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Have you ever had a chance to share Jesus with someone but got too nervous or scared in the moment to do it? Guest teacher Aaron Pierce assures us that we've all been there. He shares practical, approachable steps to help us boldly talk about Jesus—even with people we fundamentally disagree with.

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Resources Mentioned in Teaching

• Tom Holland - "Domnion"

Guest Speaker Bio

Aaron Pierce is the International Mission Director of Steiger International, a rapidly-growing, worldwide mission organization that is called to reach and disciple the Global Youth Culture for Jesus. Steiger is active in over 100 cities around the world within the regions of Europe, Eurasia, Central Asia, the Middle East, East Asia, South America, Australasia, and North America.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Matthew 7:1
The new religion of the day is tolerance. What used to be a beautiful concept of recognizing and respecting others’ beliefs without sharing them, is now a toxic practice.

Tolerance was once a good virtue, an entitlement to your own opinion. Now, tolerance is an unreasonable thought that all opinions are correct.

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged…” In order to understand the true context of this command, we must take a hard look at today’s tolerance: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

First, we must understand the concept of discrimination: to see what is good and what is bad. Before it became such a heated word, at its core, discrimination simply meant evaluation. Once we evaluate the difference between good and bad, we must eliminate what is bad, and appropriate what is good.

The Bible urges us to use this critical thought process to discern what is good and bad. Judgment based on Scripture is considered righteous, but judgment measured out of our own heart and mind is wrong.

Second, we must acknowledge the time for toleration. In Matthew 7, Jesus commands us to tolerate each other’s faults. This doesn’t mean we deny others’ faults, it simply forbids us from exercising unmerciful, self-righteous condemnation.

Luke 6:36-37 instructs, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

We have no right to judge others this way, yet we tend to execute merciless judgment over each other. This is rooted in our own iniquities, insecurities, and ignorance.

Adrian Rogers says, “There is no one big enough, no one just enough, no one loving enough to judge us but God Himself; and surely the judge of all Heaven and Earth will do right.”

Finally, there must be a time for serious self-examination.

Matthew 7:3 says, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”

In examining our own hearts and standing with God, we must be hard on our own sins and merciful with others.

Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “There are people who are hurting, in the church and out of the church. They don’t need your condemnation; they need your mercy.”

Spirit of God E8 —  We're halfway through our series on the Spirit of God, where we've talked about God's ruakh in the Hebrew Bible. We’ve covered a lot of ideas, many of which can be challenging for modern people to understand. So in this episode, Jon and Tim slow down, take a breath, and review what we've learned so far about God's Spirit in the Hebrew Bible

CHAPTERS

1. Spirit 1.0: God’s Essential Gift of Life, Breath, and Energy (0:00-20:03)
2. Spirit 2.0: Individuals Supercharged for Specific Tasks (20:03-36:58)
3. Looking Forward to the “Holy” Spirit in the New Testament (36:58-47:58)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “Pleasant Places” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
• “Chilling In London” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS 

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

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If someone asked you what jobs please God the most, what would you say? Would it be something in the realm of church ministry or evangelism, or a career in humanitarian efforts? Or something else? Join John MacArthur as he launches his study called Wisdom for the Workplace—a series that will help you honor the Lord in your work, whatever it is.

Michelle Ablard was content with her life as a schoolteacher, with 3 dogs and a mortgage. But then God nudged her into foster care, which began an unlikely journey of fostering two kids from her school and eventually adopting them. Michelle simply obeyed God’s prompting and credits her community of friends and family who made her miracle family possible!

Receive a copy of the "Faith Builds a Family" bundle and an audio download of "How Foster Care Brought Me My Miracle Family" 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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Has social media and the 24/7 news cycle convinced you that winning an argument is the most important thing—even when talking to your kids, grandkids, or friends about Jesus? Guest teacher Aaron Pierce offers a challenging look at how we communicate our faith. Learn how to move past the debate and foster healthy, spiritual conversations that naturally attract those you care about to the Gospel.

Resources

• Message Notes
• Special Offers

Connect

• 888-333-6003
• Website
• Chip Ingram App
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

Partner With Us

• Donate Online
• 888-333-6003

Guest Speaker Bio

Aaron Pierce is the International Mission Director of Steiger International, a rapidly-growing, worldwide mission organization that is called to reach and disciple the Global Youth Culture for Jesus. Steiger is active in over 100 cities around the world within the regions of Europe, Eurasia, Central Asia, the Middle East, East Asia, South America, Australasia, and North America.