Grace 809

Transcript

It’s Gospel Saturday, we’ll be continuing in the  Gospel of John, and we’ll read chapters 16-18.  I’ll have some comments after the reading for you. And of course I’ll have an “On This Date In Church History” segment for you, too. I’m calling today’s episode “Jesus’ Prayer For You.”  

Did you know that there is a prayer by Jesus about YOU in the Bible? How exciting is that? Jesus prayed for you before his crucifixion. 

He knew he was soon going to be betrayed and turned over to be beaten and hung on a cross. He knew that His purpose would soon be fulfilled, and He prayed to the Father about many things. And you and I were on His mind. 

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is a marvelous look into the mind of our Savior in the hours before the sacrifice that would change the eternities of all who believe in Him. The events of the coming hours will be the fulfillment of His mission…the reason He gave up the glories of Heaven to be born in a manger some 33 years earlier. 

He prayed to the Father, as a Son. “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…” There had never been a moment when Father and Son were out of touch with one another. Think of it. Jesus was with the Father from eternity past until this very moment when He prayed this prayer. And He knew that in just a few short hours, the Father would turn His face away from Him when all the sins of the world would be placed on Him. Jesus would be completely alone for the first time in all of eternity. 

And yet…He thought to pray for you and for me.

First He prayed for the disciples, that they would be one, as Jesus and the Father were one. And that they would have His (Jesus’) joy fulfilled in them. What a prayer! The joy of Jesus fulfilled in them. Think what that means. A perfect, pure joy. A joy that comes for knowing that you have perfect oneness with the Father. That there is *nothing* separating you from Him. Pure joy. 

And Jesus prayed that the Father would not take the disciples out of the world, but that He would keep them (or protect them) from the evil one…from compromise, from falling away, from anything that would keep them from running the race to a victorious finish.

And Jesus prayed that the Father would sanctify the disciples by the Father’s truth. To sanctify is to set apart for God’s purpose. Jesus said, “…by Your truth.” How do we know what God’s truth is? By reading His Word, hearing it, understanding it and applying it to our lives. Jesus prayed that G

In celebration of Independence Day, you can hear the Adventures in Odyssey drama, “The Day Independence Came.”

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Jim Daly and John Fuller introduce this Adventures in Odyssey audio drama celebrating America’s Independence Day! It’s an exciting journey back in time to the American Revolution, encountering heroes like Nathan Hale, George Washington, and Ben Franklin!

Bring God's Word to life for young readers with this beautiful children's Bible, packed with over 1,000 engaging elements and beloved characters from Adventures in Odyssey to help kids ages 6-12 read, understand, and apply Scripture every day. Receive a copy for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

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It is not God’s will that you face every day with dread and trepidation.

I have a childhood memory that I cherish. My father loved corn bread and buttermilk. About ten o’clock each night he would meander into the kitchen and crumble a piece of corn bread into a glass of buttermilk, stand at the counter and drink it. Then he’d make the rounds to the front and back doors, checking the locks. Once everything was secure, he would step into the bedroom I shared with my brother and say something like, “Everything is secure, boys. You can go to sleep now.”

I have no inclination to believe that God loves corn bread and buttermilk, but I do believe he loves his children. He keeps everything secure. He oversees your world. And by his power you will “be anxious for nothing” and discover the “peace…that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Since today is FRIDAY, we’ll be reading from one of the books of Prophecy. We’re begin the book of Amos. I’ll start with a brief introduction to the book, then after we read chapters 1-4. I’ll have some comments  for you. And of course I’ll have an “On This Date In Church History” segment for you, too. I’m calling today’s episode “Warning From A Good Ol’ Boy”

Amos was what we might call today a good ol’ boy. He was a plain-speaking, simple, country farmer. The name means “burden-bearer”, and he certainly did bear the burden of carrying God’s message.

Amos challenged Bethel’s priest, Amaziah, and he bore God’s message reproving the sin of the people and calling them to repentance. His first message was against nearby enemies of Israel, and then he spoke to Israel about their idolatry and stubbornness toward God. After telling them about the judgments God would bring against them, the book ends with the promise of the coming Messiah.

Over and over again in chapter four we heard the phrase, “The Lord is speaking.” Throughout their history, God has repeatedly told them what He expects from them in terms of their behavior and the condition of their hearts. But repeatedly, they forsake God to go their own way, only to come under His judgment. After a time, they repent, and God again blesses them. 

Now, at this point in their history, they are being told again of impending judgment. And now Amos reminds them with each statement, “The Lord is speaking.” As if to say, “Guys, I’m not saying this, God is. Remember who He is! Think of what has happened in the past. Do you want that again? This is God telling you this!”

There used to be a TV commercial many years ago. If you’re as old as I am, you might remember it. It was for a stock brokerage firm by the name of E.F. Hutton. The tag line was, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” 

If only we would listen when God talks, huh?

Historian and professor Rod Gragg describes the worldview behind many of the Founding Fathers.

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George Washington and other American leaders during the Revolutionary War displayed extraordinary faith in God. They attributed success on the battlefield to God, called the American people to days of fasting and prayer for the Revolution, and wrote Christian principles into America’s Founding documents. Rod Gragg recounts fascinating stories of our nation’s history and how Christians can learn from the faith of America’s past leaders. He shares about the first Independence Day celebration, and how churches today can flourish in the midst of cultural shift away from a Biblical worldview.

Receive a copy of By the Hand of Providence and an audio download of "Revolutionary Faith in the Birth of America" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

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The anxious heart says, “There’s trouble out there!” So you don’t sleep well, you don’t laugh often, misfortune lurks…it’s just a matter of time. As a result, you’re anxious.

How can this be? Our cars are safer than ever. We regulate food and water and electricity. Yet if worry were an Olympic event, we’d win the gold medal. Keep in mind anxiety is not a sin; it’s an emotion. It can, however, lead to sinful behavior.  When we numb our fears with six-packs or food binges, or when we peddle our fears to anyone who’ll buy them, we’re sinning.

Jesus gave this word: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with…the anxieties of life.” (Luke 21:34 NIV). God made you for more than a life of angst and mind-splitting worry. He has a new chapter for your life, and he is ready to write it.

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Transcript

Since today is Thursday, we’ll be reading from one of the books of Poetry. We’re currently reading Proverbs, and today  we’ll read chapters 23-24. After the reading, I’ll have some comments  for you. And of course I’ll have an “On This Date In Church History” segment for you, too.

I’m calling today’s episode “Stand Up”  

Read verses 11 and 12 of chapter 24 and see if they don’t sound prophetical, as if they apply to the Holocaust of WWII….

11Save those who are being led away to death.
12Don’t say, “But we didn’t know anything about this.”
Doesn’t the God who knows what you are thinking see it?
He will pay back everyone for what they have done.

Beloved, you’ve heard me say that I believe that we are quite literally in the last days. I believe that we will see more crimes against humanity than have ever been committed, including the holocaust. These verses from Proverbs make it clear that it is our responsibility to stand in the way when we see things like this happen. Christians are being killed today because of their faith in various places around the world, and it is going to spread. We need to be prepared…to take action when possible, and to not renounce our faith when it is demanded of us. 

I saw a t-shirt design recently that succinctly stated what our attitude must be. It said, “I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.” We must not bend our knees to those who would demand that we deny Jesus. After all, the worst that they can do to us is kill us. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NIV): “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

So there is no loss if we die, if we know Jesus. We will be with Him. 

Just know that when people are suffering and being put to death, if it is in our power, we are responsible to intervene. At the very least, we should be in prayer for the victims of evil people.

Well, it’s not often that my comments are this heavy, but the reality is that the world is in trouble. And it just might be that some of us in the Lifespring! family will be called into this kind of situation. I just felt like I needed to give you encouragement for that time.

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 23-24 NIRV

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Tori Benham shares how to pay attention to your tone of voice around your spouse.

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