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Scott LaPierre Ministries

Religion & Spirituality Podcas

Scott LaPierre (https://www.scottlapierre.org/) is a pastor, author, and Christian speaker on marriage. This podcast includes his conference messages, guest preaching, and expository sermons at Woodland Christian Church. Each of Scott’s messages is the result of hours of studying the Bible. Scott and his wife, Katie, grew up together in northern California, and God has blessed them with nine children. View all of Pastor Scott’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ. Receive a FREE copy of Scott’s book, “Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.” For Scott LaPierre’s conference and speaking information, including testimonies, and endorsements, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/. Feel free to contact Scott at: https://www.scottlapierre.org/contact/.

Location:

Woodland, WA

Description:

Scott LaPierre (https://www.scottlapierre.org/) is a pastor, author, and Christian speaker on marriage. This podcast includes his conference messages, guest preaching, and expository sermons at Woodland Christian Church. Each of Scott’s messages is the result of hours of studying the Bible. Scott and his wife, Katie, grew up together in northern California, and God has blessed them with nine children. View all of Pastor Scott’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ. Receive a FREE copy of Scott’s book, “Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.” For Scott LaPierre’s conference and speaking information, including testimonies, and endorsements, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/. Feel free to contact Scott at: https://www.scottlapierre.org/contact/.

Twitter:

@PastorWCC

Language:

English

Contact:

13609772877


Episodes
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How Did Jesus Fulfill the Biblical Feasts? Understanding Prophecies in Christianity

11/4/2024
How did Jesus fulfill the biblical feasts? The seven feasts are divided into two groups: the four fall feasts look to Jesus's first coming, and the three spring feasts look to Jesus's Second Coming. Each feast was fulfilled when celebrated: Jesus was crucified on Passover, Jesus's sinless (unleavened body) was buried during Unleavened Bread, Jesus was resurrected on Firstfruits, and the church was born on Pentecost. https://youtu.be/RNeIGbVYcIA How did Jesus fulfill the biblical feasts? The fall feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost look to the First Coming. Table of contentsLooking to Jesus's First ComingThe First Biblical Feast, Passover, Looked Forward to Jesus’s CrucifixionThe Second Biblical Feast, Unleavened Bread Looked Forward to Jesus’s Unleavened Body in the GraveJesus's Unleavened Body Couldn't Remain in the GraveThe Third Biblical Feast, Firstfruits Looked Forward to Jesus’s ResurrectionWhat Are Firstfruits?The Fourth Biblical Feast, Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks) Looked Forward to the Church's “Harvest”The Seven Weeks Between the Third and Fourth FeastsThe Sabbath Looked Forward to the Rest Christ OffersChrist's True and Greater RestWhat Did the Hebrews Understand? The seven biblical feasts are divided into two groups. The four fall feasts fall feasts look to Jesus’s First Coming, and all were fulfilled when they were celebrated: Jesus was crucified on Passover Jesus’s sinless, or unleavened body, was buried during the Feast of Unleavened Bread Jesus was resurrected on Firstfruits The church began on Pentecost The three spring feasts, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, look to Jesus's Second Coming, and because the fall feasts were fulfilled when the feasts were celebrated, it is reasonable to expect the spring feasts to be fulfilled when they are celebrated. The first feast, Passover, began the first month of the Hebrew calendar, Nissan 14, our March 30.1 The feast of firstfruits is below the feast of unleavened bread, because firstfruits took place during unleavened bread. Seven weeks passed between the third and fourth feasts looking forward to the seven weeks between Jesus’s resurrection and ascension when He revealed himself to over 500 witnesses. There is a six-month gap between Nisan, when the fall feasts begin, and Tishri, the seventh month when the spring feasts begin. This six-month gap represents the church age or gap between Jesus’s two comings. Looking to Jesus's First Coming Leviticus 23:4 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. The Hebrew word for feasts is môʿēḏ, which means “appointed times,” which is why many Bibles refer to the feasts as appointed feasts instead of only feasts. This is the first of four times in verses two through four that the word appointed is used. God wants us to know these feasts are appointed. Why the repetition? God carefully planned their timing and sequence to point toward Christ and the work He would accomplish in His First and Second Comings. The First Biblical Feast, Passover, Looked Forward to Jesus’s Crucifixion Leviticus 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord's Passover. 1 Corinthians 5:7b Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Every Passover looked forward to Christ, our Passover lamb, who was crucified on Passover: Matthew 26:2 the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” John 19:13 Pilate…brought Jesus out, and…14 it was the day of preparation of the Passover. At the same time the lambs were being prepared to be slaughtered for the Passover meal, Jesus was being prepared to be slaughtered for our sins. Exodus 12:13b [God said], “When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Duration:00:51:07

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What Are the Four Views of the End Times? (Revelation 20:1-8)

10/28/2024
The nature of the thousand years, or millennium, in Revelation 20:1-8, is widely debated. The four views of the end times are postmillennialism, amillennialism, premillennialism, and preterism. Maybe you wonder what each view means. Hopefully, this answers that for you! https://youtu.be/llJDdYqts0U The four views of the end times are postmillennialism, amillennialism, premillennialism, and preterism. Learn what each view means. Table of contentsWhat Is the Millennium?The Four Views of the End TimesPostmillennialism's View of the End Times: Christ Returns After the Millennium and Rules in Believers’ HeartsAmillennialism's View of the End Times: The Church Age Is the Millennium, and Christ Rules Through the ChurchPostmillennialism and Amillennialism Avoid Literal InterpretationsSatan Is Not ImprisonedPremillennialism's View of the End Times: Christ Returns Before the Millennium and Physically Rules on the EarthPreterismFull Preterism: Christ Returned in 70 A.D., and all Prophecy Is FulfilledJesus's Second Coming Is Physically and BodilyFull Preterism Is HeresyPartial Preterism: Christ Will Return and Some Prophecy Is FulfilledHow Preterists Arrive at Their InterpretationAre We Ready for Jesus's Second Coming? If you have been in the church for long, you’ve heard people talk about being amill, post mill, and premill. You probably know these describe people’s eschatology or view of the end times. But maybe you wonder what each view means. Hopefully, this sermon will answer that for you! I'm a premillennialist, but I will do my best to present the opposing views respectfully and share the names of respected people who hold each view. What Is the Millennium? The suffix mill in each view is short for millennium. The most explicit passage describing the millennium is in Revelation 20. Look at verse one: Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit (or abyss) and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, The pit, or abyss, is the temporary prison for demons who sinned by possessing people in Noah’s day and throughout history. You might remember when Jesus cast the demons out of the man in the country of the Gerasenes in Luke 8:31. They begged Jesus not to cast them into the abyss. Demons are locked up here until released as part of the 5th Trumpet Judgment in Revelation 9. The abyss also ends up being the prison for the devil during the millennium. The millennium is named from the repeated use of the phrase “thousand years” six times in verses 2 through 7. Revelation 20:3 and threw him into the pit (or abyss), and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. The devil is imprisoned in the abyss for one thousand years and then released. As we'll see, he isn’t cast straight into hell because God has one more task for him. There’s a real emphasis on the devil deceiving the world because it’s mentioned four times in Revelation 19:20, 20:3, 8, 10. It’s interesting that of all the devil’s evils, this is the reason he’s locked up. Revelation 12:9 says he’s the deceiver of the world. He shows up on the pages of Scripture deceiving Eve, and his final actions before being cast into hell also involve deceiving people. I’m convinced the world will be dramatically different when the devil is locked up and cannot deceive anyone. Please keep that in mind when we discuss each view. Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. After the millennium, the devil is released and returns to deceiving people. His 1,

Duration:00:51:57

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Do You Reap What You Sow When Giving Money? (Galatians 6:7)

10/24/2024
Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." We have heard this quoted when people encourage us to give. So, do you reap what you sow when giving? Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn the answer. Table of ContentsGod Gives to Us So We Can Give to OthersYou Reap What You SowIf We Give Enough, Will God Make Us Rich?Do We Reap What We Sow in This Life or the Next?God Gives Us Grace So We Can Give MoreFootnotes Our God is a giver. He “gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). He gives us abundant life: “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He gives us wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). He gives us gifts: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). The greatest gift God gave us is His Son: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with him freely give us all things?” Ephesians 5:1 commands us to “be imitators of God,” which means we should give too. Proverbs 21:26 says, “The righteous gives and does not spare.” Why is giving righteous? God’s actions define righteousness. Because God gives, giving is righteous and makes us imitators of Him. God Gives to Us So We Can Give to Others In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the master rebuked the man: “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” (Matthew 18:32-33). The wicked servant was condemned because he wouldn’t forgive as God had forgiven him. This reveals an important principle in Scripture: We should do for others what God has done for us. For example, we should love others because God loved us: “As I have loved you… you also love one another” (John 13:34). We should forgive others because God forgave us: “Forgive one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Regarding giving because God is a giver who has given so much to us, we should give to others. Some spiritual gifts, such as teaching and leadership, seem like gifts because they benefit the person receiving them. However, other gifts, such as mercy and serving, don’t seem like gifts because they help others more than those who received them. This gives us insight into why God gives us gifts, which we must consider because God’s reason for giving gifts can differ from our reason. We typically give gifts to bless the recipient, but God gives gifts to bless the recipient and so the recipient can bless others: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10). We can enjoy the gifts God has given us—for example, God has given me the gift of teaching, which I enjoy—but being good stewards of our gifts means using them for others’ benefit. This applies to all God has given us, including our wealth. Let’s consider two of the parables. First, in the parable of the talents, the third servant buried his talent (gift) in the ground and was severely punished in response (Matthew 25:18, 30). The financial application is that when we keep our wealth to ourselves, we act like the third servant—we take what God has given us and, in a sense, bury it in the ground. Second, the parable of the rich fool reveals that we aren’t given wealth to keep it for ourselves. When we hoard our wealth, we’re acting like the rich fool. In both parables, the men failed to use God’s generosity as intended: for others. God is generous with us so that we can be generous with others....

Duration:00:29:35

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Principles for Biblical Giving (2 Corinthians 8:1-8)

10/7/2024
Although the New Testament doesn’t command tithing, it gives us principles to determine the amount. Most of these principles for biblical giving are found in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. These chapters provide the richest, most detailed teaching on giving in the Bible. Read, listen, or watch this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn more. https://youtu.be/sCmBIcmYGcg The New Testament doesn’t command tithing, but it gives us principles for biblical giving in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 to determine the amount. Table of contentsThe Macedonians' Example in GivingPrinciple One: Biblical Giving Is a Reflection of Our Relationships with the LordPrinciple Two: Biblical Giving Means Giving WillinglyPrinciple Three: Biblical Giving Requires Deciding How Much to GiveThe Old Testament Foreshadowed Giving WillinglyJacob Gave UnwillinglyAbraham Gave WillinglyGiving Willingly Produces More than Obligatory GivingWhy Do We Give? We wonder how much to give because the New Testament doesn’t command giving a tithe. Although the New Testament doesn’t tell us how much, it does give us principles to determine the amount. Most of these principles are found in two chapters: 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. These chapters provide the richest, most detailed teaching on giving in the Bible. The Macedonians' Example in Giving First, here’s the context for these chapters: One of the primary goals of Paul’s third missionary journey was to gather a special offering for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. The Corinthians said they would give, but they hadn’t given yet. It is much easier to talk about giving than give. So, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give by telling them about the Macedonians who set a powerful example with their sacrificial giving. Just as Job is synonymous with suffering and Solomon is synonymous with wisdom, the Macedonians can be synonymous with giving. 2 Corinthians 8:1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. Notice in verse it says the Macedonians gave “in a severe test of affliction.” Macedonia was the northern region of Greece, where the Philippian, Thessalonican, and Berean churches were located. Many wars had ravaged this area, and Rome was still plundering it even at the time of Paul’s writing. In other words, living in Macedonia was difficult. During trials, who do we tend to think about? Ourselves. Who do we tend not to think about? Others. But not the Macedonians! Even while suffering, they still thought about and gave “a wealth of generosity” to the Jerusalem believers. Because the Macedonians gave so much, we would expect them to have been given much; in other words, we would expect them to be wealthy. But it was the opposite! Verse 2 also says they were in “extreme poverty.” The Greek word translated as “poverty” refers to a beggar with nothing and no hope of getting anything. When I think of first-century Christians, I think of people who were already poor. The Macedonians must have been among the lowest of the low, but they still found a way to give much. 2 Corinthians 8:3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord. 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints They gave “beyond their means,” which means they gave more than they could afford. They didn’t have the money, but they gave anyway. They resemble the widow who gave her last two mites. How many times have you heard of Christians begging to be able to give? They called being able to give a “favor,” or some Bibles say privilege. The Greek word for favor or privilege is charis, the same word translated as “grace” elsewhere in Scripture. Verse 1 says that “the grace of God” allowed them to give.

Duration:00:23:54

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The Widow’s Mite and Sacrificial Giving (Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44)

9/29/2024
We can learn much about sacrificial giving from the account of the widow's mite in Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44. The widow's mite teaches that giving is much bigger than the gift. The gift is an iceberg above the water, and below the surface is the sacrifice that went into it. The gift is a tree, and the roots in the ground are the sacrifice that went into it. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn more. https://youtu.be/nLCGb0opbIk We can learn about sacrificial giving from the account of the widow's mite in Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44. Giving is bigger than the gift. Table of contentsThe Widow's Mite Shows Sacrifice Is More Important than the AmountThe Widow's Mite Is a Window Into Eternal RewardsOur Sacrificial Giving Is WorshipThe High Priest, Priesthood, Temple, and Sacrifices Under the New CovenantWe See Sacrificial Giving with AbrahamWe See Sacrificial Giving with Animal SacrificesWe See Sacrificial Giving with DavidGive According to Your IncomeWhat About American Christians' Giving?Give Because Our God Is a GiverFootnotes When Katie and I were part of a home fellowship early in our marriage, a couple joined the group soon after being released from prison. Even though they hadn’t been Christians for long, their affection for the Lord was evident. They were thankful that He had forgiven them, that He would want a relationship with them after their actions, and that He would allow them to begin new lives in Christ. Because of the decisions that led to their incarcerations and the burned bridges with most, if not all, family members and friends, it wouldn’t be too much to say that our home fellowship was just about all the relationships they had. They were part of our group when Katie was pregnant with Rhea. Everyone was excited for us, but perhaps because this couple had no children or grandchildren, they seemed more excited than anyone else. They desperately wanted to give Rhea a gift when she was born, but as you can guess, they didn’t have much. They settled on a dirty, smelly blanket, which they put in a torn plastic bag. They were smokers, so we had to put the blanket on the sanitary cycle on our washer quite a few times, but we still couldn’t get rid of the smell. While the blanket didn’t cost much and was never helpful to us, the gift was significant. Why? Because they had so little, we knew the sacrifice that went into the gift. Giving is much bigger than the gift. If I can use two analogies: The gift is an iceberg above the water, and below the surface is the sacrifice that went into the gift. The gift is a tree, and the roots in the ground are the sacrifice that went into the gift. Everything behind the giving is more important than the gift itself. The premier example of this in scripture is the account commonly called the widow’s mite: Luke 21:1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. There’s a lot in commentaries about how much – or how little – she put in. I could bore you with a discussion of the different coins of the day, but I don’t think it’s necessary. You get the point that she put in a tiny amount. The shocking part of the widow’s mite is that she had only two mites and gave them both. She might have kept one coin for herself, and no one would have blamed her if she had. Instead, she gave both with staggering generosity. Luke 21:3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. Jesus called His disciples to talk to them about what He saw. The parallel account in Mark 12:41 says, “Many rich people put in large sums.” Jesus wasn’t impressed with the large sums the rich people contributed. Instead, He drew their attention to the widow's mite. Although the ESV doesn’t include the word “how” in Mark 12:41, most other translations – such as the NASB, Amplified, NKJV,

Duration:00:23:46

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Six Ways to Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn (Job 2:11-13)

9/16/2024
Over the last few months, while a man in our congregation was dying of cancer, I developed a burden to equip the church to minister to those mourning. Job's friends set a great example in Job 2:11-13. Read on to learn six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn. https://youtu.be/Z8p6MIINBTo Learn six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn. In Job 2:11-13, Job's friends set a great example at first. Table of contentsFirst, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being Like Job’s Friends (at the Beginning)Comforting without Saying Anything?Second, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Taking the InitiativeThird, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Dealing with Silence WiselyFourth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being EmpatheticDistinguishing Between Sympathy and EmpathyBeing Empathetic Is Incredibly DifficultFifth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Recognizing Some Can Comfort Better than UsChildren Comforting ChildrenThose with Similar Experiences Comforting Each OtherA Woman Who Also Lost Her Brother to a Drug OverdoseThe Bauskas Comforting the OrdwaysFeeling Inadequate ComfortingWhy Everyone Must Be Involved in ComfortingSixth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Making Yourself UncomfortableWedding, Births, and DeathsPerfect Comfort Is Not Until the Next Life The previous post, Learning to Weep With Those Who Weep, was about what we should not do when what we shouldn’t do when comforting those who mourn. This post is about what we should do. Here are six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn. First, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being Like Job’s Friends (at the Beginning) I know Job’s friends are the proverbial bad friends. When you want to tell people they are bad friends, you tell them they are like Job’s friends. So you might look at this lesson and wonder if I made a mistake. But Job’s friends started off well. Look at Job 2:11: Job 2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. Notice three things about Job's friends: Each man came from his own separate place. They didn’t live near each other. They made an appointment to meet to travel to see Job. This is the ancient world before people had cell phones or cars to drive. I don’t know how far they lived from each other and then how far it was to travel to Job, but I’m sure this was no small thing. They wanted to do two things. First, they wanted to show him sympathy, and second, they wanted to comfort him. We’ll talk about sympathy later. For now, let’s see how they comforted him: Job 2:12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. They wept with him. Romans 12:15 says, "Weep with those who weep." Job’s friends are a great example of this. First Corinthians 12:26 says, "If one member suffers, all suffer together." They suffered with him as well: Job 2:13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. Job’s friends continue to impress! We tend to read verses quickly, but think about what this says because it is incredible: they sat on the ground for seven days and seven nights and didn’t say a word! Comforting without Saying Anything? Verse eleven says they were going to comfort him. If we were asked what it means to comfort someone, wouldn’t we think it involves saying something? But they comforted him without saying anything, and we’re told the reason why: because they saw that his suffering was great.

Duration:00:57:17

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Learning to Weep With Those Who Weep (Romans 12:15 and 1 Corinthians 12:26)

9/9/2024
Every believer is expected to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15; see also 1 Corinthians 12:26). When we mourn with those who mourn, we should avoid certain things, such as trying to cheer people up, competing with them by sharing our own stories of grief, or being false prophets by telling them things will get better. https://youtu.be/vi8cWm5JMII Every believer is expected to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:1). When we mourn with those who mourn, we should avoid certain things. Table of contentsWe Must All Weep with Those Who WeepI Wasn't Equipped to Weep with Those Who WeepFirst, Don’t Try to Change the MoodAn Entire Book About WeepingSecond, Don’t “Pour Vinegar on Soda”Elkanah's Insensitivity to His Wife, HannahThird, Don’t Try to CompeteFourth, Don’t Be a False ProphetLearning from Job's FriendsPeople's Responses When My Brother Passed AwayWhy We Can Weep with HopeJob Wept with Hope If I had to choose one verse to summarize my ministry, it would be: Ephesians 4:12 [pastors are] to equip the saints for the work of ministry. We tend to think pastors are the only ones in ministry, but the Bible says pastors are supposed to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. In John MacArthur's sermon, “The Foundation for Fifty-Five Years of Ministry,” he wrote about the need for everyone to minister: “I understood the church had to be a place of mutual ministry, fellowship, spiritual gifts in one another. We have gifts that we minister to others. I have a spiritual gift for you. My gift is not for me, it’s for you. You have spiritual giftsspeaking gifts, serving gifts…Every one of us fits into the body of Christ in a way that the Spirit of God has designed for us to have a ministry that is critical to the life of the church. Grace Church has always had that. In the early years, the first article ever written on Grace Church was…titled ‘The Church with 900 Ministers.’ We had 900 people at the time. And what struck him was these were not spectators; these people were really caring for each other. He picked that up on his own. That article got a lot of traction because people didn’t think of churches in that sense. But we were heavily on a bent on giving instruction on the mutual ministry of God’s people to each other in a church so that we’re not spectators. Things that go on around here, you could never ever imagine that I did them. When I come here, I’m as shocked as you are at everything. Who does all this? This church has always understood fellowship, mutual ministry, caring for each other.” I have the same desire for Woodland Christian Church. I’m thankful so many serve because each person plays a vital role in the church family. Part of the ministry you should be equipped for is visiting the hurting. I will cover this in two posts. This post covers what we shouldn’t do when weeping with those who are weeping, and the other post covers what we should do. We Must All Weep with Those Who Weep Scripture contains verses for specific people, such as husbands, wives, children, single people, widows, older people, and younger people. Scripture also contains verses for everyone regardless of their season of life. Romans 12 is one of those chapters written to anyone and everyone. The chapter begins with familiar verses appealing to us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. It is followed by the command not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by renewing our minds. Then verses 3-8 encourage us to use God's gifts. Finally, in verses 9-21, Paul has a section titled “Behave like a Christian” or “Marks of the True Christian.” These verses are written to every Christian, and Romans 12:15 says: Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. If people have the gift of leadership but not the gift of service, they can’t say, “I’ll be in charge, but don’t expect me to serve.” Or if people have the gift of ministry but not the gift of en...

Duration:00:50:16

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Christ Is Whose Son? (Luke 20:41-47 and Matthew 22:41-46)

8/26/2024
Christ is whose Son? Jesus asked, "David says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord.”’ David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” (Luke 20:41-44; see also Matthew 22:41-46 and Mark 12:35-37). How can David call the Messiah “Lord” if the Messiah is also his Son? How can the Messiah be both David’s Lord and Son? https://youtu.be/ZFUfdbyV40Y Christ is whose Son? How can David call the Messiah “Lord” if the Messiah is also his Son? (Luke 20:41-44 and Matthew 22:41-46). Table of contentsThe Jehovah's Witnesses Deny that Jesus Is GodThe Jews Didn’t Think the Messiah Was GodThe Paradox of the Messiah Being the Root and Offspring of DavidThe Majority Knew the Messiah Is the Son of DavidHow Can Jesus Be David's Son and Lord?Jesus Showed the Messiah Is GodJesus Showed There Is a ResurrectionTruth Brings AccountabilityOur Accountability When I was an elementary school teacher, an aide in my classroom was a Jehovah’s Witness. She was a sweet old woman, and we enjoyed each other. We had many of the same values. She not only helped me when I taught academics, but she also tried to reinforce the lessons on character that I taught. We would have pleasant conversations about our theological differences. I would share my questions about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Sometimes, she would respond. Other times, she would tell me she had to look into it, and then she would return with a copy of The Watchtower, the Jehovah’s Witnesses magazine. She must have told her husband about me because he came to my house with another Jehovah’s Witness one day to talk to me. We jumped right to a discussion of who Jesus is. It resembled this morning’s passage. In the parallel account in Matthew 22:42, Jesus asked the religious leaders, “What do you think about the Christ?” In answer to the question of who Jesus is, the man opened his New World Translation, the Jehovah’s Witness translation of the Bible, pointed to a verse in Matthew and said, “Jesus is the Son of God. See right here?”I said, “But you don’t think He’s God, do you?He said, “No. It says right here he’s the Son of God.” The Jehovah's Witnesses Deny that Jesus Is God The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that when Jesus said He was the of God, He wasn’t claiming to BE God. But the Jews in Jesus’s day understood that when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God or to have God as his father, He was claiming equality with God: John 5:17 Jesus [said], “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were SEEKING ALL THE MORE TO KILL HIM, because…he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. They wanted to kill Him because they thought He was committing blasphemy, and this was the punishment for blasphemy: Leviticus 24:16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. Here’s another example: John 10:30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews PICKED UP STONES AGAIN TO STONE HIM. 32 Jesus [said], “For which [good work] are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Think about when Jesus healed the paralytic’s sins: Luke 5:20 [Jesus] said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the Pharisees [said], “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Because only God can forgive sins, to claim to forgive sins was to claim to be God, and that was blasphemous. John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him. Pastor Nathan has made fun of me for years for correcting people’s grammar. He even got me one of my favorite sweatshirts, identifying me as part of the grammar police. I correct my kids’ grammar all day, which they love. They always say to me, “Daddy,

Duration:00:27:06

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What Happens to Married Couples in Heaven? (Luke 20:27-40)

8/19/2024
Because marriage is a big part of this life, a common question is, “What happens to married couples in heaven?” We learn the answer when the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with a hypothetical question about levirate marriage (Luke 20:27-40, Matthew 22:23-33, and Mark 12:18-27). https://youtu.be/0-9P0JcJBsc Marriage is a big part of this life, so a common question is, “What happens to married couples in heaven?” Jesus answered in Luke 20:27-40. Table of contentsThe Context for Jesus Teaching What Happens to Married Couples in HeavenThe Sadducees Rejected the SupernaturalThe Sadducees' Question About Marriage in HeavenThe Next Life Is Different Than This LifeWe Will Be Equal But Not Identical to AngelsMaking Idols Out of BlessingsHeaven Is Primarily About ChristGod Doesn’t Rule Over Nonexistent PeopleRespond with ScriptureWisdom That Couldn't Be Argued WithBeing "Worthy" to "Attain" HeavenFootnotes On September 11th, Islam received lots of attention because the 19 hijackers were Muslims, and people wondered why they would fly planes into buildings, killing themselves and thousands of others in the process. We learned that they believed that if they did so, they would immediately go to heaven and receive 72 virgins to satisfy them for all eternity. Mormons believe in celestial marriage, also called eternal marriage or temple marriage. This doctrine teaches that marriages can last forever in heaven if the couple is wed in a Mormon temple. The website, Why Mormonism, records: “When a bride and groom are married in the temple, they are sealed together – they are married not only for this life, but for the life after. Jesus Christ taught that ‘What God has joined together, let no man put asunder’ (Matthew 19:6). The idea of eternal marriage informs the Mormon’s view of deaththat death is a temporary separation of loved ones; they can be together again in the eternities. [Mormon] Elder James A. Cullimore said, ‘Marriage in the temple for time and eternity should be the goal of every member of the Church.” God promised the Prophet Joseph Smith in a revelation, ‘If a man marries a wife by…the new and everlasting covenant…by him who is anointed…it…shall be of full force when they are out of the world.’ Therefore, those sealed in a Mormon temple have the promise that their relationship will continue on forever. An eternal marriage not only blesses the husband and wife, but their children. The couple is sealed together, and any children they have are sealed to them.” Katie and I celebrated our 18th anniversary earlier this month. We’ve had ten children together, or, to be more accurate, at least thirteen if we count the miscarriages we’re aware of. Most of these 18 years have been in ministry together, with all its blessings and trials. We have experienced more together than most of the relationships in my life combined. Nobody knows me as well as she does, and I can’t imagine being as close to anyone as I am to her. I have joked with Katie that we should have gotten married on the playground in elementary school when we were growing up together. I share all this to make the simple point that marriage in heaven sounds good. I would love to continue my relationship with Katie into the next life. The problem is that Jesus taught otherwise. The Context for Jesus Teaching What Happens to Married Couples in Heaven The religious leaders have been trying to trap Jesus. The first time was in verses 1-8 when they questioned where He got his authority. In Luke 20:9-18 Jesus preached the parable of the vineyard owner, declaring that the vineyard owner, representing God, would execute the tenants, representing the religious leaders, who murdered His Son. This infuriated the religious leaders: Luke 20:19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. They wanted to arrest Jesus,

Duration:00:51:32

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God’s Care for Widows Through Levirate Marriage in the Bible (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)

8/12/2024
God's care for widows is shown in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Levirate marriage in the Bible commanded men to provide a son and carry on the name and inheritance of a deceased brother by marrying the widowed wife. https://youtu.be/z9BSqZmGdqQ Levirate marriage in the Bible (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) commanded men to marry their deceased brother's widow to provide a son. Table of contentsLevirate Marriage Cared for the WidowLevirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s NameLevirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s InheritanceThe Humiliating Ceremony If a Brother Refused to Fulfill His ResponsibilityWhen Onan Refused His Responsibilities with TamarBoaz and Ruth's Levirate MarriageLevirate Marriage Looks to Christ’s RedemptionFootnotes Our nation provides many services to widows. Here are five, but there are more: Hope for Widows helps financially and strives to build a community among widowed women worldwide. Wings for Widows provides coaching and education to help widows achieve financial wellness. Modern Widows Club provides in-person and virtual support groups, clubs, and travel opportunities. The Widow Connection provides skill training for widows to build economic independence. The Sisterhood of Widows is an online site offering compassion and encouragement for widows. None of these services can replace losing a spouse, but they are intended to help financially, mentally, socially, and emotionally. The ancient world was a cruel place to live. They didn’t have the social services we have today. Women, in general, had it bad. Widows had it worse. And widows with no sons to care for them had it worst of all. They were the picture of helplessness and vulnerability. God expressed His heart for widows and commanded His people to care for them: Psalm 68:5 Protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 146:9 The Lord…upholds the widow. Isaiah 1:17 [God says to], “Learn to do good [and] plead the widow's cause.” Levirate Marriage Cared for the Widow God commanded levirate marriage in the Mosaic law to care for widows: when a man died, his brother married his wife. This is also where the word “levirate” comes from: it has nothing to do with the tribe of Levi. The word comes from the Latin levir, which means “a husband’s brother.” When I first learned about levirate marriage, to be honest, it seemed pretty weird to me: a man is commanded to marry his dead brother’s wife. And if we’re all honest, we would probably admit this isn’t the only part of the Mosaic law that seems weird. We look at other parts and say, “Why would God command this?” But as I studied levirate marriage this past week, it made sense to me. If we lived in the ancient world, we would see that levirate marriage was compassionate toward both the widow and her deceased husband. When we encounter something in the Old Testament that seems weird or troubling, often it’s because of two things. First, we don’t live in that culture. If we did, the things we read would make more sense. Second, we aren’t familiar enough with what we are reading. If we study Scripture enough, we often see that what God did was wise and beneficial. And with that, let’s take a look at Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which are the verses commanding levirate marriage: Deuteronomy 25:5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. Notice God said it is the living brother’s “duty” to do this. God commanded Israelite men to care for Israelite women in this way. John MacArthur wrote, “Obviously, this required that the [living] brother be unmarried.”13 There are two requirements for levirate marriage. The brothers must dwell together. This doesn’t mean they share the same house,

Duration:00:53:18

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Give to Caesar What Is Caesar’s and to God What Is God’s (Luke 20:19-26)

8/5/2024
The Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus with this question: “Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (Luke 20:22; see also Matthew 12:13-17). If Jesus said they should pay the tax, it looked like He supported Rome, but if he said they should not pay the tax, He would be considered a traitor to Rome and arrested. He responded, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what Is God's” (Luke 23:25). Just as the coins with Caesar’s image belong to Caesar, people with God’s image belong to God. https://youtu.be/hBa0C7r0pUw Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what Is God's; coins with Caesar’s image belong to him, and people with God’s image belong to Him. Table of contentsShould Christians Use American Currency?The Pharisees and Herodians Tried to Trap JesusBitterness Unites PeopleThe Pharisees' and Herodians' HypocrisyWhy the Jews Hated the Poll TaxChristians Give to Caesar What Is Caesar's Because We Have Earthly CitizenshipPaul (and Peter) Taught that We Should Submit to GovernmentWe Can Have Clear Consciences When We Give to Caesar What Is Caesar'sPaul Affirmed We Should Give to Caesar What Is Caesar'sChristians Give to God What Is God's Because We Have Heavenly CitizenshipGiving to Caesar What Is Caesar's Is not Disloyal to GodWhat It Means to Give to God What Is God'sFootnotes Our one-dollar bills contain many images. Some are easy to understand, such as the picture of George Washington or the capital B for the Federal Reserve Bank. Other images are more challenging to understand. For example, the Department of the Treasury's seal shows balancing scales. You can probably guess they don’t represent a balanced budget. Instead, they are supposed to represent justice. But I think some might argue that’s not an accurate representation either. Under the scales are thirteen stars, representing the original thirteen colonies. A key, signifying official authority, is under the thirteen stars. On the back of the bill, there is an eagle with the following: A shield in front of it with thirteen bars Thirteen stars above the shield One talon with a branch with thirteen leaves on it The other talon holds thirteen arrows There are three Latin phrases: Above the pyramid reads “annuit cœptis,” which means “God has favored our undertaking.” Under the pyramid is “novus ordo seclorum,” which means “a new order of the ages.” The eagle's banner reads “e pluribus unum,” which appears on most U.S. coins and means “out of many, one.” There is also the pyramid, and the more I studied it, the more obvious it became that there are many opinions about it. Here are a few: The missing top of the pyramid is a sign that the country wasn’t finished yet The Western face of the pyramid is in a shadow while the front is lit, indicating the nation hadn’t explored the west yet An eye above the pyramid looks like its top because it is in a triangle. Instead, the all-seeing eye encased in a triangle is an ancient symbol of divinity. Some believe the pyramid and the eye are cultic images reflecting the influence of Free Masonry on our early government because Benjamin Franklin, who helped design the seal with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, claimed to be a Mason. To some, the eye above the pyramid is evidence of plans for a new world order. The Freemasons plan to take over themselves or work with European bankers and the Illuminati. Should Christians Use American Currency? As Christians who don’t want anything to do with Freemasonry because of its unbiblical teachings, should we refuse to use dollar bills? If we use currency that has unbiblical, or even worse, occultic imagery, are we being disloyal to God and perhaps even sinning? I have good news: we don’t have to worry about using our currency. The currency in Jesus’s day was downright blasphemous, but not only did Jesus NOT discourage people from using it, He even told them what to do with it,

Duration:00:53:37

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You Covet and Cannot Obtain So You Fight and Quarrel (James 4:2)

7/21/2024
What do we think typically ruins relationships? Gossip? Anger? Lies? Unfortunately, we don’t often think of covetousness. But we should! God blames covetousness for our conflicts: "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel" (James 4:2). We take it out on others when we don’t get what we want. “Desire and do not have” is synonymous with “covet and cannot obtain,” and “murder” is synonymous with “quarrels and…fights.” God repeats Himself to drive the point home: covetousness causes conflicts. https://youtu.be/GDyrgF_iQDM Covetousness causes conflict: "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel" (James 4:2). Table of contentsWe “Fight and Quarrel” Because We "Covet and Cannot Obtain"A Covetous Older BrotherCovetous Vineyard WorkersA Covetous KingFirst, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to CovetSecond, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to Be DiscontentThird, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to Be Bitter Toward GodFourth, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to Be Bitter Toward OthersTwo Final Points About CovetousnessFirst, Covetousness Is FruitlessSecond, Covetousness Is a Spiritual Versus Physical ProblemFootnotes We had neighbors with four daughters. When we had our first child, Rhea, the two youngest daughters liked coming to see her. Katie became very close to them and watched them each morning, walked them to school, and then they returned to our house in the afternoon. Over time, it became apparent that one of their older sisters, whom we will call Jennifer, disliked Katie. She was rude to Katie, and when she came to our house to get her younger sisters, she would pound on the door. Katie put a note next to the door asking people to knock quietly and not ring the doorbell because the baby could be sleeping. Although the note was not addressed to anyone, it was intended for Jennifer. The day Katie put up the note, Jennifer came over to get her two younger sisters, pounded on the door even louder than usual, and repeatedly rang the doorbell. Instead of criticizing Jennifer for her behavior, Katie kindly asked her why she seemed to hate Katie so much. Jennifer broke down and shared that she coveted her little sisters’ relationships with Katie. We “Fight and Quarrel” Because We "Covet and Cannot Obtain" What do we think typically ruins relationships? Gossip? Anger? Lies? Unfortunately, we don’t often think of covetousness, but we should. Covetousness ruined Jennifer’s relationship with Katie, and God blames covetousness for our conflicts: What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel (James 4:1-2). We take it out on others when we don’t get what we want. In Jennifer’s case, she wasn’t getting the affection and attention she wanted from Katie, and she took it out on her. “Desire and do not have” is synonymous with “covet and cannot obtain,” and “murder” is synonymous with “quarrels and…fights.” God repeats Himself to drive the point home: covetousness causes conflicts. The same point is made elsewhere: “The greedy (or covetous) stir up conflict (Proverbs 28:25 NIV), and “the love of money (or covetousness) is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tiomthy 6:10). We will examine three biblical accounts that demonstrate this so we can learn from them. We will look at the accounts back-to-back and then discuss their application. A Covetous Older Brother The prodigal son repented, returned home, and their “father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate” (Luke 15:22-23). When the older brother learned what happened:

Duration:00:52:26

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What Does Covet Mean? (Exodus 20:17)

7/15/2024
Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” What does covet mean?” The Old Testament Hebrew word for “covet” is ḥāmaḏ, meaning “to lust after or long for with great desire.” The New Testament Greek word for “covetousness” is pleonexia, which comes from the two Greek words pleiōn, meaning “more,” and echō, meaning “to have.” Covetousness is a strong desire to have more. https://youtu.be/mcXanxrQJVM Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house, wife, male servant, female servant, ox, or donkey.” What does covet mean?” Table of contentsJesus’s Warning About CovetousnessThe Danger of CovetousnessCovetousness Is A New Testament Command in the Old TestamentCovetousness Is a Sin Even Paul CommittedCovetousness Is a Heart IssueWhen Covetousness Takes RootThe Unhealthy Relationship Is the ProblemCovetousness Is Desiring Too StronglyA Sobering Example of Covetousness Choking out Christ Sometimes, when people are at sea without fresh water, they become so thirsty that they drink the saltwater. The one thing they desire more than anything else—water—surrounds them. They must look at it until the craving becomes uncontrollable. They are dehydrated when they give in and drink it, making them thirstier. They drink more, and the cycle continues. They are getting what they want while it is killing them. This illustrates what covetousness does. We desire something, and the craving seems uncontrollable. We give in and pursue what we covet, but satisfying covetousness only increases it. Coveters don’t need their covetousness satisfied any more than drug addicts need drugs or alcoholics need alcohol. Picture a family trying to have a nice dinner together. Their dog starts begging at the table. To get the dog to go away, they give it some food. But all they have done is increase the likelihood that the dog will return. This is covetousness. Giving into it only increases the likelihood it will keep coming back. Jesus’s Warning About Covetousness When Jesus was teaching, He encountered a covetous man. We can learn much from how Jesus responded to him. Hint: He didn’t give him what he wanted! But first, the account’s background. Luke 12:1 says, “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, [Jesus] began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’” Jesus was teaching “many thousands.” The crowd was so large people “were trampling one another” to hear Him. He taught about hypocrisy (verses 2-3), fearing God versus man (verses 4-7), and the danger of denying Him (verses 8-12). Jesus never taught anything unimportant, but these were particularly heavy topics. Right then, an interruption allowed him to teach on an equally important topic: covetousness! Luke 12:13 says, “Someone in the crowd said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’” Deuteronomy 21:17 says, “Acknowledge the firstborn…by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.” The firstborn received a double portion of the inheritance to care for the family in the father’s absence. The man was either the firstborn and wanted his inheritance, or he believed his older brother received too much. Jesus was a recognized rabbi, and it was common for them to settle disputes, but not in the middle of their teaching! Not only did he interrupt with something trivial compared to what Jesus was saying, he even told Jesus what to do! But the interruption didn’t surprise Jesus. He used it to speak to the man and then the crowd. We can learn from both addresses. Jesus said, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (Luke 12:14). When I die and meet Jesus,

Duration:00:48:25

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The Four Most Common Ways Wives Disrespect Their Husbands

7/8/2024
Even if a wife has good intentions, such as trying to be helpful, if her husband feels disrespected, it's a problem. Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way or watch the message from the Your Marriage God's Way Conference to learn the four most common ways wives disrespect their husbands. https://youtu.be/wAsCrQgBVAI Wives Respect Your Husband is the fourth message at Your Marriage God's Way Conferences. Table of contentsThe Two Common Causes of Marriage ConflictsThe Four Most Common Ways Wives Are DisrespectfulFirst, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Being DiscontentSecond, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Using Disparaging Speech and Body LanguageThird, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Frequently Second-GuessingFourth, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Badmouthing to the KidsA Husband Lives Up or Down to His Wife's TreatmentMichal Loved and Disrespected DavidA Wife Can Change Her Husband’s Feelings Toward Her During a counseling session, as I was helping a couple who struggled with lots of conflict, the wife had an epiphany. Most couples enjoy working together, but these two always fight each other. The husband explained that nothing he did was good enough for his wife. She always countered him with a better way to do things and picked apart all his decisions. She was genuinely confused about her husband’s frustration because she thought she was being helpful. It wasn’t until this session that she realized her husband found her “helpful” suggestions disrespectful. Even if a wife has good intentions, if her husband feels disrespected by her, it is a problem. A good perspective for a wife to remember is that as painful as it is for her to feel unloved, it is equally painful for her husband to feel disrespected. The Two Common Causes of Marriage Conflicts Modern research supports the biblical instruction on this topic. Marriage expert Dr. Emerson Eggerichs shares essential statistics about husbands and wives in his famous book Love and Respect. In one survey, 400 men were asked, “If you were forced to choose, would you prefer to feel alone and unloved or disrespected and inadequate?” Seventy-four percent responded that they would rather feel alone and unloved than disrespected and inadequate. When Dr. Eggerichs conducted the same survey with women, a similar percentage of women responded that they would rather feel disrespected and inadequate than alone and unloved. Dr. Eggerichs sums up his findings: [A wife] needs love just as she needs air to breathe, [and a husband] needs respect just as he needs air to breathe.” Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 36. Another survey asked 7,000 people: “When you are in a conflict with your spouse, do you feel unloved or disrespected?” Eighty-three percent of husbands responded with “disrespected.” Seventy-two percent of wives responded with “unloved.” Eggerichs, Love and Respect, 160 This reveals that during marriage conflicts, husbands often react because they feel disrespected, and wives often react because they feel unloved. The Four Most Common Ways Wives Are Disrespectful Conversely, no matter how much a wife might profess her love, certain attitudes communicate disrespect to her husband. Here are four First, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Being Discontent When a wife routinely expresses frustration with her life, home, family, or possessions, she inevitably disrespects her husband. A discontented wife makes her husband feel like a failure because he is the one—at least in her eyes—who is not providing well enough to keep her content. Katie and I have always been a single-income family. When we married, I was a schoolteacher, and then I became a pastor. We have nine children, and while God has always provided, our lives are far from glamorous. Yet, if you were to listen to Katie,

Duration:00:30:59

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What Does It Mean to “Leave and Cleave” in Marriage (Genesis 2:24)?

7/5/2024
Genesis 2:24 says, "A man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife." Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way to learn what it means to leave and cleave in marriage. Table of contents"Leave and Cleave" Means Keeping the Marriage in the MarriageSeeking Godly Counsel Is the Exception When Talking Badly About Your SpouseLet Not Man Separate What God Has Joined TogetherThe Greatest Way to "Leave and Cleave" in Marriage A newly married young woman argued with her husband. Because she had a good relationship with her father, amid her hurt and anger, she went to see him. She knew her father would affirm how wonderful she was and how wrong her husband had been. When she arrived, the father opened the door, looked at his daughter, knew she was upset, invited her in immediately, and asked her what was wrong. After a few pleasantries, the daughter divulged details about her argument with her husband. The father gently rebuked her and suggested she return home. He explained, “Your husband is now the most important man in your life. You two will have problems, and you can’t return to me when that happens. It would be best if you learned to work things out together. I love you, and I’m all for the best in your marriage, so I’m giving you this counsel.” Scripture agrees with the father’s response. Genesis 2:24 says, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The term leave and cleave comes from this verse. We know it portrays God’s divine plan for marriage because it was instituted at creation and brought forward into the New Testament by Jesus and Paul (Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7; Ephesians 5:31). "Leave and Cleave" Means Keeping the Marriage in the Marriage When Paul commanded “a man [to] leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” (Ephesians 5:31), he was, in effect, encouraging couples to keep the marriage between the husband and wife. Married individuals should cling to their spouses instead of anyone else, including their parents. When couples experience conflict, as all couples will, they should work things out together instead of running to others. The father in the story above understood an essential truth about marriage: under most circumstances, problems should remain between the husband and wife. In-laws can end up contributing to marriage problems, especially with newlyweds who aren’t used to being separated from their parents. But this scenario isn’t limited to parents. When couples experience conflict, frequently, they are tempted to go to friends or coworkers to criticize their spouse and talk about how badly they have been treated. They want to do this because they expect those close to them to take their side in the dispute. Some wives turn to their girlfriends. Some husbands talk to their guy friends. While parents are the only ones mentioned in Ephesians 5:31, we can extend this principle to say that if we shouldn’t complain to our parents about our spouse, we shouldn’t complain to anyone else. The dangers here should be obvious. Pouring out our anger merely stokes it. This will make us feel justified in responding poorly to our spouse, feed our belief that we deserve better treatment than we are receiving, and discourage us from seeking forgiveness for our fault in the conflict. We’ll be filled with pride instead of humility, worsening an already-strained relationship. An even worse scenario is when the offended party shares the grievances with someone of the opposite sex. The result will be: A married woman thinks I wish my husband listened to me the way he listens to me. I bet he would never treat me the way my husband treats me. A married man thinking, I bet she would show me more respect than my wife shows me. She would appreciate me and all my hard work. Complaining about your spouse to someone of the opposite sex is detrimental to your marriage and can quickly become th...

Duration:00:28:08

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If You Seek Great Things for Yourself (Jeremiah 45:5)

6/30/2024
God told Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). As we consider why God didn't want Baruch to seek great things, we can learn why God might not want us to seek great things. https://youtu.be/WmIzUoHD0T4 God told Baruch, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). Learn why God might not want us to seek great things. Table of contentsDiscontent Being Jeremiah’s ScribeWhy Didn’t God Want Baruch to Seek Great Things?God Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because We Seek Them for OurselvesGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Won’t LastGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Aren’t Part of His Plan“Great Things” Often Aren’t That GreatSeeking Great Things in God’s EyesMoses Sought Great Things in God’s EyesJonathan Sought Greatness in God’s EyesJohn the Baptist Sought Greatness in God’s EyesContent with Despised Roles that Please God Before doctors administer a shot, they say, “Try to relax as much as possible. This will be worse if you resist.” The doctor tells you to accept what will happen because resisting worsens it. Elizabeth Elliot said something similar: “There is joy in acceptance.” We can’t change certain circumstances, and resisting worsens them; therefore, it is best to trust that God wants to use them for our good and His glory. This is what it means to choose contentment, and it can bring great peace. Conversely, refusing to be content, which is to say choosing discontentment, can bring severe turmoil and suck the joy out of life. To some extent, all of us would say our lives are not exactly what we want. Maybe we wish we made more money, lived elsewhere, had a different job, or enjoyed a bigger house. If we are single, maybe we wish we were married. If we are married, maybe we wish our marriage was better. We all have something (or some things) we wish were different. There is a man in scripture, Baruch, who wished his life was different. He was Jeremiah’s faithful scribe, and we can learn much from him. Discontent Being Jeremiah’s Scribe Baruch is one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament. Jeremiah was the most despised man of his day, and throughout much of his ministry, Baruch was his only friend. Jeremiah faced rejection and persecution from his countrymen. Being the closest person to Jeremiah meant that when Jeremiah suffered, Baruch often did too. At one point, Baruch wanted something different for himself. The Lord learned of his discontentment and had the following words for him: The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go” (Jeremiah 45:1-5). Baruch was discouraged. The words “woe,” “pain,” “groaning,” and “find no rest” reveal that he suffered physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I hate to be critical of Baruch because I’m sure I would have been worse than him if I were in his situation, but he should have been content with his circumstances. The phrase “the Lord has added sorrow” reveals that he attributed his suffering to God. How did God respond? Did He feel sorry for Baruch or apologize to him? No. Instead, He criticized Baruch for “[seeking] great things for [himself]” and told him to “seek them not.” This is the opposite of the Prosperity Gospel,

Duration:00:47:55

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I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content (Philippians 4:11-13)

6/24/2024
In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Sometimes, we look at people and think, “It must be nice to be them. They are so content. I wish I were like that. Sadly, God made me a miserable, discontent person.” However, contentment is not something fortunate people are born with, while others are not. Instead, content must be learned. https://youtu.be/0IIL_tpWI4U Philippians 4:11 reads, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Contentment is not something people are born with. It must be learned. Table of contentsPhilippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted VerseThe Background to Paul Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Paul's Credibility to Write "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"First, Contentment Is LearnedSecond, Contentment Is a Choice Versus a FeelingThird, Contentment Is not the Absence of TrialsFourth, Contentment Is not the Same as Happiness"I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content" Even When ProsperingDon’t Give Me… Riches ?Christ Strengthens Us to Do “All Things” He Wants Us to DoA Tale of Two InterviewsA Better Time to Quote Philippians 4:13The “Secret” to Being Able to Say, "Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Roots that Go Down Deep into ChristHow Good is Christ?Footnotes On January 12, 2013, the number 4-seeded Baltimore Ravens (10-6) played on the road against the number 1-seeded Denver Broncos (13-3) during the NFL Divisional Playoffs. The Broncos, who had defeated the Ravens earlier in the season, were heavily favored to win this meeting. However, the game went into double overtime before the Ravens upset the Broncos in what came to be known as “The Mile-High Miracle.” After the game, a very emotional Ray Lewis, the Ravens' Hall-of-Fame linebacker, attributed their victory to his faith, saying, “No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No weapon. No weapon. No weapon. God is amazing. And when you believe in Him...Man believes in the possible, but God believes in the impossible.” Ray loosely quoted Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” This is one of the best-sounding verses in the Bible. Who doesn’t want to believe every weapon and accusation against them will fail? The context of the verse is God's promise to destroy the nation of Israel’s enemies in the future. Ray Lewis, in a metaphorical sense, made his team into Israel and the Denver Broncos into Israel’s enemies. Perhaps “every weapon” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive weapons, such as Pro Bowl selections quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive tackle Ryan Clady, cornerback Champ Bailey, and linebacker Von Miller. Maybe “every tongue” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive coordinators’ coaching during the game. Although Ray meant well, instead of God vindicating Israel against their enemies so that His promises to His covenant people are maintained, Ray told the nationally televised audience that God wanted to give the Ravens victory over the Broncos. Philippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted Verse Ray Lewis quoted Isaiah 54:17, but the most popular verse among athletes is Philippians 4:13, which reads, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Well-meaning athletes are interviewed after winning a big game. They are excited and want to give God credit, so they quote Philippians 4:13. When all-star running back Adrian Peterson tore his ACL, he said, "This is a blessing in disguise. I’ll come back stronger and better than I was before…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” You can find Philippians 4:13 on posters and other inspirational art, keychains, rings, buttons, t-shirts, stickers, postcards, bracelets, and handbags. Like Isaiah 54:17,

Duration:00:53:14

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How to Experience Biblical Contentment (Ecclesiastes 5:12-6:2)

6/17/2024
We experience biblical contentment primarily through our relationships with Christ. Secondarily, it comes from simple things like eating, drinking, and finding joy in our labor. But biblical contentment does not come from riches and possessions. https://youtu.be/qh8iveH2m1o Table of contentsHoarding Is a Threat to ContentmentThe Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With UsLearning from Malcolm Forbes and No FearGodliness with ContentmentHow Can We Experience Biblical Contentment?Biblical Contentment Does not Come from Wealth and PossessionsBiblical Contentment Does Come from Simple ThingsFootnotes I covered Ecclesiastes 5:11-12 in Being Content from a Missionary Trip to Malawi, Africa. I'm picking up at verse 13. Hoarding Is a Threat to Contentment Ecclesiastes 5:13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners. If I had to write down a list of grievous evils, I’d probably say murder, adultery, hurting children, stealing from the less fortunate. But hoarding probably wouldn’t even make the list. But that’s the grievous evil Solomon had in mind. Hoarding is so devastating that a reality show fittingly called Hoarders depicts people suffering from a “compulsive hoarding disorder.” The show is a record of people whose lives are ruined by their possessions. Even if we aren’t hoarders, our possessions can still cause problems because of the time they consume and the choices they create. We have to figure out what to buy, where to get it, how to make the trip to get it, where to store it, where to put the old stuff that the new stuff replaces, and how to use it when we buy it. We bought it; we will make sure we use it to feel like we got our money’s worth. These choices can consume us, so our possessions start possessing us. We become consumers consumed by our consumption. They don’t have these problems in Malawi. Most people’s homes don’t have furniture. The floors are dirt. There’s no electricity; say nothing about televisions or the Internet. In Third World countries, the problem is not having enough. But in First World countries like ours, the problem is having too much. Mark Twain once defined civilization as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” 52 Self-storage is one of our biggest industries. An article titled “The Hottest Industry Right Now Is Storing All Your Stuff” reads: “A day hardly passes without the U.S. retail industry sustaining fresh wounds as malls and outlets shut their doors. Americans are still shopping, though online, in their pajamas and physics dictates that their new stuff, and old stuff, go somewhere. Welcome to the renaissance of self-storage.” Another article, “Self-storage: How Warehouses for Personal Junk Became a $38 Billion Industry,” reads: “Despite recessions and demographic shifts, few building types have boomed like self-storage lockers. The self-storage industry made $32.7 billion in 2016, nearly three times Hollywood’s box office gross. Self-storage has seen 7.7 percent annual growth since 2012, and now employs 144,000 nationwide. One in eleven Americans pays an average of $91.14 monthly to use self-storage. The United States has over fifty thousand facilities and roughly 2.31 billion square feet of rentable space. To give that perspective, the volume of self-storage units in the country could “fill the Hoover Dam twenty-six times with old clothing, skis, and keepsakes.” Our lives are filled to overflowing with possessions. When I drive down the road and pass storage facilities, I wonder, “What’s in the units people don’t need and can’t easily access but still pay money to keep? How many owners are still paying off the credit cards that bought the stuff in the first place?” The Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With Us Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.

Duration:00:54:22

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Five Reasons for False Teaching in the Church Today

6/10/2024
When I was in Malawi, Africa, I spent one week teaching at a Bible college and the following week at a pastor's conference. I was exposed to the common false teaching among the students and pastors. We see much of this false teaching in the church today, including in the United States, versus only in Africa. https://youtu.be/ptozRMIOQRE Table of contents1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the PrescriptiveWhat If People Don't Hear Audibly from God?2. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because of Belief in Modern-Day Apostles and Prophets3. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Wealth Is Considered a Sign of GodlinessThe False Prophet, Bushiri4. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because People Are Elevated Above ScriptureTeaching Under the New Covenant5. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Theatrics Are Elevated Above UnderstandingEzra Wanted the People to UnderstandOur Accountability Is High in the United States In Malawi, Africa, I kept notes about things I felt burdened to share with the congregation when I returned. Many of my notes were about the false teaching I observed. I attended a Bible college the first week and a pastor’s conference the second week, which gave me insight into church leaders' beliefs. The title is “Five Reaons for False Teaching in the Church Today” rather than “Five Reaons for False Teaching in Malawi,” because much of the false teaching is prevalent in our country, too. So, I’ve chosen reasons that apply anywhere. 1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the Prescriptive Malawi is a very charismatic country. There’s a strong belief in the supernatural, but not in a good way. I don’t mean believing the supernatural events in Scripture. I mean believing the same supernatural events are happening today. One of the most common mistakes people make when reading Scripture is turning a descriptive passage (or one that merely describes what happened) into a prescriptive passage (or one that prescribes). In Malawi, this is a huge problem! For example: Acts 5:12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that AS PETER CAME BY AT LEAST HIS SHADOW MIGHT FALL ON SOME OF THEM. Do you see the problem with making descriptive language prescriptive? You could be led to believe that you can healed by a false teacher’s shadow falling on you. Acts 8:26 Now AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID TO PHILIP, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And THE SPIRIT SAID TO PHILIP, “Go over and join this chariot.” Should we expect the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit to speak audibly to us? No. That wasn’t my point with these verses last week. My point was that we step out in faith – like Philip – and walk in obedience, and God’s plan tends to unfold. Usually, we don’t get to see the second step until we take the first step. That’s part of the application of these verses. But if we looked at this account and thought that the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit would speak audibly because He did with Philip, we would be in trouble. What If People Don't Hear Audibly from God? When we don’t hear audibly from God, there will be four possible outcomes,

Duration:00:54:10

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Three Lessons About God’s Plan for Our Lives

6/3/2024
On a recent mission trip to Malawi, Africa, I learned three lessons about God’s plan for our lives. Things didn’t go how I expected at times, but God’s agenda was better than mine. I hope these lessons encourage you when God’s plan seems different than yours. https://youtu.be/EG7D-ivgWLY On a recent mission trip to Malawi, Africa, I learned three lessons about God’s plan for our lives. God’s agenda was better than mine. Table of contentsGod’s Plan for Our Lives Is Better than OursGod’s Plan Often Involves Wondering What’s NextOur Tuesday Night GroupStepping Out in Faith Isn't License to Be FoolishSharing the Gospel with Another SchoolGod’s Plan Requires Staying MarriedDave and Naida's Gomes's TestimonyAndy and Lisa Langdon's Testimony When we took the trip to Malawi, there were two teams. I was on the teaching team that spoke at the Sola Scriptura Bible College the first week and the pastor's conference the second week. One particular day began very frustratingly. I am not one to blame everything on spiritual warfare or see the devil or a demon behind everything bad that happens. Sometimes, things happen simply because we live in a fallen world. But one morning, it seemed like we had difficulty getting to the Bible college on time. I joked with the teaching team that maybe we had a few Billy Grahams in the Bible college class that the devil didn’t want us to reach. First, we got pulled over: https://youtu.be/Kqj3cgEIxx4 Then we got pulled over again: https://youtu.be/56pqTpsupRU Then we got a flat tire: https://youtu.be/aKqBCTOYPSc We broke down on the side of the road and had to wait for someone from the nursery to bring us tools to change the tire. Because we went to the Bible college each day from early morning until late evening, I hadn’t seen much of Malawi, so I decided to walk around. There were some buildings nearby, and I went to check them out. God’s Plan for Our Lives Is Better than Ours It turned out to be a school, but all the classes were canceled because it was a holiday. I was walking past the classrooms, expecting them to be empty, but one teacher, Mr. Moya, who you will meet in a moment, decided to have a class that day. I have no idea why he wanted to have class on a holiday, and I have no idea how he got his students to come to class on a holiday, but that’s what happened. When I walked past his classroom, the students were excited because they saw a white person. I kept walking because I didn’t want to interrupt his class, but then I decided to walk back and see what would happen. The teacher, Mr. Moya, seemed like a serious man who wasn’t easy to read. So, I couldn’t tell how he felt about me at first, but I did get him to smile, which made me happy: https://youtu.be/GgF2ujFyS9Y I wanted to stay longer with the class, but I didn’t know if they had the tire changed, and I didn’t want them to wait for me. So, I returned to the truck, but they still didn’t have the tools. So I asked Eddie if he wanted to return to the classroom with me, and he was glad to do so: https://youtu.be/qwOXPME6MyA Now, there’s more to the story, but I can only show you so many videos, so let me briefly tell you what happened. Eddie told the class we would return the next day and bring them gospel tracts. When we returned the next day, Andrew and Andrey came with us because they wanted to spend one day at the Bible college. The school was in session, so we had to check in at the principal’s office. When we went to the principal’s office, she seemed glad that we were there and told us we could preach the gospel to other classrooms: https://youtu.be/Epg7omXz-lc I couldn’t help thinking that day about how much better God’s plan for our lives is than ours. God orchestrated many things for us. For example, if we didn’t have the flat tire: I wouldn’t have visited the school. Eddie wouldn’t have shared the gospel with the class

Duration:01:00:39