Our Resolute Hope Podcast: Recent Episodes
Frank Friedmann and John Russin
Welcome to the podcast ministry of Our Resolute Hope. Join this weekly conversation with Pastor Frank Friedmann, his sidekick John Russin, and others as we consider God’s great love and matchless grace in Jesus Christ. Walk with us as we learn more about the Way, the Truth, and the Life --- Jesus! Choose Hope! Choose Jesus!
The Scriptures describe David as a man after God’s own heart, which speaks to how David’s innermost desires aligned so closely with God’s. And that same heart God has now placed in those who place their faith in Him.
These judges show us that faith can go hand in hand with weakness, insecurity, and pride. Our faith can begin imperfectly, and it seem awkward as it grows. But God assures us He focuses on what our faith can accomplish in His kingdom.
Fear can be crippling, causing us to miss opportunities to experience God’s blessings. Faith isn’t the absence of fear, it’s obedience despite feeling fear. And Gideon’s life shows how we can have faith in our Lord despite overwhelming opposition.
Crossing the Red Sea. Watching Jericho’s walls fall. And a Canaanite prostitute who demonstrates her fledgling trust in God. All are wonderful examples of what’s possible when we simply choose to have faith in our God and His promises.
During Passover and death of the firstborn, Moses chose to trust God’s promise of divine protection. And God proved Himself trustworthy, coming through in a mighty way.
Tending sheep in the backside of Midian, Moses finally meets the Lord, who reminds him of his godly heritage. But before God could redeem Israel through Moses, He first had to redeem Moses.
Money, power, reputation – Moses had it all. But when God showed him who he really was, he turned from it, choosing rather to identify with his brothers in slavery.
Moses’ ministry began not with him but with a gathering of faithful saints. Midwives, parents, and sister – all powerless slaves in Egypt’s eyes – laid well his foundation of faith. And they showed that, with God, no one is every really powerless.
A life filled with rejection, hardship, and suffering. But despite this, Joseph persevered in his faith. Even when God allowed him to become rich and powerful, Joseph remained steadfast, his eyes riveted on God and His promises.
Calculating. Conniving. Scoundrel. Jacob certainly started out rough on his journey of faith. But his life ended well, showing that hard lessons learned the hard way still bear fruit for Father’s kingdom.
Quiet. Steady. Resolute. These words describe the life-long faith of Isaac And because of this, he was able to trust His God despite watching his personal wishes for his two sons get completely derailed.
Abraham’s journey of faith culminated in his willing obedience to lay down that which was most dear to him – his only son Isaac. God’s promise had found its home in Abraham, and it led to rich reliance on God’s trustworthiness and power to do what He had said.
Sarah’s faith was most evident when she trusted God for something that seemed impossible: conception in a barren womb. And when His promise became reality, her faith so blossomed that became the spiritual mother of all who trust Christ by faith.
Faith in God doesn’t always yield immediate results. Though His promises are sure, sometimes we must be willing to walk away from all we know and wait steadfastly for God to fulfill all He has promised.
Effective faith requires assurance ( a settled confidence) and conviction (an inner certainty), both of which Abraham had. Believing God, he put feet to his faith and followed the Lord to Canaan.
Patience, endurance, and steadfast devotion to God. All are hallmarks of Noah’s faith, by which he condemned the world and safeguarded the line of Messiah.
Faith in God can feel difficult, particularly when He invites us to walk with Him through the unknown. Noah’s walk with God, and his resultant faith, equipped him to do just that.
Enoch’s faith is based on everyday things all of us can do. He walked with God, he spoke God’s truth, and he left a Godly legacy.
Faith in a God he couldn’t see – that’s the story of Abel, the foundation of his righteousness. Such faith never comes alone. It’s always followed by acts of worship and obedience.
Pastor Frank and Dr. John continue their conversation with Ernest Rafique of Abounding Grace Ministries in Pakistan (agmpak.org), focusing on the growing partnership between ORH and AGM.
Guest Ernest Rafique of Abounding Grace Ministries in Pakistan (agmpak.org) shares the challenges and opportunities that the message of graces faces in that region.
There are nearly sixty ‘One Another’ commands in the New Testament. We’re to love, honor, welcome, forgive, be kind to, comfort, care for, and encourage one another. And yes, these imperatives apply even during divorce.
Divorces often are battlegrounds, leaving wives, husbands, and children wounded and deeply scarred. But Christ’s life enables us to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving, no matter the circumstances.
God Himself is a divorcee. And in Jeremiah 3:8, He shows us the pattern for doing it with honor and respect. But despite this, He is always willing to forgive, reconcile, and restore.
We all are familiar with Malachi 2:16, ‘God hates divorce’. But do we understand what the original text really says? What He hates is the treacherous and violent act of putting away a wife without a written divorce decree.
Accurate translations of key passages fail to support the rigid injunctions against divorce that many claim. Instead, they reveal God’s compassionate heart against the helpless and His desire to restore and redeem them.
For centuries, the church’s attitude toward divorce was based on incorrect translation of the original Greek and Hebrew. As a result, it left no room to consider any of the myriad painful circumstances, aside from abandonment and adultery, that fuel divorce.
Historically, the church has recognized only two justifiable reasons for divorce: adultery and abandonment. But have we misunderstood what Jesus taught?
God’s original intent was that marriage, one man and one woman, would last a lifetime. But just because He made husband and wife one doesn’t mean they wouldn’t ignore the Spirit, walk in their flesh, and do serious harm to their relationship.
The word ‘anti’ can mean against or in opposition to, or it can have a more subtle meaning – in place of. This compels us to ask ourselves two difficult questions: In which ways am I acting against Christ, and which things in my life do I allow to take His place?
Opinions about antichrist abound, and they vary greatly. Yet Apostle John describes antichrist not as a world ruler but as a spiritual mindset or attitude in false teachers. This spirit of antichrist was present in his day … and in ours..
Apostle Paul calls singleness a gift from God, which allows unmarried believers to focus their ministry efforts without the distractions of spouses and children.
Many believe that people are incomplete without spouses, deficient in some way and less able to bear fruit in God’s kingdom. But God honors both conditions and equips both to bear fruit abundantly in their unique ways.
When we trust the Savior, God Himself makes His home in us. And to bear fruit for His kingdom, we must continually choose to make our home in Him, remaining in intimate dependence.
Must Christians forgive every offense and confess every sin to receive God’s forgiveness? No, our forgiveness is once for all, because it’s based on the death of our Savior.
The Bible tells us that, as Christians, we have become the righteousness of God. And How is that righteousness displayed? In our behavior and how we treat others, because righteousness is a word of personal interaction.
When we don’t experience God’s promises in our daily lives, we can think His truths are positional – that they’ll be true about me someday, just not today. But the Scriptures say otherwise.
Emotions mustn’t be obeyed, but they must be acknowledged. Neither should they be indulged because expressing emotion doesn’t deplete or lessen it. And indulging emotion can lead to addictions.
Emotions serve an important role: they tell us what’s going on deep inside us, and they never lie. Even negative, painful emotions can be good. We shouldn’t repress or ignore them, or try to hide them away.
Scripture describes our Lord as intimately familiar with grief, pain, and sorrow (Isaiah 53:3). He experiences every emotion fully, but there’s a critical difference between him and us: Our God never lets them control His decisions or actions.
Gifts from God, emotions can be powerful forces in our lives. And Christians exhibit the full gamut of reactions to them, from being totally governed by them to stuffing them completely.
Grace does the most loving, constructive, redemptive, and honoring thing possible for someone. That’s how the Person of Grace, Jesus Christ, treats us. But when we live licentiously, we show that we really know little about His grace.
In Christ, we’re free to do anything we want … but we’re not free from the consequences. Some choices can wound us, wound others, and place us in bondage.
If Christians no longer have a sinful nature, why are we tempted to sin? Apostle Paul tells us that sin, a personified governing power, dwells in the members of our body, enticing us to walk in the flesh and not in the Spirit.
Do Christians retain their sinful nature after salvation? The clear answer from Scripture is no. Romans 6:6 explains that the old man was crucified with Christ the moment we were saved.
As believers mature in their faith, they become more alike in character but more diverse in personality. That’s a benefit of being partakers of His divine nature.
Pastor Frank and Dr. John continue their conversation with Mike Q. Daniel about misconceptions in the modern church regarding the gospel of Grace and Christ as our very life (MikeQDaniel.com).
Guest Mike Q. Daniel discusses Christ as our life and some of the confusion and pushback against the truth that he’s experienced over the years. Learn more about him at MikeQDaniel.com.
Luke 15 presents what we’ve come to call the parable of the prodigal son. But in truth, it’s a sober reminder of how greatly God’s children can struggle when their beliefs about their Father are wrong.
Our Abba’s perfect love works constantly to give us what we need most – to be conformed to the image of Christ. Yes, suffering is crucial, but after that? Glory!
The intimate name Abba goes hand in hand with suffering. When we’re in great distress, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, we should follow the example of Jesus in Gethsemane … and cry out to our Abba for help.
As His sons and heirs, knowing our God as Abba comes with responsibility. Like Jesus, we must respect and trust Him, following where He leads, even if it’s through the valley of the shadow of death, and even if we’re crawling instead of walking.
The most personal name for our God is Abba. It’s intimate, one of deep feelings, a cry of the heart. Abba reflects our deep respect, trust, and obedience to our Father, knowing confidently that He’ll do what’s best for us … even when we don’t understand.
Christ came to demonstrate Who God is, what He’s really like when you take a close look. Jesus is the perfect imprint of our Father God, and He invites us to investigate Him and discover for ourselves His incredible love for us.
Lord Jesus Christ came in the flesh to show us what our Father God is really like. Embodying every divine attribute, His words and actions had a single purpose: to point us toward our Father.
Father is a name of summation, wrapping up in a single word all God is and all He longs to be to us. A father is strong. He provides and protects. And He loves his children immeasurably, doing only the very best for them.
When we trust Christ, God abides in us, makes His home in us, and we abide in Him. But we must continue to abide if we wish to bear fruit. Unless our minds are set on Him, we can do nothing for His kingdom.
When God makes His home in us, He gets busy immediately. He becomes to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. And He begins to train us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives that honor Him.
God in us means that He lives His miraculous life in and through us - our circumstances, our choices, and our personalities. His abundant life is more than sufficient for every situation we will ever face.
God making His home in us forges a deep, spiritual union that goes beyond the idea of God with us. It’s a shared existence where we can experience our unity with Christ through the daily reality of His presence in us.
When God pledged to be our Immanuel, He promised to redeem and restore us, no matter what we’ve done. To be with us, no matter the enemies and struggles we might face. To be our sufficiency.
God’s New Covenant was revealed in stages, with hints and glimpses scattered throughout the Old Testament. Its complete fulfillment was in our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was more than God with us – He was God in us.
The angel revealed to Mary and Joseph much about Who Jesus is and what He will do. As son of the Most High, He will reign forever as king. And as Messiah, He will save His people from their sins.
Warrior. Shepherd. Leader. Man of deep faith in God. All these, and more, describe Joshua, a stunning type of the ultimate Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We may wander and stray, but the heart of El Shaddai toward us never changes. When we choose to live face to face with Him, He promises to make us complete and to supply all our needs, so that we lack nothing.
This name, above all others, shows the heart of our all-sufficient God toward His children. When we are weak and vulnerable, He is our nurturing, comforting El Shaddai, the One Who promises to meet all our needs.
Safety, welfare, contentment, and completeness are all wrapped up in the word peace. When God gives us His peace, He gives us the Person of Peace, Jesus Christ. And through Him, we can cast our concerns in the lap of our God and enjoy His rest.
Come, let’s reason together. That’s the compassionate invitation from our Lord to safely share all our sins and struggles with Him. He will show us the truth about our circumstances and, through that truth, empower us to live lives that honor Him.
Knowing God as Adonai changes us. Receiving Him as sovereign leads to a vulnerable transparency between God and his children, where we recognize our total inadequacy but move forward with a bold trust of His strength in us.
Sovereign. Ruler. Master. All these define Adonai (Lord). We use this name for God a lot. But like Abram, we often don’t fully appreciate its meaning until we find ourselves in difficult circumstances we can’t manage on our own.
As covenant maker, Yahweh promises to do it all for us. He leads, guides, and blesses us, and all we need do is believe and follow. And when we do, He revives our soul, enlightens our eyes, and makes our hearts rejoice.
Intimacy, Fellowship. Communion. A life shared with those He created. These words barely begin to describe Yahweh and His desires for a relationship with us. He describes Himself as I am, our present-tense God.
Our God works to recreate us spiritually, offering us what we need most: a new heart and a new spirit. Creating the heavens was handiwork for Him, but He had to roll up His sleeves and bare His arm to secure our salvation.
Our Creator is infinite, beautiful, and mysterious. While we might see Him as distant and uninterested, the very opposite is true. He is always active on our behalf, inviting us to draw ever closer and know Him more.
All authority to judge now belongs to Jesus, Who demonstrates the same wisdom, discernment, and understanding as the Father. Jesus judges pass-fail: do you have the Son or not?
God alone has the authority, the right and power, to judge. Only He has the discernment, understanding, and wisdom to judge rightly every time.
Defender and protector are attributes of our warrior God. But sometimes He fights for us in different ways, motivating then inviting us to join Him in His plans then empowering us to play key roles in His kingdom.
When we’re surrounded by enemies, feeling vulnerable and powerless, our Shepherd God has prepared His table for us. He offers His rest, peace, and blessing no matter what
we might face.
Green pastures and still waters sound great, but what about the dark valleys? Psalm 23 shows us that, no matter where we are, the Person of Peace - Jesus Christ – is always with us.
Psalm 23 is the Lord’s job description as our Shepherd. It describes all He does to address the parts of our lives that interfere with the expression of His life in us.
Pastor Frank continues his visit with Jim Welch. His ministry, Real Restoration, rescues trafficked, sexually exploited, and at-risk girls from danger, and guides them toward a new journey of life (RealRestoration.org).
Pastor Frank’s guest is Jim Welch, director of Real Restoration. Active in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uganda, and Kenya, this ministry rescues trafficked, sexually exploited, and at-risk girls from danger, and guides them toward a new journey of life (RealRestoration.org).
Pastor Frank visits with Brian Miller, founder of Global Transformation Ministries in Medellín, Colombia. The ministry rescues children from the streets, victims of sex trafficking, and exploited girls (TMinistries.org
In this second of two-interviews, Pastor Frank continues his conversation with JimBob Norman, missionary at New Song Mission in Nicaragua (NewSongNica.org).
In this two-part series, Pastor Frank interviews JimBob Norman. A native of North Carolina, JimBob now ministers at New Song Mission in Nicaragua (NewSongNica.org).
Our wise and loving Father knows precisely what to prune, when to prune, and how to prune things from our lives so that we can bear just the right amount and type of fruit He intends.
The parable of the barren fig tree captures the attributes of our Vinedresser Father. He is focused, patient, determined, protective, and longsuffering, willing to do all He can so that we’ll bear fruit.
Suffering is a strong foundation for friendship. It was true for Abraham, God’s friend. It’s true for us too, as we share in the sufferings of our Friend, Jesus Christ.
Our Friend God is without equal. He loves, accepts, encourages, and supports us at all times. And we experience His Friendship most fully when we go through adversity.
Our Husband God is like no other. He hears and understands us. He always makes us feel special. He believes in and trusts us. He provides everything we need. And He is always there for us.
The Bible provides stunning insights into an often-overlooked aspect of God’s revealed identity: Husband. He not only made us, but He treasures us and adorns us with His glory.
As His bride, we are responsible: to grow in the knowledge of God, our Bridegroom; to receive Him as Lord and allow Him to meet our needs as He sees fit; and to trust and yield to Him as our very Life.
Intimacy. Acceptance. Dependence. Trust. Celebration. Love. Peace. Joy. Enthusiasm. Security. Giving. Receiving. Knowing. All these are facets of the relationship that is ours to enjoy – today – as the bride of Christ.
Light describes our basic identity, who we are in Christ. Facing certain adversity from those who love darkness, we’re to let our light shine, consciously choosing to step into the world’s darkness and shine the light of our Savior Jesus, Who indwells us.
Salt defines how we’re to interact with a fallen world. More that just a preservative and a seasoning, we’re to boldly proclaim Jesus to the world. We’re an aroma of death to the perishing but a fragrance of life to those who are being saved.
In this second of two interviews, Pastor Frank continues his conversation with David Gregory, speaker, teacher, and author of The Rest of the Gospel and the New York Times bestseller, Dinner With A Perfect Stranger.
In this two-part series, Pastor Frank interviews David Gregory, speaker, teacher, and author of The Rest of the Gospel and the New York Times bestseller, Dinner With A Perfect Stranger.
God never told us to save our world or rescue society. That battle will leave us frustrated, confused, and angry. We must cling tightly to our Father and to His promise that He is in control and is working out ALL things according to His perfect plan.
Economic crises. Wars and threats of war. Climate. Rioting. Racial tension. Corruption. Crime. Rising suicide rates. Believers everywhere ask, “What can we do?” Paul told us in Colossians 3:2 to set our minds on things above, not on things that are on the earth.
While recognizing our fleshly characteristics is an important first step, we must follow it with corresponding Scriptural truths from Father’s Word. Continually renewing our minds with these truths will enable us to resist the enemy and stand against his attacks.
Temptations to sin are offered to us by our enemy, who often masquerades as us and makes it difficult to recognize his voice. To spot the lies, we must understand and embrace the truth about i) who we are in Christ and ii) our fleshly weaknesses that make us vulnerable.
Effective spiritual warfare hinges on four keys that Christians must master if they wish to live in freedom: i) Recognize the condemning thought; ii) Refuse that thought; iii) Reckon (consider) themselves dead to sin and alive to God; and iv) Rest in Jesus.
Spiritual warfare bears no resemblance to what’s depicted in the media. It’s not a power struggle, with good and evil battling and the victor undecided. It’s a truth struggle, with the veracity of Father’s Word proving false all of the enemy’s lies.
In this final episode of the series, Frank and Paul Byrd discuss what came next after retiring from baseball, including the launch and focus of Byrdhouse Ministries (thebyrdhouseministries.com).
In this continuing series, Frank explores other aspects of Paul Byrd’s faith walk, including his marriage and family and his decision to retire from professional baseball.
Frank continues his conversation with Paul Byrd, major league pitcher and author of Free Byrd, a book that details his faith in Christ, his struggles with pornography, and other personal topics.
Pastor Frank launches a four-part series with Paul Byrd, major league All-Star pitcher and long-time friend of the ministry.
Pastor Frank, Dr. John, and Joshua Gordon discuss how the church often stigmatizes those who suffer with anxiety, and they chart a path forward through intimate dependance on Father.
Guest Joshua Gordon discusses his long struggle with anxiety and how Father inspired to him to develop his book.
Often overlooked as a piece of armor, continual watchful prayer is a formidable weapon during times of spiritual warfare. It is mighty to tear down spiritual strongholds and it sharpens our discernment into both the wiles of our enemy and the needs of those around us.
To stand against our enemy, we need the helmet of salvation and the word of God. The first gives us understanding into who we are in Christ, which protects how we think, feel, and choose. The other enables us to parry his cunning lies with the sword of the Spirit, Jesus Christ.
The most adaptable piece of our armor is the shield of faith. Our faith doesn’t just deflect the enemy’s flaming darts; it extinguishes them. Positioning this shield correctly, that is, trusting God in every circumstance, we can minimize the suffering we receive at the hands of our enemy.
As soldiers, we must always be prepared to do battle with the enemy. Our readiness depends on understanding the gospel of peace. This gospel is more than just forgiveness of
our sins: it’s a comprehensive change in how we feel, think, and choose, a totally new way to live in Him.
The breastplate of righteousness is a core aspect of our identity. In Christ, we’ve been made righteous, as approved and accepted as Jesus. This truth protects against a key attack by our enemy: the temptation to question who we are as believers.
Our armament from God begins with the belt of truth, which is the most foundational piece. Knowing the truth about ourselves in Christ and about our enemy and his tactics is critical if we’re to live victoriously.
Just because Father has given us His armor doesn’t guarantee it’ll do us any good. We must put it on, sink into it and see how well it fits. And then we must choose to use it. We’ll not be able to stand against the enemy unless we do.
Because His children are in the enemy’s crosshairs, Father has already equipped every one of us with every spiritual blessing. In Christ, He has given us all we need to resist the devil and live our lives so that we honor Him and lift up one another.
Elite soldiers of Jesus Christ are characterized by their intense focus on the task at hand and by their diligent preparedness and constant readiness to explain their faith in the Lord.
As good soldiers of Christ Jesus, we are to live as elite troops in Father’s kingdom, fully prepared to engage in our battle with the enemy. But to function that way, we first must fully understand and embrace authority.
Full citizens of God’s spiritual kingdom, we are His official envoys to a foreign realm … the kingdom of darkness. Our role is to speak and act well on behalf of our home and lift up our Lord and King so that He will draw all people to Himself.
As God’s heirs, we have immediate, perpetual access to all He is, all He has, and all He does to meet every need we have. We can experience today … right now … the full blessings of heaven through His life in us.
When Father God adopted us into His family, He made us full sons, giving us all spiritual blessings and equipping us with all rights, privileges, and responsibilities. As sons, we must recognize Him as our Abba, the One Who loves us dearly and gives us only His best.
Jesus cautioned that, unless we become as little children, we’ll not fully experience God’s kingdom (Matt. 18:3). We must change how we approach life so that our first response to every circumstance is to trust Our Father, Who has it all under control.
Diakonos. Servant, one who does things to benefit others. Our Savior came to serve us in the ultimate way by willingly, joyfully give His life as ransom. Being a servant involves not only what you do but also your attitude while you’re doing it. This aspect is critically important.
Doulos. Slave. Jesus emptied Himself, took the form of a slave, and did the will of His Father Who sent Him. The same applies to us. If we wish to bear fruit in Father’s kingdom, we too must choose to be slaves.
Many believers define themselves by their behavior: because they commit sinful acts, they must be sinners. But God defines us by birth. We’re His children, His holy ones, who at times make poor choices. When we maintain that we’re sinners, we’re saying, “I know what Scripture says, but I know better.”
Because the Lord, the Holy One, lives in believers, we can’t get any more sanctified in our identity. But we become more like the Lord in behavior as we walk in the Spirit. Then, what’s true about us on the inside becomes more evident on the outside.
Ágios. Holy one. In His New Testament, Father calls us that nearly 60 times, so we won’t forget who we are in Him. He shares His holiness with us, so much so that He even calls us by the same word He uses to describe Himself … Holy.
Pastor Frank, Dr. John, and Pastor Phelim Doherty consider the truth of Christ as Life and the challenges of teaching that in the modern church.
Pastor Frank, Dr. John, and Pastor Phelim Doherty continue discussing the experiences and challenges of delivering the message of Christ as life to believers in Ireland.
Guest Phelim Doherty, pastor of River City Church in Derry, Ireland, discusses his early life, his wife’s miraculous healing, and his journey to the Savior.
The enemy will try hard to hinder us. We must set our minds on the truth that, no matter how we feel, we have forgiven and we’re now free.
Because Christ’s life is in us, we CAN forgive, and we CAN walk in freedom, no matter the wound. Pastor Frank and Dr. John offer detailed step-by-step guidance on how to do it.
Forgiveness is not restoration. That comes when, and only when, our offenders have repented. God doesn’t restore people without their repentance. Neither should we.
Justifying the actions of our offenders might seem like an understanding and compassionate thing to do. But we must never forget that compassion is not forgiveness.
We don’t have to feel like forgiving our offender to do it. It still counts! And we mustn’t wait until they repent. We must step forward and bear the cost if we’re to live free.
Forgiving others isn’t forgetting the wounds they caused you. We can recall the pain vividly and still choose to forgive. But we must never assume that it will be a quick fix.
After being wounded, it’s normal to retreat within safe boundaries. But when self-protection becomes a driving motive, boundaries can become emotional prisons.
Try as we might, we can’t ignore our wounds or stuff the anger that results. This will drag us down or erupt and wound others – often those we love most.
Feeling angry after an offense is healthy, but rage and revenge are sin. These might feel good for a while, but they can become roots of bitterness that defile many.
Feeling anger is a healthy response when others wound us. It’s a crucial first step on the road to forgiving our offender … so we can experience our freedom.
God didn’t wait to forgive us until we apologized. He forgave us while we were His enemies, reconciling Himself to us and inviting us to reconcile ourselves to Him.
Scripture commands us to forgive others just as God has forgiven us. We must understand how He did this if we are to forgive in the very same way.
Some verses seem to show forgiveness as conditional, but the New Covenant teaches us otherwise. In Christ, God forgave us unconditionally, and we are to do the same for others.
Forgiving those who wound us can feel like the hardest thing ever. But doing so frees us from what others have done to us … and what we’ve done to ourselves.
God can be silent when we suffer. We pray for understanding, but our words seem to go nowhere. At these times, God offers us Himself, so we can see Him as we never have and receive the blessings we didn’t even know we needed.
Job’s friends teach us to be compassionate when others suffer. They were purposeful in their actions, meeting Job where he was and suffering with him. They gave the gift of silent presence, allowing Job time to recover emotionally.
Watching someone suffer can be painful, moving us to desire relief at any cost. But Jesus’ words, “Shall I not drink of the cup the Father has given Me?”, call us to view suffering through a different lens.
Job was blindsided, his world shattered in seconds. Still, he embraced his suffering and blessed the name of the Lord. He learned it’s possible to worship and praise God through tears.
Many believers see Satan as a vicious enemy, fiercely ravaging whomever he wishes. But that’s not true. He can’t do anything without God’s permission, and his power is completely limited by God’s divine purposes.
God’s people are not immune to suffering. Sometimes it’s due to consequences, or to Father’s discipline. But most often it’s to accomplish His divine purpose in our lives … to conform us to the image of Christ.
No matter what we experience, Father is right there, comforting and encouraging us with His very life. He shares all our sorrows, collects all our tears. No suffering is too small to escape His attention.
Father’s encouragement of Mary was crucial as she walked through unprecedented suffering. She kept her focus on God and finally experienced what the angel first told her – she was blessed among women.
For Mary, the mother of Jesus, blessing was braided closely with suffering. But through it, she came to see herself as her Father saw her. And she grew to know Him as she never had before.
Joseph arrived in Egypt a completely different man. Suffering had shaped him into a humble, compassionate servant and a protective, providing shepherd.
Joseph suffered greatly at the hands of his family. But God worked through it, not only to safeguard the nation but also to strengthen Joseph’s faith in, and dependence on, Him.
Through his suffering, Peter transformed into a man who knew well how to shepherd and encourage believers who were enduring intense persecution for righteousness’ sake.
Our Lord called Peter when he was a diamond in the rough. But suffering worked to grind and polish this apostle until he became a champion of grace.
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul revealed how suffering transformed him into a humble man who learned that God’s strength works best in weak vessels.
Some suffering turns our world completely upside down. When that happened to Paul, his restoration required three things: time; biblically sound fellowship; and positive affirmation and support.
Suffering can make us completely suited for God’s purposes in our lives, if we give our consent. How do we consent? The same way Jesus did – by willingly choosing to ‘listen under’ our Father.
Through His earthly suffering, Jesus learned to trust His Father fully, to represent Him clearly to others, and to be a sympathetic intercessor. Suffering can accomplish the same things in our lives, too.
Lengthened by hammering and stretched into the perfect shape. This is how Luke 2:52 described our Lord’s earthly life as He learned to trust His Father fully, just as we must do.
Some pain feels like it won’t ever go away. In these times, we must find God in a way we never knew Him, so we can get through what we can’t seem to get over.
Our role is to be such good representatives of God to this world that, when people meet us, they see His grace, truth, and life clearly.
Paul made a point to surround himself with a band of likeminded brothers and sisters who would support and encourage one another.
Despite the persecution he suffered, how did Paul bring the good news of grace in Jesus Christ to those who needed to hear it?
How did Jesus stay true to His mission when many opposed Him and refused to believe what He had to say?
Nowhere is our attitude more important than when we share Christ’s grace and freedom with those in bondage to law.
Restoring fellow saints who struggle and suffer requires an attitude of gentleness, one of calm and acceptance, comfort and assurance. God exhibits this as He tenderly draws Adam and Eve to Himself and begins their restoration.
Our attitude, our settled thinking that reflects in our behavior, is to be like that of Christ Jesus. Impossible in our own strength, it’s God’s promise to us as we cooperate with Him, consent to His working in our lives.
Our Father desires that we cultivate intimacy with Him, choosing to be soft and pliable, receiving His love and giving it in return. It’s then that he gives us the desires of our hearts. And by doing what we desire, we fulfill His will for our lives.
Our loving Father desires that we live sacrificially, treating others as more important; that we be filled with the Spirit, cooperating with Him in all circumstances; and that we submit to authority.
The Bible paints a clear picture of God’s will for us. Foremost, He desires that we trust Him for salvation. Once we’re His, He sanctifies us, sets apart for His kingdom. And, as a result, we’re to be thankful in all circumstances.
Many believers see God’s will as a maze, with many wrong paths but only one right one. And at the maze’s center, God waits impatiently, wondering if we’ll ever figure out His will for us. But … nothing could be further from the truth!
As Christians, we have received a new heart, and a new spirit that lives in union with God’s spirit. Our old man, aka our sinful nature, was crucified (Romans 6:6) and is no longer an issue for Christians.
Are we righteous or sinners? Do we have wicked hearts, or the promised new hearts of Ezekiel 36? Join Pastor Frank and Dr. John as they discuss this core issue of Christian identity.
The Bible offers much advice for avoiding the path of adultery. But the most foundational is from Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”.
Bogus intimacy comes in many forms, and all of them can be enticing. But they’re hollow and unfulfilling, poor substitutes for the real intimacy that comes from God alone.
God created us to be filled with the treasure of His life. Only when His life overflows in us can we really love our spouses the way they need to be loved.
Proper understanding of giving requires proper understanding of the covenants. We are to receive freely and give freely, led by the Spirit, not reluctantly from guilt or obligation.
Few topics are more sensitive than money. The tithe supported the theocracy of Israel, but in the new covenant, giving is from the heart, an act of individual worship.
Throughout his epistles, Apostle Paul describes all our Father has done for us in Christ. Paul then uses that as a foundation to describe how we should then live.
Often overlooked, this empowering word shows how what God has done can transform our lives and conform us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
True worship always produces the fruit of service, offered heartily unto the Lord. As living sacrifices, we serve by doing the most redemptive, constructive, and honoring things for others.
This glorious word means to bow down, to prostrate yourself before the One Who is greater. It’s a mindset rooted in trust, a determined choice that says, “Not my will, but yours be done”.
Not a word of compliance or conformity, obedience works a miracle in our lives. It transforms us into people who can do the impossible … love others the way Jesus loves us.
Obedience means to listen under. It’s a word of relationship, of trust, of love. Through it, we become all our Father created us to be, unique expressions of His life in us.
When we give God permission to work in us, He changes how we view ourselves. He gives us His perspective on living as servants in obedience to Him.
Let is an action word. In Scripture, it’s a command to remove an obstacle and allow something to happen. It’s a point of spiritual warfare, where we must choose to permit God to work in our lives.
If God is grace, why do bad things happen in our lives? As with Job, He allows them … so we can know Him better. His grace always does the most constructive, redemptive thing for us … even if it hurts.
Grace doesn’t make us passive, despite what some believe. It motivates us from within, so we can abound in every good work. Paul wrote, “I work harder than any, though not I, but God’s grace within me”.
Many believe grace alone leads to license, so we must balance it with law to stop sinning. But grace and law don’t work that way. Grace brings us life, law brings us death. Only grace can teach us to honor God with our lives.
Grace isn’t something God has, it’s something He is. Grace does the most loving, constructive, redemptive, and honoring thing for us … and does it with elegance, treating us like royalty, kids of the King.
We use the word grace often, but what does it mean? It’s not an attitude, a doctrine, or a message. Grace is a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every facet of God’s grace is wrapped up in Jesus. He is grace personified.
Philippians 2 presents the greatest ‘But God’ in Scripture. While we were dead to God, because of His great love for us, He made a way for us to receive what we need most … life together with Christ!
God provided kindness, forgiveness, comfort, and restoration for Joseph and his brothers in the nightmare that was Egypt. The brothers' intended evil became God’s miraculous path of good, fully turning their mourning into joy.
Few phrases change our perspective more than ‘But God’. Joseph’s time in Egypt shows how Father can use the worst circumstances imaginable to bring about His greatest glory ... and our greatest good.
Self-made religion, and the efforts which accompany it, abound in the modern church. These behaviors might look good, but they fail a key test. They are useless against the indulgence of the flesh.
Many focus more on ‘proper Christian behavior’ than on Christ Himself, and they miss out on the full blessings of being God’s children. We’re to stand strong against any who will lead us away from Jesus.
Many confused believers focus on the law’s shadows rather than on the substance of Christ. And they fail to see Satan for who he really is … a shamed, disarmed loser who can do nothing but tempt us with lies.
Our death, resurrection, and identification with Jesus rest on two fundamental truths … He forgave us ALL our sins, and He became our curse over us, sheltering us while He let our curse of death fall on Him.
Baptism, our complete immersion into Christ, testifies to the fundamental change we experienced at salvation. We were dead to God and in bondage to the flesh, but He made us alive together with Him.
We’ve been circumcised, buried, and raised with Christ. Because of these, we are free from sin’s control in our lives and from all it’s baggage … condemnation, guilt, shame, fear, anxiety, and emotional bondage.
Being in Christ isn’t just a list of things true about us on paper. It represents the full complement of spiritual resources Jesus Christ gives us so we can live Godly lives in this present evil age.
Rooted in Christ and established in the faith, the Colossians must be on guard against false teachers who promised earthly wisdom and human tradition. Their standard? Whether what they heard is according to Christ.
Encouragement is among the most powerful gifts we can give someone. Knit with the Colossians in spirit, Paul taught them who they are in Christ, how to walk in the world, and why they must watch for the enemy’s lies.
All wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. This comes in handy when slick-talking false teachers sidestep the truth to deceive the saints. Only our Lord can show us what’s true … and what isn’t.
Our suffering is not only for our maturity, it’s for others’ too. Paul’s agony for the saints in Colossae had a purpose … that they might pursue Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Rejoicing in our suffering sounds absolutely impossible. But it’s not … if we rely on His strength. When we braid intimately with God, He doesn’t replenish our meager strength. He gives us His instead (Isaiah 40:31).
In His grace, God allows us to share the sufferings of Jesus so that we can become like our Savior in His death. It’s only then that we begin to truly know Him and to experience His resurrection power in our lives.
Suffering. No one wants it, but it’s God’s gift to us wrapped in dark paper. Paul wrote that suffering is necessary to make the word of God fully known. It’s crucial to advance God’s kingdom … and to advance God’s kingdom in us.
Father God rolled up His sleeves to redeem us (Isaiah 52:10). He made peace by removing every barrier that separates us from Him. And then He made us holy and set us apart as blameless and above reproach.
Our Jesus has quite a résumé! He is the head of the church, the beginning, and the firstborn from the dead. He is the fullness of God in a person, the One Who makes God visible and tangible. And … He holds the universe together, too!
Understanding the supremacy of Christ begins with recognizing His role in creation. Our Jesus, Who came to us as the tangible, safe expression of God, was the very One Who created everything in the heavens and on the earth.
Father God qualified us to share His inheritance, delivered us from darkness, transplanted us into His Son’s kingdom, liberated us by paying the ransom, and forgave us our sins … past, present, and future. In Christ, we have it all now!
Paul continues his encouragement by praying for the saints in Colossae … but not about specific problems or needs. Instead he prays that they’d overflow with the knowledge of God, so that they’d choose to walk worthy of Him.
The epistle begins with Paul’s warm praise for the Colossian believers’ faith in God and love for the saints. And the reason for this? It’s their hope, their confident expectation, of what’s laid up for them in heaven.
Amid the wreckage of broken relationships, we need courage, a drive from the heart, to move toward restoration and to believe that God will do just as He promised … He will make all things new.
Relationships are costly. And when they’re broken, it’s so very easy to simply discard them. But Christ’s life in us desires to pay the cost for restoration, using the currency of forgiveness, compassion, acceptance, and love.
When conflicts occur, we often pray for things to go back to how they were. But what if more is possible? This is how Paul approached Philemon, encouraging him to let God rebuild his relationship with Onesimus in an unprecedented way.
Rather than demanding obedience and conformity, Paul's approach to restoring relationship between Philemon and Onesimus took a radical approach, one built on honor, trust, and protection ... all hallmarks of Christ's life in us.
Frank and John’s podcast series on the One Anothers goes from the classroom to the real world. Join them as they consider how Apostle Paul worked to restore a tricky relationship in the early church.
Agape is a pure, willful, sacrificial love that deliberately desires another’s highest good. Said another way, it’s the most redemptive, constructive, and honoring thing we can do for someone. It’s God’s love in us and through us to others.
Forgiving one another is a command meant for our good. Frank and John discuss the need for forgiveness, the consequences for refusing to do it, common counterfeits, and most importantly how to do it.
Forgiveness is a great idea, until it’s time for you to do it. Then it can seem almost impossible. But Christ’s life empowers us to do the supernatural … to forgive completely, just as the Lord has forgiven us.
All believers can struggle and veer from the path of righteousness. When this happens, we’re to shepherd them, tenderly show their error, and remind them of the truth while doing all we can to protect them.
Vilifying, defaming, and accusing people unjustly have become common in the church. As partakers of the New Covenant, we’re to speak life, with words seasoned with salt that preserve, protect, and restore others.
Complaining, whining, and making a fuss all qualify as grumbling. When we speak death this way, we do more than just nurture resentment against others. We usurp God’s role and pass judgement upon them.
Christ’s life empowers us to not only live in peace but to be peacemakers. Jesus made us to be the salt of the earth, enhancing everyone we meet. We must protect our salt’s purity by leaning in close to our Father.
Patience toward others is a burden that we must bear with love. This is impossible unless we allow Christ to do it through us. Only His life is sufficient to accomplish this with humility and gentleness.
Judging others seems like our favorite pastime. It builds walls between hurting people and blinds us to our own need. Christ’s life in us doesn’t judge others but always leaves an open path for relationship with them.
Acceptance is our deepest need and the most freeing thing we can experience. When we come to Jesus Christ, He accepts us completely and makes us fully His. Christs’ life empowers us to accept others in this same way.
Compassion is a rare thing in this world. It’s Christ’s love in action, leaving the safe sidelines and entering life’s trenches to share another’s suffering. And it’s doing as Father empowers us to bring restoration and wholeness.
Christ’s life empowers us to have true concern for others, without regard for things that might separate us. Partiality fuels division among Christ-ones and undermines our oneness in Him.
Christ’s life empowers us to submit to others, to align ourselves willingly and joyfully under them and to lift them up. When we focus on submission and service, the roles that often divide us tend to disappear.
Christ’s life empowers us not just to do kind things but to be kind. Kindness is part of our identity as Christ-ones. It’s a Spirit-led desire to invest time in others and to treat them better than they deserve.
Christ's life empowers us to value and cherish one another, accepting them fully and receiving them joyfully, making sure they know they're in a place where they belong, a place where everybody knows their name.
Christ’s life empowers us, not just to act humbly but to be humble people. To make determined, purposeful choices that we’ll consider others as more important and empty ourselves to serve one another.
Pains of life can hurt so much that suicide can seem like the only way out. In this first of two podcasts, Frank and John discuss motives for suicide, deceptions behind those motives, and the damage to survivors.
Our minds can be battlegrounds. And pain can make us vulnerable to the enemy’s lies. Cementing our minds on the truth about ourselves, our circumstances, and our God is key. Like David, we must choose to say, “I will trust in you”.
Trusting God while overwhelmed by pain can seem impossible to do. Frank and John discuss 1 Timothy 1:6 – our need to fight (agonize) the good fight (agony) of faith and to trust God in our sufferings.
Often, we feel that we’re alone in our pain. But as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah learned (Daniel 3), they were never alone, even in the furnace. And in that fire, they found their freedom.
Most believers don’t understand pain’s purpose in their lives. Meet Susie, who dared to meet God in her pain. And there she found freedom. She found God in a way she never knew Him.
Pain can shatter our life into what seems like an unfixable mess. When this happens, many paths are open to us. But only one works … to sit down in our pain and invite God to meet us there.
God allows pain into our lives for a reason … so that we, like Apostle Paul, might acknowledge and accept our weakness and allow Jesus’ life to be manifest in us (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
In the midst of our pain, our enemy will offer us lies about God, ourselves, and our circumstances. Frank and John discuss these in light of Jesus’ promise that knowing the truth shall make us free.
If I’m His child, why does He allow it? He’s God, so why doesn’t He stop it? We discuss these difficult questions, focusing on our Savior and how He was made perfect through His sufferings.
We deal with pain in lots of ways, some helpful and others not. From a practical foundation, Frank and John discuss the need for understanding, empathy, and above all compassion.
Pain doesn’t have to be the last word in your life. God can make a way through what you can’t seem to get over. Join us as we explore Jesus’ mission to bind up the brokenhearted and to comfort all who mourn.
Bobby continues his story, discussing the pain public humiliation, the untimely death of a child, a staggering moral failure, and a world-class smear campaign that he describes as being crucified by Christians. Hear about his road to spiritual wholeness, a restored marriage, and his decision to allow Jesus to enter his mess and make it his message. Check out Bobby here: LegacyLeadershipandCoaching.com.
Leadership and professional coach Bobby Allen, Founder and CEO of Legacy Leadership & Coaching, lost his best friend, his dad, at a young age and quickly found two new ones … rejection and abandonment. Walk with Bobby through his efforts to find significance in music, sports, girls, and drugs until a caring uncle introduced him to Jesus. Learn more about Bobby at: LegacyLeadershipandCoaching.com.
Teacher, host of the Jesus Unfiltered podcast, and upcoming author J.D. Zomer bills himself as the poster child for the terrible effects of religious teaching . Listen as J.D. talks about his suicide attempt, his terrible divorce, and his searching that brought him finally to Jesus Christ as his life. Check out J.D. and his ministry projects at: ReligionFreeMinistry.com.
Meet Kyndal Jacoby, a wife and a mother of three boys who has a full-time, a part-time job, and … she's a daughter of the King who has come to know Christ as her life. She discusses her rejection and insecurities following her parent's divorce, how these shaped her flesh, and how she came to meet Jesus. Learn more about her at: GraceLifeFellowship.org/ministries/grace-christian-counseling.
John and Frank discuss the conflict's culmination and resolution. How did it resolve? By implementing church discipline for legalism, just as Apostle described in Galatians 4:30. They discuss how the church responded afterward, along with their renewed efforts to train up the next generations to fight the good fight of faith.
Frank and John recall the initial resistance to the message, which developed into organized opposition. They discuss tactics that church members used to attack and discredit both the message and the messengers. Also they consider the role of law, the root of disbelief, that fueled the opposition, and they give examples of how it manifested.
John and Frank describe some avenues they followed to introduce Christ as life into their church's different ministries. They consider what worked, what didn't, why, and their reliance both on scripture and on recognized voices from outside the church to reinforce the message.
Frank and John describe briefly how they began their journeys to know Christ as life. They discuss their first steps, as pastor and elder, to introduce their small body of believers, steeped in law and performance, to the full gospel of life and freedom in Jesus Christ.
Mark Maulding continues his story, focusing on his tender heart for pastors and his decades-long desire to help them understand the grace of God, the cross of Christ, and their identity as loved and accepted kids of the King. Learn more about him and the counseling ministry he founded at GraceLifeInternational.com.
Counselor, coach, and author Mark Maulding of Grace Life International shares honest insight about growing up 'trying hard to get it right', his confusion about a 'quid pro quo' God, his belly aches from reading the bible, his sinking and unraveling as a pastor, and his journey to finally understanding Christ as his life. Check him out at GraceLifeInternational.com.
Roger and Jeff Fields continue their story, focusing on the importance of viewing all things from the correct side of the cross of Christ. Hear the hearts of these brothers as they discuss the simplicity of the gospel and the love of our Father God. Check out their website, podcast, and book, Breaking the Hex, at TheFieldsBrothers.com.
Join Roger (the older) and Jeff (the more athletic) Fields as they share their journeys through conservative religion to knowing Christ as their life. You'll enjoy their engaging style as they talk about Jesus and themselves … and having a good time doing it. Check out their website, podcast, and book, Breaking the Hex, at TheFieldsBrothers.com.
Host, friend, and lead rebel at 'Confessions of a Crappy Christian' podcast, Blake Guichot begins her two-episode podcast by discussing her experiences being wounded by Christians, coming to understand the subtle differences between grace and law, and the immediate impacts this had on her, her husband, and their two young children. Learn more about her at CrappyChristianCo.com.
Author, speaker, and counselor Yolanda Cohen Stith continues her story, focusing on her struggles with infertility, the birth of her son with neurological disorders, his drug use and eventual incarceration, and his release. Listen closely as Yolanda describes 'crawling on her knees through the valley of the shadow of death', clinging desperately to her Messiah's hand. Discover more about Yolanda at newheartliving.com.
Author, speaker, and counselor Yolanda Cohen Stith describes her Jewish upbringing as ‘Conservadox’. Dissatisfied with the religious hypocrisy at home, her growing desire to know about God eventually led her to Rapid City, South Dakota, where she met Messiah Yeshua for the first time. Through her struggles with a wayward child, loss of a husband, and thoughts of suicide, her book, Valley Life Yolanda describes her walk with Yeshua and coming to know Him as Savior and life. Learn more about her at newheartliving.com.
Author, speaker, and pastor Andrew Farley shares his story of growing up in a shaming environment, becoming an obsessive evangelist, and wrestling with his perpetual efforts to become the ‘perfect version of Andrew’, the one God expected. Hear about his first authentic encounter with his savior at an Atlanta gas station, and his decade of recovery from the need to perform perfectly for God. Learn more about him at andrewfarley.org.
With engaging effervescence, Traci tells her story of growing up atheist, her 100-mph encounter with God, and her journey to the Lord as her Savior and her life. With unparalleled openness and vulnerability, Traci discusses marital relations, personal heartbreaks, family crises, and a perfect storm of tragedy that she describes as a ‘7th-floor fall’ to the bottom, where she learned that Jesus is all she has and that He’s enough. Learn more about her at tracylevinson.com.
Steve continues his story, focusing on his journey of understanding and applying Christ as life in marriage, family, and ministry. Hear and enjoy his clear examples and some engaging descriptions of the intimate dependency that is ours in Christ.
Steve is director of One in Christ, a teaching and discipling ministry he has led for 30+ years. Also, he has been the sole pastor of CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Gainesville, FL. Learn more about him, and hear some of his messages, at stevepettitmessages.com.
Zach is an author and speaker, and he serves currently as Community Pastor for Church Without Religion in Lubbock, TX. Zach discusses Christ as Life as seen through the eyes of a young millennial, how it impacts his ministry, his teaching and shepherding, and his relationship with his new bride, Grace. Learn more about him at zachmaldonado.com.
Nico continues his story, focusing this week on the challenges he faced to deal with forgiveness, particularly concerning his brother’s murderer; to love and shepherd family; and to live a life that he describes as ‘bat shit crazy’ about Jesus.
Nico is a leading criminal defense attorney in San Antonio, TX. Beginning with his brother’s murder in 1996, Nico’s story describes his journey of faith, one he describes as a ‘faith born out of need’ He puts feet to that faith now through several outlets, including the podcast ‘R-Rated Christianity’.
Tim serves as Lead Pastor for Grace Life Fellowship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He discusses his hybrid Greek Orthodox/Southern Baptist upbringing, his issues of fearing God, his understanding of Christ as his life, and some new opportunities that God placed before him. Tim recently coauthored a new book with Andrew Farley, entitled ‘The Perfect You: God’s Invita
Frank’s story continues with discussions of his early life as a pastor, the crises that led him to ‘crash and burn, and the ways in which knowing Christ as his life has changed his ministry.
Frank begins his story by discussing his early home life, the loss of his father, the ways he handled that loss, and his pursuit of athletics as a source of value and worth.
John continues his story and discusses with Frank his early emphasis on knowing about Christ rather than knowing Him, the circumstances that led him to his growing understanding of Christ as his life, and his journey since that revelation began.
John begins his story, focusing on his Roman Catholic upbringing, his fatherless home, his fear and his shame, and his first encounters with Jesus Christ.
Frank and John conclude their conversations on reigning in life by focusing on a single key point. Jesus is our example, not for the acts He did but for the method He used. His was a life of total dependence on His Father. They discuss the importance of being a dependent child with God and of leaving behind the mindset of ‘adult achieving’ and embracing the attitude of ‘childlike receiving’.
This week, the guys begin to wrap up their discussion of Romans 5:17 with the capstone truth that Christ makes it possible for us to reign in life. How did Jesus do what He did? Not because He was God, but because He relied dependently on His Father. They discuss the importance of Jesus not serving as our model but as our Life.
Frank and John continue their conversation on the Power of Sin, focusing this week on the battleground where the Power of Sin wages war … our minds. They discuss Sin’s never-ending efforts to undermine our new sound mind, our mind of Christ, and to entice us to walk according to our flesh and to turn from Christ as Life.
This episode examines one of the most confusing topics in Scripture – the Power of Sin. Beginning in Genesis 4 and winding up in Romans, the guys discuss what it is, what it’s not, how it functions, and why it masquerades as your ‘old sinful nature’ … which has been crucified, by the way (Romans 6:6), and no longer is an issue in a Christian’s life.
Frank and John discuss Romans 5:17, the redemptive story in one verse. They talk about the principle of law, God’s Law, true and false roles for God’s Law in a Christian’s life, and the importance of receiving the free gift of grace and our righteous identity in Christ to reign in Life.
In this episode, Frank and John discuss the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, our crucifixion and immersion into His death, our resurrection in Him, and our identity now as totally new creations.
This podcast continues the discussion on the flesh and considers how flesh is like a splinter, how sin is a choice, and how to regard no one according to their flesh, as Apostle Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 5:16.
Mankind developed flesh because of losing Life in the Garden of Eden. This first of two podcasts discusses the nature of the flesh and how walking in the Spirit enables us walk in freedom.
Mankind’s death in Adam was far more destructive than most realize. Listen as Frank and John discuss the full impact of that death and the role of Jesus to restore what was lost in the fall.
This podcast examines the beginnings of Law in the Garden of Eden and the nature of conflict that plagues all of mankind.
This concluding episode reflects on several overriding questions. Where is God in my fear? And how can He lead me and mature me through it?
This continuing series considers how actions motivated by fear don’t protect against tragedy … they drain your life. And that worrying doesn't remove tomorrow's troubles … it robs today's peace.
This episode continues the discussion on the damaging effects of fear in our lives, why we choose fear instead of faith, and supplies some biblical examples of fear’s consequences in our lives.
This initial podcast examines the nature of fear, some of its effects on us, and why Father instructs us to ‘Fear not’.