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GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, DEUTERONOMY: JESUS BOOKS (Book on Amazon)

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Simon Sinek’s Start With Why challenges us to begin with the deeper purpose behind what we do. That principle has powerful applications for faith and relationships. In the Christian life, the sequence matters: Grace, Faith, Life. We begin with what God has done for us. His grace produces faith, and genuine faith shapes the way we live. Too often, we start with behavior and work backward. But when we understand the “why,” everything changes. In this episode, we explore how starting with grace can deepen our faith, strengthen our relationships, and produce a life that flows naturally from gratitude, purpose, and love.

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GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS: JESUS BOOKS (Book on Amazon)

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New GENESIS Daily Bible Devotional!

Daily Bible Devotional Series - Amazon

Sponsor: Jon Cunningham, Cunningham Financial

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 205-913-1720

Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 813-380-8487

Stages of Growth

What does spiritual maturity actually look like?

In 1 John 2:12–24, John speaks to little children, young men, and fathers—a beautiful picture of stages of growth in the Christian life. We begin as little children, overwhelmed with gratitude that our sins are forgiven and that we belong to God. As we grow, that gratitude develops into the strength of young men—a life of sacrificial service, overcoming the evil one and giving ourselves fully to the work of God.

But maturity takes us even deeper. Like fathers who have “known Him who is from the beginning,” we learn to rest in something greater than what God has done for us or even what we can do for Him: simply knowing God Himself.

We never leave gratitude behind. We never outgrow service. We carry both with us as we mature into a deeper relationship with the eternal God.

Grateful for what He has done.
Committed to what we can do for Him.
Growing to simply know Him.

That is the journey of spiritual growth.

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NEW GENESIS: A JESUS BOOK (Book on Amazon)

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Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 813-380-8487

Top 5 Arguments AGAINST Praying to Jesus:
1) Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father.

2) Jesus Himself prayed to the Father

3) The apostles normally addressed prayers to God/the Father.

4) Jesus is specifically described as our mediator/intercessor.

5) "In Jesus' Name" naturally suggests praying to God through Jesus.

Top 5 Arguments FOR Praying to Jesus:

1) Stephen directly addressed Jesus while dying.

2) Paul apparently prayed directly to Jesus about the thorn in the flesh.

3) Revelation ends with a direct request to Jesus.

4) Early Christians are described as people who "call upon" Jesus' name.

5) Psalm 45 / Hebrews 1 provides an intriguing example of praising Jesus.

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Job's Friends Did Some Things Right:

1. They Showed Up

2. They Entered Into His Grief

3. They Sat In Silence

4. They Believed Strongly In God

5. They Spoke What They Believed

Eliphas was influenced by Experience

Bildad by Tradition. Zophar by Certainty. 

So, they made some prideful mistakes:

1. They assumed they knew why Job was suffering

2. They turned principles into absolute truths

3. They stopped listening

4. Their accusations became harsher

5. They lacked compassion

6. They spoke for God without understanding God

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Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 813-380-8487

Key Passages: Psalm 148; Exodus 15; Matthew 6

Of course we should thank God. Scripture is filled with thanksgiving, and gratitude ought to be a constant part of the Christian heart. We should thank Him for His blessings, His grace, His provision, His forgiveness, and the countless ways He works in our lives.

But before I thank God for what He has done, I want to remember who God is.

There is something powerful about approaching God without beginning with ourselves. Before I get to what He has given me, what I need from Him, or what I hope He will do, I simply praise Him. He is holy. He is righteous. He is eternal. He is Creator. He is King. He is worthy.

Praise says, “God, You deserve my worship whether You give me anything else or not.” It glorifies Him not first for His gifts, but for His Deity and identity. “Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised” (Psalm 145:3).

So yes, thank God. Thank Him often. Bring your requests to Him. Tell Him what you need. But maybe before any of that, spend some time simply telling God how great He is.

Praise His name. Honor His glory. Worship Him from the heart. Thank Him—but praise Him first.

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3 things to remember as you get back into the routine of Fall:

- God goes with you wherever you are.

- God gives you what you need for today.

- God will use ordinary events to do extraordinary things. 

3 questions to ask yourself or discuss with your family:

- What will get your best effort this coming Fall season?

- What will your kids remember when they look back on this time?

- Are we teaching achievement or faithfulness? What matters most?

3 simple things you can do:

- Pray as a family before setting out on any new day or adventure.

- Steal a moment from the world each day to commune with or serve God.

- Select a Fruit of the Spirit, pray about it, and feature it for a period of time. 

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God's identity is the greatest thing that can be known about Him. All that He did, does, and will do, emanates from that reality. To know Him is to love Him, even before we thank Him for what He does. He does great things because of who He is.

CHALLENGE: Pray as long as you can, exalting who He is before thanking Him for what He does or asking Him for anything.

You also have an identity - you are a human BEING, before you are a human DOING. There is beauty in how and why you were made. To obey God is a natural outgrowth of knowing who you are, as a human, as well as a Christian.

CHALLENGE: Tell God who you are because of Him, define your identity and purpose, as long as you can, before telling Him what you will do to honor it. 

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Jesus lived in a human body and lived a valuable, meaningful life:

1) The Father gave Him a body

2) He lived humbly in his body

3) He used His body for others

4) He offered His body for us

5) God glorified His body

Did Jesus waste His life? Or did He model something amazing for us all?

Here are 5 absolute truths about your body:

A) Your body was created by God

B) Your body is sustained by God

C) Your body belongs to Christ

D) Your body is indwelt by the Holy Spirit

E) Your body is accountable to God

These simple ideas change everything. They change how we view sins like immorality, addiction, gluttony, and immodesty, just to name a few. All of that becomes naturally avoided in the name of our identity, as a vessel of God. 

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There is only one true path to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ. That path is laid out in the Scripture and must be followed by submitting to the authority of the Lord. Along that path, however, are many features, trails, and particulars. This is because people are different. What affects you might be different from what affects me. What draws you, fulfills you, or aligns with your gifts might differ from me. Does this mean one of us is broken? Or that more honor is due one than the other? NO!

We are all different. This does not mean some of us keep some laws and omit others to suit our preferences. No one is saying that (Don’t write me up, please). But can we be honest that what feels strongest or fulfills us most may differ among people? We are all different in the body, yet we function as one body. With no shame, but with much appreciation for one another!

Can you List Your Top 3? 
How are you leaning into them and inviting others to them?

1. The Student
2. The Worshiper
3. The Servant
4. The Encourager
5. The Contemplater
6. The Creation Lover
7. The Mission-Minded

Jesus is all of these things, and He is our authority. So we pursue them all. But do not be ashamed of the special categories where God is using you most amazingly. You are not broken. We are whole because of you. 

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https://tylercain.floify.com/
Phone: 813-380-8487

One of the most fundamental realities of the universe is that order does not happen by accident. Every stable system depends upon a dominant center. Astronomers have long recognized that when multiple celestial bodies of similar mass exert comparable gravitational influence over one another, the result is instability. There is no single authority that governs the movements of the others, and the system becomes increasingly chaotic. By contrast, our own solar system displays extraordinary stability because one body is incomparably greater than all the others. The sun's overwhelming mass establishes the paths of the earth, the moon, and every planet that belongs to its system. Everything moves in relation to it.

This physical reality provides a profound picture of the human condition. Every life has competing centers of gravity. We are constantly pulled by ourselves, by the expectations and pressures of the world, and by God. If these influences are treated as equals, life becomes spiritually unstable. Every decision becomes a negotiation between competing authorities. Every circumstance introduces a new center. Anxiety, confusion, and inconsistency naturally follow because nothing possesses the authority to govern everything else.

The Christian faith proclaims that God has already solved this problem. The answer is not to eliminate responsibilities or withdraw from the world. Rather, the answer is to establish the proper center. The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the One who occupies that position. Paul writes that "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). Christ is not merely another influence competing for our attention. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of creation itself. The universe already revolves around Him whether humanity acknowledges Him or not. The invitation of discipleship is therefore not simply to believe in Jesus, but to reorder our lives around the One who already governs reality.

This is why the imagery of the sun becomes so meaningful. The sun does not merely exist within the solar system; it defines the solar system. Its gravity establishes order. Its light reveals reality. Its warmth makes life possible. Remove the sun, and everything descends into darkness, coldness, and eventual destruction. Likewise, remove Christ from the center of human existence, and people are left attempting to construct meaning, morality, and purpose from sources incapable of sustaining them. The slides' first assertion—"He is the Great Power Bringing Order to this World"—captures this truth. Christ does not simply improve life; He establishes the very framework in which life flourishes.

The second statement naturally follows: "You Must Move Entirely in Relation to Him." The earth does not occasionally consult the sun before choosing its orbit. Every aspect of its movement is defined by its relationship to the greater body. Likewise, discipleship is not about adding Jesus to an already full life. It is about allowing every decision, ambition, relationship, and value to find its meaning through Him. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes this reality. Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. Paul describes Christians as those who no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Christ is not simply first among many priorities; He is the center from which every other priority receives its proper place.

The final statement moves beyond order to mission: "The World Receives His Light from You." This image intentionally shifts from astronomy to theology. The moon possesses no light of its own. Every ray that reaches the earth originates from the sun. The moon simply reflects what it has first received. Scripture describes believers in remarkably similar language. Jesus declared, "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12), yet He also told His disciples, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). These statements are not contradictory because Christian light is derivative rather than independent. Believers do not generate truth, righteousness, or life from themselves. They receive the life of Christ and reflect His character into a dark world.

This understanding guards against two opposite errors. On the one hand, it prevents self-exaltation. The moon never mistakes itself for the sun. Christians are not called to become the source of salvation, wisdom, or hope. Every good thing they possess has been received from Christ. On the other hand, it also guards against passivity. Although the moon produces no light, it still fills the night sky with remarkable brilliance because it faithfully reflects the light it receives. Likewise, Christ has chosen to make His people the visible expression of His presence until His return. Through their words, their holiness, their compassion, and their proclamation of the gospel, the world encounters the light of Christ.

The progression of these images therefore, tells a complete theological story. First, Christ occupies the center because only His greatness can establish lasting order. Second, humanity discovers stability only by orienting every aspect of life entirely around Him. Finally, those who remain in His light become instruments through which that same light reaches the world. The Christian life is not fundamentally about self-improvement or moral achievement. It is about proper orientation. When the Son becomes the Sun, everything else finally finds its rightful orbit, and the light that has transformed us naturally shines into the darkness around us. In that sense, the goal of discipleship is beautifully simple: remain facing the Sun, and the world will see His light reflected through you.