The Church of Thyatira, located in a commercial hub, faced challenges from various religious influences. Jesus commends their love, faith, and endurance but condemns their tolerance of false teachings led by a prophetess called Jezebel. The message emphasizes the importance of adhering to biblical guidelines, the call to repentance, and the promise of reward for those who remain faithful. Reflect on areas where you may be tolerating sin and commit to upholding biblical standards.

In this episode of Focused on Christ, Mike and Nathan look at the letters to the churches in Smyrna and Pergamum who both dealt with persecution. What role does persecution play in the local church? What happens when persecution leads to compromise in the church?

In Revelation 2-3 Jesus Himself speaks to the churches. This message to specific, historic churches rings through the ages to the churches today. How are we to understand these messages to the churches?

Now that the election is complete and the next administration is returning in 2025, we thought it may be helpful to remind ourselves of God's sovereignty over the nations. Last year Pastors Mike and Nathan had a conversation about the prophecies of Daniel and how God's revelation about future nations bring us great comfort and hope.

In this episode of Focused on Christ, Pastors Mike and Nathan explore eight humanistic errors that have subtly infiltrated the church, impacting faith and community. Continuing a conversation from the previous episode, they examine the concept of individual autonomy, highlighting its potential to lead to moral decay and a life devoid of true spiritual guidance. They also addresses the flawed idea of being 'spiritual but not religious,' emphasizing the biblical importance of community for mutual support and growth. Furthermore, they contrasts the pursuit of happiness with the pursuit of holiness, explaining that true joy is a byproduct of a holy life and a relationship with God. Lastly, they clarify the Christian perspective on enlightenment and truth, asserting that Christians are not anti-science and that truth is revealed through Scripture and the natural world.

In this episode of Focused on Christ, Mike Crump and Pastor Nathan Smith delve into how Christians should approach content from questionable or theologically problematic sources. They emphasize the importance of #discernment and personal #conviction when consuming #christian media, urging believers to evaluate content based on its alignment with Scripture.

Discussion Questions

You're invited, along with our live audience, to celebrate the 100th episode of the Focused on Christ podcast. In this episode Pastors Mike and Nathan share about the beginning of the podcast and then jump into a series of questions including:

In this special episode of Focused on Christ, Pastor Nathan and Mike discuss the current election season and provide some biblical and historical frameworks for engaging our political system.

#election2024 #podcast #politics #trump #harris

01:01 Historical Context

05:42 Church's role in government

12:53 Lesser of two evils

16:44 Biblical role of government

21:49 Is NOT voting a sin?

26:26 Voting for bad people

37:39 Stop doing this

41:00 Dealing with those who vote different

42:08 Prayer for the election

Hell is a crucial yet often misunderstood aspect of Christian theology. Contrary to popular belief, hell is not Satan's headquarters but a place of eternal separation from God for those who reject Christ. The doctrine of hell underscores the seriousness of sin, the need for a Savior, and the justice of God. Understanding this #doctrine motivates believers to take sin seriously, share the gospel urgently, and find comfort in God's ultimate justice.

In this episode, Mike and Nathan walk through several myths about #hell in order to better understand this doctrine and to consider why it is important for the local church.

Along the way Mike and Nathan talk through the real influences of the spiritual world and look to the Bible to clarity on how we to be experience the fullness of our freedom in Christ.

#demonic #deliveranceministry #deliverance #spiritual #satan #holyspirit