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- John 21:5-19 / Peter’s betrayal of Jesus after Jesus was arrested and taken away to be tried and crucified was a betrayal of massive proportions. How could he betray God’s own Son? And yet Peter was given a chance for redemption and forgiveness. Think your mistake, your sin is so bad that it can’t be forgiven? Not so!

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If C.S. Lewis was right, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” But what do you do if you’ve lost your joy for life on earth? On this Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, author and Bible teacher Chip Ingram will tell his story. He was in a season of negative attitudes about his circumstances. But one chapter in the New Testament started him on a new path to change his perspective. Learn how to choose joy on Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman.

Featured resource: I CHOOSE JOY: CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE, CHANGE YOUR LIFE

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Welcome to Moody Presents with Mark Jobe, President of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Today as we continue our brand new series here on Moody Presents we remember that this program comes to you from the Moody Bible Institute where we emphasize studying the Word of God in order to work out the Gospel in lives.  Even though our students are scattered throughout the world on summer ministry trips, summer classes, studying abroad, or working toward their next semester, we’re also going to continue learning here on Moody Presents!  Our current study is called The Chase – God’ Heart for Rebels.  Let’s join Pastor Mark for part two of Restoring the Wayward Heart, and if you missed part 1 we’ll tell you how you can listen or share it!  Let’s get started…  

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We all think we want more control. When our relationships are strained, when the future is uncertain, we think control promises security and peace. The problem is, the more we seek control, the more anxiety it gives us. Ed Stetzer sits down with Sharon Hodde Miller to discuss her book, The Cost of Control: Why We Crave it, the Anxiety it Gives Us and the Real Power God Promises, and the problems we have in seeking control and the real power God has given us in Christ, to exercise influence over ourselves and our lives on Ed Stetzer Live.

Ed Stetzer Live is a listener supported program.  To donate, click here.

To learn more about Ed Stetzer, click here.

To learn more about Ed Stetzer Live, click here.

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The 1957 war movie The Bridge on the River Kwai was so popular that fans flocked to Kanchanaburi in Thailand to look for the real-life iron bridge. They found the bridge, but it wasn’t on the Kwai—the movie got the river’s name wrong! Soon, however, that part of the Mae Klong River was renamed Kwae Yai (Kwai) so it would align with people’s expectations.

Jesus never let the expectations of others cause Him to waver in His divine mission. People flocked to see Him because they heard of the signs and miracles He had performed (John 6:2). When they found Him and believed that He was the promised Messiah, they wanted Him as a military leader so He’d save them from Roman rule. John says, “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself” (v. 15).

Despite the pressure to rescue people the way they wanted, Christ resolutely followed God’s plan to rescue them the way they needed to be rescued (Colossians 1:13)—not from earthly troubles but from the power of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

Jesus’ unwavering will to provide what we need is why we can trust Him in all circumstances. When God’s ways don’t seem to align with our expectations, we can be assured that His plan is always better—because He doesn’t waver in His will to save us.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Luke 14:25-35

It costs to serve Jesus Christ; we must be prepared to pay the price. Many will try to water down the Gospel in an attempt to gain more followers, but Jesus is not looking for easy followers; He wants fully committed disciples.

Jesus wants disciples who will worship at any cost.

Luke 14:27 says, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

Jesus must come before personal relationships and reputations. His disciples must prioritize Him over their families and loved ones, and even before themselves. He must come before personal realization. The decision to follow Jesus was the last independent decision any Christian ever made; our lives now belong to Jesus.

Second, Jesus wants disciples who will work at any cost.

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it…” (Luke 14:28).

Jesus calls us to build our lives according to His blueprints, spiritually conceived through prayer. We cannot look for a cheap, easy, lazy way to build our lives for Christ. We must count the cost, and steadfastly work to completion.

Third, fully committed disciples will war at any cost.

Adrian Rogers says, “When I follow the Lord Jesus Christ, I follow Him into battle.” There is no such thing as neutrality in this spiritual warfare. Though we are outnumbered, we cannot be cowards or compromisers. Nor can we be cautious; we must go into the battle with all of our hearts and souls.

Finally, Jesus wants disciples who will witness at any cost.

“Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:34-35)!

Salt preserves, flavors, and heals; likewise, we are called to preserve truth and to have a zest about our lives that heals this sick world. But salt also burns and penetrates; it is an irritant that permeates everything it touches. We cannot fear our nature to irritate this corrupt world and permeate Jesus Christ into everything we touch.

Apply it to your life

Are you a fully committed disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you willing to pay the cost of worship, work, war, and witness?

On today’s program, sexual abuse victim Cindy Clemishire has filed a civil lawsuit against Gateway Church and its founding pastor Robert Morris. She claims church leaders knew she was 12 years old when Morris began abusing her, and defamed her when they tried to cover it up. We’ll have details.

And cuts to federal funding are sending some nonprofits into a tailspin…some see the cuts as an attack. Others see opportunity. We spoke with ministry experts who weigh in.

Plus, Trinity Broadcasting is set to open a $134-million senior living facility in Orlando, Florida.

But first, the Burk Parsons has been suspended as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America after a church commission found him guilty on several charges. Burk Parsons, senior pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel and chief editorial officer and teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries, has been found guilty by a church judicial commission on three charges and indefinitely suspended from his role as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Jessica Eturralde, Adelle Banks, Clemente Lisi, and Brittany Smith.

A special thanks to Religion UnPlugged for contributing material for this week’s podcast.

Until next time, may God bless you.