Welcome to episode 214 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, we will explore the art of biblical friendship by examining the relationship between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel.  

Key takeaways:   

• Even best friends don't always understand our struggles immediately. 
• Jonathan voluntarily demoted himself from first to second in line. 
• Jonathan chose David's life over family harmony. 
• Jonathan repeatedly put himself one step away from death to protect his friend.   
• When your hands are weak and trembling, a friend comes alongside and helps you hold on. 
• True friendship requires regular renewal, not just one-time commitments. 
• When a friend wounds you with truth, that wound is faithful—completely reliable and trustworthy.  This isn't about friends being cruel or harsh—it's about friends caring enough to do spiritual surgery when necessary. 
• True friends present evidence of our blind spots with the goal of restoration. 
• We need friends who:  
  • Share our commitment to spiritual growth 
  • Approach us with wisdom and humility  
  • Stay engaged through difficult conversations 
  • Exercise patience and grace in the process 
• We each carry our own backpack, but when someone faces a crushing weight, the community helps carry it.    
• Godly friendship creates supernatural strength because God Himself joins the relationship. 

Quotable:   

God didn't design you to do life alone. The same God who said, 'It's not good for man to be alone,' about marriage also created us for deep, life-giving friendships. 

Application:   

• Be the friend you want to have.  Instead of waiting for others to be good friends to you, start by being the kind of friend you wish you had. 
• Invest time and vulnerability.  Friendship requires both quantity and quality time. 
• Share your struggles, not just your successes  
• Ask deeper questions beyond "How are you?"  
• Be present during both celebrations and crises  
• Create regular rhythms of connection 

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Welcome to episode 213 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, we kick off our Fall series. Today, we talk about those times when God does not make sense. 

Key takeaways:  

• The covenant God seems to be breaking covenant obligations.
• Habakkuk continuously cries, but God continuously doesn't respond. The prophet feels trapped in a cycle of unanswered prayer.
• If God sees everything and has power to stop evil, why does He merely observe without acting?
• God doesn't just rescue Habakkuk from low places; He elevates him to positions of spiritual authority and perspective that belong to Him.
• Habakkuk chooses joy before he sees any change in circumstances. 
• Job 13:15 captures the tension between sovereign suffering and persistent faith. Job's statement isn't passive resignation—it's active, defiant trust. He's saying his relationship with God transcends even life and death. Whether God preserves or destroys him, God remains his God.
• Job understood something profound: his relationship with God wasn't based on what God did for him, but on who God is. This moves beyond transactional faith (serve God to get blessings) to transformational faith (serve God because He's worthy).
• Faith isn't blind optimism—it's confident trust based on God's proven character.
• ·Choosing trust over understanding doesn't mean pretending everything is fine when it's not.  Trusting God means bringing your real emotions to Him, not hiding them from Him.

Quotable:  

• God has already proven His love at a cross, and that love doesn't change based on your circumstances. 

Application:  

• Habakkuk shows us that faithful people can question God's methods while remaining committed to God's character.
• We don't live based on what we can see right now, but on what we know to be true about God's character and promises.
• How to pray when confused: Follow biblical models:
  • Use the Psalms as prayer templates (especially Psalms of lament like 13, 22, 88)
  • Be honest about your feelings while affirming God's character
  • Ask for wisdom (James 1:5) rather than demanding explanations
  • Pray with others who can help bear your burden
• I want to give you three specific steps to choose trust over understanding this week:
  • First, write it down.  Write down one specific situation where you're demanding answers from God instead of trusting His character. Maybe it's a relationship, a health issue, a financial pressure, or a prodigal child. Please write it down.
  • Second, declare it out loud. This week, I challenge you to speak Habakkuk's words over your situation. Stand in your kitchen, sit in your car, wherever you are, and say: 'Though _____ may not happen the way I want, though _____ may not change, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation.' Fill in those blanks with your specific situation. 
  • Third, share it with someone. Don't carry this burden alone. Before Sunday comes again, I want you to text, call, or meet with one person and say, 'I'm struggling to trust God with _____. Will you pray with me?'

Connect with us:  

Web site:  https://springbaptist.org  

Facebook:  

https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)  

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Need us to pray for you? Submit your prayer request to https://springbaptist.org/prayer/  

If you haven’t already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider.

Welcome to episode 211 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, we continues our series entitled Taste and See. Today we will cover

· Light

o God’s word is a light (Psalm 119)

o Jesus is the Light (John 8)

o We are the Light (Matthew 5)

Key takeaways:

· Taste and see that the Lord is good.

· Jesus gives you the light of life.

· Put the light on a stand. Don’t hide it.

Quotable:

· “Share the gospel. It’s necessary. Use words.”

· “98-99% of God’s will for your life is found explicitly in scripture.”

· “Not just called to show it, we must proclaim it.”

Application:

- Use God’s word to expose sin in your life.

- God’s word not only calls you to action it also convicts your heart.

- A city on a hill is seen from miles and miles away.

Connect with us:

Web site: https://springbaptist.org

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)

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Need us to pray for you? Submit your prayer request to: https://springbaptist.org/prayer/

If you haven’t already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provide

Welcome to episode 210 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, we continues our series entitled Taste and See. Today we will cover

· Water

o As the deer pants for water (Psalm 42)

o Living water (John 4)

o Planted by streams of water (Psalm 1)

Key takeaways:

· Taste and see that the Lord is good.

· Remember the beautiful private friendship, you have with Jesus.

· Jesus laid his life down for you!

Quotable:

· “The depth of my need brings me to my knees and to the one I need.”

· “Jesus revealed himself to the least of the least of the least.”

· “A relationship with God is what we thirst for.”

Application:

- Plant yourself in your relationship with God.

- What are you rooted in?

Connect with us:

Web site: https://springbaptist.org

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)

https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus)

Need us to pray for you? Submit your prayer request to: https://springbaptist.org/prayer/

If you haven’t already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provide

Welcome to episode 210 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, we continue our entitled taste and see. Today, we will cover

· The role of the shepherd

o My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

o “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10)

Key takeaways:

· Taste and see that the Lord is good.

· Remember the beautiful private friendship, you have with Jesus.

· Jesus laid his life down for you!

Quotable:

· “Is the Lord your Shepherd?”

· “Is Jesus where your soul is restored? Is he where you find rest? Is it on his promises that you lay claim?”

Application:

- Pray Psalm 23 directly to the Lord!

- Don’t miss out on your relationship with Jesus.

- Remember how much he cares for you!

Connect with us:

Web site: https://springbaptist.org

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)

https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus)

Need us to pray for you? Submit your prayer request to: https://springbaptist.org/prayer/

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Today, we embark on a 6-week series called Taste and See.  We will dive into illustrations throughout Scripture to help us understand God's Word in a more profound way.

Today, we will be in Exodus 16.

Welcome to episode 208 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we conclude our series on Christian citizenship.  Today, we tackle the topic of gospel peacemaking. 

Key takeaways:  

• While we never compromise truth for unity, we also recognize that many of our divisions stem not from essential doctrinal differences but from cultural preferences, political allegiances, or personal animosities that have become inflated beyond their proper importance.  
• Principles for gospel peacemaking:  
• We must recognize our primary identity in Christ.  When our identity in Christ becomes primary, we can navigate differences from a foundation of unity. 
• We must practice gospel humility. 
• We must cultivate listening love. 
• We must distinguish between biblical absolutes and areas of Christian freedom. 
• We must practice faith-filled conflict resolution. 
• We must commit to speaking truth in love. 

Quotable:  

• Our peacemaking is most powerful when it flows from personal experience of God's peace. We forgive because we've been forgiven. We pursue reconciliation because we've been reconciled to God. We cross social barriers because Christ crossed the ultimate barrier for us.  

Application:  

• Regarding political divisions, we must resist the polarization that dominates our public discourse. 
• Regarding racial reconciliation, we must acknowledge both the progress made and the work still needed. 
• Regarding socioeconomic divisions, we must build communities where "there were no needy persons among them" (Acts 4:34) while respecting the dignity of all members regardless of economic status. 
• Regarding generational differences, we must honor the wisdom of older believers while embracing the fresh perspectives of younger ones. 
• Practical steps for becoming gospel peacemakers:  
• Examine your own heart. 
• Build relationships across dividing lines. 
• Practice biblical conflict resolution when tensions arise. 
• Support reconciliation efforts in your community. 
• Model unity around the essentials of faith. 

Connect with us:  

Web site:  https://springbaptist.org  

Facebook:    

https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)  

https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus)  

Need us to pray for you?  Submit your prayer request to https://springbaptist.org/prayer/  

If you haven’t already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider.  

Welcome to episode 207 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue in our series on Christian citizenship.  Today, we tackle the topic of cultural engagement. 

Key takeaways:  

• As followers of Christ, we're called to a distinctive way of life that sometimes aligns with and sometimes challenges the prevailing culture.   
• Three principles for cultural engagement: 
• Christians should be distinctively Christian. 
• Christians must be engaged. 
• Christians should be thoughtful about our influence. 
• Three models of cultural engagement: 
• Critical consumption - examine cultural content thoughtfully.  
• Common grace collaboration - God's common grace enables non-believers to create good things, discover truth, and promote justice. 
• Counter-cultural community -  some aspects of our faith and practice will inevitably stand in contrast to the surrounding culture. 

Quotable:  

• Compromise for the sake of relevance ultimately leads to irrelevance.  

Application:  

• A balanced approach to cultural engagement requires wisdom and discernment. It means constantly asking questions like:  
• What aspects of this cultural element reflect God's truth, goodness, and beauty?  
• What aspects distort or contradict God's design?  
• How can I appreciate the good while respectfully challenging the problematic?  
• How can my engagement bear witness to a more excellent way?  
• Cultivate deep biblical knowledge. The better we understand Scripture, the more clearly we can discern what in culture aligns with or contradicts God's design. 
• Practice intentional cultural awareness. Pay attention to the messages in the media you consume, the assumptions in the education system, and the values celebrated in entertainment. 
• Build relationships with non-believers. 
• Find like-minded community. Cultural engagement is challenging to sustain alone. 
• Recognize that our ultimate goal isn't just cultural analysis or even cultural transformation, but pointing to Christ through our engagement. 

Connect with us:  

Web site:  https://springbaptist.org  

Facebook:    

https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)  

https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus)  

Need us to pray for you?  Submit your prayer request to https://springbaptist.org/prayer/  

If you haven’t already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider.