The Ascending Life with Josh Blevins: Recent Episodes
Josh Blevins
Pastor Josh Blevins is the Senior Pastor at Grace Calvary in Saint Joseph, MO. His down-to-earth, straightforward style of teaching helps bring God’s word to life.
Sometimes we have to look around and notice the things we take advantage of. In America, people are blessed with jobs, opportunities, freedom to choose a religion, or none at...
Right now there aren’t enough pastors behind the pulpit to talk about the real issues. Some churches have gotten behind the idea of talking politics at church or how to increase your finances. These “feel good” messages are a reflection of the church’s overall beliefs. And frankly, Pastor Josh has had enough of it. Today, Pastor Josh challenges you and advocates for you to stay away from those churches. Because when the church doesn’t talk about God’s Word, what are we talking about?
We live in a world where the truth is hard to come by – a world where the truth is distorted into “my truth” or “many”. And the lack of...
We are not perfect as humans. We are born sinners, and we frequently make mistakes and fall into the grip of sin in our daily lives. The enemy is constantly...
The serpent first deceived humans when he manipulated and deceived Eve. The enemy has been looking for ways to deceive us in various ways since the beginning of time. Today,...
You may have begun to doubt the Bible’s authenticity because it was written by humans. You may have begun to question God’s existence as well. Pastor Josh explains in today’s...
Pastor Josh made an incredible statement! We have a tendency to question everything as humans. It’s in our nature! We try to understand the reasoning behind everything we do. Even...
The Gospel is simple at its heart. Yet it’s likely one of or maybe the most written about, studied, and discussed subjects in history. We sometimes like to think we’ve...
Some people feel a sense of power in their level of intelligence. Seeking knowledge is not a bad thing, and there’s nothing wrong with respecting those who dedicate themselves to...
What kind of emotions does the word “authority” bring up in you? People tend to have a wide range of feelings when it comes to authority. A lot of times,...
When you become a child of God, you’re given a new way to live. A better way to live. God wants to set you free from the burdens and worries...
Do you believe that God’s way is the best way? In today’s message, Pastor Josh will show you that living the better way means accepting and living by God’s absolute...
In today’s message, Pastor Josh will teach you that the best life is a life of contentment. Are you content with what God has provided you with, or do you...
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were right and turned out wrong? Society will tell you to focus on yourself by exploring new ideologies and...
In our modern society, we sometimes forget how easy our lives are. In some impoverished countries, their people don’t have access to the internet or the radio. And in some...
The Bible teaches that the most important commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Jesus also teaches that the second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. When we love the people around us, we honor God as Jesus did in His time. And when we continue to run the race like Jesus did before us, we can achieve the eternal goal which is salvation in God. Today, Pastor Josh tells you that to live in a better way, you must continue with an empathetic attitude toward others.
What does it mean to “run the race”? Running the race means approaching your relationship with God intentionally and with discipline. But it’s hard to reach this point. How do you build your relationship with God and stay focused on Him? In today’s message, Pastor Josh continues through the book of Hebrews and tells you that when you run the race, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Jesus is the ultimate champion who empowers you to run with perseverance. By relying on Jesus, you can build a strong relationship with God.
What does it mean to “run the race”? Running the race means approaching your relationship with God intentionally and with discipline. But it’s hard to reach this point. How do you build your relationship with God and stay focused on Him? In today’s message, Pastor Josh continues through the book of Hebrews and tells you that when you run the race, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Jesus is the ultimate champion who empowers you to run with perseverance. By relying on Jesus, you can build a strong relationship with God.
What does it take to keep a relationship alive? I bet you’re thinking of quality time and commitment. Those same aspects of any relationship also apply when you start one with God. But how do you get to that point? How do you stay committed to a relationship with God, even when it’s hard? Today, Pastor Josh speaks from the book of Hebrews and teaches that when you come to God, God never shuts the door on you. When you come to God through Jesus, He invites you into His life, family, and kingdom.
When we go through times of trial, it is so easy to look at all of the chaos going on and focus on the negative. However, when we are facing those trials, God wants us to look to Him and say, “God, what are you trying to teach me through this?” Today, Pastor Josh is going to be sharing a message that helps us turn our focus toward him in this difficult race of life. God’s intentions are never to make us suffer. He only desires to see us grow into who He knows we have the potential of being.
Discipline is not something that any of us would say that we enjoy. In fact, most of us would say that we don’t like a discipline at all. However, as many of us know, especially parents, discipline is actually an act of love towards someone that we want to see grow better. In today’s message, Pastor Josh is going to be talking about how God guides and directs His children when they stray off the path that He knows is best for us. It is a temporary pain that leads to long-lasting strength.
We know that in life, we are going to face hardships; they’re inevitable. We also know that from hardships we face we typically gain strength in something that we didn’t have before, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. In today’s message, Pastor Josh is going to be talking about how it is not the hardships we face that strengthen us, but the things we focus on in the midst of those. When we keep our eyes on Jesus in the midst of the battle, that’s when growth begins.
As a Christian, sin is absolutely the most difficult thing to wrestle with. We cannot avoid it, but we can do our best to turn away from it. Even at that though, we still struggle to make a change. In today’s message, Pastor Josh is going to be explaining that turning from our sin is a critical part of running the race of Jesus. When we turn from our sin we are saying that we trust that the life and race that God has for us, is far better than the race of life that we are trying to run.
Whether we are Olympians or not, we have all competed in some kind of race. Maybe it was a 5th-grade race around the playground, or maybe it was a full marathon – either way, we had one end goal – to win. Today, Pastor Josh is going to be sharing a message about a race; however, this isn’t the kind of race we typically think about. This is a spiritual race. It is difficult and exhausting, but in the end, holds the greatest reward we could ever receive.
Faith in Jesus often costs you something. What does that mean? Well, every day you are faced with the choice of whether you will live for the world or for eternity. Will your life be focused on sharing the love of Jesus with others, or will your life be focused on finding pleasure and happiness in this life? You can live for Jesus and have happiness here and now, but your heart can only worship one God. In today’s message, Pastor Josh will teach you why it’s so important to ground your life in living for Jesus.
Faith is a powerful thing. It’s faith in Jesus’ redemptive power that can change lives. Have you ever felt like you were too far gone or too sinful to possibly be forgiven and made new? If that’s you today, you need to know that faith in Jesus is all that you need. Scripture is full of people who were murderers and prostitutes, who placed their faith in Jesus and were completely forgiven and changed. In today’s message, Pastor Josh will show you that you are never too far gone to be made new.
Has God ever asked you to do something that didn’t make sense at the time? Joshua was put in command of the Israelite army when they were to enter the holy land. The only problem was that the holy land was occupied by the Canaanites and surrounded by giant fortified walls. So, what does God tell Joshua to do? Walk in circles around the city… Can you imagine hearing that? Would you have the faith to obey? In today’s message, Pastor Josh will show you how to have faith when the future seems unsure.
It is a privilege to live in a country that allows freedom of religion. There are many believers that put their life on the line every day to exercise their faith in Jesus. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were faced with persecution for following Jesus? I mean real, life-threatening persecution. Satan promises a comfortable life here on earth for an eternity spent in hell. In today’s message, Pastor Josh will show you that faith in Jesus offers the greatest reward when time on earth has ended.
Have you ever made a bad decision and wondered if it ruined God’s plan for you? Or maybe it was something completely out of your control. Our bad choices will always have consequences, but that doesn’t mean that God can’t still work it for your good. And God’s ways are often not ours. If you can relate, then this message is for you. In today/s message, Pastor Josh will show you how important it is to place your faith in God and HIS ways every day. All it takes is exercising faith to get back on track with God.
Do you think that God wants you to be happy? The answer is yes, but you may be surprised to know that It’s not his main concern. In today’s message, Pastor Josh drives home the point that God is more focused on the authenticity of your faith than he is on your happiness here on earth. Faith is a powerful thing that is needed to stand firm in what you believe and it’s what sets you apart from those of the world. It’s what makes you a light on a hill for those who don’t know Christ.
What are you longing for today? Maybe you want a new car, a new house, a new job, or a new relationship. Sadly, all these things will be gone one day. Your life on earth is very short, and that’s why it’s so important to prioritize using your time wisely. Seeking God and spending time focusing on His plan for you will always reward your heart. You will feel full and complete knowing that your eternity is safe with Him. Today, Pastor Josh will remind you of why you should focus everything on God’s desires.
Today, Pastor Josh is going to remind you that being faithful to God isn’t about getting what you want, but what God has for you in your life. This might mean having to give up your own desires and your own wants. You might think that you are destined to be a professional athlete, a professional musician, or a successful businessperson. But is that aligning with what God has planned for you? It can be a tough question to answer, but if you truly believe in God, you must be faithful in doing the plans that He has for you.
Have you ever made a bad decision and wondered if it ruined God’s plan for you? Or maybe it was something completely out of your control. Our bad choices will always have consequences, but that doesn’t mean that God can’t still work it for your good. And God’s ways are often not ours. If you can relate, then this message is for you. In today/s message, Pastor Josh will show you how important it is to place your faith in God and HIS ways every day. All it takes is exercising faith to get back on track with God.
Wow… those are some powerful words from Pastor Josh. Do you believe in the existence of God, or do you believe in the character of God? Many people believe that there is a God, but that doesn’t mean you believe in what God can do. He is more than just a mythical being up in the sky. He can change your life. Maybe you’re struggling with a health issue, a marriage problem, or with a financial burden. Today, Pastor Josh is going to remind you that if you put your faith in Jesus, He will put His faith in you.
Some people place their faith in money. But for those people, their hope is in worldly financial security. Some people place their faith in power. They’re valuing the wrong things! The things in this world are broken and any satisfaction they provide is temporal and incomplete. Only faith in Christ and the sure and certain hope of Heaven will satisfy and carry you to eternity. Today, Pastor Josh will challenge you to trust, believe in, and put your faith in Christ because you hope for abundant life now and eternity in Heaven.
Sadly, many in the Christian church today feel like if they declare they have faith, then God will give them all they want. But, faith in God is no magic trick to gaining things in life. Instead, as Pastor Josh will teach you today, faith is the action that responds to God and His promises. Do you believe in God enough to then follow Him, obey Him, serve Him, love Him? Does your faith cause you to give Him your life? Faith allows you to receive what God wants for you even when you can’t see it yet.
Do you fear God? It’s a bit of a sudden question, I know. But, it’s a very important one to ask yourself. In today’s message, Pastor Josh poses the same question and follows up with exactly why we should or shouldn’t. We’re told that we can boldly approach the throne when we’re saved by Jesus. We don’t need to fear God’s judgment as long as we trust in Christ. But if we reject God at every turn, and then have to stand before Him on the day of reckoning? Take a wild guess where your own merit gets you.
In today’s message, Pastor Josh continues with his series on an issue many believers still struggle with; how can a loving God send people to Hell? After all, what about people who’ve never even heard of the Gospel? Pastor Josh challenges that question with another one; being “How do we get the Gospel to those people?” It’s easy to try and dump the responsibility on God. But aren’t we instructed to go out and make disciples? How then, can we blame God for not reaching them; if we won’t even seek them out?
In today’s message, Pastor Josh continues his discussion about a problem many Christians struggle with; God’s Justice. We tend to not want to think about God punishing us, or leaving us to our sins. But that’s exactly what we deserve! God cannot exist in the same place as sin. Which means that he can’t exist in the same place as us! “For all have fallen…” right? It’s only through the completely undeserved grace that God gives us, that we can be saved from the eternal torment that we bring upon ourselves!
In today’s message, Pastor Josh brings up a pretty important topic in today’s “Christianity.” So many different people; who call themselves Christians, are either ignoring or even completely denying the existence of Hell. They believe that a loving god couldn’t possibly allow people to suffer. Pastor Josh explains that it’s the exact opposite. God demonstrates his love for us by ensuring that we know of our sins. After all, if we could escape from Hell ourselves, then Jesus would have suffered for nothing!
No amount of good deeds and works can earn you the right standing before God. In today’s message from Pastor Josh, he explains that only by having a surrendered life to Jesus Christ, will give you right standing before the Lord. Often, people will try to appear right before the Lord through religious actions and words. However, in the Bible, Jesus makes it clear that all who want to receive salvation must come through Him alone. Nothing but the precious blood of Jesus will save you.
Does your life exude your closeness to the Lord? As you listen to today’s message from Pastor Josh, he encourages you to let your life be in congruence with your confession of Jesus. If you have received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior then your life should reflect that. Pastor Josh encourages you, to not go back to your old nature before receiving Christ. Let your life, friendships, and example be one that exudes Jesus within you. Let your life shine as a genuine repentant disciple of Jesus.
Stand firm within your confession of Jesus Christ! In today’s message from Pastor Josh, he explains to you that being a disciple of Jesus is not supposed to get any easier. No servant is greater than its Master. If Jesus experienced hardship and persecution, so will all of His followers. Pastor Josh encourages you, to hold firmly to your faith in the Lord. Keep seeking Jesus. Keep seeking His counsel and strength. The Lord promises to never leave or forsake you. Keep relying upon Jesus to stand firm.
Unlike what the world communicates, there are not many roads to God. As you listen to today’s message from Pastor Josh, he shares with you that not all roads lead to the Lord. Many roads lead to idolatry. However, only one road leads to the Heavenly Father. Pastor Josh explains that Jesus says within His Word that He is the way, the truth, and the life. And that no one can see the Father in Heaven except through Him alone. Don’t put off the gift of salvation. Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior today.
Do you realize how much you are loved by God? In today’s message from Pastor Josh, he explains to you that all that Jesus does for you is because of His great love for you. Everything that Jesus has done and will do is for His love for His people. Jesus shares with the heart of His Father in that He desires no one to perish. Pastor Josh encourages you, that He wants everyone to come to the saving knowledge of Himself. Celebrate all that Jesus has done for you and share that Good News with others.
The promises that God has for you did not come without sacrifice. As you listen to today’s message from Pastor Josh, he explains that Jesus had to pay the ultimate...
When you have placed your trust and faith in Jesus, you are co-heirs with Him. Today, you learn from Pastor Josh’s message that you become a child of God when...
Are you tired and weary from spiritual performances? In today’s message from Pastor Josh, he explains to you that all have fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone on...
Do you behold the beauty of Christ? As you listen to today’s message from Pastor Josh, he teaches you about how Jesus is a better tabernacle. Before Jesus came to...
Is that how you forgive people that sin against you? Do you forgive them in the same way that God forgives you? In today’s message, Pastor Josh teaches from the...
Thinking of God as your father and as your friend is wonderful and those statements are absolutely true but as we learn in today’s message from Pastor Josh, it is...
As Christians, when we read the Old Testament, many of the rules and rituals don’t seem to be all that important to our everyday lives. In today’s message, Pastor Josh...
Following the law has a way of tricking us into feeling like we are closer to something or someone than we really are. When we get into routines and follow...
One of the most difficult subjects to discuss in the church is tithing. Some of us focus on the rules of it and expect something in return, while others of...
Often times we get so caught up in “doing the right things” that we forget what it really means to be set free. In our quest for bettering ourselves, we...
At times in our walk with Christ, doubt can creep in and try to convince us that God will not be faithful to fulfill His promises. But the Bible speaks...
As Christians, we tend to neglect the need for patience in our walk with Christ. But as Pastor Josh teaches from the book of Hebrews today, he points out the...
Today, Pastor Josh reminds us that God does not overlook the good works we do in service of His name and our fellow believers. However, too often we do the...
Today, Pastor Josh teaches from a passage of Scripture that warns about people who seem to be followers of Christ, and who have participated in Christian activities, yet eventually fall...
As Pastor Josh tackles a difficult passage from Scripture today, he reminds us that we must look at Scripture as a whole to interpret difficult sections like this. He also...
Today, Pastor Josh goes into deep detail about what it means to be a spiritual leader; using Jesus as an example, of course! Too many people believe that you can...
A pretty common argument you may hear against Jesus Christ is “If he was God; why did God let him suffer?” The Devil himself even asked Jesus the same question...
Everyone knows what a hypocrite is, right? They’ll preach one thing, and then do the exact opposite. Sometimes that can apply to Christianity! Today, you’ll hear from Pastor Josh about...
Have you ever found yourself ignoring the Word of God? While it’s not so often you might find yourself purposely going against it; it’s pretty common to forget about it...
As Pastor Josh continues his teaching series through the book of Hebrews, he’ll be challenging you to enter the rest found in Jesus. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath,...