This Is The WAY Podcast: Recent Episodes
Patrick Lewis
Do you sometimes find yourself stuck struggling to understand some of the basic principles and teachings of Jesus? On this podcast, Bible student Patrick helps the listens make Jesus make sense.
Jesus makes it clear there is only one way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
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NewTestament #GospelofJohn #ApostleJohn #OnlyOneWay #ChristAlone #SalvationThroughChrist
It is important to remember that we no longer have to go to a place to worship God, He lives in us through the #HolySpirit and will be there for us whenever we call on Him
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NewTestament #GospelofJohn #ApostleJohn #TempleWorship
Misapplying Scripture to our lives can lead us down the wrong path God wants us to be on. As we continue to look at the Gospel of John, we come to a portion where many in churches today misuse the application that we should be taking away.
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NewTestament #GospelofJohn #ApostleJohn #CleansingTheTemple #MoneyChangers #TempleWorship #Passover #HolySpirit
A friend sent me an article recently which discussed ways in which the church is approaching creating disciples from an incorrect perspective. Being someone whose mission is to create disciples, I was intrigued by some of the points made in the article. Here are my thoughts on it.
The article being discussed
https://careynieuwhof.com/how-the-church-today-is-getting-discipleship-wrong
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Jesus believed in family and being close to his family, even when his ministry started. This is a lesson all of us should take to heart.
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NewTestament #GospelofJohn #ApostleJohn
As #Christians we are called to help those less fortunate than us, but we must be careful to help in the proper way. #homeless #toxiccharity #charity
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Do not get so lost in trying to figure out the miracle God does in your life that you lose track of the miracle itself.
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Christians must stop putting our local pastors on a pedestal and worship them. We need to refocus our worship to God and remain loyal to our community church under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
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God’s timing is always the right timing and we should never push to have things done outside of His time. Our only job is to listen to the Holy Spirit and be guide by what it says. We should make sure our obedience is to God and God alone.
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We need to make sure when we #pray we are not telling #God what to do but instead simply present our heart and problems to Him and let the #HolySpirit guide us from there.
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There are times when we simply have to tell those around us to come and see what Jesus has done for us. As we continue to look at the #BookofJohn we see one of Christ’s new “recruits” avoiding an argument and simply offering an invitation to get to know Jesus as their Savior.
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NewTestament #GospelofJohn #ApostleJohn #Nazareth
So coming off vacation you could have bet me any amount of money what I would be discussing my first day back, and yoga pants would not have been any where close to my mind. Yet, here we are, so let’s dive in!
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yogapants #ChristianLiving #BookofRomans #ApostlePaul #ChristianPodcast #ChristianPodcaster
I had the honor of being asked to present the message at #Recovery Church Martinsburg. My focus was on remaining locked on the future God has for you and not looking back to your past.
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RcoveryChurch #BookofPhilippians #ApostlePaul #ChristianPodcast #ChristianPodcaster
One of the dangers we have in the modern church is following our pastor instead of following Jesus. Today, I want to examine this danger as we continue to look at the Gospel of John and the start of Jesus recruiting His disciples.
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JohnTheBaptist gives us a textbook example of why telling those around us what we have seen #JesusChrist do in our lives is the best way to draw people to HIm. #MyTestimony #TellOthersAboutChrist #JesusIsKing
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Here comes #JohnTheBaptist onto the scene fully, letting it be know who he is and what his purpose is. We can all take a lesson from this portion of #Scripture and understand we should also be making the way for Christ in the lives of those around us.
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One of the biggest things our minds struggle with is the nature of Jesus, being both God and human form. The #ApostleJohn helps us understand this concept in today’s section of our study of the #BookofJohn .
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One of the most important ways we can have Christ shine through us is to make sure we are only saying things which are uplifting and edifying to those who hear. This is not just the words that audibly come out of our mouths, but also everything we put out into #socialmedia . How we reply and respond to those in our digital sphere is just as important as those we are face to face interactions with.
BookofEphesians #UpliftingSpeech #Biblestudy #BibleVerse
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A stark reality is that we are not all #ChildrenofGod , we are all #GodsCreation but in order for us to be a #ChildofGod we must come into #GodsFamily through accepting #JesusChrist as our #Savior .
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Have you ever had someone say to you that #Jesus is not in the #OldTestament ? As we start to examine the #GospelofJohn, Patrick tackles this misinformation head on has he discusses how the #ApostleJohn makes it clear Christ was there from #creation.
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Today we kick off our #BibleStudy of the#GospelofJohn but examining who the writer of this Book of #Scripture is.
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We must be careful to make sure we are using #Scripture in the proper context so we can be giving full #BiblicalTruth to those around us
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How often do we struggle to find #peace in our lives? The #ApostlePaul gives us a quick and easy blueprint to peace in his letter to #Philippians . The problem is we are so often unwilling to do it.
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Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing the National Tour of #LesMiserables at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. As I was watching the incredible performance, I began to think of how we are sometimes unable to move beyond the past of someone, even if they have become of #childofGod . Today I want to look at a passage of #Scripture that should help us keep in mind what our true purpose is.
MusicalTheater #TheaterReview #BibleApplication
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Today I want to talk about the Scripture that completely changed my life as I tell you #MyStory and how I overcame years of #depression through a simple lime in Paul’s wonderful letter to the #Philippian church. #MyTestimony #Testimony #BookofPhilippians
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How we respond to the hardships in life says a lot about how much we trust God. We need to remember that we should be joyful and thankful for all that God provides and all He guides us too.
We must be willing to help others who have disagreements within the church, making sure that the church body understands our common goal is the Gospel.
Patrick speaks about the impact #CharlesStanley had on his life and the needs for us to continue his legacy of being vigilant in bringing people to God through the Scriptures.
We should be looking for patterns in the lives of those we respect and admire to help us stay on course in our relationship with Jesus.
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This is a basic question that many of us will never be honest with the answer. I examine 6 points that I hope will reframe your answer to this question and help you better understand the importance of being heavily involved and committed to a church in your local community.
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As we grow in our relationship with God we must make sure we are looking in the right direction to mature
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It does not matter how righteous you think you are, the Law does not bring you into a right relationship with God, only through Jesus can you close the gap of sin.
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It is very important when you are speaking with people about their eternal security to lay a foundation of where they stand on core issues before we start to evangelize to them.
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We choose the things we want to make time for, so make sure you are choosing wisely when it comes to your relationship with Christ.
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When we are discussing issues from a Biblical perspective, our own personal opinions and emotions do not matter, it is only what God says on the issue that we should be sharing.
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We must careful when looking the decisions people make. If they have never been guided to know God and understand what He wants for them in their life, how can they know they are make decisions that are against what God wants?
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Do you have someone in your life who would be considered toxic? While we are called to bring all we can into God's Kingdom, we must be careful to now be bogged down in life with those who pull us away from our relationship with Jesus.
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We must be careful to not be so focused on the let down of worldly circumstances that we miss Jesus standing right there with us.
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Your atittude in worhsip is directly related to how much of the world you let into your worship. Recenly, I have done a horrible job of putting the world on hold as I enter into worship with God. It is a struggle we all contend with and most overcome.
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We must be careful of relying too much on "seeing" God in our life, and instead just trust He is always there and has our best interests at heart as He guides us through our day.
So they said to Him, “What then are You doing as a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? John 6:30
I had the honor of giving the message at my home church for #PalmSunday...How we view who Jesus is has a direct impact on how effective we are in bringing the Gospel to the lost.
There are times when society will rear it's ugly head and try to destroy the message of God in your life, don't let it happen. While we are called to bring all we come into contact with into a relationship with Christ, we should not tolerate those who are vicious in their attacks on Jesus.
We know we are called to repent from our sins when we accept Jesus as our savior, but is there one verse in the Bible that can truly show us what that means?
If we become concerned with the comments of others in our actions of following Jesus, then we are actually taking our eyes off the goal.
How far out of your comfort zone are you willing to get to follow God's Will in your life?
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As we are going through God's Word, we must not just simply skip over names or places that are not familiar to us. Today's episode is a prime example of an important individual in ministry we all should be looking at as an example.
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One of the most difficult segments of the world to witness too are people whose life is fully under control and who have everything society says they need. When we are presenting the Gospel to them, they will instantly ask "why do I need God when I have everything in life I want already?"
We all need to have friends in our lives as we go through ministry that have the same vision and purpose in spreading the Gospel.
As we go about or lives each day, we must not become so attached to the "rules" we feel we must live by that we forget what our mission is, which is to bring people into a relationship with Christ.
Have you ever felt like the world is just battering you around and you feel like you can't make it stop? It is during these times we should find joy in being put through our trials.
1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. Romans 5:1-4
Have you ever felt like you have missed out on a chance to worship God? Maybe you have already stopped doing those reading plans you vowed you were going to do at the start of the year and just think "what's the point, I will try it again next year!". Today I want to look at a section of Scripture where we see it never too late to start putting the practice of worshiping God into place.
2 The king, his officials, and all the community of Jerusalem decided to celebrate Passover a month later than usual. 3 They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 30:2-3
Is this one Revolution you should skip? Patrick gives his quick take on the movie everyone if talking about now #JesusRevolution
We must be careful not to let setbacks in our lives deter us from seeing the chances we have to teach people about God
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. Acts 17:16-23
There is no question something unique and special occurred at #AsburyUniversity the past couple weeks. We have to make sure we do not simply treat the events on that campus as just another news story, but instead a springboard for us to take action and shine God's light whenever we can.
“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:14
We all have an tendency to create excuses for not doing the work God calls us to do. Instead, we should simply understand that God will be there with us if He calls us to something, and eventually we will miss out on the joy of being called in service for God is we continually make excuses.
I am a horrible procrastinator and as much as I try to convince myself otherwise, waiting to work on something is never a good thing. But when it comes to the work we do for God, waiting can have eternal consequences for those around us.
12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me. Philippians 2:12-18
There is nothing more annoying that losing something. Whether it is our phone, keys or that document for work, when we lose something that has perceived value to us we search high and low to find it. Why do we not have the same mentality when it comes to searching for those who are away from God?
8 “Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost! ’ 10 I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10
We all have our own version of what we believe the truth is, but it is does not matter, because Scripture is the only barometer we should be measuring truth by. And when we look at the Bible, it is clear, we will all confess Jesus is Lord.
9 For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow —
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth —
11 and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
The more success we find in our lives, the more we have a habit of elevating ourselves to a level above others. But Jesus is the model we should be following for an proper attitude in doing the work God places before us.
5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
7 Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death —
even to death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8
There is a lot of hype surrounding the Super Bowl campaign of the #HeGetsUs movement. Patrick gives his impressions of the campaign and lays out some things he simply does not get about it.
We all have someone or something that is consistently pulling us away from the path God does not want us on, the question is.. do we listen or do we beat on it?
21 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. 22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again. 26 The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. 28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. 32 The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. 33 But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.” Numbers 22:21-33
We should never try to find the loophole or grey area in a sin, the simply answer is always Just Say No when someone wants you to sin.
9 Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” 11 Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” 13 But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” 14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob.
18 Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me.” 20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” Genesis 27:9-24
We are called in Matthew 28 to go into all the world and create disciples for Christ. When this is our mandate and purpose on earth, why is it so hard for us to actually do it? In today's episode, I help with a method to use for recruitment of those into God's Army.
12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles | Luke 6:12-13 NASB
19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” | Matthew 4:19 NASB
21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. | Matthew 4:21-22 NASB
4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. | 1 John 4:4 NASB*
One of the dangers for a Christian is becoming complacent and dull in our daily Bible reading. Today I want to examine a section of God's Word I have studied many times that I recently discovered something I never noticed before.
*and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.” 6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. 8 Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door.
Genesis 19:5-9 NASB*
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each of you esteem others better than yourself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others. Philippians 2:3-4
Selfishness and conceit have no place in a church
Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit and intent on one purpose. Philippians 2:2The Apostle Paul identifies four markers for church unity:
- Being of the same mind
- Maintaining the same love
- Being united in spirit
- Indent on one purpose
1 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, Philippians 2:1
Paul lays out the tools needing to be used for unity in the church right at the start. Remember in Chapter 1 he dealt with a church that was divided in Rome, how some in the church were using the Gospel as a way to drive a wedge between Paul ad his followers. Here, at the beginning of chapter 2, he is urging the Philippian church not to do this same thing but using three tools that are available to them, as well as to us today.
27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord,[f] contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God. 29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:41-47
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, 26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. Philippians 1:22-26
19For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
As we navigate through our lives, we will encounter criticism and insults, and the Bible makes it clear that our best plan of action is to simply ignore it.
The times we are taken out of our comfort zone are the best times to be a pioneer for God.
By putting a narrow focus on the things we consider to be Godly through our own preferences, we do damage the Body of Believers as a whole.
Those in society are always using the phrase "you are supposed to love like Jesus did".. but what exactly does this mean? The Apostle Paul gives us some insight into what it means for us, as Christians, to truly show Biblical love to others.
As we go about our lives, we will see gaps and spaces that need to be filled. How we fill these gaps says a lot about how we worship God.
We tend to have confidence in things of mankind, but the Bible makes it clear where our confidence is to be placed: in God's promises that He will complete His work.
One of the things that we are Christians do not take serious enough is sin. Yes, it is a word we toss around a lot, but how much do we really look at examining sin through the eyes of the Bible and come to grips with our own personal sin?
We all have people in our lives what God is pulling us to help and give the Gospel message too. As we head in 2023, let's remember to resist these calls, but instead embrace as God's faithful servant.
We all have a favorites, so here are mine, yes, I am sure you will not agree with them, but that is what makes these lists fun!!
How often do you pray for those who are in ministry with you? Paul urges us all to make sure our joy is sound in prayer and fellowship.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
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Over the past few weeks I have watched a total of 9 different versions of A Christmas Carol... now it is time to put them in order! The versions I watched were (in no particular order here)
- Scrooged
- Mickeys Christmas Carol
- Muppets Christmas Carol
- Christmas Carol musical (Kelsey Grammer)
- 2009 Jim Carey
- 1984 George C Scott
- 1951 Alastair Sim
- 1938 Reginald Owen
- 1999 Patrick Stewart
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Are you having trouble hearing God's direction in your life? Today Patrick takes a look at how holding onto sin in your heart can block God's path for you from getting through.
We kick off our series on Philippians as we examine the history of the Philippi region, the themes explored in this beautiful letter from the Apostle Paul and how Paul shows extreme humility right from the start.
Philippians 1:1-2
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus:To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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God allows us to be tested by allowing Satan to tempt us
The test can become the temptation if you let it
We pass the test when we have joy and trust in God
God tests us but does not tempt us
Genesis 50:20
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Genesis 50:20
James 1:2-3
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. Luke 4:1-2
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Many times in the Scripture we read about people of God using lying and deceit to protect themselves from harm. It is never a good idea to do this, even if you think you have gotten away with it, God will always see your heart and know your intentions. Now is the time to start to remove untruth from your life and start being truthful to all, no matter what the consequences.
6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ” Genesis 26:6-9
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I am going to go ahead and say it right now: I think we are way too hard on Job’s wife. Now hear me out before you start sending in the messages, because I think I can make a valid case we need to ease up on her. I of course am saying this a little in jest, but I think a closer examination of the small brief portion of Scripture we see this unnamed lady can have practical implications for us today.
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Is your life under the light of Scripture or are you in the darkness, enjoying not having to live under the Light? #livebiblically #Bible #BibleLifestyle #BookofJohn
One of the things we have to be very careful of is misreading or making Scripture say something it does not. We so often see this is society today when someone is trying to make a point about the Bible, and simply searches for words to drive their point home instead of the meaning and context of the scripture itself.
There are many examples of this that are done daily, by both Christians and non-Christians, but I want to look at and concentrate on one of the worst ones many Christians actually do. How often have you heard someone say “God will not give you more than you can handle.” This statement comes from this verse.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
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We must remember if we are a leader in any type of ministry that the world will have a strict and harsh spotlight on us. We must make sure every action we take is inline with the words we tell others and how we instruct others. New believers and the world will be watching us closely to see if we are living a life that we want them to live, my question to you today is, are you?
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” —Philippians 2:3
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We have to keep in mind that through our failings we can find encouragement. The great men and women of the Bible we study and read about still faltered at times in their life and it is the response to the faltering we should be looking at.
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We so often forget that an important aspect of our growth and foundation Christ is being around fellow believers. Church is an essential component to our walk with Christ and helps build us up to better handle the challenges of our sin fallen world.
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As we go through life living by the guidance of God, we will come across times when we are forced to be put through worldly trials because we refuse to bend to the will of society. How we handle those trials will show others around us the strength and trust we have in God.
As we finish up looking at Daniel chapter 6, we see Daniel facing the lions den, a king agonizing over not having a way out and the final consequences for those who set Daniel up.
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One of the questions I get a lot is why I don’t get political on any of my shows. I am told is a good platform to push my ideological agenda and get what word out about “important issues of today”. I could not disagree more and in this episode I discuss Christians make diving into political discourses.
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Being obedient to God is not a flip a switch overnight decision. It is a day by day, minute by minute decision to not be swayed by what the world says we should be doing. Every choice we make needs to be in line with what God wants for us.
Daniel 6:10
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
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Are you leading a life that will stand up if someone went digging for something against you? As I start diving into Daniel Chapter 6 for the This Is The WAY Podcast, this is the question I ask first.
Daniel 1:5-6
4The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”
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So often we think we have to have just the right words and extensive knowledge of Scripture before we go out and witness to people. This is not true at all. We simply need to tell our story, the story of how Jesus transformed us and brought us out of the captivity of sin. Our testimony is the most powerful thing we can offer someone who is not in a right relationship with God.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” John 4:39
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Every time I hear about a celebrity passing away, I always have to wonder if someone was there in their life to lead them to eternal salvation. We must be bold and not have a fear of the opinion of those around us.
Romans 10:14 (CSB)
14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?
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As we go through our daily tasks, how are we being fed? What is it that satisfies our hunger? As we continue to look at John Chapter 4, Patrick examine who Jesus answers this question and how his answer should be our answer as well as we work for God in the world that is ready to be harvested.
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The Samaritan women makes a point to tell Jesus that she has been told to worship at the mountain where they are seated, while the Jews are to worship in Jerusalem. It is difficult to move forward in this amazing dialogue between Jesus and this women without understanding the importance of Mount Gerizim. Today I look at small portion of the Old Testament importance of this mountain and some the false beliefs the Samaritans attach to the mountain. Finally, a brief overview of Christ's reply to her worship inquiry.
John 4:20-24
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
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There is nothing we can hid from God no matter how much we think we can. As we learned earlier, this woman whom Jesus is having the encounter at the well has a reason for not being with the rest of the others and drawing water at the time the others draw water. Today, we discover that reason and examine how Jesus responds when it is revealed.
John 4:13-18
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
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We live in a world that becomes more and more divided every day. But as Christians, are job is not to put up walls around use so we block out people from hearing the Gospel. In John 4:9-12, we see the Samaritan woman challenge Jesus based on racial prejudices, and we see the model Christ gives us all in staying on point for the message of eternal salvation.
John 4:9-12 New King James Version 9Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
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Have you ever felt like just taking off and running away and removing yourself completely from society? In theory, it sounds great, but in terms of our witness, it is a horrible idea. Today I continue to look at Chapter 4 of the Gospel of John as we are introduced to a women who has something she is hiding from, and has chosen to make her life more difficult by removing herself from the society around her.
There are many times in life when societal norms are counteractive to what the Bible says we are supposed to do. In this debut episode, host Patrick begins to examine John Chapter 4 and explores the idea that just because it is what everyone else does in society does not mean it is was we are supposed to be doing to fulfill the Great Commission.