Advancing Word Podcast

More space is devoted to Jesus’s trial before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate in the Gospel of John than any of the other three Gospels.  While tragic and disturbing, what happened reveals the heart of the Savior who, while an innocent man was condemned to death by a guilty verdict.  Three times Pilate declared Jesus innocent (18:38; 19:4; 6), yet for the sake of political expediency and religious bias, he allowed Jesus to be crucified.  Each of Pilate’s affirmations of Jesus’s innocence testify to the perfection of the Son of God and His redemptive mission as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Revelation 14:13 is a text that looks at the “other side of death.”  What a powerful reminder of God’s promises as we move toward the celebration of Resurrection Sunday.  Disease, death and the grave may be earth’s final words but not Heaven’s.  The Apostle John, locked in but not locked out, flipped death on its other side and provided a perspective that should embolden and encourage us today.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he turns the gloomy garment of death over and helps us see its brighter more glorious side.

Psalm 115 is an apologetic or defense of the faith.  The Jews responded to their pagan neighbors and contrasted their faith in the living God of Israel with the false, fickle and foolish infatuation they had with false deities.  Israel’s history in the Old Testament is a tragic record of their inability to resist idolatry.  It was not just their problem but ours too!  We face similar challenges.  Listen to Dr. T.D. Stubblefield as he shares three principles from this Psalm that encourages us to never be satisfied with idols or substitutes for the living God.

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, while engaging in an apologetic or defense of his ministry, the Apostle Paul affirms something that is true of every child of God.  Our spiritual, intellectual, relational, emotional and material resources are insufficient to handle the challenges we face.  Sooner or later, life will send us a bill that is too large to pay and, if we try to write a check to cover it, the check will surely bounce.  But don’t worry!  If you and I truly know the LORD, in such a crisis or contingency, we can and we will experience God’s Overdraft Protection.  

According to Acts, Chapter 9, Saul, who would later become the Apostle Paul obsessed with hatred and disdain for the followers of Jesus, had requested arrests warrants from the Sanhedrin to travel to Damascus, and bring Christians back to Jerusalem for trial.  But on the Damascus Road, the Risen Lord appeared to him.  Blinded and taken to a house on Straight Street in Damasus, he met Ananias who God had appeared to in a vision.  On Straight Street, their encounter would transform the church and the world.  There, the saint met the sinner, love met hate, the Law met grace, and truth met and conquered the lie.  How does this encounter challenge Christians today?  Listen and learn.  

King David, wrote the Twenty-Third Psalm, a classic and enduring affirmation of his confidence in the LORD during a very straitened and stressful time in his own life.  While consisting of only six stanzas and one hundred fifteen words, the reach and relevance of the Twenty Third psalm spans generations of believers who have been encouraged by this profound pastoral portrait.  In stanza five, David acknowledges that he is living a sheltered life.  Because “the LORD is our Shepherd”, this type of life is the birthright and blessing of every child of God.  This message shares why!   

In Exodus 3, verses 1 -6, God speaks to Moses from a bush that burned but did not burn up!  Moses is one of the most remarkable characters in the Bible.  His life can be divided into periods of forty years each.  The first forty years were characterized by favor; the second by failure and the third by fulfillment.  Like us, Moses made mistakes and missed the mark more than once but, when we look at the broad expanse of his life, his failure was book-ended by favor and fulfillment.  In other words, his failures were not final nor are ours.    

In Exodus, Chapter 39, four centuries before God leads Moses and the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, God manifested His presence in the life of a young Hebrew boy named Joseph who was sold into slavery, estranged from his family and had “to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land”.   While Joseph’s geographical placement was not of his own choosing, God was with him.  God's presence in the life of Joseph, can encourage us as we face our challenges in life.  

Though they have different last names - Tyus, Middleton, Reed, Simmons, Jarrett, Turner, Vasquez, Foster, Holloway, and Stewart, they are one family.  Scattered in communities across this nation, this family has gathered every Saturday since October 2012 for a prayer teleconference—a true testament to the power of shared faith.  For twelve years, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield has uplifted them each January with an inspiring message to launch the New Year.  Pastor Stubblefield’s challenge for 2026 is simple: when you pray, “expect to be moved.” As an added blessing, experience him leading the cherished hymn “Lead Me, Guide Me.” Let the stirring words of this beloved song move you as you embrace the power of prayer and faith in the year ahead.

The dictionary defines “blast” as a “gust of wind” or “strong rush of air.”  Other definitions include “an explosion” or a “launch or takeoff with explosive force.”  A blast is something that shakes and rattles us and those around us.  Spiritually, this is the focus and the force of Psalm 150.  When we worship on blast, sometimes our worship is like the stroke of a gentle breeze or the trickle of a quiet stream.  At other times, worship is like a tumultuous storm or raging tsunami.  What matters most is that our worship is in spirit and in truth. It has vitality, variety and validation.  Listen to this message and learn more!