TEMPTATION: it affects EVERYONE.

Whether you are tempted by drugs and alcohol, tempted by sex, tempted by food, tempted by jealousy…..whatever it is, at some point ALL of us will have to deal with some form of temptation in our lives. Even Jesus Himself was tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

But ultimately, succumbing to temptation comes down to CHOICE. In the moment of decision, will we choose to SIN out of temptation, or will we choose to OVERCOME that temptation?

So goes this week’s episode of our flagship podcast, “Deeper in the Word”, which finds RevRob exploring the question of “how do we DEFEAT what tempts us?”

Come be a part of the discussion and learn how you can find the strength and conviction to turn away from the things of the world which would entice you, and instead turn towards the things of God.

Many people have never ACTUALLY served time in prison.  However…I think we would ALL agree that there are times when – both mentally and spiritually - we have all been through what we might call "prison experiences" in life.  You know what I mean – those times when it seems like God has LOCKED US DOWN in our afflictions….times when we’ve wondered where He was, and why He was doing this to us.

 

But friends….it’s how we REACT to these prison experiences that determines our success IN them….and that’s precisely what the Apostle Paul and his accomplice, Silas, both discovered in a deep, dark, STANK prison cell one night.

 

So goes this episode of “Deeper in the Word’, where we talk about the story of Paul and Silas in prison at midnight, and the miraculous thing that happened to them, all because they had the right ATTITUDE (and MAN, there is so much for us to learn from this story!).  Come fellowship with us and learn what Nixon and Watergate have to do with Benevolent Faith’s Giving Partnerships; how a slave girl sent two innocent men to prison; and how this well-known biblical story can help YOU transform whatever prison cell or problem that’s containing you into “A Prison of Praise”!

Normally, when someone refers to “Livin’ the Fast Life”, they’re talking about living a fast-paced, reckless life….about acting before they think fully things through and pursuing all the worldly pleasures this life has to offer, even if it means you may die or go to prison for it.

But there’s ANOTHER form of fasting that’s more significant to the modern Believer, and that the BIBLICAL form of fasting – or rather, going without (usually food) and instead using that time to get closer to God. It’s a very important concept for every follower of Christ to understand AND to engage in, not just because God favors it, but because it’s essential in our walk with Him.

Join RevRob for this episode of “Deeper in the Word”, where we explore the biblical concept of fasting and why it should matter to YOU. Discussions include commentary on the history of fasting, both in the bible and outside of it; a statement about spouses not withholding sex from each other (huh?!); why we need to take our cues from the ancient people of God; and what Jesus thought about people who fast for the wrong reasons!

Hip-Hop and R&B have many songs instructing us on how to “shake them haters off”…..but what IS a hater? And how does one truly go about shaking themselves of them?

Look, while we all share common definitions of what a hater is – a jealous and envious person, for example, or negative and mean-spirited people – the bottom line is that, behind every hater’s character, they’re a TROUBLEMAKER. They love to cause drama, division and conflict.

Sadly, even the church has haters…and I’m talkin’ about haters INSIDE the church, those who supposedly claim to love the Lord yet who act in exact opposition to that supposed love for Christ by constantly stirring up trouble. Thankfully, the Word of God helps to guide us in how to spot these types of internal haters…and what to do ABOUT them.

So goes this episode of “Deeper in the Word”, which finds RevRob exploring the idea of haters in the church – or rather, a specific TYPE of disrupter or troublemaker that every church member needs to be aware of and identify so that they can not only avoid falling victim to such people, but also so that they don’t become such people THEMSELVES, through trickery or deception. Come learn how Jesus was already WAY ahead of the curve on this one (as usual); why preventative maintenance ain’t just for cars; how what LOOKS LIKE water, ain’t always water; what your dog might be barking at out the window; and how ultimately, in the end, it will be “foot on neck” season for God’s people!

When God would punish people in the Old Testament, He would usually do it in a way that left NO DOUBT that a higher authority than man was the one dishing out the punishment.  God would punish people in such a spectacular way that there was no denying that it was HIM who did it.

And this caused GREAT fear and reverence for God, because the people knew COLLECTIVELY that – if they got outta line – the smackdown would be coming, and it would be on a huge scale.

Sadly, mankind doesn't think like that anymore….people don’t think that God will still put the smackdown on humanity, simply because He doesn’t do it the way He USED to (and trust me, if He DID, nobody would ever think that!).  So when the smackdown DOES come - and it WILL – there’s gonna be a lot of people who unexpectedly will experience God’s wrath at that time due to their OWN stubbornness.

Come check out this episode of “Deeper in the Word”, where we explore the topic of God’s wrath upon humanity, and why it’s OUR OWN FAULT that God has to smack us up from time to time.  The discussion includes an examination of why – in God’s eyes - a hard head makes for a soft behind; how you have to be ignorant ON PURPOSE to deny God’s existence; why science and faith ACTUALLY go hand-in-hand; and how people literally can be in “hell on earth” because of their lack of closeness to God!

Listen…..in our world today, you’ve GOTTA be able to separate what is authentic and true from what is false, phony and fraudulent. Seriously, why would a shoe afficionado want to buy FAKE Jordans? Why would a rich person want to buy FAKE jewelry?

That same question applies to Believers everywhere: why would you want a FAKE Gospel or a FAKE theology instead of the real, true authentic Gospel of the Bible? Because a fake Gospel is going to lead you STRAIGHT to that fiery pit below…..while the REAL Gospel leads to true salvation and the ultimate party in the afterlife. So how can you TELL the real Word of God from the fake Word? How do we discern PHONY preachers from REAL ones?

So goes this episode of “Deeper in the Word”, which finds RevRob exploring the topic of biblical preaching and teaching. Now…before you start thinking that that’s a BORING topic, understand that it’s actually far more important than you think. Because the reality is, there are FAR TOO MANY so-called preachers out here who are teaching a FALSE gospel, or a WRONG theology, or generally leading people astray with THEIR interpretation of Scripture. As Believers, we’ve gotta know how to discern the “Real From the Fake” when it comes to hearing sound, biblical preaching and teaching. So come fellowship with us as we learn why eloquent speech and big words have NOTHING to do with good preaching; why human wisdom WOEFULLY fails in comparison to Godly wisdom; how the Apostle Paul studied under the man who was like the “Michael Jordan of Jewish scholars”; and why the Bible can be considered GOD’S testimony to us!

Friends, there are MANY countries on planet Earth where the government and local officials HATE Christianity, followers of Christ and everything associated with the Bible….so much so, that they actually persecute, jail and even KILL those members of their societies which follow Jesus Christ.

Iran has always been one such country, where followers of Christ can face harassment and ….but what if I told you that – RIGHT NOW - Iran is experiencing a sudden UPSURGE of former lifelong Muslims who are not only converting to Christianity, but who’re also now speaking up and out against their former faith lives in the process?

Well…come connect with us for this special episode of “Deeper in the Word”, where we are joined by our VERY special guest and friend of the show, Ms. Lily Meschi, who is Director of Partner Relations for Iran Alive Ministries! Iran Alive Ministries broadcasts a 24/7 satellite TV channel into the Middle East and Central Asia with 130 million potential viewers. In fact, an independent survey has shown that it is THE MOST watched Christian channel in Iran, with 7.7% of the population (6 million people) calling it “our favorite channel, and we watch it daily.” Additionally, Iran Alive has planted one of the largest underground church networks inside Iran, and has an online training school with over 2,000 students being equipped to serve the Lord and be workers for the harvest in their home regions.

Ms. Lily - who was born in Iran and later moved to America - discusses her CRAZY, Hollywood-like background, and how cultural customs and life ultimately brought her from Iran to America via an arranged (and abusive) marriage; how she found the Lord in a country where women are suppressed and mistreated at every turn; how and why Christianity is EXPLODING throughout Iran and other countries in that region; and how events transpiring in Iran TODAY are actually fulfilment of biblical prophecy!

Don’t miss this one, y’all!

Y'all ever seen a boat that's dock somehow get untied from its mooring and start to DRIFT AWAY from the pier? Without anyone in it to control it, it could potentially float away and be lost forever. Because if a boat doesn’t have the proper navigation or guidance, that boat will most likely drift away with the current, and be carried away for long distances…..oftentimes in the WRONG DIRECTION.

And friends….followers of Christ can be the SAME WAY. If we don’t have proper navigation or guidance (the Word), – we’ll most likely “drift away with the current” (get caught up in the world) and be carried away for long distances (drawn further away from the Lord)….which is the WRONG direction for us to be going in!

And so goes this episode of Deeper In The Word, where we explore the topic of gradually getting away from - or drifting away from - God and the things of God!

“Put some RESPECT on my name!”  We’ve all heard someone say that, right?  It usually means, “stop speaking about me in such an unflattering (or even FALSIFIED) manner”, or “stop talking down upon me”.  We get pretty DEFENSIVE when it comes to our names, don’t we?  Nobody wants their name dragged through the mud, or otherwise wants negative connotations associated with their name…no, we want our names to STAND for something, we want people to RESPECT our names.

 

So then…..why don’t we have more respect or reverence for GOD’s name?  Why do so many people – including so-called Believers – CASUALLY use God’s name in vain, or MISREPRESENT it, or blaspheme it, or otherwise demean and degrade it in their everyday speech?

 

Join RevRob for this week’s episode of “Deeper in the Word” which explores the different ways in which God’s name is disrespected by people daily, even when they don’t THINK they’re doing it.  Come be apart of the discussion about what Benedict Arnolds, celebrity children and Band-Aids all have in common; learn how God’s name should be announced and how it should be adored; and hear about how what you say every day is actually in VIOLATION of God’s Word….AND how they’re a PUNISHMENT awaiting you if you don’t clean up your speech and start to speak about God “With All Due Respect”!

Listen….technology makes EVERYONE’S lives easier, right? Think about it: everything from communication technology (like social media) to computer software to mechanical equipment requires the use of technology. Even this VERY PODCAST represents the advancement of BROADCAST communication technology such that it allows lil’ ol’ ME to share the Gospel with people ALL AROUND the world!

And so goes today’s special episode of “Deeper in the Word”, where we are delighted to bring on our special guest, Mr. Steve Horton, who is the Director of Customer Marketing and Experience Design Bio for a company named Ministry Brands, which is one of the world’s leading providers of software and services for faith-based, non-profit and other purpose-driven organizations. He graciously joins us to discuss the biblical implications of advancements in technology, and how the people of God AND the church of Christ both need to not only understand the importance of technology, but also to be willing and able to UTILIZE it for God’s glory.

Come fellowship with us and learn how college fraternities bring people to Jesus; how technology in the Bible dates all the way back to the Old Testament; how COVID forever changed the way churches look at technology; and, we examine the new software that Ministry Brands offers to churches everywhere that seeks to revolutionize the way God’s house communicates with the rest of the world!