Living Word with Pastor Samuel Brannon: Recent Episodes
Samuel Brannon
Welcome to the "Living Word." My Name is Samuel Brannon I am a former average athlete and ok musician whom God called to lead a great church with a great group of people. Daily for 10 minutes you'll hear awesome helpful tips on subjects emailed or texted into our church. We'll also provide powerful interviews, life changing testimonies, plans of action, words of encouragement and prayer to impact, impart, empower, improve and inspire lives. Thank you for joining me on today.
Every believer is being shaped, but the question is: are you trained or untrained? In this episode of the Training Ground, Pastor Samuel Brannon introduces the foundation philosophy behind the teaching ministry. Spiritual training isnt reserved for pastors, leaders, or ministers; it's God's expectation for every believer. Discover why intentional training is essential for spiritual maturity and faithful living.
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Spiritual maturity is not measured by what we know, but by what we consistently practice and show. In this episode of the Training Ground, Pastor Samuel Brnnon explores Hebrews 5 and explains why applying God's Word is essential to spiritual growth. Discover how practicing biblical truth develops discernment, strengthens your faith, and moves you toward maturity in Christ.
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🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
Have you ever wondered why some believers continue to mature while others seem to remain in the same place spiritually?
In Hebrews 5, the writer identifies four principles, but we deal with one in this devotional that separates spiritual growth from spiritual stagnation. Growth doesnt happen accidentally; it requires intentional training, consistent practice, and a willingness to move beyond spiritual drift.
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🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
This powerful exploration addresses a question many of us have wrestled with: why do churches sometimes seem to push people away? The content reveals four major reasons behind this troubling pattern: fear of contamination, the desire for control, misunderstanding of holiness, and cultural Christianity that values tradition over transformation. What makes this teaching so compelling is how it contrasts these human tendencies with the radical inclusivity of Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus consistently moving toward the broken, the demon-possessed, the corrupt, and the religiously rejected. He touched lepers, ate with tax collectors like Zacchaeus, defended the woman caught in adultery, and restored the Gerasene demoniac whom everyone else had chained and avoided. The central revelation here is that biblical holiness does not mean distance from messy people but being set apart unto God while remaining engaged with those who need Him most. Jesus never demanded change before fellowship; instead, fellowship itself became the catalyst for transformation. This challenges us to examine our own hearts: are we defending our comfort zones and traditions more fiercely than we are extending the heart of Christ? The call to be ministers of reconciliation means we cannot disciple those we willingly discard, and we cannot truly forgive those we choose to forget.
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🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
We often find ourselves frustrated when the Bible doesn't seem to be working in our lives, but this reminder challenges us to ask a different question: Are we actually using it? Drawing from James 1:22, we're reminded that the real issue isn't with Scripture's power, but with our approach to it. The text warns us about self-deception—we can read, highlight, and even memorize verses while remaining completely unchanged. The distinction is crucial: hearing the Word versus doing the Word. This isn't about accumulating biblical knowledge; it's about transformation through application. The SOAP method—Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer—provides a practical framework for moving beyond passive consumption to active engagement. The challenge is clear and convicting: one verse we actually live out carries more transformative power than ten chapters we simply skim over. Our faith journey isn't measured by how much we know, but by how much we allow God's Word to reshape our daily decisions, relationships, and character.
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You can be serving, smiling, and in position… yet still feel empty inside.
In Psalm 51, David doesn’t ask for more opportunity—he prays:
“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation…”
Life, pressure, routine, and even ministry can drain us.
This is for the person carrying responsibility while quietly feeling exhausted. God still restores joy, renews strength, and revives those who seek Him.
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Listen to this uplifting reminder of how our vision serves as daily encouragement for our members to be inspired, take action, and make a positive impact in the world for Jesus Christ!
🙌 Stay connected with Bishop & Standard For Life Church.📱Download the app | 🙏Submit a prayer request | 💬 Share this episode
🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
🙌 Stay connected with Bishop & Standard For Life Church.📱Download the app | 🙏Submit a prayer request | 💬 Share this episode
🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
🙌 Stay connected with Bishop & Standard For Life Church.📱Download the app | 🙏Submit a prayer request | 💬 Share this episode
🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
Another Inspiring Moment to remember God knows how to mend and use broken pieces.
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🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
In this episode, we will hear the Pastor share three basic ways to start your morning and block negative and evil thoughts. First, focus on hoping in Christ—no more being guilted into legalistic practices because of unpurposeful preaching. To hear the other two focuses, visit our daily encouragement page at standardforlifechurch.org/podcast/ or subscribe and follow our Podcast of encouragement on your Apple or Android device, from which you receive your podcast. Speak Life with Pastor Samuel Brannon
🙌 Stay connected with Bishop & Standard For Life Church.📱Download the app | 🙏Submit a prayer request | 💬 Share this episode
🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is trust again, especially after disappointment, betrayal, or silence from God. But trust is the key that unlocks healing, clarity, and forward movement in your life. In this episode of the Podcast, we revisit the foundational truth that trusting God isn't weakness—it's wisdom.
🙌 Stay connected with Bishop & Standard For Life Church.📱Download the app | 🙏Submit a prayer request | 💬 Share this episode
🔗 Visit standardforlifechurch.org for more inspiration, upcoming events, and resources to help you walk in purpose every day.
Who Told You That?
This episode explores the blame game and provides useful strategies to overcome it.
We often spend so much time looking back that we forget to look forward and trust what God is doing in our lives. Listen in as Pastor shares how to look forward from four different segments. Of course, Fridays include your favorite Smarty Pants segment.
Hey, I'm Samuel Brannon. Thank you for listening to A Living Word. I pray something is said or done to improve, impact, empower and inspire your life. This podcast is only successful because of your subscriptions, so again, thank you for joining me on today.
Life can become incredibly difficult, often making it easier to focus on the things that have happened that seem to illustrate how unfairly treated we are. However, there is a text in the Bible that expresses just how fair life is because of the bad, indifferent, and wrong happening to all of us at the most inconvenient times. Solomon says in so many words, life happens to us all. Listen, it is our job to stay focus on what matters to God while letting specific actions go. Remember to subscribe to our podcast.
With all that has plagued our world in 2020 nobody really desires to face another problem but there is one, one that is so old it's intertwined with the foundational fiber of the church. Unfortunately, most don't speak out about it they just run from it only to find there is some form of the problem in every place of worship that doesn't deliberately tear down the culture of abuse by addressing it and saying not on our watch, not at this church. Listen in as the pastor speaks candidly about it and how to eradicate it for good.
People think because you are called to lead people that you don't get offended by some of the subtle, deliberate offenses people seem to hurl at you; however, the pastor assures us this is not the case. As a matter of fact, leaders get offended all the time, but they are called to have a different response; they are trained to handle the offense and the offender differently. Listen in as the pastor shares his personal experience with managing an awful moment in ministry.
Selfish people can be frustrating, especially when they pretend like what they are doing is for others when we know they do not do anything that does not benefit themselves. Today there is a scripture that brings fresh insight on how to handle selfish speaking people. Do not react to their behavior because this is too much energy to give it; call it out and keep it moving.Today's lesson is taken from these scriptures Matthew 16: 17-23, Luke 8:33, John 4: 1-4, and John 7:17.
In these difficult times, we focus a lot on the problems rather than the promises. But many have begun to see how God's promises never fail. Jobs fail, people forget, leadership fails, but God never fails. Listen in to this worship experience as the prophetic word is still reigning true amid our current world pandemic.
When destined to redefine how we operate in ministry, one must hold to the fibers of faith. However, the message must never change. Our approach, our integrity, our ability to deal with people must remain saturated in God's truth. Listen as the Pastor answers the query of what are you communicating.
We needed a reminder to thank God after a few rough days in our Country. It is refocusing us on where all our help comes.
It can be a great thing to find shelter in the storm, especially when it's an emotional or spiritual storm, but what do you do when that comfort caves in on you. Do you keep trying to make it work, or do you run for sanctuary somewhere else? What residual effects does the traumatizing situation carry as it pertains to the new position? Listen in as a few callers share what they did.
The numbers are falling in comparison to a few years ago how people are enduring God instead of enjoying Him. The reason for our burnout is due to the god complex. We think we have to solve all of our problems rather than leaving those problems for God. We don't know how to enjoy Him, so we tolerate Him in our lives. Solomon says apart from God; there is no life, or everything is vanity. We should fear God, fellowship with God, and have faith in God after all this is the chief end of man.
Have you found that people often give backhanded compliments trying to shrink or marginalize your work? Do you realize people who do that are dealing with their inability to live up to their potential? What if I told you God doesn't want you dealing with their shame but rather overcome yours. Our goal should be to increase where we can whenever we can.
In life, people do not think about the things they try to force others to do. One question prompted a reply. Do I have to do something that I do not feel comfortable doing because my Pastor said so? Listen in for the answers that are biblically-based since God gives us a choice, so should spiritual leaders; anything else is manipulation.
It is becoming difficult to define what essential means in this particular climate. We all have made decisions about what we would and would not consider being necessarily based on relationship, kinship, fellowship, and friendship. I would even say some have put their life on the line because they don't desire to fall on economic hardship. Our world is finding out that this pandemic is not concerned with who we are in the pecking order of worldly life. So as we define essential in these unprecedented times, may we do it by getting back to the basics.
- Prayer is a basic necessity of life.
- My mentality is healing people rather than hurting them.
- Cherish every opportunity you have to minister authentically from your story.
- Make the Word of God evident. Take every opportunity to be as plain as you can.
- Embrace social media, technology, and the avenues where people are. Social media is the new basic.
- Love on people.
So many have contemplated the subject of what great leadership should do when dealing with their depression. Somehow it's become some heroic chest bump to bleed and lead people, but what happens to the people being beaten up and suffering instead of built up, helped up, and loved? In this episode, the Pastor deals with something that transformed his Pastoral approach a maxim from his Pastor "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar."
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Practical Scripture: Psalm 27 & 37
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Practical Point: You have more at your disposal than the hammer and nail approach.
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Practical Advice: Learn to recognize the signs of depression.
4 Practical Purpose: God still has a plan for our lives, and we must share that good news with others.
- Memory Scripture: Psalm 27 & 37.
DEALING WITH DEPRESSIONWritten and created by K. Samuel Brannon
Episode 3 Pastoring Through A PandemicSo many people are struggling to maintain their mental fortitude in this pandemic. Many have lost their employment, some have lost loved ones and relatives and others are just not doing well with being locked down and feel alone. So the burden of these things along with emotionally wrestling with where is God and why did He allow this to happen has honestly caused some to almost lose hope. In this episode, Pastor provides some basic content to this context and offers a few ways to deal with depression.
1. Practical Passage: Mark 4: 38-40, Psalms 3:3-5
2. A Practical Point: It’s ok to take some time out for yourself. Rest. Even the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords rested. God rested on the seventh day.
3. Practical Sound Advice: Rethink your highs and lows in a 24 hour day and do your high priority task when you’re at your best.
4. Prayer of Purpose: To help us focus in the area of rest.
5. Memory Passage: Psalms 27 & 37.
So often the man or woman of God spends so much time caring for so many people and carrying the burdens of so many they never find the right time to take mental breaks, mourn loved ones or take sabbaticals. They will frequently try to power through a situation that honestly needs more attention than a thirty minute break. Somewhere clergy has made the mistake of believing the weak-warrior mentality, which unfortunately lends itself to one being considered less than; simply because he or she may need a mental health day. In this episode, Pastor provides some practical suggestions that may help someone dealing with depression.
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Practical Passage of Scripture: Isaiah 25:1 God has done amazing things.
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A Practical Point: It's not over because we are circling in a holding pattern.
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Practical Sound Advice: Trust in the Lord because this is preordained.
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Prayer of Purpose: Increasing Faith Decreasing Fear.
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Memory Passages: Psalms 27 and 37.
Often, we can't wrap our minds around letting go of the very awful things we've done to someone so we carry the burdens of being unforgiving because we feel unforgiven. But those issues cause problems and there is a real answer for those entanglements we willingly hope will just fade away. Listen in as Pastor gives us some practical principles to help you resolve what has already been forgiven by God. There is a requirement for what we can not repay. It's called repentance.
God's Forgiveness is available. So we must take 3 steps:
I. Acknowledge His forgiveness is available for our sins Lamentations 3:22, Daniel 9:9
II. Acquire His forgiveness by confessing and repenting (asking for forgiveness) I John 1:9
III. Accept forgiveness. Don't reject it with thoughts of doubt.
In this life it can be quite difficult when you are known for being the bad person who has had a change of heart. But in this segment, that's exactly what happened to Saul who later becomes Paul. Sometimes, not even changing your name can help you escape the attempt or assassination on one's character. Paul was literally about to be killed for his past and so the disciples decided to help him escape. Often, people will help you get away to get you away from them. This proved to be merely an exchange or transaction-not because of trust but rather because of fear. So after being shunned someone spoke up on behalf of Paul. No matter where you find yourself remember all you need is one. One friend, one encourager, one chance, one person to vouch for you. Listen in Acts 9:27-28.
Often we get so overwhelmed with self that we base our friendships on how people treat and respond to us rather than honestly evaluating how we might be treating others.
John 15:11-15 I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy and your joy mature fully. This is my command: Love one another the way I love you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinkin and planning. NO, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from my father. You didn't choose me I chose you...There is a divine purpose in our friendships and connections so take some time to make sure you aren't the one sabotaging yours.
So many people honestly desire a deeper relationship with God but don't know where to start. Today I've shared three practical steps to help jump-start your day with our Lord God and King. The objective is to develop a deeper relationship with God by creating basic yet rewarding steps that build relationship and a deeper love for devotions.
- Read His Word this morning.
- Pray this morning.
- Sing or find a great song of inspiration this morning.
There are so many creative ways to begin developing a deeper relationship with God, but the first step is normally the hardest which is to begin.
So many people are struggling to maintain their mental fortitude in this pandemic. Many have lost their employment; others have lost loved ones and relatives. People are just not doing well with being locked down and feel alone. Some have almost lost hope because of their emotional struggles. Wrestling and wondering where God is and why is He allowing this to happen are becoming an enormous burden for them.
In this episode, Pastor provides some essential context to this issue and offers a few ways to deal with depression; never overlook what people are facing and how they are feeling.
- Practical Passages of Scripture: Proverbs 18:14, Psalms 9:12 & 38:9.
- A Practical Point: Remember, God has not forgotten about you.
- Practical Sound Advice: Partner with strong believers.
- Prayer of Purpose: Defeat the spirit of depression with a sound mind.
- Memory Passages Psalms 27 and 37.