The Steve Pixler Podcast: Recent Episodes
Steve Pixler
The Steve Pixler Podcast is all about faith, family, business, music, church, kingdom of God, Holy Spirit, world transformation and you.
In The Butterfly Effect part 2, Steve takes us back to "generational momentum," and how the decision of one faith-filled believer can set global, generational change in motion.
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In the first message of this brand new series, Steve introduces us to "The Butterfly Effect" Here's a quick overview:
→ Take a quick trip back to the 1960s to learn where "the butterfly effect" phrase came from. It's a pretty cool story!
→ Then, let's talk about "the power of ONE" and how one person can shift the course of history for their generations. POWERFUL!
→ Finally, here's the heart of the series: we must EMBODY generational change. By entering the "cocoon" of our own transformation, we mediate that change to our generations and to the world around us. Changed people change the world!
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What happens when "hope finds faith"? Join Steve in a powerful message preached at Freedom Life Church on its 7th birthday! Learn how the "hope" of a sent preacher finds synergy in the "faith" of the people. God's "yes" takes root in our "amen."
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Baptism is a big deal! Explore 10 reasons why baptism matters as Steve preaches Baptism Sunday | August 2024 at Freedom Life Church.
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Let's go back to Acts 12 for one more message about Rhoda! In Rhoda Was Right! (Part 3), we will pause at Matthew 18 where Jesus said, "Except you change and become like children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." We will look at what happened to our inner child and how we recover what we lost.
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Join me in Acts 12 where Peter was delivered from prison and death – and only one crazy, young girl had the childlike faith to believe it when it happened. You gotta hear this to believe it!
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There are two economies in conflict on the planet: heaven's economy and the world's economy. God and mammon are at war! Only by understanding the big picture battle for dominion through money can we fully understand why receiving poverty-shattering-prosperity is so urgent.
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What do father's want most for Father's Day – or any other day? Join Steve for the message from Father's Day at Freedom Life Church where we explore the greatest desire of a father's heart.
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God wants to increase your earnings! Join Pastor Steve Pixler in Matthew 17 where Jesus tells Peter to go fishing for a blessing and learn how God pours his grace out abundantly on your work.
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Everybody believes in prosperity. Everybody believes in blessing. Every Christian on the planet believes that God wants them to be rich – just not yet!
We all believe that prosperity is the inheritance of believers, but most believe our inheritance is postponed. "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!" But God wants us to experience the firstfruits, the "earnest," of our inheritance now! God gave us the Holy Spirit, "the power of the age to come," so that we would release heaven into earth now.
Let it be on earth as it is in heaven.
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Jesus loved the rich, young ruler, but fear blocked him from receiving that love. Instead, panic gripped his heart and robbed him of the blessing that Christ offered, the blessing of hundredfold prosperity.
Join Steve Pixler in the Mark 10 story again as we learn how "love is the key to prosperity." Get ready for a revelation breakthrough!
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The rich, young ruler missed the point. He thought Jesus was inviting him into a "vow of poverty" when Jesus was actually inviting him into God's "war on poverty." Listen now to learn lessons from the rich, young ruler on how the gospel of the kingdom transforms wealth.
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In episode four of Family Matters, Steve takes us through the four aspects of dominion mediated by divine design through the family:
- Identity
- Community
- Authority
- Maturity
Want a righteous revolution in your household? Listen now!
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Let's talk more about why family matters. In this episode, Steve introduces four facets of grace given to the family:
- Identity
- Community
- Authority
- Maturity
Listen now to learn more.
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Before we can know how to solve "family matters," we must resolve THAT family matters. In this episode, Steve talks more about the purpose of the family and the "priestly and kingly authority" of the family.
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New series at Freedom Life Church!
This one is all about the family. And, by "family," we mean everyone – every human on the planet arrived here through the matrix of family. So, we all have family issues, family "matters" to face.
Most importantly, family matters – as in, the family has eternal, cosmic significance in the plan and purpose of God. Listen now to learn more.
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It's time for a SHOWDOWN! Let's join Elijah on Mount Carmel, where the fire falls and Yahweh is shown to be the only true God. Here's what we'll talk about:
→ The SHOWDOWN is always to resolve “DI-VISION,” the divided mind that empowers false gods. "How long will you stagger between two opinions?"
→ THE FIRE: The fire of God that falls in the showdown is THE REFINER’S FIRE. "Our God is a consuming fire," and he always burns to heal us and make us whole.
→ THE RAIN: After the fire falls, PRAY FOR RAIN!
The SHOWDOWN is really about the RAIN. Once the people turned away from the Baalim and Ashtaroth, back to the one true God, it was time for the drought to end. After the rain, the land is healed, and the harvest breaks forth into abundant fruitfulness.
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2 Chronicles 7: 14 – If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
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Song of Solomon 2:10–13 (NRSV): 10 My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; 11 for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance."
The rain is coming in YOUR life! "The winter is turning to spring!" And when the rains are over, the harvest will ripen and be gathered. Watch and see.
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Message Notes:
God’s eternal purpose cannot be “birthed” into the earth realm without the travail of “tunnel vision” faith. (God births the impossible from the womb of impossibility.)
→ DIVINE DEMAND: “Apprehending (seizing) THAT (resurrection) for which I am apprehended (seized) of Christ Jesus my Lord.”
We cannot lay hold on resurrection (LIVE FREE!) without going through the “death” of wrestling with God.
→How bad do you want it?myfreedomlife.com
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Micah 2:13 — The BREAKER will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the Lord at their head.
Here's the BIG IDEA: In his resurrection, Christ, our Breaker, broke through for us. Then, the Breaker bestows his “breaker anointing” on those he calls to pioneer the frontiers of the kingdom. Those who are birthed within the environment of kingdom breakthrough carry the DNA of breakthrough into their world. They take up the Breaker’s cry, “Give me a break!”
The Breaker embeds the CRY FOR BREAK-THROUGH into our spirit so that our hearts resonate with God’s own passion for break-through.
Listen now to learn more.
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In Transformers Part 3, Steve takes us back to 2 Corinthians 3 where WORSHIP is the heart of transformation. Learn how idols are simply the projections of our fears, of our anxious imaginations, and how we "turn from idols to serve the living God" – and that turning in worship brings real, lasting transformation. Listen now!
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Second episode in the latest series from Steve Pixler on how we are transformed spirit, soul and body by the power of the Holy Spirit – and then how we become transformers!
This is how "changed people change the world."
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New series at Freedom Life Church! This one is all about how we are transformed spirit, soul and body by the power of the Holy Spirit and then become transformers!
This is how "changed people change the world."
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Here's the wrap up – the grand finale! – of the series, Beyond Sunday.
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In the third episode of Beyond Sunday, Steve takes us from Acts 2 to the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. There we learn that the bones must be set in order before the breath can make the body alive. In other words, the framework for revival (which is New Testament ekklesia) must be in place before Pentecost can come in our day.
Listen now!
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In the last episode, the BIG IDEA was: "The early church had a powerful advantage over the modern church: they didn't know that church only happens on Sunday!" They went "Beyond Sunday."
This episode, the BIG IDEA is: We cannot go beyond Sunday until we begin on Sunday. In other words, we cannot know what happens beyond Sunday until we know what happens on Sunday.
The early church understood the power of Sunday as "the first day of the week." They harnessed the power of Sunday, and then carried that power into the week. Listen now to learn the power of Sunday and how to take it "Beyond Sunday."
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The early church had a tremendous advantage over the modern church: They didn't know church only happens on Sunday! First century believers learned how to go "Beyond Sunday." In this message, Steve opens up a new series at Freedom Life Church called "Beyond Sunday: How the Kingdom Comes In the World." Listen now to learn more about the "3D church" featured in the Book of Acts:
1st dimension: The ministry to the multitude
2nd dimension: The ministry of the fivefold
3rd dimension: The ministry of the saints
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It is time to take your assigned seat of authority in the kingdom! In your heart, your family, your church and your world. Join Steve in Ephesians 2 where believers are "made to sit together in heavenly places."
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This series has been all about partnering with the audacious faith of Abram, the faith made available to us in Christ, to believe that God will raise up our children and our children's children to become "stars in the sky" that guide and govern the nations as "the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea."
If you are tired of being afraid of the "end times" and scared to death that your generations will be swallowed up by the world – if you are looking for hope and promise for your children – then this series is a word from the Lord for YOU!
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One more episode in the epic series from Genesis 15! This time, Steve turns the spotlight on the covenant ceremony at the heart of Genesis 15 and shows how God keeps both sides of the covenant. We are saved because God in Christ perfectly performed both the divine and the human terms of the covenant. And he is still performing both sides of the covenant in us through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Listen now to learn more.
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In Genesis 15, God yanked Abram out of his tent of "limited expectations" and told him, "Count the stars, if you think you can!" God used the stars as a powerful metaphor for the promotion of Abram's offspring from "dust to stardust," which then forms into stars that guide and govern the earth. God was telling Abram that his children would be elevated to places of influence and restored to dominion over the earth.
But there was a catch. Abram's children would first be required to go through a four-generation PROCESS of preparation and purification before they would be qualified to rule and reign with God over creation. And Abram believed God! In other words, Abram not only had faith to believe in the PROMISE, but he had faith to believe in the PROCESS.
In this message, Steve releases a powerful, prophetic word over our generations. We must cooperate with the process of suffering that leads to glory. Listen now and release prophetic faith over YOUR generations!
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Last episode, we talked about “Coming Outside” the tent of (1) limited ekklesia; (2) limited kingdom; (3) limited grace; and (4) limited purpose. These four walls support the “ceiling” of LIMITED ESCHATOLOGY. God is calling the church to “come outside” the limited eschatology that diverts our faith “resources” away from advancing the kingdom. He is calling us to stand within “the tabernacle God pitched and not man” and see the infinite possibilities of KINGDOM GENERATIONS.
In this episode, let's look at THE STARS.
FROM SAND TO STARS, FROM SEA TO SKY
God yanked Abram out of his self-limiting tent, stood him upright under the heavens and told him, “Count the stars, if you think you can!” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.
Obviously, God wanted Abram to believe that he would have many children—that his children would be numerous. But there was more to the “star metaphor” than just a symbol of POPULATION. The stars were also a symbol of POSITION. God wanted Abram to “count the stars” to understand the high plans that God had for his generations.
God had already promised Abram that he would give him “all the land that you see” and that his offspring would be as numerous as “the dust of the earth” (later described as “the sand on the seashore,” Genesis 22:17); but now, God wanted Abram to lift up his eyes and see his generations symbolized by the stars of the heavens.
As Abram well knew, the stars of the sky represented “government powers” and “the gods” that stood behind them. Abram immigrated from Ur of the Chaldees, one of the great empires that shaped the ancient world, and he knew that the kings of the earth depicted themselves and their generations as “the stars” of the heavens. He also knew that these kings exalted themselves in local mythology as “divine kings,” as the embodiment of the gods of the nations. So the stars would have represented the government and glory of the nations.
When God told Abram that he would make his children as numerous as the dust—the sand of the seashore—and then told him to count the stars, it would have been obvious to Abram what God was saying: “I will take your children from the shapeless, formless dust of the ground and raise them up like the stars to guide and govern the nations of the earth. I will make your children kings!”
Think about the imagery Abram would have pondered as he stood staring at the twinkling stars. His children would be at first like the sand of the seashore, churned out by the waters of chaos, formless, shapeless, unstable, unusable for building anything permanent and lasting. But over time, through the process of preparation and purification (as God described in the last few verses of Genesis 15), Abram’s children would be elevated to positions of influence and authority throughout the nations of the world.
“Count the stars—so shall your descendants be!”myfreedomlife.com
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SHOW NOTES:
It is time for a GENESIS 15 encounter with God. It’s time to reenact in this season the faith that Abraham UNLOCKED almost 4000 years ago. Abraham “believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). The Lord Jesus is calling his people to “walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham” (Romans 4:12). We are being called to BELIEVE again.
We’ve talked a lot recently about how select moments of time within human history intersect with “meta-time,” the eternal timeline of God’s purpose that transcends temporal time and space. In Genesis 15, Abraham broke through the veil of time and space and “eternalized” his faith—which we now walk out as the children of Abraham.
We are living in “the overlap of ages,” just as Abraham did, and the only way forward is to rise up in the Spirit and join the meta-narrative of meta-time. The hope of the world is the reactivated, audacious faith of Abraham!
Here’s the heart of today’s message: God is drawing us out of the “tent” limited eschatology into the unlimited expectations that our GENERATIONS will be elevated by GRACE into GLOBAL influence as the GLORY of God “covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.”
Let’s distill that phrase down to this: GENERATIONS given GRACE for GLOBAL GLORY.
I want to show you that God means to advance his kingdom in the world through GENERATIONAL MOMENTUM—that he will elevate our children and our children’s children into positions of influence and authority in the nations that will mediate the gloryof God into every sphere of life until “the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). This is the blessing of Abraham!myfreedomlife.com
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"THE END IS NEAR!" (Or is it?)
Due to the war in the Middle East, there's been a lot of talk about the end of the world and the soon return of the Lord Jesus. I think we need to talk more about this.
While I am always eager for Jesus to return and the age to come to finally dawn, I think the Bible shows us that there is a lot more to be done before the end of the age, the resurrection of the dead, and the King and his kingdom is finally and fully manifest here on earth.
I want to take you through the scriptures and explain why "I Don't Think It Is the End of the World!" We will look at:
- Matthew 28, the Great Commission, "disciple the nations..."
- Acts 1, the power of the Holy Spirit and the ends of the earth
- Acts 3, "the heavens must receive him until the apokatastasis..."
- Hebrews 10, seated at the right hand of God expecting until...
- 1 Co. 15, he must reign until...
- Romans 8, believers are the catalysts of the new creation...
- Romans 11, the fullness of the Gentiles will precipitate...
- Ephesians 2, the universal temple made of Jews and Gentiles...
- Ephesians 3, the breadth, length, depth and height...
- Ephesians 4, the full grown ekklesia of King Jesus...
Whatever your view on Revelation and other apocalytic texts, I think we should look more closely at the things Paul and others clearly said would happen before the end. So, let's do it!
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Preached live at Freedom Life Church on October 15, 2023.
If you heard Part 1, then you know we left you hanging on the mountain with Abraham...
Listen to Part 2 to find out exactly how to get "un-caught" from the overlap of ages.
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Time moves in cycles and seasons, which become the ages and epochs that shape human history and give birth to divine destiny. However, sometimes people get "caught between the ages," stuck in endless delay, waiting for the promises of God to flower into fullness. Steve shares a powerful key for getting "unstuck." Listen now to learn more.
This message was preached live on October 8, 2023 by Steve Pixler at Freedom Life Church, Mansfield, TX.
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When Jesus met Martha after Lazarus had died (John 11), he had one huge task: to get Martha to see beyond the desperate "even now" of her current, awful situation to the "even now" of the Eternal Now, the Great I Am, who stood before her promising that Lazarus would live again. Jesus pulled on Martha's faltering faith and drew her heart into alignment with the eternal purpose of God. Earth time collided with heaven time, mundane time met meta-time, and chronos shuddered into sync with kairos.
You need to hear this one. Listen now.
Preached live at Freedom Life Church on October 1, 2023.
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4 +1 = 5! Having just recently completed an epic four-part series on intercession, Steve went over the edge and preached a fifth (better than drinking one!) just to be super-generous. You're welcome.
This one is called "Bonus Track: The Practice of Intercession," and it was preached live and in technicolor at Freedom Life Church Mansfield on Sunday, September 3, 2023.
Check it out now.
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Here's part 4 of the series on intercession! Preached live at Freedom Life Church on August 27, 2023.
"To PRAY THE DELAY is much more than mere perseverance in prayer. Praying the delay is cooperating with time, cultivating time, sowing the field of time with the seed of God’s word. Praying the delay is grappling with time and implanting history with prophetic promises until the purpose of God comes to pass."
"When we PRAY THE DELAY, we are not passive observers, victims of time, simply trying to hold on until Jesus comes to save us. No, we are active agents of time-transformation. We ascend into heaven through praise; we deliberate in the heavens and rest in the finished work through prayer; then we descend back to earth to sow the field of time with prophecy."
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This episode was preached live on August 20, 2023 at Freedom Life Church, Mansfield, TX.
The Power of Praying Through is the third message in a four-part series on intercession. In this message, Steve takes us through "three rings of resistance" – the flesh (carnal mind), the world (collective mind) and the devil (dark powers) – that attempt to block our prayers.
If you are serious on any level about praying prayers that change the world, then you MUST take the time to listen. This message has the power to totally revolutionize the way you pray.
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Preached live on August 13, 2023 at Freedom Life Church.
Here's another powerful message on intercession! Using the example of Jacob's Ladder, Steve shows us that intercession happens in three "movements": (1) Ascend through PRAISE; (2) Deliberate through PRAYER; and (3) Descend through PROPHECY.
If you deeply desire to pray prayers that change the world – you, your family, your city and your nation – then take the time to listen. Seriously, this word will change your life!
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This episode was preached live on August 6, 2023 at Freedom Life Church in Mansfield, TX.
What Does Jesus Live For? is another message in the ongoing series on intercession that Steve is currently preaching at Freedom Life Church. Listen now to learn more about how we minister with Christ in intercession!
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Most Christians spend more "awake" time in the workplace than anywhere else. How do we release the kingdom of God at work? Steve gives us three keys to increase influence and bring the blessing of Abraham into our workplace:
- LOVE: God is love, and by releasing his love to others, we manifest the glory of God.
- WISDOM: Christ is the wisdom of God, and by releasing wisdom we become "solutionaries" who speak life into workplace challenges.
- POWER: Holy Spirit is the power of God, and when we release his power through prayer, atmospheres shift and environments change.
This is how changed people change the world!
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This episode was recorded live at New Life Church, Berryville, AR on July 16, 2023.
Every believer has been given keys of the kingdom for their metron, their assigned area of influence. However, most Christians don't know where they left their keys. Listen now to find out where your keys are.
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Most Christians believe two things: (1) salvation is all about "going to heaven when we die"; and (2) the world will get worse and worse until Jesus comes back to rescue us. Both are wrong. And when we get those things wrong, then how we do church and why we do church is totally redefined.
Listen now to learn how eschatology shapes ekklesia.
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The question my mind explores most about the kingdom is a question of "relevance." Is the gospel of the kingdom relevant to the man on the street, the family at the barbeque, the woman in the boardroom, the politician on the stump, the judge on the bench?
That's what we absolutely MUST explore. Join the conversation!
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JESUS IN THE MARKETPLACE
JULY 9, 2023 | STEVE PIXLER
Matthew 16:13–20 (NRSV): 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi…
”Jesus came into…”
Three realms of Caesarea Philippi:
- Mt. Hermon (principalities)
- The earthly city (humans)
- The Gates of Hades (demons)
Three cultural streams of Caesarea Philippi:
- Jewish culture (dead religion)
- Roman culture (corrupt politics)
- Greek culture (perverse culture)
Jesus “came into” the region of Caesarea Philippi. He did not evacuate his people out of the arena of conflict. Jesus is not an escapist!
Jesus led his disciples into three things:
- The revelation of KINGDOM IDENTITY
- The revelation of KINGDOM COMMUNITY
- The revelation of KINGDOM AUTHORITY
Jesus wanted his disciples to know their identity so they could be empowered within community to carry their authority into their own “Caesarea Philippi.” This is how we co-labor with Jesus in the marketplace.
BEACHHEAD EKKLESIAS
The replication and multiplication of ekklesia in the earth is Jesus’ divine strategy for bringing his salvation to the nations.
Every believer is baptized into this mandate. We are called to “go therefore and disciple the nations…” (Matthew 28:19). We are called to assemble with Jesus in the marketplace.
Where does “your kingdom come, your will be done in earth as it is in heaven” happen? It happens precisely where “give us this day our daily bread” happens—in the marketplace!
We start living the day we discover who we really are. But, ironically, we cannot discover who we are through a quest for self-discovery: the more we seek self, the more distorted we become. The answer lies in Jesus' invitation to "deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me." Self-discovery flows from self-denial! Worship is the key. When we worship, we lose ourselves in Christ and find ourselves hidden in God. Listen now and learn more!
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Let's define real freedom.
Freedom is not "free to do what you want to do," but "free to be who you were created to be." And there's a profound difference! Listen now to learn more.
This episode is a message Steve preached Sunday, July 2, at Freedom Life Church in Mansfield, TX.
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In Malachi 4, Elijah is described as the one who "turns the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers."
But long before Elijah turned the heart of one father, his own heart was turned on Mt. Horeb, when he was transformed in one encounter with God from a self-preserving "Lone Ranger" to a spiritual father who invested in future generations.
And it is precisely that "you-turn" on the mountain that defines how fathers' hearts are still turned today.
Listen now to learn more about "Turning the Hearts of Fathers."
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MIND THE GAP: RECOVERING THE SYNERGY OF STRATEGIC INTERCESSIONAPRIL 23, 2023 | STEVE PIXLER
Ezekiel 22:30 (NRSV): And I sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach (GAP) before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
Isaiah 59:16 (NRSV): 16 He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene (INTERCEDE); so his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him.
Romans 8:26–28 (NRSV): 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our WEAKNESS; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit INTERCEDES with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the MIND of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The BIG IDEA is simply that effective intercession is often sabotaged by a MIND GAP.
We are beset by a WEAKNESS — the weakness of the flesh. But the Spirit helps us! The only effective intercession that can bridge the gap is SYNERGISTIC INTERCESSION, intercession that aligns with heaven.
God is searching for intercessors who know how to allow Holy Spirit to “MIND THE GAP,” to bridge the “mind gap” between heaven and earth. Holy Spirit teaches us how to enter the SILENCE and empty our minds of the chatter of earth and hear the intercession of heaven.
1 Corinthians 2:9–16 (NRSV)
In Romans 8, the Spirit searches the human heart. In 1 Corinthians 2, the Spirit searches the heart of God. The goal is to bring the heart of God and the hearts of humans into alignment!When we are brought into alignment through the Spirit, then — and ONLY THEN! — are we able to stand in the gap and make up the hedge.
GET THIS: THE HEART OF EFFECTIVE INTERCESSION IS THE MINISTRY AND MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION! 2 Corinthians 5:10–21 (NRSV)
Spirit-taught intercessors must be RECONCILIATION INTERCESSORS. They must be intercessors who are well-schooled in the word of reconciliation and know how to mediate the prayer of Jesus, "Father, forgive them! They know not what they do!" And the cry of Stephen, "Lay not this sin to their charge!"
Intercession must be grace-based intercession and not “legalistic intercession.” Will it be law or grace? How much intercession is vendetta/vengeance driven? How much intercession is a call for condemnation rather than mercy? Do we know what spirit we’re of?
The key is FORGIVENESS. Do we know how to intercede as the forgiven crying out for forgiveness? Do we know how to wield the wrath of God as Jesus did? Or shall we imitate Peter, who pulled out the sword and was warned by Jesus, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword!” Only the forgiven who cry for forgiveness are qualified to intercede!
Forgiveness-driven-intercession is much different than the "tolerance" promoted by the world. In fact, "tolerance," as the world defines it, is pseudo-forgiveness. Tolerances encourages sinful, destructive behavior, but forgiveness does not. Forgiveness confronts the deadly power of sin and breaks that power with mercy. Forgiveness does not water down how wrong sin is and how dehumanizing sin is, but it does extend full pardon to the sinner.
Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us. In fact, he EVER LIVES to make intercession for us! So, what’s he saying? What’s he praying? What is he praying for America? For our families?
Intercessors often live with cognitive dissonance and even depression is that they are praying out of their own spirit, out of their fears. So many intercessors fall through the gap, rather than bridging it. We must mind the g
MIND THE GAP: RECOVERING THE SYNERGY OF STRATEGIC INTERCESSIONPREACHED: APRIL 16, 2023 AT FREEDOM LIFE CHURCH | myfreedomlife.com
Ezekiel 22:30 (NRSV): And I sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach (GAP) before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
Isaiah 59:16 (NRSV): 16 He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene (INTERCEDE); so his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him.
Romans 8:26–27 (NRSV): 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit INTERCEDES with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the MIND of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The BIG IDEA is two-fold:
- No human could bridge the gap between heaven and earth, God and people—so Jesus, the “strong arm of God,” came to be the ultimate intercessor. However, the ministry of intercession was not finished: Jesus ascended and poured out the Spirit so that he could intercede within us.
(WHY PRAY? Because prayer is a human invitation for divine intervention.)
- The only effective intercession that can bridge the gap is SYNERGISTIC INTERCESSION, intercession that aligns with heaven. (Romans 8, Revelation 8) God is searching for intercessors who know how to allow Holy Spirit to “MIND THE GAP,” to bridge the “mind gap” between heaven and earth. Holy Spirit teaches us how to enter the SILENCE and empty our minds of the chatter of earth and hear the chorus of heaven.
Spirit-taught intercessors must be RECONCILIATION INTERCESSORS. They must be intercessors who are well-schooled in the word of reconciliation and know how to mediate the prayer of Jesus, "Father, forgive them! They know not what they do!" And the cry of Stephen, "Lay not this sin to their charge!"
The key is FORGIVENESS. Do we know how to intercede as the forgiven crying out for forgiveness? Do we know how to wield the wrath of God as Jesus did? Or shall we imitate Peter, who pulled out the sword and was warned by Jesus, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword!” Only the forgiven who cry for forgiveness are qualified to intercede!
Forgiveness-driven-intercession is much different than the "tolerance" promoted by the world. In fact, "tolerance," as the world defines it, is pseudo-forgiveness. Tolerances encourages sinful, destructive behavior, but forgiveness does not. Forgiveness confronts the deadly power of sin and breaks that power with mercy. Forgiveness does not water down how wrong sin is and how dehumanizing sin is, but it does extend full pardon to the sinner.
"The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20)
The faith that saves us is the embedded, implanted faith of Jesus that comes to us as a gift through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Stop trying to generate faith! Surrender to the faith of Jesus that is already at work in you.
Discover the faith of Jesus Christ.
Take a deeper look at the "theology of the kingdom" developed in New Testament times.
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Encore! Encore! Here's a topic that keeps coming up over and over: "How do I navigate safely out of my religious tradition?" Steve and Jeana speak with people on a weekly basis who are trying to find their way safely through this difficult transition, and this podcast captures again some of the advice that comes out of their experience. If you are on "the journey" or know someone who is, listen and share this episode. It could actually save your life!
What an honor to interview one of the greatest legends of Christian music, David Huff! David & The Giants started as a rock band in the 60s and 70s sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in rock music. In 1977, David & the Giants were all powerfully converted through a radical encounter with Christ that changed their life and their music forever.
David & The Giants became a groundbreaking force in Christian music, opening the way for the gospel to be shared worldwide through Christian rock. That legacy continues today through the ministry and message of David Huff. Take a minute to listen.
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The McGruder Family exploded on the gospel music scene in 1984. and through the 80s and 90s, they literally transformed gospel music. With countless #1 hits, even one that became a #1 gospel song in the world, the McGruder introduced people across a wide religious spectrum to the power of the Holy Spirit through energetic, heart-gripping music.
Eric McGruder was the son of the group's founder, Carroll McGruder, and the world-class drummer that made the McGruder sound so tight and fresh. Eric's story both within the music industry and afterwards is fascinating. Maybe you're a long-time fan of the McGruder's, or maybe you're learning of their impact on gospel music for the first time, but if you love music you will love this conversation with Eric.
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All the trouble started when the serpent convinced humans to petulantly ignore all the glorious fruit trees around them and focus on the one little tree that they couldn't have. One piddly little tree. Shucks.You've got to hear this one. Gratitude breaks the power of entitlement, which is rooted in fear. Gratitude embraces hope and shapes the future. And gratitude is much more than a cheery optimism that blissfully ignores harsh reality. No, gratitude faces the pain and transforms it with praise.
Don't live one more day without deliberate, intentional gratitude. Listen now to learn more.
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The gospel is more than our "get out of jail free card," our ticket for safe passage to heaven when we die. The gospel is the "good news of the kingdom," the good news that God has saved the human race, the planet and all creation from the deadly power of sin. That changes everything! Join Steve as he talks about how the gospel impacts every area of life.
The world is a mess. A real mess. In fact, you could say that much of the world is "hell on earth." But Jesus has a solution for hell on earth–listen now to find out!
Here it is, people! The brand new show from Steve Pixler, The Steve Pixler Podcast. (So cleverly named.) After a year with Charisma Podcast Network, we are launching a brand new podcast with a broader focus. Still centered around the kingdom of God and how the world is changed through love, but more features. Such as: interviews with fascinating guests, Q&A segments, a bit of Steve Pixler music now and then with the stories behind the music, politics, business, speaking, writing, coaching–whatever stuff floats through Steve Pixler's overwrought brain. It's gonna be crazy fun!
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