable rhythm, I am better in all the areas I mentioned above.  

      • Essence of Survival Poster - When the sun comes up, you’d better be running. God doesn’t just want us to survive.  He wants us to thrive.  Jesus said he came that we might have a full and abundant life. 
      
      

      Matthew 6:31- 32 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

      
      
      • This translation says “strive” after.  Some translations say “run after” or “seek after”.  Either way it wears you out.  
      
      
      

      Slowing

      A hurried life keeps us from being present enough to love God and people. “Slowing” is intentionally putting ourselves into situations that teach us to wait.

      • Who would intentionally put themselves in a situation that teaches us to wait?  Most of us are calculating which drive through lane in McDonalds is going to get us our food 2 minutes faster, and when we make the wrong choice, it’s like our dog died.  
      • Have you ever noticed when people are driving the speed limit, it seems like they’re taking forever?  They’re driving as fast as they’re supposed to drive.  We’re so used to hurrying that when we have to go the speed limit, it’s torture.
      
      
      

      Matthew 17:4-5 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

      • Context of passage - Jesus has just been transfigured.  Peter, James, and John are on the mountain with him.  Peter seems to think the most pressing need is to get busy doing something. 
      
      
      

      Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 

      • God can speak to us in any environment, but we’re much less likely to hear when we’re hurried. 
      • Practical ways to implement this in your life: not driving in the fast lane, taking the long way to work, not getting in the shortest line at the store, not buying things on credit 
      • Learning how to say “no” and learning to prioritize are critical if we’re going to learn how to slow down.  Do you have buffers in your schedule?  If something takes 10 or 20 minutes longer than you were expecting does it throw your whole day off?  
      
      
      
      

      Solitude

      A crowded life gives the world permission to shape us into its mold. “Solitude” is withdrawing from the constant barrage of stimulation (highs and lows) to let God transform us.

      Mark 6:30-31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

      • The disciples had just returned from their first missionary journey without Jesus.  He had sent them out to heal and teach the gospel.  They’ve come back and they’re debriefing with Jesus on how everything went.  There were so many people seeking an audience with Jesus that they didn’t even have time to eat.  Jesus knows their need for rest and to get away from the noise of the crowds.  
      
      

      Mark 6:45-46 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

      • Spoiler alert - when they get to the place where they were hoping to be alone, the crowds had already beaten them there. Jesus teaches them and the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 takes place.  Jesus sends the disciples across the lake and then seeks solitude.
      • If Jesus saw the need for solitude, how much more do we need it?  
      • I mentioned this in our last podcast on fasting, but when I’m faced with a big decision and I’m really trying to hear from God, I will often go out for a night or two in the mountains and camp solo.  I usually do it around New Year’s Eve each year as I ask God for a verse for the upcoming year. 
      
      
      

      Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

      • Combining solitude with prayer and time in the word helps us to discern God’s will.  
      • You don’t have to go to the wilderness for solitude.  You can do it right in your home.  Any place that is going to get you away from distractions, away from the voices of others for a period of time
      
      
      

      Silence

      A selfish life tempts us to use our words to control things. “Silence” is choosing not to speak so you can hear from God and learn to submit.

      Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 [b]Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

      • This is a lot easier for some of us than others. Some of us are verbal processors.  Some of us, especially if we’re dealing with insecurities, feel the need to be a part of every conversation.  
      • Story about my best friend’s dad challenging me on that as a young teenager.  
      • I think we do want to be careful not to use this as a crutch to not engage.  We’re not talking about apathy here.  We’re talking about choosing our words wisely.  
      • A time to be quiet and a time to speak in Ecclesiastes 3 so we’re not talking about taking a vow of silence like you might envision in a monastery.  
      
      

      Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:“Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.

      • That seems so opposite of what culture would say.  How many in our culture equate strength with quietness?  I think of our political debates, and I’m not picking a side here, but how better off would we be if we just voted on the track record of the candidates instead of all the garbage that they spew out of their mouths that 90% of them have no intention of following through on.
      • James 3 has so much to say about controlling the tongue and the damage that our words can cause.  We’re supposed to be slow to speak and slow to anger.   
      
      
      

      Sabbath

      Although our Sabbath may look different than what was practiced in the Old Testament, the principle of Sabbath was intended to bless us.  Having a rhythm of time set aside for God and for rest carries many benefits.

      Genesis 2:2-3 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested[a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

      • God wasn’t tired.  God doesn’t get tired.  He set a pattern for us.  We see this throughout the Bible that the Sabbath was to be a blessing for us. 
      
      
      

      Mark 2:27-28 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

      • The religious leaders had turned the Sabbath into a burden.  The Sabbath was meant to be for our good.  Having a day where we set aside a larger amount of time to focus on God, be with his people, get away from the normal grind of our work week is meant to bless us.  God’s boundaries are for our good and this is no exception.  
      
      
      

      Romans 14:5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.

      • As New Testament believers, our Sabbath isn’t necessarily from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday like it would have been in the Old Testament.  For many, Sunday is a great day to be their Sabbath day. They likely attend church services.  Many businesses are closed.  
      • Sunday is definitely not a Sabbath for me.  This is an area where I need to get better.  I tend to not take one entire day off.  I usually have one or two days where I have longer periods of rest, but it’s rare to not work the whole day.  That’s something I’m working on. 
      
      ]]>34746d00-11ae-4028-8d17-58a03dc6dcf5Thu, 16 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -060040:52falsefullFasting for BreakthroughToday we talk about the spiritual discipline of fasting. Very few Christians do this anymore, and they’re missing out! In this episode, John and Bryan share some of their own experiences with fasting – both blessings and challenges.

      --

      The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

      Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

      Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

      Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

      Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

      Donate Now

      --

      Today we talk about fasting for breakthrough. Now, before you say, “Woah, that’s not for me!” I want you to know that Jesus has an expectation that his followers will incorporate fasting into their spiritual journey.  Fasting isn’t just for “Super Christians” or pastors and church leaders.  It isn’t something that only legalistic people do.  It’s something that every believer should incorporate into their disciplines and it’s something that will bless you.

      Matthew 9:14-15  One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast[e] like we do and the Pharisees do?”15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

      • The disciples of John the Baptist feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick.  They’re fasting, but Jesus’ disciples are not.  The Pharisees fast, so why are Jesus’ disciples fasting on a regular basis?  Jesus tells them now isn’t the time to fast, because he is with them.  But, someday the groom will be taken away and then they will fast. Jesus is the groom and Jesus is saying, there will be a time for fasting when I am gone.  He says, “Then they will fast.”  He doesn’t say then they might fast.  He has an expectation that they will fast.  
      
      

      Matthew 6:16-18 And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair[d] and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

      • Jesus is giving instructions about fasting to the crowds as he’s teaching them.  He leads off with “when” you fast.  He says “when” not “if”.  There is an assumption that we will fast.  And then he goes on to give instructions about how to fast.  Basically, we shouldn’t try to make it obvious that we’re fasting.  We don’t fast to garner attention or respect from others.  The only one we should want to know we’re fasting is God.  Now, there will be times when you’re fasting that others are going to know, particularly if you’re doing it as a small group or as a church, but we don’t try to make it obvious.  
      • Lastly, I would just say that if you’re a little hesitant or you’ve never really incorporated fasting into your spiritual journey, I know exactly how you feel.  A couple of years ago when we preached through this series, I was convicted that fasting had never really played a regular role in my relationship with God.  I had fasted on some occasions, but there was no rhythm to it.  There was no consistency.  I committed to God to fast on a scheduled basis and it has been such a blessing to me.  I feel like it has led into richer prayer times with God.  It has been a great reminder of my dependence on God, and it has helped me to develop self control, which is a fruit of the Spirit.  
      
      

      The Why

      Fasting can unlock breakthroughs in the spiritual realm that will never happen in any other way. When you fast, you reaffirm your dependence on God’s power, not your own. 

      Mark 9:17-18 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.[d] So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

      • There could have been multiple reasons that the disciples couldn’t deliver the boy.  We  know from the greater text that the religious leaders were there. When Jesus came upon the scene that was a great argument going on between the disciples and the religious leaders.  Maybe the added pressure of the religious leaders being there caused them to doubt their ability to do so.  Maybe, in their pride, they thought, ‘This is our chance to show the religious leaders that we have the right Rabbi and that we’ve been given power’.  It’s possible that they made it more about themselves than about helping the young boy who was demon possessed.  
      • Later on, the disciples ask Jesus why they were unable and he responds that this kind of evil spirit can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.  - It’s not like fasting is some magical charm that forces demons to flee or causes God to be obligated to answer the way we want to answer. Think about what prayer and fasting do.  They force us to recognize our dependence on God.  They also cause us to turn our attention from the things of this world to spiritual things.  
      • I know for me, personally, that shifting my attention away from the things of the world causes me to sense God’s leading more clearly.  When I was asked to consider filling the role that I currently hold at our church, I got away for about a day and a half for a time of fasting and prayer.  I was very intentional about putting myself in situations that would be free from the distractions of the world.  It wasn’t a really long fast by any means, but just being intentional about being away from the noise and taking the times when I would feel hungry and acknowledge to God that he is my provider, he gives me every good thing, and that as much as I wanted food, what I wanted more was wisdom and understanding about whether or not he was calling me into that role was a powerful time for me.  
      
      
      

      Acts 13:2-3 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. 

      • It was while they were worshiping and fasting that they heard from the Holy Spirit.  I’m not saying the Holy Spirit only speaks when we’re fasting.  That’s obviously not true, but there is something about fasting that seems to invite the Holy Spirit to speak and give guidance.   
      
      
      

      The How

      Fasting is voluntarily depriving yourself of food or drink (or some other good thing) in order to focus on God. You can fast alone or in a group, in crisis or in preparation.

      Matthew 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

      • Fasting is typically going without food or without food and drink for a particular amount of time.  That isn’t the only type of fasting, but it is the most common and the one the Bible typically is talking about when it references fasting.  
      • My fasts are typically liquid only fasts.  I’ve never really tried an extended time of going without food and drink.  One of my hardest types of fasts is when I go without soda for lent.  I’m not fasting in the normal sense of the word, but I’m giving up something I really like, and I can assure you, I think about it multiple times.  I do it for lent because this tiny sacrifice helps me to really think about the mind-blowing sacrifice that was made for me.  Maybe for some of you it’s a coffee fast. 
      • You might try a social media fast, a fast from eating out at your favorite restaurant, a fast from a particular TV show or some other form of entertainment.  If your knee jerk reaction is “no way” to something that might be the very thing you should consider fasting from.  
      • Do you know that the only time a husband and wife are supposed to deprive one another is if they’ve both agreed by mutual consent to abstain from physical intimacy to use that time for prayer?  Then they’re to come back together again so that they won’t be tempted.  That’s what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7.  I know we probably just lost half of our listeners.   I’m not saying you’re required to do that as a fast, but it kind of makes you think.  If I pursued prayer with my wife with the same intentionality as I pursued intimacy with my wife, I bet it would have an impact on my marriage.  
      • Whatever your fast is, I’d encourage you to start small and build up. I wouldn’t recommend trying to go 40 days without food like...]]>Today we talk about the spiritual discipline of fasting. Very few Christians do this anymore, and they’re missing out! In this episode, John and Bryan share some of their own experiences with fasting – both blessings and challenges.

        --

        The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

        Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

        Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

        Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

        Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

        Donate Now

        --

        Today we talk about fasting for breakthrough. Now, before you say, “Woah, that’s not for me!” I want you to know that Jesus has an expectation that his followers will incorporate fasting into their spiritual journey.  Fasting isn’t just for “Super Christians” or pastors and church leaders.  It isn’t something that only legalistic people do.  It’s something that every believer should incorporate into their disciplines and it’s something that will bless you.

        Matthew 9:14-15  One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast[e] like we do and the Pharisees do?”15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

        • The disciples of John the Baptist feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick.  They’re fasting, but Jesus’ disciples are not.  The Pharisees fast, so why are Jesus’ disciples fasting on a regular basis?  Jesus tells them now isn’t the time to fast, because he is with them.  But, someday the groom will be taken away and then they will fast. Jesus is the groom and Jesus is saying, there will be a time for fasting when I am gone.  He says, “Then they will fast.”  He doesn’t say then they might fast.  He has an expectation that they will fast.  
        
        

        Matthew 6:16-18 And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair[d] and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

        • Jesus is giving instructions about fasting to the crowds as he’s teaching them.  He leads off with “when” you fast.  He says “when” not “if”.  There is an assumption that we will fast.  And then he goes on to give instructions about how to fast.  Basically, we shouldn’t try to make it obvious that we’re fasting.  We don’t fast to garner attention or respect from others.  The only one we should want to know we’re fasting is God.  Now, there will be times when you’re fasting that others are going to know, particularly if you’re doing it as a small group or as a church, but we don’t try to make it obvious.  
        • Lastly, I would just say that if you’re a little hesitant or you’ve never really incorporated fasting into your spiritual journey, I know exactly how you feel.  A couple of years ago when we preached through this series, I was convicted that fasting had never really played a regular role in my relationship with God.  I had fasted on some occasions, but there was no rhythm to it.  There was no consistency.  I committed to God to fast on a scheduled basis and it has been such a blessing to me.  I feel like it has led into richer prayer times with God.  It has been a great reminder of my dependence on God, and it has helped me to develop self control, which is a fruit of the Spirit.  
        
        

        The Why

        Fasting can unlock breakthroughs in the spiritual realm that will never happen in any other way. When you fast, you reaffirm your dependence on God’s power, not your own. 

        Mark 9:17-18 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.[d] So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

        • There could have been multiple reasons that the disciples couldn’t deliver the boy.  We  know from the greater text that the religious leaders were there. When Jesus came upon the scene that was a great argument going on between the disciples and the religious leaders.  Maybe the added pressure of the religious leaders being there caused them to doubt their ability to do so.  Maybe, in their pride, they thought, ‘This is our chance to show the religious leaders that we have the right Rabbi and that we’ve been given power’.  It’s possible that they made it more about themselves than about helping the young boy who was demon possessed.  
        • Later on, the disciples ask Jesus why they were unable and he responds that this kind of evil spirit can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.  - It’s not like fasting is some magical charm that forces demons to flee or causes God to be obligated to answer the way we want to answer. Think about what prayer and fasting do.  They force us to recognize our dependence on God.  They also cause us to turn our attention from the things of this world to spiritual things.  
        • I know for me, personally, that shifting my attention away from the things of the world causes me to sense God’s leading more clearly.  When I was asked to consider filling the role that I currently hold at our church, I got away for about a day and a half for a time of fasting and prayer.  I was very intentional about putting myself in situations that would be free from the distractions of the world.  It wasn’t a really long fast by any means, but just being intentional about being away from the noise and taking the times when I would feel hungry and acknowledge to God that he is my provider, he gives me every good thing, and that as much as I wanted food, what I wanted more was wisdom and understanding about whether or not he was calling me into that role was a powerful time for me.  
        
        
        

        Acts 13:2-3 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. 

        • It was while they were worshiping and fasting that they heard from the Holy Spirit.  I’m not saying the Holy Spirit only speaks when we’re fasting.  That’s obviously not true, but there is something about fasting that seems to invite the Holy Spirit to speak and give guidance.   
        
        
        

        The How

        Fasting is voluntarily depriving yourself of food or drink (or some other good thing) in order to focus on God. You can fast alone or in a group, in crisis or in preparation.

        Matthew 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

        • Fasting is typically going without food or without food and drink for a particular amount of time.  That isn’t the only type of fasting, but it is the most common and the one the Bible typically is talking about when it references fasting.  
        • My fasts are typically liquid only fasts.  I’ve never really tried an extended time of going without food and drink.  One of my hardest types of fasts is when I go without soda for lent.  I’m not fasting in the normal sense of the word, but I’m giving up something I really like, and I can assure you, I think about it multiple times.  I do it for lent because this tiny sacrifice helps me to really think about the mind-blowing sacrifice that was made for me.  Maybe for some of you it’s a coffee fast. 
        • You might try a social media fast, a fast from eating out at your favorite restaurant, a fast from a particular TV show or some other form of entertainment.  If your knee jerk reaction is “no way” to something that might be the very thing you should consider fasting from.  
        • Do you know that the only time a husband and wife are supposed to deprive one another is if they’ve both agreed by mutual consent to abstain from physical intimacy to use that time for prayer?  Then they’re to come back together again so that they won’t be tempted.  That’s what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7.  I know we probably just lost half of our listeners.   I’m not saying you’re required to do that as a fast, but it kind of makes you think.  If I pursued prayer with my wife with the same intentionality as I pursued intimacy with my wife, I bet it would have an impact on my marriage.  
        • Whatever your fast is, I’d encourage you to start small and build up. I wouldn’t recommend trying to go 40 days without food like Jesus and Moses did right out of the gate.  I would make it so that you feel it though.  And the trap I can sometimes fall into is taking that time I would normally be eating and filling it in with something else that isn’t prayer and seeking God.   
        
        
        

        The What  

        Fasting is a faith-building exercise. It’s about releasing control to God, not obligating him to give us breakthrough on our terms.

        Text

        • Fasting doesn’t obligate God to answer our prayers in the way we want him to.  
        • Story about fasting and prayer time of LPs and then offer on Syracuse land coming in right as we were praying.  Ultimately, that offer fell through.  Doesn’t make God any less faithful because he is choosing to answer that prayer in a different way.  
        • At the heart of fasting is developing trust in God - in his provision, in his goodness, in his ability to sustain me.  The Bible teaches that every good and perfect gift comes from God.  
        
        
        

        Close

        A rhythm of fasting creates on-going opportunities for us to be reminded of our dependence upon God. As we incorporate them, you’ll find yourself looking forward to that time of concentrated focus on God and his goodness.  

        Text

        • I don’t know that I would want to set a fasting schedule for our listeners, because I think it can be different for different people based on the season of life you’re in, based on your health needs if we’re talking a food and drink fast, but I would encourage you to get into some sort of rhythm with it.  I wouldn’t recommend just doing it when you’re in a chaotic situation or randomly.  One of the things I’ve noticed now that I’ve had scheduled fasting for a couple of years is that I start to look forward to it a day or two before it starts.  I know I’m going to have that extra time with God.  I start thinking about the prayer requests I’m going to lift to him.  I start thinking about the ways he’s answered prayer since my last fast.  I think about all the ways he’s provided for me since my last fast.  And I confess, I think a little bit about what I’m going to eat to break the fast.  
        • So I encourage you to start doing something on a regular basis.  Maybe it’s just giving up a certain type of food to start, maybe it’s just skipping one meal and using that time for prayer. Whatever it is, commit to it, and see how God uses it in your life. 
        
        ]]>7d562bd0-7eff-4dd8-a442-1e254f26ba77Thu, 02 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -060043:30falsefullBreakthrough Disciplines - PrayerWelcome back to week two of our Breakthrough Disciplines series. Today, we’re going to start with probably the most fundamental spiritual discipline. A discipline that’s so easy a three year old can do it, but is so rich and powerful that we’re still growing in it even when we’ve been a follower of Jesus for 50 or more years - the spiritual discipline of prayer. We’re going to talk about how to pray for breakthrough.

        I can imagine that some of our listeners can be a little uncomfortable when it comes to prayer. If that’s you, I want to read a verse that may encourage you.

        Luke 11:1 - One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray”

        
        

        Jesus’ own disciples, the men who followed him around, who were able to see his miracles first hand, who were able to hear his teaching, said, “Teach us to pray”. It’s so encouraging to me that they were humble and honest. They said, “Jesus, we don't know how to pray. Teach us.” Maybe that’s you today. Perhaps you’re thinking, I want to have breakthrough in my life from anxiety, anger, bitterness, depression, but if prayer is the answer, I’m not sure I even know how to pray. Well, you’re in good company because even Jesus’s disciples weren’t sure how to pray - so this is relevant for you, and I think you’ll be encouraged.

        Schedule It

        Find a time and place that works for you. Start with 5 minutes a day and work towards longer times with God.

        
        

        We’re talking about the discipline of prayer. This is prayer that is intentional and consistent. This isn’t just about lifting a prayer of desperation when you’re in a difficult situation. God certainly listens to those prayers, but remember, we’re talking about the spiritual discipline of prayer.

        
        

        Mark 1:35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

        
        

        Luke 6:12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.

        Several verses in the Bible that say, “as was his custom” when talking about Jesus and prayer. This was a habit. This was consistent. Even Jesus had a time and place. If he needed that, how much more do we need it?

        When you hear start with 5 minutes some of you are probably thinking I already pray more than five minutes a day - that’s great. Some of you probably thought, “Five minutes, how am I going to concentrate in prayer for five minutes.”

        Find a place that works for you. For my wife, it’s at the kitchen table. For me, it’s in my bedroom or in the upstairs office at the church. Using the same place frequently helps your mind to settle in to the fact that this is where I pray. Find a place that is free from distraction or at least where distractions are limited.

        Find a time - put it on your calendar. I think there is something powerful in starting the day off in prayer. Asking God for strength to get you through the day. Asking him to set divine appointments for you throughout the day where you get to help people pursue him. But again, if you’re not a morning person, maybe you just quickly pray to give the day over to God and then spend more time in prayer in the afternoon or evening, or whenever you’re at your best. Start small, especially if you’re new at this. Give God this small sacrifice. Schedule it and you’ll find over time you can start spending 10 minutes, 20 minutes, even an hour or longer in prayer.

        
        

        PRAY

        Use music and scripture to get focused on God. Start by praising or thanking God before you ask him for things. Using the PRAY acronym can help prevent your prayers from just becoming a wish list to God.

        
        

        Psalm 145:1-3I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.2 I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.

        It’s so easy to make our prayer time just about us. God, here is what I need or want. Here is what is giving me anxiety. Remember, prayer is conversation with God. If the only time you talked with your spouse, children, or friends is when you were asking them to do something for you, what kind of relationship would that be?

        PRAY acronym - Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield - Start with praise and thanksgiving. Praise can be as simple as declaring things that are true about God - God you’re almighty. God you’re omnipresent. God you’re gracious. God you’re holy. Repent - confess your sins to God. Ask him to search your heart and reveal sins you may have forgotten. Ask - present your requests to God. Yield - listen, ask God to reveal his desires for your life to you. Ask him to help you discern his will for your life.

        
        

        Matthew 6:9-13 Pray like this:Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.10 May your Kingdom come soon.May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.11 Give us today the food we need,[a]12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

        13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[b] but rescue us from the evil one.

        When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, this is how he answered them. I don’t think he’s talking about repeating these exact words every time we pray, although there is nothing wrong with reciting the Lord’s prayer. This is a framework for prayer.

        
        

        Pray with Boldness

        If your mind wanders when you pray, don’t panic. Let those thoughts help you focus on the things that need prayer. Pray with boldness and intent. God is not offended when we’re honest about what’s on our heart.

        Text

        You might think that after being a Christian for almost 40 years and being in ministry full time that I would be really good at prayer. But I actually feel that sometimes I’m really bad at prayer. My prayer time is the only time when I think I might have ADHD. Maybe you can relate. I’ll be praying, “God, please help me to be more kind to my family. Help me to be more patient. Thank you for your provision in my life. I’ve got to stop and get gas on my way into town.” Wait, what? Where did that come from? Then I refocus, and it happens again 2 minutes later. I have to think Peter was probably like that early on. Jesus is teaching him to pray. He was probably, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, squirrel.”

        If you can relate, this might be the most practical tip you get today. If your mind wanders, that doesn’t mean you’re not spiritual. Maybe it means that should be the thing you need to be praying about. Instead of saying, “I’m a terrible person because I keep thinking about how angry I am at so and so” Stop, and capture that thought. Pray for that person. Pray for God to give you a heart of forgiveness. Or if your mind keeps wandering to all of the things on your to do list, ask God to help you keep first things first and to have an eternal perspective. Ask him to grant you peace and wisdom as you try to prioritize the things you need to get done. Don’t just put those thoughts away, but pray for that right now. When you find your mind wandering, let that be a trigger.

        If my mind keeps returning to a particular topic during prayer, it is probably an indication that this is the topic that is of most concern to me, and I need to talk to God about it.” The Life You’ve Always Wanted - John Ortberg

        
        

        Hebrews 4:14-16 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

        The author of Hebrews is referencing back to the Old Testament image of the priest who would walk with incredible fear and trembling into the Holy of Holies in the temple. God’s temple was set up with several different courts and areas. Some people could go into the outer courts. Even fewer people could go into the inner courts. But the holy of holies, the place where God’s spirit was said to dwell, could only be entered by one person, the high priest, and he could only enter it one day out of the year - the day of atonement. He went in there to represent the people before God. He walked in with fear and trembling because any misstep in the presence of God, and he was afraid it would be the end.

        
        

        
        

        That’s the imagery the author of Hebrews is using here. But look at what he says in the passage. He says we have a great high priest - Jesus. And Jesus didn’t enter the holy of holies, He entered heaven. He is the Son of God. So because we have this great high priest who has gone before God on our behalf, who has been our mediator, we don’t have to be afraid. We can come boldly to the throne of our Glorious God! We don’t have to walk in with fear and trembling like the High Priest did. You can go boldly into the throne room of God because of Jesus! And you can tell God what’s on your heart. You can tell him what you need, you can tell him your desires. Don’t be afraid to tell God what you want. He already knows, so be honest with him. Some of you have not because you ask not. Ask, and pray with boldness.

        Now, I want to be careful here. I’m not talking about a name it and claim it type of prayer life where we get to determine what we need or where we have control over God granting us all of the desires of our heart. I’m not saying to boldly tell God you want a new Mercedes and that as long as you’re bold enough, you’ll get it. Or even on a deeper level, I’m not saying...]]>Welcome back to week two of our Breakthrough Disciplines series. Today, we’re going to start with probably the most fundamental spiritual discipline. A discipline that’s so easy a three year old can do it, but is so rich and powerful that we’re still growing in it even when we’ve been a follower of Jesus for 50 or more years - the spiritual discipline of prayer. We’re going to talk about how to pray for breakthrough.

        I can imagine that some of our listeners can be a little uncomfortable when it comes to prayer. If that’s you, I want to read a verse that may encourage you.

        Luke 11:1 - One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray”

        
        

        Jesus’ own disciples, the men who followed him around, who were able to see his miracles first hand, who were able to hear his teaching, said, “Teach us to pray”. It’s so encouraging to me that they were humble and honest. They said, “Jesus, we don't know how to pray. Teach us.” Maybe that’s you today. Perhaps you’re thinking, I want to have breakthrough in my life from anxiety, anger, bitterness, depression, but if prayer is the answer, I’m not sure I even know how to pray. Well, you’re in good company because even Jesus’s disciples weren’t sure how to pray - so this is relevant for you, and I think you’ll be encouraged.

        Schedule It

        Find a time and place that works for you. Start with 5 minutes a day and work towards longer times with God.

        
        

        We’re talking about the discipline of prayer. This is prayer that is intentional and consistent. This isn’t just about lifting a prayer of desperation when you’re in a difficult situation. God certainly listens to those prayers, but remember, we’re talking about the spiritual discipline of prayer.

        
        

        Mark 1:35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

        
        

        Luke 6:12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.

        Several verses in the Bible that say, “as was his custom” when talking about Jesus and prayer. This was a habit. This was consistent. Even Jesus had a time and place. If he needed that, how much more do we need it?

        When you hear start with 5 minutes some of you are probably thinking I already pray more than five minutes a day - that’s great. Some of you probably thought, “Five minutes, how am I going to concentrate in prayer for five minutes.”

        Find a place that works for you. For my wife, it’s at the kitchen table. For me, it’s in my bedroom or in the upstairs office at the church. Using the same place frequently helps your mind to settle in to the fact that this is where I pray. Find a place that is free from distraction or at least where distractions are limited.

        Find a time - put it on your calendar. I think there is something powerful in starting the day off in prayer. Asking God for strength to get you through the day. Asking him to set divine appointments for you throughout the day where you get to help people pursue him. But again, if you’re not a morning person, maybe you just quickly pray to give the day over to God and then spend more time in prayer in the afternoon or evening, or whenever you’re at your best. Start small, especially if you’re new at this. Give God this small sacrifice. Schedule it and you’ll find over time you can start spending 10 minutes, 20 minutes, even an hour or longer in prayer.

        
        

        PRAY

        Use music and scripture to get focused on God. Start by praising or thanking God before you ask him for things. Using the PRAY acronym can help prevent your prayers from just becoming a wish list to God.

        
        

        Psalm 145:1-3I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.2 I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.

        It’s so easy to make our prayer time just about us. God, here is what I need or want. Here is what is giving me anxiety. Remember, prayer is conversation with God. If the only time you talked with your spouse, children, or friends is when you were asking them to do something for you, what kind of relationship would that be?

        PRAY acronym - Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield - Start with praise and thanksgiving. Praise can be as simple as declaring things that are true about God - God you’re almighty. God you’re omnipresent. God you’re gracious. God you’re holy. Repent - confess your sins to God. Ask him to search your heart and reveal sins you may have forgotten. Ask - present your requests to God. Yield - listen, ask God to reveal his desires for your life to you. Ask him to help you discern his will for your life.

        
        

        Matthew 6:9-13 Pray like this:Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.10 May your Kingdom come soon.May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.11 Give us today the food we need,[a]12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

        13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[b] but rescue us from the evil one.

        When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, this is how he answered them. I don’t think he’s talking about repeating these exact words every time we pray, although there is nothing wrong with reciting the Lord’s prayer. This is a framework for prayer.

        
        

        Pray with Boldness

        If your mind wanders when you pray, don’t panic. Let those thoughts help you focus on the things that need prayer. Pray with boldness and intent. God is not offended when we’re honest about what’s on our heart.

        Text

        You might think that after being a Christian for almost 40 years and being in ministry full time that I would be really good at prayer. But I actually feel that sometimes I’m really bad at prayer. My prayer time is the only time when I think I might have ADHD. Maybe you can relate. I’ll be praying, “God, please help me to be more kind to my family. Help me to be more patient. Thank you for your provision in my life. I’ve got to stop and get gas on my way into town.” Wait, what? Where did that come from? Then I refocus, and it happens again 2 minutes later. I have to think Peter was probably like that early on. Jesus is teaching him to pray. He was probably, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, squirrel.”

        If you can relate, this might be the most practical tip you get today. If your mind wanders, that doesn’t mean you’re not spiritual. Maybe it means that should be the thing you need to be praying about. Instead of saying, “I’m a terrible person because I keep thinking about how angry I am at so and so” Stop, and capture that thought. Pray for that person. Pray for God to give you a heart of forgiveness. Or if your mind keeps wandering to all of the things on your to do list, ask God to help you keep first things first and to have an eternal perspective. Ask him to grant you peace and wisdom as you try to prioritize the things you need to get done. Don’t just put those thoughts away, but pray for that right now. When you find your mind wandering, let that be a trigger.

        If my mind keeps returning to a particular topic during prayer, it is probably an indication that this is the topic that is of most concern to me, and I need to talk to God about it.” The Life You’ve Always Wanted - John Ortberg

        
        

        Hebrews 4:14-16 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

        The author of Hebrews is referencing back to the Old Testament image of the priest who would walk with incredible fear and trembling into the Holy of Holies in the temple. God’s temple was set up with several different courts and areas. Some people could go into the outer courts. Even fewer people could go into the inner courts. But the holy of holies, the place where God’s spirit was said to dwell, could only be entered by one person, the high priest, and he could only enter it one day out of the year - the day of atonement. He went in there to represent the people before God. He walked in with fear and trembling because any misstep in the presence of God, and he was afraid it would be the end.

        
        

        
        

        That’s the imagery the author of Hebrews is using here. But look at what he says in the passage. He says we have a great high priest - Jesus. And Jesus didn’t enter the holy of holies, He entered heaven. He is the Son of God. So because we have this great high priest who has gone before God on our behalf, who has been our mediator, we don’t have to be afraid. We can come boldly to the throne of our Glorious God! We don’t have to walk in with fear and trembling like the High Priest did. You can go boldly into the throne room of God because of Jesus! And you can tell God what’s on your heart. You can tell him what you need, you can tell him your desires. Don’t be afraid to tell God what you want. He already knows, so be honest with him. Some of you have not because you ask not. Ask, and pray with boldness.

        Now, I want to be careful here. I’m not talking about a name it and claim it type of prayer life where we get to determine what we need or where we have control over God granting us all of the desires of our heart. I’m not saying to boldly tell God you want a new Mercedes and that as long as you’re bold enough, you’ll get it. Or even on a deeper level, I’m not saying that if a loved one has a terminal illness that if you just pray hard enough or with enough boldness that I can guarantee you they’re going to be healed. But, whenever I pray for healing for someone I pray with boldness. I ask God to bring healing, and I keep on asking him to bring healing until He let’s me know that it isn’t his will to bring healing.

        Related to this idea of coming to God with boldness, don’t feel like you’re bugging God when you bring the little things to him. Sometimes I think we’re ashamed of asking God to intervene in the little details of our life. You can approach God with boldness in the details. My wife is a great example to me in this. She’s always lifting little things up to God. When she can’t find her keys, she prays. Just last week, when her contact lenses got delivered to the wrong house, she prayed. She’s never timid about bringing the little things to God. And God answers those prayers. Seeing God answer those prayers often helps to build our faith when we’re praying about the bigger things. I know God wants me to learn to pray with courage and to learn to pray with boldness. That’s one side of the coin. I want to make sure we talk about the other side of that same coin.

        
        

        Thy Will Be Done

        Pray with humility and submission. Learn to listen to God, and be ready to hear what’s on his heart.

        
        

        Matthew 26:39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

        Jesus modeled this in the garden the night he was arrested. He was praying so intently and so boldly that he was sweating drops of blood. He poured out his heart to the father, but he yielded.

        I want you to look at the first part of that prayer: My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Do you think Jesus prayed this timidly? Just before this verse, Jesus told his disciples “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful,even to the point of death”. Do you think someone whose soul is sorrowful to the point of death lifts up a timid prayer? Of course not, if you’ve ever been in a desperate situation where you were sorrowful to the point of death, I’ll bet your prayer wasn’t timid. He said, “My Father! If there is any way possible that this cup of suffering can be taken from me, this cup of your wrath, of your fury, please take it from me.” Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine. You know, the bible doesn’t tell us how much time passed between those two sentences. Was it a second? Was it 30 seconds, 3 minutes, longer? I don’t know, but I know all of creation held its breath as Jesus, being fully God but also fully man, wrestled with the consequences of submitting to the Father’s will. God’s redemptive plan, that He set in place before the foundations of the world, hung in the balance in that space between me and yet.

        I just said a few minutes ago that we need to learn to pray with boldness and be honest with God about what’s on our heart - and we should. But what’s going to happen over time as you learn this discipline of prayer is you’re going to discover that prayer is really more about listening to God. Prayer connects us to Jesus. So when we’re just learning to pray, a lot of our prayer is coming boldly to God about what is on our heart. The more we get to know God and the more we experience real relationship with him - his patience, his kindness, his goodness - The more we want to know what is on his heart. We begin to boldly approach him to find out what is on his heart. That only happens when we listen. It happens when we come to God with a humble heart. With an attitude that recognizes, He’s God and I am not. A submitted, listening heart says to God, “ I want you more than anything else”. A submitted, listening heart rests in the truth of Psalm 37:4 which says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart”

        Two Way Conversation

        As we develop this discipline of prayer, our conversations with God will begin to look more like conversations with others that we love.

        I know for me, one of the reasons prayer can be difficult is I don’t hear the audible voice of God. If I physically heard God speaking to me in my prayer time, I would do it so much more. I have found, though, that when my time is consistent I do hear from him. I”ll read a verse in the Bible that has a direct connection to something I’ve been praying about - That’s God talking to me. I’ll get a nudge from the Holy Spirit to reach out to that person I’ve been praying for. I’ll get a sense of peace over a decision I need to make that I’ve been praying about. And when I do hear from him in those ways, it gets me excited to continue in this spiritual discipline of prayer.

        
        

        ]]>5c757d4c-f2b6-44d9-b5ba-f0540bcd5f06Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -060049:49falsefullThe Ancient Secret of Spiritual DisciplinesWe’re launching a new series today on the podcast called Breakthrough Disciplines. We’re going to dig into some spiritual disciplines that have been used for centuries. Today is going to be more of an introduction to the purpose and benefits of spiritual disciplines and then beginning in the next episode we’ll dig deeper into 4 specific spiritual disciplines you can implement to experience breakthrough - breakthrough in your relationships, breakthrough in areas of bondage, and breakthrough in finding your significance in Jesus.

        Intro

        The idea of a spiritual discipline may sound old fashioned or even legalistic. These timeless principles are still valuable for believers today.

        Text

        We’re launching a new series today on the podcast called Breakthrough Disciplines. We’re going to dig into some spiritual disciplines that have been used for centuries. Today is going to be more of an introduction to the purpose and benefits of spiritual disciplines and then beginning in the next episode we’ll dig deeper into 4 specific spiritual disciplines you can implement to experience breakthrough - breakthrough in your relationships, breakthrough in areas of bondage, and breakthrough in finding your significance in Jesus.. This isn’t an exhaustive list. There are more than 4, but these are foundational and every man can develop and benefit from them. I think men are used to thinking about discipline. We want to exercise a certain amount of self control in our lives. Many of our listeners probably have a routine of going to the gym, or jogging. That’s discipline. Hopefully, you’re already engaging in some spiritual disciplines as well. If not, we hope this will give you the encouragement to get some started. It’s important to know that these disciplines aren’t the end goal. They are a means to an end. The end goal is to grow closer in our relationship with Jesus. It’s to be able to more clearly hear his leading. It’s to be quicker to submit to his will in our lives. It’s to grow in our understanding of just how much he loves us.

        More Jesus

        A spiritual discipline is a purposeful habit that draws us closer to Jesus. John 15:4-5, Galatians 5:22-23

        To develop a spiritual discipline, it has to be purposeful. It won’t happen by accident. Disciplines, like habits, take time to form. Developing spiritual disciplines isn’t a quick fix to a problem you’re experiencing. It’s a new way of prioritizing. The goal of the discipline isn’t just to be disciplined. It’s to experience more of Jesus.

        John 15:4-5. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

        Jesus essentially repeats the same command in two verses in a row. It’s not only a command, it’s a word of encouragement. Verse 4 - Remain in me and I will remain in you. This is a promise from Jesus that he is never the one that seeks distance from us. If we remain in him, he will remain in us. Anytime you and I are feeling distant from Jesus, we’re the ones who have moved. We haven’t remained in him. He tells us that if we don’t remain in him we can’t be fruitful. He then repeats it in verse 5 and instead of emphasizing that we can’t bear fruit if we don’t remain in him, he says we will bear fruit if we do remain in him.

        I think a lot of us, particularly as men, want to get right to the fruit part. I just want to see the results. But this verse is such a powerful reminder to me that if I get the remaining part right, the fruit will come. It’s a natural by-product of being connected to the vine. The scary thing is that there is no promise that the reverse is true. No where in the Bible does it say if you just focus on bearing all the fruit you can, then you’ll be connected to Jesus. In fact Jesus says the opposite in Matthew 7 - On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

        I remember nerding out and doing a Greek word study on this passage several years ago because I’ve always loved John 15. One of the ways the word “remain” in this verse can be translated is to “tarry with”. It made me think back to when my wife and I were dating and you just had a hard time saying goodbye at the end of a date. And I’m not just talking about the good night kiss. Maybe you have that friend that when you run into them at the store you know you’re going to have that 30 minute conversation because you just enjoy being in their presence. It was really convicting for me because that didn’t really describe my time with Jesus. I wasn’t longing to hang out with him just five more minutes. So I asked God to give me a greater understanding of how much he loved me, how much Jesus had done for me, how hopelessly lost I was without him. I’ll be honest, there are still times that I am probably more just checking the box, but there are more times where I long to hang out with Jesus.

        What does this fruit look like that we bear when we’re connected to Jesus?

        Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

        Who doesn’t want more of these things in their life? Imagine the breakthroughs you could have in your relationships if you had more love, joy, kindness, and patience. Imagine the breakthroughs you could have with addictions or bad habits if you had more self-control. Think about the breakthroughs you could have with anxiety or depression if you had more peace.

        Spiritual disciplines aren’t about earning God’s favor. The intention is not to get something from God, but to experience the fullness of life that comes from Jesus.

        
        

        Philippians 3:7-8 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

        To put this in context, Paul has just listed all of the reasons he would have to be confident in his own efforts and in his own works. And he says I used to think these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless. Some translations say “I count them as loss”. Paul chose to count them as worthless. Our works aren’t bad things. They’re not loss in and of themselves, but if we’re doing them hoping to earn some sort of approval from God or to merit favor from him - they are completely worthless!

        Sometimes people equate developing spiritual disciplines as a way of indebting God to them. If I read my Bible, if I pray, if I give - God owes me. He’s going to bring more blessing in my life. God doesn’t owe us anything. Anytime we’re obedient to him or serving him, we’re simply doing what we’re obligated to do. He will bring more blessing into your life because more time with him, more experiencing his presence, is a blessing. But he’s not obligated to bring more material or physical blessings into your life just because you’re developing these spiritual disciplines. Look at Job. He had incorporated spiritual disciplines in his life. He regularly prayed for himself and his children. He regularly offered sacrifices to the Lord. In fact, the Bible said it was his practice to do these things. In other words, it was a regular habit. He was purposeful about it. In spite of that, he went through some incredibly difficult times that God allowed in his life.

        We have to guard our hearts against having the attitude of the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, where we don’t recognize the love the father has lavished on us unless he is blessing us with a fattened calf and a party.

        James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

        That is the blessing! The God of the universe promises to come close to us when we draw close to him. I hope we never take for granted what a miracle that is. How prideful do we have to be to think we have somehow earned an audience with Almighty God? If your favorite pro sports athlete called you up and wanted to play a pick up game with you, we’d never feel like we deserved that. Or if your favorite musician wanted to play a jam session with you. We would be in awe every minute of the time. How do we become so entitled with God?

        
        

        Form a Habit

        The secret of breakthrough is a lifestyle of preparation, not a momentary effort. Spiritual disciplines can help us retrain our automatic responses to everyday life.

        
        

        Disciplines take time to develop. I looked at several different articles on how long it takes to form a habit and unfortunately, there wasn’t a consensus. The study that had one of the larger test groups said it took 66 days of repetition to make something become almost automatic.

        
        

        1 Timothy 4:7-8 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

        Paul goes on to say this is why we work hard and continue to struggle. It takes effort. We’re not struggling to earn approval. We already have approval through Christ. We’re struggling to develop these new habits....]]>We’re launching a new series today on the podcast called Breakthrough Disciplines. We’re going to dig into some spiritual disciplines that have been used for centuries. Today is going to be more of an introduction to the purpose and benefits of spiritual disciplines and then beginning in the next episode we’ll dig deeper into 4 specific spiritual disciplines you can implement to experience breakthrough - breakthrough in your relationships, breakthrough in areas of bondage, and breakthrough in finding your significance in Jesus.

        Intro

        The idea of a spiritual discipline may sound old fashioned or even legalistic. These timeless principles are still valuable for believers today.

        Text

        We’re launching a new series today on the podcast called Breakthrough Disciplines. We’re going to dig into some spiritual disciplines that have been used for centuries. Today is going to be more of an introduction to the purpose and benefits of spiritual disciplines and then beginning in the next episode we’ll dig deeper into 4 specific spiritual disciplines you can implement to experience breakthrough - breakthrough in your relationships, breakthrough in areas of bondage, and breakthrough in finding your significance in Jesus.. This isn’t an exhaustive list. There are more than 4, but these are foundational and every man can develop and benefit from them. I think men are used to thinking about discipline. We want to exercise a certain amount of self control in our lives. Many of our listeners probably have a routine of going to the gym, or jogging. That’s discipline. Hopefully, you’re already engaging in some spiritual disciplines as well. If not, we hope this will give you the encouragement to get some started. It’s important to know that these disciplines aren’t the end goal. They are a means to an end. The end goal is to grow closer in our relationship with Jesus. It’s to be able to more clearly hear his leading. It’s to be quicker to submit to his will in our lives. It’s to grow in our understanding of just how much he loves us.

        More Jesus

        A spiritual discipline is a purposeful habit that draws us closer to Jesus. John 15:4-5, Galatians 5:22-23

        To develop a spiritual discipline, it has to be purposeful. It won’t happen by accident. Disciplines, like habits, take time to form. Developing spiritual disciplines isn’t a quick fix to a problem you’re experiencing. It’s a new way of prioritizing. The goal of the discipline isn’t just to be disciplined. It’s to experience more of Jesus.

        John 15:4-5. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

        Jesus essentially repeats the same command in two verses in a row. It’s not only a command, it’s a word of encouragement. Verse 4 - Remain in me and I will remain in you. This is a promise from Jesus that he is never the one that seeks distance from us. If we remain in him, he will remain in us. Anytime you and I are feeling distant from Jesus, we’re the ones who have moved. We haven’t remained in him. He tells us that if we don’t remain in him we can’t be fruitful. He then repeats it in verse 5 and instead of emphasizing that we can’t bear fruit if we don’t remain in him, he says we will bear fruit if we do remain in him.

        I think a lot of us, particularly as men, want to get right to the fruit part. I just want to see the results. But this verse is such a powerful reminder to me that if I get the remaining part right, the fruit will come. It’s a natural by-product of being connected to the vine. The scary thing is that there is no promise that the reverse is true. No where in the Bible does it say if you just focus on bearing all the fruit you can, then you’ll be connected to Jesus. In fact Jesus says the opposite in Matthew 7 - On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

        I remember nerding out and doing a Greek word study on this passage several years ago because I’ve always loved John 15. One of the ways the word “remain” in this verse can be translated is to “tarry with”. It made me think back to when my wife and I were dating and you just had a hard time saying goodbye at the end of a date. And I’m not just talking about the good night kiss. Maybe you have that friend that when you run into them at the store you know you’re going to have that 30 minute conversation because you just enjoy being in their presence. It was really convicting for me because that didn’t really describe my time with Jesus. I wasn’t longing to hang out with him just five more minutes. So I asked God to give me a greater understanding of how much he loved me, how much Jesus had done for me, how hopelessly lost I was without him. I’ll be honest, there are still times that I am probably more just checking the box, but there are more times where I long to hang out with Jesus.

        What does this fruit look like that we bear when we’re connected to Jesus?

        Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

        Who doesn’t want more of these things in their life? Imagine the breakthroughs you could have in your relationships if you had more love, joy, kindness, and patience. Imagine the breakthroughs you could have with addictions or bad habits if you had more self-control. Think about the breakthroughs you could have with anxiety or depression if you had more peace.

        Spiritual disciplines aren’t about earning God’s favor. The intention is not to get something from God, but to experience the fullness of life that comes from Jesus.

        
        

        Philippians 3:7-8 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

        To put this in context, Paul has just listed all of the reasons he would have to be confident in his own efforts and in his own works. And he says I used to think these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless. Some translations say “I count them as loss”. Paul chose to count them as worthless. Our works aren’t bad things. They’re not loss in and of themselves, but if we’re doing them hoping to earn some sort of approval from God or to merit favor from him - they are completely worthless!

        Sometimes people equate developing spiritual disciplines as a way of indebting God to them. If I read my Bible, if I pray, if I give - God owes me. He’s going to bring more blessing in my life. God doesn’t owe us anything. Anytime we’re obedient to him or serving him, we’re simply doing what we’re obligated to do. He will bring more blessing into your life because more time with him, more experiencing his presence, is a blessing. But he’s not obligated to bring more material or physical blessings into your life just because you’re developing these spiritual disciplines. Look at Job. He had incorporated spiritual disciplines in his life. He regularly prayed for himself and his children. He regularly offered sacrifices to the Lord. In fact, the Bible said it was his practice to do these things. In other words, it was a regular habit. He was purposeful about it. In spite of that, he went through some incredibly difficult times that God allowed in his life.

        We have to guard our hearts against having the attitude of the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, where we don’t recognize the love the father has lavished on us unless he is blessing us with a fattened calf and a party.

        James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

        That is the blessing! The God of the universe promises to come close to us when we draw close to him. I hope we never take for granted what a miracle that is. How prideful do we have to be to think we have somehow earned an audience with Almighty God? If your favorite pro sports athlete called you up and wanted to play a pick up game with you, we’d never feel like we deserved that. Or if your favorite musician wanted to play a jam session with you. We would be in awe every minute of the time. How do we become so entitled with God?

        
        

        Form a Habit

        The secret of breakthrough is a lifestyle of preparation, not a momentary effort. Spiritual disciplines can help us retrain our automatic responses to everyday life.

        
        

        Disciplines take time to develop. I looked at several different articles on how long it takes to form a habit and unfortunately, there wasn’t a consensus. The study that had one of the larger test groups said it took 66 days of repetition to make something become almost automatic.

        
        

        1 Timothy 4:7-8 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

        Paul goes on to say this is why we work hard and continue to struggle. It takes effort. We’re not struggling to earn approval. We already have approval through Christ. We’re struggling to develop these new habits. We’re struggling to put to death sin and the pleasures of our flesh because there is still a battle with our old nature even though we’re a new creation.

        Paul tells Timothy that there are benefits in this life and in the life to come. I think he’s talking about more than just salvation. There is something in the way we develop our relationship with God and our intimacy with him that impacts our experience in heaven.

        Just like we don’t see immediate results from our physical training, we typically won’t see immediate results when we begin developing our spiritual disciplines. Don’t be discouraged. Stick with it. Don’t forget that the primary goal is connected with the vine. The fruit will eventually come if we stay connected. Thank God for his longsuffering and patience.

        Practically, this means we’re going to have to be intentional about setting aside times for these disciplines. Just like if you don’t get the gym on your calendar, you probably won’t go that much, you need to set aside time to develop these spiritual disciplines.

        
        

        Colossians 3:5,10 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

        Countless studies have shown that when you’re trying to eliminate a bad habit, your chances of success go way up if you replace it with a good habit vs. just leaving a void. So we want to get rid of these earthly things that lurk within us, but we want to replace them with things that lead to life.

        These first four sins listed all deal with sexual immorality and sin. We’re supposed to put them to death. We shouldn’t tolerate little doses of them. Our hope is to completely eradicate them and recognize them for the horrible offense they are to a Holy God. It then shifts to greed or covetousness depending upon the translation you’re reading.

        The word picture Paul uses of putting on our new nature is like putting on a change of clothes. It should be obvious to all who look at us that something is different.

        We have this cool picture of being renewed as we learn to know our creator. As we get to know him, we become more like him. Again, when we’re connected, we’ll bear fruit.

        
        

        
        

        Close

        Spiritual disciplines take time to develop and some may even seem to contradict worldly wisdom. But we’re not trying to look more like the world, we’re trying to look more like Jesus.

        
        

        Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

        
        

        There are lots of habits and behaviors we can copy from the world. It’s so easy to fall into just doing what everyone else is doing. We’re told to let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. Then we will know what God’s will is for us and his will is good and pleasing and perfect.

        ]]>9a2bbed6-3195-4a23-8d66-53855b73d86fThu, 05 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -060043:07falsefullIs Spiritual Authority a Thing Anymore? (Mark 11:27-12:12) - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastIn Mark 11:27-12:12 the authority of Jesus is questioned by the Jewish religious leaders. The encounter uncovers the answer to a timeless question: Is spiritual authority a thing anymore?

        Q: Is Spiritual Authority a Thing Anymore?

        • Today, we’re going to talk about authority. I’ll bet some of you bristled just at the mention of the word. We don’t like authority. We want to push back against it, and sometimes, rightfully so. We live in a broken world filled with fallen people and if someone is asking you to do something contrary to God’s Word, you should push back. But this is much deeper than that. There’s something in our fallen nature that pushes back on any authority, good or bad. “You can’t tell me what to do! You’re not my boss! Who said you were in charge?” - Go to any playground or any backyard where you have a group of kids hanging out and playing together and the odds are pretty good you’re going to hear one of those phrases before too long. 
        • We think there is joy in being free from authority. There is joy in being submitted to righteous authority. 
        • Psalm 119:1-8 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.2 Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.3 They do not compromise with evil,  and they walk only in his paths.4You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.5 Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!6 Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. 7 as I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!8.I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!
        
        

        What Authority

        Jesus answers the question with a question of his own, and within it is a clue to the answer they’re seeking. Jesus’ authority comes from himself, but this authority was affirmed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit at his baptism. Mark 11:27-33

        Mark 11:27-28 (NLT) Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

        • Jesus and the disciples are again entering Jerusalem. We see this pattern of spending the day in Jerusalem and then going back to Bethany at night. Jesus has loyal supporters in Bethany. This is where he raised Lazarus from the dead. It’s like having a safe house. There would be plenty of warning from the community if the religious leaders tried to arrest Jesus in Bethany. 
        • Jesus isn’t looking to start an argument with the religious leaders. He’s more interested in teaching the people, but the religious leaders seek him out. As he is walking through the temple area, they come to him. You can bet they’ve been waiting for him to show up. They ask, “Who gave you the authority to do these things?” Mark doesn’t say specifically what “things” they’re referring to. Certainly, the clearing of the money changers and the sacrificial animal sellers from the temple had to at least be part of that. It could also include his healings on the Sabbath and other ways he has violated the oral traditions. 
        • These three groups mentioned - priests, teachers of the law, and elders - were the three groups that comprised the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin had been allowed by the Romans to exercise authority over the Jewish nation in religious matters and some authority in political matters. The religious leaders have been accustomed to having the authority. They viewed this authority as God-given. Even the Roman authorities gave the Jewish leaders much freedom in how they administered religious ceremonies in the temple and the rules and regulations of the temple. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) What the Sanhedrin means by "these things" is not entirely obvious, although it ostensibly points to the preceding clearing of the temple (11:15-19).
        • The religious leaders had exercised authority over worship and the temple for generations. Jesus has threatened that, even pushed against it, and they wanted to know what gave him the right to do so. 
        • Worldly authority
        • In the Temple, most authoritative place
        • Among Jewish authorities
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) The "chief priests, scribes, and elders" were the three groups that comprised the Sanhedrin, although in this instance they represent a delegation from the Sanhedrin rather than the entire council. The Sanhedrin, a buffer organization between Rome and the Jewish nation, was composed of seventy-one members who held near complete freedom in religious matters and restricted power in political matters.
        
        

        Mark 11:29-30 (NLT) “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!”

        • Jesus answers the question with a question of his own, and within it, is a clue to the answer they’re seeking.. Jesus’ authority comes from himself, but this authority was affirmed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit at his baptism. 
        • This isn’t the only time in scripture we see Jesus answer a question with a question. We saw Jesus do it in Mark chapter 10 with the rich young ruler. “Why do you call me good?” In his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, Nicodemus asks, “How can this be?” Jesus responds, “ You are Israel’s teacher and you do not understand these things? I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” 
        • Jesus isn’t simply dodging the question. Jesus is trying to get them to recognize the truth in his question. If they say John’s authority came from heaven then they would also have to accept John’s claims about Jesus. John knew Jesus was the Son of God. They can’t say publicly that John’s authority was from heaven or they would have to admit that Jesus’ authority was divine. They couldn’t say that John’s authority was merely human because they were afraid the people would riot. They’re stuck and can’t answer the question either way, so they refuse to answer it. 
        • We’ve seen the authority of Jesus on display throughout Mark’s gospel
        • Jesus’ divine authority:
        • forgives sins (2:10)
        • claims supremacy over Torah and Sabbath (2:23—3:6)
        • binds Satan, "the strong man" (3:27)
        • Countless miracles
        
        

        (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Ironically, the counter-question contains the seeds of the truth the Sanhedrin hopes to learn, for it was at the baptism by John that the heavens were parted, the Spirit of power descended into Jesus (Gk., eis auton, 1:10), and the voice from heaven declared him God's Son. The baptism of Jesus, in other words, was the event that inaugurated his exousia, his conscious oneness with the Father, and his sovereign freedom and empowerment for ministry.

        Mark 11:31-33 (NLT) They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

        • They weren’t really seeking truth. The question was a loaded question, not one presented because they really wanted to know. They were hoping to use it to trap Jesus or have a reason to accuse him in front of the crowds. 
        • Right truth at the right time - sometimes we need to discern if someone asking questions is really seeking truth or just wanting to debate. Asking them questions can be a great way to determine their motives in the conversation. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) To those unwilling to commit themselves, Jesus refuses to commit himself. "'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.'" Those who cannot be honest with themselves cannot be honest about Jesus.
        
        

        Wicked Farmers

        Jesus uses a parable that is an indictment on the rebelliousness of Israel’s leaders and also foreshadows his death. It is a warning that we should not mistake God’s patience for lack of power or authority. Mark 12:1-8

        Mark 12:1 (NLT) Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.

        • Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience. They were aware that the vineyard was used in the Old Testament as a picture of Israel. The tenant farmers represented the religious leaders and the vineyard was the nation of Israel as a whole. 
        • This was a common practice in Jesus’ day, especially in Galilee. Archaeologists have discovered records of this same sort of dispute between landowners and tenant farmers. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) The parable describes "the kind of thing that went on in Galilee during the half century preceding the general revolt of A.D. 66." Secular records of the day as well as rabbinic literature depict a widespread system of absentee landowners who employed middle-men to supervise tenant farmers.
        
        

        Mark 12:2-6 (NLT) At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. The next servant...]]>In Mark 11:27-12:12 the authority of Jesus is questioned by the Jewish religious leaders. The encounter uncovers the answer to a timeless question: Is spiritual authority a thing anymore?

        Q: Is Spiritual Authority a Thing Anymore?

        • Today, we’re going to talk about authority. I’ll bet some of you bristled just at the mention of the word. We don’t like authority. We want to push back against it, and sometimes, rightfully so. We live in a broken world filled with fallen people and if someone is asking you to do something contrary to God’s Word, you should push back. But this is much deeper than that. There’s something in our fallen nature that pushes back on any authority, good or bad. “You can’t tell me what to do! You’re not my boss! Who said you were in charge?” - Go to any playground or any backyard where you have a group of kids hanging out and playing together and the odds are pretty good you’re going to hear one of those phrases before too long. 
        • We think there is joy in being free from authority. There is joy in being submitted to righteous authority. 
        • Psalm 119:1-8 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.2 Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.3 They do not compromise with evil,  and they walk only in his paths.4You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.5 Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!6 Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. 7 as I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!8.I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!
        
        

        What Authority

        Jesus answers the question with a question of his own, and within it is a clue to the answer they’re seeking. Jesus’ authority comes from himself, but this authority was affirmed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit at his baptism. Mark 11:27-33

        Mark 11:27-28 (NLT) Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

        • Jesus and the disciples are again entering Jerusalem. We see this pattern of spending the day in Jerusalem and then going back to Bethany at night. Jesus has loyal supporters in Bethany. This is where he raised Lazarus from the dead. It’s like having a safe house. There would be plenty of warning from the community if the religious leaders tried to arrest Jesus in Bethany. 
        • Jesus isn’t looking to start an argument with the religious leaders. He’s more interested in teaching the people, but the religious leaders seek him out. As he is walking through the temple area, they come to him. You can bet they’ve been waiting for him to show up. They ask, “Who gave you the authority to do these things?” Mark doesn’t say specifically what “things” they’re referring to. Certainly, the clearing of the money changers and the sacrificial animal sellers from the temple had to at least be part of that. It could also include his healings on the Sabbath and other ways he has violated the oral traditions. 
        • These three groups mentioned - priests, teachers of the law, and elders - were the three groups that comprised the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin had been allowed by the Romans to exercise authority over the Jewish nation in religious matters and some authority in political matters. The religious leaders have been accustomed to having the authority. They viewed this authority as God-given. Even the Roman authorities gave the Jewish leaders much freedom in how they administered religious ceremonies in the temple and the rules and regulations of the temple. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) What the Sanhedrin means by "these things" is not entirely obvious, although it ostensibly points to the preceding clearing of the temple (11:15-19).
        • The religious leaders had exercised authority over worship and the temple for generations. Jesus has threatened that, even pushed against it, and they wanted to know what gave him the right to do so. 
        • Worldly authority
        • In the Temple, most authoritative place
        • Among Jewish authorities
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) The "chief priests, scribes, and elders" were the three groups that comprised the Sanhedrin, although in this instance they represent a delegation from the Sanhedrin rather than the entire council. The Sanhedrin, a buffer organization between Rome and the Jewish nation, was composed of seventy-one members who held near complete freedom in religious matters and restricted power in political matters.
        
        

        Mark 11:29-30 (NLT) “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!”

        • Jesus answers the question with a question of his own, and within it, is a clue to the answer they’re seeking.. Jesus’ authority comes from himself, but this authority was affirmed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit at his baptism. 
        • This isn’t the only time in scripture we see Jesus answer a question with a question. We saw Jesus do it in Mark chapter 10 with the rich young ruler. “Why do you call me good?” In his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, Nicodemus asks, “How can this be?” Jesus responds, “ You are Israel’s teacher and you do not understand these things? I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” 
        • Jesus isn’t simply dodging the question. Jesus is trying to get them to recognize the truth in his question. If they say John’s authority came from heaven then they would also have to accept John’s claims about Jesus. John knew Jesus was the Son of God. They can’t say publicly that John’s authority was from heaven or they would have to admit that Jesus’ authority was divine. They couldn’t say that John’s authority was merely human because they were afraid the people would riot. They’re stuck and can’t answer the question either way, so they refuse to answer it. 
        • We’ve seen the authority of Jesus on display throughout Mark’s gospel
        • Jesus’ divine authority:
        • forgives sins (2:10)
        • claims supremacy over Torah and Sabbath (2:23—3:6)
        • binds Satan, "the strong man" (3:27)
        • Countless miracles
        
        

        (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Ironically, the counter-question contains the seeds of the truth the Sanhedrin hopes to learn, for it was at the baptism by John that the heavens were parted, the Spirit of power descended into Jesus (Gk., eis auton, 1:10), and the voice from heaven declared him God's Son. The baptism of Jesus, in other words, was the event that inaugurated his exousia, his conscious oneness with the Father, and his sovereign freedom and empowerment for ministry.

        Mark 11:31-33 (NLT) They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

        • They weren’t really seeking truth. The question was a loaded question, not one presented because they really wanted to know. They were hoping to use it to trap Jesus or have a reason to accuse him in front of the crowds. 
        • Right truth at the right time - sometimes we need to discern if someone asking questions is really seeking truth or just wanting to debate. Asking them questions can be a great way to determine their motives in the conversation. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) To those unwilling to commit themselves, Jesus refuses to commit himself. "'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.'" Those who cannot be honest with themselves cannot be honest about Jesus.
        
        

        Wicked Farmers

        Jesus uses a parable that is an indictment on the rebelliousness of Israel’s leaders and also foreshadows his death. It is a warning that we should not mistake God’s patience for lack of power or authority. Mark 12:1-8

        Mark 12:1 (NLT) Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.

        • Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience. They were aware that the vineyard was used in the Old Testament as a picture of Israel. The tenant farmers represented the religious leaders and the vineyard was the nation of Israel as a whole. 
        • This was a common practice in Jesus’ day, especially in Galilee. Archaeologists have discovered records of this same sort of dispute between landowners and tenant farmers. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) The parable describes "the kind of thing that went on in Galilee during the half century preceding the general revolt of A.D. 66." Secular records of the day as well as rabbinic literature depict a widespread system of absentee landowners who employed middle-men to supervise tenant farmers.
        
        

        Mark 12:2-6 (NLT) At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

        • This is representative of the many prophets sent by God to warn the nation of Israel. So many of them were mistreated as in the parable. 
        • 1 Kings 19:2 Jezebel’s threat to Elijah
        • Jeremiah 38:4 threat made against Jeremiah’s life 
        • Acts 7:52 - which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the righteous one. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) The son represents not only the father's legal claim, however, but also his compassion…. In the story of the sending of the son Jesus is speaking of his own unprecedented role in the history of Israel.
        
        

        
        

        Mark 12:7-8 (NLT) “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

        • I read this and I think, ‘how did the land owner not see that coming? Did he really think they would show his son mercy?’. But that’s the point. God sent his Son knowing exactly what would happen. It was his plan all along to redeem us from sin. God knows every sinful act you’ve committed. He even knows the ones you’ve thought about but didn’t carry out. And he still sent Jesus to die for you. 
        • Jesus knew the religious leaders were going to kill him. We know from their response they understood he was talking about them. I wonder what that stirred in them. Did it frighten them? Did it make them even more angry? Jesus is sitting there telling them “You’re going to kill me.” But he’s not running. He’s not fearful - because they can only do it because he is voluntarily going to the cross. They’re not doing anything to him that he doesn’t want them to do. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) If the farmers kill the heir, they reason, then they will become the heirs. If humanity can dispense with God, or even kill God, then humanity can become God.
        
        

        Owner’s Response

        God is long suffering, but He is also just. He will bring judgment on sin. We can’t thwart the plans of God. In his sovereignty, He is always going to accomplish his purposes. God was going to use the rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish leaders to usher in salvation for all who would believe - Jew and Gentile. 

        Mark 12:9-11 (NLT) “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’”

        • It is the Lord’s doing - another testament to the sovereignty of God. God will use the evil intentions of wicked men to accomplish his purposes. How can the conviction of an innocent man be wonderful to see? How can the brutal torture and crucifixion of the perfect Lamb of God be beautiful to see? Because it is God’s doing! It is his plan to conquer sin and death for all who would believe. It is the place in history where God’s mercy and God’s just collide and it is wondrous to see! 
        • This passage that Jesus quotes from the Old Testament is from Psalm 118. This is called the Hosannah Psalm. Those worshiping Jesus as he entered into Jerusalem earlier in the week were quoting from this same Psalm. 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Two points are worthy of note so far. First, the landowner takes vengeance not on the vineyard but on the tenants of the vineyard…. Second, the heroic party is not the tenant farmers but the landowner who justly settles accounts.
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Only Mark (and the parallel in Matt 21:42), however, includes the subsequent verse: "the Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes" (v. 11 = Ps 118:23). This additional verse rings with a strong providential note, that the human rejection of God's "cornerstone" was not only foreseen but used by God for his glory.
        • Enduring Word commentary on Psalm 118:This psalm is the last of the six Egyptian Hallel Psalms, sung in Jesus’ day as part of the Passover ritual. When Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26 tell us that Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples at the last supper, it refers to these Hallel Psalms. As Jesus sang the words for His mercy endures forever, He did it with complete knowledge that the endurance of God’s mercy would be tested to the utmost in the work to come the next day at the cross.
        • Enduring Word commentary - This is a strong and important statement in the New Testament understanding of the person and work of Jesus. Jesus quoted this of Himself in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11, and Luke 20:17. Peter quoted it in reference to Jesus in Acts 4:11. Paul alluded to this verse in Ephesians 2:20, and Peter also referred to it in 1 Peter 2:7-8. No text in the Old Testament is quoted more in the New Testament. 
        • “Now he is the bond of the building, holding Jew and Gentile in firm unity. This precious cornerstone binds God and man together in wondrous amity, for he is both in one. He joins earth and heaven together, for he participates in each. He joins time and eternity together, for he was a man of few years, and yet he is the Ancient of Days. Wondrous cornerstone!” (Spurgeon)
        • Jesus holds it all together. He is at the very foundation of it all. 
        
        

        
        

        Mark 12:12 (NLT) The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.

        • The religious leaders are convicted that they are the evil tenants who will kill the Son. Instead of receiving, they reject Jesus. When we come face to face with our own brokenness, we have to make the same decision: Do we receive him or reject him? 
        • (Pillar New Testament Commentary) The parable's testimony to the sure purposes of God conveyed a profound sense of hope to Mark's beleaguered church in Rome, so ravished by Nero's insane persecutions, as it can also in our day, when the church (at least in the West) is often caught in compromise and confusion and decline. The existence of the vineyard is assured not by the self-aggrandizement of the tenants, but by the self-sacrifice of the Son.
        
        

        
        

        Close

        Jesus has ultimate authority in our lives. Spiritual leadership in the church flows from his authority, and obedience to godly leaders benefits the soul. Hebrews 13:17

        • Back to the opening question: Is Spiritual Authority a Thing Anymore?
        • The answer is yes. Jesus has ultimate authority. Godly spiritual leaders are those who understand that and speak truth in love.
        • Hebrews 13:17 (NLT) Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
        • This question about authority is a question we should ask ourselves. Who is calling the shots in our life? Are we submitting to the authority of Jesus as we follow him or are we trying to claim our own authority? How do you respond when God’s Word says something that goes against what you want to do or how you feel about something? Do you submit? Do you rebel? 
        
        ]]>0ee2ea51-e9be-4a96-8f03-b737077b18d6Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -060046:54falsebonusHow to Lead Like JesusNo conversation about leadership is complete without discussing Jesus. He was the most influential leader in the history of the world. He calls his followers to lead like he led.

        We’re coming to the last conversation in our leadership principles for men series, and we’ve saved the best for last. Today, we’re going to talk about how to lead like Jesus. This isn’t going to be a comprehensive conversation. We’d have to spend several podcasts discussing all of the amazing things that describe Jesus’ leadership and its effectiveness. We’re going to focus on three characteristics of Jesus’ leadership that we work to incorporate as we lead at home, in the church, and in the workplace.

        Laser Focus

        Jesus had absolute clarity on the mission. He didn’t let the desires of others, or even his own preferences, get in the way of accomplishing what he was sent to do.

        Luke 2:49-50 (ESV) And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

        Set context of the scene - The family was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. He’s 12. They left assuming Jesus was with their group that had traveled. They get a day away from Jerusalem and realize he is not with them. Talk about pressure - you lost the Son of God. They look for him for three days and when they find him, he’s interacting with the teachers of the law in the temple. He’s listening and asking them questions.

        Jesus’ response is so telling - didn’t you know I must be about my Father’s business? Mom, Dad, you know who I am. You know what the angel said about me. Would you expect anything less than this? You should have known that I’m going to be on mission.

        Jesus was on mission at a young age. I think we do our young people a disservice when we don’t give them opportunities to be on mission while they’re young. Dad’s, are you encouraging your kids to pursue God and to help others pursue God while they’re young?

        As Jesus began his earthly ministry and grew in popularity there were people, who were sometimes well meaning, that sought to get him distracted from the mission.

        John 6:14-15 When the people saw him[b] do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”[c] 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

        Jesus had just finished the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. The crowds see this amazing miracle and they want to make Jesus king by force. For most of us, it would have been so tempting to get carried up in the emotion and adoration of the crowd. Jesus is rightfully king so why not let the crowds do what they want to do? He knew the Father’s plan was the plan. He knew his time hadn’t come. He knew he wasn’t going to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords by going man’s way.

        Do we have clarity on the mission? Is it to accumulate the most wealth? Is it to provide a comfortable home and upbringing for our kids? Is it to have the most fame, power, pleasure? Those things aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves, but they can get us off track. As a husband, my mission is to love my wife as Christ loved the church. It’s to give myself up for her. It’s to make her holy - set her apart - It’s to wash her with the Word. As a dad, my mission is to raise my children in the fear and understanding of the Lord.

        As a follower of Christ, my mission is to go full circle in my pursuit of him and help the next person do the same thing. The great commission. A co-mission with Jesus.

        Mark 8:31-33 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man[c] must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.[d]33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

        This is the most severe rebuke we see Jesus issue to the disciples. Peter had good intentions, but he was trying to get Jesus to stray from the mission.

        This is one of the reasons connection with other believers is so important. The world is always going to pull you away from pursuing God, sometimes unintentionally sometimes intentionally. When you’re trying to decide about taking a new job offer, what’s the first thing the world would usually ask - does it pay more? You need someone to ask - how will this affect your ability to love your wife and kids well? How is it going to affect your time for serving the kingdom? Is it a good use of the gifts God has given you? Again, earning more money is not a bad thing and Praise God that he sometimes blesses us financially - but it can so easily get us off track.

        When I used to coach football, I rarely watched college games on the weekend, even though I love college football. I just felt like I was already committing 20 to 25 hours per week between practices, weights, watching film and games and I thought it would be irresponsible to spend more time on the weekend watching it. When I would tell my coaching buddies that, they couldn’t believe it. When I told my close, Christian brothers they would say, “makes sense. You don’t want it to be an idol and you’re already taking plenty of time away from your wife and kids.” I knew the value of bouncing ideas off of men who love Jesus and care for me.

        
        

        Teachable Moments

        Jesus was intentional about taking advantage of teachable moments. He didn’t let the urgent get in the way of the important. He knew he had a limited amount of time to invest in his disciples and wanted to make the most of every opportunity.

        
        

        Mark 8:14-21 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’[a] Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”“Twelve,” they said.20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”“Seven,” they said.21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

        Jesus was so intentional about taking advantage of teachable moments with the disciples. Here, they’re out on the lake, away from the noise of the crowds. He warns them about the yeast of the Pharisees and they’re clueless about what he’s talking about. They think he’s bringing it up because they forgot bread. Jesus was so patient with them. He reprimands them in this lesson. Don’t you remember anything at all? We know that Jesus didn’t overreact when he did this. He didn’t lose his cool. He was sinless. Sometimes, we have to point out obvious foolishness when we’re in a teaching moment. We want to be very careful that we’re not prideful about it, lest we fall into the same temptation, but sometimes we have to be direct and straightforward.

        Story about couple sleeping together and me beating around the bush when asking about it.

        We see a pattern so often in the gospels of Jesus giving a public teaching and then explaining it to the disciples when he had them alone. The sermon wasn’t enough. Jesus was the greatest preacher of all times, so if they needed more teaching after listening to him, how much more do people in our lives need it.

        Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

        
        

        Are you intentional about looking for teachable moments for your kids? If you have teenage sons, do you invite them to listen to this podcast with you? Do you have times of intentional conversation with them? I know it’s not easy. I know there’s a lot of awkward silence at times. I experienced that with both of my sons. But stick with it. Hang in there.

        The time we have with our kids goes by so fast. We have to be intentional about teachable moments.

        
        

        Humble Servant

        Jesus was the epitome of servant leadership. He humbled himself, left the comforts of heaven, and went to the cross. The God of the universe took on frail, human flesh and was faced with every temptation we face, but never sinned. When we’re following Jesus, we’re following a servant.

        John 13:3-8Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my...]]>No conversation about leadership is complete without discussing Jesus. He was the most influential leader in the history of the world. He calls his followers to lead like he led.

        We’re coming to the last conversation in our leadership principles for men series, and we’ve saved the best for last. Today, we’re going to talk about how to lead like Jesus. This isn’t going to be a comprehensive conversation. We’d have to spend several podcasts discussing all of the amazing things that describe Jesus’ leadership and its effectiveness. We’re going to focus on three characteristics of Jesus’ leadership that we work to incorporate as we lead at home, in the church, and in the workplace.

        Laser Focus

        Jesus had absolute clarity on the mission. He didn’t let the desires of others, or even his own preferences, get in the way of accomplishing what he was sent to do.

        Luke 2:49-50 (ESV) And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

        Set context of the scene - The family was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. He’s 12. They left assuming Jesus was with their group that had traveled. They get a day away from Jerusalem and realize he is not with them. Talk about pressure - you lost the Son of God. They look for him for three days and when they find him, he’s interacting with the teachers of the law in the temple. He’s listening and asking them questions.

        Jesus’ response is so telling - didn’t you know I must be about my Father’s business? Mom, Dad, you know who I am. You know what the angel said about me. Would you expect anything less than this? You should have known that I’m going to be on mission.

        Jesus was on mission at a young age. I think we do our young people a disservice when we don’t give them opportunities to be on mission while they’re young. Dad’s, are you encouraging your kids to pursue God and to help others pursue God while they’re young?

        As Jesus began his earthly ministry and grew in popularity there were people, who were sometimes well meaning, that sought to get him distracted from the mission.

        John 6:14-15 When the people saw him[b] do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”[c] 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

        Jesus had just finished the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. The crowds see this amazing miracle and they want to make Jesus king by force. For most of us, it would have been so tempting to get carried up in the emotion and adoration of the crowd. Jesus is rightfully king so why not let the crowds do what they want to do? He knew the Father’s plan was the plan. He knew his time hadn’t come. He knew he wasn’t going to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords by going man’s way.

        Do we have clarity on the mission? Is it to accumulate the most wealth? Is it to provide a comfortable home and upbringing for our kids? Is it to have the most fame, power, pleasure? Those things aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves, but they can get us off track. As a husband, my mission is to love my wife as Christ loved the church. It’s to give myself up for her. It’s to make her holy - set her apart - It’s to wash her with the Word. As a dad, my mission is to raise my children in the fear and understanding of the Lord.

        As a follower of Christ, my mission is to go full circle in my pursuit of him and help the next person do the same thing. The great commission. A co-mission with Jesus.

        Mark 8:31-33 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man[c] must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.[d]33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

        This is the most severe rebuke we see Jesus issue to the disciples. Peter had good intentions, but he was trying to get Jesus to stray from the mission.

        This is one of the reasons connection with other believers is so important. The world is always going to pull you away from pursuing God, sometimes unintentionally sometimes intentionally. When you’re trying to decide about taking a new job offer, what’s the first thing the world would usually ask - does it pay more? You need someone to ask - how will this affect your ability to love your wife and kids well? How is it going to affect your time for serving the kingdom? Is it a good use of the gifts God has given you? Again, earning more money is not a bad thing and Praise God that he sometimes blesses us financially - but it can so easily get us off track.

        When I used to coach football, I rarely watched college games on the weekend, even though I love college football. I just felt like I was already committing 20 to 25 hours per week between practices, weights, watching film and games and I thought it would be irresponsible to spend more time on the weekend watching it. When I would tell my coaching buddies that, they couldn’t believe it. When I told my close, Christian brothers they would say, “makes sense. You don’t want it to be an idol and you’re already taking plenty of time away from your wife and kids.” I knew the value of bouncing ideas off of men who love Jesus and care for me.

        
        

        Teachable Moments

        Jesus was intentional about taking advantage of teachable moments. He didn’t let the urgent get in the way of the important. He knew he had a limited amount of time to invest in his disciples and wanted to make the most of every opportunity.

        
        

        Mark 8:14-21 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’[a] Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”“Twelve,” they said.20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”“Seven,” they said.21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

        Jesus was so intentional about taking advantage of teachable moments with the disciples. Here, they’re out on the lake, away from the noise of the crowds. He warns them about the yeast of the Pharisees and they’re clueless about what he’s talking about. They think he’s bringing it up because they forgot bread. Jesus was so patient with them. He reprimands them in this lesson. Don’t you remember anything at all? We know that Jesus didn’t overreact when he did this. He didn’t lose his cool. He was sinless. Sometimes, we have to point out obvious foolishness when we’re in a teaching moment. We want to be very careful that we’re not prideful about it, lest we fall into the same temptation, but sometimes we have to be direct and straightforward.

        Story about couple sleeping together and me beating around the bush when asking about it.

        We see a pattern so often in the gospels of Jesus giving a public teaching and then explaining it to the disciples when he had them alone. The sermon wasn’t enough. Jesus was the greatest preacher of all times, so if they needed more teaching after listening to him, how much more do people in our lives need it.

        Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

        
        

        Are you intentional about looking for teachable moments for your kids? If you have teenage sons, do you invite them to listen to this podcast with you? Do you have times of intentional conversation with them? I know it’s not easy. I know there’s a lot of awkward silence at times. I experienced that with both of my sons. But stick with it. Hang in there.

        The time we have with our kids goes by so fast. We have to be intentional about teachable moments.

        
        

        Humble Servant

        Jesus was the epitome of servant leadership. He humbled himself, left the comforts of heaven, and went to the cross. The God of the universe took on frail, human flesh and was faced with every temptation we face, but never sinned. When we’re following Jesus, we’re following a servant.

        John 13:3-8Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

        It was out of Jesus’ knowledge that God the Father had given him authority over everything that led him to serve the disciples in this way. Verse 4 says “so” he got up from the table. It’s linking it back to verse three. Insecurities often cause us to not want to humble ourselves. There isn’t an ounce of insecurity in Jesus. He knows exactly who he is and the authority he has.

        Washing someone’s feet in that culture was the lowest of the low jobs. It’s what the slave in the household who was at the bottom of the totem pole had to do. They’re walking on dirt roads, barefoot or in sandals, there’s animal dung everywhere. This was not a pretty sight. And Jesus takes it upon himself to wash the disciples feet.

        There was a time when leadership like this meant something, even in the secular culture. What do we call our elected officials? Public servants right? Do we still call them that anymore? That’s the ideal though. They’re supposed to consider themselves servants to those who they lead.

        Men, we’re called to be the leaders in our homes. That means we should be the biggest servant. If we want our wives and children to respect our leadership, we need to lead with their best in mind. We need to lead in a way that models service to them.

        Philippians 2:5-8 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.6 Though he was God,[a] he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b]; he took the humble position of a slave[c] and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,[d]8. he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross

        
        

        Jesus modeled servant leadership long before he washed the feet of the disciples. Taking on flesh, leaving the comforts of heaven, being born in a manger, dealing with hunger, thirst, fatigue, cold, heat - all the things humans deal with is such a powerful example of him humbling himself and leading by serving. The apex of it was when he went to the cross and did a criminal’s death.

        
        

        Close

        To be great in the kingdom of heaven, we need to be a servant. In God’s upside down kingdom, we’re exalted when we humble ourselves in service to others.

        Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

        This comes as the disciples are indignant with James and John for asking to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his kingdom.

        If Jesus didn’t come to be served, even though he deserves it, then how can we have the attitude of expecting people to serve us? If we want to be great, if we want to be a leader in the kingdom of heaven, we better learn how to be a servant.

        ]]>dd2b0bb0-006f-42b4-90ee-ee29c28e835eThu, 21 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -060043:29falsefullWhat’s keeping you on the sidelines? (Mark 10:46-52) - The PursueGOD Truth PodcastIn Mark 10:46-52 Jesus encounters a blind beggar without purpose in life. The interaction begs a question for every pursuer who has lost his way: What’s keeping you on the sidelines?

        --

        About this episode:

        This is part of our Gospel of Mark series at pursueGOD.org. Find resources to talk about it with your family, small group, or mentor at www.pursueGOD.org/mark.

        --

        Additional notes:

        ]]>In Mark 10:46-52 Jesus encounters a blind beggar without purpose in life. The interaction begs a question for every pursuer who has lost his way: What’s keeping you on the sidelines?

        --

        About this episode:

        This is part of our Gospel of Mark series at pursueGOD.org. Find resources to talk about it with your family, small group, or mentor at www.pursueGOD.org/mark.

        --

        Additional notes:

        ]]>47ab053f-a15a-4de7-bdde-f10a277958b7Fri, 08 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -060035:48falsebonusHow to Lead Like JonathanIntro

        We’re in the third week of our leadership principles for men and we’re taking a look at Jonathan. Jonathan is the son of King Saul, the first king of the nation of Israel. The first story we’re going to look at is at a time when Israel is at war with the Philistines. Saul has already disobeyed the Lord and has been reprimanded by the prophet Samuel and the army is in a tough spot. They’re outnumbered and they’re ill-equipped. Jonathan is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. We’ll see he had great courage, great faith, humility, and he was a great leader. This may be the most practical lesson in the series. We’re going to get into some very specific leadership principles that can help you lead at home, in the church, and in your workplace.

        Communicate

        Jonathan over communicated, communicated clearly, and welcomed feedback. Good leaders are always looking for opportunities to earn trust, and it’s clear Jonathan had earned trust from his armor bearer. Jonathan knew his strength came from the Lord and that God was the one who would bring victory.

        1 Samuel 14:1-14 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.

        
        

        2 Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree[a] at Migron. 3 Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.

        
        

        No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. 4 To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. 6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

        
        

        7 “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”

        
        

        8 “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

        
        

        11 When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” 12 Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”

        
        

        “Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”

        
        

        13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. 14 They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.[b]

        
        

        Jonathan communicates very clearly and very specifically to his armor bearer about what his plans are. He didn’t have to do this. His armor bearer was essentially a servant. No one would have reprimanded Jonathan for keeping his plans to himself. He communicates it in a way that gave his armor bearer a chance to respond. Jonathan has created an environment with his armor bear where he feels safe giving feedback.

        Do you seek feedback on a regular basis for those you lead? Have you created an environment where people are unafraid to ask questions if they don’t have clarity on what you’re asking them to do or have you created an environment where people feel like you have an “It’s my way or the highway” type of leadership style?

        Jonathan gives very clear instructions about what he is proposing. He isn’t quite sure of the battle plan at the beginning because he wants to be sure the Lord is behind them. He knows that it is the Lord who is going to give victory if they engage with the enemy. He isn’t worried about the numbers. He knows the Lord can win a battle whether he has many warriors or few. This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It’s such a great reminder to us. We live and minister in an area that has a relatively small percentage of people who practice biblical Christianity. If we just look at the numbers, it can be very discouraging and daunting, but God is mighty and will win the battle with many soldiers or few.

        I love the armor bearer’s response - “Do what you think is best. I’m with you completely - whatever you decide.” In the translation I used as a kid he said, “Do whatever you have in mind. I’m with you heart and soul.” Man, that’s a leader who has led well. That’s a leader who has earned trust during the course of the relationship. If your wife and your children say, “Dad. Do what you have in mind. We’re with you heart and soul.” Wow! What a powerful testimony that would be to your leadership. We may not always agree. We may not always understand, but we know you love us. We know you love God. We know that you’re genuinely making decisions that you think are the best for us - so we’re with you.

        The armor bearer had to obey Jonathan. He didn’t really have a choice, but you can tell there’s much more than that going on here. He didn’t just say yes sir. He said, “I’m with you completely!” I’m all in.

        I’ve been blessed to have a handful of men in my life that I would say, “Do whatever you have in mind. I’m with you heart and soul. You want to climb those cliffs and fight those guys who outnumber us? Let’s do it. My father-in-law was a man I’d go into battle with. The members of our Executive Team at our church - They’re not perfect. They make mistakes like the rest of us, but these men have earned my trust. I know they’re trying to honor God in their decision and do what’s best for the flock and I’d follow them anywhere.

        Verses 8 and 9 - look how clearly Jonathan communicates the plan - clarity is so important. Fight for clarity.

        When it’s time to go, Jonathan is in front. He’s not asking his armor bearer to go somewhere he’s not willing to go first. I watched a documentary on this story and they were at the actual location of the battle and this cliff they had to climb just to get to the Philistines was brutal. It was literally 4 points of contact in several places. Then when they finally get to the top, they’ve got to fight. And they’re some bad men - two whip twenty.

        
        

        Calculated Risk

        Good leaders know the appropriate time to take a risk. When we step out in faith for God, it can trigger great victories for the kingdom.

        
        

        1 Samuel 14:15-23 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.

        
        

        Israel Defeats the Philistines

        16 Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction.[c] 17 “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,” Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.

        
        

        18 Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.[d] 19 But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”[e]

        
        

        20 Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. 21 Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. 22 Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

        The Israelite army had been in a stalemate. They were in a vulnerable position. Morale was low and men were defecting to the enemy. You get a sense that Jonathan knew it was a critical time and that it was time to take a risk, to step out in faith.

        This first skirmish where Jonathan and his armor bearer kill twenty men becomes the catalyst for a rally and victory. God is involved. He creates an earthquake. He causes panic in the camp. The Philistines actually begin fighting one another. The Israelites who had defected over to the enemy turned back and began fighting for Israel.

        This was a risk, but a calculated risk. Jonathan didn’t move forward until he was confident the Lord was with him. We’re not talking about just taking foolish risks, although sometimes God calls us to go against the world’s wisdom like we saw when we studied Joshua’s leadership a couple of weeks ago.

        Where is God calling you to take a risk? Do you have believers in your life you can bounce the idea off of like Jonathan did with his armor bearer? So often, there are others who will join in if someone will just take the risk. The men who were hiding in the hill country joined in the fight once they saw the Philistines running away.

        Braveheart - Robert the Bruce scene - Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don't follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they'd follow you. And so would I

        Story of...]]>Intro

        We’re in the third week of our leadership principles for men and we’re taking a look at Jonathan. Jonathan is the son of King Saul, the first king of the nation of Israel. The first story we’re going to look at is at a time when Israel is at war with the Philistines. Saul has already disobeyed the Lord and has been reprimanded by the prophet Samuel and the army is in a tough spot. They’re outnumbered and they’re ill-equipped. Jonathan is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. We’ll see he had great courage, great faith, humility, and he was a great leader. This may be the most practical lesson in the series. We’re going to get into some very specific leadership principles that can help you lead at home, in the church, and in your workplace.

        Communicate

        Jonathan over communicated, communicated clearly, and welcomed feedback. Good leaders are always looking for opportunities to earn trust, and it’s clear Jonathan had earned trust from his armor bearer. Jonathan knew his strength came from the Lord and that God was the one who would bring victory.

        1 Samuel 14:1-14 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.

        
        

        2 Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree[a] at Migron. 3 Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.

        
        

        No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. 4 To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. 6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

        
        

        7 “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”

        
        

        8 “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

        
        

        11 When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” 12 Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”

        
        

        “Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”

        
        

        13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. 14 They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.[b]

        
        

        Jonathan communicates very clearly and very specifically to his armor bearer about what his plans are. He didn’t have to do this. His armor bearer was essentially a servant. No one would have reprimanded Jonathan for keeping his plans to himself. He communicates it in a way that gave his armor bearer a chance to respond. Jonathan has created an environment with his armor bear where he feels safe giving feedback.

        Do you seek feedback on a regular basis for those you lead? Have you created an environment where people are unafraid to ask questions if they don’t have clarity on what you’re asking them to do or have you created an environment where people feel like you have an “It’s my way or the highway” type of leadership style?

        Jonathan gives very clear instructions about what he is proposing. He isn’t quite sure of the battle plan at the beginning because he wants to be sure the Lord is behind them. He knows that it is the Lord who is going to give victory if they engage with the enemy. He isn’t worried about the numbers. He knows the Lord can win a battle whether he has many warriors or few. This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It’s such a great reminder to us. We live and minister in an area that has a relatively small percentage of people who practice biblical Christianity. If we just look at the numbers, it can be very discouraging and daunting, but God is mighty and will win the battle with many soldiers or few.

        I love the armor bearer’s response - “Do what you think is best. I’m with you completely - whatever you decide.” In the translation I used as a kid he said, “Do whatever you have in mind. I’m with you heart and soul.” Man, that’s a leader who has led well. That’s a leader who has earned trust during the course of the relationship. If your wife and your children say, “Dad. Do what you have in mind. We’re with you heart and soul.” Wow! What a powerful testimony that would be to your leadership. We may not always agree. We may not always understand, but we know you love us. We know you love God. We know that you’re genuinely making decisions that you think are the best for us - so we’re with you.

        The armor bearer had to obey Jonathan. He didn’t really have a choice, but you can tell there’s much more than that going on here. He didn’t just say yes sir. He said, “I’m with you completely!” I’m all in.

        I’ve been blessed to have a handful of men in my life that I would say, “Do whatever you have in mind. I’m with you heart and soul. You want to climb those cliffs and fight those guys who outnumber us? Let’s do it. My father-in-law was a man I’d go into battle with. The members of our Executive Team at our church - They’re not perfect. They make mistakes like the rest of us, but these men have earned my trust. I know they’re trying to honor God in their decision and do what’s best for the flock and I’d follow them anywhere.

        Verses 8 and 9 - look how clearly Jonathan communicates the plan - clarity is so important. Fight for clarity.

        When it’s time to go, Jonathan is in front. He’s not asking his armor bearer to go somewhere he’s not willing to go first. I watched a documentary on this story and they were at the actual location of the battle and this cliff they had to climb just to get to the Philistines was brutal. It was literally 4 points of contact in several places. Then when they finally get to the top, they’ve got to fight. And they’re some bad men - two whip twenty.

        
        

        Calculated Risk

        Good leaders know the appropriate time to take a risk. When we step out in faith for God, it can trigger great victories for the kingdom.

        
        

        1 Samuel 14:15-23 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.

        
        

        Israel Defeats the Philistines

        16 Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction.[c] 17 “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,” Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.

        
        

        18 Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.[d] 19 But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”[e]

        
        

        20 Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. 21 Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. 22 Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

        The Israelite army had been in a stalemate. They were in a vulnerable position. Morale was low and men were defecting to the enemy. You get a sense that Jonathan knew it was a critical time and that it was time to take a risk, to step out in faith.

        This first skirmish where Jonathan and his armor bearer kill twenty men becomes the catalyst for a rally and victory. God is involved. He creates an earthquake. He causes panic in the camp. The Philistines actually begin fighting one another. The Israelites who had defected over to the enemy turned back and began fighting for Israel.

        This was a risk, but a calculated risk. Jonathan didn’t move forward until he was confident the Lord was with him. We’re not talking about just taking foolish risks, although sometimes God calls us to go against the world’s wisdom like we saw when we studied Joshua’s leadership a couple of weeks ago.

        Where is God calling you to take a risk? Do you have believers in your life you can bounce the idea off of like Jonathan did with his armor bearer? So often, there are others who will join in if someone will just take the risk. The men who were hiding in the hill country joined in the fight once they saw the Philistines running away.

        Braveheart - Robert the Bruce scene - Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don't follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they'd follow you. And so would I

        Story of young boy at our church who has been leading a small group since he was in 5th grade. Going up to strangers at a park and asking them if they want to join his Bible study. They decline and he just says “no problem. If you change your mind, we’ll be right over here.” That’s courage. That’s a young man people are going to follow.

        Psalm 20:7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.

        It may seem like a risk, but when God is moving and has called us to step out in faith, the real risk is not doing it. It keeps us from seeing him at work. It robs us of that faith milestone where we get to see him do something God-sized.

        
        

        Principle over Position

        Jonathan chose principle over position. Though he was next in line to be king of Israel, he wanted to obey God and he wanted what was best for the nation - even if that meant going against his father and putting his own life in danger.

        1 Samuel 18:1-4 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

        David and Jonathan form a tight bond right from the start. They’re both warriors. They’ve both taken risks. God has given them both amazing victories.

        
        

        1 Samuel 19:1-6 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, 2 told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. 3 I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

        
        

        4 The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. 5 Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”

        
        

        6 So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”

        
        

        Jonathan stood to be the next King of Israel. David was a threat to that position. The people were already singing songs that Saul had slain thousands and David tens of thousands.

        Jonathan acted as a peacemaker between David and Saul and had some momentary success. That is a role that we’re called to as leaders - peacemakers. We should take the initiative to help relationships be reconciled. Families, organizations, teams all function better when relationships are healthy.

        Jonathan reprimands the king. Even though it is his father, that still carries risk. Saul could have had him killed.

        
        

        
        

        1 Samuel 20:30-34 Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!”[d] he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? 31 As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

        
        

        32 “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” 33 Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.

        
        

        34 Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

        Jonathan’s loyalty and doing the right thing put him in physical danger. It caused a tear in his relationship with his father. Jonathan was willing to do the right thing even when it came at a great personal cost.

        When Jonathan reports to David that Saul still intends to kill him he says, “May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.” Jonathan recognizes God’s plan. He doesn’t try to fight against it even though it means he will not be king. Great leaders put the needs of those they’re leading above their own.

        
        

        Close

        Point

        Text

        Most of us aren’t going to be called to take the kind of risks Jonathan took but we will be called to take risks and step out in faith. We need to be looking for opportunities to earn trust from those we lead. Effectively communicating is one very practical way we can do that and not asking them to do something we aren’t willing to do is another.

        ]]>8c6e23dc-3930-4fe2-8c43-31870a438aadThu, 07 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -060035:48falsefullHow to Lead Like JoshuaIntro

        We’re going to look at a leader today who had big shoes to fill. Maybe you can relate to that. Joshua was stepping in for Moses. The man who led Israel out of Egypt and was the mediator between the people and Almighty God. I can only imagine the pressure he must have felt as he stepped into that role. Maybe you have a father-in-law that is a spiritual giant and you feel like you’ll never live up as you try to lead your family. Maybe in the corporate world, you’ve just stepped into a new position and you have big shoes to fill. Whatever it is, I think there are some lessons we can learn today that will help you and encourage you.

        Point

        Text

        Comment

        In the Face of Adversity

        Joshua focused on the character and power of God not the circumstances around him. He knew God would deliver on his promises. Godly leaders stand on God’s truth in the face of adversity.

        Numbers 14:5-12 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. 6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.[a] 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? 12 I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”

        Set context for the scene. Moses had sent out twelve spies to scout out the promised land.

        Only Joshua and Caleb want to move forward and take the promised land. Talk about harsh criticism - the rest of the people wanted to stone them. Stone them! Now that’s a high pressure situation.

        Story of students who left the classroom and all of the other students were clued in to answer incorrectly to a specific question. By the end of it the vast majority of the students who were out of the room just followed along with the crowd.

        Joshua and Caleb knew God was on their side. They weren’t the underdogs. The other nations didn’t stand a chance. Always bugs me when people call the story of David and Goliath an underdog story. David wasn’t the underdog. The Lord God Almighty was fighting with him. Goliath was the underdog and he got smoked.

        Do you know God’s promises? The only reason Joshua and Caleb weren’t suicidal maniacs is they knew God had promised they would inherit the land.

        His promise to never leave you or forsake you.

        His promise to forgive our sins when we confess them.

        His promise to work all things out for our good.

        Side note: We can’t hold God to promises he never made - prosperity gospel

        We need to stand when everyone around us is critical. I’ve come to grips with the fact that there could be a time in my life when I go to prison for speaking God’s truth. I hope that’s not the case. I don’t know what God has in store for our nation. But if something doesn’t change, I can see myself being accused of hate speech when I teach what God’s Word says about marriage, the sanctity of life, transgenderism, etc.

        Not allowing sleepovers for our kids, canceling cable - not saying God has put that conviction on everyone and not judging, but for us, we knew it was something God had called us to do and we took quite a bit of teasing and flak from family

        When It Goes Against the World

        Joshua was careful to obey the Lord’s commands. Leading well sometimes means going against the world’s wisdom.

        Joshua 6:1-5 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

        Can you imagine the reaction to the military leaders when Joshua shared the battle plan the Lord had given them? We’re going to march around the city in broad daylight. We’re not going to talk. We’re not going to charge the city. We’re going to walk around, we’re going to do that for six days. Then on the 7th day, we’re going to walk around 7 times and then we’re going to shout and the city will be ours. What? What kind of battle plan is that?

        Finances - the world’s wisdom vs. God’s wisdom

        Chik-Fil-A not open on Sundays - goes against world’s wisdom

        The Playbook

        God’s Word instructs us on how to lead well. God told Joshua he would be successful if he didn’t deviate from the instructions God had given. God wants us to be strong and courageous, and he will equip us to lead.

        Joshua 1:6-9“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

        Joshua is told three times by God to be strong and courageous and one time by the people. He is also told three times that God is with him. Why is this so important? This was going to be a daunting task. He’s filling in for the greatest leader Israel had ever known. He’s leading upwards of 1 million people into a land inhabited by people much stronger and more powerful. He’s leading a group of people that are stubborn and hard to lead. They’re quick to rebel.

        We’re not leading the sheer magnitude of numbers that Joshua led, but I feel like our task is just as daunting. We’re trying to raise kids who love and honor God in a culture that is increasingly hostile to God and his truth. We’re trying to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Some of us are leading employees. We’re trying to balance profitability with compassion and care for those we employ. If we lead in ministry, we’re trying to balance truth and love as we shepherd a broken flock. - So be strong and courageous! God is with you!

        Spend time in his Word. Meditate on it. 2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. -It’s useful. How encouraging that is for me as a leader. We all know what it’s like to have resources that are useful.

        Psalm 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

        What an encouragement to us as men as we seek to lead. When we meditate on God’s Word, we’ll bear fruit. We’ll be able to withstand the storms of life. Bearing fruit benefits those around us. They can seek refuge in our shade. There is protection.

        
        

        Set the Tone

        Joshua knew he couldn’t control the decisions of others and he couldn’t lead people where he wasn’t willing to go. He set the tone by modeling obedience to God and challenged the people to follow.

        Joshua 4:14 That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

        God made Joshua a great leader. When we have leadership skills, they are a gift from God. He can work through us to develop skills and become better leaders.

        Joshua had already been very careful to obey the Lord’s commands about setting up the 12 stone memorial in the river as they crossed. He honored the permission Moses had given to the two and half tribes that wanted to stay on the east side of the Jordan.

        Joshua 24:14-16 Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

        Joshua had been in all the battles. He’d walked the walk, not just talked the talk. You can’t lead people to a place you’re not willing to go.

        I love Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites. Here you go: you’ve got to make a decision....]]>Intro

        We’re going to look at a leader today who had big shoes to fill. Maybe you can relate to that. Joshua was stepping in for Moses. The man who led Israel out of Egypt and was the mediator between the people and Almighty God. I can only imagine the pressure he must have felt as he stepped into that role. Maybe you have a father-in-law that is a spiritual giant and you feel like you’ll never live up as you try to lead your family. Maybe in the corporate world, you’ve just stepped into a new position and you have big shoes to fill. Whatever it is, I think there are some lessons we can learn today that will help you and encourage you.

        Point

        Text

        Comment

        In the Face of Adversity

        Joshua focused on the character and power of God not the circumstances around him. He knew God would deliver on his promises. Godly leaders stand on God’s truth in the face of adversity.

        Numbers 14:5-12 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. 6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.[a] 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? 12 I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”

        Set context for the scene. Moses had sent out twelve spies to scout out the promised land.

        Only Joshua and Caleb want to move forward and take the promised land. Talk about harsh criticism - the rest of the people wanted to stone them. Stone them! Now that’s a high pressure situation.

        Story of students who left the classroom and all of the other students were clued in to answer incorrectly to a specific question. By the end of it the vast majority of the students who were out of the room just followed along with the crowd.

        Joshua and Caleb knew God was on their side. They weren’t the underdogs. The other nations didn’t stand a chance. Always bugs me when people call the story of David and Goliath an underdog story. David wasn’t the underdog. The Lord God Almighty was fighting with him. Goliath was the underdog and he got smoked.

        Do you know God’s promises? The only reason Joshua and Caleb weren’t suicidal maniacs is they knew God had promised they would inherit the land.

        His promise to never leave you or forsake you.

        His promise to forgive our sins when we confess them.

        His promise to work all things out for our good.

        Side note: We can’t hold God to promises he never made - prosperity gospel

        We need to stand when everyone around us is critical. I’ve come to grips with the fact that there could be a time in my life when I go to prison for speaking God’s truth. I hope that’s not the case. I don’t know what God has in store for our nation. But if something doesn’t change, I can see myself being accused of hate speech when I teach what God’s Word says about marriage, the sanctity of life, transgenderism, etc.

        Not allowing sleepovers for our kids, canceling cable - not saying God has put that conviction on everyone and not judging, but for us, we knew it was something God had called us to do and we took quite a bit of teasing and flak from family

        When It Goes Against the World

        Joshua was careful to obey the Lord’s commands. Leading well sometimes means going against the world’s wisdom.

        Joshua 6:1-5 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

        Can you imagine the reaction to the military leaders when Joshua shared the battle plan the Lord had given them? We’re going to march around the city in broad daylight. We’re not going to talk. We’re not going to charge the city. We’re going to walk around, we’re going to do that for six days. Then on the 7th day, we’re going to walk around 7 times and then we’re going to shout and the city will be ours. What? What kind of battle plan is that?

        Finances - the world’s wisdom vs. God’s wisdom

        Chik-Fil-A not open on Sundays - goes against world’s wisdom

        The Playbook

        God’s Word instructs us on how to lead well. God told Joshua he would be successful if he didn’t deviate from the instructions God had given. God wants us to be strong and courageous, and he will equip us to lead.

        Joshua 1:6-9“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

        Joshua is told three times by God to be strong and courageous and one time by the people. He is also told three times that God is with him. Why is this so important? This was going to be a daunting task. He’s filling in for the greatest leader Israel had ever known. He’s leading upwards of 1 million people into a land inhabited by people much stronger and more powerful. He’s leading a group of people that are stubborn and hard to lead. They’re quick to rebel.

        We’re not leading the sheer magnitude of numbers that Joshua led, but I feel like our task is just as daunting. We’re trying to raise kids who love and honor God in a culture that is increasingly hostile to God and his truth. We’re trying to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Some of us are leading employees. We’re trying to balance profitability with compassion and care for those we employ. If we lead in ministry, we’re trying to balance truth and love as we shepherd a broken flock. - So be strong and courageous! God is with you!

        Spend time in his Word. Meditate on it. 2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. -It’s useful. How encouraging that is for me as a leader. We all know what it’s like to have resources that are useful.

        Psalm 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

        What an encouragement to us as men as we seek to lead. When we meditate on God’s Word, we’ll bear fruit. We’ll be able to withstand the storms of life. Bearing fruit benefits those around us. They can seek refuge in our shade. There is protection.

        
        

        Set the Tone

        Joshua knew he couldn’t control the decisions of others and he couldn’t lead people where he wasn’t willing to go. He set the tone by modeling obedience to God and challenged the people to follow.

        Joshua 4:14 That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

        God made Joshua a great leader. When we have leadership skills, they are a gift from God. He can work through us to develop skills and become better leaders.

        Joshua had already been very careful to obey the Lord’s commands about setting up the 12 stone memorial in the river as they crossed. He honored the permission Moses had given to the two and half tribes that wanted to stay on the east side of the Jordan.

        Joshua 24:14-16 Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

        Joshua had been in all the battles. He’d walked the walk, not just talked the talk. You can’t lead people to a place you’re not willing to go.

        I love Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites. Here you go: you’ve got to make a decision. You’ve seen God’s faithfulness. You’ve driven out all these nations you wouldn’t have been able to drive out without God, but you’ve got to make a choice. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

        My son just left for college a week ago. I had to come to grips with the fact that he has to make that decision for himself as to whether or not he’s going to follow the Lord. I can model it. I can talk about God’s faithfulness. I can remind him of God’s love and I can declare that I’m going to follow God, but I can’t make him do that.

        It’s the same challenge I would give to our listeners today. You can listen to great sermons, you can listen to podcasts like this one, but no one else can make that decision for you. You have to decide if you’re going to serve the Lord.

        ]]>276f7b9c-28ad-4a3e-a1e7-2570b0e27c63Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -060036:24falsefullHow to Lead Like MosesIntro

        Leading well is something every man should desire to do. God took a reluctant leader in Moses and used him to bring the entire nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.

        We’re starting a new series today on the podcast and the focus is going to be on leadership. We’re going to be looking at several characters from the Bible and lessons we can learn from them about leading well. I know some of you may be tempted to tune out. You might think, “I’m not a leader.” Maybe you’re an introvert or maybe you would say you’re socially awkward or not an effective communicator. If that describes you, please stick around. I think the Bible would challenge that attitude. We’re going to kick off this series by looking at Moses. And though we’re calling it “Lead like Moses”, we’re going to start by learning from some of Moses’ mistakes so that we don’t repeat them. Moses shows us that we can grow in our leadership and early failures don't mean God can't use us. If you define leadership as simply getting others to go where you want them to go, Moses had to be one of the greatest leaders of all time.

        Moses: Overcoming reluctance

        Joshua: Sticking to it

        Jonathan: Earning trust

        Jesus: Serving humbly

        Calling All Men

        God can use anyone, regardless of your past. God isn’t calling all of us to lead large groups of people, but he is calling all of us to lead our families if we’re married, and lead at least one other person in discipleship.

        Exodus 2:11-12 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. 12 After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

        
        

        Background on Moses’ birth, cultural context of israelites after the time of Joseph.

        I don’t know what mistakes you’ve made in life, but I would imagine they fall short of murdering someone. God still had a plan to use Moses.

        
        

        Romans 12:8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.

        Paul recognizes that one of the spiritual gifts is leadership. He says, “If” God has given you leadership. That implies that not everyone has that spiritual gift. Not everyone is called to lead large groups of people. But, if we do have it, we need to take the responsibility seriously. How many men are recognized as leaders in their community or in their profession, but fail to lead at home? They fail to lead in their church. If you sense God has given you the gift of leadership, exercise that gift. Doesn’t mean we base leadership positions in the church using the same criteria the world uses. God judges the heart. The world looks at the outward appearance.

        This is one of the reasons I’m in ministry. I’ve always been what I could call a reluctant leader. Captain of the football team in high school, even though I wasn’t the most gifted player, president of the show choir in high school even though I wasn’t the most gifted singer, led small groups by default, recruiting and led 1800 sales professionals in previous career and yet, if it was up to me, I’d stay in the shadows. I was challenged by Christian men who recognized I had the gift of leadership to take the responsibility seriously.

        
        

        Ephesians 5:23-34 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

        Though we’re not all called to lead large groups of people, all men are called to lead in the home if you’re married. All men are called to lead at least one other person in discipleship. The great commission.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        Who Am I?

        Don’t make excuses. When God calls you to lead, he’ll equip you to lead. He can use your shortcomings to bring more glory to himself as you lead. Our obedience is more important than our giftings when it comes to leadership.

        Exodus 3:11-14 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

        14 God replied to Moses, “I am who i am.[d] Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh,[e] the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.

        
        

        Moses didn’t think God had the right guy. He was scared. You’re going to see a lot of “what ifs” coming from Moses at the beginning. Leadership is scary. I actually think that is one of the blessings of leadership. It keeps us very aware of our dependence on God. Wrong choices have bigger consequences when others are involved and people are following us.

        Story about starting to lock doors after I got married

        
        

        Exodus 4:1-5But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.3 “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.4 Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.5 “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”

        Moses continues to come up with excuses and “what ifs” . In verse 10 he says he gets tongue tied and his words get tangled. He repeats this fear about being a clumsy speaker in chapter 6 verse 12 after one of the first confrontations with Pharoah. Interestingly, he wasn’t a clumsy communicator - Acts 7:21-22 When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action. This statement was made about Moses before God called him to lead his people. Sometimes when we allow fear to creep in, we have a distorted view of the giftings God has given us. We’re not talking about becoming prideful. Any gifts we do have are from God and he deserves the honor and glory.

        1 Corinthians 1:27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

        Exodus 4:20-26 Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.

        
        

        21 And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. 22 Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I commanded you, “Let my son go, so he can worship me.” But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!’”

        
        

        24 On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him. 25 But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet[b] with the foreskin and said, “Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 (When she said “a bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the Lord left him alone.

        This is one of those stories that seems to pop up out of nowhere. We read it and we’re like, what? God was going to kill Moses? It reminds us of just how serious sin is.

        Moses hadn’t circumcised his sons. This was a clear violation of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. Luckily, his wife, who wasn’t even Jewish, recognized what needed to be done. Commentary - maybe she was the one originally who had protested doing it because it seemed barbaric. Now she sees the seriousness of the calling of Moses, the sacrifice it would mean, and the importance of obedience.

        Repetition of “Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded” Littered throughout Exodus and other books of the pentateuch. 7 times in chapter 40 of Exodus alone.

        No guarantee that things will go smoothly when we are obedient

        If people follow you and where you’re going, where would they end up?

        Moses was all in. He took his wife and sons with him. If this backfired, it would put their lives in danger. Safe thing would have been to leave them with Jethro.

        Stand in the Gap

        Great leaders stand in the gap for those they’re leading. Moses was a buffer between Pharaoh and the Israelites and also a mediator between the Israelites and the Lord.

        Exodus 20:18-20 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has]]>Intro

        Leading well is something every man should desire to do. God took a reluctant leader in Moses and used him to bring the entire nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.

        We’re starting a new series today on the podcast and the focus is going to be on leadership. We’re going to be looking at several characters from the Bible and lessons we can learn from them about leading well. I know some of you may be tempted to tune out. You might think, “I’m not a leader.” Maybe you’re an introvert or maybe you would say you’re socially awkward or not an effective communicator. If that describes you, please stick around. I think the Bible would challenge that attitude. We’re going to kick off this series by looking at Moses. And though we’re calling it “Lead like Moses”, we’re going to start by learning from some of Moses’ mistakes so that we don’t repeat them. Moses shows us that we can grow in our leadership and early failures don't mean God can't use us. If you define leadership as simply getting others to go where you want them to go, Moses had to be one of the greatest leaders of all time.

        Moses: Overcoming reluctance

        Joshua: Sticking to it

        Jonathan: Earning trust

        Jesus: Serving humbly

        Calling All Men

        God can use anyone, regardless of your past. God isn’t calling all of us to lead large groups of people, but he is calling all of us to lead our families if we’re married, and lead at least one other person in discipleship.

        Exodus 2:11-12 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. 12 After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

        
        

        Background on Moses’ birth, cultural context of israelites after the time of Joseph.

        I don’t know what mistakes you’ve made in life, but I would imagine they fall short of murdering someone. God still had a plan to use Moses.

        
        

        Romans 12:8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.

        Paul recognizes that one of the spiritual gifts is leadership. He says, “If” God has given you leadership. That implies that not everyone has that spiritual gift. Not everyone is called to lead large groups of people. But, if we do have it, we need to take the responsibility seriously. How many men are recognized as leaders in their community or in their profession, but fail to lead at home? They fail to lead in their church. If you sense God has given you the gift of leadership, exercise that gift. Doesn’t mean we base leadership positions in the church using the same criteria the world uses. God judges the heart. The world looks at the outward appearance.

        This is one of the reasons I’m in ministry. I’ve always been what I could call a reluctant leader. Captain of the football team in high school, even though I wasn’t the most gifted player, president of the show choir in high school even though I wasn’t the most gifted singer, led small groups by default, recruiting and led 1800 sales professionals in previous career and yet, if it was up to me, I’d stay in the shadows. I was challenged by Christian men who recognized I had the gift of leadership to take the responsibility seriously.

        
        

        Ephesians 5:23-34 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

        Though we’re not all called to lead large groups of people, all men are called to lead in the home if you’re married. All men are called to lead at least one other person in discipleship. The great commission.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        Who Am I?

        Don’t make excuses. When God calls you to lead, he’ll equip you to lead. He can use your shortcomings to bring more glory to himself as you lead. Our obedience is more important than our giftings when it comes to leadership.

        Exodus 3:11-14 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

        14 God replied to Moses, “I am who i am.[d] Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh,[e] the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.

        
        

        Moses didn’t think God had the right guy. He was scared. You’re going to see a lot of “what ifs” coming from Moses at the beginning. Leadership is scary. I actually think that is one of the blessings of leadership. It keeps us very aware of our dependence on God. Wrong choices have bigger consequences when others are involved and people are following us.

        Story about starting to lock doors after I got married

        
        

        Exodus 4:1-5But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.3 “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.4 Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.5 “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”

        Moses continues to come up with excuses and “what ifs” . In verse 10 he says he gets tongue tied and his words get tangled. He repeats this fear about being a clumsy speaker in chapter 6 verse 12 after one of the first confrontations with Pharoah. Interestingly, he wasn’t a clumsy communicator - Acts 7:21-22 When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action. This statement was made about Moses before God called him to lead his people. Sometimes when we allow fear to creep in, we have a distorted view of the giftings God has given us. We’re not talking about becoming prideful. Any gifts we do have are from God and he deserves the honor and glory.

        1 Corinthians 1:27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

        Exodus 4:20-26 Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.

        
        

        21 And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. 22 Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I commanded you, “Let my son go, so he can worship me.” But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!’”

        
        

        24 On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him. 25 But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet[b] with the foreskin and said, “Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 (When she said “a bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the Lord left him alone.

        This is one of those stories that seems to pop up out of nowhere. We read it and we’re like, what? God was going to kill Moses? It reminds us of just how serious sin is.

        Moses hadn’t circumcised his sons. This was a clear violation of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. Luckily, his wife, who wasn’t even Jewish, recognized what needed to be done. Commentary - maybe she was the one originally who had protested doing it because it seemed barbaric. Now she sees the seriousness of the calling of Moses, the sacrifice it would mean, and the importance of obedience.

        Repetition of “Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded” Littered throughout Exodus and other books of the pentateuch. 7 times in chapter 40 of Exodus alone.

        No guarantee that things will go smoothly when we are obedient

        If people follow you and where you’re going, where would they end up?

        Moses was all in. He took his wife and sons with him. If this backfired, it would put their lives in danger. Safe thing would have been to leave them with Jethro.

        Stand in the Gap

        Great leaders stand in the gap for those they’re leading. Moses was a buffer between Pharaoh and the Israelites and also a mediator between the Israelites and the Lord.

        Exodus 20:18-20 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.”

        
        

        Moses was the representative before Pharaoh. He was the mediator between the people and the Lord when they were afraid to have God speak to them directly.

        Exodus 32:9-14 Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. 10 Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”11 But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. “O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? 12 Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.[a] You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”14 So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.

        Israelites had already caused Moses so much grief. I think it would have been so tempting to say, “Go ahead, God.”

        God changes his mind? In his foreknowledge he knew he would relent because he knew how Moses would respond. It’s not really a changing of the mind, but shows how God involves people in accomplishing his plans.

        How do you need to stand in the gap for those you lead? At work, at home, at church?

        Difficult conversation with homosexual couple that wanted to serve in Kid’s church for my Kid’s Church Director

        Helping my wife know it’s OK to say no to things

        People don’t care what you know until they know that you care

        College Football Coach Mike Gundy sticking up for his quarterback

        Praying for those you lead is the most powerful way to stand in the gap for them. That’s what Moses was doing. He was conversing with God, that’s prayer, and he was interceding for the nation of Israel.

        
        

        Good leaders understand the importance of receiving feedback and delegating responsibility. They exhibit humility in their successes

        Exodus 18:14-18 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”15 Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. 16 When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.”17 “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.

        
        

        Moses was trying to do it all by himself. Jethro told him how unwise it was, and ultimately, how unproductive. Part of being a great leader is giving leadership away. It’s raising up others and empowering them.

        Moses listened to Jethro’s advice. How easy would it have been for Moses to say, “I’m the guy. I’m the one God has called to lead these people.” He was humble. In fact, throughout Moses’ time leading the Israelites, that’s something that jumps out over and over is his humility. Numbers 12:3 (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)

        How open are you to feedback? What would your wife and kids say? What about subordinates or co-workers at work? How often do you seek feedback?

        People don’t care what you know until they know that you care

        
        

        
        

        
        

        Close

        Leading well is something every man should desire to do. God took a reluctant leader in Moses and used him to bring the entire nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.

        
        

        Moses had a monumental task of leading the Israelites. They were grumblers and complainers. They were stiff necked and rebellious. He was reluctant at first, but he submitted to God’s authority, was careful to obey him, and remained humble. God used him to accomplish amazing things, and he can do the same through you.

        ]]>fa8470c4-6315-47af-8f21-3c95d0f0c869Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -060042:29falsefullA Biblical Discussion on GenderWe’re tackling a subject today that our granddads never really dealt with, our dads most likely didn’t deal with it, but it seems to be in our face and in the faces of our children on a daily basis - and that is the issue of gender. Are there two genders? Is gender just a social construct? Can I change my gender if I feel like I’m not really the gender that I was born as? These are questions that no one was even asking just a few decades ago.

        The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

        Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

        Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

        Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

        Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

        We look to God and his Word in all that we do. So what does God’s Word have to say about gender? 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. - His Word is useful. It corrects us when we’re wrong, and there are a lot of people who are wrong on this issue of gender.

        In the beginning, God created them male and female. This was before the fall and God said it was very good. The differences between male and female should be celebrated, not diminished.

        Genesis 1:27-28 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

        God’s design, his perfect design, was two genders; male and female. This was his original, perfect plan. Both are created in the image of God. Both have immeasurable worth and value. They are of equal worth and dignity, but they are not the same. They complement one another. Eve is described as Adam’s help mate. The differences between male and female are good. They are for our benefit. They should be celebrated, not diminished.

        God’s command to be fruitful and multiply could only be carried out because of the two distinct genders and their roles in procreation.

        Genesis 1:31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

        When God looked over the creation earlier in the creation story, it was good at the end of each day. It wasn’t until God created humankind that it was very good! The differences between male and female are part of what made it very good!

        I’m so thankful women aren’t exactly like men. I can guarantee you my kids are thankful. Their mom brings strengths to our family as a result of her femininity that I don’t have. And my wife is kind of a tomboy. That’s probably a politically incorrect term nowadays. She rides motorcycles. She’d rather wear pants than a dress. She likes shooting guns. But she still brings a nurturing, a compassion, and an empathy that I lack. I know some of that is more personality related than gender, but not all of it. Studies show that, on average, women are more nurturing than men. Women are more compassionate than men. They typically have more empathy.

        Genesis 6:17-21 Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.

        The flood was sort of the great reset and once again, we see the importance of male and female - Noah and his sons and their wives, male and female from each kind of animal.

        The reality is if you put 50 biological men or 50 biological women on an island, regardless of what they identify as, that whole population will die out in one generation. There is no way to create offspring without the two, distinct genders being present.

        Our gender is determined at conception. God has a plan and purpose for our life before we take our first breath. When we trust our feelings over what God has declared to be true, we are essentially declaring that we know better than the perfect, holy God who created us.

        Psalm 139:13-16 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.15You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

        This is one of the most powerful passages in scripture to me. God has made me wonderfully complex. His workmanship is marvelous. If you’re struggling with gender identity, you need to know that God has created you wonderfully complex. He saw you before you were born. He has a purpose and a plan for your life.

        Any attempt to alter how God created you is rebelling against his plan and usurping his authority. It is saying, “I know better than God does. He got it wrong!” That has to be one of the most arrogant, prideful stances we can take. Think of what that would look like if we did that in other areas of our life. God, I know you said don’t steal, but I’m pretty sure I feel like I deserve this thing and I can’t afford to buy it. God I know you said marriage was a lifelong commitment, but I don’t feel like my spouse loves me and I know you want me to be happy so I’m going to bail on my marriage.

        Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked, who really knows how bad it is?

        We live in a culture that says, “Follow your heart. Do what makes you happy.” The Bible says our heart is the last thing we should be following. It is desperately wicked. It leads us astray all of the time. Your heart says you don’t feel warm and fuzzy for your spouse any more so it’s time to move on. Your heart wants to sleep with your boyfriend or girlfriend before you’re married. Your heart wants instant gratification. We have to trust in the truth of God’s Word over our own thoughts, feelings, and opinions - very definition of sin.

        God not only has plans and purposes for us individually, he has distinctive roles for men and women in the church and in the home. We see different roles listed in both the OT and NT. Priests were men only. If a person would have identified as a male, would they have been qualified to be a priest? In the NT, there are different instructions to men and women.

        
        

        Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman must not put on men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing. Anyone who does this is detestable in the sight of the LORD your God.

        
        

        This prohibition of altering gender is not limited to surgery or hormone blockers. Men are not to dress as women, women are not to dress as men. That doesn’t mean women can’t wear pants - It’s common in our culture for women to wear pants. Pants aren’t considered “men’s clothing” in our culture. Wouldn’t forbid a man to wear a kilt in a culture where men commonly wear kilts. It’s not women’s clothing in that culture.

        
        

        Romans 1:24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.

        
        
        

        Love rejoices in the truth. Truth matters, and this is a topic that calls us to speak truth. We need to speak it gracefully and with compassion, but we also need to speak it unashamedly. God calls us to protect the weak and vulnerable.

        
        

        1 Corinthians 13:6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

        This comes from the famous “love” passage you’ve probably heard recited at a wedding ceremony. The “it” in verse 6 is love. Love rejoices in the truth. When we truly love someone, we want them to know...]]>We’re tackling a subject today that our granddads never really dealt with, our dads most likely didn’t deal with it, but it seems to be in our face and in the faces of our children on a daily basis - and that is the issue of gender. Are there two genders? Is gender just a social construct? Can I change my gender if I feel like I’m not really the gender that I was born as? These are questions that no one was even asking just a few decades ago.

        The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday.

        Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men.

        Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series.

        Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church.

        Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

        We look to God and his Word in all that we do. So what does God’s Word have to say about gender? 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. - His Word is useful. It corrects us when we’re wrong, and there are a lot of people who are wrong on this issue of gender.

        In the beginning, God created them male and female. This was before the fall and God said it was very good. The differences between male and female should be celebrated, not diminished.

        Genesis 1:27-28 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

        God’s design, his perfect design, was two genders; male and female. This was his original, perfect plan. Both are created in the image of God. Both have immeasurable worth and value. They are of equal worth and dignity, but they are not the same. They complement one another. Eve is described as Adam’s help mate. The differences between male and female are good. They are for our benefit. They should be celebrated, not diminished.

        God’s command to be fruitful and multiply could only be carried out because of the two distinct genders and their roles in procreation.

        Genesis 1:31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

        When God looked over the creation earlier in the creation story, it was good at the end of each day. It wasn’t until God created humankind that it was very good! The differences between male and female are part of what made it very good!

        I’m so thankful women aren’t exactly like men. I can guarantee you my kids are thankful. Their mom brings strengths to our family as a result of her femininity that I don’t have. And my wife is kind of a tomboy. That’s probably a politically incorrect term nowadays. She rides motorcycles. She’d rather wear pants than a dress. She likes shooting guns. But she still brings a nurturing, a compassion, and an empathy that I lack. I know some of that is more personality related than gender, but not all of it. Studies show that, on average, women are more nurturing than men. Women are more compassionate than men. They typically have more empathy.

        Genesis 6:17-21 Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.

        The flood was sort of the great reset and once again, we see the importance of male and female - Noah and his sons and their wives, male and female from each kind of animal.

        The reality is if you put 50 biological men or 50 biological women on an island, regardless of what they identify as, that whole population will die out in one generation. There is no way to create offspring without the two, distinct genders being present.

        Our gender is determined at conception. God has a plan and purpose for our life before we take our first breath. When we trust our feelings over what God has declared to be true, we are essentially declaring that we know better than the perfect, holy God who created us.

        Psalm 139:13-16 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.15You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

        This is one of the most powerful passages in scripture to me. God has made me wonderfully complex. His workmanship is marvelous. If you’re struggling with gender identity, you need to know that God has created you wonderfully complex. He saw you before you were born. He has a purpose and a plan for your life.

        Any attempt to alter how God created you is rebelling against his plan and usurping his authority. It is saying, “I know better than God does. He got it wrong!” That has to be one of the most arrogant, prideful stances we can take. Think of what that would look like if we did that in other areas of our life. God, I know you said don’t steal, but I’m pretty sure I feel like I deserve this thing and I can’t afford to buy it. God I know you said marriage was a lifelong commitment, but I don’t feel like my spouse loves me and I know you want me to be happy so I’m going to bail on my marriage.

        Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked, who really knows how bad it is?

        We live in a culture that says, “Follow your heart. Do what makes you happy.” The Bible says our heart is the last thing we should be following. It is desperately wicked. It leads us astray all of the time. Your heart says you don’t feel warm and fuzzy for your spouse any more so it’s time to move on. Your heart wants to sleep with your boyfriend or girlfriend before you’re married. Your heart wants instant gratification. We have to trust in the truth of God’s Word over our own thoughts, feelings, and opinions - very definition of sin.

        God not only has plans and purposes for us individually, he has distinctive roles for men and women in the church and in the home. We see different roles listed in both the OT and NT. Priests were men only. If a person would have identified as a male, would they have been qualified to be a priest? In the NT, there are different instructions to men and women.

        
        

        Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman must not put on men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing. Anyone who does this is detestable in the sight of the LORD your God.

        
        

        This prohibition of altering gender is not limited to surgery or hormone blockers. Men are not to dress as women, women are not to dress as men. That doesn’t mean women can’t wear pants - It’s common in our culture for women to wear pants. Pants aren’t considered “men’s clothing” in our culture. Wouldn’t forbid a man to wear a kilt in a culture where men commonly wear kilts. It’s not women’s clothing in that culture.

        
        

        Romans 1:24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.

        
        
        

        Love rejoices in the truth. Truth matters, and this is a topic that calls us to speak truth. We need to speak it gracefully and with compassion, but we also need to speak it unashamedly. God calls us to protect the weak and vulnerable.

        
        

        1 Corinthians 13:6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

        This comes from the famous “love” passage you’ve probably heard recited at a wedding ceremony. The “it” in verse 6 is love. Love rejoices in the truth. When we truly love someone, we want them to know truth. We want to speak truth.

        James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

        Why is this so important? In that culture, orphans and widows were the most vulnerable. We have a calling to protect the weak and vulnerable. Our children are being attacked by an agenda that is trying to destroy Biblical teaching. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say this is an organized attack straight from the pit of hell. Our battles aren’t against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces, principalities, and evils of this dark world.

        What’s the harm? First, the harm is it’s rebellion against God. That never ends well. There are always consequences for sin. The Bible tells us the wages of sin are death. There is also physical harm. Children who are making decisions about their bodies that are often irreversible at an age when they can’t legally drive, they can’t vote, they can’t smoke or drink alcohol and yet we’re allowing them to make these decisions.

        Don’t be apathetic. Don’t be slothful like we talked about on the last episode of the podcast. Engage with your children on this issue. They’re hearing about it non-stop from culture, social media, their peers. Speak truth into their lives. Resources at pursueGod to help you.

        
        
        
        

        Close

        Point

        Text

        Comment

        ]]>bb9ad7da-da0f-49fe-b2b3-c1de4ae84441Thu, 27 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -060045:53falsefull7 Deadly Sins - SlothIntro

        We’re looking at sin #7 in our 7 Deadly Sins series today. Before we get into the specific sin of sloth, we recognize you might be feeling a little beat down by now. Maybe you’re recognized that you struggle with every sin we’ve covered in the series. I’d just remind you that conviction is good. Condemnation is not. Ask God to strengthen you in these areas where he has revealed sin in your life and come to him with humility and a genuine desire to go his way instead of your own way. His grace and forgiveness are bigger than mistakes we’ve made in these areas.

        This sin of sloth is another that can sneak up on us, especially if we equate sloth with laziness. Laziness can be one of the symptoms of sloth, but it’s not the only one. So if you’re thinking you have a great work ethic, and you’re burning the candles at both ends, so there’s no way this could apply to you, think again.

        In fact, since we’re speaking to men specifically on this podcast, I would say that the American church at large is full of slothful men. We’re full of dads who don’t take God’s calling to be the primary pastor in their homes seriously - dads who kill themselves to provide financially for their families, but are absent emotionally and spiritually when they walk in the door. We’re surroyunded b men who fail to engage in real relationships and the good and the bad that comes with them - men who would rather escape reality and engage in a fake world online or on a video game because they’ve given up.

        Big Idea: The 7 deadly sins are not a list to keep us from getting the most out of life. The opposite is actually true and the sin of sloth proves it.

        
        

        The book Tender Warrior early in my life as a parent and husband led to me being on purpose as a husband and father. Today I have a wife that is amazing and we enjoy a great marriage, we have kids who we talk with everyday and cannot wait to spend time with, and we are already planning how we can impact our kids.

        
        

        
        

        Sloth is giving up on life and relationships; it looks like laziness, but in reality it’s apathy. Jesus hates it because he came for the exact opposite purpose: to give us a rich and satisfying life.

        John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

        We long for purpose. It’s part of being created in the image of God. When we feel like we have not purpose we’re not living a rich and satisfying life”

        Story about Jewish concentration camp prisoners moving dirt in the camp.

        The devil wants us to be apathetic. He wants to rob us of the joy we experience when we’re engaged in the lives of others.

        There was a season where I became pretty disengaged with my siblings and their families. I still went to the family functions, but I wasn’t engaging. Patterns of sin that I had seen for years, consequences to decisions that had been made but blaming everyone else, just got wearisome to me. One of my sisters challenged me on it. It was a hard conversation. Eventually, I thanked her for having the courage to confront me, but that wasn’t my immediate reaction.

        Surrounded by driven people, Surround yourself with people who are driven for the Kingdom and in life. However, Type A’’s be careful that the driven people at work that you are surrounded by lead you away from or distract you from your primary purpose as leader of your home. 77th FS and 14 days and Sunday afternoons…left no to little time to lead my family.. Which led to the “7 dark years”

        Our “7 dark years” in our marriage where we had a sick child, keeping our niece and nephew, my career was skyrocketing and I was deployed a lot…I was not being the leader of my house and was mis placing my purpose…burnout?. The dark years ended when I showed the proper concern, enthusiasm and purpose for my marriage again.

        
        

        
        

        The picture of genuine faith is not of monks hidden away in their monasteries, but rather of men and women engaged in their world.

        Sometimes our apathy is driven by a sense of pointlessness - “I’m just one guy. The world has gone down the tubes. What difference will it make?” I’m sure many of the men and women in scripture had some of those same thoughts. If we were engaging in our own strength and power that might be true. But as believers, we’ve been sent out under the power and authority of the King of all Kings.

        Gladiator line - “What we do here on earth echoes in eternity” .

        Hebrews 11:32-34 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

        Do you see a need? Do you see an injustice? Do you see an area where God is calling you to step in or step up?

        Are we too heavenly minded to be any earthly good? Not saying we shouldn’t have an eternal perspective. We definitely should. Not saying we shouldn’t long for heaven. We should. But God has invited us to be a part of building his kingdom. Are we taking that invitation seriously? The Great Commission tells me it’s more than just an invitation; it’s a command.

        
        

        “Modern Monk” - Many in the Church spend their time “going deep” in the Scripture but never apply it or disciple others. They have become complacent or apathetic to the Great Commission.

        As a fighter pilot, in the flight brief before every flight, I brief: “Complacency Kills”. What we do is serious life or death business. We need our pilots to be focused and ready for the flight because one small error can kill you and/or others. The same can be said for how we see disciple making and the Gospel. Complacency/ Apathy Kills

        
        

        Burn out for me leads to apathy- antidote is grateful worship/heart and proper rest (not laziness…The laziness lie for me). Proper rest is a whole other podcast, and once again, the key was having a mentor speak life into me to point it out. That mentor had concern, love, and patience with me to invest in me. Gents, that is what we are called to do as leaders of our marriage, homes, kids, and those around us that God has placed in our lives.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        
        

        The antidote to sloth is to purposefully engage in the world – and the payoff is joy. Jesus is our ultimate example of this kind of passionate purpose.

        Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[c] then you won’t become weary and give up.

        How is this a life that is rich and satisfying? I see words like strip off, run with endurance - I’m not much of a runner. My rule is that I don’t run unless there is a ball involved or someone with a weapon is chasing me. But because of the joy waiting for us. For the author of Hebrews to address this, you can assume that people were getting weary. They were giving up. They were giving in to sloth.

        How do we engage the world? Start with your family. Engage with your wife and kids. Engage with siblings. If they’re believers, help them take their next step in their pursuit of God. If they’re unbelievers, introduce them to Jesus. First conversation we did on this men’s podcast was to introduce how to use the PursueGOD resources to engage with other men. So many topics to choose from that give you the ability to meet people where they are. There’s nothing more important that you can do with your life than to pursue God and help the next person pursue God. It brings ultimate fulfillment.

        In my role as a pastor, I feel like I spend most all of my time engaging. When I get home, it’s very tempting to feel like, “this is my refuge”. It’s really tempting for me to disengage. When that happens the people I love the most are being hurt by my slothfulness.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        The world’s view of success vs. the failure of your marriage and family.

        The Cat’s in the Cradle

        ]]>Intro

        We’re looking at sin #7 in our 7 Deadly Sins series today. Before we get into the specific sin of sloth, we recognize you might be feeling a little beat down by now. Maybe you’re recognized that you struggle with every sin we’ve covered in the series. I’d just remind you that conviction is good. Condemnation is not. Ask God to strengthen you in these areas where he has revealed sin in your life and come to him with humility and a genuine desire to go his way instead of your own way. His grace and forgiveness are bigger than mistakes we’ve made in these areas.

        This sin of sloth is another that can sneak up on us, especially if we equate sloth with laziness. Laziness can be one of the symptoms of sloth, but it’s not the only one. So if you’re thinking you have a great work ethic, and you’re burning the candles at both ends, so there’s no way this could apply to you, think again.

        In fact, since we’re speaking to men specifically on this podcast, I would say that the American church at large is full of slothful men. We’re full of dads who don’t take God’s calling to be the primary pastor in their homes seriously - dads who kill themselves to provide financially for their families, but are absent emotionally and spiritually when they walk in the door. We’re surroyunded b men who fail to engage in real relationships and the good and the bad that comes with them - men who would rather escape reality and engage in a fake world online or on a video game because they’ve given up.

        Big Idea: The 7 deadly sins are not a list to keep us from getting the most out of life. The opposite is actually true and the sin of sloth proves it.

        
        

        The book Tender Warrior early in my life as a parent and husband led to me being on purpose as a husband and father. Today I have a wife that is amazing and we enjoy a great marriage, we have kids who we talk with everyday and cannot wait to spend time with, and we are already planning how we can impact our kids.

        
        

        
        

        Sloth is giving up on life and relationships; it looks like laziness, but in reality it’s apathy. Jesus hates it because he came for the exact opposite purpose: to give us a rich and satisfying life.

        John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

        We long for purpose. It’s part of being created in the image of God. When we feel like we have not purpose we’re not living a rich and satisfying life”

        Story about Jewish concentration camp prisoners moving dirt in the camp.

        The devil wants us to be apathetic. He wants to rob us of the joy we experience when we’re engaged in the lives of others.

        There was a season where I became pretty disengaged with my siblings and their families. I still went to the family functions, but I wasn’t engaging. Patterns of sin that I had seen for years, consequences to decisions that had been made but blaming everyone else, just got wearisome to me. One of my sisters challenged me on it. It was a hard conversation. Eventually, I thanked her for having the courage to confront me, but that wasn’t my immediate reaction.

        Surrounded by driven people, Surround yourself with people who are driven for the Kingdom and in life. However, Type A’’s be careful that the driven people at work that you are surrounded by lead you away from or distract you from your primary purpose as leader of your home. 77th FS and 14 days and Sunday afternoons…left no to little time to lead my family.. Which led to the “7 dark years”

        Our “7 dark years” in our marriage where we had a sick child, keeping our niece and nephew, my career was skyrocketing and I was deployed a lot…I was not being the leader of my house and was mis placing my purpose…burnout?. The dark years ended when I showed the proper concern, enthusiasm and purpose for my marriage again.

        
        

        
        

        The picture of genuine faith is not of monks hidden away in their monasteries, but rather of men and women engaged in their world.

        Sometimes our apathy is driven by a sense of pointlessness - “I’m just one guy. The world has gone down the tubes. What difference will it make?” I’m sure many of the men and women in scripture had some of those same thoughts. If we were engaging in our own strength and power that might be true. But as believers, we’ve been sent out under the power and authority of the King of all Kings.

        Gladiator line - “What we do here on earth echoes in eternity” .

        Hebrews 11:32-34 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

        Do you see a need? Do you see an injustice? Do you see an area where God is calling you to step in or step up?

        Are we too heavenly minded to be any earthly good? Not saying we shouldn’t have an eternal perspective. We definitely should. Not saying we shouldn’t long for heaven. We should. But God has invited us to be a part of building his kingdom. Are we taking that invitation seriously? The Great Commission tells me it’s more than just an invitation; it’s a command.

        
        

        “Modern Monk” - Many in the Church spend their time “going deep” in the Scripture but never apply it or disciple others. They have become complacent or apathetic to the Great Commission.

        As a fighter pilot, in the flight brief before every flight, I brief: “Complacency Kills”. What we do is serious life or death business. We need our pilots to be focused and ready for the flight because one small error can kill you and/or others. The same can be said for how we see disciple making and the Gospel. Complacency/ Apathy Kills

        
        

        Burn out for me leads to apathy- antidote is grateful worship/heart and proper rest (not laziness…The laziness lie for me). Proper rest is a whole other podcast, and once again, the key was having a mentor speak life into me to point it out. That mentor had concern, love, and patience with me to invest in me. Gents, that is what we are called to do as leaders of our marriage, homes, kids, and those around us that God has placed in our lives.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        
        

        The antidote to sloth is to purposefully engage in the world – and the payoff is joy. Jesus is our ultimate example of this kind of passionate purpose.

        Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[c] then you won’t become weary and give up.

        How is this a life that is rich and satisfying? I see words like strip off, run with endurance - I’m not much of a runner. My rule is that I don’t run unless there is a ball involved or someone with a weapon is chasing me. But because of the joy waiting for us. For the author of Hebrews to address this, you can assume that people were getting weary. They were giving up. They were giving in to sloth.

        How do we engage the world? Start with your family. Engage with your wife and kids. Engage with siblings. If they’re believers, help them take their next step in their pursuit of God. If they’re unbelievers, introduce them to Jesus. First conversation we did on this men’s podcast was to introduce how to use the PursueGOD resources to engage with other men. So many topics to choose from that give you the ability to meet people where they are. There’s nothing more important that you can do with your life than to pursue God and help the next person pursue God. It brings ultimate fulfillment.

        In my role as a pastor, I feel like I spend most all of my time engaging. When I get home, it’s very tempting to feel like, “this is my refuge”. It’s really tempting for me to disengage. When that happens the people I love the most are being hurt by my slothfulness.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        The world’s view of success vs. the failure of your marriage and family.

        The Cat’s in the Cradle

        ]]>ff93b38c-5915-4ebd-9ac5-eac54c659762Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -060044:15falsefullBoundaries with the In-Laws - The Family PodcastToday we’re talking about setting boundaries with the in-laws. Most of us love our families and feel most comfortable with our own. When we visit our spouse’s family, we realize how different our upbringings were and just the way things were done. It can cause conflict in the marriage if we don’t have the right boundaries in place. 

        Talk about it at https://www.pursuegod.org/boundaries/.

        Mentioned in this episode:

        Donate Now

        ]]>Today we’re talking about setting boundaries with the in-laws. Most of us love our families and feel most comfortable with our own. When we visit our spouse’s family, we realize how different our upbringings were and just the way things were done. It can cause conflict in the marriage if we don’t have the right boundaries in place. 

        Talk about it at https://www.pursuegod.org/boundaries/.

        Mentioned in this episode:

        Donate Now

        ]]>ebad54b9-1108-4daf-bd81-98079576dcffWed, 05 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -060045:55falsebonus7 Deadly Sins - EnvyOutline:

        Intro

        Welcome back to the podcast. We’re coming to the tail end of our 7 Deadly Sins series. We have two more sins still to cover, and today, we’re talking about envy. And envy is the most miserable of the sins on this list. We say that because there is nothing fun or redeeming about envy. At least with some of the other sins you might experience temporary pleasure, but with envy, there is nothing positive about the experience from start to finish. It is completely and wholly miserable. And yet, it not only affects most of us, many of us like to wallow in it.

        How do we know if we’re struggling with envy? Use phrases like “That’s not fair”, “If only I had…” If you diminish the accomplishments of others, i.e. “If I were 6 foot 7 I could play professional beach volleyball, too”.

        This is a sin that starts so early in our lives. If you’re a parent with multiple children, you’ve experienced that situation where there is a toy lying on the counter or on the ground and no one is playing with it and everyone is getting along. But as soon as one kids starts to play with it, everyone wants to play with it. And let’s not pretend it stops when we’re children. It just typically looks a little different for adults. For us it might look like having dinner at a friend’s house and the appliances in their kitchen are newer and nicer than yours. All of a sudden, that refrigerator and dishwasher in your kitchen just don’t cut it anymore. You start to think about why you deserve new appliances. You reason that you make as much money as they do. You’re a good person. You deserve nice things. And now, you’re no longer grateful for the appliances you have in your kitchen. Now to be clear, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with getting new appliances, but if we’re being motivated to get them because someone else has them, even though our current ones are still working fine, we have to honestly ask “ Is it because of envy?”

        Before we get into the first main point, maybe it’s helpful to start with a definition:

        Envy - a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck

        
        

        But I would like to modify this definition from a more biblical perspective, to a definition that I think more accurately gets at the heart of what is really going on

        Envy - a feeling of discontent or resentment toward God because of someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck

        
        

        That’s really what’s happening with envy, particularly for the believer. We feel like God has somehow short changed us. He didn’t get it right. We were the ones who were supposed to get the promotion. We’re supposed to have the spouse that treats us well. We were supposed to be the ones to be able to have children on our timetable.

        Early in my career, my wife and I would look at and compare our cars and belongings to others in the Squadron or even our own family. We were literally “Keeping up with the Jones”. Often times we would resort to “Retail Therapy” (and we still fight this every now and then) to fill a spiritual need. This led to debt, stress, worry, and loss of a giving spirit. Once again, like all the other “Deadly sins” we have looked at, we were trying to shortcut God’s will, design, and in this case, His financial and physical blessings. Then came Dave Ramsey and his saying of “Live like no one else, so that later, you can live like no one else”.

        The first step in dealing with envy is to turn back to the very God who seems to have treated us so badly. Instead of substituting anger for envy, be honest about what you’re feeling.

        
        

        This is an important place to start. You might not have consciously thought that you’re really angry with God when you’re envious, but anytime we’re discontent, we’re feeling like God has shortchanged us. We feel that God is unjust. He isn’t being fair. And I hope to say this as gently as possible, but God is God and we’re not. Our sense of justice, our sense of fairness is tainted by sin. We have a distorted view of justice and fairness. Trust me, friends, we should be exceedingly grateful that God doesn’t treat us fairly. Because if he did, we’d all be destined for hell. And any time you notice you’re feeling like God has given you the short end of the stick, I would encourage you to look at the cross.

        
        

        
        

        Genesis 4:3-7 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

        
        

        6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

        
        

        We talked about this story when we had our podcast on anger, but today, we want to look at the root emotion that caused that anger - jealousy. Cain was jealous of his brother.

        In this gentle confrontation, God tried to help Cain come to the right response. He tried to encourage him that he would be accepted if he did what was right. He said that sin was crouching at the door. Up to this point, Cain hadn’t sinned, but he is right on the edge. Sin is right there ready to pounce. That tells me that it is OK to question. In his questioning, Cain hadn’t sinned yet. There is a space where we can come to God with hard questions about things that are or are not happening in our lives, but we need to come to him in humility and faith. And we have a choice in those moments to do what is right. To come out of that on the other end and say, “God I may not understand it, but I know I can trust you. I know you are just. I know you are good.”

        I’ve had multiple times in my life where I was going through some sort of inconvenience, some sort of trial, and I’ve said, “Couldn't it be easy, just once, God.” And I said it in the whiniest, brattiest, most ungrateful voice you can think of. I went from a question made in humility to a flat out lie. God has made it incredibly easy for me in so many ways. He sent his son to die on the cross for my sins and Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He gave me an incredible wife. My kids are respectful and obedient and a joy to be around. I’m healthy. I have the most amazing church family anyone could ask for. I have it easy in so many ways. And yet, I have the nerve to ask God if it could be easy just once. And in those moments, when I come to my senses, I acknowledge that God is so good to me.

        
        

        We have spoken about the Tornado that destroyed our farm and home six months ago a few times already on the Men’s Podcast. I can genuinely say we have been blessed by that event. We been blessed with, as Paul talks about, a peace that passes understanding. That is only from the Lord. However… we are starting to feel a little frustration and looking at other houses a little “dangerously” wanting to short cut the rebuild as the frustration builds with the clean up and construction. However, we know that He has a plan for this and will use this for HIS glory. He is definitely working on “Contentment” for both Eugenia and I. We have to constantly remind ourselves to have a grateful heart and praise the Lord!

        Phil. Chapter 4 (Farm before and after tornado (I dont want to lose this)/ Contentment

        The second step is to learn to admire God’s gifting in others - without comparing them with your gifts.

        1 Corinthians 12:29-31 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

        Our envy isn’t limited to stuff. We might be envious of someone else’s talents and giftings, the position they hold, or the respect they have in our church or community.

        Instead of wishing we had someone else’s gift, we should be grateful for the gifts God has given us, because as believers, we’ve all been given spiritual gifts. Most of us don’t even completely realize what our God given gifts are, much less fully developed them. Or we’re using our giftings for ourselves instead of for the common good of the church. We have no idea what God can do through us because we’re too busy wishing we had a different gift. What a waste! We’ve probably all heard the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side”, and usually we think of that in terms of relationships, but I think it’s applicable here. If we’d take the time to water and fertilize and weed the gifts we have, they’d be just as green as what someone else has. We wouldn’t have to look on the other side of the fence.

        In fact, we could take that a step further. Instead of being envious of someone else’s gifts, we could actually celebrate them. I can be thankful that God has given people musical giftings that I don’t have. I can be thankful that we have people who have some tech savvy to run our sound board and media computer.

        To be a completely healthy, local body of Christ’s church, we need everyone to be exercising their gifts. You’re needed. Your gifts are just as important to our church family as someone else’s - whether that’s singing, teaching, leading, or your great attention to detail as you clean the campus, or your warm smile as you welcome someone coming in the door.

        
        

        I have never an original thought, so to be successful, I take from...]]>Outline:

        Intro

        Welcome back to the podcast. We’re coming to the tail end of our 7 Deadly Sins series. We have two more sins still to cover, and today, we’re talking about envy. And envy is the most miserable of the sins on this list. We say that because there is nothing fun or redeeming about envy. At least with some of the other sins you might experience temporary pleasure, but with envy, there is nothing positive about the experience from start to finish. It is completely and wholly miserable. And yet, it not only affects most of us, many of us like to wallow in it.

        How do we know if we’re struggling with envy? Use phrases like “That’s not fair”, “If only I had…” If you diminish the accomplishments of others, i.e. “If I were 6 foot 7 I could play professional beach volleyball, too”.

        This is a sin that starts so early in our lives. If you’re a parent with multiple children, you’ve experienced that situation where there is a toy lying on the counter or on the ground and no one is playing with it and everyone is getting along. But as soon as one kids starts to play with it, everyone wants to play with it. And let’s not pretend it stops when we’re children. It just typically looks a little different for adults. For us it might look like having dinner at a friend’s house and the appliances in their kitchen are newer and nicer than yours. All of a sudden, that refrigerator and dishwasher in your kitchen just don’t cut it anymore. You start to think about why you deserve new appliances. You reason that you make as much money as they do. You’re a good person. You deserve nice things. And now, you’re no longer grateful for the appliances you have in your kitchen. Now to be clear, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with getting new appliances, but if we’re being motivated to get them because someone else has them, even though our current ones are still working fine, we have to honestly ask “ Is it because of envy?”

        Before we get into the first main point, maybe it’s helpful to start with a definition:

        Envy - a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck

        
        

        But I would like to modify this definition from a more biblical perspective, to a definition that I think more accurately gets at the heart of what is really going on

        Envy - a feeling of discontent or resentment toward God because of someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck

        
        

        That’s really what’s happening with envy, particularly for the believer. We feel like God has somehow short changed us. He didn’t get it right. We were the ones who were supposed to get the promotion. We’re supposed to have the spouse that treats us well. We were supposed to be the ones to be able to have children on our timetable.

        Early in my career, my wife and I would look at and compare our cars and belongings to others in the Squadron or even our own family. We were literally “Keeping up with the Jones”. Often times we would resort to “Retail Therapy” (and we still fight this every now and then) to fill a spiritual need. This led to debt, stress, worry, and loss of a giving spirit. Once again, like all the other “Deadly sins” we have looked at, we were trying to shortcut God’s will, design, and in this case, His financial and physical blessings. Then came Dave Ramsey and his saying of “Live like no one else, so that later, you can live like no one else”.

        The first step in dealing with envy is to turn back to the very God who seems to have treated us so badly. Instead of substituting anger for envy, be honest about what you’re feeling.

        
        

        This is an important place to start. You might not have consciously thought that you’re really angry with God when you’re envious, but anytime we’re discontent, we’re feeling like God has shortchanged us. We feel that God is unjust. He isn’t being fair. And I hope to say this as gently as possible, but God is God and we’re not. Our sense of justice, our sense of fairness is tainted by sin. We have a distorted view of justice and fairness. Trust me, friends, we should be exceedingly grateful that God doesn’t treat us fairly. Because if he did, we’d all be destined for hell. And any time you notice you’re feeling like God has given you the short end of the stick, I would encourage you to look at the cross.

        
        

        
        

        Genesis 4:3-7 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

        
        

        6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

        
        

        We talked about this story when we had our podcast on anger, but today, we want to look at the root emotion that caused that anger - jealousy. Cain was jealous of his brother.

        In this gentle confrontation, God tried to help Cain come to the right response. He tried to encourage him that he would be accepted if he did what was right. He said that sin was crouching at the door. Up to this point, Cain hadn’t sinned, but he is right on the edge. Sin is right there ready to pounce. That tells me that it is OK to question. In his questioning, Cain hadn’t sinned yet. There is a space where we can come to God with hard questions about things that are or are not happening in our lives, but we need to come to him in humility and faith. And we have a choice in those moments to do what is right. To come out of that on the other end and say, “God I may not understand it, but I know I can trust you. I know you are just. I know you are good.”

        I’ve had multiple times in my life where I was going through some sort of inconvenience, some sort of trial, and I’ve said, “Couldn't it be easy, just once, God.” And I said it in the whiniest, brattiest, most ungrateful voice you can think of. I went from a question made in humility to a flat out lie. God has made it incredibly easy for me in so many ways. He sent his son to die on the cross for my sins and Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He gave me an incredible wife. My kids are respectful and obedient and a joy to be around. I’m healthy. I have the most amazing church family anyone could ask for. I have it easy in so many ways. And yet, I have the nerve to ask God if it could be easy just once. And in those moments, when I come to my senses, I acknowledge that God is so good to me.

        
        

        We have spoken about the Tornado that destroyed our farm and home six months ago a few times already on the Men’s Podcast. I can genuinely say we have been blessed by that event. We been blessed with, as Paul talks about, a peace that passes understanding. That is only from the Lord. However… we are starting to feel a little frustration and looking at other houses a little “dangerously” wanting to short cut the rebuild as the frustration builds with the clean up and construction. However, we know that He has a plan for this and will use this for HIS glory. He is definitely working on “Contentment” for both Eugenia and I. We have to constantly remind ourselves to have a grateful heart and praise the Lord!

        Phil. Chapter 4 (Farm before and after tornado (I dont want to lose this)/ Contentment

        The second step is to learn to admire God’s gifting in others - without comparing them with your gifts.

        1 Corinthians 12:29-31 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

        Our envy isn’t limited to stuff. We might be envious of someone else’s talents and giftings, the position they hold, or the respect they have in our church or community.

        Instead of wishing we had someone else’s gift, we should be grateful for the gifts God has given us, because as believers, we’ve all been given spiritual gifts. Most of us don’t even completely realize what our God given gifts are, much less fully developed them. Or we’re using our giftings for ourselves instead of for the common good of the church. We have no idea what God can do through us because we’re too busy wishing we had a different gift. What a waste! We’ve probably all heard the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side”, and usually we think of that in terms of relationships, but I think it’s applicable here. If we’d take the time to water and fertilize and weed the gifts we have, they’d be just as green as what someone else has. We wouldn’t have to look on the other side of the fence.

        In fact, we could take that a step further. Instead of being envious of someone else’s gifts, we could actually celebrate them. I can be thankful that God has given people musical giftings that I don’t have. I can be thankful that we have people who have some tech savvy to run our sound board and media computer.

        To be a completely healthy, local body of Christ’s church, we need everyone to be exercising their gifts. You’re needed. Your gifts are just as important to our church family as someone else’s - whether that’s singing, teaching, leading, or your great attention to detail as you clean the campus, or your warm smile as you welcome someone coming in the door.

        
        

        I have never an original thought, so to be successful, I take from both good and bad examples to learn from. However, if I let a spirit of self doubt or pride get in there, I can turn that learning into… I am going to fail because I wish I was a communicator and leader like….. Or could organize my thoughts and express them so beautifully like….

        
        

        The third step is to question the system of values that says we should envy the wealthy, famous, and beautiful. God looks on the heart, not the outward appearance.

        Isaiah 53:2-3 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.

        This is a Messianic prophecy. This is talking about Jesus.

        And I think at the heart of a lot of this is - do we value most what God values most? Take beauty or the idea of physical perfection, for example. Think of how invested our society is in trying to achieve that - the billions and billions of dollars that are spent annually trying to hit this target of “beautiful”. Which is a moving target, by the way. What was beautiful 100 years ago isn’t the same today and what’s beautiful today won’t be 100 years from now. This is just not a value to God. The bible says physical training is of some value. It also says our body is a temple, so we should care for it. Exercise is good. But when we become so focused on looking a certain way that just isn’t important to God, and more often than not, it distracts us from things that are important to him.

        1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[g] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,[h] things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

        I love how God’s kingdom is upside down from the world’s kingdom. So often God tells us that the things the world thinks are important are rubbish. The world values physical beauty - God doesn’t care. The world values celebrity and fame - God values those that are despised by the world. The world values power - God chose the powerless. God uses people who by and large are considered nobodies by the world. The result is that Christianity is not about elevating people. It’s about elevating God. God deserves all the glory and honor and credit. He is the central figure in the story, not us.

        1 Timothy 6:6 Yet true Godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

        Contentment is not just about money and material things. It’s the attitude of being happy with what you have in all areas of life. It’s being happy with who you are and who God made you to be. A content person recognizes that everything they have is from God and that God is good. God’s plan for our lives can be trusted. I want to honor him by doing the best I can with what he has given me. I don’t want to waste time and energy by whining about what I don’t have. And there’s no enjoyment in it. As we said at the beginning, Envy is the one sin on this list that has nothing pleasurable in it. It simply leads us to bitterness, anger, depression, frustration.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        Phil Chapter 4 and 4:13 on contentment

        Hot showers vs Afghanistan and Pakistan

        
        

        Bald is beautiful! God does not make mistakes…… Atkinson Family

        
        

        F-16 vs F-35 vs A-10 (Corvette vs. Tacoma vs Dump Truck). General Mark Kelley (COMMACC) “Are we using the F-35 properly or not based on misplaced / old thinking” It is commonly messaged that the F-35 is supposed to replace the F-16, A-10, and F-15 but it is none of these and it was not designed to be these, yet we compare it to those. This comparison is leading us to use the F-35 incorrectly and not what is was DESIGNED to do.

        Are you missing God’s call for you based on your envy/ pride/ comparison to others who are gifted/ designed differently, or are you properly using the talents / design of how God made you?

        ]]>5efd7a98-9fce-4fbd-a8c7-46d005635d2cThu, 29 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -060050:03falsefull7 Deadly Sins - AngerIntro

        We’re up to sin #5 in our Seven Deadly Sins series and today is one that most men can probably relate to - the sin of anger.

        For many people, anger is the substitute emotion to mask deeper feelings that you struggle to express. Identifying the real emotion that is underneath and understanding what triggered it is a key to victory over anger.

        This describes me to a T. I would say 90% of the times I have an outburst of anger, anger isn’t really the issue. I’m dealing with fear. I’m dealing with feelings of inadequacy, or I am made painfully aware of how little control I have.

        Car trouble - sets me off like nothing else. The reason I get so mad - I don’t know a lot about cars. I come face to face with my ignorance and lack of knowledge/experience. I fear the cost. It throws my schedule off which is a reminder of the lack of control I have.

        The problem is fear and inadequacy don’t really seem like very manly emotions. But for some reason, historically, our culture has given men some leniency when it comes to anger.

        Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

        I think there is an agenda to feminize men in our culture. That’s not what we’re talking about here. Understanding our emotions, what’s really going on, is not “feminine” or “masculine” thing. It’s having wisdom. David wrote Psalm 139. He was a man’s man - a warrior, a giant killer

        It’s important to ask God to help us identify what is really going on. We often have blinders. It’s good to bring other brothers in who can also give you input.

        I think it’s important before we get too far in to the conversation to be clear that not all anger is a sin. Jesus was angry at times and he never sinned. God the Father has been angry and he is perfect. Expressed anger at the temple when he threw over the money changers’ tables. Was angry at the religious leaders at times for leading the people astray.

        Ephesians 4:26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you. (NLT) NIV - In your anger do not sin.

        Matt’s Camping Trip and my anger-Frustration, learned from my father. Thought it would make a teachable moment but in a bad way. I was trying to shortcut discipline and not share the why. Became a teachable moment for forgiveness with Matt and while he still struggles with forgetting things (yes Matt is probably listening) he blessed him with an amazing wife that helps cover this blind spot.

        
        

        Josh’s disobedience as a teenager and my frustration with him led to a famous hole in the wall in our house. Another teachable moment for my kids.

        Substitute anger is a false pathway to control – making you feel powerful instead of vulnerable.

        Genesis 4:6-7 Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

        
        

        Context of the situation - Abel’s offering was accepted, Cain’s was not

        He hadn’t sinned yet. God said, “You’ll be accepted if you do what is right”. Sin was crouching at the door. It hadn’t come in yet. Cain could have dealt with this in the right way and it wouldn’t have become sin.

        Emotions his anger was masking - jealousy, feeling like he didn’t measure up, maybe helplessness .

        If you know the story, Cain didn’t get his anger under control. (lame pastor joke - because he wasn’t able). He ended up murdering his brother. His whole life changed because he wasn’t able to control his anger.

        
        

        Anger while getting ready for church because we are late- I hate being late. Then the movie “God’s Not Dead” came along and a subplot is about two characters who are constantly getting sidelined for a trip they were taking. One was getting frustrated, the other was just a great example and just kept saying “God is good all the time” and knew that God had him where he needed to be. Not to spoil the movie, but the movie ends with these two being in the right place at the right time.

        
        

        
        

        Substitute anger actually causes a loss of control – both emotionally and relationally, and even spiritually.

        James 1:20Human anger[g] does not produce the righteousness[h] God desires

        Just before this, we’re told to be slow to speak and slow to anger.

        Isn’t it ironic that anger often causes even more loss of control, when feeling like we don’t have control is one of the key causes of substitute anger? Back to car story - breaking down on the way home from Alabama to Utah with my fiance riding along with me. Punched the side of the car as we were stranded. Rhonda looked at me like I was a complete idiot, which I was, and said, “ Is there some way that’s supposed to fix the car or make the situation better?”

        When we lose our temper like that, it can cause relationships to spiral. People don’t feel safe around us. Even if they feel physically safe, they don’t feel safe emotionally to share concerns, fears, ideas. It breaks down communication within the relationship.

        Loss of spiritual control - 1 John 3:10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers[b] does not belong to God.

        Ecclesiastes 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

        It’s foolishness to lose our temper and have outbursts of anger.

        My loss of control in Afghanistan after watching a tragic event. I felt totally helpless. Rage and murder in my heart as I rolled into strafe the enemy that had caused this situation. I fully intended to shoot without clearance because I could see the enemy still and I was going to “take care of it”. Thankfully as I am about to pull the trigger, God made me stop and pull up and I performed a rather “ impressive” show of force just over the head of the enemy instead. Why didnt I shoot, the enemy was very close to the friendlies that had just been hit and if one of my rounds had been even a few feet off, I could have made things much much worse.

        
        

        
        

        The antidote to anger is to be vulnerable and practice silence – just as Jesus did.

        Like many sins, we have a tendency to justify our anger. If anyone had a reason to be angry, it would have been Jesus after his betrayal. He was completely innocent, falsely accused by one of his closest followers (one of the twelve), Crowds taunting him - “He saved others. Let him save himself and come down and we’ll believe him.” In all that, he remained silent.

        Psalm 4:4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. - Most of us don’t even have to think about it overnight. If we’d just stop and be quiet for 15 minutes, the anger would subside. We wouldn’t say things that we end up regretting.

        Ephesians 4:26-27 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[d] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

        Anger gives the devil a foothold. If we don’t address it, deal with it, that foothold will eventually become a stronghold. That anger leads to bitterness, resentment. I experienced that in my career before going into ministry. I became a very skeptical, cynical person because of not dealing with anger in a healthy way.

        Anger with a boss while being gaslighted then God melting my heart for him in a moment when I had been praying,fasting and seeking wise counsel all the while asking the Lord to forgive me and take this burden from me. My anger started as just anger against injustices that I witnessed, but then I let it continue into an unhealthy sinful anger of frustration. Then when my Boss was having his own outburst of anger over not being promoted, the Lord had prepared me, and in supernatural moment, God gave me recall of numerous scriptures for him and completely flipped my anger to love.

        
        

        Wrapping up - being honest with ourselves and others about those deeper emotions we’re trying to hide with anger - fear, inadequacy, etc. Being vulnerable and transparent about those frees us from trying to mask them.

        
        

        How I dealt with frustration this morning just before the recording. God has an awesome sense of humor and timing!!!!! Capt Vaughn vs Col Vaughn

        
        

        Seeking wise counsel, prayer and fasting helped me with the deep anger. For the moments of quick onset anger like being in traffic or late for a meeting, prayer where I acknowledge I am angry, and focusing my thoughts on what I am grateful for seems to help me. “God is good all the time and all the time, God is good”

        
        

        Anger for me seems to be the exact opposite of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love can be a cure for our division in America

        ]]>Intro

        We’re up to sin #5 in our Seven Deadly Sins series and today is one that most men can probably relate to - the sin of anger.

        For many people, anger is the substitute emotion to mask deeper feelings that you struggle to express. Identifying the real emotion that is underneath and understanding what triggered it is a key to victory over anger.

        This describes me to a T. I would say 90% of the times I have an outburst of anger, anger isn’t really the issue. I’m dealing with fear. I’m dealing with feelings of inadequacy, or I am made painfully aware of how little control I have.

        Car trouble - sets me off like nothing else. The reason I get so mad - I don’t know a lot about cars. I come face to face with my ignorance and lack of knowledge/experience. I fear the cost. It throws my schedule off which is a reminder of the lack of control I have.

        The problem is fear and inadequacy don’t really seem like very manly emotions. But for some reason, historically, our culture has given men some leniency when it comes to anger.

        Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

        I think there is an agenda to feminize men in our culture. That’s not what we’re talking about here. Understanding our emotions, what’s really going on, is not “feminine” or “masculine” thing. It’s having wisdom. David wrote Psalm 139. He was a man’s man - a warrior, a giant killer

        It’s important to ask God to help us identify what is really going on. We often have blinders. It’s good to bring other brothers in who can also give you input.

        I think it’s important before we get too far in to the conversation to be clear that not all anger is a sin. Jesus was angry at times and he never sinned. God the Father has been angry and he is perfect. Expressed anger at the temple when he threw over the money changers’ tables. Was angry at the religious leaders at times for leading the people astray.

        Ephesians 4:26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you. (NLT) NIV - In your anger do not sin.

        Matt’s Camping Trip and my anger-Frustration, learned from my father. Thought it would make a teachable moment but in a bad way. I was trying to shortcut discipline and not share the why. Became a teachable moment for forgiveness with Matt and while he still struggles with forgetting things (yes Matt is probably listening) he blessed him with an amazing wife that helps cover this blind spot.

        
        

        Josh’s disobedience as a teenager and my frustration with him led to a famous hole in the wall in our house. Another teachable moment for my kids.

        Substitute anger is a false pathway to control – making you feel powerful instead of vulnerable.

        Genesis 4:6-7 Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

        
        

        Context of the situation - Abel’s offering was accepted, Cain’s was not

        He hadn’t sinned yet. God said, “You’ll be accepted if you do what is right”. Sin was crouching at the door. It hadn’t come in yet. Cain could have dealt with this in the right way and it wouldn’t have become sin.

        Emotions his anger was masking - jealousy, feeling like he didn’t measure up, maybe helplessness .

        If you know the story, Cain didn’t get his anger under control. (lame pastor joke - because he wasn’t able). He ended up murdering his brother. His whole life changed because he wasn’t able to control his anger.

        
        

        Anger while getting ready for church because we are late- I hate being late. Then the movie “God’s Not Dead” came along and a subplot is about two characters who are constantly getting sidelined for a trip they were taking. One was getting frustrated, the other was just a great example and just kept saying “God is good all the time” and knew that God had him where he needed to be. Not to spoil the movie, but the movie ends with these two being in the right place at the right time.

        
        

        
        

        Substitute anger actually causes a loss of control – both emotionally and relationally, and even spiritually.

        James 1:20Human anger[g] does not produce the righteousness[h] God desires

        Just before this, we’re told to be slow to speak and slow to anger.

        Isn’t it ironic that anger often causes even more loss of control, when feeling like we don’t have control is one of the key causes of substitute anger? Back to car story - breaking down on the way home from Alabama to Utah with my fiance riding along with me. Punched the side of the car as we were stranded. Rhonda looked at me like I was a complete idiot, which I was, and said, “ Is there some way that’s supposed to fix the car or make the situation better?”

        When we lose our temper like that, it can cause relationships to spiral. People don’t feel safe around us. Even if they feel physically safe, they don’t feel safe emotionally to share concerns, fears, ideas. It breaks down communication within the relationship.

        Loss of spiritual control - 1 John 3:10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers[b] does not belong to God.

        Ecclesiastes 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

        It’s foolishness to lose our temper and have outbursts of anger.

        My loss of control in Afghanistan after watching a tragic event. I felt totally helpless. Rage and murder in my heart as I rolled into strafe the enemy that had caused this situation. I fully intended to shoot without clearance because I could see the enemy still and I was going to “take care of it”. Thankfully as I am about to pull the trigger, God made me stop and pull up and I performed a rather “ impressive” show of force just over the head of the enemy instead. Why didnt I shoot, the enemy was very close to the friendlies that had just been hit and if one of my rounds had been even a few feet off, I could have made things much much worse.

        
        

        
        

        The antidote to anger is to be vulnerable and practice silence – just as Jesus did.

        Like many sins, we have a tendency to justify our anger. If anyone had a reason to be angry, it would have been Jesus after his betrayal. He was completely innocent, falsely accused by one of his closest followers (one of the twelve), Crowds taunting him - “He saved others. Let him save himself and come down and we’ll believe him.” In all that, he remained silent.

        Psalm 4:4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. - Most of us don’t even have to think about it overnight. If we’d just stop and be quiet for 15 minutes, the anger would subside. We wouldn’t say things that we end up regretting.

        Ephesians 4:26-27 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[d] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

        Anger gives the devil a foothold. If we don’t address it, deal with it, that foothold will eventually become a stronghold. That anger leads to bitterness, resentment. I experienced that in my career before going into ministry. I became a very skeptical, cynical person because of not dealing with anger in a healthy way.

        Anger with a boss while being gaslighted then God melting my heart for him in a moment when I had been praying,fasting and seeking wise counsel all the while asking the Lord to forgive me and take this burden from me. My anger started as just anger against injustices that I witnessed, but then I let it continue into an unhealthy sinful anger of frustration. Then when my Boss was having his own outburst of anger over not being promoted, the Lord had prepared me, and in supernatural moment, God gave me recall of numerous scriptures for him and completely flipped my anger to love.

        
        

        Wrapping up - being honest with ourselves and others about those deeper emotions we’re trying to hide with anger - fear, inadequacy, etc. Being vulnerable and transparent about those frees us from trying to mask them.

        
        

        How I dealt with frustration this morning just before the recording. God has an awesome sense of humor and timing!!!!! Capt Vaughn vs Col Vaughn

        
        

        Seeking wise counsel, prayer and fasting helped me with the deep anger. For the moments of quick onset anger like being in traffic or late for a meeting, prayer where I acknowledge I am angry, and focusing my thoughts on what I am grateful for seems to help me. “God is good all the time and all the time, God is good”

        
        

        Anger for me seems to be the exact opposite of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love can be a cure for our division in America

        ]]>e2b3dea6-5865-41c1-9707-f0624864aa95Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -060045:16falsefull7 Deadly Sins - GluttonyHey, men. We’re continuing on in our series, 7 Deadly Sins. Today, we’re looking at another one of those sins that’s probably sneaking up on more men than they would think. We’re talking about the sin of gluttony. If you’re not overweight, if you’re not given to drunkenness, you may think this is something that other guys deal with, but we’re going to see that the sin of gluttony isn’t just about the amount or type of food we eat, but our attitude towards food.

        I remember when we did this sermon series and I kept looking ahead to the next week and wondered, “When am I going to finally hit an easy one that I don’t struggle with?” I thought for sure it would be gluttony or sloth, which we haven’t covered yet, but as I dug into God’s word, I realized I did have areas in my life that were gluttonous.

        In the dictionary, gluttony is defined as an unhealthy obsession with food or drink. Many of you would probably say, “That’s not me.” But as believers, what if we defined it this way: undisciplined use of food or drink, or not being led by the Holy Spirit when it comes to my relationship with food. Now, all of a sudden, I recognize there may be areas of gluttony in my life.

        For example, if you spend a significant amount of money eating out every month and yet you’re not generous to others or to God’s kingdom, is that gluttonous? If you have to have two to three cups of coffee in the morning just to get going and to avoid a caffeine headache, is that gluttonous? I know, some of you are like, whoah Pastor John, you just crossed a line. Did you really just say something negative about coffee? That’s heresy! Maybe it’s not the amount of food, but types of food your doctor has told you to limit because you’re battling high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but you just can’t seem to control those urges. Is that gluttonous? I would submit that all of those examples probably are gluttonous and at the very least could be. And I would also say that what might be gluttonous for me, might not be for you, and vice versa. We have to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in this area, just like every other area of our lives. So I hope you won’t check out today because you think gluttony is an issue that doesn’t affect you. I hope you’ll ask the Spirit to speak to you and help you identify areas where this might be an issue.

        Southern Church and the pot lucks, “Baptists worship with food”, Church and fast food restaurants are almost 1-1 ratio (not really) but I cannot recall hearing a sermon or teaching on gluttony. Huge blind spot for me.

        God gave us food for our enjoyment, but he also gave us boundaries. Enjoying food isn’t bad; even Jesus let people have their fill.

        Ecclesiastes 9:7 So go ahead, eat your food with joy , and drink your wine with a happy heart for God approves of this.

        God approves of this. He doesn’t just permit it, he approves of it. Talks about the heart attitude we have as we enjoy God’s gifts to us. Eat with joy, drink with a happy heart. An attitude of gratitude for God’s provision.

        Proverbs 24:13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good. Honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

        In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was actually commanded to celebrate 7 feasts per year. There was a lot of symbolism involved. It was just about eating, but they were feasts. Food was involved in each of them.

        Matthew 14:20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.

        This is in the context of the feeding of the 5,000 miracle. They all ate as much as they wanted. Some translations say they ate until they were full. Jesus provided extravagantly. He didn’t just give them a few crumbs. Notice they picked up the leftovers. They were good stewards of the resources. I think wastefulness can be a sign of gluttony, or maybe a symptom of gluttony.

        Jesus was actually accused of gluttony by the religious leaders. We know he wasn’t gluttonous because he was perfect. He never sinned. He enjoyed a good meal in the fellowship of others.

        But he also gave us boundaries

        
        

        Proverbs 23:21 Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty.

        Our gluttony can lead us to poverty. It can lead us to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. But it’s not just a financial issue or health issue. It’s a spiritual issue.

        Isn’t it interesting that the first boundary God gave mankind involved food?

        Adam and Eve could eat from any tree in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

        
        

        ? ? Fighter Pilots and drinking?? Men and drinking? Fraternities?

        Gluttony is a false pathway to comfort, using food and drink to satisfy a deeper craving in all of us. A glutton uses food much like an addict uses drugs.

        Culture makes it so easy to slip into gluttony - variety of foods we have access to, portion sizes,

        All you can eat buffet - not only give into gluttony you justify it - “I have to get my money’s worth!”

        Comfort Food - “Just like mom used to make” trying to tap into memories of recipes we had as kids - for most of us this brings back thoughts of security, laughter, warmth - but these are only temporarily met with food. The satisfaction is so fleeting and ultimately falls short of what we’re really craving.

        John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever, and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.

        Only Jesus can solve that spiritual hunger that we all have. Only he can solve the yearning for relationship .

        Jesus said, when you eat physical bread, you’re going to be physically hungry again. If you eat the living bread that came down from heaven, you’ll never be spiritually hungry again. You’ll still need physical food. We’ll all need that while we’re here on earth, but we don’t need to use physical food to try and satisfy a spiritual hunger. Let me try to give a couple of practical examples of how this plays out -

        Let’s talk about boredom. Research shows that many people overeat because of boredom. You don’t find meaning or purpose in your life. Eating can be an attempt to distract yourself from that experience. But where is ultimate purpose and meaning found? In Jesus Christ - being in relationship with him and being on mission with him leads to that abundant and full life that is anything but boring.

        Another example would be stress. Chronic stress can trigger us to overeat. How do we ultimately learn to deal with stress in a way that brings real relief versus just a temporary distraction? By finding peace through Jesus, by connecting with him through his Word and through prayer and asking him to bear fruit in our lives.

        Ephesians 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

        Often, we’re drinking too much alcohol because we’re trying to create something only the Holy Spirit can genuinely create. Maybe we’re trying to generate courage to face up to a difficult situation. Or we’re struggling with some tough issues and we’re trying to use alcohol to either cope with it or numb the pain. We want to feel joy and happiness, but unfortunately, it doesn’t lead to genuine happiness. It’s only a counterfeit substitute. The happiness, numbing, or courage it does bring doesn’t last and actually leads to pain and brokenness in the long run.

        
        

        Waffle house run this week. Needed a break…needed some “Comfort Food”. What I needed was to relax in the Lord.

        The antidote to gluttony is both fasting and feasting, putting food in the proper place in our lives. It’s learning to find our ultimate satisfaction in Jesus.

        Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, ,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

        Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control

        Feasting with the right attitude - thankfulness, generosity, patience

        Fasting

        I incorporated fasting into my spiritual journey on a monthly basis about two years ago. It has had a major impact on me. Forces me to recognize my dependency on God’s strength and provision in a very tangible way.

        Revelation 19:9 And the angel said to me, “ Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

        What a feast that will be. A feast in the presence of God. Only one way to be invited to that feast - a relationship with Jesus - gospel presentation.

        So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

        Practically, what does that look like?

        We eat with thanksgiving, generosity

        Inviting someone to join us

        Not taking the biggest piece of cake or best looking burger on the grill

        Exercising self control

        My excessive Mt. Dew habit

        Incorporating rhythms of fasting

        
        

        EP’s 3 steps; wind the clock

        
        

        I am (entire family as well) coming out of a season of fasting for my son’s wedding and so is the entire family. My first time fasting with Matt’s brain surgery, now it is a means of gratitude and self control. What a blessing to thank the Lord for what we in America see as simple.

        
        

        I have known hunger through training. Hunger can change the way you see the world and your needs. We are ABUNDANTLY blessed with food in the US. 6 fast food restaurants with in a ½ mile of my house (now). We have soo much access to food that we can have our fast food and groceries delivered to the house. However, I have been...]]>Hey, men. We’re continuing on in our series, 7 Deadly Sins. Today, we’re looking at another one of those sins that’s probably sneaking up on more men than they would think. We’re talking about the sin of gluttony. If you’re not overweight, if you’re not given to drunkenness, you may think this is something that other guys deal with, but we’re going to see that the sin of gluttony isn’t just about the amount or type of food we eat, but our attitude towards food.

        I remember when we did this sermon series and I kept looking ahead to the next week and wondered, “When am I going to finally hit an easy one that I don’t struggle with?” I thought for sure it would be gluttony or sloth, which we haven’t covered yet, but as I dug into God’s word, I realized I did have areas in my life that were gluttonous.

        In the dictionary, gluttony is defined as an unhealthy obsession with food or drink. Many of you would probably say, “That’s not me.” But as believers, what if we defined it this way: undisciplined use of food or drink, or not being led by the Holy Spirit when it comes to my relationship with food. Now, all of a sudden, I recognize there may be areas of gluttony in my life.

        For example, if you spend a significant amount of money eating out every month and yet you’re not generous to others or to God’s kingdom, is that gluttonous? If you have to have two to three cups of coffee in the morning just to get going and to avoid a caffeine headache, is that gluttonous? I know, some of you are like, whoah Pastor John, you just crossed a line. Did you really just say something negative about coffee? That’s heresy! Maybe it’s not the amount of food, but types of food your doctor has told you to limit because you’re battling high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but you just can’t seem to control those urges. Is that gluttonous? I would submit that all of those examples probably are gluttonous and at the very least could be. And I would also say that what might be gluttonous for me, might not be for you, and vice versa. We have to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in this area, just like every other area of our lives. So I hope you won’t check out today because you think gluttony is an issue that doesn’t affect you. I hope you’ll ask the Spirit to speak to you and help you identify areas where this might be an issue.

        Southern Church and the pot lucks, “Baptists worship with food”, Church and fast food restaurants are almost 1-1 ratio (not really) but I cannot recall hearing a sermon or teaching on gluttony. Huge blind spot for me.

        God gave us food for our enjoyment, but he also gave us boundaries. Enjoying food isn’t bad; even Jesus let people have their fill.

        Ecclesiastes 9:7 So go ahead, eat your food with joy , and drink your wine with a happy heart for God approves of this.

        God approves of this. He doesn’t just permit it, he approves of it. Talks about the heart attitude we have as we enjoy God’s gifts to us. Eat with joy, drink with a happy heart. An attitude of gratitude for God’s provision.

        Proverbs 24:13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good. Honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

        In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was actually commanded to celebrate 7 feasts per year. There was a lot of symbolism involved. It was just about eating, but they were feasts. Food was involved in each of them.

        Matthew 14:20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.

        This is in the context of the feeding of the 5,000 miracle. They all ate as much as they wanted. Some translations say they ate until they were full. Jesus provided extravagantly. He didn’t just give them a few crumbs. Notice they picked up the leftovers. They were good stewards of the resources. I think wastefulness can be a sign of gluttony, or maybe a symptom of gluttony.

        Jesus was actually accused of gluttony by the religious leaders. We know he wasn’t gluttonous because he was perfect. He never sinned. He enjoyed a good meal in the fellowship of others.

        But he also gave us boundaries

        
        

        Proverbs 23:21 Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty.

        Our gluttony can lead us to poverty. It can lead us to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. But it’s not just a financial issue or health issue. It’s a spiritual issue.

        Isn’t it interesting that the first boundary God gave mankind involved food?

        Adam and Eve could eat from any tree in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

        
        

        ? ? Fighter Pilots and drinking?? Men and drinking? Fraternities?

        Gluttony is a false pathway to comfort, using food and drink to satisfy a deeper craving in all of us. A glutton uses food much like an addict uses drugs.

        Culture makes it so easy to slip into gluttony - variety of foods we have access to, portion sizes,

        All you can eat buffet - not only give into gluttony you justify it - “I have to get my money’s worth!”

        Comfort Food - “Just like mom used to make” trying to tap into memories of recipes we had as kids - for most of us this brings back thoughts of security, laughter, warmth - but these are only temporarily met with food. The satisfaction is so fleeting and ultimately falls short of what we’re really craving.

        John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever, and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.

        Only Jesus can solve that spiritual hunger that we all have. Only he can solve the yearning for relationship .

        Jesus said, when you eat physical bread, you’re going to be physically hungry again. If you eat the living bread that came down from heaven, you’ll never be spiritually hungry again. You’ll still need physical food. We’ll all need that while we’re here on earth, but we don’t need to use physical food to try and satisfy a spiritual hunger. Let me try to give a couple of practical examples of how this plays out -

        Let’s talk about boredom. Research shows that many people overeat because of boredom. You don’t find meaning or purpose in your life. Eating can be an attempt to distract yourself from that experience. But where is ultimate purpose and meaning found? In Jesus Christ - being in relationship with him and being on mission with him leads to that abundant and full life that is anything but boring.

        Another example would be stress. Chronic stress can trigger us to overeat. How do we ultimately learn to deal with stress in a way that brings real relief versus just a temporary distraction? By finding peace through Jesus, by connecting with him through his Word and through prayer and asking him to bear fruit in our lives.

        Ephesians 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

        Often, we’re drinking too much alcohol because we’re trying to create something only the Holy Spirit can genuinely create. Maybe we’re trying to generate courage to face up to a difficult situation. Or we’re struggling with some tough issues and we’re trying to use alcohol to either cope with it or numb the pain. We want to feel joy and happiness, but unfortunately, it doesn’t lead to genuine happiness. It’s only a counterfeit substitute. The happiness, numbing, or courage it does bring doesn’t last and actually leads to pain and brokenness in the long run.

        
        

        Waffle house run this week. Needed a break…needed some “Comfort Food”. What I needed was to relax in the Lord.

        The antidote to gluttony is both fasting and feasting, putting food in the proper place in our lives. It’s learning to find our ultimate satisfaction in Jesus.

        Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, ,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

        Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control

        Feasting with the right attitude - thankfulness, generosity, patience

        Fasting

        I incorporated fasting into my spiritual journey on a monthly basis about two years ago. It has had a major impact on me. Forces me to recognize my dependency on God’s strength and provision in a very tangible way.

        Revelation 19:9 And the angel said to me, “ Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

        What a feast that will be. A feast in the presence of God. Only one way to be invited to that feast - a relationship with Jesus - gospel presentation.

        So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

        Practically, what does that look like?

        We eat with thanksgiving, generosity

        Inviting someone to join us

        Not taking the biggest piece of cake or best looking burger on the grill

        Exercising self control

        My excessive Mt. Dew habit

        Incorporating rhythms of fasting

        
        

        EP’s 3 steps; wind the clock

        
        

        I am (entire family as well) coming out of a season of fasting for my son’s wedding and so is the entire family. My first time fasting with Matt’s brain surgery, now it is a means of gratitude and self control. What a blessing to thank the Lord for what we in America see as simple.

        
        

        I have known hunger through training. Hunger can change the way you see the world and your needs. We are ABUNDANTLY blessed with food in the US. 6 fast food restaurants with in a ½ mile of my house (now). We have soo much access to food that we can have our fast food and groceries delivered to the house. However, I have been blessed to live in 3rd world countries. See the hunger on peoples face. See how their day revolves around food gathering, storing and preparing. We have the opposite problem of excess. God has blessed us with amazing food, yet once again we take it for granted and allow the enemy to twist God’s blessings.

        ]]>1c4fb272-c447-4031-9ef2-e4e1fe62fd16Tue, 30 May 2023 07:00:00 -060044:57falsefull7 Deadly Sins - LustIntro

        Men, we’re in our third week of this 7 deadly sins series. Today, we come to a sin that seems to be at epidemic proportions in our society - the sin of lust. In our highly sexualized culture, we have to be on guard and intentional because this sin is lurking around every corner. It’s looking for ways to make it into your home, your life, and your schedule.

        Jordan Petersen podcast talking about how a 12 year old boy can see more naked ladies on his phone in one day than King Solomon saw in his life.

        Carl’s Jr. commercials story (Hardee’s in the South East)

        Like all of the other lies from the devil, lust is not going to bring the fulfillment you think it is. It falls short. It leaves you wanting more.

        Lust is a shortcut to sexual fulfillment, but it doesn’t actually get you there. When you lust after someone, you are objectifying that person for your own selfish pleasure.

        Our culture thinks sexual fulfillment is the ultimate achievement. (It doesn’t seem in scripture that there is going to be sex in heaven, so it’s obviously not the ultimate fulfillment. Not sure if this would be a rabbit trail) It is a blessing from God when used in the context of marriage between a man and a woman, but it’s not the ultimate fulfillment. A relationship with our creator is so much more important and fulfilling.

        It is a blessing, however, the enemy has corrupted it. So much so that growing up in the Southern Church, it was either NEVER spoken about or it was “whispered” that is was bad.

        “Purity Culture of the Church= Desire is shameful and sexual desire is shameful. IF you are just pure/virgin at your wedding day, ALL of your sex in marriage will be perfect…Then it isnt..The confusion is real

        This has caused couples to not talk about it in their marriages and thus the enemy gets an advantage in a marriage to cause division. Yet just the opposite is true. God wants us to have great sexual fulfillment…inside the Marriage Covenant.

        Matthew 5 vs Song of Songs. The Church wants to talk Matthew 5 (preached as shame) yet they will not touch Song of Songs (Solomon) where it is seen as a gift from God.

        Lust has a bigger impact than you think - physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. It not only skews your picture of sex, but it does so much more.

        Matthew 5:27-30 You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’[j] 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye[k]—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand[l]—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

        Physically - distraction, STD or unwanted pregnancy if you act out on the lust,

        Emotionally - objectify women, lack of contentment, feelings of frustration,

        Relationally - betrayal, lack of trust, your wife/girlfriend feels like they don’t measure up

        Spiritually - making this an idol in your life, creating an area in your life where you don’t submit to God’s authority, shame, guilt, not wanting to connect with God because of the sin you’re carrying

        Makes sex all about me - my desires, my pleasure, my wants - According to the Bible, once I’m married, my body is not my own. It belongs to my wife. Most fulfilling sex life is when my wife feels secure, fulfilled, and cared for in that area of our marriage.

        Early Fighter Pilot experience/ Male Dominated career field with lots of vaults to a Christian Commander who made a stand to the culture we have today.

        “What Happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”-- Nellis AFB is the Home of the Fighter Pilot and located in Las Vegas. So, fighter pilots make the “Pilgrimage” and “live it up” there. My experience and the Lord sending a mentor at 3 am in a McDonalds

        
        

        Lust feeds on secrecy and starves in transparency. The road to healing starts with confession - first to God and then to others.

        1 John 1:8-10 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

        God already knows our sin, even our sinful thoughts and desires. It’s freeing to bring those to him in confession and repentance. We not only confess the sin of lust, we need to confess the sin of not trusting that God has our best in mind in this area of our lives. For some reason, this is the one area where I think most people think God is holding out on them. God is being stingy. God’s not being stingy. He wants the best for you. He wants to save you from wounds - emotional, physical, relational pain.

        James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results

        You don’t have to shout this from the rooftops, but find a couple of guys you can trust that can be your accountability partner. Be careful of sharing too much with your wife, but be honest about struggles.

        My Accountability Brother- Open and Transparent even to the point where he can make a Fighter Pilot (because of our early culture and the male dominance in the field we hear alot) embarrassed….BUT it is how he and I attack it together. He is as open as I am. As such, I have become transparent with other men and my boys.

        Pinto and I with another fighter pilot being transparent. You could see he was still caught in the “Secret Life” and he was speechless at our transparency in our personal lives and in how we dealt with it in the Fighter Pilot Culture

        God has given us a proven battle plan to be victorious in this area. It starts with changing the way we think and then the way we act.

        Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

        The world is constantly putting pressure on us from all sides. The word picture of “don’t be conformed to this world” is don’t be molded. It’s like a potter molding clay. He’s exerting pressure on it from all sides. If you do nothing, you’re going to let the world shape you.

        
        

        Focus on the worst case scenario.

        Steps to Victory

        Confess it to God

        Confess it to a confidant

        Have at least one brother to hold you accountable and have a team of brothers to have your six when you are getting pressured or stumbling (Hollywood and Smash)

        Renew your Mind Every Day

        God’s Word

        Prayer

        Worship

        Fellowship

        Music for me is key

        Eliminate Sources of Temptation

        Apps on phone

        Computer in bedroom

        Going to the Gym

        “Play the dweeb”

        “Look at the floor” / Elevators and meetings”

        -Modern Threat (phones) vs old threat (magazines)

        Retrain Your Response to Triggers

        Replace bad habits with Good habits

        Don’t just bounce your eyes, thank God for your spouse if you’re married, for example

        This is not a battle that you can win alone. FLEE from lust. “Abort vs Merge” Top Gun 2 Spoiler… Killer at the merge…yet 3-1 says merge is unsurvivable against a modern threat, yet we still go to the merge..the difference is we are not alone!

        Get a Wingman/ Battle Buddy! We are all struggling with what the enemy twists and what God wants us to be blessed with. Two Ship min, 4 Ship recommended.

        ]]>Intro

        Men, we’re in our third week of this 7 deadly sins series. Today, we come to a sin that seems to be at epidemic proportions in our society - the sin of lust. In our highly sexualized culture, we have to be on guard and intentional because this sin is lurking around every corner. It’s looking for ways to make it into your home, your life, and your schedule.

        Jordan Petersen podcast talking about how a 12 year old boy can see more naked ladies on his phone in one day than King Solomon saw in his life.

        Carl’s Jr. commercials story (Hardee’s in the South East)

        Like all of the other lies from the devil, lust is not going to bring the fulfillment you think it is. It falls short. It leaves you wanting more.

        Lust is a shortcut to sexual fulfillment, but it doesn’t actually get you there. When you lust after someone, you are objectifying that person for your own selfish pleasure.

        Our culture thinks sexual fulfillment is the ultimate achievement. (It doesn’t seem in scripture that there is going to be sex in heaven, so it’s obviously not the ultimate fulfillment. Not sure if this would be a rabbit trail) It is a blessing from God when used in the context of marriage between a man and a woman, but it’s not the ultimate fulfillment. A relationship with our creator is so much more important and fulfilling.

        It is a blessing, however, the enemy has corrupted it. So much so that growing up in the Southern Church, it was either NEVER spoken about or it was “whispered” that is was bad.

        “Purity Culture of the Church= Desire is shameful and sexual desire is shameful. IF you are just pure/virgin at your wedding day, ALL of your sex in marriage will be perfect…Then it isnt..The confusion is real

        This has caused couples to not talk about it in their marriages and thus the enemy gets an advantage in a marriage to cause division. Yet just the opposite is true. God wants us to have great sexual fulfillment…inside the Marriage Covenant.

        Matthew 5 vs Song of Songs. The Church wants to talk Matthew 5 (preached as shame) yet they will not touch Song of Songs (Solomon) where it is seen as a gift from God.

        Lust has a bigger impact than you think - physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. It not only skews your picture of sex, but it does so much more.

        Matthew 5:27-30 You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’[j] 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye[k]—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand[l]—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

        Physically - distraction, STD or unwanted pregnancy if you act out on the lust,

        Emotionally - objectify women, lack of contentment, feelings of frustration,

        Relationally - betrayal, lack of trust, your wife/girlfriend feels like they don’t measure up

        Spiritually - making this an idol in your life, creating an area in your life where you don’t submit to God’s authority, shame, guilt, not wanting to connect with God because of the sin you’re carrying

        Makes sex all about me - my desires, my pleasure, my wants - According to the Bible, once I’m married, my body is not my own. It belongs to my wife. Most fulfilling sex life is when my wife feels secure, fulfilled, and cared for in that area of our marriage.

        Early Fighter Pilot experience/ Male Dominated career field with lots of vaults to a Christian Commander who made a stand to the culture we have today.

        “What Happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”-- Nellis AFB is the Home of the Fighter Pilot and located in Las Vegas. So, fighter pilots make the “Pilgrimage” and “live it up” there. My experience and the Lord sending a mentor at 3 am in a McDonalds

        
        

        Lust feeds on secrecy and starves in transparency. The road to healing starts with confession - first to God and then to others.

        1 John 1:8-10 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

        God already knows our sin, even our sinful thoughts and desires. It’s freeing to bring those to him in confession and repentance. We not only confess the sin of lust, we need to confess the sin of not trusting that God has our best in mind in this area of our lives. For some reason, this is the one area where I think most people think God is holding out on them. God is being stingy. God’s not being stingy. He wants the best for you. He wants to save you from wounds - emotional, physical, relational pain.

        James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results

        You don’t have to shout this from the rooftops, but find a couple of guys you can trust that can be your accountability partner. Be careful of sharing too much with your wife, but be honest about struggles.

        My Accountability Brother- Open and Transparent even to the point where he can make a Fighter Pilot (because of our early culture and the male dominance in the field we hear alot) embarrassed….BUT it is how he and I attack it together. He is as open as I am. As such, I have become transparent with other men and my boys.

        Pinto and I with another fighter pilot being transparent. You could see he was still caught in the “Secret Life” and he was speechless at our transparency in our personal lives and in how we dealt with it in the Fighter Pilot Culture

        God has given us a proven battle plan to be victorious in this area. It starts with changing the way we think and then the way we act.

        Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

        The world is constantly putting pressure on us from all sides. The word picture of “don’t be conformed to this world” is don’t be molded. It’s like a potter molding clay. He’s exerting pressure on it from all sides. If you do nothing, you’re going to let the world shape you.

        
        

        Focus on the worst case scenario.

        Steps to Victory

        Confess it to God

        Confess it to a confidant

        Have at least one brother to hold you accountable and have a team of brothers to have your six when you are getting pressured or stumbling (Hollywood and Smash)

        Renew your Mind Every Day

        God’s Word

        Prayer

        Worship

        Fellowship

        Music for me is key

        Eliminate Sources of Temptation

        Apps on phone

        Computer in bedroom

        Going to the Gym

        “Play the dweeb”

        “Look at the floor” / Elevators and meetings”

        -Modern Threat (phones) vs old threat (magazines)

        Retrain Your Response to Triggers

        Replace bad habits with Good habits

        Don’t just bounce your eyes, thank God for your spouse if you’re married, for example

        This is not a battle that you can win alone. FLEE from lust. “Abort vs Merge” Top Gun 2 Spoiler… Killer at the merge…yet 3-1 says merge is unsurvivable against a modern threat, yet we still go to the merge..the difference is we are not alone!

        Get a Wingman/ Battle Buddy! We are all struggling with what the enemy twists and what God wants us to be blessed with. Two Ship min, 4 Ship recommended.

        ]]>aab5d43a-a17c-4859-83f0-bd1b17cfafa3Tue, 16 May 2023 07:00:00 -060051:37falsefull7 Deadly Sins - GreedIntro

        Welcome back to our 7 Deadly Sins Series. Today, we’re talking about the sin of greed. Greed is one of those sins that I think always brings to mind someone else. I bet most of us would put the line where greed begins somewhere farther out than our level of greed. In fact, some of you probably reacted by thinking, “I don’t have enough excess to be greedy.” We say things like, “I worked hard for that money and I deserve to spend it how I want” or “Everyone else has a new Iphone so I deserve a new Iphone” or “I don’t know what the future holds, so I had better hoard more away.” We’re not saying that having a new iPhone makes you greedy or that savings make you greedy, but almost all of us are affected by greed.

        Let’s start off with a definition: Greed is a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed. It’s a sin that paradoxically leaves us with less of what we really need. Here’s where the rub comes in: who gets to decide how much I need? Do I decide that? Is there a formula for it somewhere?

        Greed is a false pathway to enjoying life, built on the lie that this life is all there is. Jesus calls people foolish who store up earthly wealth but lack a rich relationship with God.

        Luke 12:15 Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.

        The word that’s translated beware literally means to guard yourself. You’re under attack from greed and covetousness. You need to guard yourself or it will destroy you. We have to be active about this, not passive. If that was the case in Jesus’ time, imagine how much more for us today? Our entire economy is built on the philosophy that you need more - ads, social media, peers

        Jesus reminds us that life is not measured by how much we own.

        The other twisted truth about greed is it almost always leads us to a feeling of lack and scarcity. We don’t recognize the blessings God has already given us.

        If you have a garage, your car has a nicer home than the majority of the world’s population.

        If you have food to eat, more than one set of clothes to wear, and any money in the bank account that puts you in the category of wealthy when compared to the world’s population, yet how many of us feel rich?

        Luke 12:16-20 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

        20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?

        The parable is not saying we shouldn’t work hard or that abundant crops are a bad thing. There are many exhortations in scripture to work hard. There are exhortations to save.

        There’s no thanksgiving from this man to God for his providence. There is no consideration to the needs of those around him. It’s all about him.

        Thinking as an owner instead of a steward

        
        

        Luke 12:21 Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.

        The man’s biggest issue wasn’t what he did have; it was what he didn’t have - a rich relationship with God. Wealth in and of itself isn’t bad, but it’s bad if we pursue it in place of a relationship with God. What if we pursued God like we pursued wealth? What would that look like? Think of how many years of education you went through for the career you have now. What if we pursued God that way?

        
        

        Greed is destructive at every level: individual, family, and society

        Greed brings destruction and brokenness at every level. That shouldn’t surprise us. As we saw earlier, all sin brings death. Greed is closely related to coveting. In fact, in many places in the bible you’ll see them used almost interchangeably in different translations. If we think of greed as wanting more than we need, coveting is wanting more than we have. Think of what greed and coveting do to us individually. First, they rob us of contentment. Is there anything that brings us a sense of peace like contentment? But when you’re stuck in greed and coveting you won’t experience contentment.

        Second, greed robs us of thanksgiving. Do you know how many benefits there are to being filled with thanksgiving and gratitude? I read an interesting article from Forbes magazine titled “7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude”. It listed physical health, mental health, better relationships, better sleep, and better self-esteem as some of the proven benefits of being thankful. This is an article from a secular magazine that acknowledges the benefits of gratitude. But when you and I are stuck in greed, it robs us of that. Would you describe yourself as a grateful person? Would your friends and family call you a thankful person? There’s a great conversation starter for you and your family or your small group.

        Greed is destructive at the family level

        Luke 12:13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide my father’s estate with me.”

        Jesus had been teaching on some really important, deep issues. This man is oblivious to it, doesn’t have ears to hear, because he’s focused on his father’s estate.

        Greed is destructive on societal level

        Embezzlement, sex trafficking, drug trade, unfair treatment of works - all have foundations in greed.

        
        

        The antidote to greed is not poverty but generosity, looking outward to give to others in need. The reward for this is the ability to actually enjoy the stuff we have, recognizing it as a gift from God.

        You can live in poverty and still be greedy. Poverty isn’t the antidote.

        It seems counterintuitive. If I’m already wanting more than I have, how is giving it away going to help? Another example of the upside down kingdom of God.

        Luke 12:33-34 Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven. And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe. No thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

        Not really our possessions, just managing them - Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.”

        What’s our knee jerk reaction to that first part of the verse - sell your possessions and give to those in need? God isn’t asking us to do it just for the sake of doing it. He said that by doing it, we store up true riches. We store up treasures in heaven. I don’t know exactly what those look like, but if Jesus is using them to motivate us, they have to be pretty amazing.

        1 Timothy 6:17-18 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good words and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

        He didn’t say teach those who are rich not to be rich. He said teach them not to trust in their money and be proud. It’s a heart issue. It’s our attitude towards money and wealth.

        As we become more and more like Jesus, we’ll find ourselves being more and more generous.

        ]]>Intro

        Welcome back to our 7 Deadly Sins Series. Today, we’re talking about the sin of greed. Greed is one of those sins that I think always brings to mind someone else. I bet most of us would put the line where greed begins somewhere farther out than our level of greed. In fact, some of you probably reacted by thinking, “I don’t have enough excess to be greedy.” We say things like, “I worked hard for that money and I deserve to spend it how I want” or “Everyone else has a new Iphone so I deserve a new Iphone” or “I don’t know what the future holds, so I had better hoard more away.” We’re not saying that having a new iPhone makes you greedy or that savings make you greedy, but almost all of us are affected by greed.

        Let’s start off with a definition: Greed is a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed. It’s a sin that paradoxically leaves us with less of what we really need. Here’s where the rub comes in: who gets to decide how much I need? Do I decide that? Is there a formula for it somewhere?

        Greed is a false pathway to enjoying life, built on the lie that this life is all there is. Jesus calls people foolish who store up earthly wealth but lack a rich relationship with God.

        Luke 12:15 Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.

        The word that’s translated beware literally means to guard yourself. You’re under attack from greed and covetousness. You need to guard yourself or it will destroy you. We have to be active about this, not passive. If that was the case in Jesus’ time, imagine how much more for us today? Our entire economy is built on the philosophy that you need more - ads, social media, peers

        Jesus reminds us that life is not measured by how much we own.

        The other twisted truth about greed is it almost always leads us to a feeling of lack and scarcity. We don’t recognize the blessings God has already given us.

        If you have a garage, your car has a nicer home than the majority of the world’s population.

        If you have food to eat, more than one set of clothes to wear, and any money in the bank account that puts you in the category of wealthy when compared to the world’s population, yet how many of us feel rich?

        Luke 12:16-20 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

        20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?

        The parable is not saying we shouldn’t work hard or that abundant crops are a bad thing. There are many exhortations in scripture to work hard. There are exhortations to save.

        There’s no thanksgiving from this man to God for his providence. There is no consideration to the needs of those around him. It’s all about him.

        Thinking as an owner instead of a steward

        
        

        Luke 12:21 Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.

        The man’s biggest issue wasn’t what he did have; it was what he didn’t have - a rich relationship with God. Wealth in and of itself isn’t bad, but it’s bad if we pursue it in place of a relationship with God. What if we pursued God like we pursued wealth? What would that look like? Think of how many years of education you went through for the career you have now. What if we pursued God that way?

        
        

        Greed is destructive at every level: individual, family, and society

        Greed brings destruction and brokenness at every level. That shouldn’t surprise us. As we saw earlier, all sin brings death. Greed is closely related to coveting. In fact, in many places in the bible you’ll see them used almost interchangeably in different translations. If we think of greed as wanting more than we need, coveting is wanting more than we have. Think of what greed and coveting do to us individually. First, they rob us of contentment. Is there anything that brings us a sense of peace like contentment? But when you’re stuck in greed and coveting you won’t experience contentment.

        Second, greed robs us of thanksgiving. Do you know how many benefits there are to being filled with thanksgiving and gratitude? I read an interesting article from Forbes magazine titled “7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude”. It listed physical health, mental health, better relationships, better sleep, and better self-esteem as some of the proven benefits of being thankful. This is an article from a secular magazine that acknowledges the benefits of gratitude. But when you and I are stuck in greed, it robs us of that. Would you describe yourself as a grateful person? Would your friends and family call you a thankful person? There’s a great conversation starter for you and your family or your small group.

        Greed is destructive at the family level

        Luke 12:13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide my father’s estate with me.”

        Jesus had been teaching on some really important, deep issues. This man is oblivious to it, doesn’t have ears to hear, because he’s focused on his father’s estate.

        Greed is destructive on societal level

        Embezzlement, sex trafficking, drug trade, unfair treatment of works - all have foundations in greed.

        
        

        The antidote to greed is not poverty but generosity, looking outward to give to others in need. The reward for this is the ability to actually enjoy the stuff we have, recognizing it as a gift from God.

        You can live in poverty and still be greedy. Poverty isn’t the antidote.

        It seems counterintuitive. If I’m already wanting more than I have, how is giving it away going to help? Another example of the upside down kingdom of God.

        Luke 12:33-34 Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven. And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe. No thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

        Not really our possessions, just managing them - Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.”

        What’s our knee jerk reaction to that first part of the verse - sell your possessions and give to those in need? God isn’t asking us to do it just for the sake of doing it. He said that by doing it, we store up true riches. We store up treasures in heaven. I don’t know exactly what those look like, but if Jesus is using them to motivate us, they have to be pretty amazing.

        1 Timothy 6:17-18 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good words and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

        He didn’t say teach those who are rich not to be rich. He said teach them not to trust in their money and be proud. It’s a heart issue. It’s our attitude towards money and wealth.

        As we become more and more like Jesus, we’ll find ourselves being more and more generous.

        ]]>62ea2be8-c900-4218-8740-0810e318fe00Tue, 02 May 2023 07:00:00 -060041:23falsefull7 Deadly Sins - PrideIntro

        We’re starting a new, seven lesson series today called 7 deadly sins. This isn’t a comprehensive list of sins, and all sin is deadly. The Bible is clear that the wages of sin is death. You won’t find a chapter in your Bible that lists these seven sins and titles them “the 7 deadly sins”.

        Big Idea for this series: The seven deadly sins are bad habits that destroy our ability to love God, others, and ourselves.

        
        

        Not addressing this issue of pride in our lives will set us up for failure in the other sins we’re going to cover in the series. This can also be a struggle for men, in particular. God has called us to lead in the home and in the church. With that calling to leadership, it can sometimes create pride in us. We can begin leading like a tyrant instead of leading like a servant.

        
        

        Fighter Pilot culture from one of Arrogance, Pride, and Superiority to Humble, Approachable, Credible of today

        Flight lead today vs 25 years ago

        The Debrief today

        Meeting with the Commander: “A seat at the table”-- sit on the back row until they invite you to the table

        Luke 14:7-11: When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

        
        

        The American church and pride/ Fighter Pilot Debrief

        Frustrating sin because no wone takes it seriously. Almost baked in to American culture. We atre told to “Work on ourselves”, “look inward”, have positive self esteem, and the “look at me culture” on social medis. SELFIES

        If a Pastor gets up and says he struggles with pride people tend to give in a pass because we all have it; but if he said he struggles with lust, they will look at him differently (Francis Chan)

        Wben we see a group photo we are in, who is the first person we look for then crticel of. “Oh, I look horrible…its a great picture of you, but my hair is awful!”

        We want to point to ourselves and call ourselves out (even in a false humility) but we forget to point ot God

        Humility is serving others and keeping the focus/spotlight on God and not ourselves

        Self Worth

        TP: Pride is a false pathway to self-worth, making it something we try to build on the basis of our own goodness. This may work for a while, but it’s doomed for failure.

        Luke 18:9-12 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[b]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.

        Jesus addresses this story to men who are described as having “great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else.” They clearly derived their self-worth on the basis of their own goodness. That’s what the Pharisee in the story is guilty of, and that’s clearly the attitude of the Pharisees that Jesus is addressing.

        We can almost always find someone who is struggling more than we are or who deals with a sin that maybe isn’t as much of a temptation to us and so we can become puffed up. The Pharisees that Jesus was addressing this story to scorned everyone else. They clearly felt better than those around them. When we compare ourselves to God’s standard, it will humble us. Contrast the responses of the Pharisees when coming face to face with Jesus vs. the response of Peter. “Depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man.”

        Fear of Failure - My fear of failure is my pride issue

        American Dream vs American Pride

        Yoda Example- Was on his way to being what most Americans see as the pinnacle of success, BUT his pride. God crushed his pride and now “wears” Jesus with an incredibly successful ministry

        Finding our identity in our successful careers and not in serving the Lord’s Kingdom. Seeing retired Military or athletes that find their Identity in there “successful” careers.

        Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall

        Proverbs 11:2 Pride leads to disgrace but with humility comes wisdom

        We can have “American Pride” and forget to serve the Kingdom.

        Personal story about my hard heart towards people who suffered from addictive behaviors.

        It’s so easy for that prideful attitude of the Pharisees to creep in. We begin to think we’ve somehow earned God’s favor or deserve his blessing.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        True Humility

        TP: The opposite of pride is humility: being secure in our standing with God on the basis of Christ’s goodness alone. This is one of the surprising gifts of the Christian life - true emotional health.

        Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

        There is no reason for us to be prideful about our standing with God. It was all because of his grace and mercy and what Jesus did on the cross. The reality of the Christian faith is that we bring nothing of value to the table on our own merit, and yet because of the high price he was willing to pay for us, God declares that we are of immeasurable value.

        A true understanding of our identity in Christ brings peace. It brings emotional health. We’re not so hung up on what others think about us. We know the source of our value is in who created us and he is unchanging.

        Luke 18:13-14 But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

        James 4:9-10 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

        Gratitude antidote

        The Tornado and the farm

        How we see money?

        
        

        The antidote

        TP: The antidote to pride is not self-hatred, but self-sacrifice, looking outward to find someone to serve. The reward for this is rich community, which is impossible for the proud hearted.

        We’re called to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Bible tells us in Psalm 139 that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and that God’s works are wonderful. The bible isn’t calling us to hate ourselves. We’re adopted sons and daughters of Almighty God. He doesn’t call us to self loathing. Self loathing

        Southern Culture and False Humility

        Not being honest with people because you have a “Christian Image” to portray

        Taught to think LESS of YOURSELF vs. thinking of yourself less.

        False humility “Game” super humble to manipulate people

        
        

        
        

        John 13:3-5 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

        This passage reminds us that Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority and that is what prompted him to wash the feet of the disciples. We see that word “so” in verse 4. Because of what he knew in verse three, he served in verse 4. We should have a “so” in our lives. Because God has sent his Son for us, because he has rescued us, because he has declared us righteous by the blood of Jesus: so we serve.

        
        

        
        

        There is a level of community and connection that happens at a deeper level when we serve together and serve others. I just saw that again recently at our Campus Clean Day as we were preparing for Easter.

        We need to call out pride- Fighter pilot debrief

        ]]>Intro

        We’re starting a new, seven lesson series today called 7 deadly sins. This isn’t a comprehensive list of sins, and all sin is deadly. The Bible is clear that the wages of sin is death. You won’t find a chapter in your Bible that lists these seven sins and titles them “the 7 deadly sins”.

        Big Idea for this series: The seven deadly sins are bad habits that destroy our ability to love God, others, and ourselves.

        
        

        Not addressing this issue of pride in our lives will set us up for failure in the other sins we’re going to cover in the series. This can also be a struggle for men, in particular. God has called us to lead in the home and in the church. With that calling to leadership, it can sometimes create pride in us. We can begin leading like a tyrant instead of leading like a servant.

        
        

        Fighter Pilot culture from one of Arrogance, Pride, and Superiority to Humble, Approachable, Credible of today

        Flight lead today vs 25 years ago

        The Debrief today

        Meeting with the Commander: “A seat at the table”-- sit on the back row until they invite you to the table

        Luke 14:7-11: When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

        
        

        The American church and pride/ Fighter Pilot Debrief

        Frustrating sin because no wone takes it seriously. Almost baked in to American culture. We atre told to “Work on ourselves”, “look inward”, have positive self esteem, and the “look at me culture” on social medis. SELFIES

        If a Pastor gets up and says he struggles with pride people tend to give in a pass because we all have it; but if he said he struggles with lust, they will look at him differently (Francis Chan)

        Wben we see a group photo we are in, who is the first person we look for then crticel of. “Oh, I look horrible…its a great picture of you, but my hair is awful!”

        We want to point to ourselves and call ourselves out (even in a false humility) but we forget to point ot God

        Humility is serving others and keeping the focus/spotlight on God and not ourselves

        Self Worth

        TP: Pride is a false pathway to self-worth, making it something we try to build on the basis of our own goodness. This may work for a while, but it’s doomed for failure.

        Luke 18:9-12 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[b]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.

        Jesus addresses this story to men who are described as having “great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else.” They clearly derived their self-worth on the basis of their own goodness. That’s what the Pharisee in the story is guilty of, and that’s clearly the attitude of the Pharisees that Jesus is addressing.

        We can almost always find someone who is struggling more than we are or who deals with a sin that maybe isn’t as much of a temptation to us and so we can become puffed up. The Pharisees that Jesus was addressing this story to scorned everyone else. They clearly felt better than those around them. When we compare ourselves to God’s standard, it will humble us. Contrast the responses of the Pharisees when coming face to face with Jesus vs. the response of Peter. “Depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man.”

        Fear of Failure - My fear of failure is my pride issue

        American Dream vs American Pride

        Yoda Example- Was on his way to being what most Americans see as the pinnacle of success, BUT his pride. God crushed his pride and now “wears” Jesus with an incredibly successful ministry

        Finding our identity in our successful careers and not in serving the Lord’s Kingdom. Seeing retired Military or athletes that find their Identity in there “successful” careers.

        Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall

        Proverbs 11:2 Pride leads to disgrace but with humility comes wisdom

        We can have “American Pride” and forget to serve the Kingdom.

        Personal story about my hard heart towards people who suffered from addictive behaviors.

        It’s so easy for that prideful attitude of the Pharisees to creep in. We begin to think we’ve somehow earned God’s favor or deserve his blessing.

        
        

        
        

        
        

        True Humility

        TP: The opposite of pride is humility: being secure in our standing with God on the basis of Christ’s goodness alone. This is one of the surprising gifts of the Christian life - true emotional health.

        Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

        There is no reason for us to be prideful about our standing with God. It was all because of his grace and mercy and what Jesus did on the cross. The reality of the Christian faith is that we bring nothing of value to the table on our own merit, and yet because of the high price he was willing to pay for us, God declares that we are of immeasurable value.

        A true understanding of our identity in Christ brings peace. It brings emotional health. We’re not so hung up on what others think about us. We know the source of our value is in who created us and he is unchanging.

        Luke 18:13-14 But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

        James 4:9-10 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

        Gratitude antidote

        The Tornado and the farm

        How we see money?

        
        

        The antidote

        TP: The antidote to pride is not self-hatred, but self-sacrifice, looking outward to find someone to serve. The reward for this is rich community, which is impossible for the proud hearted.

        We’re called to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Bible tells us in Psalm 139 that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and that God’s works are wonderful. The bible isn’t calling us to hate ourselves. We’re adopted sons and daughters of Almighty God. He doesn’t call us to self loathing. Self loathing

        Southern Culture and False Humility

        Not being honest with people because you have a “Christian Image” to portray

        Taught to think LESS of YOURSELF vs. thinking of yourself less.

        False humility “Game” super humble to manipulate people

        
        

        
        

        John 13:3-5 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

        This passage reminds us that Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority and that is what prompted him to wash the feet of the disciples. We see that word “so” in verse 4. Because of what he knew in verse three, he served in verse 4. We should have a “so” in our lives. Because God has sent his Son for us, because he has rescued us, because he has declared us righteous by the blood of Jesus: so we serve.

        
        

        
        

        There is a level of community and connection that happens at a deeper level when we serve together and serve others. I just saw that again recently at our Campus Clean Day as we were preparing for Easter.

        We need to call out pride- Fighter pilot debrief

        ]]>1d6279d6-9229-495d-9b87-0ee840b4f05aTue, 18 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -060042:44falsefullYoung Man, Go Find a WifeIntro: Today’s culture is moving away from marriage covenants. That’s moving in the wrong direction. Godly young men should start thinking and praying about their future wives.
        • Describe the attitude toward marriage that young men have today. Where do you think that attitude comes from?
        
        

        Marriage Is a Good Thing

        • Our spouse is a help mate from God 
        • Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
        • Proverbs 18:22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.
        • Married my best  friend: Post Honeymoon/first year life together.  Proverbs 31  She challenges me to grow deeper in my faith.  Yesterday’s interaction, encouragement and questions
        • (John Piper: “The Divine calling of a wife is to honor and affirm her husband’s leadership and help him carry through according to her gifts”....Every guy knows he needs a helper)
        • Tactical viewpoint:: The best flight leads know when to have their wingman take the tactical lead of the formation
        • Our spouse is just right. Their strengths and weaknesses complement our strengths and weaknesses.  Their femininity works together with our masculinity
        • Sacred Marriage: Eugenia isn't just my wife; she is also God’s Daughter and I must treat accordingly.  If you want to get on my good side, be good to my kids, and vice versa
        • Tactically speaking (Wingman Concept): Ecclesiastes 4:12: A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but TWO can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better for a triple braided cord is not easily broken. 
        • Marriage sanctifies us and helps us to look more like Jesus
        • Ephesians 5:25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.
        • Marriage is your first ministry.  When the world sees a God honoring marriage, one that honors each other, one that is submissive and sacrificial, the world will question “why”.  Marriage is a reflection of Christ’s relationship with the Church.  Husband represents “Christ’s” role and the wife represents the “Church” role.  When I stand before the Lord, I desire to have a wife that is honoring to the Lord, empowered, secure, and confident; and Children who love the Lord, feel loved by me.  Versus, having accomplished all these wonderful achievements in my life, career, and even “ministry” yet have lost my children to the world and a bitter and angry wife to me.
        • Marriage helps battle sexual immorality
        • 1 Corinthians 7:9 But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.
        
        

        Contentment vs Passivity

        • We’re not saying single is bad. God can use us in ways when we’re single that he likely won’t once we’re married. Single is not less than. 
        • 1 Corinthians 7:32  I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 
        • Marriage can be an idol in our life when we make it the most important thing 
        • Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
        • Marriage and your wife is not to be your primary focus/idol; the Lord is.  If you focus on God, she will love you more. It will be easy for her to “submit”/ respect  to your leadership because you are sacrificing your desires for hers as you become more sacrificial as Christ was/is and as you submit to His authority (3 braided rope).
        • It’s one thing to be single and content; it’s something else to be single and passive. The calling to leadership starts by taking the initiative in pursuing a wife.  
        • Leading as a husband— first leadership opportunity after leading ourselves for most and the first person most get to unconditionally love (Romans 8:38-39), live selflessly for (Phil 2:3), sacrifice for (John 3:16), become a tender warrior for (Col 3:19)  and serve (Mark 10:45) as Christ did.
        • Don’t fear rejection. When we know who we are in Christ and we know what the God of the universe says about us, rejection isn’t that big of a deal. 
        
        

        What Should I be Looking for? 

        • Most of us don’t have the benefit of being told exactly where to go or from which family we should seek our wife like the characters in the OT 
        • Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
        • See also: The 30 scale
        • Be on mission together  
        
        ]]>Intro: Today’s culture is moving away from marriage covenants. That’s moving in the wrong direction. Godly young men should start thinking and praying about their future wives.
        • Describe the attitude toward marriage that young men have today. Where do you think that attitude comes from?
        
        

        Marriage Is a Good Thing

        • Our spouse is a help mate from God 
        • Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
        • Proverbs 18:22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.
        • Married my best  friend: Post Honeymoon/first year life together.  Proverbs 31  She challenges me to grow deeper in my faith.  Yesterday’s interaction, encouragement and questions
        • (John Piper: “The Divine calling of a wife is to honor and affirm her husband’s leadership and help him carry through according to her gifts”....Every guy knows he needs a helper)
        • Tactical viewpoint:: The best flight leads know when to have their wingman take the tactical lead of the formation
        • Our spouse is just right. Their strengths and weaknesses complement our strengths and weaknesses.  Their femininity works together with our masculinity
        • Sacred Marriage: Eugenia isn't just my wife; she is also God’s Daughter and I must treat accordingly.  If you want to get on my good side, be good to my kids, and vice versa
        • Tactically speaking (Wingman Concept): Ecclesiastes 4:12: A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but TWO can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better for a triple braided cord is not easily broken. 
        • Marriage sanctifies us and helps us to look more like Jesus
        • Ephesians 5:25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.
        • Marriage is your first ministry.  When the world sees a God honoring marriage, one that honors each other, one that is submissive and sacrificial, the world will question “why”.  Marriage is a reflection of Christ’s relationship with the Church.  Husband represents “Christ’s” role and the wife represents the “Church” role.  When I stand before the Lord, I desire to have a wife that is honoring to the Lord, empowered, secure, and confident; and Children who love the Lord, feel loved by me.  Versus, having accomplished all these wonderful achievements in my life, career, and even “ministry” yet have lost my children to the world and a bitter and angry wife to me.
        • Marriage helps battle sexual immorality
        • 1 Corinthians 7:9 But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.
        
        

        Contentment vs Passivity

        • We’re not saying single is bad. God can use us in ways when we’re single that he likely won’t once we’re married. Single is not less than. 
        • 1 Corinthians 7:32  I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 
        • Marriage can be an idol in our life when we make it the most important thing 
        • Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
        • Marriage and your wife is not to be your primary focus/idol; the Lord is.  If you focus on God, she will love you more. It will be easy for her to “submit”/ respect  to your leadership because you are sacrificing your desires for hers as you become more sacrificial as Christ was/is and as you submit to His authority (3 braided rope).
        • It’s one thing to be single and content; it’s something else to be single and passive. The calling to leadership starts by taking the initiative in pursuing a wife.  
        • Leading as a husband— first leadership opportunity after leading ourselves for most and the first person most get to unconditionally love (Romans 8:38-39), live selflessly for (Phil 2:3), sacrifice for (John 3:16), become a tender warrior for (Col 3:19)  and serve (Mark 10:45) as Christ did.
        • Don’t fear rejection. When we know who we are in Christ and we know what the God of the universe says about us, rejection isn’t that big of a deal. 
        
        

        What Should I be Looking for? 

        • Most of us don’t have the benefit of being told exactly where to go or from which family we should seek our wife like the characters in the OT 
        • Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
        • See also: The 30 scale
        • Be on mission together  
        
        ]]>8951b49c-9fcf-4ac2-b124-299fdf836f17Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -060047:09falsefullYoung Man, Here's How to MoneyExcerpt: God’s Word talks a lot about money and possessions.  We find true freedom in our finances when we do it God’s way.  

        When it comes to money and finances, everyone has an opinion.  Who do you listen to?  Does culture direct our decisions? Do we follow the advice of influencers like Robert Kiyosaki, Suze Orman, or Dave Ramsay?  We’re trusting God and his Word for our eternity, so we ought to be able to trust him with our money.  

        Getting our minds right about stewardship vs. ownership is critical in experiencing freedom and peace with our money. 

        • Psalm 50:10-12 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.11 I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.
        • Everything belongs to God.  He is the creator and sustainer of all things.  The very breath in my lungs is given to me by him. When I recognize that it’s not “my” money or “my” resources, but instead God’s resources, it gives me a totally different perspective.  It also takes away anxiety because God has unlimited resources.  He has asked me to be faithful in managing a little.  He may ask me to manage more as I show myself faithful - parables of the talents.  We want to be clear that we’re not talking about a prosperity gospel here.  
        • James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
        • God is so generous.  Every good and perfect gift is from him.  He isn’t stingy.  
        • You might want to push back and say, “My hard work created this wealth.” Who gave you the abilities and talents you used in that work? Who gave you the physical and mental health to be able to be productive?  
        
        

        
        

        
        

        Chasing after the world’s treasures fills us with anxiety and always leaves us wanting. 

        • Summarize Luke 12:13-34
        • Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
        • 22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
        • 32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
        • There’s no display of gratitude in the rich farmer. He clearly has the mindset of an owner instead of a steward.  There’s no thought to asking how he can use this abundance to glorify God or bless others.  It’s all selfish.  The scary thing is it sounds like the American dream doesn’t it?  Make all you can and then kick back in retirement and make it all about you? 
        • Jesus tells us not to worry about basic needs: food, clothing, shelter.  Imagine what he would say to us.  How many of us have worried about food this week?  And trying to pick between Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse doesn’t count.  
        • These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers.  If we were to take an honest assessment, what dominates our thoughts?  The things of God - expanding his kingdom, worshiping him, hearing from him - or the things of the world?  How can we check that? How many times have you looked at your 401K balance this week or month?  How many times have you caught yourself thinking, “If I only had this much more money”?  
        
        

        
        

        Discipline and generosity are a powerful combination that brings victory in our finances. 

        • Proverbs 22:7 Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
        • Avoid debt
        • Delayed gratification  
        • Save, Share, Spend 
        • Proverbs 13:11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears;    wealth from hard work grows over time.
        • Personal story of high risk investments in my early 20s 
        • Luke 12:33 .33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need.
        • Practical giving advice for young men
        
        

        
        

        
        

        
        

        God isn’t anti-wealth, but he wants you to have wealth that isn’t temporary. 

        • Luke 12:34 This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
        • God knows that where our treasure is, that’s where our heart will be.  When he is our treasure, he’ll have our heart.  God wants us to enjoy riches that will last forever, not ones that waste away or get destroyed. 
        • Being able to transition into full-time ministry because we weren’t in debt, didn’t have a lavish lifestyle
        • Live simply so that others may simply live 
        
        ]]>Excerpt: God’s Word talks a lot about money and possessions.  We find true freedom in our finances when we do it God’s way.  

        When it comes to money and finances, everyone has an opinion.  Who do you listen to?  Does culture direct our decisions? Do we follow the advice of influencers like Robert Kiyosaki, Suze Orman, or Dave Ramsay?  We’re trusting God and his Word for our eternity, so we ought to be able to trust him with our money.  

        Getting our minds right about stewardship vs. ownership is critical in experiencing freedom and peace with our money. 

        • Psalm 50:10-12 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.11 I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.
        • Everything belongs to God.  He is the creator and sustainer of all things.  The very breath in my lungs is given to me by him. When I recognize that it’s not “my” money or “my” resources, but instead God’s resources, it gives me a totally different perspective.  It also takes away anxiety because God has unlimited resources.  He has asked me to be faithful in managing a little.  He may ask me to manage more as I show myself faithful - parables of the talents.  We want to be clear that we’re not talking about a prosperity gospel here.  
        • James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
        • God is so generous.  Every good and perfect gift is from him.  He isn’t stingy.  
        • You might want to push back and say, “My hard work created this wealth.” Who gave you the abilities and talents you used in that work? Who gave you the physical and mental health to be able to be productive?  
        
        

        
        

        
        

        Chasing after the world’s treasures fills us with anxiety and always leaves us wanting. 

        • Summarize Luke 12:13-34
        • Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
        • 22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
        • 32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
        • There’s no display of gratitude in the rich farmer. He clearly has the mindset of an owner instead of a steward.  There’s no thought to asking how he can use this abundance to glorify God or bless others.  It’s all selfish.  The scary thing is it sounds like the American dream doesn’t it?  Make all you can and then kick back in retirement and make it all about you? 
        • Jesus tells us not to worry about basic needs: food, clothing, shelter.  Imagine what he would say to us.  How many of us have worried about food this week?  And trying to pick between Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse doesn’t count.  
        • These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers.  If we were to take an honest assessment, what dominates our thoughts?  The things of God - expanding his kingdom, worshiping him, hearing from him - or the things of the world?  How can we check that? How many times have you looked at your 401K balance this week or month?  How many times have you caught yourself thinking, “If I only had this much more money”?  
        
        

        
        

        Discipline and generosity are a powerful combination that brings victory in our finances. 

        • Proverbs 22:7 Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
        • Avoid debt
        • Delayed gratification  
        • Save, Share, Spend 
        • Proverbs 13:11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears;    wealth from hard work grows over time.
        • Personal story of high risk investments in my early 20s 
        • Luke 12:33 .33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need.
        • Practical giving advice for young men
        
        

        
        

        
        

        
        

        God isn’t anti-wealth, but he wants you to have wealth that isn’t temporary. 

        • Luke 12:34 This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
        • God knows that where our treasure is, that’s where our heart will be.  When he is our treasure, he’ll have our heart.  God wants us to enjoy riches that will last forever, not ones that waste away or get destroyed. 
        • Being able to transition into full-time ministry because we weren’t in debt, didn’t have a lavish lifestyle
        • Live simply so that others may simply live 
        
        ]]>c53ae551-8072-409e-8fac-b62f8efeedadMon, 20 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -060047:18falsefullYoung Man, Run from PornographyExcerpt: God’s first line of defense against sexual temptation is to flee from it! 
        • God’s Word instructs us to flee from sexual immorality, not see how close we can get without giving into temptation. 
        • 1 Corinthians 6:18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
        • It’s such a slippery slope.  For me it started with an image of a cheerleader on Sports Illustrated website when I was looking at scores from the weekend’s games.  I should have run right then. 
        • Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.
        • Job made a decision.  It was a firm decision.  He wasn’t wishy washy about it.  
        • In our highly sexualized culture you’ll need to think ahead and be strategic
        • Avoid apps on your phone that you know lead to temptation - tic tok, instagram, YouTube - anything that will trap you if you’re not careful
        • Put Net Nanny or Covenant Eyes or a similar program on your phone
        • Don’t keep your phone with you in your room at night
        • Don’t have a computer in a room with your door closed
        • When traveling - tell the front desk to cancel pay per view in your room
        • Pornography is a distortion of God’s gift of sex within the marriage relationship.  It will distort your expectations and set you up for a lifetime of disappointment and hurt.  
        • It’s not real.  It’s a facade.
        • Many of the women in porn are using drugs/alcohol just to get through the scene
        • It will give you the impression that women are always in the mood, will always desire you. That’s not the real world.  It will set up unhealthy expectations for your marriage and frustration when they’re not met.  
        • It’s unlikely your wife is going to look like they do
        • It’s unlikely you’re going to look like they do
        • Makes sex look like it’s all about getting what I want when in reality it should be about giving my wife what she wants
        • If you’re thinking the temptation will be gone once you’re married and can fulfill your sexual desires with your wife, it won’t.  
        • The devil will look for an opportune time to bring it back - maybe you and your wife are in conflict, she’s dealing with an illness, you have a newborn in the home - The bible says he’s prowling around like a lion.  He’s strategic.  
        • Our first strategy should be to flee, but we should also link up with other Christian men who can help us fight this battle. 
        • Ecclesiastes 4:12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
        • Matthew 23:12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
        • It takes humility to call in other men to help you with this. 
        • Only a fool would go into battle alone when he has the opportunity to have reinforcements.  This is a battle of life and death - emotional death, relational death 
        • God is not holding out on us and his grace is bigger than failures we’ve made in this area.  
        • This is an area where so many people feel like God is being stingy or holding back on us.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  God has our best interest in mind.  His boundaries are always for our good.  If you think you’re missing out, here’s what you’re missing out on: guilt, shame, distorted view of sex, wounds that are going to affect your sex life in your marriage, contributing to sex trafficking - that’s what you’re missing out on if you stay away from porn.  
        • We’ve turned sex into an idol.  We’ve taken a good thing, a gift God has given us which was to be enjoyed in the context of marriage between a man and a woman, and we’ve distorted it.  Satan can’t create, so he distorts and he’s done some of his best work in this area.  He’s created a generation of impotent boys with whiskers. 
        • 1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
        • The best time to start fresh is now! Repent (changing of the mind) ask God to help you see it as he sees it.  When your perspective changes, you’ll turn and go the other way.  
        
        ]]>Excerpt: God’s first line of defense against sexual temptation is to flee from it! 
        • God’s Word instructs us to flee from sexual immorality, not see how close we can get without giving into temptation. 
        • 1 Corinthians 6:18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
        • It’s such a slippery slope.  For me it started with an image of a cheerleader on Sports Illustrated website when I was looking at scores from the weekend’s games.  I should have run right then. 
        • Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.
        • Job made a decision.  It was a firm decision.  He wasn’t wishy washy about it.  
        • In our highly sexualized culture you’ll need to think ahead and be strategic
        • Avoid apps on your phone that you know lead to temptation - tic tok, instagram, YouTube - anything that will trap you if you’re not careful
        • Put Net Nanny or Covenant Eyes or a similar program on your phone
        • Don’t keep your phone with you in your room at night
        • Don’t have a computer in a room with your door closed
        • When traveling - tell the front desk to cancel pay per view in your room
        • Pornography is a distortion of God’s gift of sex within the marriage relationship.  It will distort your expectations and set you up for a lifetime of disappointment and hurt.  
        • It’s not real.  It’s a facade.
        • Many of the women in porn are using drugs/alcohol just to get through the scene
        • It will give you the impression that women are always in the mood, will always desire you. That’s not the real world.  It will set up unhealthy expectations for your marriage and frustration when they’re not met.  
        • It’s unlikely your wife is going to look like they do
        • It’s unlikely you’re going to look like they do
        • Makes sex look like it’s all about getting what I want when in reality it should be about giving my wife what she wants
        • If you’re thinking the temptation will be gone once you’re married and can fulfill your sexual desires with your wife, it won’t.  
        • The devil will look for an opportune time to bring it back - maybe you and your wife are in conflict, she’s dealing with an illness, you have a newborn in the home - The bible says he’s prowling around like a lion.  He’s strategic.  
        • Our first strategy should be to flee, but we should also link up with other Christian men who can help us fight this battle. 
        • Ecclesiastes 4:12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
        • Matthew 23:12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
        • It takes humility to call in other men to help you with this. 
        • Only a fool would go into battle alone when he has the opportunity to have reinforcements.  This is a battle of life and death - emotional death, relational death 
        • God is not holding out on us and his grace is bigger than failures we’ve made in this area.  
        • This is an area where so many people feel like God is being stingy or holding back on us.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  God has our best interest in mind.  His boundaries are always for our good.  If you think you’re missing out, here’s what you’re missing out on: guilt, shame, distorted view of sex, wounds that are going to affect your sex life in your marriage, contributing to sex trafficking - that’s what you’re missing out on if you stay away from porn.  
        • We’ve turned sex into an idol.  We’ve taken a good thing, a gift God has given us which was to be enjoyed in the context of marriage between a man and a woman, and we’ve distorted it.  Satan can’t create, so he distorts and he’s done some of his best work in this area.  He’s created a generation of impotent boys with whiskers. 
        • 1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
        • The best time to start fresh is now! Repent (changing of the mind) ask God to help you see it as he sees it.  When your perspective changes, you’ll turn and go the other way.  
        
        ]]>75930abb-42f4-426d-81f5-e3a7a7f3951cMon, 06 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -060038:12falsefullYoung Man, Make a Decision and Make it WorkLife is all about making good decisions. But how do you discern the will of God? And how do you avoid “paralysis by analysis?” This mantra will help: “Make a decision and make it work”. 

        Dad: where did this mantra come from?

        Would you consider yourself to be decisive or indecisive?  How do you think those who know you best would answer that question?  Because God has called you to lead in the home and at church, men should be decisive.  

        Black and White Decisions

        • Q. Has God’s Word already made the decision? 
        • When we’re faced with a decision where God’s Word has already clearly spoken, the decision is clear: we obey.  
        • I don’t have to ask myself if I should sleep with my girlfriend or not.  I don’t have to ask if I should get drunk this weekend.  That’s a different question than, “Should I drink this weekend?”  
        • If you’re not obeying God in the black and white decisions, don’t be surprised if it is harder to hear his voice on the gray ones.  
        • Being a follower of Christ means I submit to his authority in my life. 
        • Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you. 
        • Q. Will this decision put me in a vulnerable position?
        • Proverbs 14:15-16 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!
        • The prudent carefully consider their steps.The wise are cautious[a] and avoid danger;  fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.
        • If you struggle with pornography should you have a TV in your room?  Should you keep your phone in your room at night? 
        • If you’re trying to honor God in your relationship with your girlfriend, be careful of putting yourself into temptation. 
        • If you’re trying to honor God with your finances, should you get the cheaper car or smaller apartment?  
        • This is where humility is important in decision making. 
        • Q. Will this decision cause another brother to stumble?
        • Dad: not drinking while kids were young
        
        

        Choosing between two good decisions

        • Q. Is there more than one option that honors God? How do I discern his will? Then you have to choose the best over the good. 
        • How to discern God’s Voice (trifecta, three means of grace)
        • His Word
        • Already talked about this. 
        • His Spirit
        • James 1:5  If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
        • His People
        •  1 Corinthians 12:7-10 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[b]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[c] 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[d] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 
        • Some people have a spiritual gift for giving wise advice.  Find those people and listen to them.  
        • Proverbs 15:22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
        • Get people who know your gifting and temperament to help you make decisions
        • For young men who are married, God has called your spouse to be your help mate.  Make decisions in unity with them as much as it is possible.  If you just can’t come to agreement on a decision and you’re confident the Lord is leading you a certain way, lead your wife through that.  
        
        

        
        

        Trans: After we have done the above and really sought God’s will, we need to be decisive. 

        
        

        Step through the Door with Faith

        • I believe sometimes God is more concerned with how we go through the door than with which door we choose.  He is sovereign.  He’s in control.  If we’ve honestly sought his will and the choice isn’t crystal clear, pick a door and step through it with gratitude and faith. 
        • Story about “All the places to go, how will you know” John Ortberg study
        • Romans 8:28  And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
        • God can even use my bad decisions for my good and for his glory.  I obviously don’t make bad decisions on purpose, but I am going to make some, even though I’ve tried to hear from God.  
        • Colossians 3:23  Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 
        • Once the decision has been made, get to work.  Work as unto the Lord.  Don’t wonder “what if” at the first sign of hardship or trouble.  Don’t beat yourself up if you come to realize you made a bad decision.  God’s grace is bigger than your mistakes.  
        • If it turns out to be a poor decision, take responsibility.  Don’t shift the blame.  Don’t let it cause you to be indecisive in the future.  
        
        ]]>Life is all about making good decisions. But how do you discern the will of God? And how do you avoid “paralysis by analysis?” This mantra will help: “Make a decision and make it work”. 

        Dad: where did this mantra come from?

        Would you consider yourself to be decisive or indecisive?  How do you think those who know you best would answer that question?  Because God has called you to lead in the home and at church, men should be decisive.  

        Black and White Decisions

        • Q. Has God’s Word already made the decision? 
        • When we’re faced with a decision where God’s Word has already clearly spoken, the decision is clear: we obey.  
        • I don’t have to ask myself if I should sleep with my girlfriend or not.  I don’t have to ask if I should get drunk this weekend.  That’s a different question than, “Should I drink this weekend?”  
        • If you’re not obeying God in the black and white decisions, don’t be surprised if it is harder to hear his voice on the gray ones.  
        • Being a follower of Christ means I submit to his authority in my life. 
        • Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you. 
        • Q. Will this decision put me in a vulnerable position?
        • Proverbs 14:15-16 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!
        • The prudent carefully consider their steps.The wise are cautious[a] and avoid danger;  fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.
        • If you struggle with pornography should you have a TV in your room?  Should you keep your phone in your room at night? 
        • If you’re trying to honor God in your relationship with your girlfriend, be careful of putting yourself into temptation. 
        • If you’re trying to honor God with your finances, should you get the cheaper car or smaller apartment?  
        • This is where humility is important in decision making. 
        • Q. Will this decision cause another brother to stumble?
        • Dad: not drinking while kids were young
        
        

        Choosing between two good decisions

        • Q. Is there more than one option that honors God? How do I discern his will? Then you have to choose the best over the good. 
        • How to discern God’s Voice (trifecta, three means of grace)
        • His Word
        • Already talked about this. 
        • His Spirit
        • James 1:5  If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
        • His People
        •  1 Corinthians 12:7-10 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[b]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[c] 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[d] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 
        • Some people have a spiritual gift for giving wise advice.  Find those people and listen to them.  
        • Proverbs 15:22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
        • Get people who know your gifting and temperament to help you make decisions
        • For young men who are married, God has called your spouse to be your help mate.  Make decisions in unity with them as much as it is possible.  If you just can’t come to agreement on a decision and you’re confident the Lord is leading you a certain way, lead your wife through that.  
        
        

        
        

        Trans: After we have done the above and really sought God’s will, we need to be decisive. 

        
        

        Step through the Door with Faith

        • I believe sometimes God is more concerned with how we go through the door than with which door we choose.  He is sovereign.  He’s in control.  If we’ve honestly sought his will and the choice isn’t crystal clear, pick a door and step through it with gratitude and faith. 
        • Story about “All the places to go, how will you know” John Ortberg study
        • Romans 8:28  And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
        • God can even use my bad decisions for my good and for his glory.  I obviously don’t make bad decisions on purpose, but I am going to make some, even though I’ve tried to hear from God.  
        • Colossians 3:23  Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 
        • Once the decision has been made, get to work.  Work as unto the Lord.  Don’t wonder “what if” at the first sign of hardship or trouble.  Don’t beat yourself up if you come to realize you made a bad decision.  God’s grace is bigger than your mistakes.  
        • If it turns out to be a poor decision, take responsibility.  Don’t shift the blame.  Don’t let it cause you to be indecisive in the future.  
        
        ]]>3a71d297-0985-4bb2-96ac-495e97121e32Mon, 20 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -060039:08falsefullHow to Use PursueGOD Resources for Men and BoysThe men’s resources at pursueGOD.org are perfect for men’s groups and one-on-one discipleship. Here’s how to use them.

        Step Up and Lead

        If you’re a man, you have a calling on your life to lead. The church is filled with guys who are failing to step up at home, at church, and in society.

        • Deuteronomy 6:1-3 (NLT) “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the LORD your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
        • Spoken to parents and grandparents
        • Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT) “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
        
        

        5 Marks of Mature Masculinity:

        • Mature masculinity doesn’t initiate every action, but feels the responsibility to provide a general pattern of initiative. Jesus himself only led his disciples for a few years, and then he left them with the task of starting the church. John 6:5-6
        • Mature masculinity does not assume the authority of Christ over others, but advocates for it. The last thing we need in the church is more men who think it’s all about them. Ephesians 1:21-22
        • Mature masculinity grows out of love, not out of self-assertion. Too many men lead from a place of insecurity, trying to promote themselves instead of leading from a place of love for others. Philippians 2:3-4
        • Mature masculinity expresses itself not in the demand to be served, but in the strength to serve others. Jesus himself left the comforts of heaven to take on flesh and live among us. Philippians 2:5-7
        • Mature masculinity recognizes that the call to leadership is a call to sacrifice. Biblical manhood always ends up in the same place: on the altar of sacrifice. Philippians 2:7-8
        
        

        The Flex Method

        The men’s resources at pursueGOD.org are perfect for men’s groups and one-on-one discipleship. It’s all about the “FLEX” method: find a topic, learn about it ahead of time, and explore it in conversation.

        If you’re a Christian, Jesus wants you to make disciples (Matthew 28:19). But how do you do it? Where do you start? PursueGOD offers a simple approach, modeled after Jesus’ own ministry. He discipled his followers through everyday conversations, helping them discover truth by asking questions and providing answers. 

        PursueGOD disciple-making works the same way. If you can have a conversation, you can make a disciple. The process works in three simple steps: 

        The 3 E’s: How to Make Disciples

        Step 1: Engage

        First, engage the person you’d like to disciple. Ask yourself, “What kinds of conversations does that person want to have? Is there a topic they’d like to talk about?” Disciple-making starts with putting yourself in the shoes of someone else. Where do they need help? How can you add value to their life?

        Many Christians make the mistake of getting too spiritual too quickly. We know that the deepest need in everyone’s life is Jesus – and we’re chomping at the bit to talk about it! But not everyone is ready for a spiritual conversation. These things take time, as Paul points out:

        
        

        1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT) But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

        
        

        That’s why the first step is to engage. Ask the person where they would like to start, and simply offer to sit down for a conversation. Meet regularly to cover topics together as you build a relationship. If it helps, send them a link to one of these category listings, and invite them to choose where to start:

        
        

        Life topics (emotions, relationships, etc.)

        Family topics (marriage, parenting, etc.)

        Faith topics (investigating faith, Bible study, etc.)

        Topics for students

        Topics for women

        Topics for men

        
        

        Step 2: Establish 

        Second, establish the person in the Christian faith. When the time is right, be sure to go over the basics of Christianity with the person you’re discipling. Talk about God’s heart for people. Cover the topics of sin and salvation and sanctification. Get specific about what it means to be a true disciple. We’ve put all of these important topics into a 12-part series called The Pursuit. 

        
        

        So how do you know if the time is right to move from engaging (Step 1) to establishing (Step 2)? Pray about it! As you meet to talk about topics of interest to them, eventually you’ll start talking about spiritual things. Expect God to show up in your conversations over time, especially if you’re praying for him to reveal himself. Jesus said it himself when he sent out his closest disciples:

        
        

        Matthew 10:19-20 (NLT) … don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

        
        

        This is where spiritual discernment comes in, along with a dose of boldness. As you’re covering miscellaneous topics, lay the groundwork for the foundational topics. Don’t be afraid to say, “I think it’s time we go through The Pursuit together. That’s the series that will establish you in the most important relationship of your life.” 

        
        

        What if they’re already a Christian? Do it anyway! It’s always helpful to go over the basics of the faith, and it will ensure that you get to the final step in the process. The Pursuit introduces the idea of a “full circle” follower of Jesus, someone who makes a commitment  to three basic things in life: 

        
        

        
        

        
        

        It’s the last part of that image that leads to the final step in the disciple-making process.

        
        

        Step 3: Empower 

        Third, empower the person to become a disciple-maker. The final three lessons in The Pursuit are training topics, explaining the picture and process of discipleship. This means that once you’ve finished The Pursuit, you’re ready to empower the person you’re discipling to get in the game and start making disciples, too.

        
        

        But they’ll probably need your help. Most people are intimidated by the thought of becoming a mentor and discipling someone. So you’ll have to convince them that they’re qualified, just like Jesus had to do with his disciples. And you’ll probably also have to help them get connected to someone else who needs a mentor. This is where the local church can come in. Ask a pastor where there’s a need, and then help make the handoff.

        
        

        Engage, establish, and empower. The whole process is designed to make disciple-making a thing again. It’s the kind of generational discipleship that Paul described to Timothy: 

        
        

        2 Timothy 2:2 (NLT) You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

        
        

        If you’re a Christian, Jesus wants you to make disciples. PursueGOD makes it easy. If you can have a conversation, you can make a disciple.

        ]]>The men’s resources at pursueGOD.org are perfect for men’s groups and one-on-one discipleship. Here’s how to use them.

        Step Up and Lead

        If you’re a man, you have a calling on your life to lead. The church is filled with guys who are failing to step up at home, at church, and in society.

        • Deuteronomy 6:1-3 (NLT) “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the LORD your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
        • Spoken to parents and grandparents
        • Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT) “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
        
        

        5 Marks of Mature Masculinity:

        • Mature masculinity doesn’t initiate every action, but feels the responsibility to provide a general pattern of initiative. Jesus himself only led his disciples for a few years, and then he left them with the task of starting the church. John 6:5-6
        • Mature masculinity does not assume the authority of Christ over others, but advocates for it. The last thing we need in the church is more men who think it’s all about them. Ephesians 1:21-22
        • Mature masculinity grows out of love, not out of self-assertion. Too many men lead from a place of insecurity, trying to promote themselves instead of leading from a place of love for others. Philippians 2:3-4
        • Mature masculinity expresses itself not in the demand to be served, but in the strength to serve others. Jesus himself left the comforts of heaven to take on flesh and live among us. Philippians 2:5-7
        • Mature masculinity recognizes that the call to leadership is a call to sacrifice. Biblical manhood always ends up in the same place: on the altar of sacrifice. Philippians 2:7-8
        
        

        The Flex Method

        The men’s resources at pursueGOD.org are perfect for men’s groups and one-on-one discipleship. It’s all about the “FLEX” method: find a topic, learn about it ahead of time, and explore it in conversation.

        If you’re a Christian, Jesus wants you to make disciples (Matthew 28:19). But how do you do it? Where do you start? PursueGOD offers a simple approach, modeled after Jesus’ own ministry. He discipled his followers through everyday conversations, helping them discover truth by asking questions and providing answers. 

        PursueGOD disciple-making works the same way. If you can have a conversation, you can make a disciple. The process works in three simple steps: 

        The 3 E’s: How to Make Disciples

        Step 1: Engage

        First, engage the person you’d like to disciple. Ask yourself, “What kinds of conversations does that person want to have? Is there a topic they’d like to talk about?” Disciple-making starts with putting yourself in the shoes of someone else. Where do they need help? How can you add value to their life?

        Many Christians make the mistake of getting too spiritual too quickly. We know that the deepest need in everyone’s life is Jesus – and we’re chomping at the bit to talk about it! But not everyone is ready for a spiritual conversation. These things take time, as Paul points out:

        
        

        1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT) But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

        
        

        That’s why the first step is to engage. Ask the person where they would like to start, and simply offer to sit down for a conversation. Meet regularly to cover topics together as you build a relationship. If it helps, send them a link to one of these category listings, and invite them to choose where to start:

        
        

        Life topics (emotions, relationships, etc.)

        Family topics (marriage, parenting, etc.)

        Faith topics (investigating faith, Bible study, etc.)

        Topics for students

        Topics for women

        Topics for men

        
        

        Step 2: Establish 

        Second, establish the person in the Christian faith. When the time is right, be sure to go over the basics of Christianity with the person you’re discipling. Talk about God’s heart for people. Cover the topics of sin and salvation and sanctification. Get specific about what it means to be a true disciple. We’ve put all of these important topics into a 12-part series called The Pursuit. 

        
        

        So how do you know if the time is right to move from engaging (Step 1) to establishing (Step 2)? Pray about it! As you meet to talk about topics of interest to them, eventually you’ll start talking about spiritual things. Expect God to show up in your conversations over time, especially if you’re praying for him to reveal himself. Jesus said it himself when he sent out his closest disciples:

        
        

        Matthew 10:19-20 (NLT) … don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

        
        

        This is where spiritual discernment comes in, along with a dose of boldness. As you’re covering miscellaneous topics, lay the groundwork for the foundational topics. Don’t be afraid to say, “I think it’s time we go through The Pursuit together. That’s the series that will establish you in the most important relationship of your life.” 

        
        

        What if they’re already a Christian? Do it anyway! It’s always helpful to go over the basics of the faith, and it will ensure that you get to the final step in the process. The Pursuit introduces the idea of a “full circle” follower of Jesus, someone who makes a commitment  to three basic things in life: 

        
        

        
        

        
        

        It’s the last part of that image that leads to the final step in the disciple-making process.

        
        

        Step 3: Empower 

        Third, empower the person to become a disciple-maker. The final three lessons in The Pursuit are training topics, explaining the picture and process of discipleship. This means that once you’ve finished The Pursuit, you’re ready to empower the person you’re discipling to get in the game and start making disciples, too.

        
        

        But they’ll probably need your help. Most people are intimidated by the thought of becoming a mentor and discipling someone. So you’ll have to convince them that they’re qualified, just like Jesus had to do with his disciples. And you’ll probably also have to help them get connected to someone else who needs a mentor. This is where the local church can come in. Ask a pastor where there’s a need, and then help make the handoff.

        
        

        Engage, establish, and empower. The whole process is designed to make disciple-making a thing again. It’s the kind of generational discipleship that Paul described to Timothy: 

        
        

        2 Timothy 2:2 (NLT) You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

        
        

        If you’re a Christian, Jesus wants you to make disciples. PursueGOD makes it easy. If you can have a conversation, you can make a disciple.

        ]]>1ea2a49f-896b-4cb6-aa16-e50c201c6c40Tue, 07 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -060052:38falsefull