Contending for the Word

Not everything that sounds spiritual comes from God. Spiritual language, emotional sincerity, personal experience, and cultural popularity are not sufficient tests of truth. Christians are commanded in 1 John 4:1 not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits according to the written Word of God. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins explains how Christians can grow in biblical discernment in a culture that increasingly treats truth as personal and flexible. He considers Scripture as the final standard, the biblical truth about Jesus Christ as an essential doctrinal test, and the importance of developing discernment through regular Bible reading, sound preaching, and faithful participation in the local church. Biblical discernment is not merely the ability to identify false teachers. It is the Spirit-enabled maturity to understand, handle, and apply God's Word accurately. As Christians become increasingly grounded in Scripture, they are better prepared to recognize deception, help those trapped in error, and stand firm when the culture around them shifts. For more from Contending for the Word, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Angel numbers and recurring numerical patterns are often presented as messages from angels, God, or the universe. Their growing popularity has carried these New Age beliefs into social media, popular culture, and even some professing Christian circles. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins speaks with Doreen Virtue about the New Age origins and spiritual dangers of angel numbers. Doreen explains how she coined and popularized the phrase during her former New Age career and how the supposed meanings were received through meditation, altered states, and automatic writing. Dave and Doreen examine why angel numbers are a form of divination, why biblical numbers should never be turned into personal revelation, and how mystical signs can draw people away from the sufficient Word of God. They also discuss counterfeit revelation, spiritual downloads, biblical decision-making, spiritual discernment, and how Christians can lovingly help friends and family involved in New Age spirituality. God's people do not need hidden messages or secret revelations. God has spoken clearly and sufficiently in Scripture, which equips believers to test spiritual claims, resist deception, and remain grounded in Jesus Christ. For more from Contending for the Word, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

The Bible does not merely give Christians isolated truths. Scripture gives us the true story of reality: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. In this Weekly Watch episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins explains how this biblical storyline shapes the Christian worldview and helps believers think clearly in a confused age. This episode considers why reality begins with God, why the world is broken because of sin, why redemption comes through Christ alone, and why Christians can live with stability and hope as they await the return of Christ. For more from Contending for the Word, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Self-made spirituality promises freedom, authenticity, and personal meaning, but Scripture shows that true freedom is never found in self-definition. It is found only in submission to the truth of God's Word and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins examines how modern spirituality reshapes truth, identity, and freedom around the self, why this worldview leads to confusion and bondage, and how Christians can remain anchored in Christ with clarity, conviction, compassion, and biblical discernment. For more from Contending for the Word, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Many voices today claim to speak for God through new revelation, personal impressions, or powerful spiritual experiences. But Christians are not left to chase new words, shifting feelings, or unstable authorities. God has spoken finally, fully, and sufficiently in His Word. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins explains why Scripture must remain supreme in the Christian life. When the authority of the Word of God is weakened, doctrine becomes unstable, discernment becomes unclear, and the church becomes vulnerable to deception. This episode considers the danger of placing personal experience, prophetic claims, or modern revelation alongside Scripture and calls Christians to test every teaching, experience, and claim by the Word of God. For more from Contending for the Word, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Dave Jenkins and Dawn Hill discuss the New Apostolic Reformation, prophetic culture, modern apostles and prophets, and the need for Christians to test everything according to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. This episode addresses claims of fresh revelation, apostolic authority, the Seven Mountain Mandate, worship, experience-driven spirituality, and offers gospel hope for those coming out of false teaching. For more from Contending for the Word please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Everyone has a worldview, whether they realize it or not. The real question is whether that worldview is shaped by God's Word or by the culture around us. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins explains why worldview matters for the Christian life. A worldview shapes how we understand truth, identity, morality, suffering, sin, obedience, and discipleship. God's Word calls Christians not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. This episode also explains the biblical framework of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, showing why Christians must remain grounded in God's Word, committed to the local church, and steady in Christ in a confused age. Links: Contending for the Word: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/ The War of the Worldviews: https://servantsofgrace.org/product/war-of-worldviews-book/

Faithfulness to Christ often comes with a cost. In this episode, Dave Jenkins examines 2 Timothy 3:12 and explains why believers should not be surprised when obedience to Christ brings opposition, misunderstanding, or pressure to compromise. Concluding the June series on biblical sexuality and identity, this episode encourages Christians to stand firm on the truth of God's Word. Believers are reminded that endurance comes from Christ, faithfulness requires courage and compassion, and the hope of the gospel makes every sacrifice worthwhile. As followers of Christ, we are called to live with clarity, humility, and conviction while fixing our eyes on Jesus, who is worth it all. For more from Contending for the Word, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

In this Weekly Watch episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins examines the cultural narratives surrounding identity, sexuality, authenticity, and self-expression. Drawing from Colossians 2:8, he explains why Christians must not be taken captive by worldly philosophies but instead evaluate every idea through the truth of God's Word. Dave also highlights the importance of biblical discernment, the local church, and confidence in Christ's sovereign reign in an increasingly confused culture. For more episodes of Contending for the Word, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins explains why Scripture teaches that our identity is not found in our desires but in our union with Christ. Addressing the realities of temptation, indwelling sin, and cultural confusion surrounding identity, Dave shows how the gospel provides a secure foundation that does not shift with feelings, experiences, or circumstances. Drawing from Galatians 2:20, Romans 7, James 1, and Colossians 3, Dave explains why Christians do not discover their identity by looking inward but receive their identity through Christ. For more from Contending for the Word, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/