Established in The Truth

Immanuel means God with us. Yep, got it. But... why did we need God with us?

In this first episode in our mini series this week, we tackle briefly, what Immanuel meant for the Jews during Jesus time, what it means for us, and how we can respond this season, because God's Presence with us is for real for real, by faith in the person of Jesus Christ. The verses covered in this episode are Matthew 1:22-23 in the ESV translation.

1. What need did Immanuel meet?
2. Why is that so crazy?
3. Our Immanuel (He came once, He gon' come again son!)
4. How the people (shepherds, Mary, and angels, it was lit fam) during that time responded, take notes kids, we should too!!!

Resources from this episode:
Biblehub link- https://biblehub.com/matthew/1-23.htm
Temple info- https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-the-world-looked-when-jesus-was-born-according-to-roman-geographers

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

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What does a high view of God and His Word accomplish? It's fine and dandy to have a high view of God and His Word, but practically, what does that do in our lives? Well... TONS! In fact, this list can't cover it! However, it is a good starting place. These 10 ways God's hike makes us more like Jesus seeks to apply practically what we covered in the last episode. Not only do we need''s hike and let it transform us, others around us need us hiking this trail with them and even calling others not yet walking with God to join in. God's glory in our lives and others it at stake, and He chooses to use us! :D

10 Ways God's Hike Makes You Like Jesus
Verses included in audio

1. Live wisely
2. Higher Heavenly mindset
3. Sights on eternity
4. Deeper love for the Gospel
5. Greater joy in worshipping God
6. Greater understanding in trial
7. Contentment: Resting confidence in Who God is
8. Continual thanksgiving
9.  Stronger desire to share the Gospel
10. Overflowing Hope

The aroma of Christ in our lives

We cannot be hidden!

What's your favorite Bible verse?

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

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"Why would I fear the man upstairs?" "God didn't write the Bible, man did." In the midst of a world that holds a very low view of God and His Word, Christians are called to have a High View of God and His Word. But what is this High View? And why is it important to embrace and submit to it? In this first episode in this series, we seek to answer these questions, are you ready to go up?
Topics include:

• What is a high view of God and His Word?
• What is a low view of God and His Word?
• What are the results of each?
• What do your circles look like? Pray for yourself and them! :)

EPISODE SPECIFIC DISCLAIMER: I mention doubts and wrestling later in the episode (can be viewed in chapters), and did not answer, "Is this true?" The answer for Scripture is always that it is Truth, meaning there is no other standard of truth. I was referring to the wrestling, but our hearts will always need to be humbled to accept God's Word as totally inerrant in its original manuscripts and as far as it is translated correctly.

Helpful Resources:
A. W. Tozer's The Knowledge of The Holy
A. W. Tozer's sermon on A High View of God
J. I. Packer Knowing God

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

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Defending God's existence today can be a challenge. How do we navigate conversations with those who don't believe He exists? Does the Bible say anything about those who deny that He is real? These questions and more are discussed as we learn from God's Word and use that knowledge to defend that He indeed does exist and has written His law on everyone's heart.

The 2 things people experience that prove God’s existence

• Passages from Romans
• We DO have a conscience

How do we defend these?

• Subjective experiences vs. absolute truth

Resources from this episode:
Ray Comfort with Living Waters
Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology 1st Edition pg. 121-123 

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

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The Bible has had an onslaught of doubt and opposition cast on it, it appears even more so the last 100 years. How do we defend Scripture? How do we handle even our own doubts?
Let's take a deep dive into not only our own trust of God's Word, but also how to answer common objections to the Bible. Today we will cover:

Trusting the Bible : Dealing with logic and doubt

• 2 Keys in using  God’s Word and logic
• How to wrestling with our own doubt

Defending the Bible: Common objections

• Man wrote it, not God? Incorrect. Plenary inspiration*
• Has it been correctly translated? YES, here's how we know.
• The Bible is too old.
•  Dealing with universal needs
• Reality of the conscience

Resources from this episode:
Chart on manuscript comparison
Gotquestions.org about logic and reliability
Compelling Truth on the Bible's relevance

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

Comments, questions, prayer requests? Click here!

In our increasingly hostile culture to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, how do we share our faith with confidence?  How do we share in hostile conversations, confusion, and when we feel unprepared? In this special episode in our series , 10 Minute Apologetics, Pastor Chris Stastny shares with us insight and encouragement about sharing our faith in the midst of fear, doubt, and uncertainty. While the conversation didn't fit 10 minutes, we hope that you will still find it encouraging, insightful, and equipping! Let's dive into the conversation and hear from Pastor Chris!

When to share the Gospel

How to share the Gospel

What to share when sharing the Gospel

Resources from this episode:
5 Minute Apologist
Romans Road

Join us for our next episode tomorrow on defending the Bible!

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

Comments, questions, prayer requests? Click here!

How do we approach conversations with those who seem to believe in the God of the Bible, but unfortunately do not? Do you ever feel like you don't know enough Scripture to defend your faith? These questions and more are discussed in this episode in our series, 10 Minute Apologetics.

- Understanding culture, but not getting sucked into it.

- The Trinity

- Common false beliefs of faiths considered by the world to be Christian

Resources from this episode:
Cult Watch
https://www.amazon.com/Cult-Watch-John-Ankerberg/dp/0890818517

Mormonism as many gods, including man,
https://www.gotquestions.org/exaltation-in-Mormonism.html

Talking with Jehovah's Witnesses
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/when-jehovahs-witnesses-knock-at-your-door
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/in-the-beginning-was-the-word/excerpts/how-to-talk-to-jehovahs-witnesses-about-jesus

Join us for an interview with a pastor in the next episode as we talk about sharing our faith in the midst of fear!

What's your favorite Bible verse?

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

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Christianity has been defended for centuries, only now has there been such exposure to through social media and increasing hostility with a culture that rejects the Bible and the God Who wrote it. What does it mean to defend my faith? What about those hostile arguments I hear on social media? Let's unpack what apologetics is and why every Christian is called to be an apologist.


Define apologetics:

Believers are to be ready constantly

Honoring Christ as Lord

Being prepared

Two truths to hang on to and then three things we can do now

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

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Have you ever wondered what the Holy Spirit does in your life on a daily basis as a Christian? Are we supposed to be on a spiritual high all the time? Am I doing something wrong if I am not experiencing joy or peace? Have you ever been on a mission trip or went to a worship night and missed that joy you felt? 

In this episode we plan to look into how the Holy Spirit operates in the believers everyday life. Specifically we will be looking at how the Holy Spirit sustains us daily and what that practically looks like.

• Am I on a spiritual roller coaster?
• God is the God of the mundane
• The faith train 
• 7 Ways the Holy Spirit Sustains Us

Resources for this topic:
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gods-sustaining-grace
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/sustained-by-sovereign-grace-forever
https://www.amazon.com/Systematic-Theology-Introduction-Biblical-Doctrine/dp/0310286700

Listen in and follow us on your favorite streaming platform! New episodes approximately monthly!

Next episode... Lord willing Apologetics? :)

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

Comments, questions, prayer requests? Click here!

Welcome to the new series!

Let's be real, understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in our day and age can be confusing, right? I mean, what does He REALLY do? And if He is doing anything, does it involve us? This not because the Spirit is confused, but because we are! This episode aims to look into just that, what is He doing and how can we better understand it?? Also, there's a surprise topic if you listen to the end! Hint: It has something to do with the Spirit :D
Disclaimer: I do not advertise on this podcast. This podcast is intended for the building up of the body of Christ without any monetary compensation.

The 3 Ways discussed are:

1. Makes Us Holy

2. Teaches Us

3. Gives Us Spiritual Life

Here are the resources mentioned from the episode:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Spirit-today.html
https://www.desiringgod.org/series/the-person-and-work-of-the-holy-spirit
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/how-the-spirit-sanctifies

I also heavily used the New American Commentary and the Pillar New Testament Commentary for this episode in the Gospel of John.

What's your favorite Bible verse?

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Disclaimer: Any links are NOT affiliate links. They are merely links to resources I found helpful in study. I receive NO COMMISSION on any links. Please enjoy any resources linked to episodes. I pray they are helpful in your walk with Christ. :)

Comments, questions, prayer requests? Click here!